Marine Mammals in the Bay

It's been an exciting summer around the Monterey Bay for those interested in viewing marine life.  In June a once in a decade sighting of over forty blue whales made the local news and brought an influx of business to Fisherman's Wharf and local whale watching businesses.  For a link to whale watching tours, see right.  If you prefer to stay on land, you can view the whales localite-style by parking outside Pt.Lobos State Reserve and hiking in with a pair of binoculars.Then yesterday the Monterey Bay Aquarium announced that a baby sea otter is now being rehabilitated- the second such in the Aquarium's history.  Even a local has to smile as the pup seems to wave from her photo.  Everyone say it with me: "Awwww!"

Monterey Bay Aquarium, Randy Wilder

Beef!

My summer vacation was punctuated today by a long awaited event: The first pick up of my grassfed beef.  Some months ago, I recruited a friend to share a split half of a grassfed steer from nearby San Juan Bautista.  To read more about Morris Grassfed Beef, please click here.

We decided to split a split half, which means that over the course of a year we will each have about 40 pounds of meat.  We chose to get ours CSA-style, which means that instead of picking it all up at once, we will also pick up in September, November and February.

My 10 pounds share of today's pick up is: five one pound packages of ground beef, two rib eyes steaks, one flank steak, one New York steak and one skirt steak.  Also, you can see how little space ten pounds of meat takes up in a standard freezer (bottom shelf).

Bottom shelf center and left: Morris Grassfed Beef, CSA share

More to come on cooking!

First Harvest

Cherries: The Ephemeral Fruit

Highway 152, Gilroy

This weekend is the mid-point of May and with it comes the chilly summer fog and the start of the cherry season.  Traditionally Memorial Day marks the start of summer, but locally these are the hallmarks of the change in season.

I had occasion to drive over to the valley this weekend, and driving back over Pacheco Pass I was greeted by seasonal cherry stands lining the side of the roads in Gilroy.  I can remember roadside cherry stands all the way back to when I was very little due to the fact that the South Bay Area was once a stone fruit and nut going region.  I was understandably nostalgic when I saw the hand painted signs for the cherry stands with names like The Pit Stop, Nature's Gift and The Merry Cherry.

The Merry Cherry got my business because they cater to someone exactly like me.  Retuning from a long, hot drive up the valley, I was pulled in by strategically placed signs.  The first stand started me thinking "Look, a cherry stand," but traveling at 60 miles an hour I didn't have time to slow and pull over.  No matter, for just when I started to regret the missed opportunity, along came another Merry Cherry!  And so the moment of merriment when I pulled over.  I almost felt lucky to have the opportunity to be there.

Bing and Rainier cherries

Bing cherries are the most common and popular cherries, but also in season are rainier cherries, which the seller told me are also called "Queen Anne."  Yellow in color with a pink blush, these cherries are less sweet than bings.  But hurry, the cherry season is short and late rains such as we've had recently have been known to ruin a ripe crop.  It's also important to eat them quickly, for left on the counter cherries mold fog and in the refrigerator they lost their fresh flavor like tomatoes.

Whole Enchilada Marketplace, Moss Landing

Yesterday my carefully planned Saturday fell apart..but no matter.  Suckered in by the loss leader sign for 10 artichokes for a dollar, I discovered the Whole Enchilada Marketplace on Highway 1 in Moss Landing.

I knew from driving by that there was a Surf City Coffee.  Hooray for local rather than national corporate chains.  A wander into the produce stall took me back to childhood memories with the smell of dried fruit.  Inside the Marketplace is a casual, happy place.  Not pretentious or stuffy, the Driftwood Beer and Wine Bar is partitioned off for alcohol consumption.  The "Bar" is decorated with signs from local Northern California professional teams: San Jose Sharks, San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders and the San Francisco Giants.  There is a big screen t.v., should your team be playing while you're there.  On Fridays and Saturdays, there are wine and beer tastings, and the shelves feature many local Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Luis Obispo County wines at reasonable prices.

In addition to the friendly staff and casual environment, the deli menu has the most charm.  Boasting a good variety of freshly made bread, meat and cheese, someone stopping by for a quick sandwich is sure to be content.  But those open to exploring the specialty sandwiches are in for a great surprise.  I decided to have the "Power Plant," a tri-tip sandwich with chipotle mayonnaise.  The portion was good and the saucy zingy without being too hot.  The other feature was the "Crabby Attitude" made of crab, tartar sauce, avocado, lettuce, tomato and red onion, which I will try on my next visit.  The menu features paninis, hot food and smoothies, too.

