What’s in Season? Quince and Dates!

The aroma of QUINCE is unmistakable: sweet, fresh, floral, and complex. This fruit shares membership in the rose family with the pear and the apple, and its short neck and flat bottom make it look like a bumpy, fuzzy pear. As quince ripens, its skin turns from greenish-yellow to the color of a golden delicious…

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At Galvan’s Market

How a Boy Grew Up to Realize His Shopkeeper Dream By M Molloy Basso  |  Photos by Steve Thomasberger Through his 17 long years in the corporate world, Jason Burnett counted a few accomplishments. Most notable was working his way up from middle management at Target to a store manager, responsible for 300 employees. “Corporate…

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What’s in Season? Nectarines, Blueberries, and Sweet Corn!

  Recent rains and ongoing floods are causing immense worries for farmers, but they are a resilient bunch, and summer is a great time to support them since it’s when more varieties of produce come to market than at any other time of year. Fresh-picked cherries, buckets of blueberries, lugs of peaches and nectarines, and…

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The Power of Food

Chef Sarah Germany shows how food heals bodies and communities By StopFoodWaste.org   When Sarah Germany was 20, she attended 13 funerals in 11 months—all family members and friends lost prematurely to health issues related to diet and lifestyle. Struggling with weight herself, she looked at the buckets of fried chicken, sugary desserts, and sodas…

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Bagna Cauda

A Northern Italian Ritual to Warm Up Your Bay Area Winter By Cheryl Angelina Koehler | Photos by Scott Peterson     Chef Peter Chastain remembers being nine years old and standing on the back porch of his family’s Hollywood home when he had an epiphany that would follow him through his long career. “Everyone…

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6 Easy Ways to Use Olio Nuovo

Illustrations by Cathy Raingarden     When there’s new olive oil fresh from the mill, Rolando Beramendi, author of Autentico, follows Italian tradition and makes FETTUNTA (a soaked slice): Toast a slice of crusty bread, rub it with raw garlic, and pour on the oil. Or he puts out a bowl of olio nuovo along…

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Meyer Lemon Salad Dressing

From Olive Oil Synergies     This recipe is by Roberta Klugman, recipient of the California Olive Oil Council Pioneer Award, and possibly our region’s best expert on how to appreciate local extra-virgin olive oil at the daily table. Her Meyer lemon vinaigrette is simple and adaptable. Use the best and freshest extra-virgin olive oil…

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Lebna Bil Shwandr (drained yogurt with beets)

    Waiel Majid, chef of the now-closed Berkeley restaurant Zatar, grew up near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Iraq, where he recalls that plants would self-sow in the riverbed in the summertime when the water level would drop and the sandy, fertile bank would widen. Suddenly eggplant, squash, and tomato plants would emerge…

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Jammy Tomato Anchovy Sauce

From: Kristina’s Holiday Bookshelf 2020 Good Books by Local Authors for Reading and Giving By Kristina Sepetys EVERYTHING IS UNDER CONTROL: A Memoir with Recipes by Phyllis Grant Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2020 The Berkeley-based author of the popular blog-turned-Instagram account Dash and Bella, Food52 contributor Phyllis Grant describes her childhood in Berkeley, making her…

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Marinated Fire Roasted Peppers

  Way back in 2006, Chef Romney Steele of The Cook and Her Farmer in Oakland offered a version of this simple recipe to the Rockridge Market Hall newsletter, and they have been a hit ever since during pepper season. There’s something about the intense grassy aroma of the roasting peppers that makes uscrave the…

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Amber Bistro’s Vanilla-Thyme Vinaigrette

From: THE MAKING OF A CALIFORNIA OLIVE OIL CULTURE This recipe from our Winter 2012 story on how chefs use local extra-virgin olive oil came courtesy of Danville’s now-closed Amber Bistro. They served this vinaigrette over baby lettuces, sliced almonds, Bellwether Farms fromage blanc, and fresh strawberries.  1 egg yolk 4 teaspoons mustard 2 cups extra virgin olive…

