Market Thymes

Market Thymes
A Publication of Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association
November 2013
A Fresh & Local Thanksgiving
In this Issue
Glorious Onions
The Magic of Mirepoix
Sweet Potatoes
Fresh Thanksgiving Recipes
Cookin' the Market
with Anna Buss
What's in Season
Staff Profile - Ben Palazzolo
Thanksgiving is a great time to eat locally. Many people have
always eaten locally and in season at Thanksgiving without even
knowing it. Squash and sweet potato dishes, pumpkin and apple pie,
and other traditional family recipes are usually locally grown and
obviously in season. We know that eating locally and sustainably
supports the local economy because it supports local farms and
farmers, because it's easier on the earth, and because it supports
responsible development.
This holiday season, pledge to purchase and add at least one
locally grown, raised, or produced item to your Thanksgiving menu.
There are turkeys locally raised in Napa and other Bay Area locations.
Winter squash, pumpkins, and other local vegetables and fruits are
available at your farmers' market, and even locally grown flowers are
here to decorate your festive holiday table. And of course, there are
local wines and brews to enjoy!
Take the "eat local challenge" this holiday season and support
local farms and food producers, ranchers, nurseries, shops, and
your local community. It's easier-and tastier-than you think. Happy
Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Produce Crate Label, Pilgrim Brand Oranges,
Highland, California.
Pacific Coast Farmers’
Market Association
Our mission is to establish and
operate community supported
certified farmers’ markets and
other direct marketing outlets
that provide: viable economic
opportunities for California
farmers and food producers, local
access to farm fresh products,
support for local businesses
and community organizations,
and education concerning food,
nutrition and the sustainability of
California agriculture.
Photo: Yellow Onions, Happy Boy Farms,
San Mateo Farmers' Market.
Onions! Glorious Onions!
"Banish (the onion) from the kitchen and the pleasure flies with it. Its
presence lends color and enchantment to the most modest dish; its absence
reduces the rarest delicacy to hopeless insipidity, and dinner to despair."
Elizabeth Robbins Pennell, American columnist.
Cooking would not be the same
without onions! This simple bulb is
not only versatile and flavorful, but
they’re also good for us. They are low
in calories, and are purported to have
antibacterial qualities.
Red Onions: About 8%
of the U.S. onion crop is
red. They have gained
popularity in the past
decade because of their color and
their mild sweet flavor.
The first Pilgrims brought onions with
them on the Mayflower. However,
they found that strains of wild onions
already grew throughout North
America. Native Americans used wild
onions in a variety of ways, eating
them raw or cooked, as a seasoning
or as a vegetable. According to diaries
of colonists, bulb onions were planted
as soon as the Pilgrims could clear the
land.
White Onions: About 5%
of U.S. onion production is
dedicated to white onions.
They are commonly used
in white sauces, potato
and pasta salads, and in Mexican or
Southwest cuisine. Due to the compact
nature of their cell structure, white
onions do not store quite as long as
others. Flavor is mild and sweet.
Yellow Onions: Allpurpose and most popular,
approximately 87% of
the U.S. onion crop is
comprised of yellow varieties. The
most well-known sweet onions are
yellow. The best type of onion for
caramelizing is a yellow storage
variety. Cooking brings out this
variety's nutty, mellow, often sweet,
quality when caramelized.
Green Onions: Green
onions are young
shoots of bulb onions,
and are milder tasting
than large bulb onions.
They have a small, not fully developed
white bulb end with long green stalks.
Both parts are edible. Scallions are
considered younger than a green
onion because they should not have a
bulb, while green onions should have
a miniature bulb.
Shallots: Shallots are
members of the onion
family, but are formed
more like garlic than
onions. Shallots are favored for their
mild onion flavor, and can be used in
the same manner as onions. A shallot
looks like a small, elongated onion
with a copper, reddish skin. When
peeled, shallots separate into cloves
like garlic.
The Magic of Mirepoix
A mirepoix (pronounced MEER PWAH) or "trinity" of carrots, celery, and
onions are the essentials of many recipes like stocks, sauces, soups, and
stews. The flavor it imparts is almost magical! These three ingredients are
commonly referred to as aromatics. Similar such combinations, both in and
out of the French culinary repertoire, sometimes include leeks, parsnips,
garlic, tomatoes, shallots, mushrooms, bell peppers, chilies, and ginger. In
Cajun cuisine, a mirepoix or trinity is a combination of onions, celery and bell
peppers.
