between the farmers market and chinese medical school, i get a lot of different recipes relayed to me in short little snippets – usually no more than 15 words or so.  off the top of my head i think of the sweet pickled carrots and daikon or the okra and miso marinara, both of which the farmer i work for told me about.  but there are many, many more that have found their way into my diet.

this recipe is one someone at my school gave me on a day i was looking particularly run down.  she asked “are you okay?” and when i explained that no, i wasn’t exactly feeling that great, she handed me two fresh plump lemons out of a big bag she had filled from her tree at home.  she told me “bring it home, wash it well, cut up and boil.  make sure you add honey.”  i did just that, but added a knob of ginger for good measure.

the combination of lemon, ginger and honey are really lovely this time of year.  they can soothe coughs or sore throats, settle upset stomachs, boost your immunity, and warm up a chilly body.  it is becoming quite a routine for me to make one of these in the morning.

whole lemon and ginger tea with honey
1 whole lemon
1 large thumb of ginger
about 2 c water
1-2 tbsp honey

chop up the ginger and whole lemon (peel and all) into thin slices, add to the water in a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer.  let cook over med-low heat for 15-20 minutes.  strain the liquid into a large mug and stir the honey in while it is still hot.  enjoy!

yields 1 large serving

i rarely follow recipes word for word.  i’ve been toying around with the proportions in this whole wheat apple muffin recipe from smitten kitchen, but with everything except apples.  i tried them with blueberries, pear – and now – shredded parsnip, which i got the idea for from the very gingery parsnip cupcake at four cafe.  i bulked up these muffins with some extra ground flax seed, as well as fresh and ground ginger.

i made them with some fresh blood orange mimosas, which i am surely i’m not the first person to think of, but am still proud for figuring out! when i was brainstorming beautiful ways to display the bright colors of these seasonal sweeties, this was the one that most enticed me.  for one, it is one of the simplest ways to highlight the flavor and color of the blood oranges, since you simply juice and mix with champagne.  and secondly, it can be fun to find an excuse to drink champagne before noon.

together these will contribute to a beautiful valentine’s brunch and can be prepped ahead of time.

parsnip muffins
3/4 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c all purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
2 tbsp flax seeds – ground
1/4 c coconut oil
1/2 c brown sugar, with some extra
1/2 c greek yogurt
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 c shredded parsnip

blood orange mimosas
equal parts blood orange juice and champagne

preheat oven to 450F

[NOTE: this muffin recipe yields a little less than most (which usually produce closer to a dozen and a half.)  this recipe made just 8, but if you need more you can double or triple the ingredients.]

take out your eggs and 1/2 cup of yogurt so they can start to come to room temperature.  and meanwhile, shred the parsnip, grate the fresh ginger and grind the flax seed to have everything ready when you start making the batter.

if you are unfamiliar with parsnips, they are a winter root vegetable that i find most similar to carrots.  they get thicker than carrots and have a very unique and pleasant bright note to them.  if you’ve never tried one you simply must!  i find larger ones are easier to deal with for purposes like these, so you don’t have to peel several small ones.  i peeled a large one and shredded it in my food processor, it turned out a little more than i needed for this recipe.

when it comes to ginger, i keep a large knob in the freezer because it keeps it fresh and makes it easier to grate (less stringy bits and no juice dripping.)  just keep in mind when you grate the frozen ginger it will be more fluffy, so you have to grate more than you think to fill up a whole teaspoon.

i find the flax is easiest to grind in a coffee grinder, leave it on for a few seconds until the seeds are very finely ground.

to make the batter, mix the coconut oil and brown sugar in a medium bowl.  the oil will need to be liquid to do this, which won’t be a problem on a hot day, but if it’s solid you can give it a few seconds in the microwave until it’s just liquified – just don’t get it too hot or it will melt the sugar and could curdle the eggs.

next mix the vanilla extract, greek yogurt and grated ginger into the same bowl – followed by the eggs.  make sure this mixture is smooth.

