Fibershed Recipes

SOUPE AU PISTOU Serves 8 1 to 1½ pounds fresh shell beans, shelled (about 1½ cups shelled) 3 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly 1 leek, sliced and soaked in water until clean 1/3 cup olive oil 2 medium onions, peeled and diced 6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed Bouquet garni with: 1 sprig thyme, 1…

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LAST BITE

I still remember the day when I first was struck by winter’s poetry in the sublime beauty of the persimmon tree. The leaves had fallen from the tree, revealing the dark orange orbs of ripe fruit still hanging on the bare branches. Soon after, I planted a Hachiya persimmon tree in my office garden in…

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Michelle Lee’s Red Wine Poached Pears

From Any Females in the House? “This is one of my favorite applications for pears throughout the winter. I often serve it with buttermilk panna cotta or with a slice of walnut-honey tart.” —Michelle Lee     3 pounds firm pears (bosc and bartlett work really well) 2 tablespoons peppercorns 1 teaspoon whole clove Seeds from…

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More mushroom recipes

Wild Mushroom Pizza By Toby Garrone of Far West Fungi 1 teaspoon olive oil Pizza dough (use pre-made or make your own) 1 tablespoon butter 1 pound assorted fresh wild mushrooms, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices 1 teaspoon dried thyme Salt and pepper to taste 1 8-ounce package cream cheese 4 ounces fontina cheese, shredded 1…

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Feast of the Seven Fishes

  The Trend and the Tradition By Cheryl Angelina Koehler | Illustrations by Iris Gottlieb  “Food trends start here,” a friend with a deep knowledge of San Francisco Bay Area food culture once said. But in a recent conversation, we came up with at least one trend that seems to have started on the East…

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Stuffed Calamari with Celery, Raisins, and Pine Nuts

From The Feast of Seven Fishes  This simple and satisfying calamari dish, courtesy of Rocky Maselli, executive chef at A16 Rockridge, works as an antipasto or as a main course.    Yields 6 servings 12 calamari, cleaned and tentacles cut away to use separately ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 cloves garlic,…

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Salt-Cured Ahi Tuna Tataki

From  The Feast of Seven Fishes  Recipe by Chef Rick Hackett of Bocanova Look for this appetizer on Bocanova’s Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes menu. Chef Hackett says to sear the tuna in a light flavorless oil such as grape seed oil, so as not to detract from the flavor of the salt-cure…

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Bucatini with Dungeness Crab

From The Feast of Seven Fishes  This amazingly rich and luxurious pasta dish comes from Rocky Maselli, executive chef at A16 Rockridge. It’s simple to prepare and offers a great way to showcase Dungeness crab. Chef Maselli says that if you take the time to buy whole crabs and clean them yourself, you can collect the…

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Pan-Fried Oysters

From Seven Stars of Winter by Jessica Prentice   Oysters are best freshly fried, so this easy-to-prepare recipe is perfect for an informal gathering where you can cook, serve, and eat all at once. While it’s often recommended to coat all the oysters in the batter before heating the fat and starting to fry, I…

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SEVEN STARS OF SPRING

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 seven of Jessica’s seasonal favorites. You can learn more about the Local Foods Wheel and the group’s other ventures at localfoodswheel.com.…

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EDITOR’S MIXING BOWL

Illustration by Margo Rivera-Weiss During a recent airing of A Prairie Home Companion, Garrison Keillor quipped: “Pleasure is generic and suffering is individual.” Far be it from me to contradict the “modern-day Mark Twain,” as Keillor is often called, but as images from the films of Les Blank float through my mind, I can’t help…

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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 seven of Jessica’s seasonal favorites. You can learn more about the Local Foods Wheel and the group’s other ventures at localfoodswheel.com.…

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Turnip Greens with Soy Sauce (Kabunoha No Ohitashi)

From Japanese Farm Food Katsuobushi is skipjack tuna (bonito) that’s been dried, fermented, and smoked in a process that can take three to five months. In the kitchen, the dried fish is shaved with a razor-sharp tool and the flakes are used to make stock or flavor vegetables. While packaged, shaved katsuobushi is relatively easy to…

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Seared Bonito with Ginger, Garlic, and Chives (Katsuo No Tataki)

From Japanese Farm Food Reprinted with permission from Japanese Farm Food by Nancy Singleton Hachisu, published in 2012 by Andrews McMeel Publishing. In Japan, bonito (skipjack tuna) season starts in spring with lean, clear-flavored flesh and ends in fall with fatty, darkly flavored (and colored) meat. I love both seasons, but I particularly like to…

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Vegetables Pickled in Rice Bran(Nukazuke)

From The Cultured Pickle Shop which is a chapter of Japanese Farm Food Adapted from Japanese Farm Food Years ago, when Tadaaki and I were first married, we made rice bran pickles (nukazuke). They immediately captivated me. The mildly sour rice bran imparts an unusual tang to the vegetables that is more subtle than the…

