Happy Boy Farms

Know your Peppers with Happy Boy Farm

Posted on by Mission Community Market in Blog, Happy Boy Farms, Mercado Kitchen | Leave a comment

When I asked Ash of Happy Boy Farm to talk to me about the difference between Padrón and Shishito Peppers, she exclaimed, “Well, for starters, they come from two totally different parts of the world!”

To the naked (and uninformed) eye, baskets of these two small green peppers often found at MCM this time of year might appear indistinguishable. But guess what–they each have quite a story to tell, with properties that make them unique. I decided to delve into the history behind these two fraternal twin peppers a little more to find out what makes makes them special.

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Padrón Peppers

The most famous produce of the Spanish city Padrón are its peppers. Franciscan monks first brought pepper seeds to the area from Mexico in the 16th century, which then were adapted to the soil and climate of the area.

Most of the peppers taste sweet and mild–like tiny bell peppers–though some are particularly hot and spicy, which can give some special character to a dish prepared with these little guys. The popular Spanish saying,“Os pementos de Padrón, uns pican e outros non” meaning “Padrón peppers, some are hot and some are not” captures this sentiment perfectly. Although it’s not always the case, some have found that the peppers grown later in the season (towards August and September) tend to contain more capsaicin–and thus are spicier–than the grown in June and July. A couple sources I found said that about one in every 20 peppers will be hot, and the rest will be mild. However, sometimes you’ll get a basket with a slightly higher ratio. It really is a game of spicy roulette when you eat these peppers!

Shishitos on the other hand, come from Japan, halfway around the world, as Ash told me.

shishitos at market

Shishito Peppers

 The Shishito pepper is small and finger-sized, slender, and thin-walled. The name refers to the fact that the tip of the chili pepper looks like the head of a lion (“shisho”) and in Japanese it is often abbreviated as Shishitō.

Though apparently some varieties of Shishitos do form capsaicin and become spicy, Ash assured me that I wouldn’t find a spicy pepper in my basket–and I didn’t. The peppers generally become spicy in hot, dry conditions, and we won’t often get such weather here. According to Ash, Shishitos are also more “buttery” than their Padrón counterparts.

The easiest way to tell them apart is the fact that the Shishitos are usually more slender and wrinkly, while Padróns tend to be fatter, and have an appearance more similar to Jalapeños.

Lucky for us, both varieties of peppers cook up easily and with much the same simple preparation–toss them in a glass baking dish with some olive oil, coarse salt, and black pepper, and bake for about 20-25 minutes at 350 ° F until slightly browned in parts. It doesn’t get much easier than that! I like to sprinkle them with some goat cheese or feta if I have it on hand.

Enjoy the rest of our San Francisco summer, and happy pepper picking!

Jarred Spring Garlic Dressing w/ Roasted Potatoes & Peppers

Posted on by Mission Community Market in Blog, Blue House Farm, Happy Boy Farms, Jarred SF Brine, La Cocina, Mercado Kitchen, Recipes | 1 Comment

Photos taken by Daniel Sullivan Jr. Instagram: @dsulliphoto

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Emiliana Puyana from Jarred SF Brine aims to positively impact the world through tasty, crunchy pickles. After growing up in Venezuela, Emiliana pursued her love of food by attending the Culinary Institute of America in New York. Now she has created Jarred SF Brine, a pickle business that operates out of La Cocina using local and sustainable fruits and vegetables picked at the peak of their seasons.

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Before talking with Emiliana, we didn’t know much about cooking with pickles. Pickles are usually eaten straight out of the jar, right? Thankfully Emiliana has a wealth of knowledge about easy ways to pep up everything from salads to cocktails using her delicious creations. She offered the inspiration for this recipe and has many more ideas to give. Check out the recipe page of her website, or better yet, stop by her stand at MCM this thursday to taste her pickles and ask for some inspiration on how to cook with them.

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This Pickled Spring Garlic Dressing recipe can be used in endless ways–try it as a seafood marinade or for dipping artichokes. We decided to roast Fingerling Potatoes from Happy Boy Farms thanks to their buttery texture and thin skin which doesn’t need to be peeled. For a little smokey spice, we added Padron Peppers from Blue House Farm. You can find the full recipe after the jump.  Read more

No Time To Cook? MCM has 7 Shortcuts for You!

Posted on by Mission Community Market in Achadinha Cheese Company, Arizmendi Bakery, Blog, Chaac Mool, Coastside Farms, Happy Boy Farms, Home Made Ravioli, Jarred SF Brine, Marla Bakery, Roli Roti, Shrimp & Love, Vendors | Leave a comment

Although a visit to the market offers inspiration to cook with fresh, interesting, and colorful ingredients, it can be difficult finding the time to create epic meals from scratch. Mission Community Market has some excellent options for those who are short on time to spend in the kitchen. We’ve created a list of seven awesome products at MCM to help you create that delicious and nutritious semi-homemade meal in a snap!