in a large bowl, mix together both flours, the ground cinnamon and ginger, baking soda and powder, pinch of salt and ground flax seeds.  whisk these together to incorporate evenly.  add in the liquid ingredients and mix gently just to combine.  mix the parsnip shreds in last.

the batter should be a little thick and dough-like, not watery, i’ve found this makes a fluffier muffin.

scoop spoonfuls of the batter into a muffin tin, fitted with liners.  i also sprayed the liners with a little cooking oil to help them peel out easier.  they should be most all the way full if you want a big top on your muffin.  sprinkle with a little additional brown sugar.

bake at 450F for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 400F and cook another 7 minutes or so.  the tops should have risen an inch or two and starting to brown.  let cool a few minutes before removing from the tin.  you can enjoy them immediately, they are best fresh, or save them a day or two in a air-tight container.

for the mimosas, juice the blood oranges ahead of time and strain to remove the seeds and pulp.  you can keep the juice in the fridge for a day or two, until you are ready to use it.  make sure to pour the champagne first and orange juice second, or it gets really bubbly and hard to fill the glass.

i don’t know much about champagne so i picked this one because it had a pretty label and looked kind of fancy – but it was only $10 so it didn’t break the bank.

enjoy any time of the day, but especially for breakfast or brunch.  these two winter treats go together wonderfully!

if you are looking for the perfect summer cocktail to sip on this labor day, look no further. this has been a summer favorite since last year, when a friend made a big batch at a 4th of july party and exclaimed how simple they were to make!  just three ingredients – frozen watermelon, lime juice and tequila – i just had to try them for myself.

if you use really sweet melon that is seasonal and just perfectly ripe, then you don’t have to add sweetener at all.  i usually like mine with a bit of fresh coconut water, but i’ve tried it with fresh mint blended in or with basil-infused tequila for little accents of different flavor.  but any way you make it, this margarita is so refreshing on these hot hot days that sneak up on us at the very end of summer, and just before watermelon is gone from the market until next year.

watermelon margarita (per serving)
2 ounces of tequila
2 ounces of coconut water
juice of 1 lime
enough frozen seedless watermelon to make about 16 ounces (2 cups) when blended

i use seedless watermelon because it is so much easier to chop up and freeze, not having to worry about the seeds. you have to freeze it beforehand, at least overnight or about 12 hours.  cut away the rind and slice the watermelon into large chunks.  i freeze it in a gallon plastic bag so that it reserves the juices and all freezes together.  when the sugar content is high in fruits they are still a little pliable when frozen so it should still break apart easily.

on a side note, frozen watermelon is a really great summer treat on it’s own.  you can even stick a popsicle stick in a large piece before freezing for an all natural dessert.

multiply the ingredients by the number of people you are serving and blend everything together (this recipe make a fairly large margarita so one of these could also serve 2 people.)  if you omit the coconut water it is a very thick and takes a little longer to blend, but i like the extra liquid and hydration that the coconut water adds.  it makes it more  of a slushy consistency.

if you find the watermelon isn’t sweet enough on its own you can add in some agave, honey or simple syrup to taste.

enjoy responsibly!

i’ll begin with a disclaimer that i am no wine expert.  i don’t have the bank account nor the liver to be a connoisseur of such a rich substance, and don’t have formal knowledge beyond the tidbits i’ve picked up over the years.  but just as any other person obsessed with perfect palate pleasure – you know i’m going to go ga ga for the good stuff.   i still buy $6 bottles from trader joe’s to have at home, but once a month we go out for a nice dinner and have found a novice interest in trying good wines, especially when paired with good food.

we had done some wine tasting when we were camping in julian, ca last year, but that’s not quite considered “wine country.”  so on our recent trip to san francisco (which i will document with a series of posts to come) we knew a day trip to napa was in order.  i made sure to pack some sandwiches for the road as it can be dangerous to wine taste on an empty stomach.  and we took our time because it can also be a bad idea to start drinking wine too early in the day, heading out of sf around 11 o’clock.

