snack
savory hand pies – with leek, apple and sheep’s cheese
i’ve been wanting to make a pie lately, perhaps in the spirit of thanksgiving. but i’ve been craving the savory variety and wanting them small enough to be hand-held. i had two large leeks i knew i wanted to use and my instinct was to mix them with some type of strongly flavored cheese – [...]
stuffed mushrooms – with pesto, farmer’s cheese and broccoli
stuffed mushrooms are such a simple thing, yet strangely enough i don’t think i have ever made them myself. i have enjoyed other people’s versions, with spinach and garlic, brown rice or bread crumbs, stuffed with goat cheese, cheddar or gruyere. there are so many ways they can be served it’s hard to go wrong! [...]
parmesan sunchoke fries with chimichurri sauce
once summer has officially wound down and the fall produce begins to roll into the farmers’ market, i fondly anticipate the sunchoke’s return. also known as a jerusalem artichoke, sunroot, or my favorite name – earth apple – this root veggie belongs to the sunflower family. the roots grow all summer long while the flowers [...]
farmers’ market find: yellow watermelon!
summer is a beautiful time at the market. people come out of the woodwork for fresh produce like heirloom tomatoes, stone fruit, sweet corn, peppers and the best watermelon you can get anywhere. it is so sweet without being over-ripe or mealy, the difference is obvious when you compare side by side with the grocery [...]
fried okra with aleppo pepper
i tried my hand at cooking okra two summers ago with great success when i made this super simple okra and miso marinara over soba noodles. but i kept hearing that fried okra is one of the tastiest ways to prepare this veggie – which is often misunderstood as slimy and strange. i started off [...]
mixed stone fruit salsa
we are at the very peak of stone fruit season. apricots have been around for a while, peaches are just now getting good and cherries are the sweetest they can be right this very second! for these few weeks of the year we can see nectarines, pluots, and apriums next to white, yellow and doughnut [...]
sweet and salty seedy nut bars
sometimes inspiration will carry me to the kitchen to bake something, but when i open the cupboards the ingredients are dismal. i wanted to make granola bars but as i eyed the most discouraging amount of oats i had ever encountered, i thought it might not happen. just then i spied small amounts of different [...]
sunchokes roasted with lavender and garlic
sunchokes – also known as jerusalem artichokes – are the root vegetable of a plant similar to a sunflower. they look like and are often confused for fresh ginger root, but are more like a potato. they are probably associated with artichokes because of their earthy, subtle artichoke-like flavor and creamy, buttery texture. i love [...]
toasted sesame sticks
my latest vice is oriental snack mixes. i could eat a whole bag in one sitting, what with the crispy rice crackers, wasabi peas and – my favorite – the toasty tasting sesame sticks. i love the stuff so much i decided to try my hand at making them myself. and it’s easier then i [...]
sesame-fried shishito peppers
like the daikon radish or momotaro tomatoes, shishito peppers are special japanese treats that – lucky for us – are easily grown in california. and lucky for me, the local japanese family farm i work for carries them. most of these miniature peppers are very mild, almost like a bell pepper with just the tiniest bite of spice that is [...]
