Ghee Whiz, or It Ain't Easy Being Vata-Kapha

I planned to meet my friend Lisa at noon Friday on the steps of City Hall to check out Slow Food Nation. I got there early and watched as 2 separate same-sex wedding parties exited City Hall and got into their respective limos. They had these two globes on either side of the steps. One depicts Tidal Energy and the other Wind Energy.


Ghee is a food product made from butter that is used in Indian cooking. I bought this jar (and the dry farmed Early Girl tomatoes) at the farmer's market. I didn't realize that one got a free diagnosis with purchase. The interesting man behind the counter told us that he was an Ayurvedic practitioner and told us (me, Lisa and this other woman) that ghee was ok for us, but he wouldn't sell it to Oprah Winfrey, because she was the wrong type for it. He pronounced Lisa and the other woman to be Vata. He told me that I am a very rare combination of Vata-Kapha and told me to Google it. (I did, and I have to admit that it was remarkably "on.") These tomatoes were bursting with flavor.


I roasted the baby potatoes whole that night with whole cloves of garlic, olive oil and rosemary from the garden. They were crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside. We scarfed them right down. I wish I had bought more now.


Lisa and I checked out the farmer's market booths and the garden and then perused the prepared food stands. During this brief run-through, we came across Alice Waters and Rick Bayless walking around, part of the crowd. Alice is pretty short. I got the impression that I was gazing down at the top of her head, and I'm not tall.


These little fuzzy green jobbies are green garbanzo beans in their shells. Who knew? We tasted them and they taste a lot like green beans. They didn't have that nutty flavor that a dried, cooked garbanzo bean has.


These gorgeous tuberoses were behind the counter at one farmer's display.

Steve met us for lunch. It was unusually hot downtown that day. Everyone was looking for a spot in the shade.

As part of the festival, they planted a Victory Garden in front of City Hall. My friend Diane was one of the volunteers who worked on it. They did a beautiful job. There were several displays, like this one of CA native flowers.




After the festival, the food from the garden will be harvested and given to the San Francisco Food Bank, to be distributed to low-income residents.


Before leaving, I had to stop and watch the performance by these native dancers. I missed the introduction, and they weren't listed on the schedule, so I don't know who they are. Loved the headdresses and the dances were very interesting.