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Raw Egg on Hot Rice (Tamago-Kake Gohan)

From our story on Japanese Farm Food by Nancy Singleton Hachisu Andrews McMeel Publishing     Japanese Soul Food For most Japanese, raw eggs over very hot rice with a dash of soy sauce (tamago-kake gohan) is like the American standard eggs on toast. “I was raised on Japanese food,” says Bill Fujimoto, a self-described 66-year-old…

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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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SEVEN STARS OF THE FALL HARVEST

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 seven of Jessica’s seasonal favorites. You can learn more about the Local Foods Wheel and the group’s other ventures at localfoodswheel.com…

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Avocado Cacao Custard

From the East Bay Avocado This avocado-based cacao-carob custard is by Chef Lisa Books-Williams, who has been sharing the joys of plant-based eating since 2005. Serves 3–4 1⅓ cups unsweetened hemp, almond, or rice milk ⅔ cup agave or coconut nectar ½ cup cacao powder ½ cup carob powder 2 teaspoons vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon cinnamon…

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Avocado Lime Mousse

From the East Bay Avocado This appealing avocado-based lime mousse is by Chef Lisa Books-Williams, who has been sharing the joys of plant-based eating since 2005. Serves 2 1 large avocado Juice from 1 lime Zest from ½ lime 2½–3 tablespoons agave nectar 1 tablespoon coconut butter or coconut oil (melted) ½ teaspoon vanilla ⅛ teaspoon…

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Ceviche with Avocado and Preserved Lemon

From the East Bay Avocado Back in 2013 when she gave us this inventive ceviche recipe, Caterina Rindi was busy turning excess backyard lemons from neighbors’ yards into preserved items, which she traded and sold at popup markets. Caterina is one of the founders of Shareable.net, an online magazine that covers the people and projects bringing…

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Guacamole with Preserved Lemon

From the East Bay Avocado Back in 2013 when she gave us this recipe, Caterina Rindi was busy turning excess produce from neighbors’ yards into preserved items, which she traded and sold at popup markets. Caterina is one of the founders of Shareable.net, an online magazine that covers the people and projects bringing a shareable world to life. …

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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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Heather’s Cream of Zucchini and Avocado Soup

From the East Bay Avocado This creamy soup 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. This soup is delicious served chilled or at room temperature, but for a cold day, you can heat…

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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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Amy Murray’s Olive Oil Crackers

  From our Winter 2012 article,  The Making of an Olive Oil Culture In 2009, Chef Amy Murray hosted an all-olive-oil dinner at her Venus Restaurant in Berkeley for her Slow Food chapter. The crowd of more than 50 sat down to a first course of olive oil crackers with fresh cheese marinated in olive…

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Budín de Zanahoria (Mexican Carrot Custard)

This rich vegetable pudding combines sweet, savory, and tangy with a creamy texture that kids love. (My 3½-year-old gobbles it up!) And it works with many different harvest-season vegetables. You might want to make budín de camote (sweet potato), budín de maíz (fresh corn), or budín de calabaza (squash or pumpkin), depending on what you have handy.…

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Anthony Keels’ Yellow Doll Cocktail

¾ ounce Yellow Doll Watermelon Syrup (made with 2 parts Yellow Doll watermelon juice and 3 parts simple syrup) 1¼ ounce CapRock gin ½ ounce St-Germain elderflower liqueur ¼ ounce lemon juice ¼ ounce lime juice Sparkling wine (your driest)  Place all ingredients except the sparkling wine in a shaker with ice. Shake and then…

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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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Cream of Celery Root Soup with Leeks and Lard

From Seven Stars of the Fall/Winter Season by Jessica Prentice A homely vegetable, celery root is like a handsome prince trapped inside a frog. Cut away the gnarly outer layers, and you’ll find flesh inside that can be starchy like a potato, sweet like a carrot, and savory like celery, all at once. Delicious roasted…

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Ruby’s Lavender Mead Rabbit Stew

1 tablespoon butter or olive oil 1 whole rabbit 2–4 cups mead or white wine 2–4 cups water or stock ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes 1–2 heads garlic (peel and use as individual cloves or leave whole and unpeeled) Lavender, fresh or dried (Fresh lavender can be tied in a bundle. Dried lavender should be made…

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Tacos with Grassfed Beef, Nopalitos, and Avocado

Beef and nopales are delicious together. In this recipe, the beef preparation should be on the drier side, making a nice balance for the mucilaginous and slightly tart nopalitos. For the nopalitos: 1 nopal cactus pad, de-spined and cut into ½-inch cubes Sea salt to taste Juice of ½ lime 2 teaspoons olive oil For…

