It’s Sunday and spring has officially arrived at the market. Perhaps even more than for the cherries and apricots, I get there early to grab a few fragrant bunches of peonies from Ha’s Farm. Peonies are very expensive in Southern California. They require a hard freeze in the winter so they are scarce. I grew up with peonies; they became the Indiana state flower in 1957 (replacing the zinnia) and they used to carpet my grandmother’s back yard in the spring. But when I first moved to California I was shocked to find them wrapped in precious bundles of three at $10 a stem. David and Yeung Ha farm in the hills of Tehachapi, so they can grow tree peonies and bring them by the bucket full for three short weeks in the Spring(at $2 a stem). They are more famous for their Fuji apples that taste of honey, and also the delicious jams and delicious apple turnovers. But the peonies in the spring are my favorites. Peonies have a prolific but sort lived season, which make them all the more precious. As if they needed anything beyond their old fashioned beauty, they also open in stages, starting off as plump fluffy blossoms and metamorphizing into delicate lacy blooms. Every day, a new bouquet.
Also at the market this AM was Russ Parsons and his new bo
ok How To Pick a Peach. Now I can throw away a bunch of his clippings from The Los Angeles Times. I also have some good reading ahead of me. Parsons is a good home cook with lots of great chef friends, so if his recipes don’t always seem original, its not really the point. Every recipe I’ve ever tried of his works out perfectly – the scale and technique are designed with the home cook in mind. Parsons has dedicated this book to fruits and vegetables in season and divides the book accordingly. Each section includes essays on such topics as farming techniques of small and large scale farmers, kitcehn chemistry and what to look for and how to store (and cook) fresh fruits and vegetables If reading about the effects of global competition on American agricultural practices makes you feel tart to feel a bit disheartened, cheer yourself up with recipes like “tart of garlicky greens and black olives”, “overcooked green beans” and “strawberries and oranges in basil syrup” – all in season at the moment.
Vox Pop Sudari 