One of the best ways to orient yourself in a new place (or in my case, a familiar place that I’ve been away from for a long time) is to visit the local markets and farmers’ markets. I instantly feel calmer once I know what is growing and in season. Just walking around, taking everything in and breathing, I immediately start dreaming of the possibilities in the kitchen, and spend less time worrying about being in a foreign place.

After a long week on the road driving from San Francisco to New Hampshire, we were a bit zombie-esque but jumped at a chance to get out into the sunshine and find some good produce. The Portsmouth Farmers’ Market is held in the parking lot of the city municipal complex and Connors Cottage Senior Housing building.

Despite pleasant pea-loving patrons, this was the location of scandal last year as some residents of Connors Cottage began complaining of early morning rooster crowing during market set-up. I always assumed the elderly loved early birds, or at least their specials. As a side note, that building used to be the old hospital and I was actually born there.

For the next couple of weeks we will be staying with my parents in their home on the Seacoast and then we plan on moving to the Boston area. Somerville? Cambridge? Newton? I’m not quite sure yet. We don’t have a firm timeline – but the concept of moving into your parents house with your significant other in tow feels a little crazy, so I’m just treating this like an extended vacation and plan on getting my act together quickly.

My mom and I are like two slightly deranged excited people when we reunite.  We like to get things done – walking on the beach, taking on big house projects, cooking any number of delicacies, and especially shopping together.

We hopped in the car and headed over Saturday morning farmers’ market with Devon in tow, who seemed slightly concerned at our level of general excitement. The first thing I noticed was that finding a parking spot was remarkably easier than doing the same in San Francisco. Win!

We have a method to our madness. Usually, we circle around the entire market a few times to survey everything, chat with friends, and plan our meals. Then we do the shopping. While my mom and I did the rounds, Devon went off to find food. The food options at the Portsmouth market are mostly bakeries, a few tea companies, a maple syrup company which has maple cotton candy, Applecrest serving up apple cider donuts (see below), a few pastured meat farms with breakfast sandwiches and sausages, and an Indian food stall. Devon ended up with a little blueberry muffin, and a home made hot dog. Of which I got none of… because, apparently I was too busy shopping.

[These donuts are very, very good. I generally hold back at the market though, because I prefer them hot (which you can get at the farm). And also, because it is particularly difficult to eat only one and not crave them for the rest of the week.]

One of the things that I’m going to have to get used to is the fact that I don’t have as easy access to nicely labeled organic, local produce all in one place. We certainly don’t have a Rainbow Grocery, and you simply don’t have access to the same options at the local supermarkets here. Fortunately, the majority of the farms at the farmers’ market are small, family run, and environmentally conscious. They use low-impact farming practices, even if they don’t pay for Organic Certification, so I can still feel confident in what I’m eating.

The Bounty: We didn’t over do it this week (sometimes we do), but came out with a good selection of mostly green vegetables. After a week of road food, I’ve been craving all the green I can possibly get!

Zucchini, Onions, Garlic, Green Peppers, Turnips, Beets, Fennel (Wake Robin Farm)
Garlic Scapes (Stone Wall Farm)
Green Beans (Applecrest Farm)

The Plan: I’m thinking of making zucchini fritters, Turkish stuffed green peppers with rice and currants, and a green bean and potato salad with anchovy dressing which I’ve been eying from the Leon Vol.2 Cookbook

With the fennel I’ll make my shaved fennel salad. I haven’t decided about the beets yet, because although I prefer them roasted, the idea of cranking up the oven in 90 degree heat seems a little silly. They’ll probably be shaved into salad as well.

You can also get all manner of other fun things at the market, including flowers, leather products, lambskins, home made soaps and candles, Kit Cornell Pottery which Kit herself sells out of the back of her van, and these extraordinarily happy yarn balls. I feel like if you got a few of these and strung them up at a party, everyone would have a wildly good time.

To the Kitchen: Once I got home, the first thing I made was Garlic Scape Pesto. Garlic Scapes are the shoots and bud of hard-necked garlic, and are delightfully zippy. Garlic scapes are not to be found anywhere in California markets because hard-necked garlic is primarily found in colder climates. Even though San Franciscans complain of the cold summers, this apparently does not qualify. Although maybe they do exist, and I was just forced to suffer for four years in ignorance.

Garlic Scapes are fairly versatile, and some of my favorite preparations are grilled, whirred into pesto, or chopped and used to impart a garlicky taste to stir-fries with some actual body and crunch. When they are plentiful, I like to buy them and chop them into inch-long pieces to freeze as well.