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Spring Fava Bean Greens Pesto

    A quick and easy pesto to serve over pasta or on bread. Yields approximately 2 1/2 cups. 2 cups fava bean greens, washed and spun dry. 2 tablespoons green garlic minced, 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese Kosher salt to taste Juice of 1 Meyer lemon Extra virgin olive…

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Lilikoi Chia Seed salad Dressing

From the story: How to Grow a Farmer First-Generation Farmer Erin Eno Finds Community Through Growing Food on Mount Diablo Story and photos by Austin Price Lilikoi (aka passion fruit) is in season from July/August through November. Packaged purée can be used if you want to try this now, but tuck this recipe away for…

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What’s in Season?

Produce harvested at its peak is your sure bet for flavor and freshness. By Barbara Kobsar | Illustration by Charmaine Koehler-Lodge November Those little golden-orange citrus fruits showing up at the market this month are a pop-in-your-mouth treat, but if kumquats are new to you, don’t let the first bite throw you off. Aficionados eat the…

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Jalapeño Pineapple Kraut

From Fun with Fermentation by the Monclair 4H   Makes approximately 6 pints 2 heads cabbage, coarsely chopped 2 tablespoons salt 1 pineapple, cut into chunks 2 large jalapeños, thinly sliced (use to taste) 1 teaspoon chipotle powder 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano (optional) 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional) 1 bunch scallions,…

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Anna’s Kale-Arugula and Toasted Cashew Pesto

  Chef Anna Buss started her food journey on an educational farm in Israel, where she learned how to grow and cook with seasonal ingredients. On moving to the Bay Area, she worked as a farmers’ market chef for the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association and also for Frog Hollow Farm. A longtime member of…

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Toasted Walnut and Beet Dip

By Barbara Kobsar | Illustration by Charmaine Koehler-Lodge ½ pound beets, roasted and peeled (see What”s in Season?) 1 cup walnut pieces or halves 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil Salt and pepper to taste Spread walnut pieces on a baking sheet…

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Allison Arevalo’s Pasta Friday

‘It’s Pasta Friday, it’s Pasta Friday!’   By Allison Arevalo | Photos by Denise Woodward It’s also 7am But my boys don’t look at the clock. They jump on the bed, rousing me and Alejandro in the not-so-gentle way of three- and five-year-old boys. Friday is their favorite day of the week. They know tonight…

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What’s in Season?

  Produce harvested at its peak is your sure bet for flavor and freshness. By Barbara Kobsar | Illustration by Charmaine Koehler-Lodge May It’s caneberry season, and if you love those delicious blackberry hybrids—like Boysenberries, olallieberries, and Loganberries—you’ll want to head out to the farmers’ markets or Brentwood u-pick farms right now to get some.…

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Barbara’s Fresh Fig Salsa

Recipe by Barbara Kobsar Grilled chicken, pork, tofu, tempeh, and fish gain a little gusto when topped with this snappy fig salsa. Makes 3 cups 2 cups diced fresh figs (about 1 pound or 10–12 figs) 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped ¼ cup diced red onion 1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, ribs and seeds…

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Three Stone Fruit Honey Butter

This recipe is a great example of a product that brings together many values we have around food at Three Stone Hearth. We source all ingredients seasonally from small, ethical farms and producers. Raw honey, the only added sweetener, is a food considered medicine in India’s Ayurvedic tradition. The generous amount of butter in the…

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A Sassy Basque Chimichurri

In this recipe by Asha Loupy, the fruity and mild Basque pepper piment d’Espelette blends with the southern French vinegar of Banyuls and fresh herbs to make a versatile marinade, sauce, or dip. Use it to season grilled beef or fish, mix it with mayo to use as a vegetable dip or spread for sandwiches,…

