Olallieberry Peach Galette

Olallieberry Peach Galette

Olallieberry Peach Galette is a fabulous summer dessert. Without all the waiting and pie making the ethereal combination of a buttery crust and sweet summer berries is all yours with Olallieberry Peach Galette.

“Liza was rolling out pie crust on the floury board. She was so expert with the rolling pin that the dough seemed alive. It flattened out and then pulled back a little from the tension in itself. Liza lifted the pale sheet of it and laid it over one of the pie tins and trimmed the edges with a knife. The prepared berries lay deep in red juice in a bowl.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Olallieberry Peach Galette is more instant dessert gratification than pie. Especially with Olallieberries. These are fragile and juicy berries, a pie cut too soon will be a glorious mess of sweet, fragrant berry juice. Waiting for the Olallieberry pie to firm up is more self restraint than I wanted to impose on myself. With Olallieberry Peach Galette
the ethereal combination of a buttery crust and sweet summer berries is all yours, without all the waiting and pie making. Who has time to make pie when Olallieberry jam needs to be made? READ MORE . . .

Olallieberry Jam

Olallieberry Jam

The First Berries

“You’re smart. You think she might be in Watsonville? There or maybe Santa Cruz. Anyways, I’ll give it odds she ain’t further away than San Jose. She caressed her fingers tenderly. Would you like to make five hundred dollars Joe?”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

The Food in Jars Mastery Challenge for June is jam! Homemade berry jam is sublime. Use the freshest, sweetest berries for the best tasting jam. Berry jam is easy too, there is no pitting or chopping. This isn’t something that can be purchased at the farmers’ market or upscale grocery store. This is your jam, something you made with local, seasonal ingredients. Six months from now this summer’s jam will be the best thing in your pantry. It will be winter, every scoop of berry jam will bring thoughts of summer. It doesn’t get any better than this. READ MORE . . .

Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake with Olallie Berries

Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake with Ganache Frosting

A Slice of Decadence

“When June came the grasses headed out and turned brown, and the hills turned a brown which was not brown but a gold and saffron and red—an indescribable color.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Picking Olallie berries the first week in June is an annual tradition. My mom took us to Gidzich Ranch every June. Making Olallie Jam and pie with my mom is a treasured food memory. This year I went to Gidzich Ranch to pick berries with fellow blogger, Sunny Cove Chef, and picky daughter. The Olallie season is even shorter this year, three weeks rather than five or six. There is no ignoring the California drought. The u-pick for raspberries and boysenberries has been cancelled this year. Although all the fresh berry offerings are seasonally available at the farm stand. And they sell pie. Buy the slice or an entire pie. We shared a slice of raspberry pie on our visit. Almost unbelievable, pie stuffed to overflowing with vivid magenta berries. Summer! READ MORE . . .

Olallieberries and Sunflowers

Olallies_5480

The Whisper of Summer

“You aren’t planning to start preserving? Well, why shouldn’t we?

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Imprints of berry stained fingerprints slide across the first three weeks in June. Ripe Olallies are a vivid purple flourish marking the change in the season. I’ve been picking Olallie’s at Gidzich Ranch since I was a child and no matter how much or little rainfall or sunshine, the berries always ripen right after Memorial Day. I’m convinced it’s all about the Earth’s rotation bringing longer light filled days. I can see the change in the daylight but I wish I could feel it. Like a photograph that soaks up the light and leaves us an image that can never be replicated I want to capture the first whisper of summer. READ MORE . . .

Olallieberry Ice Cream

Olallieberry Ice Cream

Sliding into Summer

“You’re smart Joe. Where will you go first? Watsonville, he said.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

If you can push away from work, the digital world and all those expectations and demands you’ll find summer is waiting for you. Find a moment to breathe deeply. It’s such a small gesture; do something just for you. It’s easy to forget to take care of ourselves, isn’t it? Inhaling sunshine will warm your soul and calm your spirit. We are sliding into summer. Inhale the vivid bright light and be seduced by it’s radiance. READ MORE . . .