When I first made this dish I was slightly apprehensive because I thought, grapefruit with cucumber? In a slaw?! But, after I tasted it- I knew I made something very special. The tartness of the grapefruit mixed with the cool, crispness of the cucumber balances each other out in such a nice way. I made this salad recently for a friend that came over to my farmhouse for lunch and grilled up briny shrimp to pair along with it. It was the perfect, healthy lunch. I purchased the ingredients from La Canada Farmer’s Market. 

Ingredients 

• ½ cup organic white verjus (or you can use any light- colored vinegar (white wine, apple cider, white distilled, etc.) (Gourmet Blends at our Calabasas location)
• ¼ cup organic safflower or sunflower oil (or you can use a light olive oil from Gourmet Blends at our Calabasas location)
• 3 tablespoons organic lime juice (Nicholas Farm)
• 1 large organic shallot, thinly sliced (Country Fresh Farms)
• ½ teaspoon sea salt (Nordic Catch) 
• ¼ teaspoon organic freshly ground black pepper (or you can try Peppa from Convivial Spice at our Calabasas location)
• 5 cups organic shredded green, red, and/or napa cabbage (JM Produce)
• 2 organic grapefruits and/or pomelos, peeled, seeded, and sectioned (Nicholas Farm)
• 1 organic cucumber, sliced (Country Fresh Farms)
• ½ cup organic thinly sliced red onion (MP Family Farms)
• 1 cup organic seeded and chopped Roma tomatoes (JM Produce)
• 1 large fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped (MP Family Farms)

Instructions

• In a small bowl stir together verjus (or light vinegar of choice), oil, lime juice, shallot, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper. Let stand 20 minutes or up to 8 hours. 
• To serve, in an extra-large bowl combine cabbage, grapefruit, cucumber, onion, tomatoes, and jalapeño. Pour vinaigrette and shallots over cabbage mixture. Serve with a slotted spoon. Serves 12. Enjoy! You can pair this slaw with grilled BBQ chicken, grilled shrimp skewers, baked halibut or salmon, grilled pork. 

La Canada Farmers Market (Every Sat. 9am – 1pm)

Serves: 4 | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 10 mins

The first seasonal vegetable I think of when spring arrives is definitely asparagus. This spring-time veggie has the most vibrant green color (which gets more vibrant when you cook it!) and is full of incredible health benefits! It’s low in calories and a great source of nutrients and antioxidants, including fiber, folate and vitamins A, C and K. This versatile vegetable can be added to just about any dish or eaten by itself, like in this recipe. Bright spring herbs like parsley and dill add a perfect pop of freshness to the roasted asparagus. I like squeezing fresh lemon juice on top when it’s done roasting. I purchased the ingredients for this recipe from the Sunday Larchmont Village Farmers Market.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. asparagus, stalks trimmed (Underwood Family Farms)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (Gourmet Blends)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (Gama Farms)
• Salt and pepper, to taste (Robert Cucinas Kitchen)
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (Beruman Farms)
• 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped (Ayala Farms)
• Lemon wedges for serving optional (Nicholas Farms)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 
• In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.
• Arrange the asparagus stalks in a single layer on the pan. Drizzle the olive oil mixture over the asparagus and toss to coat.
• Roast for 10-15 minutes, until asparagus is tender and tips are lightly browned.
• Sprinkle with parsley & dill and serve, with lemon wedges, if desired.