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Forager’s Notebook

Nasturtium More than just a sprawling garden staple Story, recipes, and photos by Kristen Rasmussen de Vasquez Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) grows everywhere—everywhere—in the Bay Area, as well as in many other parts of the world. Thriving almost year-round, it dies off only in very cold or very hot and dry conditions. Sprawling and iconic, nasturtium…

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Nasturtium Chimichurri

Story, recipes, and photos by Kristen Rasmussen de Vasquez Use as a sauce over roasted vegetables, grilled meat, soups, or bruschetta. To make a pesto-like sauce, omit vinegar and incorporate pine nuts or other nuts and/or cheese. 1 cup chopped nasturtium leaves and stems (Increase the stem-to-leaf ratio if you prefer a more pungent sauce.)…

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California Capers

Story, recipes, and photos by Kristen Rasmussen de Vasquez If you find the “capers” too pungent, submerge them in a brine of 1 part salt to 8 parts water for a few days to mellow out the flavor. Makes 2 half pints 11/3 cups young nasturtium seedpods 2 bay leaves About 11/3 cups distilled white…

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Pesto

From the story The Happy Forever Community Garden Bears Fruit by Simona Carini Author’s version inspired by the recipe from the Pesto Championship, adapted to include some local ingredients and units of measure, as well as the use of a food processor. Note: the translation of weight to volume for the two cheeses is approximate,…

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Mango and Papaya Salsa

From the story: Exploring Culture and Conversion Through Food by Anisa Abeytia 1 mango, diced 1 Hawaiian papaya or ½ Mexican papaya, seeded and diced ½ white onion diced fine 1 bunch cilantro, diced and stems removed Juice of one lime A pinch of ancho chili Salt and pepper to taste Combine all ingredients and allow…

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Anisa’s Tajeen Spices

From the story: Exploring Culture and Conversion Through Food by Anisa Abeytia 3 tablespoons crushed, dried rosebuds 5 tablespoons crushed, dried lavender flowers 3 tablespoons ground cumin 3 tablespoons ground coriander 3 tablespoons ground cardamom 1 tablespoon mace 4 tablespoons dried ginger powder 4 tablespoons cayenne 2 tablespoons turmeric 2 tablespoons pepper 3 teaspoons ground cloves…

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Tomato Sauce from Fresh Tomatoes

By Chef Anthony Paone 5 pounds paste-type tomatoes 1 cup extra virgin olive oil (which seems like a lot, but it’s ok) 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 tablespoon salt Pinch chile flakes 1 tablespoon each chopped marjoram and basil Blanch tomatoes quickly in boiling water, then shock them in ice water. When they’re cool, peel…

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Elderberry Jam

From: The Regal Elder Part II by Kristen Rasmussen Vasquez A great way to quickly preserve the flavor of elderberries for later use on toast or in desserts. Makes 4 half-pint jars 4 cups fresh elderberries 3 cups granulated sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice 4 half-pint Mason jars, sterilized Bring ingredients to a boil, stirring…

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Italian Prune Plum and Fennel Pollen Mostarda

From a book review of Hive-Mind by Gabrielle Myers In the dense heat of late summer, these sun-kissed sugar drops hang low from the plum tree’s limbs. At farmers’ markets, the Italian prune plums, milky with yeast, wait in baskets to be baked, dried, or eaten within minutes of purchase. If you cannot find the…

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Andy’s Pickled Verdolagas (Purslane)

From Jessica Prentice’s Seven Stars of Summer 2016 Andy Renard, Three Stone Hearth’s self-dubbed French Pickler, recently began culturing purslane to sell at our shop. Andy’s father’s family is from Guadalupe in the French West Indies where purslane is called poupier. As a child growing up in Missouri, Andy liked finding this mucilaginous vegetable (think…

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Tarragon Aioli

From A Friendsgiving Picnic by Melissa Fairchild Clark I want to thank my favorite fellow chef, Shane Meistrich (in the photo at right), for giving me the tip of using a whole egg (rather than just the yolks) after I’d broken my sauce … twice. Makes ½ pint 2 large eggs ½ lemon, juiced 1 teaspoon…

