Ultimately, food experiences in 2020 were more about taking joy where I found it, rather than seeking the newest, hottest, or best-of. Following are my top-five eats of this year.
My Five Favorite Eats in 2020
Category: Recipe
Weekend Recipe: Seasonal Salad of Greens, Fruit, and Goat Cheese
It's a fine line between the end of summer and beginning of fall here in the 650. Our warm, sunny days might continue right up until Thanksgiving, making you wonder how the holidays came up so quickly. The clues are there: leaves turning from bright green to brown and vibrant red (but slowly, not all … Continue reading Weekend Recipe: Seasonal Salad of Greens, Fruit, and Goat Cheese
Wasteless Wednesday: Veggie Smoosh Burgers
Last year I posted a recipe for Spring Vegetable Broth, which in retrospect, should have been titled "Year-Round Vegetable Broth." Although the vegetables called for hit that seasonal sweet spot between late winter and early spring, you're likely to be able to find the ingredients (or flavorful substitutes) just about any time of year here … Continue reading Wasteless Wednesday: Veggie Smoosh Burgers
Get the Blues
Blueberries are back in season, and they're everywhere right now! Local market providers Triple D Ranch and Sierra Cascade (one of my favs for their sustainable practices and sweet berries) are bringing their berries to farmers' markets and local stores. Whole Foods recently had a good deal on San Joaquin Valley berries from Delta Blues. … Continue reading Get the Blues
Waste-Less Wednesday: Smashed Cauliflower on Toast with Rocket and Radish
What's up with our weather? The recent stretch of cloudy, cool days feels like more spring in Seattle, than spring in the Bay Area. We should be well into our second heat wave by now! (I joke.) Maybe it's this pre-summer limbo or the grey days, but I've been craving comfort food. Nothing as solid … Continue reading Waste-Less Wednesday: Smashed Cauliflower on Toast with Rocket and Radish
Waste-Less Wednesday: Meyer Lemon Curd
So, let's say you zest 10 or 12 Meyer lemons for Organic Meyer Lemon Limoncello, leaving you with a bunch of nekkid fruit. And then? Juice them, of course. And then? Then you have about a pint of Meyer lemon juice. And then? Exactly. Now you have to come up with a way to use … Continue reading Waste-Less Wednesday: Meyer Lemon Curd
Weekend Cocktail: Orange Margarita
College friends of mine get together every summer for an annual birthday party. Well, not just a birthday party. The birthday party is the capper on a week-long reunion at a low-key vacation spot (think: Bend, OR or Cape Cod, MA). What started out as a lobster-and-Freixenet dinner party in a college fraternity house (more … Continue reading Weekend Cocktail: Orange Margarita
Recipe: Fresh Ricotta and Preserved Lemon Spread
Are you a kitchen experimenter or adventurous eater? I don't mean in the Andrew Zimmern "Bizarre Foods" kind of way (although if stinky tofu or rat hearts are your thing, rock on; I'll hold off, thanks). No, I'm talking about a willingness to try food combinations or flavors that are just a touch out of … Continue reading Recipe: Fresh Ricotta and Preserved Lemon Spread
Waste-Less Wednesday: The Other Broccoli
Broccoli is a staple in my house. Exciting? No. Reliable? Yes. When I'm too tired or uninspired to cook (yes, it happens sometimes), steamed broccoli is my standby. Seven minutes from refrigerator to table. No kidding. Broccoli is a substantial partner to quick-cooking brown rice or 4-minute soba noodles. Throw in some homemade peanut sauce … Continue reading Waste-Less Wednesday: The Other Broccoli
I Got Sunshine: DIY Organic Limoncello
Ah, limoncello! That little glass of sunshine on a cloudy day (or a sunny day, or... any day). Limoncello is lemony-sweet boozy goodness that you can enjoy as an apertif, a digestif, or anywhere in between. If you've got some patience, lemons, clear alcohol of at least 80 proof (vodka, for example), and simple syrup, … Continue reading I Got Sunshine: DIY Organic Limoncello