Do you know where your food came from?

another sunny day

2012-01-11T13:25:00.000-08:00

So dry….going to have to water again. Although mercury is reading pretty low, it is alluring enough to want to be outside all day working in the yard or the school gardens with sun on your back and the earth in your hands. I do love the satisfaction of clipping things with sharp clippers. Trees that need pruning, roses that have succumbed finally to cold weather while fooling only myself that it is ok, clipping the dead frozen ugly detritus left hanging over tender new growth that you are not supposed to cut to protect said new growth but sometimes it just happens as I look incredulously on at my gloved hands in motion as my compost bin fills, again.
Our full moon has been pretty amazing this month leading me to believe that it has to be a good time to throw some more seeds in the ground and separate bulbs for late spring and summer blooms. Carrots, chard, kale, onions, broccoli raab, broccolini, cabbage, mustard greens, snow peas, sweet peas, lettuce, arugula, watermelon radishes, parsley along with other herbs and plants are thriving in the College Park and Diablo Day organic gardens. As I gaze hungrily upon the astounding hues of greens, blues, reds and gold contrasting with reddish brown compost and mulch in my gardens, it gives eye candy a newer, sexier meaning if you are into the dirt, food porn, garden thing. Toss in a heartbreakingly blue sky and you have a perfectly visceral kind of day where you feel your nerve endings singing joyfully….except for the fact that we have had a lot of them good days due to no rain which is not good. I was reading about uncontrollable floods and crazy rains in Texas this week. Isn’t that something that this past spring we were inundated with rain and snow and Texas was experiencing their worst drought in decades and now they are under the rain cloud and we just keep on partying under blue skies?
Usually when it is this chilly there is rain or some low, hazy clouds drearying up the place so all I want to do is be inside curled up with my cats reading and making soup. Because it is so cold I am still manically making soup…..everyday…I have the cleanest reefer this side of Hawaii where it is so warm they don’t want to make a lot of soup all the time there by cleaning out all the veggies from the reef. So far my favorites are extremely simple and so tasty I am left craving more. Once I get on a thing I stay there for awhile too. Anyone else do that? I am loving vegetables of the green and leafy varieties and am really just sort of simmering them with chicken or veg stock and cubed sweet potatoes. Everything chopped up, thrown in pot, covered with stock, simmer until softish, season with Braggs Amino Acids, done. Bizarre yet wonderful if you are of the hot/cold ilk is the soup poured over chopped fresh Napa cabbage, arugula and lettuce mix. Squeeze lemon juice over and drizzle with amazing olive oil. California hippy girl pho. Take it a step further and fry or poach an egg or two very soft and drop on top of all. When the yolk opens into the concoction it creates the magic sauce that yolks are well known for creating a slurper who does not give a shit if found with egg on her face.
Made some pretty incredible protein bars for a health fair this weekend. My son tasted them and very dead pan serious said “these cannot be good for you”. They are! Vegan and gluten free with brown rice syrup for the sweetener. Even my dad like them. Saying a lot. You can cut whatever size you want. They are really great for taking with you when you know you are not going to be able to eat at the right time before the growling, low blood sugar thing hits. Also better than any junk food for a snack. Just like those kale chips!! Peace and white light universally my friends.

2 cups sunflower butter or peanut butter or half and half, available at your health food store or Trader Joes
1 c. organic brown rice syrup (whole foods)
4 scoops Arbonne Vanilla all-vegan protein powder ( I used ½ vanilla and half chocolate protein powder and you can use any kind I just use Arbonne cause I like it and peddle it to knowing friends)
2 scoops Arbonne fiber booster (also can use any fiber powder you like)
4 cups organic brown rice crispy cereal
¾ cup good earth tea or any tea you like but I love the cinnamon taste here. Most importantly is to get that liquid in there. It could also be almond milk or whatever your imagination dreams up

Directions:
Mix cereal, protein & fiber.
Heat syrup, tea & nut butter until liquefied.
Pour over cereal mixture.
Turn out evenly into a 9X13 dish. Press it down evenly. I used a little baking roller to get it distributed evenly and flat.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour before cutting into squares. You can cut whatever size you like. I did one to two bite sized pieces. Keep airtight and refrigerated. Will last really well for a week or so then they tend to get a little dry but are still very tasty.

Where did that come from??

2012-01-06T20:19:00.000-08:00

Uncharacteristically quiet, after a month or more of holiday noise, the pounds have appeared in the form of a weird feeling padded middle ring around my waist and inner thighs with warmth retaining fat. How did that happen?? Wasn’t I paying close attention?? No, wait, that was November and now it is January. The month of atonement for food sins as it were. I may have gone a little over board here. We had a challenge at my gym, Step it up Studios in Pleasant Hill, to see who could do the most classes between Thanksgiving and New Years Day. It seemed like a good enough time to crank up the almost 54 year old metabolism so I jumped in with both feet. And won. I did almost 70 classes between those days. It was pretty crazy because I was hip deep into holiday catering too. Worked out though and I am sporting the new athletic shoes that were the prize to prove it. Not being content with the win I am still going to as many classes as I can and started going to a brand new strength training thing with a child teacher once a week. Being an already pretty in shape person who hikes the surrounding hills a lot I figured I got this. After the first half hour my lungs felt like they were coming out of my chest. It does pay to cross train. It also pays to clean out your system once in awhile. Holidays do something to my already wacked out mind and for some reason I feel it is ok to devour a lot of cookies and candy. And cheese and crackers. And wine, lots of wine, bubbly, red, white, whatever with maybe a martini or two just for the holidays thrown down the gullet. Maybe Baileys and coffee, but wait, I don’t drink coffee. Whatever….it’s the holidays.
Cleaning out to me means going paleo. No dairy, no sugar, no gluten. What do I eat then you may wonder if there is a you out there that is even reading this. I have a protein shake with water, protein powder, fruit of some kind, frozen spinach, a few almonds and blitz w/ ice. Tastes amazing and is a filler upper cause it is big. Works perfectly for a morning work out person or a morning donut and coffee on the way to work person because it will stay with you for a few hours. I eat a big salad with lemon juice and olive oil dressing and another protein shake for lunch along with some kale chips to take the snack edge off and act sort of like a crouton gluten thing without the bloat. That usually will last another few hours to get me through until 3 or 4. Then I have another big salad this time with garbanzo beans and avocado and cukes, whatever I have but with some protein on it, a huge portion of some kind of sautéed greens that I actually sort of steam in chicken or veg broth and then the broth from the greens. I always drink copious amounts of water but also that Good Earth tea. I’m addicted to it and drink it all day long. I hope no one tells me anything bad about it….If I feel I need anything else I have a Satsuma mandarin or some berries if they are good at the farmers market still which at this date they weirdly enough are. By getting all this in before 7 pm I always get clean and lose a few pounds to boot. I have been cleaning out for almost a week and not only am I human again but I actually have a small pimple on my chin…toxins leaving…aaahhhh. I will do this for 28 days to make my habit because I am a sugar junkie and need to retrain that beast every once in awhile and show her who is the boss of what…or who…or whatever.
Sounds fanatical you say but if you do a good organic shop at the farmers market and get some good organic broth and meats, best if it is wild caught fish or something pretty clean, organic chicken but the message is really that if you want to make a change in your life, cause this will change your life….you will feel better, look better and have better sex, is to make a plan and follow through with it. It is only 28 days or as long as it takes for you to gain control again. Did I mention that alcohol is not a really good thing to have for this month either?? Oh well just buck up and get off the nipple for a minute and it aint nearly as difficult as getting off the sugar. Actually the first time I did this a couple of years ago the hardest thing to back away from was cheese. I did lose a good 30 pounds though and have kept it at bay by pretty much trying to keep it at an 80 – 20 sort of thing. So 20 percent of the time I let the cheese, sugar and wine get in but I do feel it in my body when I succumb. I guess I just disconnected through December with my absolute drive and determination to get those shoes…..best that I get to using them now. Happy New Year.
Saturday January 7th there is going to be a health fair at my gym Step it up Studios, it is not my gym it is where I go to work out every damn day, and I will be doing cooking demo’s with the kale recipes below as well as a fun little protein bar I made. Lots of other vendors as well as some zumba and booty beat classes and weight training tours etc…
Step it up studios Health fair
2685 Pleasant Hill Road # b and c from 1 to 4 pm
925 348 1735 http://stepitupstudios.com/

Sautéed Kale
Separate and wash 1-2 bunches kale
1 T olive or coconut oil
¼ cup vegetable stock
3 cloves garlic - chopped
Slice kale into ½ inch pieces
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in sauté pan over medium heat and toss kale in pan. Sauté 3 to 4 minutes. Add vegetable stock and finish cooking until kale is limp but still colorful. Season with sea salt to taste. Drizzle rice vinegar over to taste if desired,

Kale Chips
Preheat oven to 300
Tear kale 1 bunch of any kind of kale into chip sized pieces, separating from the ribs as you go. Wash kale and spin dry in a salad spinner so that oil will adhere for even roasting. Toss with a small amount, 1 teaspoon or so, olive oil and season w/ sea salt. Place kale chips on parchment covered cookie sheets and bake for 12 to 17 minutes tossing chips ½ ways through to redistribute on baking tray. You can use any seasonings you like on the chips before baking as well as salt. Nutritional yeast is a great alternative to salt and adds a wonderful flavor as well as nutrients.

Fresh Kale Salad w/ Pomegranate Arils
1 large bunch kale of any kind, sliced and washed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice and zest of 1 to 2 lemons
½ cup arils
1 Fuyu persimmon, sliced
1 bunch green onions, sliced
Sea salt and pepper to taste or Braggs Amino Acids to taste
Toss kale, arils, persimmon and green onions in a large salad bowl. Drizzle on lemon juice, zest and olive oil and toss well. Season w/ Braggs or salt. Let sit a few minutes to gently “cook” the kale for a few minutes or up to an hour before serving.

2011-12-20T21:52:00.000-08:00

Hot off the presses the 2012 Farmers Market Lovers Calendar has arrived on newsstands everywhere. Well almost everywhere. I mean at least they are on the worldwide web at www.lesleystilesfoods.com. Once again Dave’s amazing watercolors of seasonal fruits and vegetables found at farmers markets and a few mouthwatering, provocative recipes for each month.
Locally they can be found at ORCHARD NURSERY & FLORIST 4010 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Lafayette, CA 94549 (925) 284-4474 www.orchardnursery.com
At Orinda Books 276 Village Square , Orinda, CA 94563 Store (925) 254-7606 ... www.orindabooks.com
The Gardener 1836 Fourth Street, Berkeley, California 94710
510.548.4545 | Fax 510.548.6357 berkeley@thegardener.com
Also at Mrs. Dalloway’s in Berkeley and Across the Way (Ace Hardware Moraga)
You can also find us bundled up selling them Saturdays at the Diablo Valley Farmers Market in the Kaiser Shadelands parking lot from 9or 10 am to 1 in Walnut Creek and at the Moraga Farmers Market on Sundays in the Moraga Commons parking lot from 9 or 10 to 1. If you are local, I will deliver in time for Christmas. Just e-mail me at lesleystiles@comcast.net.
They make a great hostess gift for holiday parties under $20 and are great for the fruit and veggie farmers’ market gourmet cookin, art lovin peoples in your family.

Depending on your frame of mind, holiday season can either be a warm glow, uncontrolled baking and hugging time of the year or an overwhelming, anxiety producing, grumpy and depressing time of year. Pondering the frame of mind thing, perhaps the concept of “I’m the boss of me” and can decide how you want to navigate the tunnel of December. Two items of interest loom large in the 99%’s minds. Most notable, the expense and pressure of gift giving as well as taking the time to take care of ourselves while taking care of everyone else’s incredibly pressing needs at the same time.
Excellent strategies for maintaining a smile on your face and a strong, clear grip on your happy place this month are many and varied. Large quantities of the latest and greatest expensive gifts take a back seat in our family while the concept of community and generosity loom large. Having a family where the number 30 would be the quantity of my immediate family, brothers, sisters, in-laws, nephews, we only grow boys round here, and parents, we came up long ago with a fabulous plan for gifts. We go the old secret Santa route. You set the limit on price amongst yourselves. What evolved from this initial money saving strategy is what it is really all about, family and friends sharing quality time with each other. Our clan is so big that it takes hours to complete the process and by that end time we have had an amazing cooperative (key strategy word) dinner and an evening filled with love and laughs. No pressure, unless my rule about not bringing cheap wine counts.
If one polled all friends that gift each other during the holiday season the answer would be the same from dang near all. Don’t do it! I know everyone can’t make jam to give out to friends and teachers but everyone can come up with a card that wishes happy holidays to all and a nice line about how your family is giving to the community this year. This could be in the form of volunteering at the food bank, Monument Crisis Nursery, Christmas for Everyone, or sorting items at your church or school. It does not have to cost money, only a bit of your time. Crazy side effect of the give back: it is relaxing.
Banish the holiday binge victim living inside all of us with a strategy. That word again. Always take a food that you want to eat to a potluck or buffet party. Possibly a lusciously steaming pot of butternut squash soup, an amazing winter grain dish, seasonal roasted veggies or simply a big basket of Satsuma mandarins from the farmers market for people to grab. Flavored soda water is great to space out the wine creating an even happier person the next day. Eat something healthy and filling before you go if you are worried about party offerings and feel the power of preventing madness and anxiety and notice the sweet smile of satisfaction on your face knowing that you are indeed the boss of you.
As always, get out and walk or Zumba or Booty Boogie or Pilate or yoga or anything to get the heart pumping and blood flowing through your calm, beautiful, serene and peaceful body and mind. Let your love light shine out to everyone. Permeate those nooks and crannies with joy. Take an old person to lunch. Give the will work for food person a buck. Sing loud. Eat plenty of chocolate in nice forms. French kiss someone. Hug your teenager. Love you.

Peace
Butternut Squash and Herb Pasta
This is really quick and yummy pasta but you could also substitute quinoa, rice, faro or any other grain that you love. Feel free to add as many veggies as you like!

1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper
1 pound whole wheat or brown rice pasta
1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Handful fresh chopped herbs such as parsley, oregano, basil
½ to ¾ cup vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup grated cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Toss squash with olive oil, salt and garlic and roast in a *400 oven for 20 minutes. Cook pasta in salted boiling water to al dente. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan and add onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Toss cooked pasta, squash and stock in and mix until heated through. Add herbs and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with cheese. Serves 4 to 6.

Persimmon Cookies
Fantastic for gift giving as they hold well layered w/ waxed paper or parchment in tins or plastic ware.
Makes 50 cookies

1 cup butter
¾ cup molasses sugar (from Trader Joes) or turbinado or brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
11/4 cup peeled and chopped persimmon (about 2 large or 3 small persimmons)
21/2 cups wheat flour
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons fresh ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1 cup chopped and toasted walnuts
1 cup raisins (the dried Thompson Seedless grapes from the Farmers’ Market are awesome)

Preheat oven to 350* and spray cookie sheets with canola oil or line with parchment paper.
Mix flour, salt, soda and spices together and set aside.
Combine butter and sugars and beat until smooth.
Add the egg and persimmon pulp and beat well.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until incorporated.
Add the raisins and nuts and mix until incorporated.
Drop by spoonfuls onto the cookie sheets and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
These cookies are cake like and will seem too soft but pull them out anyway as they will be nice and moist.

As avocados are featured this month on the 2011 calendar here are a couple of tantalizing cheesecakes containing avocado in them.
Avocado cheesecake with Walnut Crust
3/4 cup shelled walnuts
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon crushed anise seeds
2T melted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 fully ripened avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and diced
8 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut in pieces
Heat oven to 350°F. In food processor, pulse walnuts until finely ground. Add graham cracker crumbs, 1 tablespoon sugar, anise seeds and salt; pulse just until combined. Add 2 tablespoons butter; pulse until ingredients are thoroughly combined and resemble wet sand. Press into bottom of an 8 1/2-inch springform pan. Bake 20 minutes; cool completely.