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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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Iced summer berry pudding

Courtesy of Bernice Tzong, pastry chef at Café Rouge. Stop by the café this summer to try her berry ice creams and sorbets. For the glaze:4 tablespoons water2 tablespoons sugar5 tablespoons strawberry jam4 tablespoons crème de cassis (optional)2 cups fresh strawberries, thinly sliced Line a 2½–3 quart pudding mold or a glass bowl with plastic…

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Sautéed Chicken Breast With Lillet Blackberry And Raspberry Sauce

Courtesy of Rick DeBeaord, executive chef at Café Rouge 12 ounces chicken breast½ pint blackberries½ pint raspberries¼ cup white Lillet (a citrus-flavored French aperitif wine)2 tablespoons butter Preheat oven to 450˚. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in an ovenproof pan. Place chicken in pan with skin side down and brown,…

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Mâche salad with blueberries and toasted almonds

Courtesy of Rick DeBeaord, executive chef at Café Rouge ½ pound mâche1 pint blueberries1 cup almonds½ teaspoon Espelette pepper¼ cup chopped parsley1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil½ teaspoon salt Place almonds on baking sheet and toast in 350˚ oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool and chop roughly. Mix olive oil into…

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Five-Minute Mexican Weed Wrap

An easily portable lunch or fast dinner. The sprouted-grain tortilla’s earthy texture stands up well to the weedy greens, and the avocado adds a smooth contrast. For 1 hearty serving, briefly place 1 sprouted-grain tortilla directly on stove burner on medium heat. Watch closely to avoid burning, and turn to lightly toast each side. Place…

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Weedy Green Lemonade

If you have a juicer, try making this mineral-packed tonic. You can make use of mature or bolting weeds, which have more enzymes and nutrients than young ones have, and the larger stalks will give you plenty of juice. If you pull the roots, you can juice those too. Drink on an empty stomach for…

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Nettle Tea

Tea made of nettles promotes radiant skin and hair, as well as prostate health. I always make extra nettle tea to use as a superfood additive for smoothies or for botanical preparations. You can freeze the extra tea in icecube trays to keep it available for other uses. Heat up a pot of filtered water…

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Custom Weedy Greens Mix

Create your own weedy greens mix from the following suggestions. There are no correct amounts—just play and experiment. Your mix can last up to a week in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Bull mallow (Malva nicaeensis) Chickweed (Stellaria media) Chicory (Cichorium intybus) Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) Lamb’s quarters (Chenopodium album) Miner’s lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata) Nettle…

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Chicken Braised with Pomegranate

  BY PETER CHASTAIN, EXECUTIVE CHEF Serves 4-6 1 Rosie or other organic chicken, back removed then cut eight ways 1 large white onion, diced 1 carrot, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 5 whole cloves garlic, split in half, germ removed 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 clove 1 1/4 sticks cinnamon 2 bay…

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Pomegranate and Honey as a Dessert

  Use the seeds of 1 large pomegranate per person, drizzled with your favorite honey, as a dessert. Served elegantly on individual glass plates or placed on a cherished platter at the end of dinner, this can be a condiment for a nice Pecorino, or it can stand on its own with herbed teas or…

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Too Many Radishes…

…what to do?     Radishes are a great first crop to grow with kids—they come up quickly, are brightly colored, and can be eaten fresh out of the garden­. (Just make sure you wipe off the earth that clings to the fine roots.) They can be directly seeded into the ground all year long…

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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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Secret Recipes

Recipes can spark the imagination, but more often, we look to them when we want assurance of success in reaching some specified goal, such as, say, making a perfect soufflé. Writing teacher Sondra Hall, on the other hand, uses recipes—or the idea of recipes—as a way to lead kids into the wide world of the…

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Farm to Shaker

Farm to Shaker:  Latest front on the local, seasonal sourcing movement We’ve all grown accustomed to the local “farm to fork” menus that highlight locally grown “organic,” “seasonal,” “artisanal,” and “sustainable” ingredients. But who expects to see those words on a cocktail menu? Oh, you do? Well, then, you may have been haunting Easy Lounge…

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Gomen

From Teff, Gomen, Mitmita, Senefgebs by Patricia Hayse Haller Menkir Tamrat makes this Ethiopian dish during the colder months, when the greens are most tender. East Bay readers who want to prepare an authentic rendition can buy the abesha gomen (Ethiopian brassica) from Dale Coke at the Palo Alto Saturday or Menlo Park Sunday farmers’ markets.…

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Castagnaccio: Italian Chestnut Cake

From What’s in Season? Nuts! by Barbara Kobsar ⅔ cup sultanas, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes 4 cups chestnut flour ¼ cup sugar Zest of 1 orange Pinch salt 2½–3 cups cold water 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves ¼ cup walnuts, chopped ¼ cup pine nuts Preheat…

