How ‘bout a pair…

peas and pods on table

I cannot resist taking this picture — peas and pods — I’ve done it nearly every spring when the peas come in, by my count. This one is different, though, it’s on our newish dining table — another story — and the peas were purchased at the California Street Saturday Farmers Market in Reno.

In the previous edition of eats… (Some Fine Grilled Chicken) I said, “[Pictures next time, I promise.]” Well, this is next time, and here’s a picture.

that car has no plates — another story…

Prime time parking space nestled between the ubiquitous Nevada pick-ups and SUVs. Guy on the left said, “Cute little red car y’got there.” I said, “We like it.”

The big Farmers Market in Reno closest to our house is just south of downtown on California Street. It occupies the edge of the CVS Pharmacy strip center parking lot.

Its a nice market. A double row of stalls stretches on a few hundred feet and finally  and appropriately bumps into The House of Bread — an actual bakery in the shopping center making breads, cakes and pastry (sorry, no french or Italian).

We got a loaf of brown bread — it’s way good toasted — I had them slice it for me.

what color are your tomatoes?

“Mine are all red,” said Carlee in the green shirt, “and I have peaches and cherries, as well.”

Oh my, some nice English peas. I cannot pass those.

This stall is so orderly it doesn’t look like food, so I passed it by.

Passed by this stall with yellow corn, as well. Make an effort, mate.

Here is the white corn we bought… it is so sweet and fresh and chars up nicely on the grill.

We’re on the home stretch.

Flowers are a good way to complete one’s market trip. These are very colorful and seasonal.

And finally, some of the stuff we brought home.

Cherries, sweet onions, tomatoes, peaches, red and white potatoes, bok choi, English peas, red, yellow and green cherry tomatoes. White corn is not pictured. What’s missing from the market? Any other potato varieties; and most of the heirloom vegetables that I’ve grown used to. The artichokes are the HUGE globe variety… similar with the broccoli and cauliflower. But what we got will keep us nicely and happily fed for a week.

But what about those peas? Continue reading →

You bet.

There’s a rhythm to shopping, cooking and eating, especially for a guy used to cooking every day. I kept lists of what’s on hand and shopped by myself every Saturday at the farmers market. So I just knew what was going on and what I needed and what I could get ready for dinner as a matter of course.

That’s all changed. Perhaps it will get back to normal, perhaps it won’t. One thing sure; it ain’t there yet. We mostly either eat out or throw something on the grill to this point.

shrimp on the barbie... as they say

all I can eat sushi at the Peppermill Oceana

grilled trout, potatoes and green beans

Of course, being able to walk out and throw something on the grill was one of the attractions drawing us to our new home.

But some kind of routine may be close. All of our kitchen and dining stuff is out of boxes and in cupboards. I shopped at a tiny farmers market nearby last Wednesday, plan to do that again and then go to the bigger one downtown Reno on Saturday.

Meanwhile, we picked up a Edible Reno-Tahoe magazine at Rosie’s Cafe in Tahoe City, where we went to unwind last week. I perused it last night and made a list. We need to get out and about and see what’s happening on the culinary scene.

Garden Shop Nursery
Napa Sonoma Grocery
Cheese Board
Great Basin Coop
Nothing to it Culinary Center
Whole Food Market

outta control tree

We have a tree in our back yard that seriously needs attention. Its totally in our face when we step out onto the terrace. First stop Garden Shop Nursery. Not exactly culinary, but closest to our house on our way to the culinary delights. They couldn’t help with our tree, but knew who could.

The Napa Sonoma Grocery Company. How can one not check out a place with a name like that? Turns out, it has a rather split personality. Wine shop with several hundred bottles to choose from; gourmet canned and jarred foodstuffs; cafe with a full bar. Not exactly groceries, but a nice find. No doubt we’ll be back for lunch or dinner. I bought a bag of seasoned pretzels.

The Cheese Board is on up Arlington Street. In this trip, we are discovering a very nice residential side of Reno with shops interspersed. We have only known the Reno of the gritty downtown casinos and the sprawling suburban developments. Here, in the southwest arc between Virginia Street and I-80 is an area with a small town feeling. We walked into The Cheese Board expecting a cheese shop. Oops. Its a restaurant. Again, its very nice and we might be back for lunch sometime, but we’re not making great headway on the groceries front.

The Great Basin Food Coop is about six blocks away and we know we’ll find good food there. Son Eric gave us a membership here and we’ve visited with Son Brian, but this is our first time with actual bags to take actual groceries home. Some potatoes, cheese, and milk and stuff to make yogurt. I can’t bring myself to buy a tomato anywhere but a farmers market. Great Basin presents a nice shopping environment, but I was not yet in a frame of mind to think about what goes together to make dinner. Discombobulated.

So we drive south to Nothing to it Culinary Center. This funky place is at the very end of a dinky little street off S. Virginia described as “one block north of Whole Food.” Edible Reno-Tahoe says, “This outstanding facility features hands-on and demonstration classes taught by master chefs. You’ll also find a gourmet Napa Valley inspired deli, as well as a fabulous kitchen store for all your cooking needs.” The kitchen store reflects wit and whimsey of the buyer and any cook would delight in anything in there. Fortunately for us, we have almost everything; this was proven conclusively after the packing and unpacking we’ve just gone through. Lunch was going on and it was lunchtime, so we chose to do it there on their shady porch. Good choice.

my mandarin chinese chicken salad

the core ingredients: mandarin orange, grilled chicken, wonton strips, green onions, red peppers, almonds

carol's turkey blt and greek salad

the nti magazine

We have been surprised again and again by the bigger-than-a-football-field sized stores in Reno — Home Depot, Best Buy, Ross, Raley’s, even CVS. So why were we shocked at this vast Whole Foods? We came for fish and creme fraiche, but also picked up coffee, kosher salt, Newman’s Own pretzels, and some lettuce and mushrooms for an upcoming steak salad. A woman customer at the fish counter was raving about the Halibut Burgers, so we got one of those and a Salmon Burger for dinner. It was disappointing that most of their fish was from the east coast.

halibut burger, salmon burger and carrot coins

What a great trip. We saw parts of our new city that we had never before seen, found new places to shop and eat and scored dinner. And now I’m starting to re-focus on eats, as home organization becomes an activity rather than a necessity. I even put beans on to soak this morning.