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Pear and Pomegranate Salsa

Recipe by Barbara Kobsar Art by Patricia Robinson Featured in What’s in Season? For the past year, artist Patricia Robinson has been collaborating with long-time Edible East Bay contributor Barbara Kobsar on illustrated recipes like this salsa for our “What’s In Season” column. Currently a therapist working in Danville, California, Robinson says, “As a long-term vegan, I…

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Cranberry Apple Chutney

Featured in A Friendsgiving Picnic by Melissa Fairchild Clark Makes 1½ pints 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries 1 medium onion, medium dice 1 large Fuji apple, diced 1 cup golden raisins 1 cup raw sugar ½ cup red wine vinegar ½ cup water 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon ground…

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Grilled Lamb Chops with Chimichurri from The Local Butcher Shop

  The Local Butcher Shop sources its lambs from two nearby farms. At Emigh Lamb, located in Rio Vista, Solano County, Martin and Jeanine Emigh run Rambouillet cross ewes with Suffolk/Hampshire rams. After being weaned, the lambs graze free on natural pastures of alfalfa, clover, filaree, and rye grass with no added pesticides or fertilizer. At Magruder…

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Fig Chutney

Encuentro chef Lacey Sher prepares this fig chutney using fruit from Rick and Kristie Knoll’s Brentwood orchard. She serves it with pâté and says it’s also delicious with cheese and a host of other things. Yields approximately 3 cups 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 cup onion, diced small 1/4 cup red wine 1/4 cup balsamic…

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Pickled Green Walnuts

From Green Walnuts     My favorite way to enjoy these pickles is on crostini with a sharp cheese, such as cheddar. Garnish with fresh herb, such as chervil, for a bit of brightness. Yields about 2 quarts. 30 green walnuts ¼ cup kosher salt 1 quart water 1 quart apple cider vinegar ½ cup…

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Charcuterie Condiments: Red Wine Gelée and Kumquat Marmalade

From GRABISHFARM ON THE PLATE at Lungomare Here are two condiments Chef Craig DiFonzo makes to serve with the charcuterie at Lungomare. Red Wine Gelée The spice and texture of this gelée is a nice complement to cheese, and the acid helps cut though the fat. 16 sheets gelatin 2 cups cabernet sauvignon ¼ cup sugar 3…

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Alex Lewin’s Fermented Carolina-Style Slaw and Lacto Fermented Vegetables

The recipes below are reprinted with permission from Real Food Fermentation: Preserving Whole Fresh Food with Live Cultures in Your Home Kitchen by Alex Lewin. Fermented Carolina-Style Slaw Carolina-style slaw is a type of coleslaw traditional in the southeastern United States. . . . It’s clear to me that today’s Carolina slaw, soured with vinegar, is a re-creation…

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Panch Phoron Raspberry Sauce

  Panch phoron is a bittersweet and aromatic five-spice whole-seed spice blend used in Bangladesh, Eastern India, and Southern Nepal, which typically consists of fenugreek, nigella, cumin, black mustard, and fennel seeds in equal parts. This recipe is from nurse, nutritionist, cook, and world traveler Roshni Kavate and Alembique Apothecary owner Babak Nahid. 6 ounces…

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Sweet and Savory Dishes Featuring Panch Phoron

Our recent newsletter featured a recipe for Brussels sprouts flavored with panch phoron, a bittersweet and aromatic five-spice whole-seed spice blend used in Bangladesh, Eastern India, and Southern Nepal, which typically consists of fenugreek, nigella, cumin, black mustard, and fennel seeds in equal parts. We learned that panch phoron is also delicious with fruit, so we’ve added the following…

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Art and some recipes from J. R. NELSON

JAE’S BRINE-CURED GARLIC DILL PICKLES Adapted from Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz 5 pounds (approx.) small or medium cucumbers, all of a similar size (Make sure your cucumbers are fresh. Kirbys are best. Avoid English, Persian, or soft-skinned types.) ⅔ cup pickling salt (Choose one with no additives.) 3 heads garlic, peeled 2–3 dried…