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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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A Passion for Gravensteins in the Bay Wolf Kitchen

Story and photo by Anita Chu   For the past 8 years, Jennifer Altman has been creating the perfect endings to meals at Bay Wolf restaurant in Oakland, or “tying the ribbon that binds the whole visit together,” as she puts it. Her style fits the refined-rustic vibe of Bay Wolf, a beloved Oakland mainstay,…

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Shortcut Corn Risotto with Summer “Succotash”

From Why Do You Need So Many Cookbooks?   From Fresh & Fast Vegetarian: Recipes that Make a Meal By Marie Simmons Houghton Mifflin, April 2011 Photograph by Luca Travoto Here’s the recipe you’ll need when fresh sweet corn arrives in abundance. It’s what Marie makes to celebrate fresh corn, sweet juicy tomatoe,s and tender…

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Raw Cherry Pie

From Pick It! How to get the most out of your Brentwood u-pick trip. Plant-based, raw, and perfectly yummy! Makes one 9-inch pie 3 cups macadamia nuts (If you are not making a lattice topping use only 2¼ cups.) ⅛ teaspoon salt 2¼ ounces (dry weight) sea moss, coarsely chopped (If you are new to sea…

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Crisp Fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Feta and Mint

Crisp Fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Feta and Mint Recipe by Marie Simmons, Illustration by Helen Krayenhoff   A bagful of squash blossoms from the farmers market sent me back a few decades to my childhood. My mother harvested the blossoms from the tangled zucchini patch in our garden, dipped them in egg and flour,…

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Chocolate Candied Orange Biscotti

From Ode to an Orange Peel: a story about how Chef Siew-Chinn Chin makes and uses citrus peels in her kitchen.     Makes about 3 dozen 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt ¾ cup sugar ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 2 large eggs 2…

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Shaker Lemon Tart

From Ode to an Orange Peel: a story about how Chef Siew-Chinn Chin makes and uses citrus peels in her kitchen.     It’s no surprise that Siew-Chinn Chin appreciates this tart, which originates from the 19th-century Ohio Shaker community, where cooks were well known and respected for their baking skills. Shaker beliefs dictated that…

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Candied Citrus Peel

Siew-Chinn’s Candied Citrus Peels Siew-Chinn would never let a fruit peel go to waste. Fortunately, most citrus peels can be candied and kept in the fridge for a long time for future use. To prepare, first cut the citrus in half crosswise and juice the fruit with a reamer or juicer, reserving the juice for…

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Branzino Sotto Sale

  Whole Salt-Baked Sea Bass with Herb Lemon Sauce Recipe from My Calabria by Rosetta Costantino (W.W. Norton & Company, © 2010) reprinted with permission Roasting a whole fish buried in salt is a cooking method common all over Southern Italy. Surprisingly, the cooked fish isn’t excessively salty, but it is exceptionally moist, much more so than…

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Molly’s Chèvre

Adapted from Goats Produce Too! The Udder Real Thing, written and published by Mary Jane Toth. If you’ve never made cheese before, go to the New England Cheesemaking Supply Company website, cheesemaking.com, where there are tutorials on every part of the process described here. 5 quarts goat milk ¼ cup fresh cultured buttermilk ⅓ cup…

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Grilled Potimarron with Salsa Verde

This Italian style salsa verde can be made with any combination of herbs. “Don’t be afraid to experiment.” —AP 1 fully mature potimarron, cut into wedges1 medium shallot, minced1 tablespoon white wine vinegar1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves only (about 2cups), finely chopped½ bunch mint, leaves only (about ½ cup), finely chopped2 cloves garlic, finely minced2…

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Potimarron with Almonds, Garlic, and Aleppo Pepper

A good way to use semi-mature potimarron. Even at full maturity, potimarron has a tender skin that does not need to be pared away. 1 potimarron, cut into wedges1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil2 cups slivered almonds1 tablespoon garlic, finely minced1 tablespoon canola or grapeseed oilPinch saltPinch Aleppo pepper1 tablespoon parsley, chopped1 lemon, slicedParmigiano-Reggiano Preheat oven…

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Potimarron Jeune in Tomato Sauce

“The possibilities on this riff are endless. Try it with any summer squash variety.” —AP Several potimarron jeune (or summer squash), cut into 1-inch cubes1 large Italian eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oilSalt and pepper to taste12 ounces of an oily type fish, such as yellowtail,tuna, sardines, or mackerel2 cups tomato sauce…

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Blueberry Pickled Fish

Any meat or fat that is stored in blueberries will become pickled, developing a unique color and flavor within a few days to a week.  Clean and gut some fat trout or whitefish and then hang it to dry for three days. Hanging and drying are necessary to toughen the fish so it won’t fall…

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Roasted Winter Squash with Green Curry Sauce

