What’s in Season? Chestnuts & Brussels Sprouts!

By Barbara Kobsar | Illustrations by Charmaine Koehler-Lodge   Holiday cliché aside, chestnuts are a culinary highlight of the season as they add depth to soups, salads, entrées, and desserts. When chestnuts are dried and ground into flour, they make a welcome baking alternative for anyone with celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or wheat allergy. In…

Read More

Minty Melon, Peach, & Cuke Salad

From What’s In Season?  Melons, Peaches, and Cucumbers   3 cups 1-inch melon cubes 2 large peaches, skin removed, sliced into wedges 2 Persian cucumbers, sliced into ½-inch rounds 8 ounces crumbled feta or goat cheese or small-cubed gorgonzola 2 tablespoons shredded fresh mint (plus extra whole leaves for garnish) 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive…

Read More

Afternoon Tea with Figs

Recipes and photos by Judy Doherty     Fig trees grow like weeds in the Bay Area, so you may have your own harvest of fresh figs right now (provided you can get to them before the birds and squirrels do). Our local farmers will be busy harvesting mission, brown turkey, kadota, Sierra, tiger, and…

Read More

Artichokes: Every Day in Every Way

  Here in Northern California, where the nation’s supply of globe artichokes is grown, harvested thistles are always piled high at market stands. The plants also grace many front yards, where some home gardeners let some of the blossoms mature in the early months of summer in order to enjoy the electric-violet color of the…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

Stone Fruit & Chicory Slaw with Ginger Vinaigrette

  Courtesy of Market Hall Foods | Food styling and photography by Marshka Kiera This salad, created by Sandy Sonnenfelt of Market Hall Foods, is a true ode to summer. It combines sweet, juicy, peak-season stone fruit with crunchy cabbage and sharp, slightly bitter Treviso. Sandy used apriums and pluots when developing this recipe, but…

Read More

Spinach Salad with Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette

“A delicious paella arriving at your doorstep is always a treat,” says Eduardo Balaguer, owner and head chef at Venga Paella. During the extended shelter-in-place order, his company has been providing donated paellas for Building Futures, a local organization that helps victims of domestic violence. They have also have also been pleased to continue providing…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

Noodle Like a Pro

Louis Kao and Other East Bay Chefs Show How to Stir the Pot East Bay Cooks: Signature Recipes from the Best Restaurants, Bars, and Bakeries By Carolyn Jung Figure 1 Publishing, September 2019 Wondering what East Bay chefs and food entrepreneurs are up to? Here’s a helpful guide along with a nice collection of dishes…

Read More

Many Melon Salad with Tomato & Sweet Onion

By Barbara Kobsar | Illustration by Charmaine Koehler-Lodge Serves 6–8 48 ¼-inch-thick slices of melon (honeydew, cantaloupe, Persian, and Sharlyn) 2–3 tomatoes, thinly sliced 2 small Japanese or ½ Armenian cucumber, thinly sliced 1 cup crumbled goat or feta cheese 1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced (a crisp, cold onion from the fridge is best)…

Read More

Fish Tacos with SeaSlaw from FreshCatch

There is something magical about crispy, beer-battered flakey fish topped with a delicious seaweed salad wrapped in a warm tortilla,” says Jessy Ryan, “co-flounder” of FreshCatch, one of the Bay Area’s forward-thinking community-supported fishery companies. FreshCatch operates as a collective of single-vessel businesses that fish along the West Coast with a vision of making sustainability…

Read More

Zucchini Noodle Salad with Peas, Radishes, and Romanesco

From What’s in Season?   Recipe by Barbara Kobsar | Illustration by Charmaine Koehler-Lodge   Serves 4–6 3 medium zucchini ½ cup chopped green onion 2 or 3 radishes, trimmed and sliced thinly 2 cups blanched Romanesco florets 1 cup English peas Dressing 1 cup cottage cheese (for a mild dressing) or 1 cup crumbled blue…

Read More

What’s at Your Farmers’ Market this Week?

Our publisher/editor Cheryl Angelina Koehler sent this photo from last Saturday’s farmers’ market in Chico, a city in California’s northern farm country that’s been much in the news lately due to the tragedies wrought by the Camp Fire. Cheryl goes there each quarter to help Edible Shasta-Butte publisher Candace Byrne get her magazine to press, and the…

Read More

Cooking with Gratitude

Cherishing What We Have and Wasting Less Around the world, feasts of gratitude for a good harvest are among the oldest traditions, marked by a rest from working the fields and plentiful meals. An abundance of food is at the center of our Thanksgiving celebrations as well, yet few of us have a deep connection…

Read More

Barbara’s Mandarin, Fennel, & Avocado Salad

6 mandarin oranges, peeled and sliced crosswise into ¼-inch rounds ½ fennel bulb, thinly sliced (reserve fronds for garnish) 2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and sliced 1 small shallot, peeled and thinly sliced ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar Salt and fresh ground black pepper Divide orange slices between 4 salad plates. Layer…

Read More

A Community of Peach Pickers

The Peachy Time of Year Philip Gelb never really stops thinking about the Masumoto Family Farm peaches, even in the dead of winter. The only difference at the peachy time of year is that he has boxes full of these exquisite fruits stacked up in his West Oakland catering kitchen, where he devises recipes for…

Read More

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…

Read More

Little Gem Salad with Herbs and Lemon Vinaigrette

From ