Just a quick Sunday post because it’s such a lovely day. I woke up too late to visit the Hollywood Farmers Market with as much time to linger as I would have liked, so I went to the closer Studio City Farmers Market instead.
The Studio City market does not have the awesome vegan soul food from Taste of Life like the larger Hollywood market, but it does have the delicious Corn Maiden tamales. This was my breakfast:
Corn is my crack. I love it any which way: sweet, savory, hot, spicy, baked, fried, whole, ground… you name it. I am not by any means a tamale connoisseur, my only qualification of expertise is my desire to eat them. Corn Maiden makes all kinds of delicious tamales and there’s always a few different vegetarian and vegan options, all rather tasty. Today I had one made with vegetables, potatoes and balsamic vinegar and the another made with sweet white corn. They came with a spicy tomato salsa and a mild tomatillo salsa. I had the savory tamale with a bit of each salsa and enjoyed the sweet one plain. A perfect combo.
Here’s a look at my market haul:
The packaged stuff is from Dave’s Gourmet Korean Food which is only available at local farmers markets (I haven’t seen them at the Hollywood market yet). Everything they sell is vegan, made by a master Korean herbalist who combines ingredients for maximum nutritional goodness. Next time you see their stand at a farmers market you should go check it out, they’ll usually let you generously sample everything.
The top container is Dave’s special tempeh, made from soy and brown rice by some fancy process of chef wizardry involving first pulverizing it, then grilling it and cutting it into strips. It’s got a very unique texture and mild flavor, I like to eat it with Dave’s kim-chi (not seen here because I’ve still got a jar in the fridge from my last visit).
The next container holds marvelously marinated lotus roots; pretty to look at, tasty to eat, and also said to be an aphrodisiac. I also got the mixed vegetable BiBimBop. I haven’t tried it yet but it’s calling my name from the other room. From what I can identify there’s pickled cucumbers, burdock root, bean sprouts and carrots, along with a couple of white rooty looking veggies I’m not sure about, all on top of cabbage.
I also picked up some little persimmons, red peppers, an Asian pear, asparagus, ginger and the most adorable little purple eggplants on the planet. Off to the side are a pair of delicata squash. Looks like I’m set for while :)
- The Hollywood Farmers Market brings it.
- Vegan Soul Food @ Hollywood Farmers Market
- Seasonal specials at Hugo’s
- If you lived here, you could be eating this right now.
- Mama’s Hot Tamale Cafe in Macarthur Park.
tamales sound EXCELLENT right now. i’ve never been to the studio city farmers market, but this gives me a reason to go. seriously, tamales are my fave mexican food and the fact you’ve found some us vegans can trust is awesome! dave’s gourmet sounds tasty as well.
thanks to you, morrissey is now stuck in my head. time to go listen…
the tamale picture actually made me drool a little.
Corn Maiden tamales are awesome, they serve ‘em at a few farmer’s markets and I always get at least one to eat on the spot (and usually several frozen to go) everytime I encounter their stall.
Damn. Where and when is this Sunday Studio City Market? I am so over battling the angry yuppies at the Santa Monica market.
BTW have you ever been to the Sunday market in Santa Clarita? There’s this guy that sells Artichoke Hummus and home-made pita. Easily the best of both I’ve ever had in my life.
Looks like a great haul! Your farmers markets are so vegan friendly!
Aww…I was at the Hollywood Market yesterday!
O’shea from Taste of Life got there kind of late though, to pass the time I got one of those veggie Korean Pancakes from the place on the other side of the street. By the time T.O.L got all setup, the food was lukewarm…but still amazing! (ultimate test for food: still tasting good even when cold)
Oh well, one day or path’s will cross :)
i passed up the farmers market yesterday too, i’m regretting it now that I realized I’m out of coffee. But I did make myself some delicious pumpkin pancakes while I watched some football.
quarrygirl: I figured that if I had to have that damn Morrisey song stuck in my head, everyone else should have to suffer along with me ;)
Oh, and the awesome Corn Maiden tamale folks are usually always at the Hollywood Farmers Market as well, just across the aisle from Taste of Life. Now that’s what I call a tough choice!
JennShaggy: The Studio City Farmers Market happens on Sundays, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. It’s on Ventura Place which is that little diagonal sidestreet that cuts through from Laurel Canyon to Ventura Blvd… where that Kit-Kraft hobby shop is. It’s not a huge market and you’re still going to have to deal with yuppies (it’s Studio City after all!), but the produce selection is great.
I haven’t been to the Santa Clarita market yet, but there’s a guy at this one too (Hollywood as well) that also sells great homemade hummus (hummuses? hummii?) and pita breads. I wonder if it’s the same vendor. He’s got some incredible lemon-herb pita chips that I am powerless against.
teenage glutster: I love those Korean pancakes too!
scott: Yum, pumpkin pancakes sound fantastic right about now!
ohhhh i love corn. i need these tamales. the white corn one sounds AMAZING.
Hi there, I’m new to your blog and just noticed the picture of the Corn Maidens – which I’m quite intrigued by. Are they barbecued or boiled? Is it just corn inside, or do they have a flavouring rubbed in? It’s not something we get here in Australia – hence the questions.
kathryn: Thanks for asking, tamales are such a common part of living in California that I didn’t stop to think that people in other places might not know what they are! They are called tamales, Corn Maidens is just the name of the company that makes these particular beauties. Here’s some basic info I grabbed off the Wikipedia for you:
“A tamale (Spanish tamal, from Nahuatl tamalli), is a traditional indigenous American food consisting of steam-cooked corn dough (masa) with or without a filling. Tamales can be filled with meats, cheese (post-colonial), and sliced chillis or any preparation according to taste. The tamale is generally wrapped in a corn husk or plantain(post-colonial) leaves before cooking, depending on the region from which they come.
Their essence is the corn meal dough made from hominy (called masa), or a masa mix such as Maseca, usually filled with sweet or savory filling, wrapped in plant leaves or corn husks, and cooked, usually by steaming, until firm. Tamales were developed as a portable ration for use by war parties in the ancient Americas, and were as ubiquitous and varied as the sandwich is today. The diversity of native languages in the pre-Hispanic America led to a number of local words for the tamal, many of which remain in use.”
In short, they involve mashed corn which has been wrapped in corn husks and then steamed. I didn’t include the photo of what they looked like on the inside because it didn’t come out all that pretty, but rest assured they were delicious. Sounds like someone needs to open up a tamale restaurant in Australia so that you can try some!
I’ve been meaning to come back and thank you for such a comprehensive reply! Nope, never heard of them. In fact so much of your answer is unknown to me! For example I’ve heard of but never eaten hominy and masa.
Haven’t heard of this food being available here in Australia, but I might investigate some recipes, as they sound delicious – especially with a bit of sliced chilli!
Thanks again.