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| Organic strawberries |
I have recently moved to Santa Cruz, California and it has
been an amazing experience! The natural beauty that surrounds this place can be
overwhelming, particularly to this photographer. I am on a total sensory
overload with these brilliant, bright blue
ocean waves, and colorful people roaming around town. The biggest added bonus
is that Santa Cruz has the freshest produce I have ever seen and/or tasted in
my life!
As a food photographer having fresh ingredients can certainly
make or break a dish you are styling for a shoot. I recall visiting several
groceries and markets, when I lived in Las Vegas, searching endlessly for
tomatoes that were either not under ripe or flat out rotten. That proved to be quite a challenge!
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| So colorful! |
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| Abundant goodness |
After living in the desert for three years I knew the Santa
Cruz Farmer’s Market would be one of the first stops on my list of things to do
once I moved here. When I arrived at the SC Farmer’s Market the first thing that
impacted me were the colors. Every color of the rainbow was under those tents
and struck me like a sip of strong coffee. The most lustrous produce lined and
overflowed every stand, basket or bowl. I could smell strawberries from several
yards away from where I stood. In every direction there was something simply
beautiful to take in - bright red berries, vibrant leafy greens, real live garden
fresh herbs, row after row. I purchased a box from the farmers market filled to
the brim with organic blood oranges that smelled up to high heaven. I got
cilantro that was so fresh and green, that I’m sure you would never find
anything even similar in a supermarket. I also purchased some of the most
beautiful asparagus I have ever laid eyes upon. I did a quick photo op of these
before lightly steaming them for dinner. Needless to say, it was delish!
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| Locally grown asparagus-tasty! |
The trip to the farmer’s market most certainly inspired the
direction I took for my first shoot in California. I chose an organic salad of
forbidden black rice, chunks of mango, blood oranges with bits of cilantro.
The ability to fill my life with so much simple goodness
leaves me feeling truly blessed.
A.A.
June ‘12
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| Blood orange and mango salad with forbidden black rice and cilantro |
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