In measuring cup or small bowl, combine gelatin with 2 tablespoons water; let stand for 5 minutes. In saucepan, combine milk, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla and lemon zest; bring to boil. Add gelatin; simmer until gelatin has completely dissolved, about 1 minute. In food processor, combine avocados and cream cheese. Pour hot milk mixture into processor; process until very smooth. Pour into baked crust; cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or until set. Remove side of pan; cut cheesecake into 10 slices. Serve with raspberry sauce, if desired.

Avocado Cheesecake
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
Put almonds into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter, and pulse until just blended. Press crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan. Set aside.

16 ounces of cream cheese
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 medium sized avocados
2 teaspoons of lime zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon rum
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a mixer combine cream cheese and sugar, and blend until smooth. Add eggs one at a time until they are incorporated into the batter.
Place avocados into a food processor, and pulse until they are smooth, add lime zest, lime juice, rum, and sour cream, and pulse until you have a uniform mixture, add the avocado mixture into the cream cheese, and mix well. Pour into spring form pan. Bake for 45 minutes, check to see if the cheesecake is set, it should still have a small jiggle in the middle when you bump the pan.
Remove from oven, and cool completely on a rack.

What??! Another Calendar??

2010-11-10T20:26:00.000-08:00

Hot off the presses the 2011 Farmers Market Lovers Calendar has arrived on newsstands everywhere. Well almost everywhere. I mean at least they are on the worldwide web, 2 places! www.lesleystilesfoods.com and www.hardscratchpress.com. Once again Dave’s amazing watercolors of seasonal fruits and vegetables found at farmers markets and a few mouthwatering, provocative recipes for each month.

Locally they can be found at ORCHARD NURSERY & FLORIST 4010 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Lafayette, CA 94549 (925) 284-4474 www.orchardnursery.com

At Orinda Books 276 Village Square , Orinda, CA 94563 Store (925) 254-7606 ... www.orindabooks.com

The Gardener 1836 Fourth Street, Berkeley, California 94710
510.548.4545 | Fax 510.548.6357 berkeley@thegardener.com

You can also find us bundled up selling them Saturdays at the Diablo Valley Farmers Market in the Kaiser Shadelands parking lot from 9 to 1 in Walnut Creek and at the Moraga Farmers Market on Sundays in the Moraga Commons parking lot from 9 to 1.
They make a great hostess gift for holiday parties under $20 and are great for the fruit and veggie farmers’ market gourmet cookin, art lovin peoples in your family.

Shorter days and dropping mercury set the stage for stellar winter gardens and this year with our much extended warm autumn winter gardens should be better than ever. At all of our school gardens we had an amazing Community Service Day in Pleasant Hill in September with crews of tireless volunteers making light work of weeding, pruning, laying mulch, filling boxes with amendments’ and compost rendering these school gardens kid planting ready for year round crops. Broccoli, snow peas, cauliflower, chards, kales, peas, onions, garlic, carrots, beets, radishes, lettuces and greens, all student planted, tucked in for winter ready to lay some fresh vegetable goodness on us in a month or two. Already lettuce and arugula have made it into the salad bowl with abundant fresh herbs.

We harvested a bushel basket of potatoes from the College Park garden memorably scarlet, rose and purple and sautéed them with the onions we had planted last year. Special Ed students gingerly slicing them up to toss into a pan of sizzling olive oil instantly transporting teachers, aids and students to a cozy, heartwarming happy place just with the heady scent. If you have never tasted fresh dug potatoes, you ought to ford valley and stream to get you some. They are completely different from a store bought variety. Starches are almost non existent and even cooked well new potatoes have a crunch and snap to them with a clean finish reminiscent of water chestnuts.

Apples played a starring role in the Diablo Community Day School lunchroom this week. Comparative tastings prove to be a priceless tool illustrating to students different varieties of apples, all the same fruit, with amazingly varied flavors, textures, colors and names. We tasted them on Golden russet apples from 1750 eastern US as well as Dutch rooted apples from 1648 and pink tinged Grenadine among many others. Students’ rate whether they like, dislike or are ok with each apple and use these figures to determine percentages in their math classes. Tastings definitely do double duty for Stephanie and I cementing the true knowledge that we are both multi tasking control freaks and project this on all of our captive students by bribing them with food.

The Bridge Program at Loma Vista Adult Ed organic garden as well as Diablo Day School Organic Garden do not have the support of a traditional parent teacher club consequently leaving us without a steady budget for our nefarious activities in the gardens and kitchens at these school so we hosted a fundraiser dinner in conjunction with Slow Food Delta Diablo, sort of an underground thing which I am into these days, at Steph and John’s house the other night. We could fit 22 people and charged $50 a piece and it was sold out before we could even advertise it. I cooked for it and the girls all served and it was a blast. We sold lavender sachets that the students at College Park made from their own lavender plants as well as doggie treats that the students at The Bridge Program made. We almost made our budget for one of the schools so now we just need to get the dough for the other one going. Expect news of another dinner in January and a wine tasting event at Periscope Cellars in March.

Fuyu persimmons, apples, pomegranates, kale, chard, cauliflower, broc, carrots, beets, grapes, current crop nuts….just a few of the amazing items to be found at the winter farmers market currently. Get out and get some goodness flowing through your veins and opening your heart and mind to wonder and success, joy and passion. Support the farmers and maybe pick up one of those dang calendars.

Faro or Spelt as it is also known is the whole grain of the wheat berry. When cooked until soft it makes a great foil for salads or sides not to mention an awesomely nutritious vegetarian main dish. Mixed together with rice and quinoa, well draw your own conclusions when you taste the combo…you will not be disappointed!

Quinoa, Faro and Brown Rice Pilaf w/ Sautéed Seasonal Vegetables and Herbs
½ cup quinoa
½ cup brown rice
½ cup faro
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into medium sized cubes
2 carrots, chunked
2 golden beets, peeled and cubed
1 bunch cauliflower, broken into flowerets
1 bunch broccoli, broken into flowerets
1 bunch Swiss chard or kale, sliced thin
¼ cup of chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, tarragon, thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook quinoa, rice and faro separately as directed. Sauté onion and garlic in oil until slightly caramelized. Add in squash, carrots and beets, broccoli and cauliflower. Sauté for 4 minutes. Add broth and simmer covered for about 5 more minutes until vegetables are tender. Add grains, greens and herbs to vegetables and heat through. Season to taste. Serves 6.

This is so easy my son makes it regularly. It is so tummy warming that you will swoon and sigh heavily.
Cauliflower Soup
1 large head cauliflower, core removed and chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
½ cup ½ and ½ or unsweetened almond milk
½ teaspoon fresh curry powder or garam masala or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until slightly caramelized. Add cauliflower and sauté for a few more minutes. Add stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes until cauliflower is soft. Blend with an immersion blender or in a blender cup and add ½ and ½ or almond milk. Bring back to a simmer. Remove from heat and season with spices, salt and pepper.Makes 4 nice servings.
Alternatively add a large chopped yellow potato along with cauliflower and omit cream. Can be garnished with a nice grated cheese.

Jammin on my mind

2010-09-04T22:40:00.000-07:00

Life is an amazing joyride and there are many things that I am eternally grateful for but I have to say that the sound of lids popping on newly crafted jars of jam is something that never fails to turn me on. Working the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market today netted me not only a fantastic day of rapture among dazzlingly blue skies of San Francisco amidst scads of enthusiastic holiday crowds of clever planners of the Labor Day pic nics and bar-b-quer’s, but it also crowned me the joyous receiver of masses of Knoll Farms Brown turkey figs not quite strong enough to endure another week of cold storage. Criminal to let even one of these savage, slippery, sensuous fruits go to waste, in my mind meant a full blown session of preserving summer in a jar. Having been the fortunate receiver of yet another farmers extra blackberries, my mind went to a sweet place of combining love with love and ending up with bejeweled jars, lids popping, on my counter. On yet another scorching summer evening as the sweat inched down my spine I was suddenly and profoundly filled with longing, my mind a swirl with ideas to incorporate this enticing concoction into all manner of dishes and treats for my loyal as well as savvy catering clients.

I had the good fortune to run into June Taylor, preserve queen of the East Bay, while she was procuring only the best figs for her jam from our stand. She truly inspired me to get jamming. No pectin in these jars either and they set up thanks to a divine recipe from Marie Simmons, critically acclaimed author of Fig Heaven, among many award winning cook books. Even non fig fanatics should own this book for the plethora of inspirational recipes containing the ancient internal blooming fruit.

Kristie also had a boatload of dry farmed Early Girl tomatoes to unload so tomato sauce is next utilizing fresh velvety chartreuse basil as well as celery, onions, thyme and oregano from my garden. Pickles are also on the agenda in the very near future.

Even though it has been a cool summer or maybe because of it, I have an incredible amount of luscious vegetables smiling at me all day long from my rich dirt. Our College Park High School Organic garden is a bit of an end of summer mess but beneath the sunflower and hollyhock jungles one will stumble upon elongated, smooth, perfect Japanese eggplants, pumpkins, 3 or 4 different kinds of tomatoes, strawberries, loads of figs, basil, amaranth, potatoes, literally bushes of thyme and tarragon, squash, apples and more all started from seeds in our greenhouse by the special day students we are fortunate to be able to name ourselves helpers to at the school.
On September 25 from 9 am until whenever we are having Pleasant Hill Community Service Day and College Park’s garden is on the list of projects. We will be weeding, taking down some of the flower jungles, replanting our strawberry beds, laying mulch in pathways and topping off other beds with compost and just generally getting our garden ready for the kids to get the winter garden in. If you want to help or just come down and revel in the joy of the scene, do it! Let me now if you want to come or if you need more info about the eventful day.

As the weather shifts and the air gets that quality to it that literally makes love to your skin as you move through it, allow yourself to be mindful of all our blessings of Northern California produce at our many farmers markets and gardens everywhere and take a flying leap into the realm of home preservation to discover the sound of that popping lid and then you tell me it don’t get you just a bit sexy and riled up.

As always I must mention taking a hike in the hills surrounding us. Last week we spotted a mountain lion on the Pine Tree trail in Briones. Amazing. We have seen owls, hawks, tarantulas, great blue herons and on just about every hike this summer our adrenalin level has been greatly elevated by sighting, hearing or sensing a rattlesnake. All just in Briones, just in our back yards and available to everyone that gets out there, taking a look and reveling in the season change.
And for Gods sake get some figs down yer gullet!

Marie Simmons Fresh Fig, Lemon and Strawberry Jam
(I used blackberries in place of the strawberries)
1 ½ pounds ripe figs, any variety, stems trimmed and cut into ½ inch pieces
2 pints fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
2 ½ cups sugar
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
½ lemon, cut lengthwise, quartered, seeds and white pithy center removed, cut crosswise into thin slices

In a large, heavy non-reactive skillet, combine figs, strawberries, sugar, lemons and lemon juice. Mash fruit with a potato masher. Let stand for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Bring fruit mixture to a boil over medium high heat, stirring often. Lower heat to medium low and gently boil jam, stirring often to prevent scorching, until thickened, about 20 to 30 minutes. About halfway through the cooking time, use a large metal spoon to skim off any white foam that has accumulated on the surface.

Ladle hot jam through a wide mouthed funnel into 6 sterilized half pint jars. Process in a water bath 10 minutes or simply cover with lids and screws and keep refrigerated.

An evening at the Underground Farmers Market

2010-08-07T22:12:00.000-07:00

S F Forage keeps popping up in my consciousness or e-mail box, quite predictably peaking my curiosity, so when I got the secret e-mail regarding the date and location of the “underground” farmers market I could not resist the pull, but I did. Then my friend Gigi called and said she was going to the East Bay one, they also have it in S F, so I went. Very interesting indeed. Having been a part of helping organize above ground farmers markets for a long time I wanted to know what the difference was, plus it stirred my competitive ire. When I asked the folks at Forage SF, via their website, what the difference was, it really was only differentiated by the permit processes that choke a good deal of crazy inventive and mega talented chefs, bakers and food producers. To sell at a regular farmers market you need proof of a permitted commercial kitchen to produce your food in according to all health codes. You also have to follow a whole host of sometimes ridiculous rules. This can be not only intimidating but expensive as well and incredibly inconvenient to boot. At the underground market you do not go through this process. As I was explaining this to my Dad, he voiced the thought we all had upon first hearing of this which is, in a word, yuk.

At the last minute we were given the location, an auto dealer parking yard at Broadway and 24th in Oakland. Intriguing. When we rounded the corner off Broadway we were greeted with a long line outside of a gate. On the inside of the gate were several hundred people milling about and probably about 50 vendors peddling their wares. After scouting a parking spot, we waited in a pretty swift moving queue and paid two bucks at the gate to get in. Scents wafting about our heads kept us in that line salivating, anticipating gastronomies’ delights. First we encountered these amazing vegan chocolate and lavender cupcakes and truffles, beautifully and professionally decorated. Meringue sandwich cookies, chocolate chip cookies, handmade breads, caramel and fluer de sel ice cream, basil ice cream, more luscious cupcakes, enough sweet stuff to make you feel high just looking. I succumbed to a delightfully tiny coconut and vanilla bean cupcake. My eyes blurred and I had to stop Gigi and Kelly to make them take a bit. Amazingly and surprisingly it tasted as good as it looked. Most baked goods, in my opinion, do not and are not worth the calories. We tasted kombucha, a fermented drink with intestinal healing qualities that we quickly realized we would need if we tasted too much more. Heirloom tomatoes layered in a Chinese take out container with hand made fresh ricotta, basil sprouts and olive oil topped with a crack of black pepper was the best savory food to my palate although there was a really nice lentil and lentil sprout dish that was a close second. Things I did not taste but can only imagine were really good were the macaroni and cheese with homemade hotdogs, sharp cheddar and salty potato chips sprinkled on top. These guys had a long line as did the jerk chicken people, the slider people and the ever present pulled pork people. All organic, hormone free, fresh made buns, fresh made mustard and ketchup etcetera. We tasted a tamale with black beans and quinoa that was great and there was even a stand selling raclette melted under an ingenious machine imported from Switzerland gooed over the top of garlic and olive oil roasted Yellow Finn potatoes and cornichons. Also present at many booths were the jams and jellies representing peak season in California. One fascinating to observe hippy guy was concocting these cones made of flax seed and spices with yummy salads and pastes inside drizzled with his special tamarind sauce. I did not see anything yucky, nefarious doings or anything dirty or not at the temperature it should be at. Plus there was really good beer on tap.

Live music was setting up to play when we finally left after 8 pm. They were going to 10 pm and the party was getting started.

I did not see anywhere any fresh produce though. Apparently there was an earlier market that was all produce and this was the all food one. Vendors are strictly screened and pay fifty bucks a pop to appear in the underground market. They all said that it was indeed a circuit and they knew all the vitals well ahead and that there was always a line around the block at all the markets. It was a fun experience and I will go again when a certain secret e-mail drops almost as if by a Hogwarts owl into my box.

Some summer recipes…..

Fresh Corn and Tomato Risotto
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, chopped fine
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 cups Aborio rice
1 cup white wine
7 to eight cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 cups fresh corn cut off the cob
1 cup chopped fresh heirloom tomatoes, your choice
½ bunch chopped fresh basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Manchego cheese for grating on top

In a medium saucepan, heat the stock. Heat olive oil in a wide heavy pan. Add the onion and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes and add the rice. Sauté the rice until opaque in color. Add the wine and let simmer for a minute. Add the stock a ½ cup at a time allowing it to absorb after each addition stirring constantly. The rice will become creamy. Taste occasionally to check for tenderness. Add tomatoes and basil and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with cheese. Serve at once.
Serves 4 to 6.

