Farmers Market Meals

Thumbnail image for Pesto & Greens Pizza Recipe

Pesto & Greens Pizza Recipe

May 22, 2013

When it comes to filling my locavore fix, the Sacramento region has no shortage of farms for me to choose from. Feeding Crane Farms is one of my favorites! Let […]

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Thumbnail image for Spinach Dip or Cilantro Salsa Recipe

Spinach Dip or Cilantro Salsa Recipe

January 30, 2013

Get your licking finger ready! This is that kind of recipe. If you have visited my blog, you may have guessed that I’m a fan of color. While the rest […]

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Thumbnail image for Healthy Breakfast Burrito

Healthy Breakfast Burrito

January 23, 2013

Oh burrito! How much do I love thee? Let me count the ways… Easy to prepare Fast to make You don’t really need to know how to cook to make […]

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Thumbnail image for Persimmon Pomegranate Salsa

Persimmon Pomegranate Salsa

December 10, 2012

I recently found this letter that my 8-year-old self wrote to Santa. I apparently thought both Santa and the Abominable Snowman were real. Funny to think I was ever that […]

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Thumbnail image for Pumpkin Oatmeal for Sacramento Food Stamp Challenge

Pumpkin Oatmeal for Sacramento Food Stamp Challenge

November 9, 2012

I’m joining Sacramento’s Food Stamp Challenge! For the next week, I’ll be eating on about $4.90 per day per person. This is the approximate equivalent budget of someone on California’s […]

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Thumbnail image for Pumpkin Black Bean Chili Recipe

Pumpkin Black Bean Chili Recipe

October 26, 2012

A beautiful fall day calls for a beautiful fall meal. Enter: pumpkin black bean chili. Oh lordy, this is good! I haven’t cooked or blogged in quite a while. I’ve […]

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Thumbnail image for Fiesta del Yamor Fish Baked in Corn Husk with Hinode Brown Rice & Cactus Salsa

Fiesta del Yamor Fish Baked in Corn Husk with Hinode Brown Rice & Cactus Salsa

September 6, 2012

I fell in love with Ecuador in 2006. I was leading a group of big-hearted philanthropists on a tour to witness first-hand the results of a nonprofit microfinance and health […]

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Thumbnail image for Food Literacy Sandwich: Garden Pesto Tomato & Egg

Food Literacy Sandwich: Garden Pesto Tomato & Egg

September 2, 2012

September is Food Literacy Month. The nonprofit I founded, California Food Literacy Center, is celebrating—and so am I! Last week, the California Senate declared the month Food Literacy Awareness Month […]

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Thumbnail image for Cheese Plate Fruit Pizza Recipe

Cheese Plate Fruit Pizza Recipe

August 1, 2012

If you think you know what fruit pizza is, think again. This isn’t the ultra sweet stuff made from cookie dough. This is a pizza—four kinds of cheese, yeasted pizza […]

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Thumbnail image for Huevos Ahogados Recipe and Herbivoracious Book Review

Huevos Ahogados Recipe and Herbivoracious Book Review

July 14, 2012

Take your taste buds around the world with this new cookbook. Herbivoracious, written by food blogger Michael Natkin, offers flavor, fun, and creativity in this full-color, vegetarian recipe collection. Any […]

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Thumbnail image for Squash blossom, Mushroom and Cheddar Cheese Curd Quesadilla

Squash blossom, Mushroom and Cheddar Cheese Curd Quesadilla

July 5, 2012

Quesadillas are a great way to enjoy the fresh flavors of summer vegetables. Topped with the first ripe heirloom tomatoes of the season and stuffed with chewy cheddar cheese curds, […]

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Thumbnail image for Minted Watermelon Cucumber Salad

Minted Watermelon Cucumber Salad

July 5, 2012

Sweet summer watermelon kissed by refreshing mint and studded with crisp cucumber tastes so divine you’ll think you’re committing a sin. But you’re not! All the healthy, local ingredients for […]

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Thumbnail image for Breakfast Toast of Grilled Apricots, Figs and Caramelized Onion

Breakfast Toast of Grilled Apricots, Figs and Caramelized Onion

July 5, 2012

Perk up breakfast with some farmers’ market tricks. Take simple toast (made from mouth-watering, freshly baked bread) and top it with the sweet essence of caramelized onion, and instead of […]

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Thumbnail image for Korean BBQ Veggie Kebabs with Brown Rice

