Results tagged “farmersmarket”

       

Chef Neal Fraser of Grace and BLD believes the art of cooking needs daily cultivation. Even if he has 10 restaurants, he will always be exactly where he wants to be - in the kitchen. As an LA native he has “a personal vendetta” to elevate LA into the echelon of the best restaurant cities in the world. With the development of a new Grace like fine dining restaurant downtown that will grow at least a third of the produce on site, and a new BLD slated to open in Pasadena early next year, Chef Fraser shows no signs of leaving the kitchen. LAist caught up with the busy chef at the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market (as he bought green beans for his daughter) to provide details about moving Grace to downtown, the struggle of when to pull a dish from the menu and how he is inspired by Wonderbread.

       

Consider it the "Little Restaurant that Could" in the heart of Hollywood: It's been well over a year since we first started prematurely salivating about a storefront near Sunset and Vine. With the weekly taunting of the abundant, crowded, and colorful Hollywood Farmers' Market not helping matters, the cheerful yellow eatery whose name evokes the core connection between the farm and the dining table, has been "coming soon" for a long, long time.

       

As a kid, mom's toast was always a staple, but I never salivated for it when I woke up. Even though I fought the carb-conscious craze, breakfast took a turn with less bread consumption as age took its toll. Supermarket-bought bread was always handy to have around, for sandwiches and whatnot, but other than that, it sat in the refrigerator for months at a time.

On the heels of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's announcement about a locally grown food policy, a move by city council has some farmers markets concerned about their survival. On September 1, the L.A. City Council passed a special events ordinance, changing the rules about how and which events are eligible to have fees waived for expenses like street closures. Some community events such as block parties get a break, but farmers markets do not under the current language.

For Emily Zaiden, her popsicle business started with how all delicious things should begin: with an undaunting passion for the food she loves, in this case, desserts. "I've always been a frozen dessert fanatic," the Echo Park resident, Laurel Canyon native, explained over the phone from her company kitchen. "In elementary school for the inventions convention, I invented an ice cream flavor," she said with a laugh.

  

Last week a celebration was held on the lawn of City Hall during the weekly farmers' market to rejoice thirty years of locally-sourced farm-fresh produce in Los Angeles, and to look ahead to a future where we make buying and consuming such produce a priority. Part of the event was to announce the winner of GOOD magazine's "Redesign Your Farmers' Market" contest, which invited entrants to articulate and render their vision for the next generation of farmers' markets and how they'll serve the public.

This morning at the Little Tokyo/Arts District Farmers Market, where the city celebrated 30 years of certified farmers markets (even though it began in Gardena), Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced the creation of a food policy task force that will provide a report and recommendations in the next six months on a city food policy council and a foodshed assessment (details listed below).

At today's 30 years of the farmers market celebration, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is expected to announce a task force on food policy and will lead a pledge for local restaurants to use locally grown food.

It was 30 years ago when Vance Corum and others founded the first locally established certified farmers market in the region. From its Gardena home, the trend exploded and today we find a plethora of options seven days a week. To that end, early next month there will be a celebration at the Little Tokyo/Arts District Farmers Market with a salsa contest, a chef demonstration and a contest sponsored by GOOD Magazine and others that has entrants redesigning the modern day farmer's market (you have up until September 1st to enter).

Coffee connoisseurs love searching for the most delicious way to get their caffeine fix. The Nespresso company has been known to make even the snootiest coffee snob happy with their high end espresso blends and machines. Nespresso's new CitiZ espresso machine debuted at Sur La Table this week. Adding to their existing line of products, this new smaller espresso machine features a sleek, architectural design that fits well on small countertops. To celebrate they are offering demos and free samples at a special pop-up tent cafe by the Santa Monica Sur La Table store.

The US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has declared that in light of the fact that "farmers markets are important nationwide outlets for agricultural producers," and that thousands of markets "across the country offer consumers affordable, convenient, and healthful products sold directly from the farm in their freshest possible state," and beacusw of the numerous economic and health-related benefits of getting food from them, that August 2-8 is National Farmers Market Week. Huzzah!

