Chef Mark Gold, formerly of Leatherby's Cafe Rouge in Costa Mesa is getting ready to open a new restaurant called Eva in the Fairfax/Beverly area. Right now he's shopping for cipollini onions. These are medallion-sized and flat, not round. He takes the peel off and roasts them whole with butter and olive oil in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. He toasts some crusty bread to make crostini or toast and smashes the onion on the toast with a fork. Sprinkle pepper and salt and add a nice goat cheese if desired.
Fresh garbanzo beans are in season now. Find them at Flora Bella Farms. James Birch comes down from Three Rivers near the base of the Sierras. He brings in large bushels of beans. It's easier to pull the whole plant out than it is to shell all the beans out of their pods. A large armful of garbanzos will cost about $18. An armful of the plant will net about 2 pounds of garbanzos.
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