field trip

Living in Southern California I have to admit we are spoiled.  The mild climate, the almost constant blue skies, fabulous beaches and mountains in the far off distance, it's no wonder there are so many tourists every year.  We enjoy the privilege of eating outdoors most of the time, except for the few weeks in early spring when we may get a drizzle here or there.  The produce is so plentiful; it can be taken for granted.

The slight changes in temperature make it a lovely place to live, but the downside of that is the seasons are a little tough to differentiate.  Yes, there are those few trees that turn those beautiful golden hues that eventually end in a burnt orange, until they give up and let the wind take the leaves to their winter hold.  Which in my area is the gardeners' work truck.  But it's the palm trees that sway their green fronds, and the crazy bright bougainvillea that explodes in fuchsia, pink and orange throughout the winter months that is our typical.

So to get into the fall spirit I took a little field trip with my better half a few days ago.  We traveled about two hours southeast from my San Juan home to a small town called Julian, which is known for apple orchards and of course pie (always a bonus).  It is a quaint town with one main road about half a mile long, if that. 

It is dotted with antique stores, some with very odd names like: Pistols and Petticoats, Hog Heaven and of course Mustang Sally's Quality Re-Sale.  So yes, we didn't do much shopping, but were amused by some of the unusal items in these establishments.

After completing our tour of the town, I couldn't leave empty-handed, so we bought an apple pie at the famous Julian Pie Company.  It is a locally owned family business specializing in apple pies and cider donuts.  Some 17,000 trees provide apples for pies at their Julian location.

So after our purchase we headed toward the apple orchards, because I couldn't come all that way without buying some apples.  It was a beautiful day and an even more beautiful drive on quiet roads that lead past sprawling ranch estates, small vineyards and just the open expanse which isn't the norm back home.

We finally found the U-pick orchard that was recommended, and the only one that was open that day for picking.  Unfortunately, as it turned out the only thing left to pick was what was left on the ground, and I wasn't that desperate for apples.  So we ended up taking some nice photos instead of another orchard nearby, which as we found out was going to be open for picking the next day.  Go figure.

Thankfully, we have a pie.  Or had a pie.  It was delicious.

Cheers,

Shannon

heirloom salad

I am almost giddy when I arrive at the farmer's market and I see an entire length of a table given to a showcase some of the most glorioius tomotoes this season has to offer.  There are so many heirloom varieties now at our fingertips, from the typical deep red Beefsteaks (some literally the size of a porter house) to the purplish black Brandywine tomatoes.  The Green Zebra has green and yellow stripes which not only give it a unique color but it also has a full bodied tomato flavor as well.

Then there is the Golden Queen, a large yellow variety that when ripe has a pinkish hue at the blossom end, and when cut into the color continues with streaks of orange and red.  Honestly, these are so delicious with just a sprinkling of sea salt and a fresh grind of pepper, you don't need much more to enjoy them.

But to take it up a slight notch, I made a preserved lemon vinaigrette to dress some baby greens, slices of tomato and topped it off with a shaving of good Parmesan.

Pretty simple.  But tasty.

Enjoy!

Shannon

Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette

makes enough for a salad for 4

Depending on the salty intensity of your preserved lemons, you may or may not want to rinse them.  Use only the rind for this vinaigrette.

rind of half a preserved lemon

juice of half a fresh lemon

1/2 cup really good extra virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

Coarsely chop the preserved lemon rind and put into a blender or food processor with the fresh lemon juice, process until smooth.  With the machine still running add the olive oil in a single stream to create a nice emulsion.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Lightly dress salad greens and tomato slices and top off with shavings of fresh Parmesan.

sometimes less is more

Sometimes the simplest of things just can't be improved upon.

My local farmers market was bursting with berries this weekend, and I couldn't help myself. The juicy sweetness of these little beauties is unparalleled. I happened to have a little brioche leftover from this outstanding bakery up the coast in Santa Barbara called D'Angelo's. So why not slather on some softened Irish butter, a sprinkling of sugar, and then scatter some fresh raspberries on top with a little more sugar to give them a light dusting.

This delicious combination ended up being my breakfast, but I'm thinking it could fall into the "snack" category as well as even a simple dessert.
Enjoy!
Shannon