Hot Shots - May 19, 2023
Hot Shots - May 19, 2023
Severin R-B Danieli
Hello all,
Another week come and gone, and another weekend upon us.
My family and I are heading to California this weekend for a week and I couldn't be more excited. It is a somewhat tradition for our family to head down there sometime in May, though not every year, and we split our time between Laguna Beach and Orange County. There is something so unique about the West Coast, and I am lucky enough to have driven down the West Coast over five times in my 20s. The longest day of driving was my dad and I driving from San Francisco back to North Van in a single day, it was a bit of a trek!
I am doing some trip recon, I have ‘unofficially’ officially been dubbed the family’s travel agent and I adore that fake title. Planning a trip is so enjoyable for me, and just like my dad says "You've always got to have something to look forward to!" There are a few things I've managed to organize before we get to California, one of them being the Balboa Island Artwalk. Balboa Island is a legitimate island right in Newport Beach and has the most picturesque beach houses and a very hip happenin main street. During the art walk, the boardwalk is lined with over a mile of art, music and entertainment.
Pictured above are two photos of the bridge connecting the mainland of Newport Beach to the little island of Balboa. This island’s population is only 3,349 (a 2009 stat), and spans 0.2 miles. The art walk is an annual tradition on Balboa and is in its 28th year.
Also, did anyone watch the OC when they were growing up? I sure did, and that is where I first heard the name Balboa bars. This is a specific ice cream bar that is served on the Island, and of course, my sister and I have to get one every time we go.
Apricots!
The first stone fruit of the season! The most beautiful mix of yellow, orange and pink, and the perfect size for a sunny day snack.
These apricots come to us from Homegrown Organic Farms and over 80 growers scattered throughout California and Oregon. Since 1998, Homegrown has been perfecting their stone fruit program and has delicious apricots available in May and June.
I just checked out Homegrown's Instagram, @hgofarms, and their second most recent post is about their apricots! They state that their apricots have met the requirements for Regenerative Organic Certification standards, which include soil health, animal welfare and farmworker fairness. Congratulations, Homegrown!
Artichokes.
Do these vegetables look prehistoric to anyone else? Like something that would be growing beside ancient creatures or like dragon eggs? No? Just me?
Artichokes have a few unique properties, such as vitamin K to assist in faster healing of wounds, phosphorus to protect bones and teeth, folate to aid in production of healthy red blood cells, magnesium and manganese.
Coincidently, artichokes are California's state vegetable, with 80% of commercial production in the US is grown in Castroville, California. An annual artichoke festival has been held in Castroville since 1959, and Marilyn Monroe was crowned an honorary Artichoke Queen back in 1948.
Recipe wise, I usually gravitate towards artichoke hearts and most of the time on pizza. I mean, anything on a pizza is usually delicious, so I should try my hand at an actual recipe with artichokes where I have to deal with the whole spikey green veg.
Navel oranges.
I can't venture down to California and not talk about citrus. So, here goes.
All of our navel oranges currently at Disco are from California, and are sized: 56ct, 72ct, 88ct and bagged 12x3#. I was able to taste test a 72ct yesterday and it was the perfect orange. We also have lemons, limes, Valencia oranges, blood oranges, cara cara oranges, kumquats, tango tangerines, pixie and tangerines! The list goes on and on.
Navel oranges are sweet, easy-to-peel and have various culinary uses. Originally found in Brazil in the early 1800s from a chance mutation on an orange tree. Southern California got into the navel game in the 1870s and quickly became the darling of the citrus world.
Jazz apples.
A blend between the Braeburn and royal gala, this apple was developed in New Zealand in the late 20th century. These apples are universally enjoyed due to the even balance of sweet and tangy in flavour, and their quintessential apple 'look'.
These apples have made their way from New Zealand over to the state of Washington. Grown in the Columbia Valley, a semi-arid valley with the Yakima and Wenatchee rivers running through it, this valley has historically produced some of the finest pears, apples and cherries in the world.
The climate of the Columbia Valley, with warm summer days, low humidity, and crisp cool nights is known to enhance flavour, and plenty of available water for irrigation makes this valley a fruit paradise.
Pictured above are some Columbia Valley orchards.
Back in 2017, Jonathan and I did a road trip from North Van, down the Oregon coast, and then back up through central Oregon and Washington. Unfortunately, while in the Columbia River Gorge I was speeding a tiiiiny tiny bit and was stopped by a state trooper. It was like 35 degrees and we had to turn our car off, and there might have been a small panic attack brought on by stress and the heat! But, that is a story for another time. Sadly, this is the only memory that comes to mind when I read anything about Columbia and the state of Washington, so I'll have to visit again and make some new memories.
Thank you for reading along,
I will not be writing Hot Shots next week as I will be in California, but I will be back to it in the first week of June! And that Friday, June 2nd, just happens to be my 30th birthday.
I hope everyone has a great weekend, a great week and then another great weekend.
Big love,
Severin R-B Danieli