Farm & Garden

Locavore Love Potion Cocktail Recipe

February 10, 2012

This Valentine’s Day, mix up a little love potion for your sweetheart. The secret ingredients sure to make your honey swoon?—everything but the vodka is locally grown. Sweet, juicy citrus […]

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Farmers Market Carrot and Raisin Citrus Salad Recipe

February 8, 2012

Hello, color! Want to put some spark on your plate? Ignite some passion with this refreshing and simple dish. I grew up eating this salad. As a picky child, I […]

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On the Grow: Food Photos from My Garden

January 27, 2012

Here’s a little color to brighten things up on this winter day. Earlier this week, when the rain subsided, I took my camera around the yard to capture the life that’s […]

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Flowering Kale Caesar Salad Recipe

January 19, 2012

Introducing: the world’s prettiest vegetable! Flowering kale. Traditionally used as an ornamental landscaping plant, this lovely lady is fit for your kitchen table, too. Flowering kale packs the same healthy […]

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Red Walnut Cookie Recipe & Red Walnut Facts

January 16, 2012

Red walnuts. Ever heard of them? This rare blood-red California crop grows on only five contiguous acres in the state, and is hard to find. I’m a big nut fan—I […]

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Potato & Roasted Garlic Soup with Rosemary Pesto Recipe

January 9, 2012

The winter farmers’ markets in Sacramento are bursting with flavor! I’m a firm believer in taking full advantage of the local bounty. I’m a locavore. I have no excuse to […]

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Food Trend Predictions for 2012

December 30, 2011

If you’re like me, you measure your year in food. Summer is marked by the arrival of tomatoes; Autumn by the bounty of apples; Winter by baked goodies made with […]

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Easy Persimmon Cornmeal Pudding Recipe

December 27, 2011

Heavens to Betsy! This pudding ranks as one of my all-time favorite food experiences. The process of baking it lights up your kitchen with a show of vibrant colors. The […]

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Hot Spiced Rum & Apple Cider Holiday Punch

December 22, 2011

Have a holiday cup of cheer! This spicy cider punch is sure to perk up your season. While Jack Frost nips at your nose, courageous cardamom pods, snappy cinnamon sticks, […]

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Seed Saving Tips for Sunflowers & Tales of Great Grandma’s Seeds

November 8, 2011

This time of year as the leaves turn crisp and the brush of the wind paints your cheeks pink, I wax nostalgic for Autumns past. I reflect back to the […]

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5 Common Mistakes that Ruin Your Fresh Tomatoes—and How to Avoid Them

September 6, 2011

Love heirloom tomatoes? Feel like crying every time one turns rotten before you’ve had a chance to eat it? Problem is, many of us are mistreating our poor tomatoes and […]

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Tomato Bread Salad Panzanella Recipe

August 7, 2011

There’s nothing more delicious than a fresh garden tomato in the peak of summer. Why bury the flavors behind spices or sauce? Let the bright, juicy tang spring through […]

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Burritos!: Zucchini & Bean Burrito with Garden Salsa & Tillamook Colby Jack Cheese Recipe

July 28, 2011

If I could choose one food to eat every day for the rest of my life I would definitely choose burritos. They are perfect, especially this time of year when […]

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Blackberry Margarita Recipe

July 26, 2011

Blackberries are my all-time favorite berry. Now that they’re in season, I’m giddily adding them to everything—even my margaritas! These richly colored berries make a gorgeous summer cocktail. They have […]

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Eggplant in Marinara with Roasted Green Tomatoes: Seasonal Recipe

July 18, 2011

Who’s the executive chef at my house? My garden! I allow her to dictate my meals. Today, she gave me eggplant—lots of gorgeous, deep purple, glowing chubby eggplants. And she […]

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Edible Flowers: Pineapple Guava

June 23, 2011

Allow me to introduce a flower petal that beats all others in taste. So many edible flower petals, despite their inviting colors, taste like peppery lettuce. Not the pineapple guava! […]

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One-Block Feast: A Book Review

June 11, 2011

Attention aspiring locavores: here’s the book for you! Learn to grow your own mushrooms, harvest olive oil, own a dairy cow, plant a garden—and then create impressive, yet practical, meals […]

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Change in Sacramento Seasons Marked by Farmers Market Lunch Tour

May 14, 2011

In Sacramento, two modern day traditions mark the changing of the seasons. You know summer is just around the corner when the Cesar Chavez farmers’ market opens downtown and The […]

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Orange Ginger Scones Recipe

April 7, 2011

I feel so lucky to have my very own orange tree that grows happy, colorful fruit all winter. In the dreariest part of the year, in the midst of a […]

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Tender: A Cookbook Review

March 28, 2011

What do you get when you combine fresh farm-grown food, a commitment to supporting that food, and women with passion? You get Tender: Farmers, Cooks, Eaters, a newly-published cookbook alive […]

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New at the Farmers’ Market: Whole Wheat Flour & Orange Juice

February 19, 2011

Organic Whole Wheat Flour Can you cook a complete meal from the Sacramento farmers’ market? Absolutely! What about baking an entire recipe? Yes, indeed! Our market has butter, milk, and […]

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New at the Farmers’ Market: Walnut Oil

February 18, 2011

Walnut Oil Glashoff Farms is quickly becoming one of the most innovative spots at the downtown Sacramento farmers’ market. This summer, they delighted us with spicy homemade pickles nearly the size […]

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New at the Farmers’ Market!

