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Red Rice and Apple Salad in Romaine Spears

Red Rice and Apple Salad with Romaine spears

Early Autumn Light

“Another man, but he was crazy, said that someday there’d be a way, maybe ice, maybe some other way, to get a peach like this here I got in my hand clear to Philadelphia.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

The morning light had just climbed past the horizon. A patchwork quilt of chartreuse, emerald, scarlet and a violet tinged sage green blanketed the view from Spreckels to the south-western city limits of Salinas. The sheen of iridescent fall light lingered on Tanimura and Antle’s fields of Artisan® Lettuces and Artisan® Sweet Broccoli. I was charmed by the vibrant fields bursting with stellar produce just ten minutes from my home. Tanimura and Antle is a company rich in the history of agriculture in the Salinas Valley. Leaders in agricultural innovation and growth three generations of the Tanimura and Antle families have farmed the valley making a strong contribution to the wide variety of fresh produce we enjoy at the grocery store today. READ MORE . . .

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Purple Bell Peppers

Stuffed purple bell peppers

Summer Sunshine

“Late in the summer Lee came in off the street, carrying his big market basket.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

The best summer cooking revolves around as much glorious fresh sweet corn as possible. Piled high with summer vegetables our dinner salads have been graced with the addition of corn barely cooked in butter. A scoop of fragrant corn melts into the salad greens and no dressing is needed to compete with the blast of summer sunshine that adorns our dinner plates. There have been no complaints regarding my interpretation of salad for dinner. But if you must add dressing to your salad, a vinaigrette with a very light touch of vinegar leaves the sweet corn plenty of room to shine. READ MORE . . .

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Potato Leek Soup with Celery

Potato Leek Soup with Celery

Memories

“You walked west on Main Street until it bent. That’s where Castroville Street crossed Main Street. Castroville Street is now called Market Street, God knows why. Streets used to be named for the place they aimed at. Thus, Castroville Street, if you followed it nine miles, brought you to Castroville, Alisal Street to Alisal, and so forth.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

With a path of north to south Main Street ambles across the length of Salinas. We even have North Main and South Main. Main Street is the compass that dissects Salinas into east and west. It is common to use “southside” or “eastside” or “northside” as nouns in speaking. “Where do you live? I live on the northside.” Rather than, “I live on the north side of town.” As if sides were being taken in a sporting match those who are third and forth generation native born to the city frown on these new descriptors. As the city has grown the north-east side has swelled and the city tilts eastward, away from the coast. Bound by the some of the richest agricultural fields in the valley there is no room for growth on the west or south sides of the city. READ MORE . . .

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Whole Wheat Bread with Radicchio

Radicchio bread

Radicchio di Chioggia

“The departure of six carloads of lettuce packed in ice was given a civic overtone. The Chamber of Commerce attended the departure. The cars were decorated with big posters which said, ‘Salinas Valley Lettuce’. But no one wanted to invest in the project.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

In East of Eden John Steinbeck writes about the Salinas Valley before it became known as the “Lettuce Bowl of the World”. Transporting the bounty of the Valley across the United States began in earnest in the late 1920’s with rail cars filled with lettuce packed in ice. Now trucks move an ever growing variety of produce from the Valley to it’s destination. Like lettuce, radicchio thrives in the Mediterranean like climate of the Salinas Valley. I wanted to learn more about the crisp, bright, maroon chicory that is grown locally by Royal Rose Radicchio. Emily Lyons, Marketing Manager at Royal Rose Radicchio graciously gave Athena and me a tour of a Salinas radicchio field. READ MORE . . .

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Chicken and Bread Salad with Heritage Blend Lettuce

Chicken and bread salad with heritage lettuces

The easy recipe

“Now in the cold parts of the country, don’t you think people get to wanting perishable things in the winter—like peas and lettuce and cauliflower? In a big part of the country they don’t have those things for months and months. And right here in the Salinas Valley we can raise them all year round.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Living in the Salinas Valley has piqued my interest in learning more about the local agricultural community. Since World War I, the economic growth of the Valley has been driven by agriculture. With changes in technology, food safety and consumer preferences Athena and I wanted to learn more about our local food sources. Matt Lyons, of River Ranch Fresh Foods graciously shared his knowledge about about growing lettuce in the Salinas Valley. READ MORE . . .