    Chef Anthony Paone created this recipe our Fall/Winter 2010 issue story, “What Do You Do with a Black Futsu” when he was at Sea Salt, a seafood-forward restaurant formerly on San Pablo in Berkeley. The original recipe featured the black futsu squash, a unique variety that geneticist and seed breeder Fred Hempel was growing…

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Gulf Shrimp Sauté

  From the story Scott Miller’s Market Hall Courtesy of Scott Miller, executive chef of The Pasta Shop and Market Hall Foods After the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster, wild Gulf shrimp is still being harvested, and every purchase of Gulf shrimp helps the livelihood of people who are sustained by this industry. 1 pound…

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Mostaccioli con Mandorle

From A Life in Food Made by Hand     Honey Cookies Filled with Almonds, Cocoa, and Anisette In the southern Italian region of Calabria, Christmas celebrations would not be complete without mostaccioli. These hard cookies might be among the region’s oldest sweets, says cookbook author Rosetta Costantino, a native Calabrian who lives, gardens, and…

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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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Warm Shelling Bean Salad with Grilled Shrimp

Adapted from Eating Local: The Cookbook Inspired by America’s Farmers Shelling beans should be in good supply this season as growers have stepped up production to meet rising demand. When you purchase shrimp for this recipe, look for Pacific Coast wildcaughtpink shrimp, which are a Best Choice according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s SeafoodWATCH program…

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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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Cooking with Berries

Recipes from Café Rouge In early summer, when berries come tumbling into the markets, no chef can resist them as a garnish. Berries start poking out from amid the micro greens in salads, and a homey berry cobbler suddenly appears on every dessert menu. The chefs at Cafe Rouge are as enthused about berries as…

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Local Halibut in Albariño Crazy Water

  From Gather Restaurant in Berkeley Serves 4 1 pound local halibut, cut into 1-inch cubes 12 fresh mussels ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 3 whole shallots, thinly sliced ½ bulb fennel, thinly sliced 2 Calabrian chiles (or other hot Italian chile), thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 3 tablespoons high quality tomato…

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A Bowl of steaming Juk

By Su (mother) and Mia (daughter) Buchignani “Wow! This completely reminds me of something my mom would have made in her crockpot. It makes me feel like home.”—Melissa A standard breakfast in our household was a big bowl of steaming juk. This rice porridge, which is also known as jook, hsi-fan, congee, or zhou, is…

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Festive Dumplings

Adapted from The Asian Grandmothers Cookbookby Patricia Tanumihardja This dessert is eaten during festivals and celebrations, including weddings and Chinese New Year, and is symbolic offamily unity and harmony. Happy Year of the Tiger! 2 cups glutinous rice flour, (such as Koda Farms Mochiko Blue StarBrand Sweet Rice Flour), plus more for dusting⅓ to ½…

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Yuba Rolls with Koda Kokuho Rose Rice

From Koda Farms, a Family History in Rice by Elizabeth Linhart Money     This recipe, published in Edible East Bay Spring 2009, was included in Elizabeth Linhart Money’s Spring 2010 article, Koda Farms: A Family History in Rice. The recipe was created by the test kitchen at Hodo Foods in Oakland. Hodo means “good bean” in…

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Stir-Fried Beef with Mustard Greens

Adapted from The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook by Patricia Tanumihardja 1 pound flank steak or top sirloin 1 plump stalk lemongrass trimmed, bruised, and halved crosswise 2 cloves garlic, minced 1½-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut lengthwise into 6 slices 1½ teaspoons salt 8 ounces Asian mustard greens, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (6…

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Clay Pot Lemongrass-Steamed Fish (Pla Nueng Morh Din)

Adapted from The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook by Patricia Tanumihardja Steaming whole fish on a lattice of lemongrass in a clay pot leaves it silky, tender, and imbued with a subtlecitrusy scent. Any white fish with natural fat, such as trout, Pacific cod, or striped bass, would work well in this simple Thai dish from Pranee…

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Recipes from our Asian Grandmothers

  The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook by Patricia Tanumihardja Photography by Photo by Lara Ferroni Sasquatch Books, Seattle 2009 If this gorgeous cookbook fulfills the author’s quest for extended family, we are all the beneficiaries! The warm-hearted profiles of 10 seasoned cooks add a rich personal history to the recipes. Each of the profiles is displayed…

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Duck Breast with Braised Cabbage

Recipe and photo courtesy of The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards, Livermore Serves 4 2 ounces duck fat 2 onions, thinly sliced 2 ounces bacon, thinly sliced 1 medium white cabbage, thinly sliced 12 juniper berries, chopped 20 black peppercorns, ground 1 sprig of thyme, chopped 1 bottle white wine 4 duck breast halves Heat duck…

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Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