Mirepoix is usually diced in recipes and the proportions (by weight) for
making it are 50% onions, 25% carrots and 25% celery. Sautéed with a little
olive oil or butter, the flavors seep into your recipes and add depth to any
dish. Add to your Thanksgiving stuffing recipe!
Mirepoix Vegetable Stock
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
2 cups white or yellow onions
3 tablespoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
5 quarts water
Fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, etc.
Heat oil in a soup pot. Add onions, celery, carrots, and herbs.
Cook over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add salt and water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and
simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Strain. Discard
vegetables. Use stock in soups, stews, or other recipes.
Cookin' the
Market
with Chef Anna Buss
Okinawan/Ubi
(Purple Sweet Potato)
Thanksgiving is a time for comfort
and tradition, which in my home
means gathering together with
family and eating foods that are
heavy, rich, and warm. As a kid I
would get excited about my aunt’s
famous sweet potato casserole
topped with marshmallows or my
cousin’s creamy spinach dish. And
as I look forward to these food
keepsakes, I get even more excited
when someone brings something
new to the table.
Now that I live in California and
work at the farmers’ markets, I
have realized there are so many
different varieties within each
family of produce. I get excited
about incorporating new colors and
textures into my meals knowing that
I will be creating a dish with great
flavor and nutrition.
Fresh Thanksgiving Recipes
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Brussels Sprouts with Onions
and Almonds
5 or 6 large sweet potatoes (peeled)
1/2 cup butter (one stick)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon maple syrup, more or
less to taste
1 pound Brussels sprouts
4 to 6 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion (chopped)
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup almonds, slivered, toasted
Peel potatoes and
cut into quarters.
Simmer in a large
3 to 4 quart pot
of water with 2
teaspoons salt added to the water.
After 20 minutes or so, test potatoes
with a fork to see if they are fully
tender. When cooked, drain water and
return sweet potatoes to pan over stillwarm burner (leave burner off or on
very low heat).
Boil in water or steam Brussels sprouts
for 3 to 4 minutes until just tender.
Strain and place in a bowl of ice water
to keep the color bright green. Cut
into halves.
Add butter to bottom of pan and stir
until melted. Using a potato masher,
mash the sweet potatoes with the
butter, adding salt and pepper, to
taste. Add maple syrup to sweeten,
stirring thoroughly. Recipe: PCFMA Staff.
Sauté onions in 2 to 3 tablespoons
of butter in a sauté pan until the
onions are translucent. Add the
Brussels sprout halves and 2 to 3
tablespoons more
butter and cook
on medium high
heat for several
more minutes,
until the sprouts
have reached
your desired level
of doneness. Do not over-cook, or
sprouts will become bitter.
Add salt and pepper to taste
while sprouts are cooking.
One variety that always jumps out
at me during the fall markets is
Remove from heat, toss in
the Okinawan sweet potato, also
half of the toasted slivered
known as ubi. The beautiful purple
almonds and the lemon
hue shows it has a high level of
juice. Add salt and pepper if
antioxidants, which
needed. Put into serving dish
will help keep the
and garnish with the rest of
immune system
the toasted almonds.
strong during the
Recipe: a2zrecipes.com.
flu season. Ubi is
also a good source
of copper, fiber, vitamin B6,
Sweet Potatoes vs. Yams
potassium, and iron.
Before you reach for the yams this Thanksgiving, there's something you need to know.
They're not actually yams! All this time, many Americans have been making the mistake
People covet it for its sweet
of calling sweet potatoes "yams." But there's a difference. It turns out sweet potatoes
flavor and creamy texture. It and yams are not even related. They are two different species of root vegetable with
can be made into a striking
very different backgrounds and uses.
purple dessert such as a
cake, pie or ice cream. It can Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) come in two main varieties here in the States. One
has a golden skin with creamy white flesh and a crumbly texture. The other has a
also be roasted, steamed,
copper skin with an orange flesh that is sweet and soft. Since there are two types of
mashed, or simmered in a
sweet potatoes, one with creamy white flesh and one with orange, the USDA labels the
savory dish. So this year
orange-fleshed ones "yams" to distinguish them from the paler variety. Within this sweet
why not put a spin one of
potato category are several flavorful varieties seen at your farmers' market.
your favorite traditional
dishes. Surprise, engage,
Yams (family Dioscoreaceae) are native to Africa and Asia and other tropical regions.
and educate your family by
Yams are starchy tubers that have an almost black bark-like skin and white, purple or
introducing news colors,
textures, and flavors to your reddish flesh and come in many varieties. These are usually imported to the U.S. from
Caribbean nations.
