Harvesting the Artichoke
I pass by artichokes at the market, gazing at them, deciding if I want to take them on. They’re really not that much work but I can get lazy when it comes to artichokes. This past weekend I was at a friend’s dinner where Sicilian Chef Joe from Reno made fried artichoke hearts. They were [...]
Quince Slices You’ll Love
Quince is definitely not the easiest fruit to work with but if you’re willing to put some effort into it, it’s worth the eating reward. I’m finding I like this darn hard fruit more and more. I keep getting grocery bags full of seasonal fruit from various friends and just got one with the largest [...]
A Donut for the Ambivalent
Rumor on the street is donuts are back. How unexpected stumbling upon a Times Magazine article indicating such. And I, one who doesn’t like donuts happened to try a very worthy gluten-free donut earlier this week. I was approached by the frozen food buyer, Jose at Whole Foods Market in Sacramento. His extended hand holding [...]
Using the Harvest: English Peas with Romesco and Mint
English Peas with Romesco and Mint, a.k.a, Guisantes Tiernos al Romesco is a tantalizing tapas dish.
Using the Harvest: Magenta Pasta with Beets
The backyard garden is bursting with beets! I’ve mostly roasted them, juiced them and enjoyed them raw (grated) in salads. Searching for something different, I remembered my friend Marilyn, a.k.a. the Xotic Doc sharing a pasta dish with beets. Delighted and surprised I was by the dazzling color and earthly sweet flavors in this dish, [...]
Using the Harvest: Chickpea and Spinach Stew
I harvested the last of my Bordeaux spinach the other day and wanted to make something special. You see it blessed us with abundance for about six weeks. It just kept growing and growing. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten as much spinach as this year. This dish comes from José Andrés with a Moorish [...]
Using the Harvest: Mint
While I love butternut squash soup made any style, I periodically look for things to substitute for squash. What will make it silky smooth and make me feel warm, good and satiated? I found the following recipe that called for sweet potatoes. I had yams on hand (technically different but basically the same thing in [...]
