This Week's Appetizing News: Delicious Summer Ahead!

Rainy day greetings from LA to all of you!

As I write, I see tiny patches of blue sky out my window here at the beach, but woke up to light rain this morning. As much as I love my rain boots, enough already ... the sun is rumored to return for our tours coming up this week.

Today's post is about what else is peeking through right now, gently reminding that summer is just around the corner.

I love that yummy California cherries have just made their debut at the Original Farmers Market, both at Farm Boy and Farm Fresh Produce stores. Find amazing strawberries too ~ spectacular in salads with butter lettuce and fresh basil. Fresh sweet corn, which by the way is wonderful just cut from the cob and eaten raw in salads and homemade salsas, is also front and center at Farm Fresh Produce.

The local organic farmers are making their annual appearances now, on weekends in the Plaza by the main clock tower, offering the season's first crop of temptations like apricots and even white peaches and nectarines. Have I mentioned lately how incredibly good summer white fruits compliment Monsieur Marcel's Cantalet cheese that we taste on our tour? I have now!

Speaking of Marcel, next month (or sooner) there ought to be an impressive array of gourmet products from South Africa gracing its floor and shelves, celebrating what else is fabulous about the nation hosting the 2010 World Cup. Please stay tuned for more on that.

One more! His brand-new fresh salmon cakes, alongside his fresh crab cakes, have finally taken their rightful place at Bob Tusquellas Seafood Market, for a very good $2.99 each.

Now if you happen to be in the mood to try some delicious seasonal specials that others have prepared for your dining pleasure, I am excited to share a couple of winners that surely serve up pre-summer extremely well .... especially if you're hungry while in the LAX or Orange County areas ...

We recommend ....

Second City Bistro in Old Town El Segundo
Not only is the fare here famous for farm-to-table with flair, their Monday night wine tastings are one of their finest signatures. Our tour guest, fan, and very sweet friend, is their sommelier Gus, and he would love to know that we sent you. They are open for lunch and dinner at their exquisite historic location, and just a mere read of Chef Nikki's menu items will make you salivate!

Zov's Bistro, Cafe, and Bakery in three Orange County locations
Zov and her husband Gary are two of the loveliest, most generous people I have ever met, and their contemporary homemade signatures with Eastern Mediterranean influences, are truly some of the best on the planet, even for breakfast! While I adore their original Tustin location, I haven't dined there for quite some time, and I've just learned that their new cafe/bars have opened in Newport Coast and Irvine. Any or all of these three places deserve your - and our - time and attention! They're also on Facebook ~ consider 'liking' them!

Well, my beautiful friends, I leave you with those savory thoughts and, that's all she wrote for today because, it's time to make lunch!

Here is wishing you and yours a delicious week, filled with lots of special time around the table together!

Until next time I remain,
Your Chef and Tour Maestra
Diane Scalia

This Week's Appetizing News: A lesson in Poussin

Delicious greetings everyone!

On the heels of our May newsletter that arrived in your e-boxes last Friday (if you haven't seen it, catch a peek here), and since Lisa and I just posted you on all the good gossip from our desks here at Melting Pot Food Tours, this week's story is going to just tempt you to prepare a meal you might soon consider irresistible!

My friendly tour rounds at LA's Original Farmers Market include Julio's Farmers Market Poultry, because I can't seem to refrain from singing their praises. Their chicken reminds me of one I bought and cooked in Italy at a friend's home - so incredibly fresh, tender, and flavorful. My friends there at Julio's stall love to chat up sports, recipes, and what's new that they know I would just love. One day it was frog legs (I didn't love them and Andre' didn't mind my honesty; he doesn't like them either) and last week it was poussin. This too sounded French, so I was interested, yet again.

Poussin is a very young chicken which resembles a Cornish game hen. It is generally raised very carefully on select grains, to render delicious, tender, and succulent meat. They are specially bred to yield only a certain size and are harvested earlier than other varieties of chicken. The very pale meat is very low in fat and cholestrol, making it quite the healthy choice ... when you can get, and afford it.

Julio is selling them fresh from the farm, for $5.49/lb. Each poussin are just over a pound and split, will serve two.

So there I was, with my poussin and, a Brazilian recipe that I had discovered in the Brazilian magazine my friends at Pampas leave on their counter for those curious like myself. The recipe called for game hens, cornbread stuffing with prosciutto and cranberries, and papaya nectar.

Hmmm. Yes.

Let's see. I had a poussin, stuff to make brown rice and barley stuffing blended with bacon and raisins, and fresh oranges and limes were on my counter waiting patiently to be made into something fabulous.

Voila! The following is my very yummy recipe (which leftover half I am enjoying for dinner tonight) and I am beyond pleased to report that everything except the olive oil, brown rice, and barley (pantry staples), were purchases from my favorite Market.

The recipe was also inspired accordingly, and yields a myriad of colors, flavors, and textures that balance and compliment each other beautifully. For ingredients, I have indicated where you too, may buy the best groceries in town! You may also wish to drop by Breadworks for some kind of "mop"; you'll want to enjoy every last bit of what's left on the plate!

Brazilian-style Bacon-wrapped Poussin with Grain Stuffing and Citrus Reduction Sauce

1 slices bacon (Huntington Meats), chopped finely
1 shallot, chopped finely (Farm Boy Produce)
generous handful of black raisins (Farm Fresh Produce)
1 cup cooked brown rice with barley

1 poussin, approximately 1.25 lbs, rinsed and patted dry (Farmers Market Poultry)
2 slices bacon (Huntington Meats)

Your choice of fresh vegetables, chopped coarsely (I used onions, eggplant, and carrots; all from Farm Boy Produce)

Juice of 4 oranges and two limes (Farm Fresh Produce)

Preheat oven to 400F, and line a shallow baking dish with foil piece large enough to later wrap chicken in.

Cook 1 piece of diced bacon in small skillet. When cooked, add diced shallot and cook until soft. Add raisins and heat through. Add skillet mixture to cooked brown rice and barley, combine well.

Gently stuff poussin with rice mixture, then wrap two slices of bacon around poussin, breast side up. I gently tied the bacon pieces in a knot, you may wish to use a toothpick to hold the ends together. Place bird breast side down in prepared dish. Toss chopped fresh vegetables with a bit of olive oil, and sprinkle around prepared bird.

Place in oven, and roast for 45 minutes, stirring vegetables once during cooking time. After 45 minutes, wrap to cover entire contents with foil. Roast for an additional 15 minutes, or until clear juices run when thigh is pierced.

While chicken is roasting, place fresh fruit juices in small saucepan, and boil for 15 minutes or longer, until juice is reduced by half and yields a lightweight sauce. Keep warm until serving.

To serve, lightly coat serving plates with citrus reduction sauce, reserving a little. Carefully split poussin in half, and place on sauce, cut-side down. Spoon roasted vegetables around chicken, and top entire serving if desired, with more citrus sauce.

Yields 2 servings.

Here is wishing you and yours a savory and sweet week, ideally with time around the table surrounded by those you love!

Until next time, I remain,

Your Chef and Tour Maestra,
Diane Scalia