Prather Ranch Hotdogs

Our friend Chris suggested hotdogs at the SF farmer’s market for lunch on Tuesday. He said they’re pricey, but really good. Okay, I’m always up for a hotdog, and everything at the Ferry Building is pricey anyway. But what I think he meant to say was, hey let’s go get some hot dogs at the farmer’s market, they’re addictive as crack and once you’ve had one, you’ll think of nothing else for days. Oh and it’s five bucks, but that’s a small price to pay compared to the taste festival that arrives in the crinkly tin foil they hand you. I think that’s what he meant to say. Prather Ranch dogs are made with organic beef from humanely raised cattle. The dogs are huge, grilled perfectly, with just a little bit of crunch on the outside, and the bun is thick and chewy and warm from the grill. They also have burgers and slaw. And slawburgers. And for an extra dollar you can get grilled red onions to top your dog, and that is a dollar well spent.

You can find these delicious dogs on the grill on Tuesdays, Saturdays, and now Thursdays at the San Francisco farmer’s market outside of the Ferry Building. Be sure to check out their retail store inside.

Thanks to Chris for the revelation.

Kona Brewing Company

Kona Brewing Co.’s Wailua Wheat, a summertime limited release that’s brewed with passion fruit is…surprisingly good. That about sums it up. Typically I’m wary of any beer brewed with fruit. Most turn out sweet, or just terribly wrong. The wife and I first tried the Wailua Wheat on tap at a restaurant in Monterey after our server recommended it. She brought us a taste and we were sold. It’s a flavorful wheat beer with no icky fruit “flavors,” no added sweetness. Just a good wheat beer for a summer barbeque. We found it later in bottles at Whole Foods and while were discussing whether or not to pick up a cold pack, a woman shopping nearby stopped to tell us how good it was. It’s clearly a beer people like to recommend. Now it’s my turn to do the recommending. So far this is the only beer I’ve tried from the Kona brewing company, but I’ve got plans for that to change.

Find it locally:

Beverages and More
Whole Foods

Sparkling Sangria

I have the perfect way for you to get your daily fruit serving: Sangria. This sparkling sangria recipe makes a great late brunch refresher and a nice fruity option for getting tipsy in the hammock. And because the fruit soaks for only a few hours, it absorbs just enough of the liquor to be snackable. Two people skilled in the fine art of tippling can easily go through a batch, so remember to stock up on bubbly. In fact, even if there’s just two of you, I’d still recommend picking up an extra bottle just in case you need to, uh, refresh those last pieces of fruit at the bottom of the pitcher. And don’t make any plans for Sunday afternoon.

Sparkling Sangria

¾ cup fresh sweet cherries, pitted
1 nectarine, sliced
1 white peach, sliced
1 small orange, thinly sliced
4 oz maraschino liqueur
1 oz peach bitters
1 oz orange bitters
1 bottle chilled brut Prosecco or Cava

Prep: Put the fruit in a large pitcher, then pour over the bitters and maraschino liqueur. Toss well. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours, stirring at least once.

Serve: Stir the fruit and liqueur mixture once more, then slowly pour the sparkling wine into the pitcher, preferably at an angle to preserve the bubbles.

(If your serving pitcher isn’t big enough to hold the entire bottle, adding it in portions didn’t seem to hurt the flavor.)

Pour the sangria into glasses filled with ice cubes, the larger the better, making sure to put a decent amount of fruit in each glass.

Cheesy Grilled Jalapeño “Poppers”

If you’re like me, you are constantly searching for more excuses to stand in front of the grill with a cold beer. This month’s issue of Cooking Light had a great recipe for cheesy stuffed peppers that you can throw on the grill, making them the perfect summer appetizer. I should warn you that it’s unlikely these little peppers will ever make it to your dinner table—once they leave the grill and hit the plate, they disappear in seconds. And that’s just with two people. If you’re serving a crowd, make extra.

Stuffed Jalapeño Peppers
adapted from Cooking Light

Note: Try to select peppers that are slightly larger in size so that they can safely hold the cheese with less chance of overflow on the grill.

4 oz goat cheese, softened
5 oz Neufchatel or cream cheese, softened
¼ cup dry white cheese, such as Cotija, Asiago, or Parmesan, grated
1/3 cup tomato, finely chopped and seeded
2-3 Tbsp green onion, finely chopped
½ tsp dried sage or 1 Tbsp fresh sage, chopped
½ tsp kosher salt
12 (large) jalapeño peppers
Chopped cilantro, optional

1. Halve the jalapeños lengthwise and remove seeds. Set aside. Don’t stick your fingers in your eyes afterward.
2. Pre-heat grill.
3. Combine the three cheeses in a small mixing bowl, then add tomato through salt. Mix well.
3. Fill the pepper halves with the cheese mixture until slightly rounded. Careful not to overfill or you’ll lose precious filling to the grill gods.
4. Grill peppers on medium heat uncovered for about 4 minutes to soften the pepper, then cook 3-4 minutes more covered (or until cheese is melty.)
5. Remove from grill and sprinkle with cilantro if desired. Fend off hovering bystanders with oversized grill utensils.

Eat Chocolate, Save the Rainforest

Sort of. I mean, if you eat this particular, delicious chocolate bar then no one can say that you’re not doing your part. Kallari produces organic single origin chocolate from cocoa grown and harvested by a farm cooperative in the Ecuadoran Amazon. And before you get squeamish about dropping five bucks for a bar, you should know that 100% of the profits return to the co-op, allowing the indigenous famers to continue to support sustainable development and community programs for health and education. You can choose from three bars: 70% cacao, 75% cacao, and 85% cacao.

Read more about the Kallari association and their chocolate on their website.

Where to find it: As far as I know, they are only currently available at Whole Foods or online.