Garlic Scape Pesto

This recipe is for garlic obsessed, and preferably not to be served if you are aiming for romance later in the evening. I first tried Garlic Scape Pesto at Stearns Farm which was pretty straightforward but added some basil. But, I like this recipe because it keeps the flavor cleaner and yet adds both oil and butter, which seems a little bit fancy, but nicely complements the strong garlic taste of the scapes.

adapted from Marcella Hazan’s Food Processor Pesto Recipe

For the processor:

Sea salt

To mix in by hand:

It’s nice to have a muse, and for the past few months mine has been the lovely Penelope. Transplanted right from the Odyssey into the de Young, here she is surrounded by bountiful bouquets and looking particularly serene. Despite the fact that rumors are swirling of her husband’s death in far lands, she sits, awaiting his return, the symbol of fidelity and faith.

Yes, I understand that my life hasn’t been nearly as dramatic. But like Penelope, I had been existing in a state of limbo, and trying to be as calm and patient as possible and accept things as they came. And then my computer died abruptly (more about that here) so my patience was tried in whole new ways. To put this in perspective: in response to a recent email of mine, my grandmother responded “Dear Sam, you really have to go to the computer every day or you do not know what is up!”. (Hmm….)

Well, back to my story. For the last two years I’ve been living and breathing Omnivore Books. My day job was as the manager of this fairy tale wonderland, and I am so thankful to have been part of its growth. But as with everything in life, there is a natural course, and for me it was time to move onto new things. “Move on” being a loose term given that I still live five blocks away and will be around for many of the events anyway. But I won’t be there every day, and that realization comes in pin pricks when I think about it, and my heart breaks just a little bit each time.

Many days I am terribly sad to have left, mostly because I miss all of the wonderful people that are part of this community I’ve helped to build. I’m afraid that there will be acquaintances lost in the cracks because I’ve neglected to remember their last names, or they live a less digital life, or because I’m phenomenally bad at keeping in touch with people that I really do want to keep in touch with. Which reminds me, if you are on Twitter, and I, @alphaprep , don’t follow you, please let me know so we can keep in touch that way.

Then I remind myself that the bookstore is still there for me when I need it, and this little break has only made me appreciate the place more.

Now for the good news – my patient waiting paid off! I have a brand new job which is particularly fulfilling. I now work for a company called Square. It’s a financial company that allows anyone to accept credit card payments with their mobile phone (either to take money from your friends – or you know, for legitimate business). There are no fees to sign up, no monthly fees, and the device is free. But, lest I continue sounding like an advertisement, I’ll quit here and just say that it’s awesome to be working for a growing company with a product I truly believe in.

Another perk is that I get fed at work. (Breakfast, lunch, and if I so choose, dinner.) Although, this makes me a little nervous, because free tasty food is the bane of my healthy existence. Which is where this book comes into play. Just a few weeks ago, Heidi Swanson published her new book Super Natural Every Day, and I’ve been cooking and eating out of it as much as I can. Her recipes are utterly delicious while at the same time being very healthy – the perfect antidote to potential pitfalls of not cooking many of my daily meals. (I’m happy to say that in my first week of work, I did not, in fact, gain the five pounds I anticipated, but lost three.)

Heidi Swanson is one of those people who understands how to cultivate a beautiful life, and is uniquely adept at sharing it with others.

I first met Heidi at Omnivore, which to most would seem like a probable place to meet her, but believe me, I was still startled at the occurrence. (Yes, I know her blog is called 101 cookbooks. As in the very same type of book shelved along every wall of the particular establishment that I worked in.) But you know, it didn’t occur to me that she would actually end up in the same room as me, let alone would I get the privilege of seeing her on a semi-regular basis.

After meeting her just once, I ran into her at a coffee shop one evening by Duboce Park. She was drinking beers with her boyfriend Wayne, and I was positively overwhelmed by the fact that she not only remembered who I was, but both knew my name and gave me a hug. At that moment I realized how real this person was, and it seemed like a very San Francisco moment – where the people you aspire to be are real people, and you can realistically run into them in the course of your daily life on this 7 x 7 mile patch of Northern California.

It has been a pleasure to see Heidi over the past few years as she has come into the shop and gathered inspiration for her work in progress.

