Page 53 - Sonoma County Gazette February 2020

Eat What You Love
By Kelly Smith
Nuts: Because of their hard, protective exterior, nuts are a symbol of longevity and marriage. The almond in particular associated with fertility because its trees are among the first to spring flowers each year.
Pomegranate: Also known as the "apple of love", the ruby-colored fruit was once the basis for an aphrodisiac wine made by the ancient Greeks. It is often seen as a symbol of unity, friendship, and brotherly love because it carries so many seeds. You can still find a few pomegranates at the farmers market this time of year.
Honey: Bee Stings were said to be tiny wounds to the flesh by Cupid from his love inducing arrows. The association with Cupid sealed its reputation as a sweet treat for lovers.
Chocolate: There are chemical substances including serotonin in Chocolate that are also produced by our bodies when we fall in love. Plus it tastes great!
Apples: Before Adam and Eve apples were a symbol of love. In Greek myths, the athletic Atalanta vowed to marry any man who could beat her in a foot race. Hippomenes fell in love with her and asked Aphrodite for help. The Goddess of Love gave him three golden apples and instructed him to throw them on the track. Atalanta got distracted and lost the race. There a few apples to be found at the market this time of year. You may have to go to a larger market to find them. We do have a few local vendors with cold storage with apples at the year-round markets in Sonoma County.
With the month of February comes Valentine's Day.
A day we all focus on love and being with that one special person. Since the early time's cultures have written about ways to enhance intimacy with one another through the foods we eat. Eventually, the name aphrodisiac was given to those foods that were thought to enhance
sexual attraction or potency after the Greek Goddes
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Aphrodite, Goddess of Love.
There is a Latin proverb that is loosely translated
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to, "love goes cold without food and wine." When looking at aphrodisiacs in our food I discovered that there are some that are immersed in centuries of folklore without evidence of actually encouraging love or sexual desire. Then there are some foods
in mineral and muscle building glycerin but much of their symbolism comes from the birth of Venus.
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happy or love. There is also something to be said about enjoying certain foods so much that it causes you to enjoy life and enjoy the person you are with. A placebo effect can take place when combined with enjoying your food add in folklore that is surrounding a certain food suggesting its potency and voila! An aphrodisiac is doing what it was meant to do!
Here's a list of the foods known to be aphrodisiacs that youcan find at the farmers market in February along with the myth of how they found themselves on this most desirable list:
Lemons: A lemon tree expends so much energy to produce its fruit and some species flower numerous times per year, lemons are a symbol of eternal love and faithfulness in marriage.
Happy Valentine's Day to all!
May you love your food and may it be locally grown.
* INFO: ilovefarmersmarkets.org ** YEAR-ROUND SATURDAY:
Oakmont Certified Farmers’ Market ~ 9a – 12p, at the Wells Fargo parking lot corner of White Oak and Oakmont Dr. 707-538-7023**
Santa Rosa Community Farmers’ Market at the Vets Bldg ~ 8:30a-1p Veteran’s Bldg, 1351 Maple Ave, Santa Rosa 415-999-5635 * & **
Santa Rosa Original Certified Farmers’ Market ~ 8:30a - 1p. Luther Burbank Center, 50 Mark West Springs Rd, Santa Rosa. thesantarosafarmersmarket.com 707-522-8629**
SUNDAY:
Sebastopol Farmers’ Market ~ 10a -1:30p Sebastopol Plaza, Downtown Across from Whole Foods Market sebastopolfarmmarket.org **
The Springs - 10a-2p, through Dec. 15th on the Plaza at Boyes Blvd. and Hwy 12 next to the Post Office, CalFresh. *
TUESDAY:
Petaluma East Side Farmers’ Market ~ 10a -1:30p, Year Round, Lucchesi Park, 320 N McDowell Blvd, Pet. communityfarmersmarkets.com; 415-999-5635 info@ communityfarmersmarkets.com**
WEDNESDAY:
Santa Rosa Community Farmers’ Market NEW LOCATION: Farmers Lane Plaza, 1501 Farmers Ln, Santa Rosa ~ 9a - 1p, 415-999-5635 * & **
Santa Rosa Original Farmers’ Market ~ 8:30a - 1p. Luther Burbank Ctr, 50 Mark West Springs Rd, Santa Rosa. thesantarosafarmersmarket.com 707-522-8629 **
FRIDAY:
Sonoma Valley Certified Farmers’ Market ~ 9a - 12:30p, Arnold Field, 241 First St West (across from the Depot Hotel.), Sonoma 707-538-7023, svcfm.org**
Oysters, Mollusk & Fish: All seafood is associated with the birth of Venus, Goddess of Love. Mythology says the phallus of the heavens fell from the sky and landed in the sea (the womb of Mother Earth). In doing so, it created thousands of species of fish. It also gave birth to a daughter named Venus (or Aphrodite). She was delivered to us on a shell and whenever her feet would touched earth, powerful plants and flowers sprang to life. Oysters are high
Grilled with Pomegranate Salsa
Ingredients:
• 16 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, leaving the tail on.
• The juice of 1 lime
• Chipotle Chili Powder
• Salt and fresh cracked pepper
Preheat a grill pan until quite hot. Cook the skewers for about 2 minutes on the first side, and a minute or so on the second side until shrimp are cooked.
• 1 lime, cut in half, and then into thin wedges
• Pomegranate salsa
• Seeds from one pomegranate
• 1/3 medium red onion, minced • 1 jalapeno, minced, seeds and all • A handful of fresh cilantro,
Directions: If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in cold water while you prep everything Thread shrimp and lime wedges alternately on each skewer.
As you take the shrimp off the grill, give it a good squeeze of lime juice and serve the shrimp immediately over a bed of lettuce with the pomegranate salsa on the side.
Make the salsa by combining all the ingredien ts and mix gently. Taste to adjust the amount of seasonings.
chopped
• Juice of 1 lime • pinch of salt
Kelly Smith • Agricultural Community Events Farmers Markets, North Bay Farmers’ Markets • communityfarmersmarkets.com 501(c)5 Nonprofit PO Box 113 , Kenwood
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