SF's Hottest Club is the Produce Section at Berkeley Bowl
Plus, a recipe for Arugula Plum Salad to make tonight with a nice pork chop.
I moved to California because of a strawberry.
In 2013, I convinced my company to fund my attendance at Eat Retreat, an annual, attendee-led workshop for food enthusiasts. Imagine a sushi chef leading a fish butchery class, an olive oil maker guiding tastings, and an urban beekeeper sharing honeys from around Chicago.
My first time attending Eat Retreat brought me to California. I booked my flight to SFO and had a few days to explore before heading to the Anderson Valley in Mendocino County. A college friend who had recently moved to Oakland and secured a fancy job in downtown SF was my guide. As a savvy New Yorker, I navigated BART public transportation and found myself in the heart of San Francisco. Early-2010s downtown SF was bustling, filled with Patagonia-clad tech bros and blazer-wearing girl bosses grabbing lunch hour salads. Spirits—and stock options—were high. Emerging from the Powell Street BART station marked my very first experience in California. To me, the sun shone brighter in SF compared to the din of New York's skyscrapers.
With my roller bag in tow, I made my way down Market Street to the Ferry Building in search of sourdough. Marveling at the wide sidewalks and the perfect 64-degree breeze coming off the Bay, a groovy gentleman approached me. As a New Yorker, I braced myself with a polite “I’m sorry” or “no thanks,” anticipating a request for money. Instead, he placed the most perfect strawberry in my hand and simply said, “Have a nice day.” Dumbfounded, I must have walked a full city block before pulling out my iPhone 4s to snap a photo.
I’d been in NY for 4 years at that point and was still loving it, but CALIFORNIA THOUGH! After returning from Eat Retreat (more on that in another newsletter, perhaps?), I applied for a transfer to my company’s SF location to run their cooking class program. The job fell through, but I received a promotion in New York, allowing me to stay for a few more years—and then a few more after that. Six years after that strawberry, a wild opportunity relocated me to the Bay Area. Now, after five years living here, I still look forward to strawberry season.
I always say that the spring and fall are the same in NYC as they are in the Bay Area - crisp, clear days in the 60s. The similarities stop around November, when SF inches towards peak fall and NYC threatens snow. We go into rainy season, then we start back up again in spring mode at the end of January (yes!) We both endure the dark days of daylight savings.
All this to say, San Francisco is a city for cooks. We are spoiled with world-class produce 365 days of the year. Our hottest club? The stone fruit section at Berkeley Bowl. We go hard on asparagus season - thick or thin, roasted or raw, it shows up on shelves in May in tight bunches ready for grilling and dipping in aioli (extra Gilroy garlic, of course). Greens? The greenest. Berries? The sweetest.
And it’s not surprise, the state’s Central Valley (“The Food Basket of the World”) supplies a significant output of the Nation’s food. Artichokes, almonds, avocados and yes, that perfect asparagus. Even the selection in “regular” grocery stores like Safeway astounds me - bright green lettuce, thin-skinned onions and fluffy bunches of cilantro (that being said, we still import a lot of produce from Mexico and other countries, just like the rest the country). I don’t want to get into the weeds on the benefits of eating local and supply chain - but take a look at a head of lettuce grown locally vs. shipped from another state or country and tell me you don’t see (and taste) a difference.
Early Fall is harvest season. Lots of fruits + veg are at their peak of ripeness, ready to be picked, pickled, preserved and cooked right this minute. Peaches and nectarines get all the glory come summertime, but early Fall plums are still good and best eaten NOW before they go away (not to sound dramatic, but).
Arugula Plum Salad
I love serving my Arugula Plum Salad with seared pork shoulder steaks or chops and and a hunk of bread dipped in the pan juices. Leave out the jalapeño if you like a milder bite.
Ingredients:
1 lime, juiced
1/2 jalapeño, thinly sliced
1/4 cup basil-infused olive oil, or extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups baby arugula
4 medium plums, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped toasted pistachios
Handful fresh mint, basil and cilantro (or a combination)
Kosher salt, to taste
Flaky sea salt, to taste
Directions:
Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk lime juice and jalapeño. While whisking constantly, drizzle in olive oil. Season with salt to taste, set aside.
Toss arugula with plums, dressing, pistachios and herbs. Sprinkle with flaky salt before serving. For a dinner party, arrange everything on a platter or bowl, dress and toss table-side.