Chef Daniel Cutler operates Ronan with his wife, Catlin, on Melrose near La Brea. He's also recently taken the helm at Here's Looking At You. Cutler uses tomatoes and peaches in both restaurants.
With a focus on Italian cuisine, primarily pizza, at Ronan, he composes a classic Caprese salad with burrata and basil oil, using tomatoes from Munak Ranch. Over at Here's Looking At You in Koreatown, Cutler follows a recipe from former chef Jonathan Whitener involving marinated Green Zebra tomatoes with a salt and pepper aioli and crisp Chinese sausage. Culter says he was inspired by a bagna càuda but the dish reads more like an anchovy chili crisp.
As for peaches, Cutler cooks them into a jam and serves them with a chicken liver pâté at Ronan. He also makes a brunch pizza called Summer in Firenze that's topped with the fruit, Tuscan pecorino, and squash blossoms. At Here's Looking At You , Tenerelli Orchards peaches accompany a lamb dish inspired by Korean barbecue and top a chocolate pot de crème on the dessert menu..
Fourth generation California farmer Jason Chamberlain of Wong Farms brings mangos to the market from Mecca. It's early in the season and the Golden Lady variety, with their honey, citrus, and sweet notes, are currently available. They have a custardy texture and a thin seed. A midseason variety to look forward to is the Valencia Pride, which has a tangy pineapple and tropical flavor.
With record-breaking heat in the desert, temperatures are hitting 115 degrees and the humidity is 60%. Chamberlain says they are needing to combat powdery mildew on leaves as well as black spots and cracks from swelling on the fruit. With a chemical compound similar to poison oak, the fruit is harvested wearing long sleeves, pants, and gloves to avoid allergic reactions.