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Roasted Carrots with Fall Spices and Yogurt Lime Dressing

Roasted Carrots with Fall Spices and Yogurt Lime Sauce

Garden Tales

“You can scrape the carrots, her mother said. Is that water hot? Just coming to a boil.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

We put in a small vegetable garden this spring. Yes, in the midst of this monumental California drought, a little garden grew. What an adventure, to see what flourishes and what languishes. My sporadic care and watering was part of spring and summer and now fall. Tomatoes are always dismal, but I never give up trying. The surprise was the mammoth sunflowers and these carrots! I was cutting down the rest of the sunflowers and inadvertently uncovered a huge carrot, and then pulled up lots more. I had no idea they were doing so well or why the carrots grew and beets and potatoes were failures. We had this recipe to celebrate my little harvest. READ MORE . . .

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Pickled Red Onions

Pickled Red Onions

A Savory Opinion

“Because the day had been hot, Lee set a table outside under an oak tree, and as the sun neared the western mountains he padded back and forth from the kitchen, carrying the cold meats, pickles, potato salad, coconut cake, and a peach pie which were supper. In the center of the table he placed a giant stoneware pitcher of milk.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Onions, garlic and shallots are constant companions in the kitchen. My savory cooking would be very dull without assistance from alliums. Pickled Red Onions bring bright, fresh notes without much effort. Making a quick refrigerator pickle yields a huge boost of flavor from combining the savory notes of the onion with the zippy flavors of a pickle. All this amazing flavor without any fat or cooking. And they last for a week in the refrigerator. My favorite way to enjoy the Pickled Red Onions is on sandwiches, burgers, tacos and salads. Anything that needs a spark of flavor will benefit from the Pickled Red Onions. READ MORE . . .

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Eggplant Stacks with Buffalo Mozzarella

Eggplant Stacks with Buffalo Mozzarella

An opulent summer dinner

“The cattle lay drowsing all day long under the willows and only moved out at night to feed. An umber tone came to the grass. And the afternoon winds blowing inevitably down the valley started a dust that was like fog and raised it into the sky almost as high as the mountaintops.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Its still summer. If only it would last forever. But then juicy peaches and sweet corn would become mundane. Voluptuous tomatoes would be boring and perfectly regal eggplant might be ignored for the avalanche of winter squash and pumpkin that nudge us to the next season. Grab the last of summer’s finest and then welcome autumn. READ MORE . . .

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Garlicky Kale with Beans

Garlicky Kale with Beans

The Easiest of Recipes

“Charles placed seven eggs on top of the warming oven and built his fire carefully of small pieces of kindling until it burned fiercely. He put the skillet down next to the flame. His sullenness left him as he fried the bacon.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

This is barely a recipe. It started, as many things do, with items from the pantry. There was the push to get dinner done and fresh kale that needed to be used. The first time I stirred together just garlic, kale and beans. It needed more and I added the red pepper flakes along with the garlic. Later lemon zest and a sprinkle of cheese made this into a recipe. It has become a favorite. Fresh, quick, full of healthy ingredients, an easy recipe like this deserves to be shared. READ MORE . . .

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Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Hazelnuts and Sage

Cauliflower Soup

Late Autumn in the Salinas Valley

“Adam sat looking at the mountains to the east of Salinas, with the notable point of Fremont’s Peak dominating. The air was crystalline as it sometimes is when rain is coming. And then the light rain began to blow on the wind although the sky was not properly covered with cloud.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Lettuces, sweet broccoli, kale and a huge head of cauliflower filled my refrigerator. A gift from
Tanamura and Antle, it was the last of the locally grown Salinas Valley produce until spring. Production has moved to Yuma for the winter. I felt the tug of the cold, wet autumn day. Leaves were blowing off the trees skittering across the lawn, street and roof tops. Finally the rain began. It was a good day to make a huge pot of luxurious cauliflower soup. READ MORE . . .