Grilled Peaches w/ Fresh Mozzarella and Balsamic
3 pounds fresh peaches, peeled and halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound fresh mozzarella
½ cup basil leaves
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Toss the peaches in olive oil and set on a hot grill. Mark and heat through. Remove from grill and set aside. On a platter alternate slices of peach w/ slices of mozzarella and basil leaves. Drizzle w/ balsamic and sprinkle with kosher salt.
Serves 4.

Eggplant, Summer Squash and Heirloom Tomato Tian
4 Japanese eggplants, peeled and sliced lengthwise and grilled
4 yellow squash, sliced lengthwise and grilled
4 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced crosswise
1 pound chevre, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
kosher salt

On 4 separate plates, arrange a slice of tomato. Follow with a slice of squash and then a slice of eggplant. Sprinkle with a bit of rosemary and add a slice of chevre. Repeat w/ remaining slices of vegetables and cheese. Sprinkle w/ olive oil and vinegar and season w/ salt. Serves 4.

Does it always have to be about food?

2010-05-16T16:54:00.000-07:00

Spring cleaning, no matter how much I despise house cleaning is really pretty easy around here because of our tiny abode we call home. Admittedly there have been times numbers have been crunched while fantasising about my own bathroom and a bedroom with room for a couch and computer desk so I could reclaim my living room slash dining room to actually, well eat in. Reality crashes in screaming "how many times could you go to Italy or France or Mexico with that money you want to spend on a flipping bathroom?" and so consequently over the years it never happened and now Luke is 16 and a half and probably, hopefully, maybe, heading off somewhere shortly and then I may not be so happy to have my own bathroom. Scratch that last sentiment as growing up with three brother and three sisters has ingrained in me that no matter what I really want my own bathroom. I was reading The Environmental Magazine and on the cover of the May/June 2009 issue (I know it takes me awhile to get around to magazines) is a picture of a tiny house. Tiny houses are the rage. Even smaller than mine. These houses are 400, 500, 600 square feet con todo. Architects are jumping on the bandwagon and creating really cute little Victorians or ranchouses or whatever you want in those sizes. Very interesting article saying what I have known all along, we do not really need that much space to live in and the small ones are not only far superior for the environment than the big American Dream homes, but way easier to clean.

What about this huge dazzling blue bowl of sky springing sweet peas from their shells and making tomatoes yellow flower up while defining the relationship between squash flowers and baby fingers of squash big enough to grill. I may be getting a bit ahead of myself but truth be told it is all working. I think I may have overdone it on the tomatoes, I have planted more than I can count and that is just in my own home garden. We still have all four school gardens going strong too. Yikes. Hopefully we get some huge harvests this summer and can get some kids excited about peddling them to local restaurants and maybe even the farmers markets. In my perfect world it will rain every Wednesday through the summer. Hey a girl can dream can't she.

It looks like the Pleasant Hill farmers market opened with a bang captivating our fine citizens rendered giddy with joy as they sample strawberries. Cherries will be on this week as they in my opinion were a bit off the last few weeks. I tasted some today and that full of juice mouth feel is in the house. Made a pea pesto for a crostini the other day with a dollop of goat on it. Ouch baby. Need a favor done? Make that for someone and they will do anything for you. I have tried it works.

Peas and Pea Shoot Pesto Crostini w/ Citrus and Chevre
1 pound fresh English peas, shelled
½ bunch pea shoots or tops, chopped
½ bunch chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 cloves fresh chopped garlic
Juice and peel from 1 lemon, Peel from 1 orange
¼ to a ½ cup good fruity olive oil
¼ cup chevre, Croutons
Salt and pepper Place peas, pea tops, parsley, garlic and citrus juice and peel in bowl of food processor or blender. Pulse to chop fine. Add oil in a steady stream to desired consistency and season with salt and pepper. Place a small amount on a crouton w/ a dollop of chevre. Makes 2 cups.

Ancient Chinese saw apricots as a sign of cowardice, while Europeans believe apricots an aphrodisiac. Fortunately our early spring cold snap benefited local apricots producing bumper crops of smooth, rosy tinged deliciously orange globes, intensely sweet fleshed with a teaser kiss of tartness beneath skin giving apricots their unique character among stone fruits. Like cherries, fresh apricots pair well with fowl. Stuff chicken breasts with chopped apricots, chevre and loads of fresh thyme. Roast to golden love status and serve with pan juices enriched with Marsala and butter.
Half apricots and stuff cavity with gorgonzola and chopped, toasted walnuts. Grill until the cheese thinks it is melting and drizzle with orange Muscat for tortuously luscious bites of early summer. Nothing tastes like fresh apricot pie but a nice crisp sure comes close. Recipe follows and be prepared to swoon at the ease and flavor of this amazing dessert.

Spring produce is definitely on the way out being replaced by amazing summer fruit and vegetable crops. Cherries are peaking; you can really taste the maturity in these ruby gems. When eating a cherry it is like taking a gulp of cherry juice. White nectarines are still a bit firm but taste like a rose geranium smells. Yellow peaches are in half swing with breathtaking combinations of sweet and tart. Some early peaches are loaded with mind blowing nuances although they will benefit from a few more weeks of maturity when that unforgettable O Henry from J and J Farms at the Pleasant Hill market makes her appearance on market tables. What a difference it makes when fruit is picked ripe and in season.

All these fruits sliced up and spooned over cereal in the morning with a little yogurt or cottage cheese brings the morning meal up a notch letting your taste buds sing louder than the morning doves. The blackberries are going to benefit from a little more time but are sure symbolic of impending summer. Summer squashes are all over the market as well as some really nice basil. I got a vegetable from one of the Asian growers the other day that I thought was Thai basil but was corrected by the farmer. It is a green to be sautéed with meat or chicken that tastes a lot like a nice mix of mint and basil. Be your own detective and ask the farmers about this as well as their other unfamiliar but interesting and tasty vegetables that are frequently passed by due to lack of taste experience. Make it a Jimmy thing and get experienced! Nice showing of eggplants and green beans too and the English peas are going strong next to the fava’s. The peppers are not far behind as are the show stoppers, heirloom tomatoes and corn, moving in just in time for end of school and graduation bar-b-ques. Spring and summer produce do the same amazing cross over thing that summer and fall do in September and October. We are pretty food fortunate up her in the north of the most western state.

The Troy Spencer Memorial Garden is going crazy with big crops of luscious summer produce. Mrs. Ouimet’s Leadership classes started all these plants from seed and did an amazing job of stewardship this year for the garden. Weeding is their middle name! The science classes have all made an appearance to impart a bit of their own leadership into the garden as well as learning a few things too. We should have a nice continuous summer harvest well into the start of school in fall for some nice additions to the cafeteria.
The College Park High School Organic Garden is going pretty wacko as well. Mrs. Piecush’ Special Day Classes have been the stewards of this garden starting seeds, weeding, planting, and maintaining all of it! They are amazing and we have learned that she will be teaching summer school on our campus this year so we get an extended summer season with our kids in the garden. Huge bonus for Steph and me! We should have a pretty amazing summer display moving into the fall here too.
Our amazing hills are golden now dropping their green almost over night. I still love trekking up and down them regardless of color. Some cooler hikes can be had in the Oakland hills now too. Use it and lose it for the swimsuits!!

Fresh Fruit Crisp
6 cups fruit
1 cup wheat flour
1 cup brown sugar or turbinado sugar
½ cup butter, melted
2 T vanilla
1 t cinnamon
½ c oats
1 T salt
Preheat oven 350*. Butter baking dish. Place fruit in dish. Mix flour, sugar butter, vanilla, cinnamon, oats and salt in bowl. Crumble onto fruit. Bake 1 hour until fruit bubbles and top is crunchy and lightly browned. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or cold the next day for a very decadent but sensuous and utterly fulfilling breakfast. Serves 6.

Shortcakes for any kind of Fruit!
I like a nice, fluffy, barely sweetened biscuit for my shortcake. Warm from the oven with just a touch of butter on it, ladled with cut up fruit that has been able to macerate for an hour or so, possibly with a bit of Framboise or Grand Mainer and a dollop of honey sweetened whipped mascarpone, this is shortcake nirvana.

Shortcake
2 ¼ cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon sugar
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons melted butter
¾ cup buttermilk or milk
Preheat oven to 425*. Butter a pie tin or glass. Sift dry ingredients into a bowl, flour, salt, 1 tablespoon sugar and baking powder. Cut the 4 tablespoons butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers or a pastry blender until it resembles dry bread crumbs. Add the milk and mix quickly until dough comes together in a sort of sticky mass. Pat into pie pan, brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle teaspoon of sugar on top. Bake for about 15 minutes or until light brown on top. Cut into 8 wedges.

May I have some asparagus and green garlic please?

2010-04-13T14:37:00.000-07:00

Stephanie and I just finished doing a cooking demo at the middle school highlighting a major spring hitters, asparagus and green garlic, tossed with organic brown rice pasta, lemon, olive oil,veggie stock and some grated parmesana reggiano. Sounds good right? It was excellent but what would it matter if the kids who make up our target audience heckle for pepperoni pizza and turn up their noses at this amazing concoction? They did not heckle and in fact loved the dish and wanted the recipe. We publish all the recipes on the schools electronic twice weekly newsletter. However this story had a different beginning when the demo’s started a few years ago. We planted the organic garden and got it into the science classes but we wanted more. We wanted the food from the garden to go into the cafeteria as well creating a broader audience and pool of participants for the garden. We quickly learned that we were going to have to have the demo’s to get the students to actually taste real food. Food that by the way, they grew all by their own sweet, little selves. We were not the queens of popularity to begin with. Over the last 5 years a shift has occurred. We are very popular now and working in the garden is a choice assignment at Pleasant Hill Middle School.

Michelle Obama did another kick off of her pet project “Let’s Move” on Friday. She is beginning to get the idea, along with all the people that are actually doing the work that it takes more than just plopping health and great food in front of people, students. It takes time and I just hope that they all stick with it. Our country did not develop the physical state that we are in overnight. It took years and it will take years to fix it.

Get the palates back I say. Show these kids at a young age what food is and how to produce it themselves. They may start out grumpy and raggin on about yucky bugs and mud on the designers but it only takes a little time before they are enamored by their work. Teenagers and most youngsters are pretty self centered so the key is to make it, whatever it is, all about them.

I guess what I really started this rant about is that it does not take billions of dollars to do something about childhood obesity and all the related diseases causing our kids to have shorter life expectancies than us. It takes action and involvement. It takes a little planning and commitment on a local level. Get out to your kids, or niece or nephew or grand kids or neighbor kids schools and start a garden. It really is not that hard or Steph and I would not have 4 of them going simultaneously on 4 different campuses. At least I don’t think I work that hard. These kids just need the info to be able to grow, cook and eat and these particular grains of knowledge are not on the STAR TEST so it aint going to be taught in school. We have to do it for the schools and students. We have to think that this is something worth fighting for in our communities. If we wait for Michelle’s business to trickle down to us we are advising you to not hold your breath. I am a little skeptical I guess but with all those aforementioned billions is seems that a good deal of it will get caught up in administration before we get a working garden in every school. One that actually has kids working it as well as eating from it. This is leading us to better health for our babies, our future operators of our communities, our states, our nation.

Steph and I do not run numbers except how much product we needed for a cooking demo so I can’t tell you if there are any changes in weight or related statistics but our success can most definitely be measured in the mouths and minds of our students. When they ask “what are we cooking today?” and we reply “organic brown rice pasta w/ sautéed organic asparagus and green garlic” and the say “Yay!! I want some”, well you can draw your own conclusions about it but we nod our heads and look at each other with big smiles. Yep, not very scientific but I think it is working for our kids.

If you need any information or direction on starting a school garden we can probably help. We have lots of experience now and know a bit more than a few years ago about it. Most schools want a garden and volunteers but need a leader, a coordinator for the project. Be that leader and give the kids of our communities a fighting chance against junk food giants and years of bad information devastating their health. You will be rewarded every time you get your hands dirty and see the satisfied determination on their amazing faces.

The recipe with the addition of cremini mushrooms and under that the samwe recipe but with quinoa instead of pasta. It's all good.

Asparagus Pasta w/ Green Garlic and Cremini Mushrooms
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound cooked pasta such as brown rice instead of wheat or Orchiette or small shells to hold sauce
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock, heated
1 pound asparagus, sliced in ½ inch pieces
4 stalks of green garlic, cleaned and sliced
1 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
6 ounces of Reggiano parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
Kosher salt and freshly grated pepper
Heat olive oil in a deep sauté pan. Add green garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes until it begins to caramelize. Add the mushrooms and asparagus and sauté for 3 to 4 more minutes. Add a cup of stock and let it come to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes until asparagus turns bright green. Add pasta and heat through. Season w/ salt and pepper and toss in parsley. Garnish w/ shaved parmesan. Serves 4.

Asparagus Quinoa w/ Green Garlic and Cremini Mushrooms
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound cooked quinoa
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock, heated
1 pound asparagus, sliced in ½ inch pieces
4 stalks of green garlic, cleaned and sliced
1 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
6 ounces of Reggiano parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
Kosher salt and freshly grated pepper
Heat olive oil in a deep sauté pan. Add green garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes until it begins to caramelize. Add the mushrooms and asparagus and sauté for 3 to 4 more minutes. Add a cup of stock and let it come to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes until asparagus turns bright green. Add quinoa and heat through. Season w/ salt and pepper and toss in parsley. Garnish w/ shaved parmesan. Serves 4.

Closing the food gap and what the hell is a food desert??

2010-04-06T21:35:00.000-07:00

There is a growing food gap in the United States just like the one that has been present all over the world for years. Food gaps as well as food “deserts” represent a growing financial gap as well. Food deserts are areas where there is literally no access to fresh food for the folks that live there. Large grocers have deemed these areas not profitable enough to have a chain there and farmers markets usually don’t operate in these areas because it is usually a merchant association or similar group that seeks out a market to come and revitalize a downtown or some other spot where people are trying to make money. If it is a location that would not prove profitable for the farmers it aint gonna happen. Usually transportation is difficult in economically depressed areas and people tend to not have cars. There is a twenty year life span difference between affluent areas and poor areas. So where do the people shop? Corner liquor stores and fast food franchises are where food is purchased daily. There are entire generations and cultures of people eating this way proven by the statistics of heart disease, obesity and diabetes among children as well as their parents and grandparents.

What to do? Simply offering produce stands and farmers market access to the neighborhoods is doomed to failure. Education is key. Teaching people how to cook, eat and enjoy fresh fruits and vegetable is a daunting task. In our school garden programs we have been presenting food tastings for a few years now. We are this year really making some progress with what kids will taste, eat and actually come back for. A lot of what they taste is grown by them in the school gardens. Beets sautéed with their greens in olive oil and garlic, coleslaw with cabbage, carrots, celery, herbs and a light herb vinaigrette, sautéed kale with brown rice pasta are a few of the items sampled. We are finding more and more that given the opportunity to try the food, they now trust us enough to do so. Imagine taking on the task of educating a whole community of all ages, races, colors, cultures with the common factor being little money, poor health and poor eating habits. Education must be followed immediately with some sort of subsidized farm stands, after school programs, in school programs, in home programs and then all must be not only constantly followed up on in the neighborhood but the tastings and education must be ongoing for several years to take hold and actually change eating and buying habits. This is a good place for Michelle Obama to start at with her campaign to eliminate food deserts in 7 years. Understanding the issues is a good place to start as well and her 400 million bucks will certainly make a starting dent. Act locally if you see an area that you can help in. Ask me any questions anytime!