Thanksgiving repertoire.
Pacific Coast
Farmers’ Market Association
5060 Commercial Circle, Suite A
Concord, CA 94520
925.825.9090, Fax 925.825.9101
www.pcfma.com
Board of Directors
Narsai David
President Emeritus
Patrick Fabian
President
Albert Terry
Vice President
Mike Billigmeier
Secretary
Leonard Conniff
Treasurer
John Paul Barbagelata
Al Courchesne
Steve Fernandes
Shelly McMahon
Les Portello
Phil Rhodes
PCFMA Staff
John Silveira, Director
Lauren Beal
Cody Brooks
Anna Buss
Laura deTar
Thomas Dorn
Jessica Echols
Stephanie Hadsell
Mario Hernandez
Maureen Hovda
Ron Jackson
Jeff Jelsma
Jacqueline Kidd
Caroline King
Pat Lane
Shawn Lipetzky
Minnie Low
AJ Mahon
Maureen McCloskey
Moises Mena
Jessica Millender
Debra Morris
Allen Moy
Tom Nichol
Anne O’Leary
Ben Palazzolo
Tomas Pascual
Michael Peterson
Sameer Poudyal
Greg Pursley
Leah Ricci
Stefan Robinson
Laura Salcido
Matt Sylvester
Chong Thao
Max Timms
Kelly Toomey
Ramiro Tovar
Sarah Trent
Ron Ulrici
Jorge Vega
Keith Wall
Ashley Weidman
Eric Winkler
Greg Zeroun
Editor: Debra J. Morris
Comments, suggestions:
mrcarrot@pcfma.com
Staff Profile
Ben Palazzolo, Regional Manager
Ben has been a part of PCFMA since April 2011. At that time, he was hired as a
Market Manager. After managing several markets he was promoted to Regional
Manager in January 2013, overseeing markets in Santa Clara County.
He says, “Food has always occupied an important place in my life. Growing
up I was very fortunate that both my parents cooked most of our meals from
scratch. They both placed a high value on food, as a source of nutrition and
as a means of connecting with family and friends. I like to consider myself a
passable cook, although I haven’t spent as much time cooking during the last
few years as I would like.”
Besides cooking at home, he tries to spend time outdoors enjoying nature,
hiking or camping. He recently camped in King’s Canyon, and has spent time
during the last several months exploring the many beautiful trails within the
East Bay Regional Park District. “I use my bicycle as often as I can to get
to and from our office in Concord or to explore my own neighborhood. I
installed collapsible panniers on my bike so I can use it for errands as well. My
philosophy is that the less time I spend in a car in the Bay Area, the happier
I’ll be. Besides bicycling, I was practicing Tai Chi in Pleasant Hill with the Taoist
Tai Chi Society of America for over a year. I enjoy going out to dance the salsa,
too,” he says.
By coincidence, a half a dozen friends that he lived with during college have
moved to the Bay Area over the last several years. Most of them he's known
for over ten years. He says he's very grateful to have old friends close by in an
area he is relatively new to, having moved to the Bay Area from San Luis Obispo
about three-and-a-half years ago. Recently, he's had the joy of participating in
several of their weddings and officiated at the wedding of close friends.
Lastly, he loves fixing up his apartment in the colorful little neighborhood
surrounding Piedmont Avenue. Antique shops, thrift stores, and plant nurseries
abound in Oakland and the East Bay. "I strive to accomplish something in my
home each day, even if it's just hanging a picture by the front door," Ben says.
In Season
Fruit: Many varieties of figs and grapes will be available through the
fall. Also here are pears, apples and little jujubees. Persimmons and
pomegranates make their appearance.
Vegetables: Artichokes, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, parsnips,
carrots, onions, and potatoes are here. Try must-have gorgeous winter
squash. Year-round favorites include spinach, chard, kale, broccoli, radishes,
cabbage, beets, carrots, celery, and all kinds of leafy greens. Asian greens
and herbs are still available. And don’t forget mushrooms and garlic!
Check out the amazing fall flowers! Chrysanthemums,
asters, goldenrod, snapdragons, daisies, coneflowers,
and filler greens like eucalyptus and ferns.
Look for citrus and kiwifruit soon. And pick up olive
oil, cheeses, and dried fruits and nuts for the holidays.