More Farmer's Market Finds

Lordy lordy it's starting to get hot. I think the high today is supposed to be 94 degrees. Well, I think it hadn't gotten to 94 by the time I made it to the Downtown Phoenix Public Market, but it almost felt like it. There are so many new vendors since I've been last. I've typically been going to the Wednesday Town and Country market since it works better for my schedule but today my 10-month-old son and I trekked down to McKinley and 1st.

I'm so excited for the new indoor market that is planned for later this Summer. I think the indoors part with help with keeping the produce nice and fresh looking and the market goers less sweaty.

Today I found some really great items. I don't know about you but I open and taste all the new stuff I get from the market/grocery store. I just love trying new things. All of what I picked up was great.

First was my usual farmer cheese from Rainbow Valley. I guess this one isn't new but rather a required pick up. This cheese is so refreshing (if you can even describe cheese this way - maybe it's just because it's so hot out and the cheese is always so creamy and cold) but this is the best just served straight on crackers. All the flavors are incredibly tasty but I usually go for the Italian flavored one. I see now that you can choose between lowfat and full fat. Full fat all the way, right? Especially when this is such a great treat.

Next, I picked up some apple butter for my son's baby sandwiches with cream cheese. This apple butter is just scrumptious. It's not pureed completely smooth, it's not chunky either. It just has a smooth consistency but with texture. It has a wonderful warm and spicy aroma and it's a little tangy. Just love this. Please pick up some of the Cotton Country Jam's jars of anything soon. You'll be glad you did.

I also picked up some great dates. No, not a date like that. But some medjool dates from a company that heads out from Dateland, Sonoran Date Palms. Dateland is that place on the way to Yuma that advertises date shakes. I still haven't had a date shake but I am always in the mood for a date. My son loved itthem too! These dates aren't sickeningly sweet but the kind of dates you can just eat and eat. They don't fall apart in your hands or are too sticky. These are the kinds of dates I like to eat. I also want to mention that even though they are a new company, they've already gotten their organic certification. Yowza. That's costly and time consuming. I am really impressed. I think I'm going to make some date bars for me and my son. Or heck, my own date shake.

Lastly I stopped by this great cookie both. Grandma Sweetiepie's. I took a bite while driving home. I'd tried to wait to share with my husband together, but I couldn't. Sorry sweetie. This is a dang good cookie. I got the white chocolate variety. All the cookies have M&M's in them but then switch up the chips - chocolate chip, butterscotch, white chocolate and so on. So different. I really liked them.
The produce was practically gone by the time I arrived (boo on baby's morning nap:)) but I was able to snag some shelling peas and fennel and herbs. I can't wait to try the peas, I've not gotten them fresh before. What a treat.

Kids Cooking Blogs

Holy cow, what I don't know. I just stumbled upon a few websites that talk about cooking for kids and I am so inspired. I am just learning to be creative in the kitchen with my 9 1/2 month old son but I really don't know anything compared to some of these great blogs. Please check them out.

One is dedicated to bentos. I love this. lunchinabox.net/

The other is an overall site. Looks like it was a 2006 James Beard Online winner. http://www.spatulatta.com/

Best Pickles Ever

This is a picture of ajar of pickles that I picked up at the Town and Country Farmers Market a couple weeks ago. They were like 12 bucks, yikes! But I shelled it out anyway as part of a "food themed" gift for my husband. Man was it worth the money. These are the best pickles with such an intense garlicky herby flavor. My 9 month old son can't stop sucking on the juice. That is his hand below.

The pickles are made with Burr Gherkins from McClendon's Farm - they're fat and short and spiny. I hadn't seen a Burr Gherkin but looked up a bit of info on them. According to the wikipedia page about Burr Gherkins, they are also referred to as the West Indian Burr Gherkin and should be harvested before they get bigger than 1 1/2 in. or they get bitter and tough.

They are so super fun to eat and I'm not sure if they are still available (I'm thinking not) but if you run across them, please pick them up!

Welcome to the first post

I guess I will start by telling you a little about myself. This might be the only time I talk about myself, I am much more comfortable talking about things I love, which is what you'll see in this blog. I am turning 30 this year, just had a baby, am married to a great guy and am an Arizona native but have not lived here my whole life. I was born in Tucson, moved to Southern California for 10 years (with awesome farmers markets nearby - that's where the food thing started, I think) until I came back to Arizona for college. I didn't know that I would be staying in Arizona (Phoenix) to have a great career in food (I've worked at a major major soft drink company, a major major coffee company, a high end restaurant supply company, a culinary school, an organic farm and a food magazine).

I have enjoyed all of it and have learned probably a lot more than I wanted to know - some scary restaurant food prep stuff. I will share some secrets to what I've learned and I hope that this blog will help others to eat better, cook better, shop better, organize better, feed their baby better and I guess learn from my experiences, or just be entertained. My mom encouraged me to start a blog, I suppose, due to all the weird things I have stored in my head that she thought people would be interested in reading.

By the way, that picture on the header. I took that at Crooked Sky Farm. That is Tuscan Kale for those of you who don't know. It's also called black kale or dinosaur kale. It's pretty great stuff. I would say that it is similar in taste to spinach, has loads of nutrition, you just have to cook it a bit longer than spinach. Here is a link to some recipes from an awesome CSA farm in California.

The title, with the reference to Under the Tuscan Sun, I thought would be cute and a fun play on words. I have not read the book but have seen the movie version and quite liked it. Diane Lane is always fun to watch in movies in European countries.

This is a work in progress. I am working on making this a great resource for folks looking for more information about where to find food in Phoenix. So, please be kind as I work on making this as rad as I think it will be.