There are a handful of chefs who seemingly don't miss the Wednesday Santa Monica Farmer's Market. Jason Neroni is the chef/partner at The Rose Venice, and he recently opened Best Bet in the former A-Frame space on Washington Boulevard in Culver City. Always tinkering with his menus, Neroni is shopping for both restaurants. Transitioning into fall, he has his eye on Brussels sprouts, which will be used with pickle-jalapeño yogurt and dusted with dehydrated cheddar at The Rose. At the pizzeria, he tosses Brussels sprouts in lemon olive oil before throwing them into the wood-fired oven and dousing them with black garlic molasses.
As the weather shifts from summer to fall, Southern Californians are treated to passion fruit. It takes a special touch to tame the vines with the mesmerizing flowers. Nick Brown is the farmer behind Rincon Tropics, and he has tables of passion and dragon fruit this time of year. Brown says pollination is the key to achieving plump fruit. With beehives on the ranch, the farmers control the pollination so as not to stress the plant.