What's in season at the farmers market this week:
- Fresh beans
- Tomatillos
- Peppers
Chef Jack Goode is just two weeks into service at Companion, a new restaurant on Lincoln Boulevard in Venice. "The menu right now is very fun. We're still kind of lucky to have some of the tail end of the summer produce. So, you know, we're still getting good melons for our panzanella, cucumbers, zebra tomatoes from Munak Ranch are still lovely, and some of my favorite produce that I've gotten from the market all year," he tells farmers market correspondent Gillian Ferguson.
Bridging two seasons is a creative opportunity. In a compote he serves with olive oil, Goode will replace peaches with pears and apples. On the chicories front, he looks forward to using Castelfranco, a variety he cooked with at Quarter Sheets, and frisée. "I think frisée gets a lot of hate but I think when it's done right in a salad, it can add a lot of fun texture. And visually, it's really playful and interesting," he says. Goode likes to add sweetness, like powdered sugar or maple syrup, to a vinaigrette to balance a salad of bitter greens.
Speaking of sweets, dates are back at the market. At Bautista Family Organic Date Ranch in Mecca, Alvaro Bautista grows seven varieties. Almost 70% of his crop last year was lost to the heavy rainfall but he rebounded with this year's harvest.
Halawy dates, which taste like caramel, are Bautista's favorite. He likes to stuff peanut butter into the medjool, and khadrawy dates have a brown sugar quality. Customers must arrive early for the barhi variety, known as "liquid gold" or you can order them for delivery at 7 Hot Dates.