we ended up being about half an hour early for our 1 o’clock appointment at honig, which is one of the dog-friendly wineries i looked up beforehand.  when i called ahead they gladly made me an appointment and said dogs are welcome!  they even have their own big floppy friend shuffling around the property.  they happily took us in early, pouring a light sauvignon blanc to get started and inviting us to sit down on their beautiful shady patio with a fresh bowl of water for our pup.  we ended up liking this first wine so much we took a bottle home for only $25.  then they served us two cabernet sauvignons which were good but no better tasting to me for being much more expensive.  they even added in an extra taste of a rosé which was quite good.

my favorite of everything was their dessert wine they end the tasting with: a late harvest sauvignon blanc.  it had strong honey flavor without being too syrupy or heavy in the mouth, and it didn’t have that dry tinge some sweet wines have, which seems to instantly give me a headache.  it was light on the palate with subtle notes of apricot and grapefruit, leaving a really lovely aftertaste that leaves you craving more.

they explained to us that they leave the grapes on the vine long past the regular fall harvest, until at least november or even december.  during this time the white fuzzy mold that we normally spot on strawberries forms around the grapes, protecting them and holding moisture in.  as the fog rolls into the dewy napa valley in early winter, it sits atop the vineyards and lets the grapes ripen beyond what we are used to – within the protection of a cool, moist cloud.  this extra time on the vine allows lots of natural sugars to form and any harsh bitter flavors to melt away, yielding a truly exceptional wine.  we didn’t end up buying it because it was $55 for a bottle half the size of a normal wine bottle, but it definitely left an impression on me.  at least we know it exists for very (very) special occasions.

their tasting was very affordable at only $10/person for 4 tastings, they even waive one fee when you buy a bottle.  we were helped by a very sweet girl named perses who had a wonderful passion for wine that was reflected in the way she spoke about it, as well as a generous pour.  we left the sunny patio with grins on our faces, headed just down the road to st. supery.

this short trip from honig to st. supery was like going from your cool aunt’s house who makes good food and has an awesome backyard, to going to your grandmother’s house where everything looks nice but there are rules about what you can touch and where you can sit.  although it was also a winery recommended for dog-friendly tastings, when i called ahead i practically got a lecture from a very old brittish woman about how only well behaved dogs are welcome – which of course ours is.  they said we required no reservation so we just popped in a little before 2 o’clock, walking between well-manicured lawns and rose bushes to get back to the tasting room.  we were waived in by the aforementioned british woman as her tentative eyes lay on our small dog.

their tasting room was cluttered with merchandise, ranging from wine openers, glasses, chillers, coolers, stands and display boxes, to useless crap like dog collars and visors.  there was no where to sit and the woman doing the tasting just seemed uncomfortable and nervous, i heard her talking with the 60-something couple next to us and she seemed to vibe with them a lot better, they are probably more their usual demographic.

they have 3 different tasting menus to choose from: one with only three wines, the next with those three plus two others, and an exclusive collection of 5 more expensive wines.  we decided to do the middle-of-the-road tasting as it was only $15/person, but the woman was actually nice enough to add in some of the more expensive wines for one of the tastings so we could try more, although her pour was very conservative.  it was interesting because while i didn’t find any of their wines particularly amazing, i didn’t even find much of a difference between the regular and more high-end varieties.  the only wine that i would have bought a bottle of was their dessert wine, a light moscato which was actually only $20, but at that point we just weren’t feeling it.  we paid the tasting fee and got out of there.

these wineries are a little north of the town of napa, in rutherford, ca which is closer to st. helena, but they are all considered part of napa valley.  in poking around the blogs before the trip i found that yountville is really the place to be.  home to uber famous and fancy french laundry, as well as several other successful restaurants also started by thomas keller.  it seemed to be a bit of a culinary mecca, so while i don’t think we could afford to sit down for dinner – we had to check it out.

