I hate to break it to all you pumpkin-loving peoples, but summer isn’t over yet. I know that it is September, and signs of fall are all around us: school is back in session, leaves are starting to turn, and pumpkin spice lattes are back. (I think? I don’t actually drink them as I think they taste like crap.) Let… Read More »
I’ve been a canning fiend for the past couple of weeks. Blame it on the changing of seasons, but I feel a strong urge to pickle and preserve all of the summer fruits and veggies that I possibly can. Most of the things I’ve canned and pickled recently are your typical summer canning fare: canned peaches, refrigerator dill pickles, plain… Read More »
I have nothing but good intentions. This was supposed to be my summer reading list, but summer is nearly over. Fall is just around the corner, and I’ve yet to finish a single one of these books. Maybe I should call this my Late Summer Reading List. Whatever the case, it’s a good list and I felt the need to… Read More »
Canning in the summertime presents a funny conundrum. On the one hand, this is the best time of year to preserve fruits and vegetables. We are in the peak of summer and farms and gardens are bursting with an amazing array of fruits, vegetables, and herbs. The fields are plentiful. My fridge and pantry are full of the goodness of… Read More »
Last week, I bought a rather large flat of local blueberries. Since then, I’ve been happily immersed in the wonderful world of blueberries. I canned blueberry plum butter. I froze a few bags of blueberries. I’ve been eating handfuls of blueberries with Greek yogurt and honey. And, I made a few jars of blueberry vodka. Just because it seemed like… Read More »
Summertime was made for cold soups. (Or is it the other way around?) Whatever, the case, I’m a sucker for a cold cup of soup on a hot summer day. Chilled soups are simple, refreshing, and they require little or no cooking whatsoever. In the past, I’ve always made chilled vegetable soups: garden gazpacho, cucumber yogurt soup, beet soup with… Read More »
I spent this past weekend in a little cabin on the Umpqua river, cooking up a storm for the Juliet Zulu retreat. My lovely and talented friend Adriana joined me in this cooking adventure, and she was the best cooking partner I could ask for. We worked our tails off, but everything turned out beautifully. It was a blur of… Read More »