That brings me to my rant about the broken food system in America, a noble rant but altogether too big for this blog.
Michele Simon, michelesimon@informedeating.org, creator of Appetite for Profit, a great site that has all kinds of great radical activist food facts and rants she can educate you about. Looking at it today I found a campaign called Retire Ronald, www.retireronald.org . Awesome in its hilarious simplicity, the movement is essentially directed at and an offshoot of food marketing to children. Ronald McDonald was the first time anyone ever tried focusing on the kid instead of the parent holding the wallet. It worked and is an industry worth billions of dollars annually. Build loyalty and brand recognition among children and you have a lifelong flow of cash as a direct result of said marketing. Genius, diabolical, and immoral are words that come to mind. She also has a great story about Yale and PepsiCo sealing a deal to finance a new research center about food and nutrition. Wow.

Spring has really sprung and thanks to some prolonged rain we are actually out of the drought. Recent hard rains may delay some of the strawberries coming in season right now but not for long. You can get berries at the markets from Santa Barbara but it is always nice when the more local ones start showing up. You always want the organic ones because of the methyl bromide on conventionally grown berries. Not good for you or your kids. Bought Brentwood asparagus today at the Concord Farmers market. Yum, yum. Look for fresh cut ends for best flavor. Grill, sauté, steam, whatever it is all good.
News on the street is that the Pleasant Hill farmers Market will be located on Crescent Drive downtown in front of the theatres! Yay! More room for more choices, hopefully lot’s more organic and lots of parking in the garage. Good be a perfect storm for finally getting a market that reflects the needs of Pleasant Hill. Market opens May 1st with a grand opening celebration May 8th.
Wildflowers are out in abundance in our hills. A walk up the Falls Trail on Mt. Diablo will reward your efforts tenfold with an amazing show of flora and fauna only seen this time of year. Briones has here show going full tilt right now as will and a walk out Carquinez Scenic this weekend was mind blowing with the flowers as well as the unforgettable views.

Sweet smellin aroma wafting down from heaven

2010-02-22T18:58:00.000-08:00

Having never heard the name before, Ronald Howes, it did not immediately jump out at me as I performed my ritual daily scan of the obituary section of the paper looking for friends, acquaintances or familiar names that I can pass the word on, to whoever, until suddenly the headline caught my eye, “Inventor of the E Z Bake Oven Dies” Holy shit, that dang E Z Bake oven ruled my life as a little girl. I adored my light bulb driven, foul cake producing oven. It was the only gift I ever asked for, for years unless I was asking for the cake mixes that went with it. Cakes and cupcakes and cookies emerged from the oven with a weird, plastic kind of smell and the icing mixes were pure sugar of some kind with coloring and the water that you added. No matter, I loved it. I made cakes and cookies all day long, as long as I had the mixes. I bought my son one when he was in about the 3rd grade thinking, foolishly in retrospect, that he was going to be as enamored as I at this amazing creation. He thought I was insane when I gave it to him, me all smiles and Sullivan nods. “You love it, right baby?” Needless to say, he and a buddy made one cake, looked at me with the “are you ok?” look and declared it disgusting and bizarre and would have nothing else to do with it. No problem, I still loved it. I finished all the mixes and gave it to a neighbor with the information on where to get more. Even as a grown woman with a 35 year professional cooking career behind me I loved that thing. My sisters and mom actually felt a little bad for me when I told them that he had passed on. I felt compelled to click on the Leave Comment Here button of the obituary and left a comment in the family book. I just said that I hoped Ron and past oven recipient angels, along with all the ovens past, blue plastic or pink, there was even one year an oven that came out with the flower power stickers to put on it, were baking up a storm in heaven. I’m sure he was welcomed with open arms.

Lusciously delctable winter delights and other treats

2010-01-31T17:40:00.000-08:00

I know we need the rain and everything but it sure has been sweetly restorative to bask in a few days of sunshine, ramping up the vitamin D intake before it goes away again for awhile. Been getting all kinds of yard play in, trimming and digging around in my backyard garden and I found all the arugula, parsley and chervil that we planted way back in the fall. Luscious salads are topping all kind of stuff round here from grilled fish and tacos to curry roasted veggies with tofu and feta. Cabbages are tightening up and cauliflowers are just peeking curmudgeon style, starting to give up the fight and just get big for us.

Broccoli and cauliflower are in peak season in Northern California, barraging taste buds with creamy bursts of ethereal bliss. Available year round about these parts, flavors really do change in these months possessed with dropping mercury. Preparations of these cruciferous gems at this time of year are impossible to screw up regardless of what you do rendering them as the stars of any show. (Although a friend of mine found an amazingly huge chanterelle while trimming his woods today that could give them a run for their money when I sauté slices in a little butter and green garlic to sit royally atop a few slices of roasted sweet potato barely showered with sea salt. But I digress.)

We picked a few giant heads of cauliflower from the College Park garden and sautéed them with some of Shantha’s spices she brought back from her trip home to India for the special day classes. They totally scarfed, no hesitation whatsoever about the spices. These kids actually planted this stuff, tended it, helped it grow and eat it! We also picked a ton of broccoli from the CP garden and are making soup on the quad for lunch tomorrow to hand out to the student body. Totally a rush having 2300 teenagers of varying ages and stages of maturity mob you wanting to get a sample of broccoli soup. We got them trained well round here. Just for your information they also mob us when we sauté beets and beet greens with garlic and olive oil and not only eat them but rave to us about them and want the recipe. We have a whole garden box dedicared to beets, Chioggia, red, yellow, whatever dang near ready for the young masses at CP to chow. They also mob apple crisp and carrot cookies or whatever bizarre enticements we can come up with to persuade them to make healthier food choices. Gentle persuasion. Hopefully a dram of that push is trickling down to the folks at home that really make the food choices.

There was a fascinating article in the New York Times magazine today by Christine Muhlke about fish, regulations, catch restrictions and limits, and ways of getting around decimating the fishing industry while still keeping a close watch on dwindling or endangered species. Focusing on this particular fisherman in South Carolina, Mark Marhefka, the article touched briefly on the interesting angle of community sponsored fishery where the community slash customers buy a share up front and get 2 to 10 pounds of fresh, locally caught fish a month that is sold to them by the guy that actually fished for it very much mimicking the CSA’s we see more and more farmers solidly embracing. He also sells commercially the fish he catches and works with colleges and scientist on issues of fish sustainability. It kind of comes down to familiarizing the consumer with some little known varieties of fish that in out parents day may have been considered sub par or junk fish. Brings to my mind the change in attitude towards beef cuts that in the past were considered too cheap to sell and are now on the menu’s of some of the best restaurants in the country. New restrictions on familiar fish such as snapper, salmon etc. could possibly introduce the savvy fish monger an opportunity to create a new fad for the competitive chefs vying for your dinner dollar out there.

I found a new citrus yet again this year at The Pleasant Hill Market at the corner of Gregory and Pleasant Hill Rd. Tahoe Gold tangerines. Big, seedless spheres, reminiscent of sweet pepper jelly on the tongue they are easily peeled with loose skin, a perfect foil for lunch boxes, brunch snacks and all around nice to keep a few with you in the car when bad urges may come upon you to sate yourself and keep doing whatever it is you are supposed to be doing instead of going to Coco Swirl for frozen yogurt.

Try to get a hike in before the next rains. I remember saying that to myself all last winter and it never did rain.

Cauliflower Soup
1 large head cauliflower, core removed and chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
½ cup ½ and ½
½ teaspoon fresh curry powder or garam masala or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until slightly caramelized. Add cauliflower and sauté for a few more minutes. Add stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes until cauliflower is soft. Blend with an immersion blender or in a blender cup and add ½ and ½. Bring back to a simmer. Remove from heat and season with spices, salt and pepper.
Makes 4 nice servings.
Alternatively add a large chopped yellow potato along with cauliflower and omit cream. Can be garnished with a nice grated cheese.

Broccoli Soup
8 cups chopped broccoli, about 3 to 4 nice heads
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
½ cup ½ and ½
1 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
Sauté onion, celery and garlic in olive oil until slightly caramelized. Add broccoli and sauté for a few more minutes. Add stock and bring to a boil. Let simmer until broccoli is soft. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Add ½ and ½ and bring back to a boil. Remove from heat and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Makes 4 nice servings.
Alternatively add a large chopped yellow potato along with broccoli and omit cream. Can be garnished with a nice grated cheese.

Sun is shining and the broccoli is ready for pickin!

2010-01-14T09:06:00.000-08:00

A new grapefruit is on the scene, exciting…ok well maybe not too exciting but really tasty whether or not you like grapefruit. Oranges crossed with grapefruit create a really big orange looking fruit that is sweeter than sweet and has a grapefruit finish. They are calling it a Cocktail Grapefruit. I am venturing to guess because the flavors are similar to a grapefruit juice drink. Yummy! Also look for a Peach Mandarin, looks like a Satsuma with a little bit tighter skin, still really easy to peel and a tropically lush flavor that actually has peach undertones. I found both of these gems at Hamada’s farm stand at the Diablo Valley Farmers Market. (Saturday 9 to 1 Kaiser Shadelands parking lot) I also found the Cocktail Grapefruit aka Sweet Grapefruit at the Diaz Farm stand at Tuesday Concord Farmers Market. (Todos Santos Park 10 to 2) They have really great citrus as well as Hamada. J and J has good fruit too but not the fancy new ones.

Good News Flash about Pleasant Hill Farmers Market: the City of Pleasant Hill is reviewing an agreement with Pacific Coast Farmers Markets, same operators as Concord FM as well as about 50 or more other farmers markets in the Bay Area. I don’t know if anyone remembers or even knew that last year California Farmers Markets tried to get the Pleasant Hill market and move it in front of the old Left Bank as well as add about 30 more farmers. California was not awarded the contract and went on to open the new Diablo Valley Farmer Market at Shadelands. That market has been great all year, probably 3 times at least as many growers as old Pleasant Hill, none of the bizarre craft stuff, just a farmers market, for some serious produce shopping. Crafters are ok when the item is truly homemade but when stuff is coming in manufactured in some factory in another part of the world it has no place in a farmers market and no claim to anything remotely resembling sustainable practices.

Pacific Coast does not have crafters in their markets either, just farmers, flowers and food. So I for one am very excited about a new Pleasant Hill Farmers Market. Is there a new location on the horizon? Maybe on Crescent? More farmers for the people of Pleasant Hill? Time will tell. Having been personally involved in the operations of farmers markets for 10 years I know well that it is difficult to get the shoppers down to the market but I also know that with effort, ingenuity and a little bit of marketing cash it can be done. Look at Diablo Valley Market. From 0 to 60 out of the gate. That market has been great from the get go because the operator gave the shoppers a lot more farms to choose from, a lot more organic to choose from and put some dough into the management and promotion of that market. It shows and I hope the same will follow for Pleasant Hill and we get a market to be proud of that farmers will be happy to sell at.

Our organic garden at College Park High School is really growing great guns. Broccoli is ready everywhere. Garlic is perfect for the green garlic love and cabbages are getting tighter heads every day. They will be ready in no time. The Brussels sprouts are adorable with their little round cabbage heads adorning huge stalks of great leaves. Students are amazed and bewitched by the knowledge that this is how they grow! Wait till we cook them together and they taste fresh broccoli and fresh Brussels....oh yeah, this is why we put in the hours and do the work, just to swivel some young taste buds in our direction of healthy choice. Yeah, their is a bit of a glow over here.....

Sun is shining magnificently today and I just got to hit the trail but wanted to drop a few recipes on you before I put on my muddy old hiking boots and borrow someone’s dog. Get outside now before it starts raining again!

This is a great soup that first night is soup and second night thickens up into a base for a nice piece of grilled fish. Feel free to add a chopped head of Gai lan, chard or spinach at the end for a super punch of nutrition.
Lentil and Butternut Squash Soup
1 large white onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cups of peeled, cubed butternut squash
3 carrots, chopped
6 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
2 cups of cooked lentils
2 tablespoons of freshly ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons of freshly ground cumin seed
salt to taste
Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil for a few minutes. Add squash and carrots and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the stock and the spices and bring to a simmer. Add the lentils and simmer on medium heat until the squash is soft. Season with salt. Makes enough soup for a nice lunch or dinner for a couple of days.

Winter Vegetable Soup w/ Rosa marina
1 large red onion, chopped
1 celery root, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cups of cubed butternut squash
2 tablespoons of olive oil
6 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
½ bunch of chopped parsley
! bunch chopped Swiss chard
2 cups of Rosa marina pasta or orzo
salt and pepper to taste
Sauté onion, celery root, carrots and squash in olive oil for 5 minutes.
Add stock and bring to a boil. Add pasta and simmer until the vegetables and pasta are cooked. Add parsley and chard and season with salt. Makes enough for a few days of constant soup.

A mesmerizing little simple slaw that leaves you with a great big smile on your face and people coming back for more.
Napa Cabbage Salad w/ Tangerines, Feta and Lemon Vinaigrette
1 head of Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
3 tangerines, peeled and sectioned
4 new onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup crumbled feta
Juice and zest of 2 lemons
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon of white balsamic
Sea salt and pepper
Toss everything together in a bowl. Serves 4.

2010......what? Holy cow, what happened to the millenium that just happened?

2009-12-29T19:14:00.000-08:00

New Year, new beginnings, lot’s of resolution and strength the first few days or weeks anyway but as sparkling clean January rolls into hearts and chocolates February, life returns to normal turning ambition as cold as the frost on the fences and roofs. Good news is keeping nutrition mojo flying high is easier than ever for savvy local shoppers. Score exercise as well as the best produce going at your seasonal farmers market. My preference is in Walnut Creek on Saturday at Kaiser Shadelands from 9 to 1. Convenient time and day to get what I need for weekend entertaining or stocking up for the following week with tons of close parking to dash in and out when it’s raining. Developing the of habit of shopping farmers markets has benefits ranging beyond getting the best tasting, freshest produce you can buy. When you pull yourself out of that warm bed, you are inadvertently lengthening your day making it easier to get all those weekend projects started and finished while making it to all those games.

By mid February the gym is not as crowded, my gym anyway, allowing a quick cup of morning tea before flying off to claim my square on the padded floor and the e-mails I receive for vegetable recipes slack off considerably.
One of my resolutions this year is to work a little harder at keeping the interest up in the buying, cooking and consuming, of fruits and vegetables.

Studies continuously show that eating a diet containing lots of plant based foods helps with health problems across the board as well as maintaining good health and energy levels.
With all that energy you garner taking up a walking program or gym routine you tone up not only your muscles, but your mind, heart and lungs as well. Within a week or two, your legs and arms take on this toned, firm feeling when you or someone else rubs them, feeling your long lost muscles asserting themselves, reflecting brighter eyes and clearer skin gazing back at you from your mirror in the morning.
New feelings of sparkle and energy will draw you to new interests, or possibly new interests to you as well. Perhaps you’ll be extending your walk to a hike in the hills or possibly a run. Maybe a long term fitness goal like a cancer walk or run is in the future. Exhilarating bike rides with a great farmers’ market snack break on a blanket somewhere semi private with a beneficial friend or loved one is definitely a positive side effect. The possibilities are truly endless. Did I mention the effects of a healthier you on your sex life? Mmmm, have I gotten the wheels turning, maybe squeaking just a bit??

Make the time. You and your family will appreciate it. They say that it only takes 30 days to make or break a routine.

