Not long after the sun rises the Saturday morning culinary foray commences at the Santa Barbara Harbor where a local fisherman is selling his wares of crabs and lobsters. Chef Laurence Hauben selects a spiny lobster to be used in the anticipated Warm Lobster Salad, on a bed of Spicy Greens with Lime Chipolte Cream.

Also on the menu are Fuyu Persimmon Salsa with Purple Corn Chips, Honeyed Mandarins, Roast Duck, Roasted Apples and Winter Greens and Eclairs au Café.

Hauben and her three guest students, myself included, are off to the Farmer’s Market where growers come from as close as the city to the Fresno area. Exploring the various stands we search for crisp leaves and bright colors. Carrots should not be limp. We’re talking carrots, silly. A degree of translucence indicates juiciness. Once we learn how to shop, preparation comes next, but for now, we are gathering our fresh produce.

Beets of various colors are displayed, perfect for an appetizer of beets carpaccio. Oh, that was what I ate at a restaurant, but not slated for the Foray Menu. It looked like we needed to take a leek. A long white section is said to be more tender than squat, heavy ones. I sample a persimmon for the first time. There appears to be more than one variety, one of which looks familiar to the New York market. It’s the other, smaller and redder variety that has a harder texture and quite sweet. However, we are told that they should not have a hint of green, and orange will be sweeter than yellow. Fuyu persimmons are being used for the salsa.

Non-bruised Mandarin oranges that feel heavy for their size are chosen, as they are an indication of high juice and sugar content. They will be used for the Honeyed Mandarins. We also find a variety of cauliflower, including gold and purple as well as romanesco, a type of broccoli whose florets look like Russian church spires. Herbs of all ilk are plentiful here at the market.

A few of the farmer’s products spark my attention. I had no idea that olives were grown in the region, let alone that you can purchase a great olive oil that may be more than equivalent to the Italian or Greek ilk. One in particular is Santa Barbara Olive Company. Did you know that green and black olives are the same olive?  Olives turn green, then acquire red spots and eventually turn black. A lye followed by a brine solution is used to cure most green olives, which takes several days. Black olives are cured with rock salt to remove the bitterness then best to further the great taste by pouring olive oil over them and placing them in an air tight jar.  Now you know why many of the black cured olives are so shriveled. Santa Barbara Olive Company has a great line of infused olive oils, as well as a variety of stuffed olives. www.sbolive.com

Pistachios have never tasted better than the ones produced by Santa Barbara Pistachio Company. Did you ever think that pistachio nuts are cracked open a bit before you eat them?  They actually open when ripened and are considered to be “raw” at that point. Here’s how it works. The ripened nuts are shaken from the trees onto a catching frame, never touching the ground. They are then loaded into containers and rushed to the processing plant, where they are hulled, dried, graded, sorted and put into refrigerated storage. SB pistachios have not been treated with pesticides and are hot-air dried rather than roasted. The company offers an array of flavored pistachios such as: Hickory Smoked; Lemon Zing and Red Hot Habanero. Talk about the best tasting trail mix, their Pistachio Berry Mix combines their Roasted Salted Pistachio Kernels with dried Rainier Cherries, Golden Raisins and dried Cranberries. All you great chefs out there, check out the pistachio oil and pistachio flour! www.santabarbarapistachios.com 

A vendor, Healthy Family Farms sells fresh organic Peking ducks. The duck was roasted with apples. Herbs such as sage and thyme were placed in the cavity as well as some diced fruit and onions. The duck was served with a pomegranate reduction made from fresh pomegranates and accompanied by the winter greens of chard, kale and mustard greens.  Eclairs au Café were created and served for the dessert course.

Chef Laurence Hauben conducts these fabulous forays on Saturday at a cost of $125 per person. This includes the guided shopping tour, hands-on cooking class followed by a five-course feast, paired with premium local wines, a cheese course and coffee. As well, a printed shopping guide and recipes are provided to participants. www.marketforays.com

Here is the chef’s recipe for Warm Lobster Salad with Rocky Canyon Bacon on a Bed of Spicy Greens with Lime Chipotle Cream. Enjoy!

Serves 5 as an appetizer, 4 as an elegant light main course

Salad ingredients: 1lb cooked tail meat from spiny lobsters (2 lobsters about 1 ½  lbs each), 6 cups spicy greens or Frisee endive, well rinsed and trimmed, 6 oz. Rocky Canyon bacon, diced, 2 Tbsp. minced shallots, 1 tsp. butter

Ingredients for Lime-Chipolte Cream (makes 16 ozs.)

1 ½ cups creama (at Mexican markets), ½ Tbsp grated lime zest, ½ cup fresh lime juice, 1 chile chipotle (canned chipotle in adobo are available at Mexican markets), 1 tsp. sugar

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Add ¼ cup minced scallions, ¼ cup minced parsley and process.

Bring water to a boil, plunge lobster into water head first, and boil for 7 minutes/pound. Cover with ice to cool if you are cooking them in advance.

Make the dressing.

Shell the lobster. Reserve shells to make a bisque. Slice the lobster meat into medallions about ¼ -inch thick.

Saute the bacon in butter with the shallots until tender, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, and gently toss the lobster medallions with the bacon.

Toss the greens with ½ the dressing. Mound on salad plates. Top with the lobster. Drizzle a little dressing around the salad. Sprinkle some shredded scallions and parsley on top of lobster and chanterelles.

Serve.