Spillin’ the Beans

Posted by christina on 07/25/2011

The summer sunshine continues to bring a bounty of beautiful produce that represents every color of the rainbow. At the moment, David and Tina from Crows Pass Farm are harvesting vibrant haricot verts, wax beans, and purple pole beans that are quite the showstoppers. You’ll find all of these varieties in our zesty Mixed Bean Salad that we’re serving up with Suzie’s Farm cherry tomatoes, arugula, and a house made roasted garlic vinaigrette.

Although each variety of bean has a similar flavor profile, the naturally occurring color pigments are what define each one. Wax beans’ pastel, yellow hue comes from carotene, a color pigment also commonly found in carrots. Haricot verts (French for green beans) contain chlorophyll, a green pigment, as do purple pole beans, which in addition also contain anthocyanins, a purple pigment. During the cooking process though, a chemical reaction occurs that decomposes the anthocyanins, so only the green color comes through in the final product.

Beans are bright, bold and are in the prime of their growing season, and we want to share them with you. Keep us in mind this week when you need a bite to hold you down and we’ll see you on the street!

You Say Tomato…

Posted by christina on 07/12/2011

We say delicious! We’ve been waiting patiently and the fruits of our farm-friends’ labor are finally coming through. That’s right HOMI’s, it’s heirloom tomato season, and we’re way excited to enjoy these summery treats on our Classic Burger and in our hand made Pico de Gallo, found on both our Indian Frybread Taco and our Margarita Fish Taco.

Heirloom tomatoes are grown from seeds that have been passed down for generations through family farms and there are over 600 known varieties. We have a couple brightly colored varieties going on our burgers this week, so be on the lookout for these beauties.

The crew over at Suzie’s Farm have a few varietals growing in Imperial Beach and the first to enter the summer spotlight is the Stupice (pronounced Stoo-Peech-Ka), which was originally cultivated in Czechoslavakia. It is known for its small, bright red fruit that packs a huge flavor. From Crows Pass Farm in Temecula, we’re getting everything from Green Zebras, known for their lovely stripes, to Cherokee Purples, known for their rich, dark hue.

Heirloom tomatoes only come once a year, so swing by the truck this week and give these delectable heirlooms a try. We know you’ll love them whether you say tomato or tomato.

TGIFF!

Posted by christina on 07/08/2011

Tacos are one of the most quintessential street foods, and they are a true HOMI favorite as indicated by the number of tortillas we’ve blown through this week! If you haven’t gotten a chance yet, come visit us today and try our Margarita Fish Tacos. Our tacos start with a locally made corn tortilla that’s filled with locally caught, wild rock cod (sourced from our good friends over at Catalina Offshore Products) that’s marinated in agave, lime, and tequila. We top ‘em off with a home made, heirloom tomato pico de gallo, fresh crema, and let’s not forget, our very own hot sauce, Juanatio.

The weather’s perfect for lunch on the street, so come say hi and celebrate the end of the work week and remember, Thank God It’s Fish Friday!

Playing With Fire

Posted by christina on 07/03/2011

It looks like the summer sun is here to stay and the pepper plants at Suzie’s Farm couldn’t be happier as they soak in the rays of sunshine. The farm has a variety of peppers growing, and we’re bringing one of our favorites, the Padron, to the street this week on our Padron Burger.

The Padron pepper was originally cultivated in Northwest Spain and belongs to the same family as the jalapeno and the cayenne pepper. Although their relatives may be known for their heat, the Padron pepper is a sweet and mild variety. However, every once in awhile, a lucky diner may come across a spicy Padron that has a kick to it. In the Spanish region of Galicia, the locals have a saying, “Os pementos de Padrón, uns pican e outros non,” that characterizes this distinctive trait of the Padron perfectly.

Whether you’re a heat seeker or you prefer something on the mild side, the Padron Burger is sure to please. Just know that when you take that first bite, you’re playing with fire.