King salmon: poke cut
My family enjoys salmon at least once a week, with both raw and cooked preparations regularly on the menu. It is one of the healthiest food sources around, particularly when you find a great wild salmon source, such as Ben Hyman’s King Salmon, available at our weekly Saturday Santa Barbara farmers’ market from his Wild Local Seafood Co.
Caught seasonally off our California waters, you will instantly notice the vibrant orange color.
This time of year, all his fish is sashimi grade, meaning it is safe to eat raw.
The past few weeks I have been drawn to his “poke cut,” which are small cuts off the fish spine and belly, an effort to make sure the seafood company is using the entire fish. Packaged in leaner pre-cut strips, it is ideal for quick raw preparations with no cutting needed, such as the Raw Salmon Poke Sashimi recipe in the Fix of the Week on A4. If you have any questions about their cuts or various preparation technique suggestions, you can always ask their very knowledgeable crew.
The price is $22 per pound.
White sapote
A typical fruit incorporated into Latin American quinine, sapote is recognized by its rounded physique that transforms from green to pale yellow when ripe. It’s sweet with a custard-like texture.
I find white sapote delivers underlying flavor notes of banana, lemon and pear, with a hint of vanilla. Sapote can be enjoyed raw, either with or without the skin, incorporated into a smoothie or as one of a host of desserts. You can also use this fruit in combination with passion fruit to make some interesting cocktails or non-alcoholic beverages.
Sapote is produced quite well along the Goleta, Santa Barbara and Carpinteria coastlines. You can currently find white sapote available for sale from both Rancho Santa Cecilia and Rancho Vista Del Mundo at the weekly Saturday Santa Barbara, Sunday Camino Real, Tuesday Santa Barbara, Wednesday Solvang, and Thursday Carpinteria farmers’’ markets. The price averages $3 per pound.
Pinkerton avocados
If you’re looking for another avocado option in addition to the bacon avocados available in the winter months, you may want to check out these large Pinkerton avocados.
Possessing a deep green bumpy skin, elongated skinny neck and bulbous base, they deliver a very nice flavor and texture quite like that of the Hass. Remaining green when ripe, this variety is quite easy to peel.
Making for a healthy addition to your diets, avocados act as a nutrient booster that enables your body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients when eaten with other foods. Add them to a salad, a sandwich or spring roll. They are also great in a guacamole, over your tacos or scrambled eggs. They’re currently available at the Saturday Santa Barbara farmers’ market from several local producers. The price averages $2 each or three for $5