If you're in a mood for some casual, local fun and a snack, drink or meal, stop by The Whole Enchilada Marketplace just south of the Power Plant on Highway 1.  Need to get a hold of them first?  Call them at (831)632-BOAT or fax at (831)632-CRAB.

Fava Beans: The It Vegetable

Family, friends and colleagues can all attest that I am not a morning person.  However, there are a few things that can motivate me to rise with an alarm set on a weekend morning.  This morning was a good example: the first Sunday of the Del Monte Farmers Market.  Having just finished reading In the Green Kitchen by Alice Waters, I sprang out of bed with an alacrity reserved for Christmas morning as a five year old.

The Sunday Del Monte Market is small and lacks most of the street fair ambiance that you might find on a Tuesday in Downtown Monterey.  I was perhaps a bit ambitious in my plans to cook this week, but my take included: basil (Genovese and Thai), green beans, strawberries, blueberries, beets, asparagus, cucumbers and fava beans.  Other items for sale included: lemons, nuts, plants, cut flowers, eggs, greens, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, beef...you get the idea.  Though this market is small, I can find almost everything I need.  And because it is sponsored by Whole Foods Market, its easy to find the rest.

I like to ask the vendors where their wares are grown.  I was pleasantly surprised to learn that my strawberries and blueberries came from Moss Landing while the asparagus was grown in Gonzales. I casually asked the vendor of the fava beans how she cooks them, and she suddenly gave me her family recipe, all in narrative.  Another, older couple eagerly filled a bag of fava beans as I listened.  Next, a woman next to me commented that all of her Italian relative ate them, but called them broad beans,   Before long a crowd of people gathered around the table and they were gone.....who knew that fava beans would become the it vegetable of the week?

Now it is Sunday evening, and the strawberries are long gone...organic strawberries languish quickly, so it is best to indulge and eat them all in one sitting.  The basil is a bit droopy, but stored in a glass of water on the counter it is making a nice comeback.  And those fava beans...

Hang Out Like a Localite

Just a few blocks from my home is a happy hang out.  Esteban Restaurant is located in the Casa Munras, a hotel named after the last Spanish diplomat to California.  Esteban stands out from the plethora of restaurant options in Monterey with its tapas style menu, contemporary setting and attentive customer service.

Many of my friends have special food needs or preferences; Esteban works out because friends allergic to nuts, shell fish and wheat can all find something not only suitable but tasty from an extensive small plates menu.  Vegetarians have more than one choice, too.  The menu is also fairly diversified in price, which makes it a good place for friends to hang out whatever their nightly allowance might be.

I'm the sort of person who sticks to menu favorites.  If I've returned to a local restaurant, it is usually because I really liked whatever I ate before.  At Esteban, I'm not locked into ordering one particular entree, so I'm more comfortable with taking a risk on something new.  On my most recent visit, I had a link of chorizo on mashed potatoes with roasted peppers and the Monterey Bay seafood stew.  I have to admit, I was suspicious of the later which I thought was a gimmicky tourist trap.  Fortunately, a friend ordered it first and it turned out to be delightful- not at all chowder in a bread bowl, but a clear broth with a good portion of vegetables and seafood.  And, through absolutely no cunning on my part, the friend who ordered it first happened to be allergic to wheat so I got twice the toast with garlicky aioli.  I enjoyed the chorizo, too.  It had a gamey taste that was a little atypical but good.  But then again, I've never met a sausage I didn't like.

Esteban is not the only restaurant in town that features small plates, but it is the only place where I've dared to try an unusual cocktail.  Just this week I scorned a house guest who plopped an ice cube in his glass of white wine.  Tonight I ordered Calimoxta, a dubious mixture of red wine and cola served over ice.  I had heard that it is enjoyed by the gallons in the Basque region and now I understand why.  Sometimes it is worth trying something new, even if it means eating a little crow.

On last reason to try Esteban is the patio with fire pit and heaters.  This is a great draw for those of us who enjoy a fire but lack fireplaces at home.  I recommend plenty of warm layers though- I regretted not having worn my Uggs. If you haven't discovered Esteban yet, move it to the top of your list and let me know how you like it.  You'll know me by my drink.