the town of yountville is very small and very cute to stroll around.  it was starting to get really hot so we stopped by bouchon bakery – one of the places i had seen raved about online, and another place started by keller.  an iced coffee and sit in the shade would cool us down and wake us up from our sleepy afternoon of wine tasting, with a chocolate macaroon as a treat.  now i had never had a french macaroon before so i have nothing to compare it to, but this one was delicious.  it had a light, crispy outer crust with a doughy, soft inside almost like a soft brownie.

while sitting on a bench outside we actually got chatted up by the parents of the head pastry chef at the bakery, just beginning their vacation in napa to visit their daughter.  they began by asking about our dog and ended up inserting a few parental brags in for good measure, simply glowing with pride.  after the treat we were re-energized to make the drive back into san fran and spend the rest of our evening lazing about, reflecting on a lovely afternoon.

so i actually didn’t find this particular lemon verbena at the farmers’ market, but it is a special treat when i do find it there.  this lemon verbena actually came from my boss’ backyard – though the plant was originally started as a small seedling from the farmers’ market, it had now sprouted into a substantial woody shrub, capable of producing tons of new leaves each week.

this herb is a special treat as iced tea in the summertime.  it’s similar to a lemon-flavored basil, but the leaves are much thicker so i find it’s not as good for mincing to sprinkle on top of salads, i prefer to steep it instead.  the tea is really lovely sweetened with honey and chilled.  i used a french press to steep them because it makes it easy to strain out the leaves.

the tea also makes a nice base for a summer cocktail, with some type of clear liquor and perhaps a touch of sparkling water.  try it for yourself!

have you ever come across fresh chamomile at the farmers’ market?  i love loose chamomile tea but the fresh stuff is even better, just like how fresh mint tea is so much better than the dried version.

i found bunches of fresh chamomile at a stand in the hollywood farmers’ market, but with this warm weather i don’t feel like brewing hot tea.  and since i’ve been obsessed with different flavors of lemonade, i instantly thought to pair the light tart flavor of lemonade with the flowery chamomile flavor.  it’s delightfully light and refreshing, a perfect beverage for the upcoming hot summer days.

try mixing 50/50 with black iced tea for an arnold palmer, or about 1 part lemonade with 2 parts light beer for the perfect summer shandy.

chamomile lemonade
1 bunch chamomile (around 2 oz or 1/8th lb)
1 c fresh lemon juice
1/2 c honey
4 c water

put the 4 cups of water to boil in a tea kettle on the stove.  meanwhile, rinse off any dirt from your chamomile but be careful not to let too many of the flowers fall apart. trim the very bottoms and discard, but leave most of the stems on.  place the chamomile in a large bowl and when the water boils pour it gently over.  let steep for about 10-15 minutes.

in a separate bowl or measuring cup strain any pulp or seeds out of the lemon juice and mix with the honey.  the acidity of the lemon juice should dissolve all of the sugar in the honey.

when the tea is done steeping, pull out the large pieces of chamomile with tongs and strain the liquid to get all the little bits of flower out.  mix with the lemon honey mixture and refrigerate for at least a few hours if you want it to be cold to serve.  otherwise pour over ice.

yields 3-5 servings

i used to be a big soda fiend when i was a kid.  when i got older and learned how terrible the stuff is for you, i tried to just give it up all together.  occasionally i would have a root beer or coke made with cane sugar, but it become a treat for me.

then a few months ago my boyfriend and i started drinking sparkling mineral water.  it gives the same fizzy sensation that we all love so much, but without any added sugar.  sometimes we add a little flavor to make it slightly more soda-like, but it’s nice to be able to control how sweet it is.

while blood oranges are almost done for the season, you can use this technique with any fruit juice, just adjust for sweetness.  this would be great in the summer with peaches, cherries and berries!

blood orange soda
2 parts blood orange juice
1 part agave syrup or organic sugar
sparkling mineral water.

start by juicing the oranges and straining the juice.  if blood oranges are not available you can substitute any other kind of orange.

mix together the strained orange juice and syrup or sugar,.  mix the two until incorporated.   (note: if you want a thicker syrup with more concentrated flavor just cook down in a small sauce pan on low for about 20-30 minutes.  this makes a great fruit syrup for pancakes or ice cream!)

