heirloom marinara – the good stuff

i’ll let you know right off the bat that to make some seriously good marinara you need to start with some seriously delicious tomatoes – i recommend buying organic heirloom tomatoes at the farmers market while they’re still in season.  because they can be expensive, i recommend finding a farmer that has great tasting tomatoes but is willing to sell you the less perfect ones at a discount.  at the markets i frequent in los angeles,... Read More

heirlooms are back…and so am i!

i haven’t been posting much lately, not because i haven’t been cooking – i’ve been cooking like crazy.  and not because i’m not taking pictures – i finally figured out how to use my other lens and these summer hours lend me many more hours of favorable light.  and not because i don’t have recipes – i’ve written and shot several recipes that i’ve just been too lazy to post. it’s easy... Read More

super simple okra and miso marinara over soba noodles

last week at the farmers’ market a customer came up to my stand and told the girl i work for that her recipe for okra was amazing.  obviously i had to get it and see what it was all about. the recipe as she told it was, “half and onion, some okra and some tomato, chop chop chop, fry in some oil, then add oyster sauce.”  sounded easy enough, and while i didn’t feel like enjoying any oyster sauce in the mix, i had red miso... Read More

10 tips for enjoying heirloom tomatoes

tomato season is coming to an end, but there are still a few weeks left to enjoy all of the sweet, tangy, fresh and juicy varieties of seasonal heirloom tomatoes.  you can find the freshest picks and most different varieties at your local farmers’ markets.  since i happen to sell tomatoes at a few farmers’ markets, i’m offering up these 10 tips for successfully choosing, moving, storing and serving those unique and delicate veggies. ... Read More

a plethora of organic goodies

baby purple kale i recently got a job at an organic vegetable stand at the echo park farmers’ market (happening every friday).  i work for a great family farm with the most amazing selection of all organic vegetables.  they carry a ton of lettuces and dark leafy greens, turnips, daikon, radishes, beets, green beans, all different types of onions, fresh green garlic, herbs, vine-ripened tomatoes, and much much more. at the end of the day i... Read More

raw tomato pesto soup

soup is pretty much my favorite food to eat, but it can take a long time to make a batch when simmering and sauteing are involved.  that is the great thing about raw soup – it can take just a few minutes to make yourself a meal. this raw tomato pesto soup uses a lot of tomatoes, an avocado to thicken and add a creamy texture, and some pesto for a delicious kick of flavor. Read More  Read More

pesto tomato eggplant appetizers

this sunday i walked past a stand at the farmers market with all different kinds of eggplant.  i got excited and inspired to make something delicious and beautiful with them, as well as the many tomatoes i already had in my bag. it doesn’t hurts if your food is incredibly adorable either. Read More  Read More

corn salsa

my parents are really into peppers and spicy food. the theme of my mom’s kitchen is part southwest, part chili peppers. this amounted to me learning how to make stellar salsa at a young age. it’s a pretty simple blend of tomatoes, onion, pepper, garlic, cilantro salt and lime juice that you can tweak to your preference. different tomatoes, beans, green onions, avocado or–as i’ve used here– corn, can customize the... Read More

fresh corn gazpacho

when i got 3 fresh ears of corn at the farmers’ market i thought i’d make myself some tasty corn chowder, but it’s getting so god awfully hot in the kitchen i couldn’t bare to stand over the heat of the stove. so i threw some fresh veggies in the blender and made a cool soup that sure is refreshing when you find yourself wedged right in the sweaty armpit of summer. Read More  Read More

review: silver lake farmers’ market

i cannot think of any better activity on saturday morning than to hop on my bike and ride over to the silver lake farmers’ market. it’s on the smaller, cozier side, but packed full of anything you would need. Read More  Read More