    Recipe by Kirstin Jackson Forgo the brown sugar and let the sweetness of winter squash speak for itself this holiday in a salad with fresh Greek manouri cheese, arugula and frisée, roasted pecans, and tarragon. The sweetness of the buttery and floral cheese and squash make a nice contrast to the lemony vinaigrette,…

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Daikon, Asian Pear, and Shiso Salad

Daikon is a member of the large brassica family and thus kin to cabbage. Red shiso adds a distinctive pink tint and a flavor reminiscent of cinnamon, anise, and basil.  Serves 4–6   2 cups daikon, grated ½ teaspoon salt 1 clove garlic 2 Asian pears 2 tablespoons lemon juice 40 red shiso leaves, cut…

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SEASONAL RECIPES

  Roasted Butternut Squash Salad     Pear, Daikon, and Shiso Salad   Pork Loin Stuffed with Turkey Sausage   Duck Breast with Braised Cabbage

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Chicken Alla Marengo

From the story Flavor Most Fowl by Mark Middlebrook Based on the recipe Pollo alla Marengo in Armando Gambera’s La cucina delle Langhe del Barolo: I menù della memoria, published in 2000 by the Cantina Comunale di La Morra.) Armando doesn’t give exact quantities for most ingredients. I’ve added the quantities that I used in…

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Cherry Financier with Macerated Apricots and Almond Ice Cream

From Stone Fruit Cooking with Hugh Groman Catering   For the Financier: 3 ounces cake flour 2 ounces almond flour 7 ounces powdered sugar ¼ teaspoon salt 7 ounces butter, cooked until brown and cooled slightly 2 tablespoons honey ¾ cup egg whites (not whipped) 2 teaspoons kirsch (optional) 8 ounces cherries, pitted Preheat oven…

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Plum Clafoutis

From Stone Fruit Cooking with Hugh Groman Catering   Serves 8 6 large eggs 7 tablespoons sugar 1¼ cups milk 1½ tablespoons vanilla ¾ cup flour 1 teaspoon cardamom, ground 3 cups sliced plums Powdered sugar for garnish Preheat oven to 350º. Butter a 10-inch round casserole pan (or similar size: larger pans make a…

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Grilled Pork Chops with Nectarine Avocado Salsa

From Stone Fruit Cooking with Hugh Groman Catering   Serves 4 1 medium avocado, diced 1 nectarine, diced ¼ red onion, diced ⅓ bunch cilantro, leaves picked and chopped, stems discarded Juice of 2 limes, or to taste ½ jalapeño pepper, chopped fine Salt and pepper to taste 4 nine-ounce pork chops Salt, pepper, and…

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Ginger Peach Martinis

From Stone Fruit Cooking with Hugh Groman Catering   Serves 2 4 ounces vodka 1 ounce peach nectar 1 ounce ginger syrup (see below) 1 tablespoon water 2 slices of peach for a garnish Superfine sugar for sugar rim (granulated will work) Spread a small amount of sugar around on a flat plate. Wet the…

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Artichokes Four Ways

By Kimber Simpkins | Photos by Dan Bruggemeyer Last year, the two artichoke plants towering in our back yard produced so many artichokes I gave up and let them bloom. Of course, I didn’t admit this to my friends. What kind of lunatic lets perfectly good artichokes go to waste? Well, they weren’t wasted, exactly.…

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Persian Chicken with Pomegranate and Walnut Sauce

From our story The Last Walnut Grove By Devany Vickery-Davidson   Serves 6 4 tablespoons olive oil 3 pounds chicken thighs and breasts 2 large red onions, finely chopped 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped 2 tablespoons tomato sauce 2 cups walnuts, chopped 3 cups pomegranate juice 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon…

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts and Grapes

From our story The Last Walnut Grove By Devany Vickery-Davidson I created this recipe for a dinner with my friend and editor of Edible East Bay, Cheryl Koehler. Serves 4 1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, cut in half ½  pound large red globe grapes 2/3 cup of walnut halves ¼ cup of maple sugar Drizzle…

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Chiles en Nogada

  From our story The Last Walnut Grove Recipe and photo by Devany Vickery-Davidson  I first learned how to make this signature Christmas holiday dish of Mexico’s Morelos region while attending a cooking school in Cuernavaca, Mexico. It serves a crowd and takes many hours to prepare, but it is well worth the effort. Several…

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Fennel-Crusted Stuffed Pork Rib Roast

From What’s in Season: Cooking with Fennel   Bay Wolf Chef de Cuisine Louis Le Gassic used to work at a butcher shop where he became an expert in preparing meats, such as this rib-end pork roast. He frenched and butterflied the roast for us to photograph as he prepared this dish, but he suggests…

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Shaved Fennel, Artichoke, and Mushroom Salad with Reggiano

