On the 15 year anniversary of my move from New York to California, I officially closed the loop and moved back to San Diego. It seemed like an impulse move, but it’s one that I’ve been contemplating for ages as a remote worker from my San Francisco apartment. What better place to ride out a pandemic than one with sunshine, longboard breaks, and fish tacos?
So many things have changed, but really? The big ones stay the same. I’m now in Encinitas, not PB, but I’m still driving the Mazda 3 hatchback that I bought at El Cajon Mazda in 2005. I’ve lived in four different apartments, but I’m still riding the same board. And I’m still learning all my best tricks in other people’s kitchens.
One of my best friends Beth also made the jump to San Diego, to a great spot in Ocean Beach. Beth helped me conceive of the original idea for Borrowed Salt after German girls borrowed our salt making Christmas cookies in a hostel kitchen in Kaikoura, New Zealand.
I went to check out her new place and ended up staying for dinner. She presented me with her OB farmers market haul and I started cooking, no plan in mind, with no clue else what her pantry had to offer. Here’s the result.
It was one of the best meals I’ve ever made.
After getting real lazy about farmers markets lately, I am fully back on board. Make the effort - it’s worth it!
Bonus recipe: We started with heirloom tomatoes, sliced, splashed liberally with olive oil and showered with salt and pepper. Highly recommend.
Beth gets all photo credit for this blog post - nice work with the iPhone!
The key to the hash is the corn, bacon, and red pepper with a splash of vinegar and a pinch of red pepper. For the roasted veg, use whatever you have on hand, and layer the sauteed corn almost like a relish on top.
Ocean Beach Corn and Bacon Hash
Yield: Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
1 lb green beans, trimmed and chopped in half
Olive oil
Salt and freshly cracked pepper
1 tsp paprika
8 slices bacon, chopped roughly
pinch of red pepper flakes
3-4 ears of corn, kernels sliced off
1-2 red bell peppers, chopped
2 tsp apple cider or sherry vinegar
Roast the veggies: Preheat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss cauliflower with a glug of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper and place on half the baking sheet. Toss green beans in the same bowl, adding a little extra oil, and spread on other half of baking sheet. Sprinke with half the paprika. Roast for 20-25 minutes until browned, tossing once or twice to even out the browning.
Cook the bacon: Heat a wide skillet over medium and add chopped bacon. Let the fat render, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, til bacon is browned but not close to burnt. Drain all but 1 Tbs bacon fat from the pan. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes and cook for 1-2 minutes more.
Saute the corn and peppers: Add the corn to the pan with the bacon and saute for 5 minutes. Sprinke with the rest of the paprika. Add the red pepper and saute for another 5 minutes. Drizzle on the vinegar.
Plate it up: Divvy up the roasted veggies between 4 wide bowls. Top with the corn and bacon mixture. Serve with extra vinegar and salt and pepper at the table.