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.

Sea Otter Population Still Declining

While walking in Carmel Meadows today, I thought I saw an otter swimming around in the surf.  Chances are that if you think you see one, you probably do.  Tourists and other visitors to the area tend to get excited when spotting otters and other marine mammals, but locals often find them ordinary.  Yet after hearing a story in the evening news, I was prompted to learn more.

Did you know?

• Sea otters are in decline—it’s more important than ever to act on their behalf.
  
• Sea otters are a keystone species—protections afforded otters have a disproportionate benefit on surrounding ecosystems
  
• Kelp forests are extremely important in protecting the coast from coastal erosion and the impacts of big waves and storms, making them important for adaptation to climate change. 

Bullets courtesy of The Otter Project.  For more information, see the linked website to right.

Garrapata State Park

Food Changes

Not everyone can brag that she has a mother who can butcher an animal. I, in fact, can. This piece of information came to light recently as family and friends brainstormed (over a few drinks) solutions to the deer problem plaguing my dad's organic garden. My dad can also shear a sheep, but that's just showing off.

I grew up in Prunedale, sometimes called "Prunetucky" by those not lucky enough to have grown up there. My parents, refugees of the Bay Area traffic, moved to their house in 1981 presumably to live a better life than suburbia could offer. And yes, my parents are of "that" generation: they're baby boomers and my dad went to Berkeley in during "those" years. So now you know why he has an organic garden, and you start to understand why my mom can butcher an animal.

As a kid I didn't really appreciate the fact that most of our food came from our own home. At one point we had lambs, chickens, pigs, goats and rabbits all of which sourced our family of table of 6. I remember trips to nearby Watsonville for boxes of apples and canning tomatoes and jam in the hot August days of school vacation. And very little of it is unpleasant memory, except perhaps the slaughter of the lambs and the smell of just eviscerated chicken. I suspect that one experience in particular was the root cause of one brother's decision to become vegan.

All this homesteading was possible because my mom stayed at home during those years. As the four of us kids went through school, Mom eventually went back to work and we started buying more and more of our food. This was about the time that classmates at my private school started snickering and making Prunetucky jokes, so I was a little relieved to be a little less "weird."

Trends are swinging back to making food at home. Last summer I spent several days making homemade jam, which I don't even like to eat. It is such a pleasure to make something from scratch and to give it away. More groups of people are starting to become aware of where their food comes from and are discovering alternatives such a meat cooperatives and CSA programs. And I have to mention Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, a show that premiered last week. America is becoming more and more aware of its food options and the impact of choices on our economy and environment. The Central Coast is a great place to try it out.

At my local farmers market, I can buy: produce of all kinds, beef, fish, eggs, cut flowers, baked goods, olive oil, sausages, orchids and other house and yard plants. Last week I spent $4.50 at my local farmers market and bought a beautifully fragrant basket of strawberries, a head of garlic and a bunch of rainbow Swiss chard. All that goodness still rang in cheaper than my typical fast food run. More importantly, my small purchase was a big personal step for me. I recently was diagnosed with prediabetes, that ominous scourge of health problems that is unfortunately becoming wide spread in America. And I am determined to halt it in its tracks and reverse its path. This means not only understanding and valuing all the food alternatives but actually embracing them and taking action. And not just joining a gym, but going....to exercise, not just sit in the sauna. Right. Working on that one!

My other big step was to order a portion of a grassfed steer. For some time I have been considering this option, but only recently has the time been right to take action. Morris Grassfed Beef is raised just north of the Monterey Peninsula, in the hills of San Juan Bautista. At the time that I discovered it, I was looking for places to buy individual cuts of meat. I love the idea of supporting a local rancher who considers stewardship of the land as important as profit. Grassfed beef is also a healthier food product. In this scenario, you buy a steer, or a portion of one, and it is processed for you. You pick it up all bundled into neat butcher packages ready to enjoy. You don't have to witness the slaughtering and butchering, but you get a locally grown, healthy meat at very reasonable price.

As a family of 1, this scenario just didn't fit my lifestyle. I have neither the freezer space nor the capacity to eat 80 pounds of beef....and I do love beef! But, this year there is a CSA style option which limits your take to one third three times a year- a much better option for people like me who don't have an extra freezer or a lot of mouths to feed. A friend of mine is a perfect partner to share a split half. Our individual cost will end up being around $300 for 40 pounds of grassfed beef.

Shopping for food this way is a huge change, even for someone like me who grew up understanding where food comes from. Most of all, the wait from now until the first pick up seems like ages away (July). But, in a life where fast food and convenience have already taken a huge toll it seems well worth it. What food changes (no matter how small) are you willing to make?

And as for the deer...what deer?

Local Farmers Markets

I am lucky enough to live in a nexus of food options. I went to college in the Midwest and remember staring at an orange transported from Florida thinking: "It should be orange, not yellow." Here in the proximity of the Monterey Bay, Salinas Valley and Santa Cruz mountains we have access to a plethora of fresh, locally grown food. It can be dangerous, however. If you get used to eating local, organic and fresh food, it can make you a down right produce snob.

These days we are all budget minded, and many people are reconsidering the higher cost of organic food. There are so many good reasons to shop at a farmers market; in doing so you support local farmers and small businesses, keep your money local, and reduce the impact of pesticides and fossil fuel consumption on the environment. For me, the selling point is the freshness. I am always overwhelmed and soothed by the aroma of the produce as I get near the vendors' tables. The bright variety of colors excite something deep in my brain, some evolutionary urge to gather that doesn't surface when I am in the aisle of a refrigerated supermarket aisle.

I believe strongly in the value of voting with your dollar and go out of my way to support local businesses. However, I feel a touch of guilt eating expensive food knowing that there are so many who don't get enough. There are many families right here in our local communities who don't have enough food, let alone fresh food. A local school official told me that it costs more to provide a child with a piece of fresh fruit than it does an entree in our local school cafeterias. I was encouraged, though, to learn that he had negotiated a contract to buy local Watsonville apples to replace ones shipped from Washington State at a cost savings. I also recently learned that families who use food stamps are able to shop at some of our local farmers markets using that resource. The Chronic Disease Specialists at the Monterey County Department of Health do a good job educating the community about that option through their Champions for Change program. I also consider the loss of money that inevitably comes from throwing away tasteless, conventional produce that has languished in my refrigerator drawer. Farmers market finds rarely last more than an day or two, so if I am careful not to over buy, the cost ends up about the same. In the end I consume more produce and enjoy the produce.

There are farmers markets held just about every day of the week in our different Central Coast communities. To find one near you, see: http://www.montereybayfarmers.org/. I prefer the Thursday market at Monterey Peninsula College which has plenty of parking and lack of carnival atmosphere. Families with small children and tourists from out of town tend to frequent the Downtown Monterey market on Tuesday afternoon, though for me its allure is the restaurant vendors. It's a good place to meet friends with eclectic tastes because everyone can find something he or she likes. From May through October, the Sunday morning market held at Del Monte Center is more convenient for me. No matter where you live or visit, you're sure to find one convenient and enjoyable.

Spring at Point Lobos State Reserve