Guest Interview

The Market Report ()

Peaches are in season in Southern California! Laura Avery chats with farmer Troy Regier, who brings his low-acid, sub-acid and traditional varieties of yellow and white peaches. 

Summer herbs include mint. It's a great starter plant and is virtually indestructible according to Logan Williams of Hayground Organics. There's more to mint than spearmint. Try planting orange mint or chocolate mint.  Since this herb can take over, it's best planted in a 3-gallon deep pot with at least 4 hours of sun.

Tommy Peltier of Ladybugs Forever sells ladybugs that can be let loose on your aphid-infected plants.

Music break: Baixo de Pau (Um Abraco, Ernesto) by Baden Powell

Guest Interview

Healthy School Meals ()

Producer Thea Chaloner talks with the students of California Academy for Liberal Studies Early College High School in Los Angeles about food options and eating healthy meals. Revolution Foods serves CALS High School and San Francisco Bay area schools with nutritious breakfast, lunch and snacks.

Special thanks to Kristin Richmond, founder & CEO of Revolution Foods, Caroline Nelson, Vice President of Revolution Foods and the students of CALS High: Jaclyn Lopez, 18; Alice Pieplow, 14; Dominique Ramirez, 14' Andres Garcia, 18 and Christopher Gonzalez, 14.

Music break: Young Folks by Peter, Bjorn & John

Guest Interview

Toothpick ()

Professor Henry Petroski pays homage to the toothpick, one of the oldest, yet simplest tools, in his book, The Toothpick: Technology and Culture. Petroski teaches civil engineering and history at Duke University.

Music break: Big Spender by the Ray Martin Orchestra

Guest Interview

Memorial Day Barbecue and Side Dishes ()

Author Susan Straight talks about Memorial Day barbecue and side dishes in the Inland Empire. Her body of work includes I Been in Sorrow's Kitchen and Licked Out All the Pots.  Michael Silverblatt, host of KCRW's Bookworm, has interviewed novelist Straight on several occasions. (Click on the guest link at the bottom of this segment to access those interviews.)

Evan Kleiman shares some savory and delicious Memorial Day dishes.

Marinated Goat Cheese with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Serves 4 as an appetizer

• 1 - 2 cups fruity olive oil, enough to completely cover cheese
• 10 black peppercorns
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crumbled
• 2 sprigs fresh sage, or 1 teaspoon dried sage leaves, crumbled
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crumbled
• 3 - 4 whole garlic cloves, peeled
• ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 small goat cheeses

Combine ¼ cup of the oil, the peppercorns, herbs and garlic in a small saucepan. Heat until warm. Let cool. Arrange a few of the sun-dried tomatoes on the bottom of a mason jar or similar wide-mouth container that is a little larger than the cheeses. Place the goat cheeses in jar and arrange the remaining sun-dried tomatoes around them. Pour the cooled olive oil with herbs, garlic and peppercorns over the cheeses. Add enough additional olive oil to completely cover. Marinate, covered, in a cool place for several hours or refrigerate for several days.

Grilled Flank Steak
Serves 4

• 1 flank steak, about 2 pounds
• 1 cup dry red wine
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Lightly pound the flank steak with a rolling pin to tenderize the meat. Combine the remaining ingredients for the marinade in a shallow dish just large enough to hold the flank steak. Put the meat in marinade and cover. Marinate, refrigerated, from 2 hours to overnight. Turn the meat occasionally in the marinade. Remove the meat from the marinade. Pat dry. Grill over very hot coals or under a very hot broiler for about 4 minutes on each side, basting with the marinade as it cooks and seasoning with salt and pepper. Let cool a little. Slice thinly on an extreme diagonal or the meat will be less tender. Serve at room temperature without refrigerating. To serve the marinade as a dipping sauce, bring the marinade to a boil in a saucepan and reduce by one-quarter. Let cool before serving.

Peaches in Red Wine
Serves 8

• 8 medium peaches
• 1 liter bottle dry light red wine
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 cinnamon

Dip the peaches in boiling water for several seconds. Peel. Cut the peaches in half along the natural line of the fruit and remove the pits. Combine the red wine and sugar in a saucepan. Stir over low heat until the sugar melts. Place the peaches in a glass bowl and pour the wine over them so that it completely covers the peaches. Add the cinnamon stick. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 days. Remove the peaches from the wine and serve very cold along with a glass of the peach-flavored wine.

Music break: Calling for Ya by Tommy Guerrero

Guests:

• Susan Straight: novelist

Guest Interview

Slow Food in Riverside County ()

Leah DiBernardo champions Riverside County's diverse agriculture through Slow Food Temecula Valley's Field to the Fork event in Temecula. She talks about the area's population growth, water shortage, supporting local farmers and maintaining sustainable practices.

1st Annual Field to the Fork
Sunday, May 25, 1-5pm
Leonesse Cellars
38311 De Portola Rd
Temecula, CA 92592
951-694-FOOD

Music break: Charity Case by Gnarls Barkley

Guest Interview

Feasting on Asphalt ()

Food Network TV host Alton Brown samples road food along the Mississippi River in his book, Feasting on Asphalt: The River Run. He talks about Louisiana's Creole and Cajun cuisines, alligator and other interesting road foods as he traveled by motorcycle from the Gulf of Mexico to Minnesota. Brown's book is based on his Feasting on Asphalt show on the Food Network.

Music break: Comrade Z by DeVotchKa

Guest Interview

Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper ()

>British food writer Fuchsia Dunlop recounts her culinary journey through China in her book, Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China.

Music break: Count The Daisies by Chris Joss

Guest Interview

Wok the Dog ()

Photographer Charlie Grasso captures the stark reality of life, death and where food come from in her exhibit, Wok the Dog. Her work depicts food markets in Asia and Turkey, and she discusses the differences between Asian and European markets. Wok the Dog will be shown in September 2008 at LA Artcore.

Wok the Dog
September 4 - 28
LA ArtCore - Brewery Annex
650 A South Avenue 21
Los Angeles, CA 90031

Raising Child on Top of a Chicken Cage, Guangzhou, China 2006

Bones, Gynatse, Tibet 2007