Great Food Can Be Found Anywhere

Not long ago I was in Phoenix, and was reading their local paper, when an article about Encinitas caught my eye. The article said that the Encinitas school district had introduced yoga as part of the curriculum, at all grade levels, to help kids reduce stress in the 21st century. Encinitas has always had a reputation as a forward thinking community. Check out the number of yoga studios they have, and many have been around a long time. Add to that the large number holistic and alternative medical practices, organic and vegan restaurants, and a great interest in health and well being by much of the community, and you have a place that I like to have access to.

One of my favorite Sunday outings is a trip to Farmers' Market at Ecke Elementary School on Vulcan, from 10am-2pm. I will often go there, buy my fruits and veggies, and stay for lunch. The food at the market is amazing. Recently Fran and I walked to the market from the Lumberyard, had a wonderful whole wheat crepe, stuffed with fresh veggies and cheese, then walked back to the Lumberyard.

One of my favorite places to eat at the Farmers' Market is Annel and Drew's Kitchen. All of their produce comes from Susie's Farm, a well known local organic farm. They have sandwiches, salads and and grilled meats and veggies. My favorite sandwich is the Cuban...Its a combination of pork, ham, swiss cheese, pickles, mustard on a great roll, then pressed and grilled. It is fantastic. They make an organic market veggie salad, composed of about 8 different farm fresh veggies, that change as the seasons change. I'm a huge artichoke lover, and they offer a grilled balsamic artichoke. I love this. The artichoke is halved, marinated in a balsamic vinegrette, then grilled. It is served with either a lime aioli or chili aioli dipping sauce. You will love this.

I really started writing this blog just to tell you that Annel and Drews Kitchen now has a pop up restaurant that you can find every Saturday on Coast Highway, just north of Encinitas Blvd. It's across from a favorite restaurant of mine, Jamroc. Go to the pop up kitchen sometime, just so you know what everyone's talking about when they talk of pop up restaurants. They just set up shop for a few hours and serve some amazing food, with just a few tables and chairs to sit at. Next time you're around Moonlight Beach on Saturday, go check out Annel and Drews Kitchen, or you can find them Sunday at the Encinitas Farmers' Market. They are also in Oceanside at their Farmers' Market, but I have never tried that location.

Pop up kitchens are a new trend. Don't be turned off by the fact that they're nothing more than a little stand. The food is fresh, organic and well priced. You're giving your body something delicious to eat that's actually good for you. Enjoy.