The Mexican Slow Cooker cookbook

parsnips

In Season

Parsnips

If you’ve ever seen a root vegetable that you could have sworn was a carrot—except it was almost white—no doubt it was a parsnip. They are related to carrots (and are delicious paired with them) but, for some reason, terribly ignored. I think the flavors are more complex and intense. They’re sweet but herbal, perfectly fine raw but truly shine when roasted, mashed in butter with garlic and horseradish, or steamed. Turn them into a gratin or soup—or fries. Yes, parsnip fries.

Leaf & Kettle tea

Chad_Thompson

Tea

Leaf & Kettle

For years I enjoyed bopping into Halcyon, James Bowman’s little South Park tea shop. But he closed it earlier last year, and opened a new spot, Leaf & Kettle, at the Del Mar Highlands Town Center last August. He’s got a wide range of spectacular teas (try the bright orange rooiboos or deep-steamed sencha fukamushi), and now you can sit at a bar or table and taste them. He still has a terrific, irresistible collection of teaware—plus, tea-based spa products and even culinary tea seed oil. leafandkettle.com

Savory Spice Shop spices

Now Open

Savory Spice Shop

In one year, San Diego’s gained two spice shops. First Penzeys Spices moved into Hillcrest, and now Encinitas has Savory Spice Shop. Located in The Lumberyard on South Coast Highway, the shop has more than 400 herbs, spices, and blends. I found four types of saffron, a huge selection of chili powders, various vanillas, BBQ rubs—you name it. They even encourage customer blends. Get on the mailing list to learn when they hold classes for things such as mustard making. savoryspiceshop.com

The post Local Bounty appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

I’ve picked out three items from the farm that are currently being harvested and sold.

Organic produce from Nijiya Market

Satsuma Imo Kintoki

I know when you see the word Satsuma (which was once a Japanese province) you immediately think of a variety of mandarin orange, but these are Japanese sweet potatoes, and have been grown in Japan since the early 17th century. Satsuma was well known for their production of these tubers. The skin is a reddish brown and the flesh is a pale yellow with a very mild flavor. Typically they’re boiled or roasted, but certainly they can be fried—and served with a horseradish mayo dip—or turned into croquettes, added to soup, or made into tempura. $2.99 a pound

Mitsuba

This wild Japanese parsley is named for the three leaves that sprout from the stems of the plant. The taste is most definitely reminiscent of flat- and curly-leaf parsley and has a bit of the celery leaf flavor to it as well—what they all share is a slight bitterness married to a clean, grassy flavor. The entire plant is edible. Add it to salads or sushi, but also use it to top a rice dish or garnish a Japanese soup like miso or ramen, donburi or udon soup bowls. $1.99 a bunch

Manganji Togarashi

I’m so taken already by small mild green chilies like padrons and shishitos that when I saw these similar looking peppers I scooped them up without thinking. Manganji means green pepper in Japanese and this togarashi variety is local to Kyoto. They’re larger and fleshier—and less wrinkled—than shishitos, and not at all spicy. They’re perfect for tempura, but I know I’ll be tossing them in a light oil and grilling them on my stovetop. Then they’ll get tossed in sea salt and lemon zest or perhaps some ponzu sauce. $5.99 a pound, but sold in packages of around half a pound

The post Local Bounty: January 14 appeared first on San Diego Magazine.