It's Sunday, time for another Market Matters from the Hollywood Farmers Market. Today I set my sights on green garlic, which is the immature bulb and stalk of the garlic you know and love. It only makes an appearance for a brief time in spring. I was determined to get my hands on some today. The market did not disappoint either. I came home with a couple of big bunches. How lucky is that?

Speaking of lucky, I don't know what's happening to me. I think I am on a roll!

Because the food I have been presenting lately has really inspired me. I think I have upped my game here at SippitySup. I am a pretty good cook. But I am what I consider a casual cook. But some of this fare lately; it seems downright fancy! What's gotten into me? I might get used to sacheying around the blogosphere like a real cook. Something's got to give though... there's a flop in my future. I can feel it.

But not today. I made soufflé, or rather soufflés– 8 perfect little individual-sized Green Garlic, Leek & Goat Cheese Soufflés. Not only were they not a flop, they weren't flat either. They rose right out of those little ramekins and held their volume long enough for me to snap a photo of them right at their peak. If you'll pardon the pun. So I hope you will click over or scroll down and take a look-see at how pretty they are.

And as if that weren't lucky enough. I was even able to get them to the table for lunch with friends; proudly towering and piping hot. I served them with a simple green salad, really good bread and a nice bottle of Sancere.

Yeah, it's a pretty good life!

Carrots are a year 'round item at the Hollywood Farmers Market. But this time of year particularly beautiful carrots can be found in an array of colors, sizes and shapes. I love the little round French carrots; so sweet and carroty. They are the perfect size to pop in your mouth like a little carrot bon-bon, and that’s exactly what I do with them.

So this week I chose carrots for my Market Matters post. Not just any carrot however, I chose a variety of the most unusually colored carrots I could find. Because once you get out of the PigglyWiggly you will discover that there is way more to a carrot than orange. There are red carrots, purple ones, even yellow, white, and two-toned varieties.

You needn’t be frightened of these carrots. They are not some mutinized hybrid with a lot of genetic hanky-panky going on. Nope, most of these carrots are heirlooms.

I am not a vegetarian. I am not a vegan. I certainly respect people who make those choices, but I simply do not understand why they would choose to do so.

I am not the kind of person who chooses to limit myself. I am not a “live by a strict and narrow set of rules or die” kinda guy. I am far too young (and always will be!) to say, “Oh, I no longer need those experiences. I am happy with these experiences”.

However, I am also smart enough to know that people who choose to be vegetarian or vegan probably have a whole set of reasons for choosing it. And interestingly, these reasons probably have nothing to do with what I see as the limitations of these choices. While I would not say this makes me stupid. I'll admit it may make me uninformed.

That said, ironically, we eat vegetarian or vegan 2 or 3 nights a week. While I would never get on the “no-way, no-how” train, or jump through convoluted hoops to force some dish to be vegan, I do believe there are health benefits to “limiting” the amount of meat you eat.

Besides, there are so many beautiful foods and recipes I want to experience that just happen to be vegetarian or vegan. These foods and recipes are perfect just the way they are. Why would I limit myself from eating them? I wouldn’t… nor would I jump through convoluted hoops just to add meat to them.

Tonight’s dinner is a great example of this.

Layer 3, and another chance to show you just how useful and versatile our roast cipollines can be. The idea in layer 1 was to create oven roasted whole cipolline onions and garlic cloves as an ingredient or a condiment in a variety of dishes. It's something I do from time to time and a great culinary timesaver. In layer 1 we roasted the onions. In layer 2 we used them front and center in a spaghetti and clams recipe.

Today, layer 3,  is a good example of just what a life-saver these onions can be. Because it illustrates how a simple ingredient can change something from ordinary to spectacular with almost no effort. Now I love to cook and am not really a shortcut kind of guy. But sometimes outside factors weasel their way into your life and compromises must be made. But compromises need not take the form of the drive through window. Even when you are away from your own kitchen.

Because I am in San Diego. We came down here for a business obligation and decided to stay with friends for the night.  The plan was to sit on the terrace overlooking the water and eat a little something at sunset, then throw a tri tip on the grill, play a little wii bowling and hit the hay early in preparation for a very early business meeting.

December is nearly gone. This was my last trip to The Hollywood Farmers Market this year. There are many more gems of the December harvest. I had hoped to discuss more of them here.

Alas it shall not be!

So this week I am taking a short cut. I chose two ingredients for my weekly Market Matters discussion.

In case you don’t know I go to the Farmers Market every week. I look for fun, tasty and seasonal (at least seasonal to So Cal) produce to use in my kitchen.

I could not let December pass with out picking up some of the gorgeous walnuts grown here in California. But walnuts are not so unusual as a food item. You probably have plenty of inspiration about what to cook with walnuts! I doubt you need my help.