February 14, 2011

California farmers make living la vida locavore easy. And it just keeps getting easier. In fact, the Sacramento farmers’ market is practically a complete grocery experience. We’ve had tortillas, bread, […]

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Tastes of Santa Cruz

February 1, 2011

Santa Cruz, known for its beaches and surfing, also offers a wave of delicious eats. In two short days, I tasted the creatures from its seas, unique ales brewed under […]

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Roasted Heirloom Tomato Freezer Sauce

October 4, 2010

Heirloom Tomatoes to be Roasted for Freezer Sauce Here in Sacramento, we’re still pulling in ripe tomatoes from our gardens. In fact, this weekend I picked 30 pounds! With […]

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Lagunitas Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale

September 9, 2010

Lagunitas Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale Nothing goes together quite as swimmingly as summer and beer. They both just make you smile. I recently got a grin out of a […]

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Seasonal Finds at Farmers Market: Pickles, Cactus, & Cutting Celery

September 6, 2010

Dill pickles, a new seasonal treat at the Sacramento market. If you don’t slow down, you can miss a lot at the downtown Sacramento farmers market. It’s a bustling […]

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Sun Tea: A Timeless Summer Recipe

August 31, 2010

Sun Tea, a timeless summer recipe. Summer drips and glistens when it’s poured into an icy glass. Enjoy the last few drops of the season with some good old fashioned […]

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Sacramento Leads Nation in Farmers’ Markets & Farm Stands

July 30, 2010

Sacramento loves its farmers! And it shows. Yesterday marked the second week of a new Capitol farmers’ market at 6th Street and Capitol Mall. This market is just one more example […]

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Crawfish Boil

June 22, 2010

You don’t have to go to New Orleans to have a Crawfish Boil. You can do it with freshly-caught crawfish right here in Sacramento. I love seafood. I love trying […]

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Grandma Betty’s Famous Rhubarb Pinwheels

June 16, 2010

Do you have that one family recipe that you guard with your life? The one that everyone begs you for, but you’re just not willing to give up? Well, this […]

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In Search of the Perfect Olive Tree

May 7, 2010

Last year, my husband and I suffered the devastating loss of a 200-year-old black walnut tree in our yard. The massive beauty provided shade, privacy, walnuts for baking, habitat for […]

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Green & Easy Trick for Planting Seeds with Kids

April 29, 2010

I celebrated Earth Day by planting seeds with kids from a local school. My friend Carmen taught me a wonderfully green trick that was fast, easy, and cheap. The method is […]

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Showing Off!: Pretty Dyed Quail Eggs

April 3, 2010

This pretty dish isn’t filled with chocolates. These are quail eggs! I dyed them like an Easter egg in hot water, vinegar, and food coloring. In fact, I tried some […]

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Roasted Garlic Egg Salad: Revising a Classic

March 31, 2010

When it comes to egg salad, most people don’t want you messing with their momma’s recipe. If Mom made hers with pickle relish, then by golly, all good egg salad […]

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Quail Egg Appetizer on Blini with Grapefruit Zest and Dill Sauce

March 4, 2010

Want an easy way to impress your party guests? Try these! They’re tiny, cute, and tasty to boot. You can find fresh quail eggs for a mere $1 at the […]

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Complete Farmers’ Market Meal: Double Jack Quesadillas with Honey & Seasonal Fruit Salsa

February 16, 2010

Utter delight awaits with this flavor-packed, blissfully fresh meal. Intensely delicious, bursting passionately with wet, bright aromas, this dish will have you licking your fingers and mumbling sweet nothings under […]

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Chocolate Waffles with Chunky Strawberry Sauce & Whipped Cream

February 14, 2010

Strawberries and chocolate are almost mandatory ingredients to help celebrate Valentine’s Day. Chocolate has an historical reputation as an aphrodisiac. Because it contains small amounts of caffeine and plenty of […]

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Tips on Making a Complete Meal from the Farmers’ Market

February 10, 2010

I recently attended an event on sustainable food. A supporter of the movement told me, “My problem with farmers’ markets is that you can’t make a whole meal from shopping […]

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Cilantro Pesto Dip

February 4, 2010

Just in time for The Big Football Game, here’s a seasonal dip fresh from the garden that the toughest of guys will love. My giant, 6’4″ husband loves it! There’s […]

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Zesty Freshy Spinach Pear Salad

January 28, 2010

Meet my winter happy salad! We haven’t seen the sun in days, and the constant grey is starting to affect my mood. However, there is a blessing to California living. […]

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