I was particularly excited to get my hands on an advanced copy of her new cook book (thank you Ten Speed!). The day mine came in the mail, I took it with me to one of my favorite spots in the city, Coffee Bar, and read it through cover to cover. And then I started cooking. Within the next few days, I would go on to make the green lentil soup (curry powder, brown butter, coconut milk, chives) on p. 149; the farro soup (curry powder, lentils, salted lemon yogurt) on p. 128; the weeknight curry (tofu, coconut milk, seasonal vegetables) on p. 135, which satisfied even the more carnivorous one in the house; and a bowl of lemon-zested bulgur wheat (coconut milk, toasted almonds, poppy seeds) on p. 37, which was the perfect start to my morning.

The best part of this book is that it is impossible to read without wanting to head straight to the kitchen. The recipes are easy enough that you could feasibly make them on the fly with a well-stocked pantry. (Which she teaches you how to create if you don’t yet have one.) The recipes are vegetarian, although so well layered with flavor that even the meat and potatoes crowd will enjoy them.

Last month we had a potluck at Omnivore,  in honor of Heidi (and her new book). I had a truly lovely time taking up my old post – ringing up books, popping open Prosecco bottles and stealing moments to give and get hugs. I did a measly job of taking photos, but this whole wheat chocolate chip skillet cookie was one of my favorite dishes to photograph and eat. It’s actually not in the book, but the recipe is on Heidi’s site here.

It’s been quiet on here lately, but this book was a great reason for me to mosey on back. It’s nice to be here, in my little corner of the internet, and I’ve missed it – and I have missed you all.

I’ve only eaten about twenty pizzas at Cheeseboard this year. Yes, that’s right, I said twenty pizzas. And it’s a modest estimate. Now, if you’ve seen me recently, you will notice that I’m more than twenty pizzas thinner (a loose pizza to pound estimate) than last year, so it’s safe to say that this pizza has fit in perfectly fine with my healthy diet.

I’m a sucker for neighborhood food, and the pizza from Cheeseboard certainly qualifies. Cheeseboard is a co-op that has been going strong for decades. Most of my friends who grew up in Berkeley in the 80′s and 90′s have a parent or two who has been a part the collective. There is no boss, manager, or employees – it is worker owned. What does this mean practically?

Delicious pizza, of the freshest ingredients, served up by happy people who are integrally connected to the food. There is real stake in this product, and it shows.

Yes, I travel for my pizza. I love heading over the bridge to Berkeley – less than an hour from SF on public transit, including the short walk from BART. It’s peaceful, friendly, and let’s me get my hippy on.

The pizza at Cheeseboard is made fresh, from some of the highest quality ingredients. They are thin and crispy, and topped with the finest cheeses, including gruyere, goat cheese, feta, montalban, fresh mozzerella, to name a few. They are also topped with seasonal and local vegetables – and they are vegetarian, although even a devout carnivore would hardly notice the absence of meat.

This particular pizza was cremini mushroom, onion, mozzarella, and ricotta salata, topped with an arugula salad dressed in a lemony vinaigrette. Salad on a pizza? Light, refreshing, and balanced. Trust me, it’s wonderful.

Things to know about Cheeseboard:

There will be a line. It goes incredibly quickly, and it is worth it.

1. One pizza a day. No choices, you get what they have. (Part of the reason the line goes so quickly.)You can see what the pizza of the day is on their website, or by following (the unofficial, but totally reliable pizza of the day) on twitter. Or head in to be surprised. They have a few pizzas in heavier rotation, and particular favorites include:

** Roasted potatoes, onions, chile passilla, mozzarella and feta cheese, garlic olive oil, cilantro, key lime.

** Roasted cauliflower, caramelized onions, mozzarella and Montalban cheese, pistachios, garlic olive oil, fresh herbs

** Fresh corn and chile pasilla, onions, feta and mozzarella cheeses, garlic olive oil, cilantro and Mexican key lime.

There is also a salad of the day, and usually a fresh cookie, the best being the gingerbread cookie. They also offer a variety of tasty adult beverages, as well as kid friendly beverages, all of which of the all-natural and delicious variety.

This particular salad was mixed baby greens with blue cheese and walnuts, with a balsamic vinaigrette. One of my favorites. (I also have a particular fondness for coleslaw day.)

2. Cash only. The pizza is inexpensive – 20 dollars for a whole pizza, including tax and tip. You can also purchase by the slice ($2.50), or by half pizza, 3/4 pizza, etc. My advice for the best date? Take a 20 dollar bill, and you can get a half pizza ($10), a small salad ($3.50), a cookie ($2.00), maybe a drink, and a couple of dollars to tip the musicians.

Prepare in advance, or if need be, head down to the ATM – one a block away is Bank of America, but there is a Wells Fargo ATM a few blocks away in Andronico’s.

