I've made some fun food discoveries lately, and I think they are worth sharing.
The first is a really interesting concept call the CSA. CSA stands for "Community Supported Agriculture", and you can think of it as a step above a farmer's market. Rather than sell to a wholesaler or at a farmer's market, the farmer picks produce for a group of subscribers who support the farm. The one I just joined is run by Morning Song Farm, between Temecula and Escondido. They drop off the produce down in Costa Mesa, at a new restaurant called the Old Vine Cafe. For $42.50 a week, I get a large basket of produce that was picked that day, all organic, and all grown within 80 miles of our home (most of the food we get in the supermarket travels at least 1500 miles). I tell you, you really notice the difference in taste - it's the next best thing to growing it myself.
As it turns out, the cool thing about Morning Song Farm in particular is that they have a real variety of fruits and vegetables, and they change with the seasons throughout the year. The blackberries have been great recently, and I'm looking forward to the upcoming pomelos and macadamia nuts. Here's what I received in my basket this past week:
Swiss Chard – 1 bunch
Heirloom Beans – 1 bag
Baby Carrots – 1 bunch
Baby Lettuce – 2 bags
Basil – 1 bunches
Zucchini – 3
Tatsoi – 3 bunches
Beets – 1 bunch
Tomatoes – 2 small containers
Blackberries – 2 small containers
Melons – 2
Lemons – 3
Limes – 8
Small asian pears – 12
Rosemary – 1 bunch
Mint – 1 bunch
And the second great discovery is the Old Vine Cafe itself. I just learned of it because it's the closest drop-off point for my basket, but I took the time to meet some friends and enjoy dinner there when I picked up the produce this past week. I didn't realize what a treat it would be - Chef Mark McDonald takes the freshest and most interesting ingredients, and turns them into culinary delights. We enjoyed 8 small plates among the 4 of us and left satisfied. Among our dishes were olive bruschetta, octopus carpaccio, quinoa jambalaya and a wonderful antipasto. Apparently I wasn't alone in my appreciation for the food - the OC Register just gave them a nice review, and we almost couldn't get a table without a reservation on a Wednesday night! Along with the food, they have a great wine list, and believe both food and wine should be accessible and affordable. I'm hoping to try out one of their wine and cheese Monday nights sometime soon.
What's your latest food discovery near Seabridge? Share the scoop in the comments section!
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