Tag Archives: Organic

Sustainable Feast

Sustainable Feast in San Diego

This year on Earth day, the Sustainable feast was hosted by The Outdoor Education Foundation at the NTC Promenade in Liberty Station. 10 San Diego Chefs came together at one venue and created sample dishes from each of their restaurants showcasing local farms and their ingredients. The event itself is very family friendly with activities for children and local bands playing music in the background. Bringing an appetite is needed, as you are ready to set sail on an afternoon full of delicious gourmet bites.

Sustainable Feast in San Diego

Chef Javier Plascencia of Mision 19 was offering up a taste of the ever expanding Baja food scene. His sample dish was Roasted brussels sprouts, fennel cured sardines topped with a pistachio caramel, jocoque cream and jalapeños. Chasing all of the ingredients around the plate with the piece of toast was all part of the fun. Every taste was full of each ingredient and had an earthy, briny bite, with just the right amount of heat.

Sustainable Feast in San Diego

Chef Chad White of Gabardine’s dish was Cod Bacalao with corn bread and a tomato jam. The colors were gorgeous, and the sweetness of the corn bread and the salty cod were a delightful combination.
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Mercado Hidalgo de Tijuana

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Mercado Hidalgo de Tijuana
I can’t even tell you how long my husband has been telling me that we need to go to Mercado Hidalgo. He knows that I am all about markets, and the fresh produce and goods that come along with it. It’s a shame that we couldn’t cross all of the beautiful produce back home, but just the all around experience was wonderful that day. Every vendor has their own setup as well as products, and the smells are just intoxicating. You can purchase everything from produce to piñatas. Of course Giovanni was immediately drawn to the piñatas and candy, and had to point at it every time we came across a new vendor.

Merdcado Hidalgo is where the majority of Chefs and cooks in Tijuana go to supply their restaurant with the finest ingredients. You may have seen both Rick Bayless and Andrew Zimmern make their own trips the the mercado. It really is a unique and great experience. If you go hungry, there are little restaurants, as well as street carts to satisfy your hunger. We had stopped to get Carne Asada tacos before the mercado, so we just ended up grabbing some Gorditas de nata. They were absolutely delicious. They are creamy pillow like ‘cakes’, that are served to you right off of a heated griddle. You must grab a plastic bag of these on your visit, but believe me they won’t last long.
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La Boulange Cafe and Bakery

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I am in love with all things French. My husband and I have always been so intrigued by the French Culture, and most of all the food. La Boulange Cafe Bakery was a very close walk to our hotel that we stayed at. The first couple of times that we walked by, we just stared in longingly at the beautiful display of baked goods and treats. It wasn’t until our last day in San Francisco, that we actually went in and ordered breakfast. I would have felt spoiled if we had eaten there every morning, even though I was secretly wishing that we did. We ordered their Croque Madame to share, and Giovanni had their Organic Oats with Fruit.
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Suzie’s Farm

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We spent part of our Saturday afternoon walking Suzie’s farm, and you couldn’t have asked for better weather. Being two days before Halloween, and almost November, we still didn’t have one pumpkin in the house. Saturday marked their last day for Pumpkin u- pick, and what’s better than going to a local farm and picking your own pumpkins from the ground. I loved having Giovanni on my hip, pointing at every little thing while we strolled up and down the rows of pumpkins. These are the little moments that I absolutely love to share with my little family.

Aside from pumpkins they are a USDA Certified farm, that grows over 100 different crops every year. They also supply produce to some of the well- known restaurants and food trucks that are local “farm to table” supporters. You can find them at the local farmers markets as well, with a lovely stall stocked with amazing produce. We paid them a little visit at Little Italy’s Mercato. Check out their website that offers recipes, as well as updates on all of the upcoming events. We will definitely be paying close attention to their event (see video below), and hopefully we can make it to most of them. I can’t explain the feeling of being in the middle of such beautiful surroundings, and seeing where your food comes from. Suzie’s Farm is so close to us, and I really want it to become an “everyday” part of our lives. You are eating fresh, and Organic produce, meanwhile supporting local farms and farmers, it can’t get better than that. I want to thank everyone there, they were so kind and helpful about all of the Pumpkin varieties, as well as letting us know about some of their future events.

Little Italy’s Mercato – Farmers Market

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Every Saturday there is a Farmers Market held in Little Italy, San Diego from 9am-1:30pm. It is a wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning, sampling fresh and local produce. You can find all of your groceries in one spot, while supporting the local farms and vendors. I absolutely adore Farmers markets, and this one is a definite favorite of mine.

Little Italy's Farmer's Market - Fresh Limes