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1. Home Maid Ravioli – Home Maid Ravioli Company carries several different types of freshly-made ravioli, pasta, and sauce. Highlights are Lobster Ravioli, Lemon Linguine, and their highly addicttive Garlic Cheese Dip which can be baked on sliced bread from Arizmendi to create some spectacular garlic bread. Although these pasta sauces are tasty on their own, they can be supplemented with produce such as onions and zucchini to make for a perfectly well-rounded meal.

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2. Happy Boy Farms Salad Mix – Colorful, fresh and certified organic, these greens have Nasturtium flowers sprinkled on top for some extra color and bite. No need to wash or chop, these greens are ready to eat right out of the bag. Toss some dressing on top and serve as a perfect side with any meal… perhaps next to some Home Maid Pasta.

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3. Chaac-Mool Corn Tortillas – Nothing beats a freshly made tortilla. Chaac-Mool’s hearty and wholesome creations, sold by the dozen, are so good they can be eaten plain as snacks, as quesadillas with some Broncha from Achadinha Cheese Company, or wrapped around delicious mix-ups at taco night.

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4. Coastside Farms Smoked Salmon – Rich and smokey, this buttery fish is wild-caught weekly in Alaska and smoked in San Jose. Coastside’s flavors include Garlic, Black Pepper, Honey, or just Plain, and they’re all simply delicious. Add it to your Happy Boy Spring Mix to create an awesome lunch or light dinner!

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5. Roli Roti Roasted Chicken and Potatoes – The line for Roli Roti Chicken often extends down the market for good reason. Too bad our photo doesn’t convey the glorious smells coming from their truck. As these herb-infused free-range chickens are spun on their rotisseries, all of their delectable juices fall onto organic rosemary fingerling potatoes. Take a whole chicken home with a pack of potatoes and let your imagination go wild; if you don’t end up wolfing it all down beforehand. An extra bonus is the delicious chicken stock you can make with the leftovers!

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6. Jarred SF Brine Pickles  Organic produce preserved at the peak of its season, Jarred pickles can be snacked on, cooked with, or even thrown into a spicy cocktail. Check out Emiliana’s website for some inspiration and consider chopping up some pickled goodies to add to your Roli Roti potatoes or add some zing to your salad.

7. Marla Bakery Hand Pies – It’s no secret that Marla’s sweet treats are amazing, but did you know you can also get dinner at their booth? Every week, Amy and Joe lovingly create unique, delectable hand pies that can be taken home for a nice hearty treat. This week, choose from red wine & plum braised brisket or buttered summer squash, corn, and early girl tomato succotash. The flavors change weekly, so take a break from cooking and come down to see what they have to offer!

Purple Potato, Zucchini and Thyme Frittata

Posted on by Mission Community Market in Blog, Blue House Farm, Great Valley Poultry, Happy Boy Farms, Mercado Kitchen, Recipes, Yerena Farms | Leave a comment

Frittatas are one of the easiest and most diverse dishes to make. Not only can you eat them for breakfast, lunch or dinner, you can throw just about any vegetables, cheeses, meats or even leftovers you have on hand to make an excellent flavor combination.

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With this recipe I combined Purple and Yukon Gold potatoes from Blue House Farm, zucchini from Yerena Farms, fresh thyme from Happy Boy Farms, eggs from Great Valley Poultry, and olive oil from Terra Savia to create a savory and hearty weekend breakfast.  Purple Potatoes look like precious gems, and when sliced add vibrant color to this dish.  I was able to save the extra frittata in the fridge to make delicious cold egg sandwiches the next day.

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To make this recipe you will need:

1 tsp. Olive oil
8 large eggs
Dash of heavy cream
1 small zucchini
2 small potatoes
1/2 tbls. Fresh thyme (Stems removed and chopped)
Big pinches of salt and pepper Read more

Mercado Kitchen: Watermelon – Lemon Cucumber – Mint Agua Fresca

Posted on by Mission Community Market in Blog, Blue House Farm, Happy Boy Farms, Mercado Kitchen, Recipes, Tomatero Farm | 2 Comments

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To celebrate the beginning of summer and the start of the most delicious season, we made Agua Fresca. When the summer heat comes this transformable beverage is fantastic to sip on a warm afternoon or as a fresh accompaniment with a weekend breakfast. Easy to make and simply delicious, you can use just about any fruit you have on hand to make Agua Fresca and you can make it as sweet as you like by controlling the amount of sugar that you add.

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For this batch, we used juicy pink Watermelon from Tomatero Farm, bright Lemon Cucumbers from Happy Boy Farms, and crisp clean Mint from Blue House Farm. The Watermelon was ripe enough that we didn’t add very much sugar to assure that our beverage was refreshing and thirst-quenching and less dessert-like.

To make this recipe you will need:

1 medium-sized watermelon

3 lemon cucumbers

1/4 c. sugar (Adjust this to your preference level) or agave nectar

1/4 c. water

1 bunch of mint

1 tray of ice cubes (about 12 cubes) Read more