Tomato Liquor – but not the kind you think! Do not be intimidated by the length of this recipe. It takes a lot of words to describe a really simple, very easy process! I call this  “liquor” because it is almost a distillation of tomato flavor. This has so many uses – I use it...Read More

For this salad, it’s best to use a softer lettuce such as a butter lettuce or green or red leaf. It works better with the blueberries, as something crunchier, like romaine, might overwhelm the berries texture and flavor. A little arugula would work well, but go lightly or the sharpness could drown out the other...Read More

INGREDIENTS: 1 1/4 pints fresh very ripe blackberries 3/4 cup sugar, or to taste Juice of one lemon METHOD: Remove leaves and stems, and rinse quickly in a colander and drain well. Too much residual water will make the sauce runny and dilute. Add the berries and sugar to a food processor and puree. Taste...Read More

This dressing goes with many salads, but works quite well with salads that include blueberries. It’s also a good finishing sauce for grilled pork or chicken. INGREDIENTS: 1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons maple syrup 1 tablespoon minced shallot Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste 3/4 cup grapeseed oil, or other neutral flavored oil...Read More

This makes a salad dressing with greens, blueberries, almonds, and mozzarella, but works well with cold shrimp or chicken, or a salad of sliced radishes and green onions, or slaws. INGREDIENTS: 3 tablespoons orange juice (fresh preferred, peel reserved) 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1/2 cup whipping cream Salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon...Read More

This tart can work as a starter or the main course. It even works as a dessert, served with ice cream or sorbet. The recipe is flexible owing to the fact that you can cut the pastry bases to any size you wish. Use a cookie cutter to form many small tarts for a party,...Read More

Although zucchini can be found year-round at grocery stores, summer squash really is a thing of summer. At least, that is when it is at its best here on the central coast of California. The season starts in mid-spring with the advent of squash blossoms, and then the fruits (the actual “squash”) show up in...Read More

Garlic fries seem to be ubiquitous now. Some are really good, and some are dreadful. While I like garlic, it should be in balance, but if you like it incendiary, feel free to add more. After several attempts at making garlic fries that fell short, I looked at some packages and determined the secret ingredient...Read More

INGREDIENTS: 2 cups Saffron Corn Sauce (see recipe), heated through 2 cups (about 1/2 lb.) medium-sized oyster mushrooms, torn if large 1/2 cup white wine 1 cup fine-diced (corn kernel size) Yukon Gold, or similar potato 1/2 cup fine-diced (corn kernel size) red bell pepper 1 cup corn kernels 2 tablespoons minced shallots 1 cup...Read More

This sauce takes a little bit of work in the straining part. If you wish, you can skip the straining part for a more rustic sauce, but the flavor is still amazing. Be sure to save the cobs for making corn stock. INGREDIENTS: Kernels from 4 ears of fresh corn 1½ tablespoons minced shallot 1...Read More