Laura Avery visits Pau, a Hmong farmer from Laos who comes down from Fresno to the Santa Monica Farmers Market every other Wednesday. There are approximately 30,000 Hmong in the Fresno area and about 25% of them are farmers. During the Vietnam War, Pau worked with the CIA then was forced to flee to Thailand. He made his way to the U.S. and settled in Fresno to farm. He talks about Bok Choy, a traditional Asian cabbage.
Laura also visits with Dave Rubell, a chef and caterer. He offers suggestions on how to cook Cipollini onions.
Pronounced “chip-oh-LEE-nee” this is a smaller, flatter and more pale member of the onion family. The flesh is a slight yellowish color and the skins are thin and papery. The color of the skin ranges from pale yellow to the light brown color of Spanish onions. These are sweeter onions, having more residual sugar than garden-variety white or yellow onions, but not as much as shallots.
Dave likes to roast the onions whole (with skins on) with a splash of olive oil in a packet made of aluminum foil. Roast in the oven at 350 degrees for about an hour and half. The skin will fall off from the root end. Sautee a bunch of snow peas very quickly and add the onions. Swirl in the heat. Eat. Delicious. The roasted onions can keep in the fridge for a number of days and added to salads and other dishes.
Music Break --
Alcatraz - Michel Legrand