3. Live Music! The music is great, mostly jazz, and makes for a festive mood. Don’t forget to tip the musicians! They appreciate it! Yesterday was a smashing performance by The California Honeydrops – I polished off an extra slice of pizza just to hear some more of their music. (There were three more musicians jamming out of the photo…)

4. Don’t forget to head next door! Pick up some cheese to go! Next door at the Cheeseboard, you can immerse yourself in cheese heaven – and be sure to check out the discount cheese basket hanging from the counter (maybe I shouldn’t have shared that secret), and their selection of tasty breads and pastries. You can also purchase pizza from next door here to go, if the line at the pizza place looks impossible.

Berkeley Cheeseboard Pizza
(The Cheeseboard Collective)
Web: http://cheeseboardcollective.coop/
1512 Shattuck Ave. Berkeley.
Phone: 510-549-3055

Unofficial Twitter: http://twitter.com/cheeseboard

How to get there: A short walk from Downtown Berkeley Bart down Shattuck- (about 12 minutes) Just have someone point you towards the “Gourmet Ghetto”.

Here are the contents of this week’s farm box from Farm Fresh to You: leeks, nantes carrots, collard greens, red leaf lettuce, a red cabbage, a butternut squash, kiwifruit, and a bag of fresh walnuts. The walnuts are particularly exciting because fresh walnuts are eons better than the old, dried out stuff you get in the tins. [Yes, eons is the wrong measurement here, but I like the word, and am going to attribute using it to the mental melting that occurred last night while watching Megashark vs. Giant Octopus.]

My first step this week was to take everything out of the box and put it on the table – not specifically for a little photo shoot, but to clean and prep everything for the refrigerator. A few years at Stearns Farm and I got it down to a system: I now have Ziplocks of two sizes to keep things fresh. I rinse and dry salads, I trim off tops and excess before putting them in the refrigerator. Ok, but the photo shoot helps – specifically so that by the end of the week I don’t forget that I have something in the recess of my fridge and let it go to waste.

And then the excess tops (only leek and carrot tops this week) go in a pot with a bunch of water to make some homemade vegetable stock. Nothing to waste!

Except it’s not a perfect system. I was freezing and had the heat on yesterday and therefore couldn’t hear the gentle ho hum of the boiling pot, and consequently forgot about it until I had only a few cups of concentrated stock left.

So? Leek soup for lunch! I snipped in some fresh parsley and a good squeeze of lemon and it was ready to go.

Things I plan on making this week with my vegetables:

1. Roasted Butternut Squash

2. More Kiwifruit Sorbet (notes about this soon)

3. Red cabbage and onions with Chicken Schnitzel

4. Indian Spiced Collards with Yogurt

I’m still not sure about the walnuts… I was tempted to make a walnut liquor but they are so tasty I don’t know if I want to give up the pleasure of eating them all now.

Better Ideas?

I recently subscribed to a new CSA (community supported agriculture) here in San Francisco. Every other week, I’ll be getting a box from Farm Fresh to You delivered right to my doorstep. I’ve been going each week to farmers market for the past year, but it’s a little chilly lately and I’ve been slacking. This way I’ll definitely have some fresh organic fruits and veg, even when I don’t feel like going to market. And it’ll make me eat more dark leafy greens. Kale chips, here I come.

It’s not as wondrous as my previous membership to Stearns Farm at the outer edges of Framingham, Massachusetts – but it’s still pretty exciting. [I could wax poetic about Stearns for hours - it's exactly what a CSA should be - required farm hours, picking about half of your own weekly vegetables, shared meals, harvests, a real connection to a farm and a community, but alas, I'm a little far for that nowadays.]

This weeks box:

Sauteed Cabbage with Onion and Prosciutto
serves 1 as a meal, or a few as a side dish

In a heavy bottomed pot, heat a Tablespoon  of Olive Oil on medium heat, and saute 4 slices (about 2 ounces) prosciutto that you have chopped until crisp, just a few minutes. Take the prosciutto out and set aside. Then, add a roughly chopped onion to the pot, and cook until slightly tender – about five minutes. Go ahead and deglaze the pan with a few tablespoons of sherry to help lift up any brown bits and add some flavor. Add in one chopped head of cabbage, preferably Savoy, but whatever you have is fine. Stir around until things are coated, add a cup of low sodium chicken stock or water, turn the heat to medium low, cover, and let braise for 20-30 minutes until everything is tender and soft. Season with lots of pepper and a tiny bit of salt. Serve hot, topped with the crispy prosciutto.