Thank you for visiting us! The OC Locavore blog is about finding ways to grocery shop, cook, eat, drink, and dine out in Orange County, California, in ways that are healthy for both you and the environment. We invite you to join us in our quest to "think globally and eat locally."



Tuesday, January 29, 2013

French baguettes in Orange County!

Did you hear our whoops of joy a couple of weeks ago?  We have found what we consider to be - by far - THE BEST baguettes to be found in Orange County.  Chewy and tasty inside, with a satisfying crunch to the crust, we find ourselves looking for any reason at all to justify the drive to Costa Mesa so that "gee, while we're in the neighborhood..." we can pick up another one of these gems.  You can find them at Surfas Culinary District, recently opened in the South Coast Collection (SOCO) in Costa Mesa. 

While you're in Surfas, good luck escaping with just the baguette - this is a playground for anyone who loves to cook (or eat, for that matter!).  There are terrific cheeses, olive oils, and balsamic vinegars to sample before you buy; many interesting and unusual jams, condiments, and flours; plus a whole range of unique cooking and baking ingredients.  Oh, and did we mention the chef's equipment and serving items?  This is a store that (like its parent store in Culver City) serves the restaurant and catering industry, so you can even pick up a chef jacket and some chef pants while you're there.

SOCO has some other very cool stores, and a farmer's market every Saturday.  We will fill you in on these in a future post.  In the meantime, enjoy those baguettes - but be sure to leave one for us!


Sunday, January 27, 2013

Stir-Fried Calamari

Much lighter and more flavorful than the typical fried version, this delicious appetizer could not be easier to make.  And at around $8 per pound at Santa Monica Seafood in Costa Mesa (our go-to seafood store), it's a bargain for a dish that works for even the most special occasions.  Best cooked in a wok; but a heavy saute pan will also work.

1 pound squid tubes and tentacles
kesulu spice*
1/4 C. peanut oil



Slice the tubes horizontally into 1/8" slices, forming rings. 


Season with kesulu or other spices. 


Heat the wok over high heat until very hot; pour in half the peanut oil around and down the sides of the wok.  Let the oil heat until shimmering.  Add half the squid to the wok all at once, and stir frequently to cook uniformly.  Cooks in about two minutes - be careful not to overcook!


Serve at once, and prepare the second batch in the same way.  Best enjoyed hot off the wok, with your diners served right at the counter.







* kesulu is our house blend spice, which we'll be selling soon on this website.  In the meantime, your combo of red pepper flakes or other chili powders will work.

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Ajiaco (Columbian Potato Soup)

In searching for a dish to serve at the Sous Chef's book club meeting (which featured a Columbian author this month), we discovered a delicious-sounding Columbian soup called Ajiaco. Normally served with chicken, we developed this vegetarian adaptation.  It's a wonderfully warming soup for winter.

Ingredients

Soup:
2 quarts homemade veggie stock (plus or minus - enough to just cover the potatoes)
1 large or 2 medium onions, medium-to-fine chop
4 bay leaves
2 pounds russet potatoes peeled and cut into rough 1-inch chunks
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, split into quarters lengthwise, then cut in half
1 pound Red potatoes, peeled, split into quarters lengthwise, then cut in half
3 Tbl. chopped parsley
1 ½ C. frozen corn (fresh is better but hard to find in winter)
 
Aji: 
3-4 green onions, finely minced (about 3/4 cup)
2 tablespoons finely minced cilantro
1 jalapeño chile, seeded and finely minced
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
   
Garnishes:
½ cup sour cream, thinned with 1 tablespoon milk
½ cup capers, rinsed, drained, and roughly chopped
1 ripe avocado, chopped

Procedures

Combine onion, bay leaves, potatoes, and parsley in a large saucepot or Dutch oven. Add enough stock to cover the solids by 1-inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are completely tender and falling apart, 20-40 minutes depending on the cut of the potatoes, adding more water as necessary. Discard onion and bay leaves. Using whisk, mash potato pieces against side of pot and stir vigorously to thicken soup. The soup should be thick, with large chunks of potatoes still remaining.

Add corn and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until corn is heated and soup is thickened to the consistency of thick heavy cream, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

While soup is cooking, make the aji: Combine green onions, cilantro, and jalapeño in small serving bowl and add water until just covered. Season generously with salt and stir to combine. Set aside.

Serve soup with chopped capers, sour cream, chopped avocado, and aji added at the table.

Adapted from: