If you drive along some parts of the central California coast, you are likely to see wide swaths of the landscape covered in artichoke plants. In fact, this is pretty much the only place in the U.S. where commercial artichokes are grown.
Continue reading Artichoke (Cynara scolymus)
When I think of growing blueberries, I think of places like Oregon or Maine. You know, forests and cooler climates. Not 100+ F temperatures in California’s Central Valley zone 9. Yet, here they are!
Continue reading Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.)
The little babies I posted about earlier aren’t really babies anymore! Birds grow so quickly, and I don’t think it will be very long before these “teenagers” will be booted out to make way for a fresh batch of new ones.
Continue reading They Grow So Fast!
I have three varieties of plum trees in my yard. The earliest to ripen is the Santa Rosa. They look and smell so luscious, and then you bite into one. PUCKER!!!
Continue reading Plum Jam (No Added Pectin)
With summer officially here, the stone fruit season is now seriously underway. Apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums, and all the hybrids in between, are dropping off trees and showing up in markets. Gobble them up now, they don’t last long!
Continue reading Stone Fruit Oven Pancake
Somewhere in human culinary history, someone made some “rules”. Some were good. Some leave me scratching my head and wondering why.
Continue reading Burgundy-Garlic Roast Chicken
One of my fondest childhood memories is going into my grandparents’ back yard looking for ripe blackberries on their vine. In December. Kind of didn’t understand plants back then. Continue reading Old-Fashioned Seedless Blackberry Jam (No Pectin Added)
Did you have that teacher that insisted you watch a video during sex-ed of a baby being born? Maybe I’ll show my students this one instead from now on! Continue reading Not Your Usual Sex-Ed Video
I always dreaded the usual back-to-school essays I had to write in elementary school. Most of the kids had stories about trips to fun places and I was trying to remember how to spell moussaka. Moose-Caca??!!
Continue reading “What I Did During Summer Vacation”
It was on a whim one summer evening a few years ago that I decided to do something with some leftover salmon other than just reheating it. Lo and behold, a new favorite meal was born.
Continue reading Caper & Green Olive Salmon Keftedes
Mostly Greek 