Dispatch from Los Angeles

Friend of the blog Ros from Los Angeles responded to the recent post about the farmers market on Saturday with the following thoughts:

...are these the radishes you found at the market yesterday?

http://www.seedsavers.org/prodinfo.asp?number=420

If the same, <we> also enjoy these when available at our Hollywood market. Have you ever seen black radishes? Those are also amazing, more dense/dry in texture.

I'll be interested to see more pics & read more about your market there. (I'm plotting to start a market one day or help revamp one if we ever move to a city that is lacking...) We are so spoiled here in LA by the year-round local bounty and the unique varieties. Attached a couple of things that one local "celebrity farmer" introduced us to over the last couple of years...just in case you haven't seen before and they pop up at your market, must try.

First image is of "crosnes," a small tuber in the mint family - they were $16/lb but worth the novelty - tasty raw, roasted or sauteed with butter, parsley and salt. Kind of radish-like in texture but super mild and earthy.

Second image possible that you might have seen in the grocery stores at this point...Romanesco cauliflower. Absolutely beautiful and delicious, nutty.

Hi to <all> - Take care -

Ros

By the way...my favorite line from Joel Salatin in The Omnivore's Dilemma: "It's a foolish culture that entrusts its food supply to simpletons."

I initially responded to Ros that her guess on the radishes we found was incorrect, but lo and behold some additional research uncovered the following, which was sent in a response last night back to Los Angeles:

Achtung!  Seems you were right after all.  The D'avignon Radish is the
same thing as the French Breakfast Radish.  So yes, we are enjoying!

http://www.deliciousorganics.com/recipes/rootveg.htm

And as for your question of whether we've seen this odd cauliflower at
our local grocer. . . Our response is:  "Not likely.  We live in
Memphis"!!!

Come see us anyway. . .

Ros has been a friend for years and she and her husband are passionate about their food.  On a recent visit to Los Angeles with friends she directed us to a restaurant called Lou On Vine which turned out to be a great slow food farmhouse biodynamic place, not to mention the copious amounts of delightful wine.  Hopefully we'll be hearing more from Ros and the west coast as the harvest season continues. 

By the way, Ros' response to my email last night?

I must call it the D'avignon radish from now on, then!