Here it is folks…my last summer meal. How do I know summer is over? I received a damned butternut squash in my CSA box and nothing could be more autumnal then that. Don’t get me wrong – I love butternut squash. I was just really enjoying all of the late summer tomatoes, corn and stone fruit….

Till next year!

In response to fellow blogger Sodium Girl’s challenge to find Heart Healthy Recipes, yours truly combed through an arsenal of recipes to find one that is so sodium-induced, the mere thought of taking a bite may actually raise your blood pressure: The Sloppy Joe. Between you and me, this dish has been begging for a healthy redesign for ages and since it is near and dear to my heart, I have decided to attempt the near impossible.

The recipe that I’ll be ‘de-sodiumizing’ happens to be in the repertoire of recipes that my boyfriend, and excellent cook, Matt has mastered. No, no, he doesn’t just slop it out of a can (dear god, think of the sodium content), but after taking a quick look at the typical ingredients (tomato paste, catsup, Worcestershire sauce, etc.), I was astonished at the amount of sodium the homemade version contained. So, it is with great excitement that I will attempt to refashion this Joe into a modern, heart healthy recipe. Wish me luck and check back on Friday for the results!

Also, make sure to check out Sodium Girl’s post to get a thorough understanding of the rules and for an introduction to a sodium free way of life!

For single ladies across the globe, the mention of February and Valentine’s Day may very well induce a mild (er…crazy) state of panic. Some of you may then be wondering why the only unmarried/unengaged contributor to Farm and a Frying Pan is so giddy about the start of what I find to be Denver’s most cherished time of year. And to answer you, I have only 4 words: 5280 Denver Restaurant Week.

In exactly 22 days the annual culinary festivities will commence and last not one, but TWO whole weeks! For just $52.80, you can purchase a multi-course dinner for two at a very impressive list of some Denver’s best restaurants. What’s even better is that Denver’s dining scene has a wonderful collection of restaurants that focus on locally-grown food that is in season. To help you narrow down the choices, I compiled a list of my 5 favorite restaurants in Denver that are participating, as well as a list of 5 that I am dying to try. Let the fine-dining commence!

Loved Them:

1. Table 6*
2. Corridor 44
3. Root Down*
4. Zengo Restaurant
5. Jax Fish House

Dying to Try:

1. Beatrice & Woodsley
2. ChoLon Bistro
3. SALT*
4. Black Pearl*
5. The Fort

Make sure to make some recommendations of your own in the Comments section, the more the merrier!

*Include Local and/or Seasonal Menus.

Photo Courtesy of VISIT DENVER, the Convention and Visitors Bureau

San Francisco’s Fort Mason is just a couple blocks from my apartment, so I mosied over there Friday evening to check out the Off the Grid food festival. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but a “roaming mobile food extravaganza” is a pretty good description.

About 15 vendors or so circled their wagons (er, carts) in an otherwise non-descript parking lot. Throw in a small booze stand, a band, some chairs and tables, several hundred people and you have yourself Off the Grid!

The vibe was very energetic as people hustled back and forth between the different carts anxiously trying to decide where to hunker down for the next 30 minutes. (And yes, it took that long to get my order of Korean BBQ tacos and my hubby’s Sammy.) Waiting in line was certainly the biggest downfall of the evening, but so was the fact that several vendors ran out of food early on. The freezing wind and fog didn’t help matters either (gotta love SF summers!).

Will I go back? Of course. I just love the idea of a bunch of local vendors getting together to share their treats. But, it is honestly a little bit of a logistical nightmare with the crazy lines and food shortages and frigid air. I’ll come back packing a parka and probably a full flask to at least help pass time waiting in line!

I’m so in love with the idea of having my own garden, but my 650 square foot apartment + fire escape isn’t really cut out for that. So I fulfill my gardening yearnings with long walks in the Whole Foods produce section, weekend trips to the farmers market and bi-weekly CSA boxes. I also retreat to Oregon, where my dear family friends have a sprawling 5-acre property nestled up against the McKenzie river.

