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Triple Cherry Brownies

Triple cherry brownies

A decadent summer dessert

“Look Charles, things grow so fast in California they say you have to plant and step back quick or you’ll get knocked down.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

I left a sunny 65° Salinas and headed northeast to Gilroy to pick Bing cherries. Buckley Orchard is a small family owned orchard in the southern Santa Clara Valley. When I arrived in Gilroy at 10 a.m. it was already 82°. Heading home several hours later, the temperature had climbed to 93°. It was very warm at the cherry orchard for someone used to living along the coast! The trees were bursting with cherries and picking them was easy. Photographing the lush cherries was my favorite part of the trip to the orchard and that is how I ended up in the heat long after my basket had been filled. READ MORE . . .

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Whole Wheat Bread with Radicchio

Radicchio bread

Radicchio di Chioggia

“The departure of six carloads of lettuce packed in ice was given a civic overtone. The Chamber of Commerce attended the departure. The cars were decorated with big posters which said, ‘Salinas Valley Lettuce’. But no one wanted to invest in the project.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

In East of Eden John Steinbeck writes about the Salinas Valley before it became known as the “Lettuce Bowl of the World”. Transporting the bounty of the Valley across the United States began in earnest in the late 1920’s with rail cars filled with lettuce packed in ice. Now trucks move an ever growing variety of produce from the Valley to it’s destination. Like lettuce, radicchio thrives in the Mediterranean like climate of the Salinas Valley. I wanted to learn more about the crisp, bright, maroon chicory that is grown locally by Royal Rose Radicchio. Emily Lyons, Marketing Manager at Royal Rose Radicchio graciously gave Athena and me a tour of a Salinas radicchio field. READ MORE . . .

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Chicken and Bread Salad with Heritage Blend Lettuce

Chicken and bread salad with heritage lettuces

The easy recipe

“Now in the cold parts of the country, don’t you think people get to wanting perishable things in the winter—like peas and lettuce and cauliflower? In a big part of the country they don’t have those things for months and months. And right here in the Salinas Valley we can raise them all year round.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Living in the Salinas Valley has piqued my interest in learning more about the local agricultural community. Since World War I, the economic growth of the Valley has been driven by agriculture. With changes in technology, food safety and consumer preferences Athena and I wanted to learn more about our local food sources. Matt Lyons, of River Ranch Fresh Foods graciously shared his knowledge about about growing lettuce in the Salinas Valley. READ MORE . . .

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May Monthly Miettes

Buttermilk panna cotta

Buttermilk Panna Cotta

“It was the end of May before the Silacci boys brought the news that the salmon-pink blossoms of the azaleas were breaking free. It was on a Wednesday, as the nine o’clock bell was ringing, that they told him.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

It is in the month of May that we finally know spring in the Salinas Valley. The local lettuce harvest is in full swing. Produce trucks filled with lettuce, strawberries, broccoli, artichokes, celery and more clog the highways and roads on the way to the local cooling and shipping facilities. The Valley is bustling with planting, growing, harvesting and shipping. A most perfect time for seasonal fruit and an indulgent Panna Cotta. READ MORE . . .

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Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Strawberries and rhubarb

An early spring dessert

“On a spring morning when with late-surviving dew the young grass bristled under the sun, when the warmth crept into the ground and pushed yellow dandelions up, Cathy’s mother finished hanging the washed clothes on the line.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

A crisp is a fine dessert. It could also be called a crumble. It is an enticing excuse to enjoy seasonal fruit and easy to prepare. Any seasonal fruit can be substituted in this recipe, peaches, plums, apricots, berries and in the fall apples. Rhubarb and the first strawberries are both in season now and perfect for this satisfying sweet taste of spring. READ MORE . . .