Bottom line is that it is not a month long thing. It is a life change and gradually it will become of part of you, making you, your family and the planet happier adding a spring to your step and a swagger to the flip of your shiny hair.
Wow, all this from seasonal, local vegetables and a walk? Where do I sign up.....

This is a lovely, incredibly sexy salad that showcases amazing winter citrus with equally amazing winter beets. Feel free to choose yellow or golden beets, Chioggia or wonderful old red. A combo is stellar. Serve salad with nice crusty bread as a foil for the goat cheese in the salad. Rub a little beet juice on lips for an irresistibly tasty, kissable mouth.

Roasted Beet and Orange Salad
4 medium sized beets
1 Cara Cara orange
1 blood orange
1 navel orange
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
¼ cup crumbled chevre or feta
3 cups assorted salad greens
Salt and pepper to taste

Wash beets and remove stem end and root tail. Rub with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in baking dish, cover and roast at 350 for about 45 minutes to an hour until beets are easily pierced with a knife. Let cool until you can easily handle them. Peel, quarter and slice the quarters about ¼ inch thick.
Peel and slice the oranges. Place greens in a bowl. Toss in the beets, oranges and goat cheese. Drizzle remaining olive oil and rice vinegar over. Season with salt and pepper and gently toss to mix all.
Serves 4.

Winter Squash, Root Vegetable, Lentil and Brown Rice Pilaf
This is a great side dish served alongside poultry, fish or meat but is also a fantastic vegetarian main course served with a nice winter greens or cabbage salad.
3 cups cubed winter squash
3 cups cubed root vegetables
1 cup cooked lentils
1 cup cooked brown basmati rice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup vegetable stock
¼ chopped fresh herbs
Salt and pepper to taste
Sauté vegetables in olive oil until soft and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add lentils, rice and vegetable stock and simmer for about 10 minutes until stock is cooked into the vegetables, lentils and rice. Add chopped herbs and season with salt and pepper. Serves 6.

A sad day

2009-12-22T11:26:00.000-08:00

From the very first moment my eyes connected with hers, it was love at first sight. She was a scrappy little thing, unimaginably angry with the world for brutally taking her mother and siblings away from her at birth. We found Camille at 4 weeks of age in the pound and aptly named her after the latest hurricane. An astoundingly sweet Calico, with bright blue eyes and the cutest pink nose, always twitching with curiosity, Camille was up to any mischief but too smart and sassy to ever get caught in the act.

Jumping into trees to eat bird’s dang near every week of her life, I always was horrified by that, yet to keep her inside was to see a cat in agony. Our house has been pest and rodent free for 19 years.
Camille was laid to rest today with my son and I sobbing uncontrollably as I still am, as I sorrowfully pen her obituary. She is buried in a place of honor, next to Roscoe, the first love of my life and Eddie our amazing guinea pig we lost a few years ago, in the backyard orchard.

Most comforting, to me, is to have a treasured member of your family curled up in your bed at night, always at the ready to move, hopefully to get some food, as you do. Unfortunately the good comes along with the sorrow. My Dad pointed out to me years ago as well as just the other day, animals, loved pets, do not live as long as humans. I pointed this out to Luke just a few minutes ago. Comfort is not found so early in the mourning of our sweet Camille, but it will be sooner than later.

We have our current three year old hurricane, Katrina, roaming around crying. She did not have to travel to the vet with us to know what the heck is going on around here. I could tell something was off with her when I woke up this morning. She knew, she knew her mother and best friend was going to leave her today.

Our beautiful, independent, sweet, soul sister Camille, we love you and will never forget you. Let any wily feline try, excepting Katrina, to come close to filling your pristine white socks. It is a long shot my darling girl. It is a long one.

RIP
Camille the amazing 19 year old calico we were beyond fortunate to share a life with. You will be missed. Gone but not forgotten.

Us.

Hot Off the Presses and if I can figure out how to add the graphics......

2009-12-13T19:26:00.000-08:00

"... Hardscratch Press of Walnut Creek, a small publishing house known for its fine-crafted books ..." ― The Independent (Livermore, Calif.)
... and, to celebrate our 20th year, a fine-crafted calendar (and a great gift)!
A fifteen-month guide to what's seasonally fresh and locally grownat Bay Area farmers markets, with simple, sensuous recipes by Lesley Stiles, and delicious watercolor art by David Johnson.ISBN: 978-0-9789979-6-0.10¾x16½ inches, on fine acid-free,100% post-consumer-waste recycledpaper. $17.50 (incl. Calif. sales tax). For sale at Shadelands and Moragafarmers markets in December, or we will mail ($2.50 for priority mailper calendar) to as many addresses as you request. Also available unbound, for framing.Lesley Stiles runs a catering business in Pleasant Hill, Calif., and promotes sustainable and healthy food sources. She provides cooking demonstrations at Bay Area farmers markets and helps schools start gardening programs, in addition to writing the food blog, “Do you know where your food came from?” (lesleystiles.blogspot.com). Hardscratch Press designer David Johnson’s illustrations of produce and other subjects appear regularly in the Contra Costa Times. Versions of many of the recipes and paintings in The Farmers Market Lover’s Calendar, 2010, previously appeared in the Times as the Produce Pro.

2009-12-09T20:56:00.000-08:00

The Farmers Market Lovers Calendar is here!! 15 months of amazing, mouth watering water colors of fruits and vegetables by Dave Johnson along with tantalizingly sexy recipes and suggestions by yours truly. Available at Diablo Valley Farmers Market Saturday from 9 to 1 in the Shadelands Kaiser parking lot or at the Moraga Farmers Market on Sunday from 9 to 1 in the Moraga Shopping Center complex. We will be selling in these markets through December. You can also get them at www.hardscratchpress.com or e-mail me and I will get one out to you. They are $17.50. A perfect hostess gift or perhaps for your special fruit and veggie lover friends for under $20.00.

Made Shepard's Pie the other night and Luke asked me if I could make it every night. He liked it. I told my new friend Spencer I would put it up here because he is a cooking man with 3 teenage sons and so here it is. I tried to keep it as healthy as possible without a lot of fat and loaded with veggies without the boy catching on. It worked. Hope it works for you.

Shephard’s Pie, My Way
½ pound ground turkey
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, grated
1 bunch kale, chopped fine
1 ½ cups chicken stock
½ cup tomato sauce
1 tablespoon flour stirred into ¼ cup cold chicken stock
3 to 4 potatoes cut up
½ head cauliflower, cut up
¼ cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup grated Reggiano parmesana
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to *425 and spray or grease a large, deep baking dish. Heat sauté pan and add olive oil. Heat olive oil and add turkey, onions and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes until browned. Add carrots and kale and cook for about 5 more minutes. Add stock and tomato sauce and cook 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile boil the potatoes and cauliflower in water until soft. Mash with milk and butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the meat mixture into a sprayed or greased baking dish and top with mashed potato and cauliflower mixture. Top with grated cheese and bake 2o minutes until bubbly and lightly browned. Serves 4 to 6.

As we wade ever deeper into holiday territory I actually am feeling pretty good about the whole thing this year. I have embraced my anti consumerism rant and am trying to not be quite so affected by the mass of humanity waging price wars as well as territory wars over cheap bullshit that sweet little people in other countries spread across the planet probably were hurt in some way to produce. I have noticed that there are a few alternatives to plastic electronic shit like buying a goat or cow for someone in a poor village somewhere. That is a good one. You can buy your loved ones carbon off sets or home owners edition wind machines too. There is always good stuff at the farmers market (besides our amazing calendar) like olive oil, jams, fresh nuts, like those, fruits, you know the drill. Everyone I gift is getting a home made garam masala spice mixture in a recycled jar with a recycled ribbon and a recipe for using said spice on a piece of paper made from 100% recycled materials. Ho, ho, ho. Poor Lucas.

Steph and I went hiking in Briones the other morning and it was incredible to be walking on our own ridge in snow! Green shoots of new grass peeking up everywhere and then these hill sides sprinkled with snow. What a beautiful contrast. That snow business was fun. Cold but pretty awesome.

Lots of sweet varieties of great citrus at the market waiting to be tried, kiwi, greens...mmmm
Happy Holidays!

Giving thanks every day helps get you through everyday or Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-19T20:21:00.000-08:00

Holidays are moving into my consciousness a bit lately. I guess being a caterer I probably need to be thinking in that direction to pay my mortgage but just the same I am really not a huge fan of this time of year. There I said it. I must get it from my mom as she absolutely hates Christmas and usually gets into a big funk around now. I can't blame her really. Growing up with six brothers and sisters was a challenge for us but must have been brutal for her. That right there is a whole lot of planning for Christmas morning with seven stockings to figure out and seven Santa gifts...it makes my eyelashes hurt thinking of it. No wander she hates it all even if we are all grown and no longer get anything but an exchange gift that we all participate in so everyone only has to get one thing for the whole family. I have a son and six nephews and they all only want the dough and I ain't talking about the edible kind. One of my nephews and his bride, my new niece whom I adore are expecting their first child. You would not be exaggerating to call this a HUGE event in our family. We have not had a baby around for several years. My youngest nephew is turning eight in December and we are ready for a baby. Just not mine. My parents will turn eighty, celebrate their sixtieth year of marriage and welcome their first great grandchild next spring. I am going to be busy for those parties being the only one that likes to cook out of the whole brood. It is my pleasure

Back to the holidays.....I have some ideas, opinions, hints whatever about all this bizarre eating and pressure drinking for the months of November and December heading all the way into January. Keep it simple all the time. Never forget to breathe, walk, exercise your mind and body. Get out into nature or take a yoga class and let the kundalini kick in.

Always take your own food to parties. When it is a potluck, take a big bowl or basket of satsuma mandarins or a great veggie tray with goods you procure from a farmers market. Make a nice salad with a little protein in it so you don't get stuck with the choice of going hungry over eating some ghastly store bought concoction. We all know that you need to drink a glass of water for every drink to minimize hang over and wrinkles but try two in between to keep the waistline a bit more in control.
Choose that dessert or cookies wisely. I can understand eating something that tastes shitty and makes you feel even worse if you're in a bad mood, having a tough day or something but if you are just taking them to take, be a little picky. You are going to have a million choices for about 45 days. Also if you make the good thing, you know you can use whole wheat flour and fresh fruit etc... to minimize trauma to your system.

Too preachy? Whatever, you're the one still reading this.

I also need to start a buzz around a Produce Pro calendar slated to make it's debut December 1st. It is a 15 month calendar with Dave Johnson's amazing original water colors of seasonal fruit along with my prose about said fruit for each month. It was astoundingly difficult to choose only one fruit per month but we did it and we are almost ready to distribute it. The cost will be in the 15 to 17 dollar range as it is expensive to produce but it will be a great piece of interactive, ever changing art work on your wall or whatever for 15 months. More on that in a week or two along with info on how to get it.

I am going to leave you for now with a few recipes for some veggie side things as well as a short list of food ideas in my battery if you ever decide to indulge yourself with a caterer!

Happy Thanksgiving...I know I have a whole lot to be thankful for and I do not only think about it on a Thursday in late November but every day my feet are able to hit the floor of my house and I can crawl walk into my son's room to wake him up again is a good day.

Peace and love, mush, mush etc...

This dip can be made with light cream cheese and it will not get wierd. It is an offering that will render you popular and a ask back guest to parties. Serve with good crackers or sliced baguette.
Shitake Pate
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ pound of shitake mushrooms, chopped
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh thyme and savory, chopped
¼ teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
½ pound chevre
½ pound cream cheese
Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil. When onion starts to soften, add the mushrooms and cook over low heat about 5 minutes. Add the soy sauce, thyme, savory and nutmeg. Sauté for a minute longer. Put mushroom mixture into a food processor and add the cheeses. Process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Use this for your awesome veggies from the market.
Blue Cheese, Herb and Yogurt dip for Crudités
½ pound good blue cheese
2 cups plain yogurt
3 tablespoons assorted chopped fresh herbs
2 cloves fresh garlic
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Place all in food processor and pulse for a minute or 2. Adjust seasonings. Makes 3 cups.

Grilled chicken breast or shrimp are an exellent addition to this salad but it is also an amazing salad as aside as well.
Napa Cabbage Salad w/ Pea Tops, Fuyu, Feta and Lemon Oil
1 head of Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
1 Fuyu persimmon, quartered and sliced thin (substitute Satsuma Mandarins in winter)
1 bunch pea tops, washed, dried and sliced thin
4 scallions, thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup crumbled feta
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of blond Balsamic
Sea salt and pepper
Toss everything together in a bowl.

This dish, in the right situation, if you are willing and able, will get you laid by almost anyone eating it.
Apple, Onion and Squash Gratin
2 apples of your choice, get sweet if you like sweet and tart if you like tart, cored and sliced thin
1 red onion, sliced thin
2 delicata squash, peeled, seeded and sliced thin
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cloves garlic
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1 pint cream
Spray a large baking dish and layer apples, onions, garlic, squash and cheese in dish. Drizzle cream over and sprinkle fresh thyme, salt and pepper. Bake in a hot *400 oven covered for 30 minutes and remove foil and cook for 20 minutes more until browned on top. Serves 4.

This is ditto as above but can also be eaten from more than just a plate or...alright I'll behave...
Mashed Butternut Squash with Potatoes, Celery Root and Parsnips
This is an exceptional way to get more nutrition out of your mashers. Works well with cauliflower too. You can use chicken stock in place of the veggie stock if desired.
4 large yellow or red potatoes, cubed
1 medium sized butter nut squash, peeled and cubed
1 celery root, peeled and cubed
2 parsnips, peeled and sliced
Water to cover
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup stock
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
½ cup grated aged Gouda cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Place veggies in a pot of salted water, cover and bring to a boil. Let simmer until soft. Drain most of the water, leaving some to mash with. Add stock to desired consistency. Stir in cheese and season with butter, salt and pepper and garnish with parsley. Serves 8.

The title speaks for itself....
Sautéed Assorted Winter Greens w/ Pancetta, Herbs and Garlic
3 pounds assorted braising greens, chopped
¼ pound pancetta, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons assorted chopped fresh herbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons chicken stock
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Sauté pancetta in olive oil for a minute and add the garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes and add greens. Sauté for 3 minutes and add the herbs and chicken stock. Cook for a few more minutes and season with salt and pepper.

Do not save this only for the holidays. It is amazing with or without the cream addition.
Roasted Butternut Squash and Orange Soup
1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Zest and juice from 1 large orange
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup white wine
4 cups stock
1 cup ½ and ½
¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar
Sea salt and pepper
Heat oven to 425*. Toss squash, onion and garlic with olive oil roast for 20 minutes until caramelized. Remove from oven and place into a large soup pot. Add the white wine and turn heat to high. Reduce by half and add the stock and orange zest. Bring back to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. Add the half and half and puree with a stick blender. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 4.

A partial and just tickler list of things I can create for you for your party if you ever needed any help....