Last year when I visited, the family was constructing large, coffin-like boxes smack in the middle of an otherwise picturesque lawn. I didn’t quite understand the “vision” until I came back months later and set my eyes on the most beautiful bumber garden ever! Each bumber box was overfilling with summer’s bounty, including strawberries, lettuces, and all kinds of herbs.

We muddled some of the mint in our vodka-fizz cocktails later than night and made the most delicious baby lettuce salad. Ever.

I can’t wait to have my own garden one day and have this to aspire to!!

At the corner of Laguna and Fell in the Hayes Valley neighborhood of San Francisco lies a dilapidated, sad little piece of land next to the freeway. For as long as I’ve lived in the city, this piece of land has been nothing but an eyesore. Fortunately, some kind and creative souls from the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development came up with the idea to transform it into an urban garden! Such a great idea!!

Community members and volunteers are currently trying to rehabilitate the 2.2-acre parcel, known as the Hayes Valley Farm, by planting fava beans and clover to help fix nitrogen in the soil. Then, they’ll plant food crops, like squash, potatoes, and herbs. There is also a container garden with 150 potted fruit trees and 1,500 vegetable seedlings.

If you want to volunteer, show up on Sundays from 12:30-4:30pm or Thursdays 2:30-6:30pm with warm clothes and a water bottle!

Last week I had the pleasure of joining Epicurious editor Tanya Steel and renowned pastry chef Gale Gand of Tru at the Daley Plaza Farmers Market in Chicago. We were there for the second leg of Epicurious’ Farmers Market tour and to film an episode of ABC News: Chefs Table. This market apparently gets a bad wrap in Chicago, compared to the glorified Green City Market, but not only did I find the market to be well stocked with summer’s bounty, there were dozens of vendors showcasing considerable variety, the prices were very reasonable, and the market was in a prime location for nearby workers to easily grab weekly groceries on their lunchtime breaks.

We shopped amongst the peaches, blueberries, and summer corn to find ingredients for two dishes Tanya and Gale whipped up: a berry compote and a tomato salad. A few things I learned while at the market:

• Gale threw raw, sliced okra into her tomato salad. While I would assume this to be a bitter-when-eaten-raw type of veggie and only tasty when fried or hidden in gumbo, the sliced raw okra was a delicious addition to her simple summer salad.
• Ivy’s Uppercrust Pastry , which was our next door neighbor at Thursday’s market, is rumored to have the best carrot cake in town so stock up early if you swing by this market! (I was dying to buy some after the 20th customer came by to rave about it and swoop up various goodies from their booth…but I wasn’t sure the cream cheese frosting would hold up in air travel).
• Stamper Cheese Co. is THE place to buy cheese curds. I’d never heard of them before my visit, but they are, for lack of a better way to describe them, a grown-up version of string cheese. They had a ton of different types – everything from dill to tomato basil cheddar  – and the woman selling them told me you often don’t find them outside of the Midwest since they spoil quickly. So if you’re in town, stop by for a local dairy treat!

If you’re based in Chicago or happen to find yourself in town, check out the Daley Plaza Farmers market for yourself. It takes place every Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. May – September. You can find it at Washington St & Dearborn St. Chicago, IL 60602 312-744-3315

*I took this picture while Gale and Tanya were whipping up their tomato salad in front of the camera at the Epicurious booth. The segment should hit today sometime and if you’re interested in knowing more about why I’m traipsing across this beloved country, the Chicago Tribune just featured a nice little write-up.

After spending a glorious weekend in Capitola, my honey and I stopped in Half Moon Bay for an impromptu lunch. We stuffed our faces full of deep-fried tacos a la Flying Fish Grill and then checked out a local fish market across the street called Half Moon Bay Fish Market. For those faint of heart, do not venture further…

This little mom and pop shop is brimming with tanks full of live lobster, crabs and shrimp and the ground is lined with crates full of fish of every size. I made the rookie mistake of wearing flip-flops and got my toes wet with slimey seawater and fish scum. Oh and the smell…I had to cover my nose with my sweater. Needless to say, this place ain’t Whole Foods but the fish is fresh!!

