The yin and the yang of the new Greens Market culinary team is nothing short of amazing, exciting and fun. Imagine a giant garden and local suppliers of fresh produce supplying fresh treats and then takingthose season offerings and turning them into pastries, entrees, main courses, starters. Radishes show up? Then the menu has radishes. This is as close to culinary improvisation as it gets and the people of the greater Modesto area get to taste the results.
Chef Marvin Boden and Chef Tobias Diggs deliver a daily menu that would impress the whitest of white tablecloth restaurants, but can find its way to your tablecloth and will most definitely find a way into your heart and weekly schedule.
Let’s start with something savory shall we?
Chef Marvin honed his skills at the Culinary Academy in San Francisco. Growing up in San Diego, he was part of a big family and served as sous chef at his home kitchen for years, preparing thesalsas, rice and other supporting dishes. His personal tastes lean toward the Spanish and Latin flavors and prefers a tapas kind philosophy. He has opened restaurants in California and in Albuquerque and finally connected with Ann Endsley as she prepared to open her new concept market in Modesto at the corner of Needham and 10th St, that would be utilizing produce from her Four Season Farms and blend it with the freshest and tastiest food in the region. Chef Marvin was the perfect fit. Chef Marvin lives in Modesto with this wife and two kids, aged 2 and 10.
Inspired my many chefs, Chef Marvin likes the philosophy of Thomas Keller (French Laundry, Bouchon, etc) where the food needs to speak for itself and who sources the absolute best local products. He has a list of over 30 items like, beats, radishes, baby lettuce in season now and will evolve his menu as theseasons change. Chef Marvin and his team prepare a complete line of entrees daily, some that end of packaged for take away. Most are fresh, warm, and ready to be served on your table. Amaazing Salmon entrees, tasty chicken and a fabulous Porcaletta. One of his favorites is salad recipe posted in this article
There are vegan and veggie options prepared daily as well as a variety of side dishes and salads. It would take hours and hours to prepare the variety that you can quickly pick up for dinner prepared by Chef Marvin and the Greens team.
The Greens team are his servers and can help you pair your foods and make recommendations for the full meal completion. Needless to say, with all of this activity, his love of mountain biking and gym time are on hold for now as the Greens gets up to full speed.
When posed the traditional ModestoView question, Beatles or Stones, Chef Marvin was all Stones. His older brother pounded them into his head growing up and there they site today. He is getting his Satisfaction by creating wonderful things to eat.
And now for something sweet
Growing up in Berkeley, Chef Tobias Diggs had access to the most innovative cuisine in the world. The bakeries like Fat Apples, the produce, the anything goes culture leads to innovative thinking. As a kid, he loved to cook and making biscuits was his early training. Culinary Academy of San Francisco trained, Tobias was creating amazing pastries for the VillageBaking Company. A chance connection with Chef Marvin stopped Chef Tobias from taking his family and moving to Boston for a new food venture.
Pastries are a work of art, and the taste is so decadent. I have tasted and photographed pastries around the world and his offering is stellar. I confess I ate 3 of his croissants while I wrote this. Eating a pastry or a dessert is a reward, even for Chef Tobias, as there is a lot of waiting, baking, rising, so the final taste is a payoff.
Cheese Puffs, this is the treat that Chef Tobias enjoys the most and the one most demanded by his family of his wife (who also cooks) and 4 kids, ages 10,10,6 and 5. They also keep a steady request his cinnamon rolls, that you too can taste at Greens.
One of ModestoView’s favorite treats is the bread pudding. There are large ones, small ones and many flavors and even a French Toast bread pudding. (Yum) Chef Tobias loves to experiment with different fruits, Pink Lady apples and so much more. Bread pudding is the treat that you can snack on all day. Put it away, take a break and come back later. Chef Tobias wants a variety of different items, that is why you see one or two muffin flavors, but a wide range of different and interesting treats from Vanilla Cupcakes to Twice Baked Breakfast Burritos.
The Strawberry and rhubarb season is almost here and this will be a fantastic season at greens. Psst. Here is a secret that was leaked out of the kitchen, two words. “Ice cream” Stay Tuned.
So, finally, we asked Chef Tobias “the Question” Beatles or Stones, the answer was Beatles all the way. “Beatles songs are amazing and every song turns into a family sing-a-long”, quipped Chef Tobias.
Greens tasty food is prepared in the exhibition kitchen area at 953 10th St in downtown Modesto. This serves as their office and features two complete kitchens, one for Chef Marvin and one for pastry Chef Tobias. Our fingers are crossed for a future possible sit down restaurant, but for now,this kitchen is running at full speed serving up the savoriest and the sweetest treats.
www.greensmarket.net
1508 10th Street, Modesto, CA 95354
M-F: 7am to 7pm; S-S: 8am to 6pm
209.524.7336
Baked Apricots
- 1 1/2 c. Brown Sugar
- 4 oz. Butter
- pinch Salt
- pinch Nutmeg
- pinch Cinnamon
- 1/2 c. Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 c. Water
- 18 ea. Apricots cut in half
- Combine granulated sugar and water in a small sauce pot and bring to a boil to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat.
- Combine brown sugar, butter, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a small mixing bowl and mix together by hand until it comes together and there are pea sized chunks of butter.
- Place apricots in bottom of a hotel pan and add sugar mixture on the bottom.
- Pat the brown sugar/butter mixture on top of each apricot and bake at 350° until the apricots just start to soften, about 15 minutes.
Fiddlehead Fern and Morel Salad
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 8 ounces morels, halved lengthwise and rinsed
- 8 ounces fiddlehead ferns, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons walnut oil, more for drizzling
- 2 tablespoons walnut vinegar (preferably Vilux), or Banyuls,
- 1 tablespoon premium quality aged balsamic vinegar, more for drizzling
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Aged Gouda, or aged Parmesan, Pecorino or other dry, sharp cheese.
- Melt butter in a medium skillet over low heat and add mushrooms. Sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Fill a pot with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Set aside a bowl of ice water. Add ferns to boiling water and simmer for 1 minute. Drain and immediately transfer to ice water to chill. Drain again.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine mushrooms, ferns, oil, 2 tablespoons walnut vinegar and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar. Toss well, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Arrange equal portions of salad in center of six plates. Drizzle a little oil and balsamic vinegar in a circle around each salad, and shave a few slices of cheese on top.