Hors d’oeuvres
Crab cakes w/ lemon verbena aioli
Brie Bites – mini puff bites w/ brie and homemade preserves inside
Pesto and chevre torte w/ croutons – cream cheese and chevre whipped together and layered w/ fresh pesto
Imported and domestic cheeses – interesting crackers
Sautéed assorted mushrooms over warm brie – sliced baguette
Grilled peaches and proscuitto w/ balsamic drizzle and arugala
Oven roasted tomato and proscuitto tarts w/ garlic jam and fresh thyme
Truffled potatoes stuffed w/ mushrooms and brie
Smoked salmon Crostini w/ curried deviled eggs
Grilled prawns marinated in lemon and oregano
Chicken sate w/ spicy peanut sauce
Foccacia bread w/ roasted butternut squash, pancetta and reggiano (seasonal)
Foccacia w/ toasted walnuts, caramelized onions, fresh figs and gorgonzola (seasonal)
Seasonal fruit
Roasted seasonal vegetables w/ balsamic drizzle
Salad Caprese (seasonal) organic heirloom tomatoes w/ fresh made mozzarella, assorted basil and balsamic drizzle
Grilled lamb or steak, with caramelized onions and peppers open faced pannini
Foccacia bread w/ caramelized onions, thyme, pancetta and fresh mozzarella
Crostini w/ orange tapenade, smoked salmon and crème fraiche
Toasted walnut, feta and fresh herb spread w/ croutons
Sliced prosciutto w/ shaved reggiano parmesana and lemon olive oil on a bed of spiced arugula
Smoked Turkey and Avocado Panini on herbed sourdough rounds

Entrée Stuff
Tossed market greens w/ Satsuma mandarins, feta and toasted almonds w/ lemon vinaigrette Summer time replace mandarins with pears or white nectarine or even some awesome apples
Caesar salad w/ home made croutons and dressing
Chinese chicken salad
Syrian Fatoush salad w/ cherry tomatoes, cukes, feta, olives, onions, pita chips and lemon-cumin vinaigrette
Grilled vegetables w/ balsamic drizzle
Roasted beets w/ orange can be a salad with arugula and toasted walnuts too

Polenta layered w/ grilled vegetables and fresh mozzarella w/ a fresh tomato sauce
Chicken breasts stuffed w/ mushrooms, chevre and herbs
Roasted salmon w/ rosemary, olive oil and sea salt
Marinated grilled tri tips w/ mushroom BBQ sauce
Pork loin stuffed w/ dried apricots and herbs
Turkey breast stuffed w/ dried figs, chevre and garlic
Braised short ribs w/ rich oregano and orange peel sauce

Desserts
Fresh apple cake w/ lemon glace
Rocky road brownies
Fresh fruit crisp w/ vanilla ice cream
Chocolate layer cake
Chocolate decadence cake
Assorted cookies
Fresh fruit short cake

as summer starts to give up the fight

2009-10-21T20:50:00.000-07:00

Walking along the trail she can feel the air around her body taking on a thrilling thickness as it kisses her skin. Even the shadows are sexy and unpredictable these days. As the sun moves lower in the sky she thinks how summer is giving up the fight. We’ll be waking in darkness rewarded with amazing sunrises. Snuggle up around the old stove outside grilling crabs and fall vegetables lazily sipping that luscious vionger. Butternut squash time she thinks. Risotto with caramelized onions, roasted butternut and shaved Manchego or lentils dense with lovely chunks of orange Delicata and freshly ground curry spices.

Lovingly her gaze wonders to the garden where tomato plants are shriveling next to breathtaking hued lettuce and kales. Peppers shine proudly deep magenta on their cold worn branches, determined to last another week or two accumulating as much sugar as possible. Those bad boys are getting eaten raw first, stuffed with cheese and grilled and roasted next to the last tomatoes in the end. Beet tops push through loamy soil promising a bounty in a month or two, little tops as soon as a week will garnish astoundingly sweet, fresh lettuces.

Apples are in for the season, resting in boxes in the cold cellar, waiting.
So juicy this year, snapping, crunchy, juice running down her chin as she chomps into it. Oh yeah, this is right and good that food should be so fresh, tasting of earth and love while nourishing body and soul. Eyes closed she tries to tease out all the different flavors blasting in her mouth and brain. Honey, alfalfa, pineapple all sparking a different idea or thought of what to do with those apples, cooked or raw.

Sun is sinking into a purple and pink horizon and the fire is waning as the day starts dimming down, she gingerly stands up and stretches like a sleek cat, as tempting sounds unconsciously escape her mouth. Mmmm, time to start dinner she thinks, or is it.

Clean nuts, apples and my face on twee twee's stool

2009-10-12T16:19:00.000-07:00

Walnuts, almonds and other large scale nut growers have a nasty secret that not too many consumers know about. Along with spraying the trees and ground with chemicals, the nut meats, after shelling, are also sprayed with fumigant to prevent moth worms and beetles from infesting their massive storage bins full of years worth of nuts. Raid is a fumigant just to get a picture of what I'm talking about here. I do not know about you, but that just does not work for me or my son or my clients that trust me to feed them real food. Alternatively you can get your nuts at a farmers' market and be sure after discussing growing techniques with the farmer what is going on with your nuts. Besides the fact that you aren't poisoning yourself, nuts bought in season from a local grower really taste awesome. Almonds actually taste like almond milk, sweet and creamy. You start to realize that marzipan made with almonds like these could actually be really tasty. Walnut have less of a furry tongue tannin coating leaving a less harsh acidic after taste and a downright full flavor after toasting in a nice hot oven for a few minutes. Pecans return to the place they belong as a seasonal nut addition to very special baked goods and treats. Do your own taste comparison and see what you think and remember that if you absolutely can not get to a farmers market to pick up your nutritionally packed super food nuts and have to get them at a grocery store, unless the nuts specifically state organic on the label they are probably sprayed with fumigant. Talk to your farmer and ask them how they treat their nuts and see if this is the way you would treat yours, if you grew them.

Catalan Tomato Sauce
This sauce is especially appropriate for this time of year as it uses the end of season tomatoes, fresh almonds and fresh dried grapes (raisins). These raisins can be found only at the farmers’ markets and are made from the current crop of grapes. The difference in flavor of fresh, current crop almonds and raisins is astounding. Do you own sample test and get in on this well kept secret. You will never buy almonds or raisins from the store again!

6 to 7 large tomatoes of your choice
5 cloves of fresh garlic, peeled and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
3 tablespoons good olive oil
½ cup fresh almonds, toasted and then chopped
2 tablespoons capers
¼ cup fresh raisins
juice and rind of 2 oranges
1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
Heat a large pot of water to boiling. Core the tomatoes and drop into the boiling water for about 10 seconds each. Remove from the water and peel tomatoes when you can comfortably touch them. Cut peeled tomatoes in half and squeeze out the seeds. Chop tomatoes and pulp. Set aside.
In a sauce pan heat the olive oil. Sauté garlic and onions in oil until opaque and slightly caramelized.
Add tomatoes, capers, almonds, raisins and orange juice and rind and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add thyme and season to taste with salt and pepper.
This sauce can be used for pasta but tastes great on grilled chicken or grilled salmon.
Makes about 2 cups.

Walnut and Basil Tapenade
Tapenade is a Mediterranean relish that can be used for chicken or fish and this particular tapenade is very good on pasta as well. I always use the rind of the lemons before I juice them no matter what I am making. Toasting the walnuts first will leech out some of the tannic acid so prevalent in walnuts and give them a nice golden hue. You can toast your bag of walnuts all at once and store the unused portion in an air tight container in the freezer.

2 cups fresh basil leaves, in season
1 cup fresh parsley leaves
½ cup toasted walnuts
1 6 ½ oz. jar pitted Greek olives (found at Trader Joe's)
3 cloves peeled fresh garlic
juice and rind of 2 lemons
¼ cup good olive oil
I tomato of your choice, chopped
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, place the olive oil, lemon rind and lemon juice.
Add the herb leaves a little at a time, pulsing after each addition.
Add the olive and pulse more to fully incorporate.
Season with salt and pepper and remove from processor to a bowl.
Stir in tomato.
Makes about 2 cups.

Apple season is here again filled with an amazing array of apple varieties to choose from. We had an apple festival at the Diablo Valley Farmers market last weekend and it was a blast. Apple comparison tasting and apple cooking demo along with Rainbow Farms hot, spiced apple juice. The clown formerly known as Twee Twee, now Cesare Menedez, balloon man extroedinare, was there and I found out that I have the dubious honor, along with Oprah, Brittany, Liberace and more, of my face on one of his kiddie stools. I actually got to sit on my own face! You can too! Yippee and thank you Cesare.

Apple Sauce
This will make about 4 to 5 cups depending on your apple choice. Also if you use a sweet variety you may want to use water instead of juice and adjust the lemon juice. The lemon juice has the added effect of keeping everything a nice color as well. You can store unused sauce in a jar with a tight fitting lid in the reefer and use within the week. Be sure to make it up and down the aisle at your farmers market to sample your perfect tasting apple or combination of apples!

6 large apples, peeled, cored, rough chop
¼ cup white grape juice or apple juice
ground cinnamon
a couple drops good vanilla
Juice and rind from a lemon
Place apples, juices and lemon peel in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer on medium heat. Cover and cook until apple are soft enough to mash. Serve warm with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Apple, Onion and Squash Gratin
This is a perfect Thanksgiving side dish that I created because I am not overly fond of marshmallow sweet potatoes and needed to fill that void for fear of getting in trouble with my Dad. It has been a family and friend favorite since that first time!

2 apples of your choice, get sweet if you like sweet and tart if you like tart, cored and sliced thin
1 red onion, sliced thin
2 Delicata squash, peeled, seeded and sliced thin
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cloves garlic
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1 pint cream
Spray a large baking dish and layer apples, onions, garlic, squash and cheese in dish. Drizzle cream over and sprinkle fresh thyme, salt and pepper. Bake in a hot *400 oven covered for 30 minutes and remove foil and cook for 20 minutes more until browned on top. Serves 4.

Autumn Greens w/ Apples, Walnuts and Citrus Dressing
Autumn is a great time for greens of all kinds as they love the cooler weather and thrive in it. Crisp, sweet and full of flavor they are good in any combination anytime! This is especially good as apples and walnut are in season and abundant at the farmers’ markets. Blue cheese is a great addition too.
½ head of romaine lettuce, washed and torn
½ head of red leaf lettuce, washed and torn
2 cups of arugula, cleaned
1 apple of choice, sliced
½ cup fresh toasted walnuts, chopped
½ cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons lemon oil
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix greens together in a salad bowl. Toss in apples and walnuts. Sprinkle on oil and vinegar, salt and pepper and toss. Garnish with cheese. Serves 4 to 6.

My Version of a Waldorf Salad
I do not like the taste of mayo and mini marshmallows messing up the flavors of amazingly crisp, sweet, juicy autumn apples so I use yogurt and a drop of vanilla instead. Current crop carrots, raisins (dried grapes) as well as fresh almond and walnuts make this a great salad on the merit of the ingredients alone! When they are in season in early autumn you can also add fresh grapes into the mix for an amazingly sweet, crunchy addition.
3 crisp, sweet apples of your choice, cored and sliced thin
½ cup toasted almonds, chopped
½ cup toasted walnuts, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and grated
2 ribs celery, sliced
½ cup dried grapes of your choice
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons local honey
1 lemon, juice and peel
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Lettuce leaves
In large salad bowl, mix together yogurt, peel and juice from lemon, honey, vanilla and salt. Add in apples, nuts, raisins, carrots and celery. Serve on a lettuce leaf. Serves 4 or 5.

Fresh Fruit Crisp
6 cups fruit
1 cup wheat flour
1 cup brown sugar or turbinado sugar
½ cup butter, melted
2 T vanilla
1 t cinnamon
½ c oats
1 T salt
Preheat oven 350*. Butter baking dish. Place fruit in dish. Mix flour, sugar butter, vanilla, cinnamon, oats and salt in bowl. Crumble onto fruit. Bake 1 hour until fruit bubbles and top is crunchy and lightly browned. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or cold the next day for a very decadent but sensuous and utterly fulfilling breakfast. Serves 6.

King Size Apple Cake
This cake is best served the day after it is made to let the flavors mellow. It is moist and dense and is great for in the morning with coffee or tea or dressed up with a Lemon Glaze
1 cup (2 sticks) butter at room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons good quality unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons baking soda
¼ cup hot water
3 cups grated fresh apple (about 2 ½ medium sized apples)
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
1) Preheat oven to 350*F. Heavily butter and flour a 10 inch bundt pan.
2) Cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl, or in the bowl of an electric mixer, until pale yellow and light. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat the mixture until it is light and fluffy.
3) Sift the cocoa, flour, salt, cinnamon and allspice together onto a piece of waxed paper.
4) Add the baking soda to the hot water and mix until it is dissolved. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternately with the soda and water mixture beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
5) Stir in the apples, raisins and nuts. Spoon the batter (which will be very thick) into the prepared pan. Bake until the cake is deep brown and springs back when lightly touched, about an hour and 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, then unmold from the pan and allow to cool thoroughly before serving.
1 10 inch cake (10 to 12 servings)

a ripe Brown Turkey fig

2009-09-14T21:28:00.000-07:00

She stood looking at the tree, eyes squinting against the blazing sun; hand over them, shielding the glare so she could see the luscious purplish black, sack like orbs, stem bent just at a perfect angle for twisting off the tree. Late summer heat waves radiating off the ground as well as from an impossibly blue sky and every other angle were quickly coaxing the figs to perfect ripeness. White milk gushes from the stem as it is separated from the tree, sticky nectar on her willing fingers. Gently splitting open the fig with her thumbs always steals her breath momentarily at the sight of the shades of deep magenta, illegal reds and soft green, a flower unfurling in her hands. With quickening heart and racing pulse she moves the fig closer to her mouth, imperceptibly, shaking with anticipation of the smooth, slippery texture that will move through her lips and onto her tongue, willing the assault of sugar, chocolate and berry onto her taste buds. Trembling slightly she closes her eyes and with a will of their own her hands bring the fig into her warm, waiting mouth and once again she is shocked, dazed as bliss over takes her and she slowly releases a held, exotically perfumed breath, her first taste of Burt’s amazing, ripe, Brown Turkey fig, of a long Brown turkey fig season filled with every concoction she can imagine in her fig wild head.

Honey thickened and rosemary scented balsamic syrup drizzled over a fig half, gently, lovingly stuffed with a pinch of fresh goat cheese. Placed on a fig wood fired grill just long enough to let the cheese believe it is melting. Pushed into a thin, soft layer of hard wheat dough, showered with prosciutto, Manchego and caramelized onions, breathing in intoxicating smells as the pizza bakes only to be dusted with fresh picked thyme and sea salt out of the raging oven.
Another one out of hand, she is still profoundly, physically affected by the texture, smell and taste of that Brown Turkey.

aahhh......butternut squash

2009-09-09T17:56:00.000-07:00

Butternut squash has always been a pivotal vegetable for me. The presence of this squash in the garden and at the market indicates a rising level of excitement in the air. My heart starts to race and I always get a little dizzy and out of body when I think about the risottos and lentils to be concocted out of this smooth amber, elongated treasure. It is hard to imagine that it was almost a year ago that I made butternut squash and orange soup and the pristinely cubed and roasted squash that my son refers to as butternut candy. Just cut the ends off and peel the squash with a vegetable peeler. Slice lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut into small cubes and toss with good olive oil and kosher salt and roast at 400* for about 20 minutes. The sugars all get released and start to caramelize and it is a fine little addition to any salad, sauté or just eaten by itself it will give you goose bumps.
It never ceases to amaze me that as soon as my eyes come in contact with the butternut squash, the weather starts to become a ruling factor in my life. All of the sudden we go from the take it for granted hot, to a daily weather event. I find myself saying over and over again how much I adore this time of year around here. The shadows at any given time of day are amazingly different than they were last week. The garden is perking up and losing the washed out look of late summer heat. The air is crisper and I find myself sighing with a smile when the slightest breeze touches my skin. It makes me feel celebratory and I usually throw a party this time of year.
The cooler season vegetables are saying the same thing. The lettuces are sweeter and perkier. The colors and hues are brighter and more pronounced. One can start to imagine the salads that can be created with the baby arugala and frisee, the red leaf Lola Rosa and romaines. The thought of current crop olive oil and new cheeses make me want to sing out loud. Add some fresh walnuts or almonds and pears or apples and well let’s just say it is something that is to be shared with a special one or twenty.

