Monthly Archives: May 2008

05.13.08
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Farmers Markets. ‘Tis the season.

Bean and Bacon Salad

I live in San Francisco and have my choice of about 20 farmers markets, but in 2008, farmers markets are pretty much everywhere. Besides the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, I’ve shopped at Farmers Markets in San Rafael, Berkeley, Oakland, Sacramento, Healdsburg, Boston, Newton MA, Portland ME, Belfast ME, Columbus OH, and yes, even Lancaster OH. Look around on Saturday or Sunday, you can find one.

This is a farmers market meal. You could make it with stuff from the supermarket, but fresh, local stuff just tastes better.

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Let’s go down the list.
WHITE BEANS. I used Marrow Beans from Rancho Gordo and cooked them the day before. I cook beans half-a-pound at a time. That yields about 4 cups of cooked beans. Well I work at home, so I can cook the beans anytime, you say. I say, put your beans to soak in the morning before you go to work. When you get home, pour your bowl of beans into a saucepan, water and all (you want to change the water, be my guest). Make sure the water covers by at least an inch. (I use a clay pot, which I think is better, but it’s an investment.) Now, bring that to a boil and let it boil for 4 or 5 minutes, cover and turn the heat as low as possible. That takes about 20 minutes. You want the beans to barely simmer. If you have a heat diffuser, that’s good. Set your timer for 45 minutes and do something else.
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05.05.08
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Film Food

It’s film festival time — late April, early May — and the 51st San Francisco International Film Festival (SFIFF51) is upon us. In doing menu planning for the Saturday Farmers Market, I noted that we had scheduled films for every dinnertime this week but one — and on that day we had tickets for the Giants v. Rockies baseball game. Time to think about alternative eats.

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bean salad ham loaf sandwich macaroni salad

What is Film Food? It’s gotta be able to be made ahead. Can’t be messy. Must be able to be eaten cold — or at ambient temperature.

Film Society (SFFS) screenings during the year are usually at 7 or 7:30pm. While we reserve spots in advance, the seating is not reserved, so we line up outside up to an hour before the screening in order to secure our favorite seats. The line is part of the experience, part of the social gathering. It also affords a chance to eat a bite before the film is over at nine or later.

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We see folks in line with pizza slices, Burger King boxes, containers of sushi or salad, all purchased nearby to eat while in line or even in the theater before the screening. What’s available at the concession stand is hardly healthy or good eats (I’m not a popcorn guy), and frightfully expensive, and the concession stand is not available until after line time.

The situation is similar for the Festival, only heightened by the frequency of the screenings throughout the day and night. My schedule Wednesday, for example shows Frozen at 3:30, out at 5:10, I Served the King of England at 6:00, out at 8:00. That’s five and a half hours, counting the line time. It’s possible to see another film at 9pm, and some folks will. Continue reading →