Fresh Tomato Salsa

Forono Beets



Here's what Farmer John had for us in Silver Lake today:

Celery
Tuscan kale
Yellow wax beans
Daikon radish
Japanese tomatoes
Collard greens
Arugula
Chard
Romaine
Squash blossoms
Lemon basil
Purslane

And here's what Tara picked from McGrath Family Farm, certified organic growers in Camarillo:

Carrots
Forono beets
Baby corn
Chard
Romaine
Strawberries
Raspberries
Baby squash

And here's a quick snap from my trip to get composted horse manure at Tim's in Altadena. Thanks Graham for the use of your truck. (Ours is in the shop. Grrrr!! But hey! I'm enjoying the ride!) - Tara


In addition to this bounty, Tara brought micro-greens grown right here in Silver Lake at Silver Lake Farms by Katy Kate! If you picked up a bag, be sure to eat them soon, as micro-greens are delicate and taste best when very fresh.

I couldn't resist the fat, ruby-colored Japanese tomatoes. They were perfectly ripe and ready to eat. A simple salad of sliced tomatoes on a bed of arugula drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and a little salt might be the perfect easy dish for a mild summer night.

With a little extra effort, you can make a delicious tomato salsa to eat tonight or keep in the fridge for a few days. It's great with chips, of course, and on little tacos that I like to make with leftover meat and vegies. I like to use it on fresh grilled chicken and fish, too; and I love it as an accompaniment to scrambled eggs.

This recipe calls for one large tomato, but you can double it if you'd like.

Fresh Tomato Salsa

1 large ripe tomato
1/2 small sweet onion
2 green onions
1/2 small jalapeno (more or less to taste)
1/2 small bunch cliantro (optional)
juice of 1/2 juicy lemon or lime, or more to taste
Mexican hot sauce, such as Cholula
salt and pepper to taste

1. Chop the tomato into small dice and place in a bowl.

2. Chop the sweet onion finely and add to the bowl.

3. Trim the green onion and slice the white part and some of the green part. Mince it finely and add to the bowl.

4. Using rubber gloves, remove the seeds from half a small jalapeno pepper and chop very finely. This amount of jalapeno will yield a spicy salsa, so if you like your salsa milder, add only half of what you've chopped. You can always add more later.

5. If you're using cilantro, remove the leaves from the stems. Compost the stems and chop the cilantro leaves finely. Add to the bowl.

6. Stir the salsa. Squeeze in the lemon or lime juice. Now taste the salsa. Add hot sauce, more jalapeno, salt, and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Great Guacamole!

Here's what Farmer John had for us in Silver Lake this week:

Red beets
Arugula
Negi onions
Collard greens
Russian kale
Red & green lettuce
Tat soi
Squash blossoms with baby zucchini
Cucumbers
Avocados

The minute I saw those avocados, I thought guacamole. Though I'll have to wait a few days until mine get soft enough to mash up; that's fine. It'll give me time to check out the Silver Lake, Atwater, or Hollywood farmer's markets this weekend and pick up the other ingredients: a beautiful ripe tomato - they're just beginning to show up from local farms, a juicy lemon - I'll get one right off my tree, and a fiery jalapeno. Hang on to one of theose Negi green onions; they're delicious in guacamole.

There are lots of great recipes for guacamole. Here's one of mine:

2 ripe avocados
1 large Negi green onion
1 small ripe tomato
1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro or more (or less) to taste
1 t to 1 T minced jalapeno to taste (optional)
Juice of 1 large lemon (more or less to taste)
Red hot sauce, such as Cholula, to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Split the avocados in half lengthwise. Remove the pit. Using a spoon, scoop the avocado flesh into a bowl and mash to your desired consistency. I like my guacamole to have some large chunks of avocado, so I don't mash it until completely smooth, but you can if you prefer.

2. Wash, dry, and mince the green onion. Add it to the avocado.

3. Wash dry, and dice the small tomato and add it to the bowl. If it's particularly juicy, you may want to drain off the juice.

4. If you're using cilantro, wash, dry, and chop it finely and add it to the bowl. I love the flavor of cilantro, but some people think it tastes like soap. Apparently this flavor sensation is genetic. So, it's fine to omit the cilantro. You can substitute a smaller amount (2 T) of chopped parsley, if you'd like.

5. The amount of jalapeno you use is truly a matter of taste. One tablespoon of minced jalapeno will produce a pretty spicy guacamole. So, start with a small amount and add more until you achieve your desired level of hotness. Use gloves when chopping the jalapeno. Remove and discard the seeds.

6. Squeeze the juice of one large lemon into the bowl and stir all the ingredients until well-combined.

7. Add salt, pepper, and a few shots of red hot sauce to taste. Stir again and serve or chill before serving, but not too long, as the guacamole will begin to darken.

The food writer, Harold McGee, says it's a myth that leaving the avocado pit in your guacamole prevents browning. Browning is caused by exposure to air and the pit only blocks this exposure where it actually touches the guacamole. The lemon juice in this recipe will discourage the browning process for a short while. You can further inhibit browning by placing plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole before chilling it. However, it's best to eat guacamole soon after preparing it.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Zen's Spicy Green Rice Recipe

Hi Tara

Thank you for all the wonderful goodies today.
Here is a recipe that we used your cilantro for.

Thank you!
z & b

Spicy Green Rice

Makes 6 servings

6 cups — cooked warm Jasmine Rice ( 2 1/2 cups uncooked)
1 cup — finely chopped cilantro
1 1/2 cups — chopped green onions
1/4 cup — finely chopped jalapenos (less or more depending on how spicy you like it)
1 cup — cooked and drained green peas
3 tbsp — olive oil
1 tbsp — sesame oil
2 tsp — salt
Black pepper to taste
Juice from 1 or 2 limes depending on size and juiciness


Place cooked rice in a large bowl and add ingredients and gently mix!

So easy! Thank you Zen! Tara