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FALL HARVEST RECIPES

From the Institute of Urban Homesteading There’s a common challenge for backyard vegetable gardeners at this time of year: what to do with all that produce! K. Ruby Blume, an avid home gardener with a large and thoroughly planted yard in North Oakland, knows the problem well, but as director of the Institute of Urban…

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Avocado “Crème Fraîche”

From The East Bay Avocado by Jillian Steinberger   This clever topping comes from Heather Haxo Phillips, an Iyengar yoga instructor and former owner of Raw Bay Area, through which she inspired and educated people about the power of raw food. Use this “crème fraîche” as a topping for tacos or enchiladas. She also suggests…

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Avocado Ranch Dressing

From the East Bay Avocado For many years, Chef Lacey Sher’s Encuentro Cafe and Wine Bar was a favorite hangout for those seeking elevated plant-based cuisine in Oakland. She used avocados to give this thick creamy stand-in for ranch dressing its body. She recommends it as a dipping sauce for asparagus or steamed artichoke leaves.…

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Locavore Mayonnaise

When I make this mayonnaise, which is frequently, I rarely measure. I just start with one egg yolk and do everything to taste and to texture (or until my arm gets tired). 1 egg yolk (I always use eggs from pastured chickens) ½ cup local olive oil ½ teaspoon prepared mustard (or make your own…

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Brown Turkey Fig Jam with Sherry & Fennel

This recipe is adapted from The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook by Rachel Saunders (Andrews McMeel Publishing). The book gives more detailed instructions on testing the jam for doneness as well as on how to sterilize and process the jars. 8–9 eight-ounce canning jars and lids 4 . pounds stemmed brown turkey figs 2 pounds 2…

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Pomegranate-Jalapeño Jelly

This recipe creates a transparent, ruby red substance with a subtly sweet and hot flavor. 4 cups extracted pomegranate juice ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 12 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped 1 package powdered pectin 4 cups sugar Place pomegranate juice, lemon juice, and jalapeños in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat…

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Seven Stars of Summer 2012

Seven Stars of Summer by Jessica Prentice Jessica Prentice, Maggie Gosselin, and Sarah Klein created the Local Foods Wheel to help us all enjoy the freshest, tastiest, and most ecologically sound food choices month by month. Here are Jessica’s seven summer favorites. You can learn more about the Local Foods Wheel and the group’s other…

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Cheese Without the Cow

The non-dairy artisanal delights of raw nut cheeses   By Jillian Steinberger | Photos by Stacy Ventura   So, raw nut cheese . . . raw nut cheese . . . What is raw nut cheese? If you don’t know, no worries. This would not be a food you see on TV. It’s kind of…

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Blackberry Vinegar

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma’s The Art of Preserving: Sweet & savory recipes to enjoy seasonal produce year-round. ½ cup fresh mint leaves (optional), thoroughly rinsed, patted dry, and roughly chopped 4 cups white wine vinegar or rice vinegar3 cups blackberries, crushedEquipment:A large, clean, nonreactive bowlA nonreactive saucepan2 one-pint bottles, sterilized just before using In the saucepan,…

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Stirring Up Passions

    Rachel Saunders and her Blue Chair Fruit Company Story and photos by Rita Hurault with David Gans Rachel Saunders was cooking up a batch of strawberry-rose jam when we visited the Oakland kitchen of her Blue Chair Fruit Company last May. As we approached, the aroma of berries brightened the air stirred a…

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Involtini di Pepperoni (rolled, roasted yellow sweet peppers)

From What’s in Season: Peppers by Barbara Kobsar with photos by Helen Krayenhoff   Executive Chef Peter Chastain from Prima Ristorante in Walnut Creek uses this recipe in several ways. It is meant to be an antipasto and comes from Puglia originally, but it can also be “deconstructed” for use over pasta. Toast the breadcrumbs…

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