Press
From Burgers to Sandwiches to Tacos and Beyond, Options for the Mid-Day Meal Runneth Over
City Hall Farmers’ Market
Grab Bag Lunch
There are so many options at the market held every Thursday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on the South Lawn of City Hall that you could eat here for months without having the same thing twice. At the Corn Maiden tamale kiosk, one tamale (choices include grilled chicken, spinach-artichoke and black bean-mozzarella) plus rice, beans and salsa run just $5.50.
Another gem is the Daniel’s Choice stand, where chef Jeroen Ashton sells vegan versions of American comfort foods like chicken salad sandwiches and individual lasagnas for less than $10. Your taste buds won’t know the difference and your body will thank you.
Bring locally grown fruit, cookies or homemade candy back to the office and everyone else will thank you. At 200 N. Spring St., downtown-farmersmarket.org.—Anna Scott
Published: Monday, August 24, 2009
VEGETARIANS IN PARADISE REVIEW
of DANIEL’S CHOICE PRODUCTS by VEGAN HEIGHTS
"Give Us Nothing but Vegetables to Eat and Water to Drink."
On a warm sunny afternoon in May the two birds of paradise, Zel and Reuben, headed east on 210 freeway past Pasadena until they reached the community of Sierra Madre. Their mission possible was to explore the Sierra Madre Certified Farmers' Market and report back to their eager, hungry readers.
Reuben: You didn't mention the unique prepared foods at this market. Normally, there aren't too many interesting food choices for vegans at most farmers' markets. Barbecues seem to predominate at the afternoon markets. In some cases there is roasted corn on the cob or an occasional vegan tamale. But this market was different, thanks to Vegan Heights/Daniel's Choice from Corona and Cobblermania.
Zel: We had a vegan feast thWe had met Chef Jeroen Ashton at a potluck where he gave us the details about Daniel's Choice vegan foods he's selling at farmers' markets. His company has only been in operation since January 2009, but has quickly grown because of his presence at farmers' markets. at afternoon as we stood in front of Jeroen's table oohing and ahing as he plied us with samples of his products. His Lasagne was quite cheesy without real cheese. He told us that some people felt he put too much cheese into it, not realizing that it really was cheese-less. The Eggplant Parmesan was Reuben's favorite. He likes eggplant in every conceivable form and savored every bit of his sample. I was ecstatic about Chef Jeroen's Stedda' Feta Spinach "Cheese" Pie.
Reuben: We both enjoyed his Creamy Garlic Spread - Original Aioli, but the highlight of our tasting was the Stedda' Chicken Salad. We liked it so much we decided to purchase a container and share it as a mini dinner before leaving the market. Our tasting session ended with the deliciously smooth and creamy Pineapple Banana Parfait.
Zel: Curious about the name Daniel's Choice, we asked Jeroen about its origin. He told us about Chapter 1 of the Book of Daniel. Going to his website at veganheights.com, we found the complete chapter and verse.
But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine. Daniel said, "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink…." At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. --Daniel 1:8-16
Reuben: Along with his food, Jeroen also distributes leaflets extolling the virtues of vegan eating and showing how it contributes to good health and benefits the environment. He also quotes from the book The China Study showing the health benefits of a vegan diet. His mantra is "Daniel's Choice takes American Comfort food to its Vegan Heights."
Zel: Before we left the market, we joined Tanja who offered us chairs as we dined on our Stedda Chicken Salad and heard her story of coming to the US from the UK and her experiences in Scholastic Gardens. We said our goodbyes and once more paused to listen to Pan-A-Cea and watch Carmen Walters and John Schlener dancing to the Caribbean rhythms.