From What’s in Season: Cooking with Fennel   This recipe come from Oakland’s [now closed] Bay Wolf Restaurant, where monthly menus highlight the season’s prime ingredients, often following traditional uses from the regional cuisines of the Mediterranean. Michael Wild, founding owner and executive chef, confirms our accolades for fennel and dedicates a whole month to this versatile vegetable. Here…

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Citrus Braised Fennel

From What’s in Season: Cooking with Fennel     This recipe come from Oakland’s [now closed] Bay Wolf Restaurant, where monthly menus highlight the season’s prime ingredients, often following traditional uses from the regional cuisines of the Mediterranean. Michael Wild, founding owner and executive chef, confirms our accolades for fennel and dedicates a whole month to this versatile…

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Tian of Fennel and Kabocha 

From What’s in Season: Cooking with Fennel   This recipe come from Oakland’s [now closed] Bay Wolf Restaurant, where monthly menus highlight the season’s prime ingredients, often following traditional uses from the regional cuisines of the Mediterranean. Michael Wild, founding owner and executive chef, confirms our accolades for fennel and dedicates a whole month to this versatile vegetable. Here…

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Spring Rolls with Miso Seared Beef and Pea Shoots

From Pass the Peas, Please   Serves 4 1 tablespoon red miso 2 tablespoons sugar Fresh ginger root, grated to make about 2 tablespoons 1 tablespoon sesame oil 2 teaspoons tamari (wheat free soy sauce) 1 teaspoon mirin 6 oz. beef filet or flat iron steak Peanut or canola oil ¼ pound pea shoots Shizo…

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Café Esin’s Grilled Salmon with Winter Citrus Salad

From Citrus Recipes by Curtis and Esin Decarion at Café Esin     Serves 4-6 1 navel orange, zested, peeled, sectioned, juice reserved 1 blood orange, peeled and sectioned, juice reserved 1 grapefruit, peeled and sectioned, juice reserved ½ Meyer lemon, zested, juice reserved 1 tablespoon shallot, finely minced 1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped ¾…

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Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

  From A Day in a Life Full of Chocolate Recipe courtesy of Caroline Romanski Makes about 60 cookies 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons Valrhona cocoa powder ¼ teaspoon salt 1 pinch ground cinnamon 1¼ cups soft unsalted butter ½ cup granulated sugar ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract 2 egg yolks for egg wash Turbinado…

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Lemon Meringue Tart with Gingersnap Crust from Café Esin

From Citrus Recipes by Curtis and Esin Decarion, Café Esin       Makes 1 9-inch tart Crust 6-7 gingersnap cookies 2 tablespoons melted butter Crush cookies in a food processor until fine. Stir in melted butter. Press mixture into bottom and sides of 9-inch tart pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 to 12…

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St. George Spirits

Jump to recipes     Alchemy and Innovation on Alameda Island Story and Photos by David Szanto Many years ago, seeking to escape persecution for their distinctive practices and break free from the traditions that bound their way of life, a hardy group of travelers sought a new home on a distant shore. They traveled…

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Will Sunbathe for Food

Jump to Recipes By Sarah Inez Levy It’s one of those perfect summer afternoons in Orinda when there’s not a cloud in the sky and you can’t hear the groaning motors of Highway 24 above the birdsong. I’m sitting on Wendy Helms’s back porch eating lunch. She’s served a lovely garden salad with avocados and…

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Debbe Holeman’s Chard Tart

From Things are a’buzzin’, a’bleatin’, and a’gobblin’ in Knightsen Recipe by Debbe Holeman 1 pound Swiss chard leaves (about two bunches) 3 large eggs Salt/pepper to taste 1 cup grated Parmesan or crumbled goat milk cheese 1 cup unbleached flour A pinch of salt ¼ cup olive oil ¼ cup chard water Wash the chard…

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Simple Roast Chicken

From Oh Give Me a Home Where the Araucanas Roam         Set oven to 375º. Cut off feet at knee joint as well as head, if applicable. Trim and discard any extra fat from around cavity entrance and neck. Rinse and pat chicken dry. Season well inside and out with salt and…

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Pear, Blue Cheese & Endive Nibbles

From Where Have All the Pear Trees Gone? By Devany Vickery Davidson, Dinner Party Cooking School 8 ounces mascarpone cheese 8 ounces Point Reyes Blue Cheese (or Maytag Blue) 2 tablespoons butter, softened 3 green onions cut into one-inch pieces 2 tablespoons rough-cut peppercorns (I like to use a blend of red, green and black)…

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Gran’ma Lillie Simple Sweet Potato Pie Filling

From Pie to Die For by Wanda Hennig Recipe by Beverly Jefferson’Dasté   Beverly Jefferson-Dasté, who worked for the postal service for 33 years, started baking sweet potato pies commercially—and the old fashioned way. “I always had my dream of going into business for myself,” she says. One day she woke up to the fact…

