Un día en el Mercado Agricola Natural!

Durante tres años, el mercado de los granjeros en Viejo San Juan, PR ha estado ofreciendo la mejor gastronomía local a la comunidad, y un mercado para los vendedores de alimentos locales. De los alimentos preparados a las plantas, producen, a veces, el suelo y suministros de jardinería, este mercado local ofrece más de solo consumismo responsable, que ofrece un gran lugar de encuentro para nuestra comunidad!

For three years now, the Farmers Market in Viejo San Juan, PR has been offering great local food to the community, and a marketplace for local food vendors. From prepared foods to plants, produce, and sometimes soil and gardening supplies, this local market offers more than just responsible consumerism, it offers a great community meet up!

Dado que este mercado se encuentra dentro de un museo, que por desgracia no se permiten perros en el interior. Nuestros amigos de Walkstar ofrecieron a ayudar! En frente del museo en el lado de la calle Norzagaray, Walkstar ha creado un espacio con el cuidado del perro libre para los clientes del mercado. Estos profesionales de cuidado de mascotas de San Juan están felices de pasar el tiempo jugando y caminando con sus pequeños mientras que ofrece agua filtrada, sombra, golosinas orgánicas (hecha a mano) y mucho mucho amor!

Since this market is located inside a museum, they unfortunately do not allow dogs inside. That is when our friends at Walkstar Inc. stepped in to help! In front of the museum on the side of Calle Norzagaray Walkstar has set up a space where they care for your dog for free while you are shopping! These pet care professionals of San Juan are happy to spend time playing and walking with your little ones while offering filtered water, shade, organic treats (made by hand) and much much love!

El mercado se encuentra en la antigua Plaza del Mercado
calle Norzagaray 150, Museo de San Juan
Viejo San Juan, PR
Todos los Sábados 08 a.m. -1 pm
manvsj@gmail.com
http://www.mercadoagricolanatural.com/


The market is located in the old Plaza del Mercado (Museum of San Juan)
150 Norzagaray St. Old San Juan, PR
Every Saturday 8am -1 pm
manvsj@gmail.com
http://www.mercadoagricolanatural.com/

Traditional Escabeche de Guineos!!

This is a super easy and SUPER delicious salad that is served cold, or at room temperature, and is great for large groups. Like most good salads lots of marinating time is needed so make sure to prepare a day in advance!

Escabeche is a sauce that is used for pickling. In the Caribbean we use this for bananas, roots, and fish recipes, while in Mexico it is very popular for peppers like Jalapeños and Serranos and other vegetables. I fell in love with this salad while visiting the Kioscos Luquillo, a long line of kiosks along the beach next to the Blue Flag beach in the town of Luquillo. I love the full taste of the salad was surprised that it doesn't have the extreme tartness that pickling is usually associated with.

The recipe:

6 green bananas (not plantains!)
1 small yellow onion cut into strips or circles
½ red bell pepper sliced or diced
1 or 2 garlic cloves smashed
3 bay leaves
1 tbs. whole pepper corns
2 tbs. + ½ cup good olive oil
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
salt to taste
olives or capers (optional)

Peel the bananas and slice into ½ inch rounds. Boil for 9-12 minutes, or until the banana is softer but still firm, and by no means mushy. Drain.

Meanwhile in a frying pan, heat the 2 tbs. olive oil and very slowly cook the onions and red pepper without browning or making them crispy. Once the onions are transleucent add the pepper corns, bay leaves, salt and garlic and sautee for another 2 minutes to release the flavor. Transfer mixture to an airtight container, add 1 cup olive oil, olives or capers, and the vinegar. Mix well and chill for at least 12 hours, shaking or stirring every few hours.

Feel free to double or triple the recipe for larger groups (you can judge by the number of rounds there are before cooking), and have fun by adding cubed yucca or taro root!

Our new Fav… Thug Kitchen!

OK, we know it's not exactly NEW, but maybe newer to a few of you! Dr. Thug is the head of Thug Kitchen, a site that tries to take the pretentiousness out of plant-based cooking. Vegan diets need not be expensive or exclusive, and we give Dr. Thug big ups for reminding the people that. Here in PR we always get the same reaction...

"Being vegan in the Caribbean must be impossible."

My answers, which through the years have turned from sarcastic to downright snotty, usually go something like this "Yes, it's impossible to eat healthy on an island that grows great fresh food all year long for next to nothing."

I'm not sure when our society (on a whole) decided that huge houses and fancy cars are worth generations of debt, and our bodies deserve "whatever is on sale" and day-old bread, but hopefully we are turning our ways of thinking towards taking care of ourselves and our families first. It doesn't matter if your car is a Lexus or a Honda if you are driving it to chemotherapy, or you don't live long enough to pay it off. Puerto Rico is living proof that no big bank accounts are needed to give your body the nutrition it needs to fight off diseases, viruses, and infections.  Hopefully Thug Kitchen is reaching a lot more people with this train of thought as well.  

Congrats to Thug Kitchen for being nominated for Best Food Blog 2013 by The Saveur! The Frank151.com interview with Dr. Thug is available here!