When I am hiking in Briones or the Laffayette hills the colors that come out at you are astounding. On the top of a high ridge I sat down to have a luscious snack of some Alhambra Valley Bartlett pears and blue cheese and after I had taken a few bites and I was able to focus, I looked around and I was sitting in the middle of the orb weaver spider’s commune. There were literally hundreds of these tiger eye colored, huge spiders, one to each web just hanging out probably wondering which one had invited me to their party. The sight of it and the realization of their numbers actually stopped me from eating for a minute.

Pomegranates are in the markets and the fuyu persimmons are already here. I always love to see the scarlet orbs of the pomegranates hanging in a tree next to a persimmon tree. Such contrasts are special to me and never fail to keep me looking in people’s back yards when I am out walking in the neighborhood. What....you don't look in peoples back yards...liar!

Starting to be a nice time of year....my favorite!

the eat in and other school food related stuff

2009-09-09T16:16:00.000-07:00

The Slow Food Eat In, Delta Diablo Chapter style was a success by our standards meaning that there were not hundreds of people but the ones that did show signed up to join our Slow Food chapter and become involved in some action! Yay! We had a nice crowd and some delectable offerings and the big shade trees at Las Lomas provided awesome lazing about on a hot day atmosphere. I will say that I am disappointed that Las Lomas felt that they had to charge us a rental fee to use such a small area of a public school for a school related cause. Andy at C and M party Rentals gave us the use of tables and chairs for our event FREE! Whole Foods and Frog Hollow Farms donated some amazing Frog Hollow peaches and Kristie Knoll from Knoll Organic Farm donated the biggest treasure of all, her incredibly sought after figs. So why the school felt the need to force us to dip into our meager funds and pay them almost 400 bucks that would have otherwise been spent on our Diablo Community Day School Garden. This is the school in the area where the students attend that have been expelled from all other schools. Sort of a last ditch effort and we have built, with the students help as well as funding from Kaiser, Slow Food and Orchard Nursery, an amazing garden! That money should be there instead of in the coffers of the school district. After all we had our own insurance....http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/campaign/time_for_lunch-detail/slow_food_delta_diablo_eat_in/

Anyway we got a whole of signatures for the Child Nutrition Act petition http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/campaign/time_for_lunch/

Gail Wadsworth is the muscle behind our chapter and maintains the blog and without her and her husband Peter as well as head tabler Lucy, this event would not have been possible. Thank you!!!

Slow Food helps with school lunches

2009-08-26T07:49:00.000-07:00

Join us for a community pot-luck picnic at Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek.This event is free!We are gathering in support of healthy school lunches. This is one of over 200 eat-ins being staged across the US on September 7 this year to send a message to Congress. As a national day of action, Slow Food is hoping to persuade our members of Congress to increase funding to school lunches and make a commitment to improving the quality of food served to our children every day.Bring your friends and family! For the month of September only,new donations to Slow Food at any level will provide a one-year membership in Slow Food USA. This is a wonderful time to join Slow Food and support good, clean and fair food.So gather with neighbors and others who share your views on feeding our children and have fun at Las Lomas on September 7.

Sex in the kitchen and other summer treats

2009-08-25T21:40:00.000-07:00

Peach and Lavender Jam
5 cups of ripe peaches, peeled and crushed up
2 tablespoons lavender blossoms, crushed
Finely grated peel from 1 large lemon
Juice from said lemon
4 cups sugar
1 3 ounce package of low sugar pectin
1 tablespoon of butter

Mix together the peaches, lemon juice and lavender blossoms. Measure out 5 cups and place in a large, non reactive heavy bottom pot.
Mix ¼ cup sugar with the pectin and stir into fruit. Throw in the butter. Bring to a hard rolling boil and add the rest of the sugar. Bring to a hard rolling boil and boil 1 minute more. Place in sterilized jars with new lids and process in water bath for 10 minutes. Whenit is particularly hot, which is most of jamming season, I like to close all the curtains, turn on all the fans and don my apron and nthing else to make my jam in a comfortable, non binding atmosphere.....yum.

Fresh Corn and Tomato Risotto
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, chopped fine
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 cups Aborio rice
1 cup white wine
7 to eight cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 cups fresh corn cut off the cob
1 cup chopped fresh heirloom tomatoes, your choice
½ bunch chopped fresh basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Manchego cheese for grating on top

In a medium saucepan, heat the stock. Heat olive oil in a wide heavy pan. Add the onion and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes and add the rice. Sauté the rice until opaque in color. Add the wine and let simmer for a minute. Add the stock a ½ cup at a time allowing it to absorb after each addition stirring constantly. The rice will become creamy. Taste occasionally to check for tenderness. Add tomatoes and basil and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with cheese. Serve at once.
Serves 4 to 6.

Eggplant, Summer Squash and Heirloom Tomato Tian
4 Japanese eggplants, peeled and sliced lengthwise and grilled
4 yellow squash, sliced lengthwise and grilled
4 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced crosswise
1 pound chevre, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
kosher salt

On 4 separate plates, arrange a slice of tomato. Follow with a slice of squash and then a slice of eggplant. Sprinkle with a bit of rosemary and add a slice of chevre. Repeat w/ remaining slices of vegetables and cheese. Sprinkle w/ olive oil and vinegar and season w/ salt. Serves 4.

Grapes w/ Fresh Pecorino and Basil
2 pounds assorted grapes, washed and cut in half
1 pound fresh Pecorino cheese, cut into small cubes
1 bunch of basil, chiffonade
3 tablespoons good olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Toss all together in a bowl and season w/ salt and pepper. Serves 4 to 6.

Sun Gold cherry tomatoes promote world peace

2009-08-12T12:05:00.000-07:00

Bright orange with a tiny radiating green tinge at the stem, tasting of summer memories while running a length of wet, slippery plastic on crabgrass, Sun Gold cherry tomatoes are the closest taste to a real tomato I have had the pleasure of savoring in recent years. Hands down first choice in the ground in spring and always the first variety to pop up volunteer style in my garden. Initial little yellow babies harvested never make it past the outside branches of the plant. Savored in the garden, hot, with long, guttural sighs, they will not make it into the house for a couple of weeks.

Once inside they grace everything we eat for as long as they produce well into fall. Lucky recipients of my food always wonder at the origin of the luscious little yellow tomato. Uninitiated ignorantly wonder at the ripeness or readiness of the yellow tomato. I laugh in private. Not to be confused with the yellow pear tomato, oh no. Sorry for you if you make that mistake at the nursery. It is like having your baby switched. Pears are mealy and watery, resembling a store bought Mexican tomato in winter no matter how ripe they get on the vine. I also planted a green grape cherry tomato along with a host of others this year. Green Grape runs a close second to the Sun Gold. Visions of big, fat heirloom tomatoes come to mind while devouring the succulent cherry Green Grape.

After you have had enough little cherry tomatoes sucked directly off the vine, it is time to tote in having some fun in the kitchen toying with your tasty little muse. Halve tomatoes and toss with cilantro, chopped jalapeño, tiny bit of garlic, some finely chopped red onion and lube up with some really good olive oil and rice vinegar, crack the salt and use this for grilled fish or chicken or silky marinated grilled tofu.

Tossed with some nice sheep’s milk feta, chiffonade basil, and a very good olive oil with a few cracks of sea salt, this base can used to flavor hot or cold pasta or quinoa, spread on croutons or lusty hunks of great bread or just spread on your body to be licked off by a willing partner. Add Greek olives, lettuce, pita chips and cucumbers tossing with mint, cilantro, lemon, cumin and olive oil for an astounding salad. Awesome by itself or with a sizzling spiced chicken breast, pulled off the grill with all the juices soaking into your salad creating this hot/cold yin/yang breathtaking, demanding a moment of silence, physically stimulating entrée. Be sure to share with a very close friend as the sun sinks and the crickets commence with the concert.

Just my thoughts on the dazzling little Sun Gold cherry type tomato.

Food Inc., the sad truth about the food machine in America

2009-07-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

After viewing Food Inc. recently I was struck to devastating sadness. I cried much to the embarrasment of my son. Of course the horrendous treatment to the animals or the even worse treatment to undocumented workers in the slaughter houses or even the way the chicken farmers are indebted to the Big 5 is sickening. More than anything in the film though, was towards the end, flashed on the movie screen were the business cards of some top officials in the United States government. Almost all, either cabinet officials, senators, congressmen, people making the rules for us. People that we elect, year after year in trust that they are of our party, our beliefs and looking out for our best interests. As suddenly as the cards appeared on the screen, they flipped over and showed the same name with the job title each of these top officials, top law makers, each held with one of the Big 5. It struck me how stupid I must be, how trusting. Then it struck me that I am indeed an intelligent person researching issues, listening to public radio, trying to get somewhat unskewed news versions of current events. What about the people that don’t even read a newspaper but get all their knowledge off some conservative news station? We are all being duped in a very big way and it made me sad. These people don’t give a shit about what is best for anyone but themselves and their re-election campaigns. That made me sad.
I worship at the alter of food and social justice. I buy local and organic, support farms, try to recycle everything and compost even more. I teach kids how to grow their own food and take responsibility for their lives. I teach kids as well as adults how to cook and make healthier food choices. I like to think that I know a bit about the deplorable circumstances surrounding most conventionally grown and produced food and animals. I have read all of Michael Pollan’s books and seen him speak several times. I attended Slow Food Nation Conferences for a week. That is why with a very small income, I place more emphasis on my food dollars than on my new sheet and shoe dollars. But those folks on Capitol Hill making these decisions that perpetuate the unjust and horrible food system in the United States as well as other parts of the world make me feel as if my efforts could never be enough in the face of the money and deals that go down in our Nations capitol and that makes me sad.

The Big 5, the five companies that control our food system in America and other parts of the world have a whole lot of aliases. For example Cargill can be Colgate and Tyson can be Natures Bounty and Monsanto can be Nestle and well, you get the picture here. They own everything. If a person wants to be a large chicken farmer in America they need to start somewhere right? So they call the Tyson people and they start to cast the magic spell on these unsuspecting and possibly quite down and out individuals that have a piece of land. First they will need chicken houses and Tyson can help them with a seemingly low interest loan for a few hundred thousand dollars to build a state of the art Tyson chicken house. That is probably where the contracts comes in, when everyone is still on a honeymoon high and aren’t really reading all that fine print. Then they get the chickens. Tyson’s choice of course, contractually. The food? Yep, Tyson’s choice. The way the chicks are raised? Yes again. Everything thing that has anything to do with those chickens is what Tyson says. What if you don’t like the practice, it turns your stomach and goes against your morals? Tough shit, you signed a water tight contract for 7 years and you are stuck because you will lose EVERYTHING if you walk away. It is a sad truth about conventionally grown chickens. But it is the same with seeds. In that film there is this little old guy that does seed cleaning. He goes around Iowa or Nebraska with a little machine on the back of his truck that gets all the chaff and rocks out of seeds so that you can use them again for next years crop. Monsanto sued him for encouraging the reuse of THEIR round up ready patented seeds. He says he has nothing to do with where the seeds come from or if the farmer he is working for chooses to reuse seeds that he purchased from Monsanto. He does not know where the seeds were purchased and most of his clients are not customers of Monsanto anyway. They shut him down. Ran his legal funds out, ran his life savings out. The man is broke and without a business that his grandfather started a hundred years ago because Monsanto had to stop him. They were threatened by him I guess. What is that mentality? That makes me sad.

I will keep voting and researching issues and teaching kids and buying local and growing my own food and raising my own chickens but jeez….it is a sad truth about the food system in America today and only reinforces the happy truth that we need to, can and will, slowly, but surely through voting with our dollars, buying local and keeping up on the issues, change the food system in America.

Pork on your fork

2009-05-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

Do pork and meat really come from little plastic and Styrofoam containers on the butcher’s shelf at your large grocery chain or big box mega store? Didn’t think so either. The so called “swine flu” may or may not be an international pandemic that will bring about world disorder but it does bring up the subject of knowing where your food comes from.
Recently Slow Food Delta Diablo Chapter had the “Pork on Your Fork” event at a farm in Brentwood where a pig and a couple goats were slaughtered with an audience. Shot in the head and throat slit faster than you can say “I’ll have bacon with that” may sound a bit creepy, to me it sounded fascinating, but the event was specifically organized to bring awareness to the subject of how the little piggy gets from rolling in the mud to the Styrofoam.
Once the event was publicized there were a few irate, incredibly insulted vegetarians that contacted us about why and how we could possibly subject humans to this horrific experience.
Don’t get me wrong, I am no lover of pork or pork product unless I am in a small village in Italy because of the way America raises and processes pig meat. Large scale production, 99% of pork production, is cruel and disgusting producing unhealthy, hormone and antibiotic stuffed pork meat for consumption but as always consumers hold the keys to the pig pen by voting with their dollars. Just as the organic foods movement has raced into Americas consciousness so will small scale meat production, if we demand it. Currently you have to put a little effort into finding some decently raised meat to buy and feed yourself and your family. Whole Foods and Prather Ranch Meats are worth looking at on a large scale but do fit into the large grocery category. Also becoming popular are CSA’s for meat. Marin Sun Farms (415.663.8997) has been around for awhile and are getting into chicken meat as well as beef and pork and in Vacaville Natures Bounty Farms ((707) 693-0908) produces all natural hormone and antibiotic meat for sale. They have been raising livestock for 16 years and are actually certified meat inspectors. The Bay Area Meat CSA managed by Berkeley Slow Food joins together community people looking for the best local meat choices and pairs up buying and sharing power with local ranchers and producers. Soul Food Farms ((707) 469-0499) produce chicken meat and eggs for sale. There is always the option of buying meat, fish, eggs etc. at your farmers markets too.
These are just a few examples and options of industrious humans demanding a better grade of food as well as a better grade of life and death for animals raised for consumption. As with pretty much all choices of knowing where our food comes from and purchasing what we see as the best quality for our consumption, it takes a little bit more effort than blindly, robotically pulling so called food off the grocery store shelf to line pockets of faceless billionaires’. That effort is well worth it and beautifully transfers some of that booty to the small family growers and producers that not only have a face and name, but have actual farms to go tramp about on while seeing first hand the animals that may be dinner tonight. People are going to continue to eat meat and events like Pork on Your Fork are meant to raise awareness and educate about how meat should be raised and processed. Sorry if we have insulted anyone, it was not intentional, unless of course you are still participating in the disgusting raising and slaughtering of the styrofoam enclosed piggy.

Are you ready for skin kissy weather?

2009-03-25T20:20:00.000-07:00

Fluttering butterfly chrysalis thoughts of spring begin to softly awaken thoughts, paying attention to how it is going to work when mercury rises and clothes need to be, shall we say a bit less shielding than winter coverings. That was a nice way to say yikes!, it’s time to put on shorts and tank tops. Forget about the bikini, although I did sport a bikini one summer when I was 17 and went to Lake Shasta with only my girlfriends and not my family. We were very into making string bikinis at the time. I had to stop eating to get into it, for quite sometime actually. Then it got a bit weird so I figured I would be my curvy self eat healthy stuff to prevent myself from delving even deeper into a pretty salacious disease, ending my bikini experience. We were on our own for about the first time in our lives on a long drive from the Bay Area to Shasta for a week and starting to feel our wild teenager allure around guys our age and then some. It is a pretty clarifying moment when you realize initially what your effect is on the male population as a long haired, long legged 5’ 10’ 140 pound 17 year old sporting a bikini or a halter top and shorts or any type of clothing that shows skin. Throw in being able to bait a hook, set up a tent and ride a dirt bike while gourmet camp cooking and sparks start to fly creating a situation where you never will have to buy your own alcohol again.