Although the only Pulitizer Prize winning food critic, Jonathan Gold, believes a major component of the Los Angeles restaurant scene is locally sourced food, and with the multitude of farmers market and the year round weather suitable for growing food at your home, our city has not made a top 10 list at the Huffington Post. Luckily, that can change: We here at HuffPost Green think the local food movement is a thriving and exciting part of the discussion about sustainability. After researching the best local food in the United States, we compiled this slideshow of our discoveries, focusing mainly on restaurants.

You want to eat fresh seasonal produce that's grown by area farmers. You want to help your local economy and not line the coffers of corporate America. You appreciate that an Oxnard-grown strawberry--one that's softer, smaller, redder, riper, and sweeter--is about a thousand times tastier, better for you, better for the environment, and better for your fellow Californians than the one that's bigger, harder, paler, less flavorful and found in a big plastic box inside the store that feels like a big plastic box.

So many cultures can tell their stories through their food, and for Los Angeles, the same can be said for a landmark like the Original Farmers Market. Not only does the historic meeting place for farmers, cooks, foodies, locals, visitors, and shoppers alike offer delicious fresh produce and tantalizing eats and sweets, it also is a vital part of our city's history.

                            

Last night the Original Farmers Market hosted a sold-out event as part of their week-long celebration of their 75th anniversary feeding Angelenos and visitors from all over the globe at the corner of 3rd and Fairfax. The Taste of the Farmers Market event found dozens of the markets vendors offering up bites and pieces of menu items, and attendees were free to roam the always-popular aisles of stalls and stations to pick up samples to enjoy.

       

Tuesday is not exactly a day that screams "go to the Farmer's Market!" Yet everyday of the week, there is one somewhere in the Los Angeles region and on Tuesdays, Woodman Avenue in Sherman Oaks becomes one of those places. The weekly event is not purely a farmer's market (and probably why it's called the Woodman Avenue Market)--there are plenty of vendors selling clothes, solar power and sunglasses. The real meat, no pun intended, are the quality fresh farm stands. Our favorite pick is easily the South Central Farmers who offer a box (or three bags worth) of vegetables for $15 (you will be stir frying all week long, no joke).

                     

Inspired by a panel we caught at the recent Dwell on Design conference, and some time spent ogling recipes in three beloved cookbooks (The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook, The San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market Cookbook, and Fresh From the Farmers' Market) last Thursday we headed over to Glendale to check out their weekly market. Occupying a stretch of Brand Boulevard, the market was focused mostly on multiple tables of fresh locally-sourced produce, and enriched by the presence of folks with breads, nuts, and fresh juices. It's a modest market, but we were able to work our way from one end to the other efficiently, sample some of the best items the growers had to offer, and fill our bag with what wound up being a week's worth of fresh produce (and bread) for less than $20.

Ben Ford, head chef and owner of Culver City’s Ford’s Filling Station speaks of the farmer’s market and its farmers with great reverence. Chef Ford grew up with his hands in the soil, gardening from a very young age so his respect for the food grown by the farmers comes naturally.

       

OK, it's not really. It's Norwegian for "apple" but that is just too obvious. Èple's fun fruit stand at The Original Farmers Market on 3rd and Fairfax is definitely not limiting itself to pedestrian fruit like apples, though. Dragonfruit, cherimoyas, and a variety of other exotic fruits are the stars of the show. And employees assure us that in spite of being owned by Pinkberry, there are no mystery ingredients -- everyday they are peeling and chopping away to use only fresh fruit in their ice-blended drinks.

Occasional LAist contributor Aarti has been slaving away over a hot stove for some time now on her self-produced cooking video series, Aarti Paarti, and with spring most definitely in the air, and wonderful springtime finds like green garlic and fava beans plentiful at area farmer's markets, she's whipped up this video recipe how-to for Fava Bean Pillows with Brown Butter. This episode features a guest musical appearance by Paul Newman aka Beep Beep, of Helios Jive, who also helps sample the tasty, easy-to-make, and affordable meal based on locally-sourced seasonal produce.

