@Chowseeker1999 - My God. You’re a food pornographer. I say that affectionately!
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Beautiful!
Behold the 'Shroom Burger and crinkle cut fries from Shake Shack. Warning, graphic content: vegetables were battered in the making of this meal.
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Beef muchim @ Gonjinam. Salad comprised of minari/water drop wort, onions and scallion. The minari adds a nice herbaceous brightness
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Crudite with their house ranch @ Ledlow from a couple weeks ago. While perhaps not the greatest QPR, it makes for a fantastic side next to heavier dishes.
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Recent visit to Animal. Some great Vegetable highlights.
Winter Citrus (Endive, Avocado, Macadamia, Yuzu Kosho):
A seemingly simple Citrus Salad of Endive, Winter Citrus Fruit is mixed with Avocado and Macadamia Nuts, but the brilliance is in the Yuzu Kosho, which is a traditional Japanese mixture of Yuzu Citrus Rinds and Chilies. It sounded kind of basic on paper but when I took a bite…
WOW! It was refreshing, it was so unique, and at the same time familiar. The Yuzu Kosho infuses each bite of Endive with the bright, springtime flavor of the famous Japanese Citrus Fruit. And then the fresh Winter Citrus slices serve to reinforce the taste, like a harmony of fantastic flavors. 
It’s a brilliant concept that could belong in any of the top Izakayas, except none of them have this dish. Easily the BEST BITE I’VE HAD ALL WEEKEND! 
So good!
Flora Bella Arugula (Walnut Vinaigrette, Goat Cheese, Date, Sunchoke):
Initially, the first bite is a bit salty, but nutty from the Walnut Vinaigrette and Goat Cheese. But then we saw the bed of housemade Date Puree (sort of like a fresh Apple Sauce in texture) on the bottom of the plate. Mixing in the Date Puree, and it all came together. A touch of salt, a nice sweetness from the Dates, the slices of Sunchokes were excellent as well! Like a lightly sweet Apple in some ways.
The only complaint we had was that it was overdressed. But otherwise, the vibrant nature of the Flora Bella Arugula (really fresh!) and the Date and Sunchokes really stood out.
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Hollywood Farmers Market
There was one amazing source of Vegetables we’ve been enjoying for the past few years, and I finally remembered to take some pictures for it.
The Garden Of… (Organic Farm)
Run by farmer Shu Takikawa and his family, they have a Certified Organic Farm out of Santa Ynez, California.
The first thing that struck me about Shu Takikawa’s stand was the absolutely gorgeous, stunning Organic Lettuces. He usually brings at least 5+ varieties each time we see him at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market. Just look at these beautiful veggies -
It’s like a flower. 
I really like the Red Oak and Green Oak Lettuces, but really they all have subtle differences. Some slightly more peppery, some softer. He has heirloom varieties of Butter Lettuces as well.
Organic Japanese Momotaro Tomatoes:
A couple weeks ago, he brought in the last batch of their Organic Japanese Momotaro Tomatoes, and they were fabulous! A real balance of tart and bright sweetness, deep tomato-y flavor!
Their Cherry Tomatoes were also wonderful that day as well.
Organic Squash:
We really like their Organic Squash as well. So easy to cook up and they have great flavor.
Organic Chidori Kale:
These were just stunning last week!
Organic Radishes:
Lightly peppery, crisp, refreshing! They were great in a quick salad we put together.
The Garden Of… (Organic Farm)
(@ Hollywood Farmers Market (Sunday)) (North of the Arclight Cinemas)
1600 Ivar Ave.
Hollywood, CA 90028
Day: Sunday
Hours: 8:30AM - 1:00PM
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I don’t know if I’ve had better veggies than from The Garden Of. Amazing examples of organic produce.
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Hi @bulavinaka,
Definitely agree. 
Now I’m sad Tomato season is over, but when it’s in season again, make sure you get Takikawa-san’s Momotaro Tomatoes. They’re wonderful.
He also had one type of Japanese Radish last week that was amazing! (They had samples, fresh cut, raw.) Great on Salads or sauteed according to the family.
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Their lettuce heads are so perfect and uniform - no bug damage either. And so so fresh. The only fresher lettuce I’ve had was direct from a friend’s veggie garden.
They used to be at the Sunday Mar Vista FM for a while, then disappeared. My guess is they found the Hollywood FM more lucrative do to its popularity and niche. I do see them at the Saturday FM in Arizona.
I’ve never had their tomatoes. The momotaro is favored by the Japanese palate because of its lower acidity and full flavor. Thanks for the heads-up - I will look for those next year. Props to The Garden Of… for their mastery of organic farming.
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Hi @bulavinaka,
Bummer that they’re not longer at the Mar Vista Farmers Market. But good to know they’re at the Santa Monica Farmers Market on Saturday. I wonder if they’re also at the Wednesday Farmers Market (Santa Monica)?
Definitely try their Momotaro Tomatoes next year.
I rarely make it to the Wed FM on Arizona. You might ask if you see them again at Hollywood.
Just to note, there is an avocado lady on the North end of Ivar at Hollywood FM that has some really tasty avocados. And during orange season, she has amazing blood oranges. She has curly hair and is very friendly.
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I hope she cleans up with the impending avocado shortage. Ain’t it about time that friendly folks do well? 
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That reminded me:
One other great advantage with The Garden Of’s is that their whole heads of interesting lettuces last a lot longer, and stay fresh longer (unlike most of the “Mixed Green” prepacked products in stores (where the leaves already start to rot)).
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Oh goodie! We can always count on you @Chowseeker1999 to tell us what to look for at Farmer’s Markets. I bought so many varieties of peaches and berries at different markets over the summer and received such good info from the vendors too. Thanks again. Your pictures are gorgeous as usual.
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[quote=“A5KOBE, post:132, topic:3015”]
an avocado lady on the North end of Ivar at Hollywood FM
[/quote]Came across her while there looking for other items. I had never payed a lot of attention to the different varieties of avocados. To me there was haas or the thin skinned ones. But we bought 3 different kinds that day. Each with distinct features. IIRC the large thin skinned Reeds were incredibly creamy and delicious.
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Glad you enjoyed the avos and glad she made more sales. Everyone wins! She is also very helpful if you want an avo to be ready on a certain day, she will pick one out that will be ready in two days or four days or any day in the near future.
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Sweet. It was hot and near closing. But I made a mental note to seek her out again.
Hollywood Farmers Market
With the weather warming up again, it was time to get some fresh Greens at our favorite farmer…
The Garden Of… (Organic Farm)
Farmer Shu Takikawa and his family, have the full gamut of their amazing Greens and Lettuces on this visit (from their Certified Organic Farm out of Santa Ynez, California).
We made a Salad with their Organic Spotted Lettuce and it was so fresh and bright! Slightly peppery, vegetal and clean.
Their Organic Pea Tendrils are also cheaper than the nearby stalls, and sauteed with a little bit of Garlic or Shallots and they’re excellent as well.
The Garden Of… (Organic Farm)
(@ Hollywood Farmers Market (Sunday)) (North of the Arclight Cinemas)
1600 Ivar Ave.
Hollywood, CA 90028
Day: Sunday
Hours: 8:30AM - 1:00PM
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