ISO: Avocado Orchard
When I was planning my trip out to Southern California the number one item on my to-do list was to see an avocado tree. I receive press releases from the California Avocado Commission regularly—and once even was mailed a shipment of the fruit—so I decided to re-engage to see if I could schedule a trip out to an avocado orchard. At first they said yes, and that I could even interview a grower, but then they returned saying no, not at this time, and they were planning a “blogger” event next year. Heartbreak ensued.
So with one day left in Long Beach I’m really trying to make it happen. Although I will be in San Diego over Labor Day, I was hoping to knock that off my list during this trip.
While I am patiently waiting for an avocado tree sighting, I have laid my eyes on some pretty other cool food stuffs out here.
Satsuma.
This citrus tree (at top) grows on my friend Thresher’s balcony in Santa Monica. My friend Jon has a Meyer lemon tree and a blood orange tree growing in his back yard. Are you fucking kidding me? That’s all I have to say.
Sea Vegetables.
I’ve only seen sea vegetables called for in Alicia Silverstone’s The Kind Diet. Even in Japan I couldn’t identify them. But that was the least of our communication problems. I tried them at Real Food Daily, a vegan restaurant open since 1993. My dining partner, Thresher, a PETA employee, warned me that they’re funky. I was determined to try because it’s something I just couldn’t easily find in DC. And the shit was weird. Slimy. Bland. Blah. But cool looking. (Next to the sea vegetables: mashed potatoes with a kick ass nutritional yeast gravy.)
Faucet as Art.
The promotional street flags adorning tall-as-palm-tree poles in Beverly Hills proclaim: Celebrate 90210. I’m doing my my part by celebrating Jon’s highly functional and highly interesting kitchen faucet.
Also in SoCal
A Pocket of Sweetness
Top 9 Foods Found Only at SoCal Farmers’ Markets
Artsy Guess the Photo of the Day
I’m Coming Out Cake Batter
Artsy SoCal Photo of the Day
I’m going to put this request out to a web community I know and see if anyone can help.
hey! one of my fave easy treats combines your first two items. cut avocado in half, sprinkle with Dulse flakes and sea salt. eat w/spoon. kombu keeps a regular place in my kitchen, i like to make an asian hippy shepherd’s pie by cooking kombu and soy sauce into the lentils (i/o beef or lamb) and top with wasabi mashed potatos. congee with kombu cooked into it is my FAVORITE flu/fast breaking food. so warming and mineral rich and easy on the stomach. here ends my sea vegis diatribe.
Those poor leftover sea vegetables sat in the fridge all week.
@erica – wait. you like sea vegetables?! i need more details.
@thresher – i appreciated your warning that sea veggies can be weird and gross and bland. i, of course, needed to try for myself. i apologize that our leftovers took up precious space in your fridge all week.
i like them, but not like a big heaping plate of them. like i did with dark greens, i forced myself to learn to like them ’cause i need them in my diet. mostly i like to sprinkle dulse flakes on salads, add kombu to things cooking, or mix kelp powder into something to give it a fishy taste. i haven’t gotten too crazy with exploring sea vegis yet, just bought a package of dried wakame i need to figure out what to do with.