Chefs Elizabeth Heitner and Nestor Silva join correspondent Gillian Ferguson at the Santa Monica Farmers Market in preparation of their first brunch service at Malli, a pop-up that blends their Jewish and Mexican heritage. They'll be featuring a chicory salad with beets, inspired by Heitner's father who would eat borscht on Friday nights. It's served with a pink molé made with red sauerkraut, caraway seeds, potatoes, dried Mexican chiles, beets, and hibiscus. "I love the pink chicories because they are more tender than the radicchio or Treviso but you still get that bitter bunch but it's less intense," Heitner says. The beets are steamed, smoked, dehydrated, and pickled, resulting in a beet that is "sweet, acidic, and meaty," according to Silva. Also on the menu are babka French toast and a black bean burrito with latkes, guacamole, and chile de arbol salsa.
Reservations for President's Day brunch for Malli at Jewel in Virgil Village are available through Resy.
Next is a public service announcement for all berry fanatics! Harry's Berries is back at the market and in full swing. Kohl Gean explains that the organic farm takes a bit more time with their strawberries. Giving the berries a few extra days on the plant avoids the white shoulder seen on other fruit and achieves an even redness that runs throughout. Follow Harry's Berries on Instagram to find their stands across Los Angeles.