then you can store the juice/syrup mixture in the fridge for a week or two, so go ahead and make plenty ahead of time.  pour about an ounce or two – depending on your preference – over some ice and add in the sparkling water.  and there you go, you’ve got your own homemade fruit soda.

this is also a great base for an adult beverage, just add vodka or white rum.

the market isn’t all about fruits and veggies.  i’ve been talked into buying my weight in hummus, found really great imported olive oil and fair-trade maca, people even give massages at some farmers’ markets.  there are all sorts of artisan vendors, it varies so much from market to market.

i worked at the new sunday los feliz farmer’s market a few weeks back, and my stand was set up next to a classmate of mine with a tea cart.  she runs a small business that specializes in incorporating chinese herbs into accessible and delicious drink products.  she offered these flowering teas to me, which i had seen but never tried myself.

they are made up of bits of tea – green i think – tightly packed around a dried flower – chrysanthemum i think – secured with a small bit of string to hold it all together.  when hot water is added, the tea brews and unfurls into what looks like a bloomed flower.  for each bulb add about 16 oz (2 cups) of boiling water and let steep 3-4 minutes, enjoy!

for some reason i always thought that oranges were a summer fruit, but much to my surprise they are at the peak of their season right now!  i haven’t gone this bonkers over a harvest since july when the juicy white donut peaches were like nothing i had ever tasted.  like the peaches, i have been toting home upwards of ten pounds of these seedless mandarin oranges every week.  mostly i enjoy squeezing them into a tall glass of the best orange juice i’ve ever had in my life.  but they’re also super easy to peal and pop in your mouth.  i even made a pot of orange spice and red wine marmalade for christmas presents.

enjoy oranges now, while they taste the best.  in fact keep your eye on all citrus, because lemons and grapefruits are amazing right now too.

related recipes:

• blood orange and poppy seed spelt muffins
• lemon lavender cookies
• orange ginger tofu

you’re probably asking yourself how it can be both raw and hot at the same time.  without actually cooking, if blended on high for a few minutes anything will warm up.  it’s a tip often used by raw foodists to make raw soups more appetizing.

after a few minutes of blending the combination of fresh homemade buckwheat milk, raw chocolate powder and agave syrup gather a froth just like the real thing.  but this treat is much lighter, raw and free of most allergens, like dairy, gluten, soy, nuts and refined sugar.

raw hot chocolate
1/2 c dry buckwheat
3 c water
1/4 c cacao powder
about 1/2 c agave syrup

i usually get hulled buckwheat, because it’s easy to use, you don’t have to do anything to it.  you can eat it in it’s dry, raw form and it’s surprisingly soft.  when it’s not husked the outer shell is hard and not palatable.  but for making milk it doesn’t matter which you use.

soak the buckwheat ahead of time in enough filtered water to cover by one inch.  it only takes about 30 minutes for hulled buckwehat to get soft, unhulled buckwheat may take about an hour or two.

strain the soaked buckwheat, it usually forms a kind of gel around it, so i like to rinse that away a bit.  put in the blender with the 3 cups water and blend well for at least a minute.

pour the blended mixture through a fine sieve or straining bag and dispose of the pulp that separates out.  the result is raw buckwheat milk, which you can use in recipes that call for non-dairy milk.  but it’s pretty thin and slightly bitter on it’s own.  it pairs well with chocolate, because it has bitter undertones itself.  and keep in mind that it is raw, so it will not keep in the fridge very long – one day if you have to, two days max.

rinse out the blender before adding together the strained buckwheat milk, cacao powder and agave.  blend for several minutes until warm.  in a vitamix it only takes about 2-3 minutes, but less powerful blenders will take longer and if you don’t have a fast enough blender, then there is a chance it might not warm up much.  either way you still have a delicious chocolate milk.

try flavoring it with cinnamon, vanilla or mint!  enjoy this winter season.

yields about 3 cups