Korean BBQ Veggie Kebabs with Brown Rice

June 29, 2012

It’s summer! It’s also BBQ time. Time to break out the grill and pilfer the harvest from your garden! As a vegetarian, I’m always looking for new ways to create […]

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Thumbnail image for Cherry Chocolate Scones for Dad

Cherry Chocolate Scones for Dad

June 11, 2012

I’m one of the lucky girls. This Father’s Day, my dad will spend it in traditional style: caring not a whit about himself, but instead, devoting his time and energy […]

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Thumbnail image for Cherry Ice with Cocoa Nib Cookie Dough & The Cookie Dough Lovers Cookbook Review

Cherry Ice with Cocoa Nib Cookie Dough & The Cookie Dough Lovers Cookbook Review

June 1, 2012

This summer treat is so easy to make—and you don’t even have to turn on your oven. Farmers’ market cherries pop from every market stand this time of year, and […]

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Thumbnail image for Asian Slaw Recipe with Cabbage, Carrot and Cilantro

Asian Slaw Recipe with Cabbage, Carrot and Cilantro

February 21, 2012

I’m a fan of foods that go “crunch.” Such veggies are easy to find in winter, especially cabbage and carrots. In this Asian slaw, I combine the two with cilantro, […]

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Thumbnail image for Farmers Market Carrot and Raisin Citrus Salad Recipe

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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Thumbnail image for Chilaquiles Casserole Recipe

Chilaquiles Casserole Recipe

January 30, 2012

Chilaquiles: in my opinion, a food from the gods. This is such a simple dish with great pleasing power. I first discovered chilaquiles from local Mexican food expert, and my […]

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Thumbnail image for Potato & Roasted Garlic Soup with Rosemary Pesto Recipe

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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Thumbnail image for Tomato Bread Salad Panzanella Recipe

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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Thumbnail image for Eggplant in Marinara with Roasted Green Tomatoes: Seasonal Recipe

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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Thumbnail image for Soft Boiled Eggs: Tastes from Grandma’s Kitchen

Soft Boiled Eggs: Tastes from Grandma’s Kitchen

July 13, 2011

It is with much fondness that I remember morning breakfasts at my Grandma’s house. My sister and I would tumble down the stairs in our floor-length pajama gowns with ruffles […]

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Thumbnail image for Chile Relleno Pizza Recipe

Chile Relleno Pizza Recipe

November 23, 2010

Chile Relleno Pizza Recipe Who doesn’t love chile rellenos? Sweet, fragrant peppers with a tangy zip oozing with chewy melted cheese and drowning in rich, thick tomato sauce—chile rellenos comfort […]

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Chili Relleno Pizza: A Two-Part Series (Part I: The Story; Part II: The Recipe)

November 11, 2010

My chili relleno pizza just pulled from the wood oven.   Here’s a great party idea: Prepare lots of individual pizza dough in advance. Invite your friends, and tell them […]

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Thumbnail image for Roasted Heirloom Tomato Freezer Sauce

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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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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Thumbnail image for Roasted Garlic Egg Salad: Revising a Classic

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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Purple Potato Wedges with Apple, Gorgonzola & an Amber Ale Marinade

February 26, 2010

Baked potato for dinner? Sounds perfect to me! Unfortunately, my husband doesn’t always agree. My latest solution: add blue cheese and beer. Instant success! If you like bold, knock-you-in-the-mouth flavors, […]

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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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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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Thumbnail image for Cilantro Pesto Dip

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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Farmers’ Market Supper: Veggie-Smothered Cheese Enchiladas

October 14, 2009

Fast suppers don’t have to skimp on freshness. This meal was prepared almost entirely with farmers’ market ingredients. The extra groceries came directly from those I usually keep on stock […]

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Thumbnail image for Basil Guacamole

Basil Guacamole

July 15, 2009

  Sacramento summers are too hot for cilantro. Mine grows beautifully all winter long, but past spring, it wilts and fizzles in our heat. Basil, the wonderful, spicy herb that […]

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Mexican Pizza with Summer’s First Veggies

July 1, 2009

It’s official: Summer is here! On the first day of the season, I was greeted by two ripe zucchini and a yellow squash in my garden.  When the garden is […]

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Thumbnail image for Cucumber Cake

Cucumber Cake

July 30, 2008

  My garden is bursting with cucumbers! I needed to find some fresh ways to use them, and of course, I immediately wanted to put them into cake. This recipe […]

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