Here’s a delicious seafood dish from the author of BrokeAss Gourmet, featuring lots of delicious fresh herbs, which we know for a fact she picked up at the Mission Community Market! Be sure to check out Bob’s Fish and Poultry right next door to the MCM for great deals on fresh shrimp!
Shrimp with Spicy Pesto and Mango Relish
Farmers Market Breakfast Burritos
What better way to start the day than with a veggie-stuffed breakfast burrito? Stop by the MCM tonight to pick up fresh veggies from a variety of vendors, and farm-fresh eggs from Tomatero Farm. Wrap this yummy scramble up in warm whole-wheat tortillas and you’ve got a healthy, delicious and highly-portable breakfast!
Ingredients
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, diced
3-4 big pieces of rainbow chard, roughly chopped tough stems/veins discarded
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 heirloom tomato, cored and diced
1 carrot, shredded
1 zucchini, diced
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup shredded white cheddar or jack cheese
1 large handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
4 large whole-wheat tortillas
Directions
Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chard, bell pepper, tomato, carrot and zucchini and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until chard begins to soften. Add eggs and cook, stirring occasionally, until eggs scramble. Turn off heat and gently stir in shredded cheese and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Roll egg mixture up in tortillas with guacamole, sour cream, hot sauce or whatever else you like in your burritos. These are also perfectly delicious without added condiments.
Makes 4 large breakfast burritos.
Three’s Community
Zhalisa, Jonny, and Jaylee live about 30 feet from the market, and they are neighborhood friends. Zhalisa works in marketing for a large internet search company. Jonny works at Boogaloo’s. Jaylee is a student and also works on 22nd Street. I caught these three sassy Mission dwellers on a food hunt. Before arriving at the Mission Community Market, they had stopped at the old fashioned Italian deli “Lucas” to buy ravioli. Now, they were selecting good veggies and fruit for the delectable dinner that they planned to cook and eat together. So far, they had lettuces, tomatoes, and a melon so fragrant that I could smell it from a distance. Zhalisa, Jonny and Jaylee remind me that cooking is the best instigator for conviviality. Bien hecho, amigos!
by Adriana Camarena
Romesco-Style Heirloom Tomato Sauce
This easy, delicious sauce is a great way to take advantage of the plethora of different heirloom tomatoes still available at the market! Whether you hit up Her Farms, Happy Boy Farms, Tomatero Farm or Blue House Farm, make sure to get plenty of juicy, near-soft tomatoes. While you’re at the MCM, also pick up some raw almonds from Winters Fruit Tree to whirl into this easy, unique sauce.
Ingredients
1/4 cup extra virgin olive
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green jalapeño, seeded and diced
4 large, juicy heirloom tomatoes, cored and chopped (about 3 cups chopped tomatoes)
1 handful fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tsp Ancho chili powder
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds, plus more for garnish
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and jalapeño and cook for 30-60 seconds, just until fragrant (be careful not to burn the garlic). Reduce heat to medium-low and add the tomatoes, basil, chili powder, almonds and red wine vinegar. Cover and cook for 25-30 minutes or until tomatoes break down.
Puree until very smooth. Serve garnished with fresh basil and more toasted sliced almonds.
Makes about 2 1/2 cups tomato sauce
Put pep-n-your-step, organically
Kim Leonard is the creator of “En vie naturals” a line of natural organic skincare products for women and men of ethnic skin types. Her products are made with all natural oats, nuts, and botanical extracts. At the market, Kim opens a jar of “Pep-n-your step” foot soak for me to smell. I stick my nose into a bouquet of peppermint, eucalyptus, lavender and menthol fragrances. Instant aromatherapy! Kim beams a happy healthy smile, and explains that “This foot soak is good for hardworking men and women, who are on their feet all day. 10 minutes in warm water will allow the natural agents to act and soften and relax the feet”. Kim is a vegetarian, and prides herself on not using any animal products, parabens, or toxins in her line. She is also a Mission local from all her life. Three years ago Kim began making skincare products for friends and family as a pastime. She was a coffee shop manager back then, but like many folk, she lost her job in the past few years. Not one to mope around, she quickly enrolled in the Women’s Initiative Program to gain the skills to make her boutique dream come true. She graduated in 2009, and her business is up and running. “Everything that you see here, I make with my own two hands!” She waves jazz hands in the air, and gives me another stellar Kim smile. She invites you to pass by her stall and check out her facial cleansers and scrubs as well!
by Adriana Camarena