Trip to San Fran Part I

sipping on fresh juice- wheatgrass, apple, cucumber, and basil

Back in April, JJ and I took a trip to San Francisco to see my sister and her family. I expressed interest in seeing the local farmers market while we were there and so we did. That is one of my favorite things to do when I visit a city to see all of their local vegetation ripe for the picking and eating! It reminded me of our trip to Santa Monica where we experienced their local market. California always produces the best crops because of their mild weather. There was so much to see and sample. It was hard not to buy everything, but I stuck to only things that I could consume on the spot (like the yummy juice in the picture above) or items that wouldn't perish on the trip back home.

harvested mushrooms

more mushrooms!

flowers for sale

jumbo asparagus

We ended up purchasing a glass jar of organic apple wood smoked salt. The vendor had an assortment of flavored salts, but this one was our fave! I still have not opened the jar yet... If anyone has any ideas, please send them my way. I am a little intimidated by this complex ingredient. We also bought a small bag of dried mild chilies; Poblano, New Mexico, and Anaheim chilies. This mixture can be used to make salsa or as seasoning for poultry or fish. I used some of the dried chili mixture to make tacos a few weeks back. They were delicious. I couldn't pass up the dried fruit vendor where I bought a bag each of Lubanah dates and dried persimmons. I bought both of them because they were the most peculiar, yet delicious.

I envy all of the Californians that have such quality organic produce at their finger tips. Don't get me wrong... I love our local Kansas City market, but it just doesn't compare to the size, quality or variety of the west coast markets. I guess I'll just sit here in the disgustingly, muggy Midwestern heat, eat my sweet corn and watermelon, and be glad that I have food to put on the table.

Chicken Soup with Asparagus and Parmesan

INGREDIENTS
· 3 1/2 lbs of chicken
· 2 tbsp. butter
· 2 cloves garlic, minced
· 1/2 onion chopped
· 2 ribs of chopped celery
· 2 medium, peeled and chopped carrots
· 10 asparagus spears, sliced
· 10 sprigs of fresh parsley
· 3 sprigs of thyme
· 1 bay leaf
· 6 cups of chicken stock
· 1/3 cup of brown rice
· 1 tsp. kosher salt
· ground pepper to taste
· 1/4 cup good Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
· precook chicken by boiling or roasting, however you like to do it.
· saute the onion and garlic in butter over medium heat until transparent, a few minutes.
· add the carrots, celery and asparagus.
· add the chicken stock, chicken, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and brown rice
· bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer until veggies are tender and rice is fully cooked
· add salt and pepper while simmering
· once the soup is done, remove the bay leaf and sprinkle the soup with Parmesan cheese

This is such a simple twist on a classic. Once you know your basic recipes by heart, then you can mix it up a bit and add your favorite ingredients to make it your own. The asparagus in this soup gets so tender and delicious. The Parmesan cheese adds a nutty flavor and creamy texture that takes the soup to another level. My mom would always add Parmesan to her chicken soups and I love the flavor it brings. You should try it!