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Pie to Die For

By Wanda Hennig “When you come to my house, you come straight to the kitchen,” says Brentwood’s sweet potato pie queen, Beverly Jefferson-Dasté. “It’s where we gather—where the love is—and I always have something prepared for unexpected guests. That’s the Southern way—to feed your guests to let them know you appreciate that they’ve taken the…

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Grilled Pear, Ham and Cheese Sandwich

From Where Have All the Pear Trees Gone? By Devany Vickery Davidson, Dinner Party Cooking School 8 slices good sourdough bread Butter Honey mustard ½ pound medium sliced Gruyére ½ pound Brie, chilled and sliced ¾ lb. thinly sliced ham (rosemary ham or Black Forest ham) 2 Barlett pears, cored and sliced 2 medium onions,…

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Roasted Pears with Almonds and Wine

From Where Have All the Pear Trees Gone? Recipe by Devany Vickery-Davidson, Dinner Party Cooking School 6 Bartlett pears, cut in quarters and cored (use a melon baller) ¼ cup local honey ¼ cup light brown sugar ¼ cup dry red wine 1 teaspoon freshly grated cinnamon ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg Place pears in…

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Pear Quesadilla

From Where Have All the Pear Trees Gone? Recipe by The Peasant & the Pear Pear chutney: ¼ cup dry white wine ½-inch wedge of red onion, sliced thin 2 tablespoons chopped red bell pepper 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar 1 Bartlett pear, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks 2 tablespoons of water, or…

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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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Spiced Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

From What’s in Season: Summer Squash & Squash Blossoms   Makes 20 cupcakes 12 tablespoons (1½ stick or ¾ cup) butter 2 cups sugar 3 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 tablespoon grated orange zest 2 cups grated raw zucchini 2¾ cups all purpose flour ½ cup unsweetened cocoa 2½ teaspoons baking powder 1½ teaspoons baking…

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Squash Blossom Poppers

From What’s in Season: Summer Squash & Squash Blossoms   Stuffed Squash Blossom Poppers (credit: Edible East Bay)   Recipe courtesy of Barbara Llewellyn Catering & Event Planning Makes 12 poppers For the stuffed blossoms 12 unopened squash blossoms ½ cup cream cheese, room temperature ½ cup goat cheese, room temperature 2 tablespoons heavy cream…

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Squash Blossom Risotto

From What’s in Season: Summer Squash & Squash Blossoms   Serves 4 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup chopped yellow onion 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 pound risotto 1 pound assorted summer squash: ½ pound grated, ½ pound diced 5 cups chicken stock ½ cup white…

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What’s in Season?

By Romney Steele | Photos by Carole Topalian Winter in California brings more than just colder weather. Among the glad tidings are the promise of spring on the way and an abundance of locally grown winter produce at our grocery stores and farmers’ markets. Alongside the chard, kale, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts are freshly sprouted…

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oh nuts!

Story and Photos by Cheryl Angelina Koehler It’s worse than a bad hair day… you know…mega-disaster: Your food isn’t arriving from the other hemisphere the way it’s supposed to. Everyone’s getting hungry. What are you going to do? If you live in California, you will have done well to keep a supply of locally grown…

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Clafoutis

From Farmers’ Markets in Full Spring Swing Recipe by Barbara Kobsar This classic French recipe for clafoutis uses sweet cherries, but you can use plums, peaches, pears, or a combination of fruits.  Serves 4 1 pound cherries ¼ cup sugar ⅓ cup flour Pinch of salt 3 eggs 1 cup cold milk ½ teaspoon vanilla extract…

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Salad of Tuna and Shellfish with Bottarga

  From a 2006 story on Monterey Fish Company     This recipe comes courtesy of Jon Smulewitz, chef/owner of Dopo in Oakland, California, who says to adjust quantities of seafood, lemon, and salt according to personal preference. Serves 6 1 pound fingerling potatoes 3 medium-size fennel bulbs, julienned Salt 2 pounds PEI mussels 3 pounds…

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What’s in Season

Relishing Fall and Early Winter Foods By Meggin Thwing Eastman Photos by Carloe Topalian   Living in the East Bay, we are so lucky to have luscious heirloom tomatoes, fresh herbs, eggplant, and other summer goodies available well into the fall. But as the winter rains start falling and temperatures drop, the new season offers…

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Mediterranean Spring Vegetable Stew

From the story Farmers’ Markets in Full Spring Swing By Barbara Kobsar This classic recipe comes to Edible East Bay from Sandy Sonnenfelt, Prepared Foods Manager at Market Hall in Oakland. Serve it as a side dish or as a light meal accompanied by a loaf of crusty bread. To make a more substantial dish, toss…

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