Actually, there are two love affairs at play here. The first is with the humble chickpea. I love chickpeas in soup, salad, curry, hummus, you name it. The second affair, in name only, is with marinated vegetables. I love pickled this and marinated that. I especially love our locally owned and crafted “Carriots of Fire” […]
Summer is here and I find myself asking the same old question – what to do with all this zucchini?!
The answer is simple – almost anything! This week, I searched the FP Recipe Archives for ways to use zucchini and was reminded of this summer staple’s amazing versatility. Zucchini is great baked, roasted, sautéed, or grilled. It makes a great addition to soups, casseroles, and salads. It’s also comfortable playing a starring role.
Granny Jane used to make a world-famous (well, we thought so) Zucchini Relish. I am off to find that recipe now. Read more for links to the recipes!
It’s June. Here in Santa Barbara, that means foggy mornings followed by gloriously sunny afternoons. It also means stone fruit! We wait all year for this. Nothing brightens a gray day like ripe juicy nectarines, peaches, plums, pluots, apricots, cherries – you get the picture. Stone fruit are delicious raw, grilled, roasted or tossed into salads, salsas and all sorts of baked goods. Attached are links to recipes for a delicious stone fruit salad, a savory pluot salad and seasonal fruit tartlets with crumble topping. This week’s recipe for NECTARINE & ARUGULA SALAD WITH GOAT CHEESE AND APRICOT VINAIGRETTE goes to show that good cooking (or tossing!) starts (and in this case, ends) with high quality ingredients. It doesn’t take much to dress up summer’s delicious bounty. Savor the simplicity!
Flush with a squash and arugula pesto, I figured I’d put it all together into one delicious, healthy dish. I use whole wheat pasta – do you? Some people say it’s too chewy and don’t like the consistency, but we’ve been using it for so long now, we’ve come to prefer its “hearty” texture and nutty flavor. Roasting is such a simple (and flavorful!) way to prepare seasonal vegetables. A hot oven, a splash of heart-healthy olive oil, a sprinkling of sea salt and fresh ground pepper and you’re on your way to yum town.
If you want to skip making the pesto, simply toss your pasta and vegetables with a little olive oil and top with grated Parmesan cheese. No one will suffer.
Blue cheese and seasonal blueberries elevate a summer standard into something special. Tossed with the simplest of red wine vinaigrettes, this coleslaw is crunchy, satisfying and packed with the benefits of cabbage and blueberries. Of course, you eat it with your eyes first – red, “white” and blue! If it’s not blueberry season, black seedless grapes (cut in half, depending on size) would make a great substitute. Be well!
You go to the market how many times a week, including the farmers’ market? And how often do you just pass by heaping mounds of green beans? Not this summer. Here is a reason to stop and pick up a pound. These aren’t the frozen green beans of yesteryear found in TV dinners. These are delightfully crunchy and often sweet fresh beans that make a delightful salad you’ll make over and over again…
Memorial Day is coming. It’s a time for remembering the men and women who have died in service to our country. It’s also a time for gathering with family and friends. These gatherings usually include food and often require you to contribute! No worry. Focus on the friends, family and memories. Let us provide the ideas for delicious, seasonal dishes.
Yield: 4-6 servings I first posted this recipe in 2010 and it remains a favorite. Bursting with summer, this recipe offers a delightful combination of berries, apples, basil, and balsamic vinegar. The basil and vinegar are unexpected in a fruit crumble – and so delicious. Enjoy it with whipped cream, ice cream, or straight up! […]
Lately, I’ve been playing with marinades. Marinades and dry rubs make great use of pantry items and add lots of flavor to everyday dishes. The marinade used for these Asian Chicken Wraps is especially tasty.
Have we talked about freezing fresh ginger? If you buy it for this recipe, buy a big knob of it. Use the edge of a spoon to scrape off the skin/peel (apologies – my language skills are failing me). Wrap it and freeze it. It’s actually much easier to grate when frozen and it keeps for weeks.
This chicken would also be great on a Chinese Chicken Salad. I’m working on one! In the meantime, enjoy these super yummy (gluten-free) wraps.
After harvesting the last of my arugula patch to make room for tomatoes, cucumbers, basil and whatnot, I found myself in wallowing in piles of fresh arugula. No hardship here. Colorful, crunchy but delicate, and peppery (or really peppery, depending on the variety), it’s so versatile. I used it to top pizza, made nice mixed green salads with vinaigrette, and made oodles of arugula pesto. By nature, arugula pesto tastes “grassier” than a traditional basil pesto. It’s a nice twist on an old standard. For menu ideas and links to recipes, read more…
