Fresh bay leaves in San Diego?
So this kind of entertaining article showed up on my Facebook feed today: the writer asked about at least a dozen NY chefs if they thought that "bay leaves are bulls**t". None of them said an unequivocal yes, but a few of them said that the stale dried out ones sitting in the pantry since 1996 might be. Also, many of them said that fresh bay leaves were the way to go. I am afraid to say that I am fairly well acquainted with the stale, dried variety, but I have never in my life seen or used fresh bay leaves, and this mention of them piqued my interest. Trouble is I've never seen them anywhere in San Diego (not that I've really looked). I can find them online but I'd rather find them at a retailer or farmers market if I can (it's a rather large amount that's available online). Anyone have any ideas about where I might find them in San Diego? (Btw, I am not intending to start my own debate here about whether or not bay leaves are bulls**t; I don't think they are. I'd just like to see if I can find some fresh ones to try.). Thanks in advance!
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I think the fresh herb has a much more vibrant flavor compared to the dried stuff, but I suppose I only buy it from the same place...
My mother in law who lives in the Italian Riveria, just goes outside and picks it from the trees that grow all around the village. I can get it fresh at my supermarket, but I also recently purchased a tree. They are really hardy in Meditterrean type climates. You can obviously use it to cook, and I think it makes a really pretty hedge/tree.
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/plant-sweet-bay-tree-39585.html
http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/03/ask-the-food-lab-whats-the-point-of-bay-leaves.html
I've been gifted fresh bay leaves from time to time by others. I'm here in California, so I'm assuming that these are California bay leaves instead of the typical Mediterranean ones that are normal to grocery stores.
It should be pointed out that the bay leaves have been used in culinary applications since the ancient Greeks and undoubtedly used dried at times.