Category Archives: Food Philosophies
Springtime Mushrooms
One of the rights of spring for chefs is the seasons start of porcini and morel mushrooms, unfortunately, it doesn’t look like a good year for morels. According to the fine folks at Far West Fungi, the dry winter didn’t produce enough rain for the morels to flourish. But the good news is… it should be a great year for porcini. The season is just beginning now and the prices should start coming down soon.
I splurged and bought a few morels to make one of my favorite springtime dishes; Halibut with Fava Beans, Morel Mushrooms, and Tarragon Aioli.
With the shortage of morels this season, it’s time to start thinking about porcini. Porcini is a very hardy mushroom and holds up well to many cooking methods. They can be sautéed or grilled or roasted in the oven to bring out their earthy, meaty flavor. One of the best ways to cook a porcini is in the pizza oven if you have access to one.
They are best cooked whole or cut in half depending on there size. Serve them on top of a risotto or steak, or in a pasta, or just on the plate with a fork and knife sprinkled with a little fleur de sel.
Fresh Garbanzo Beans
If you’ve been reading my blog you know how much I love the versatility of fresh garbanzo beans. You can use them as you would a dry garbanzo bean in dishes like hummus or as a spread for a crostini that will add more of a fresh and vegetal flavor to your dish. You can also use them as a fresh bean in a ragout for a fish dish or you can add them to a spring salad for a fresh new dimension.
Tonight I created a dish that has been in my head for a while: Pan Fried Coconut Prawns with Fresh Garbanzo Beans in a Coconut- Curry Sauce. Delicious!
Another great use for this seasonal vegetable.
Spring Salad
More fun with fresh garbanzo beans. Here’s a great salad that represents the start of spring: Fresh Garbanzo Beans, Fava Beans, English Peas, Spring Onions, and Green Garlic tossed with a little Meyer lemon juice, olive oil and sea salt.
Artisan Cheese Festival
Today I’m at the 6th annual Artisan Cheese Festival in Petaluma. This is my third trip to the festival (I was at the 1st & 5th annual festivals) that highlights local artisan food producers and mostly western cheese makers.
I was happy to taste some of my usual favorites like Capricious from Achadinha Cheese Company and selections from Cow Girl Creamery as well as some new favorites like Junipero Salinas Valley Swiss from Schoch Family Farmstead in Monterey County and Strawberry Peak from Snowy Mountain Creamery in Utah.
Overall it was a good event that has unfortunately grown out of its cramped space. Hopefully they’ll have a larger space next year with more local venders.
Spring Produce Starting To Arrive
Spring equinox has begun and the spring produce is starting to show up here in the Bay Area. In the markets now: spring garlic, spring onions, English peas, fava beans, fresh garbanzo beans, asparagus and strawberries.