If you weren't convinced of trying out bike valet, this video from the people who brought us a feature on the shortest and "dumbest" bike path in the country--which happens to be in Westwood--will surely convert you.

It's been an unusually warm January, but some of last and this upcoming week things are cooling down across Southern California. It just so happens that starting yesterday, Stories Books & Cafe will be serving soup. What caught our local eye is not only a bookshop that sells local books, but one that features a vegetable soup using locally bought food, or as they say, "assorted produce from the Echo Park and Atwater Village Farmer's Markets." On Mondays, they will serve said vegetable soup and other soups on different days (today is Torilla Soup). Where is your favorite place to get some soup?

The holidays are over, the merriment has ceased, and that means that reality now rears its ugly head. It's time to make resolutions to be better this year than we were last year, or any other year, or ever will be in the future. For a lot of us, this means promises to get healthy. Well, LAist believes in you, and so for the month of January, we'll be running articles on health, wellness, and fitness to help make sure those promises aren't empty. Good luck, and godspeed. - Health Editor, Jessica Pauline

PARTY TIME*: Causecast.org, the leading cause-related website and one-stop shop for philanthropy (and LAist’s Sloane’s baby) is hosting various voting parties around LA today. During the day, there will be specials at Pitfire Pizza Company locations in North Hollywood, Westwood and Downtown. After work though, head over to The Edison for the results-watching party. Toast your victory or drown your sorrows. Either way, it’s sure to be a good party.

The Glendale Farmer's Market was the scene of an unlikely invasion yesterday, as senior citizens bused in from all over the San Fernando Valley showed up to trade in the vouchers issued to them by the state for fresh produce. According to the Glendale News-Press, approximately 500 seniors caused "near gridlock" on the sidewalk of Brand Boulevard and kept vendors on their toes. Many of the folks came "from independent assisted-living homes or were living alone on fixed incomes," and were issued each a booklet of state Department of Public Health vouchers worth $20, but only redeemable at local farmers markets.

          

Fans of Bravo's highly successful reality program "Top Chef" were in for quite the treat last Thursday evening, when two contestants from previous seasons, CJ and Antonia, participated in a friendly cook-off at The Grove. The event was sponsored by the Sherry Council of America, and featured sherry tastings and gourmet bites from a few of The Grove's top restaurants.

Can you cook up some wicked tasting salsa? If so, the Sustainable Economic Enterprises of Los Angeles who runs various markets around town is hosting salsa contests at their markets this week (Echo Park, Leimert Park, Hollywood and Atwater). Of course, it's all the better if you make the salsa from ingredients bought fresh from the market. More info can be found in their two info sheets (.pdfs).

There are so many better places to eat at the Farmers Market. Well, one or two. The Gumbo Pot is not one of them.To each his own, right? Fans or foes of The Gumbo Pot, pitch in to our comments stew and tell us what you think. Should we run to...or from...The Gumbo Pot?

Sometimes you just have to go all out and go with your gut...which is what led LAist Featured Photos contributor ~db~ on this food-venture that he shared with us:

Last Monday I crossed another one off my 1,000,000 things to do before I die list. I headed over to The Gumbo Pot at Farmers Market and ordered up this feast for lunch. All I really wanted was the Gumbo YaYa and Hush Puppies. When I found out the gumbo also came with a side, I selected the cole slaw, which they make there. I didn't even know about the corn bread until it arrived on the plate. And even though it's against the rule, I decided to get a couple oysters, just to disgust my niece and please my palate. The Gumbo YaYa is just under $7, the hush puppies are about $1.50, and the oysters are a buck apiece. Everything was Real Good, though I've had better hush puppies and would have skipped them if I knew about the corn bread.

The streets of Sherman Oaks recently got plastered with signs announcing a new Thursday night Farmers Market coming to the Sherman Oaks Fashion Square property starting on August 7.