I chatted briefly with one of the fishmongers who told me that the majority of their seafood is caught or sourced locally. There is a wide selection, ranging from the mundane salmon to the slightly more exotic sea bass. We ended up with a pound and a half (which set us back about $18) of fresh, local halibut.

Later that evening, we prepared Chili-Glazed Halibut with Avocado Tomatillo Sauce and it was absolutely delicious!

If you’re ever in the hood, I definitely recommend checking out this quaint fish market! There’s also a small shop next door with fruit and vegetables and pantry staples.

Last weekend, for a regularly scheduled weekend adventure, Kele and I headed out to D.C to visit his grandparents and catch a ball game. Our San Francisco Giants (you can take the girl out of the city, but you can’t turn me into an East Coast sports fan just yet) took on the Washington Nationals. After a day full of hot dogs, beers, and fly balls skimming my head, my old friend called and asked for a next-morning date at the local farmer’s market in Dupont Circle. Of course I jumped at the chance.

And WOW. I was the grownup version of a kid in a candy store, with my wide eyes and my mouth salivating as I took it all in. Peaches and summer squash and sweet corn overflowed every stall. Fresh seafood and grass-fed meat sat near homemade breads and just-made empanadas. It wasn’t a gigantic market – like my beloved Marin Farmers Market – but the quality and variety in every stall made it hands down the best market I’ve visited since leaving the West Coast! Every grower I talked to was helpful, the prices were remarkable, and the produce looked to be some of the freshest I’ve seen.  Plus, it was full of locals, unlike NYC’s Union Square Market and San Francisco’s Ferry Building Market, which are great but often overrun by tourists….so here you could actually buy great food at amazing prices, rather than just coming as a look-e-loo!

If you ever find yourself in our nation’s capitol, check out the Dupont Circle Farmers Market, a must stop for any market-lover. Oh, and if you’re looking for a nearby spot for a delish meal, try Founding Farmers, a “farm-inspired American” restaurant focused on supporting local farmers. The prices are reasonable and it boasts adorable décor. I had the slow-cooked pork sandwich on homemade ciabbata bread and a late harvest salad, both highly recommended!

If you’re trying to eat locally or seasonally, then you’re undoubtedly basking in summer’s bounty right now! There is so much amazing fruit to be had that you might have forgetten all of the dreary days in winter when you were relegated to only eating citrus and pears.

Stone fruit – above all other summer produce – holds a special place in my heart, which is why I’m totally in love with Frog Hallow farm, an organic farm located on the Sacramento River Delta. This 133-acre farm produces 25 varieties of peaches, nectarines, cherries, apricots, pluots, plums, as well as pears and grapes later in the year. They supply fruit to restaurants like Chez Panisse as well as local farmer’s markets, including the Ferry Building, Castro and Inner Sunset locations.

I spent some time at their stand pestering the workers about the different apricot varieties. The staff couldn’t be nicer as they explained all of the nuances between the types. Ultimately, I ended up with an assortment, which I transformed into Apricot Chutney (check back on Friday).

Here are the three I picked out:

• Golden Sweet – The name says it all. This is the sweetest variety, delicious eaten while still warm from the sun! When I was in the booth, a customer took home a whole 10-pound box. He told me he makes jam with this variety every summer and it is to die for. Yes, please!

• Blenheim – This is a new variety for Frog Hallow. It is the same size as the Golden Sweet variety, but not as sweet. It’s great for jam or chutney.

• Robada – These babies are pretty big when it comes to apricot standards. As such, they are also the most bitter. They have a beautiful color and are great for savory purposes, like bread stuffing.