Ok, I will start with a disclaimer that Ramen is out of our comfort zone as chefs…But we think if we’re going to push you into some culinary challenges, we ought to do the same. We started by making a pork stock with the Carmel Valley pig we bought. One of the things we like about ramen is that there are so many variations. We went with a combo of Japanese and Korean items that we like to use, but we encourage you to make it how you like. Here is a list of items that could go into the ramen: pork loin slices, Black ear mushrooms, bean sprouts, kimchi, 6 minute egg, green onion, and ramen noodles.

For the pescatarians, we gave you all the ramen stuff minus the pork stock and pork. You can easily make the ramen using miso broth. I suggest keeping miso in your fridge as it keeps forever and you can easily make a miso broth any time with just that and water.

Watermelon radishes are large and crunchy, they would work well in the salad mix this week with a meyer lemon dressing. Slice radishes thinly and toss with lemon juice and oil. You could also try a shredded mango and shredded radish combo with either basil or cilantro and lime. Or maybe make a little raw tuna salad with radish and cucumber…

Celery root has to be peeled and then can be eaten raw or steamed. You could combine it with the potatoes and make a nice puree. I also like to shred the celery root raw and make a mustard mayonnaise and lemon juice vinaigrette for it to eat as a salad.

My mom always made this curry yogurt dipping sauce for artichokes and It’s my favorite dip for steamed artichokes. It can also be used to make some chicken salad with leftover roasted chicken if you don’t use it all for dipping.

I know most people (including me) like freshly brewed coffee…But sometimes the morning gets crazy and I thought it would be nice to have some instant coffee on hand. Also, instant coffee can be used to make pudding, ice cream, or other desserts as it dissolves easily. You could try to make a coffee flavored custard or crème anglaise to serve with cookies, or ice cream.

Our friend Larry Kandarian has a great organic farm and grows all kinds of beans and grains. We got some lentils from him this week to stock your pantry. Lentils are nice because you don’t have to soak them before cooking. I usually start with onion, carrots, celery and sautee on low until soft, then add some water or stock and the lentils and cook until soft. You can season them with anything you like and eat them as a soup or as a side vegetable.

As usual, we’re available all week if you have any questions, want more suggestions, or more detailed ideas of what to do with anything.

Thanks,
Brandon and Gabe