My sisters however got my mom’s genes and still wear bikinis in their later years and look great but I digress. I frankly get a little freaked out about the whole thing and am torn because I love spring temperatures, kissing my warming skin, encouraging many smiles and sighs, but it is always interesting when the inevitable clothes shedding starts.

My mom was really ill with a kidney infection and is home now but we are watching what she eats to get her health back. My sister Kathi told me about a diuretic soup to make for her to help shed this amazing amount of water she retained making her legs so big she could hardly lift them. Dandelion greens, chard, celery, parsley, all things green. She told me make it into a broth but I made it by chopping all the greens up and simmering in water to by cover by about 3 inches. After about a 30 minute simmer it is pretty thick with the greens but it really works like a charm for a nice, healthy toxin cleanse from the body without getting into any of the scary concoctions at the health food store. It worked for her to help get rid of all that water. I myself have been drinking stinging nettle tea and broth. It is awesome, meaty and sweet at the same time being the sort of food that you can feel delivering sunshine into your veins as you drink it.

It really boils down to cut out sugar and the second dinner now doesn’t it? I have the exercise thing down, how could you not around here? We have the best hiking. You can get in a nice one or 2 or even 3 hour hike and still get all your stuff done for the day that you need to. We love Briones and know every trail. Mt. Diablo is a different animal altogether. In the winter and spring it is really a lot colder and a bit wilder than Briones but in the summer it is too blazing for me and I tend to skip it until the days get a bit shorter and the birds try to figure out where they are going before they remember that they live in the Bay Area and don’t have to go anywhere. We need to explore Mt. Tam way more than we have but it takes an hour to drive over there so on the back burner it patiently waits. Redwood Regional is great and not quite as far a drive. We like to go in on the Canyon side and walk over to the San Lorenzo res ending up in Oakland. This is perfect weather for hiking and the trails are in perfect shape without too much mud but not slippery and sketchy either.

Just thinking about those skorts hanging in my closet, every once in awhile almost taking one off the hanger to see if it will button but then I chicken out ,allowing my blood pressure to calm down before thinking about trying again. Maybe if I can self tan enough I will work up the nerve. Nothing like bright white flab to make you back out of the closet quietly and deftly before the bomb drops.

Wait a minute...I think I saw a food system change

2009-03-23T14:22:00.000-07:00

After years of trying to get food offered for life and nutrition to our students in schools we are finally getting some positive feedback from the people that hold the purse strings and rules that go with the money, the feds. Michelle Obama has dug up the sacred White House lawn to plant a vegetable garden with some school kids, giving credence to all of us that have been planting school gardens for years under suspicious and watchful eyes. She has legitimized kids learning how to plant their own foods while learning science, math, getting exercise and sunshine along with a million other positives of kids growing their own produce.

Her husband has new people trying to figure out a corrupt, inherited USDA in control of the national school lunch program joke. Tom Vilsak, the new secretary of agriculture actually took a jackhammer to a patch of lawn in front of his headquarters to create his own organic community garden. Wow, this is a guy on the team of our future food system shapers, radical, independent and aware that change needs to be made for the health of our country physically as well as metaphorically.

Current systems dictate taxpayers money pay the large, massively unconscious and devastatingly polluting large agri business growers to grow way too much corn and soy. Then we pay their subsidiaries to figure out devious ways of sneaking highly refined corn and soy byproducts into every kind of prepared foods available in a supermarket loaded with enough habit inducing sugar and fat to keep the sheep happy and coming back to the deadly trough until they get educated enough to change their eating and shopping habits to stay alive. The system continues on to pay those same large agri business people more money to put this hideous food into the national school lunch program, oh and yes by the way lets subsidize the whole operation with taxpayers money again. Sounds fishy to me and the old ways are definitely starting to stink up the hood. Perhaps this is all news to you and you thought that it was just cheap, bad food we fed the kids to keep everyone’s costs down. Simply part of the shenanigans my dear. I feel like the Obama administration may curb the dumbing down of America simply by encouraging Americans to take responsibility and become a part of the process of knowing what they are eating and how it got into their pantry.

After years of breaking bread and breaking ground with school age students it is most rewarding for me to be a part of a process that instead of going backwards to promote healthy eating is inching in the forward direction not only talking about supporting, but sustaining as well as growing the number of small family farms creating a food system that is based on local growers and people buying from these “food sheds”. The impact on our environment has the potential to be earth changing literally if the amount of fossil fuels used in transportation internationally of foods is reduced based on local consumption. Amounts of fossil fuel generated fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides may be reduced by the smaller growing model. Conventional smaller farms do not use as much as the large monoculture agri business and the organic growers use fossil fuels to grow their foods In the form of gas for tractors mainly.

Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers came about after world war two when munitions factories needed to be used as something else. They had already been using the technology to produce mustard gases as well as other weapons for the battlefields and the jump into this new realm of capitalism was not far. Sometimes I wish that I had the mind to come up with that stuff…
Agriculture took a major right turn with the availability of all these new fangled tools and the farm that used to rotate crops year after year no longer had to because of fertilizers. Farms that used animals as part of the growing process for fertilizer, weed control etcetera, no longer had to because it was easier to just buy the chemicals and grow one huge crop year after year. Few knew the outcome would be a fat, lazy polluted country dying from obesity related diseases although some did predict just this outcome.
Demand fresh fruit America! In Northern California our farmers grow year round producing an amazing amount of incredible veggies and fruits. Support these people putting out an incredible effort to bring you fresh food with no government help and little pay in return. Shop at a farmer’s market year round, rain or shine and not only in the summer when the fruit is sexy and luscious. What winter produce lacks in bikini appeal it more than makes up for in a warm, cozy snuggle of the beach campfire.
Better yet, plant your own garden on the new moon becoming a part of your future of food in America.

Have you ever had a pivotal food moment?

2009-02-09T21:51:00.000-08:00

Pivotal food moments seldom arrive with warning, always sudden and electrifying, excavating a memory or sensory moment or even a DNA link to a past life spreading clarity as a shattering dream can before deliciously waking out of it. A sudden taste, jolting you into the moment like no yoga pose possibly can, slowing breath, savoring five places on your tongue while your imagination and heart race with possibilities. For my 16th birthday my parents took me to the Hotel Mac in Point Richmond for a special celebration dinner. That is a huge sentence holding untold awe and wonder as I have six siblings and they love to eat don’t get me wrong, I mean if you were not quick at the dinner table it could get ugly, but my parents would no sooner have thought that they would want or appreciate a dinner at the Hotel Mac than a sharp whack with my mother's favorite mode of discipline, the vacuum cleaner hose. We were not ever in the chips too very much and meals out consisted of breakfast at the Nut House where Black Angus is with my granparents when someone had a first communion or maybe the A and W when we went to the drive in movies on Contra Costa, all nine of us in the station wagon for a Saturday hamburger and root beer float before hand. They knew I would though. I had been making soups and stews and lasagna and baked eggs with maple syrup and cakes and cookies since I could reach the stove. The only present I ever wanted for Christmas, year after year, was an EZ Bake Oven, and thanks to the Army Reserve, I always got it, along with some oranges, walnuts in the shell and a popcorn ball in my stocking. I had had moments of taste clarity in the past when I would accidentally put two or three things together and think Mmmmmm, yes that would work, once again the wheels turning but that night at the Hotel Mac, before I had butchered so much cow and pig so as to only be overwhelmed by the stench and stickiness of the blood up to my armpits to steer me clear of meat for fear of retching at the smell or texture in my mouth, oh long before that, I had my very first taste of filet mignon with béarnaise sauce. Oh the haunting acid of the champagne vinegar to cut through the eggs and butter, the reduction so perfectly fine and the tarragon fresh chopped and tossed in at the last second. How the filet, char grilled to a salty crust, melted in my mouth and thrilled my throat no end as the perfectly complex sauce stealthily followed stealing my heart and incurring such longing in my soul that to this day that memory is my finish benchmark having no sauce leave my sight for others to devour without achieving that balance of acid to velvet on the entire surface of my willing tongue. mmmmmmm

Sparkling, beckoning slyly in their sweet little bunches

2009-01-30T08:18:00.000-08:00

Probably the best perk of being a self employed food freak would be the countless hours of mandatory research required to compile information (food) that makes one a, well, a fairly respectful self employed food freak I guess. Current crop of evolving seasonal fare requiring shopping and gorging in the name of research includes winter greens of all kinds. Bok Choy, Yo Choy, Gai Lan, Thai Broccoli, Chinese Broccoli, Hmong Broccoli, Red Mustard, Rappini, Italian Broccoli, Chinese Mustard, a plethoric rainbow of chards, spinach, arugula to name a few. There are so many braising types of Asian greens in season at the farmers’ markets it is enough to make your eye lashes longer just looking and most come in compact little bunches costing like a buck making it easy to buy 5 or 6 at a time and prepare them for one or two meals a day. Loaded with calcium and iron they are also powerhouse free radical fighters going to bat for your health and longevity not to mention your sparkling eyes, pink cheeks and sculptured waistline with every brilliant morsel savored. Awesome simply steamed in water, veg stock or chicken stock doused with a bit of lemon oil and cracked sea salt or try adding chopped greens to your favorite soup or stew. Can not beat a nice sauté with olive oil and garlic with soy sauce splashed in at the end. Warm tummy, happy day.

Citrus mania or how to slack a thirst

2009-01-21T21:50:00.000-08:00

There is no end of variety bizarre or not and an amazing supply of citrus in California in season now. Blood oranges, Chou Chou tangerines, pommelo, Fairchild tangerine, citron (Budah Hand) kumquats, tangelo, Cara Cara oranges and the list goes on. You can usually find them all and usually at the same time at your local farmers' market. I like to say that before reaching for the juice, eat the whole fruit to slack that devilish thirst.

Blood Oranges
Harking originally from Sicily in the 1500’s, slicing into Blood oranges can be shocking to the virgin taster with crimson shot scarlet flesh and juice. A mutation of sweet oranges, Bloods can be smaller than their cousins lacking nothing in flavor when purchased fresh, locally, at their peak. Less acid along with a weird fruit pigment combine for a winter treat that lingers shortly prompting immediate seek and find maneuvers at farmers markets. Haunting tropical tastes with raspberry nuances, Blood oranges lend their talents smoothly to a plethora of culinary pleasures. Try fresh squeezed juice in champagne blushing the cocktail pink to go with your cheeks. Margaritas crave the addition of the Blood juice as well. Sliced roasted yellow beets blend color and flavor with magenta segments tossed with rice vinegar placed on winter arugula dotted with chevre creating a stellar main or side. Fennel, jicama and Bloods make a stunning salad, brilliantly crisp. Reduce Blood juice with a bit of cream, adding segments at the end, luxuriously thrilling a roasted chicken breast. Toss sharp watercress with Blood segments and juice drizzling lemon oil and cracking salt creating the perfect foil for fresh grilled fish. Three words, fresh, now, aaahhhh.

2009-01-16T20:06:00.000-08:00

A Seasonal Fable
When the weather turns cold in California and the peaches and strawberries are a distant, warm memory, the citrus show comes to town.
They tout their wears as the “New Winter Fruit”
Satsuma’s, Blood Oranges, Cara Cara, Minneola, Honey Tangerines, oh the names so exotic you can feel the warmth on your skin.
“But wait”, they say “We are the cool weather crop.

Ahhh, the mercury begins a slow ascent and the light stays longer to the day and a new show comes to hawk their goods to let you know that they alone are the seasons best.
Earliest the Berlat, Black Tartarian, and Tulare. Not to be out shined the more leisurely step up to brag, Bings, Royal Anne and Rainer.
Yes, we think pies, tarts and the luxury of standing in the velvety Northern California spring with asparagus on the grill, cleaned strawberries on the counter and cherry juice dripping down your arm.

making thumbs green without paint

2009-01-05T19:42:00.000-08:00

One of my gigs is school gardens. Building, maintaining, planting, creating, whatever you want. My friend Stephanie and I started small, just getting one in at our kid’s middle school. We really just wanted to enrich the science curriculum and get some fresh food into the cafeteria but it has morphed into this amazing way to teach kids about food and where it comes from. A lot of the kids have never really put their hands into soil before let alone grown anything with those little hands of theirs. Most of them are totally convinced that their food comes off the shelves in Safeway.
Some of them are way to cool to be messing around with some crazy old ladies and wormy dirt but the cool factor disappears in about five minutes when they realize that they are actually part of this idea that that can actually grow something. As soon as this happen we no longer have to worry about vandalism because if these kids catch any of their posse messing with the garden and their pepper plant, some ass is gonna be kicked. They check their plants daily. We love bringing them over to the green side.
Getting them to try it is another story. Most of them will eat dang near anything I put in their hands but there is the ick contingency and depending on the popularity of the ick person it can trigger a chain of icks and then no one will try anything. We are starting to do cooking demonstrations in the garden with the stuff that we grow at lunch time. We are starting this at the high school where there is a closed campus policy so we have a sort of captive audience if you will.
Hope they like the beets……..

2008-12-26T21:42:00.000-08:00

January is a fantastic month of the year to detox yourself from all that decadent holiday partying and get back to a healthy lifestyle. This is the month I always give up sugar. Not fruit or wine mind you but the white powdered stuff that likes to sneak up in the last couple of months of the year and make my clothes all tight and uncomfortable. Nasty little prank if you ask me.
This is where the farmers’ market comes into the picture. Those farmers are out there every Sunday rain or shine selling fresh picked, seasonal produce, for example, Stan Devoto’s apples, which are almost the only way that I can wean myself from white sugar and all that it implies.
Eaten out of hand or sliced and heated with some freshly toasted and ground cinnamon they are crazy sweet. There are even sugar stripes running through them. But, they are not processed and have no fat and even some fiber to boot.

At this time I always make huge pots of soup so that we have something to grab when wicked little urges to binge with the leftover frozen holiday yuck in my freezer beckons. It always takes me a few weeks to throw it all out.
I get amazing neon orange carrots, leeks, and celery, my holy trinity, and sauté them until caramelized and then hit them with some chicken or vegetable stock and from there I can add chopped kale, diced winter squash and raw quinoa or lentils. Let it simmer awhile and season with salt and pepper. When you serve this dish grate a little parmesan reggiano over it to add a nutty, buttery divine aspect to the dish. This kind of food can be eaten all day while cleaning your body out at the same time.
I tried a new type of dandelion green at the market the other day that is called Puntarella de Galatina. When first viewed, it seems like a head of dandelion greens but on closer inspection there are these spears hidden in the center. My method of preparation was to take off the outer greens, wash and sliced them, and to cut out these little tender insides and slice them also. I sautéed it all in hot olive oil briefly and then took it off the heat and deglazed the pan with seasoned rice vinegar and a squeeze of Meyer lemon. It was ethereal in its simplicity and as fresh tasting as the winter day is short.
There is always the fresh broccoli and cauliflower now too that are in high season. Their flavors are sweet and clean and the cauliflower can be mashed just like potatoes. The amounts of calcium, iron and fiber in these vegetables would surprise you. They are incredibly packed with all this great life giving energy. Try making a chicken stew or soup using cut up and browned chicken and adding diced onions, chopped garlic, sliced carrots and cubed turnips. Sauté them for a few minutes and add some chicken stock and simmer for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add a cup of raw cous-cous to the mix. Turn off the heat and the cous-cous will cook and thicken up your stew at the same time. Add a few tablespoons of chopped fresh tarragon or parsley. You will find out the little known secret of sexy turnips.
So make a resolution to enjoy a bowl of sparkling winter fruit salad every morning and toast in the New Year with the discovery of how amazing fresh, local, seasonal fruits and vegetables can be in our lives.
Cheers to the time tested philosophy of anything in moderation to nourish mind, body and soul.