"We talk constantly about what's in season, and we get all the ingredients on a table, and we get our plate there, and we serve it as simply as possible," says chef Ian Robinson of RVR in Venice.
Right now at the farmers market, he's buying fresh curry leaves from Yao Cheng Farm, a Ventura County organic farm that specializes in Asian produce. He uses them to make a curry base that he pairs with RVR's lamb shoulder skewers. "I use as many of these leaves as I possibly can fit in a blender then rub the shoulder with it and put it on the skewer," Ian says.
Gillian Ferguson of Good Food interviews Jason Cheng of Yao Cheng Farm in Ventura County. Photo by Laryl Garcia/KCRW
In 1987, Jason Cheng and his family came to the United States from Taiwan, where they had grown papayas. Here, they branched out into garlic then Asian vegetables such as Chinese broccoli and bok choy.
"We have a lot of specialty Asian vegetables that you don't really see out there. We choose the best varieties and we present it to our farmers markets," Jason says.
Chayote squash vines, aka dragon whiskers, grow at Yao Cheng Farm. Photo courtesy of Jason Cheng.
Right now, he recommends the Taiwanese green beans, Japanese cucumbers, Taiwanese mountain cabbages, and chayote squash vines, which are also known as dragon whiskers. "They're a very nice squash flavor," Jason says, especially when you saute them with a bit of garlic, tomato, and miso.
Chayote squash vines are a tasty and crunchy vegetable. Photo by Laryl Garcia/KCRW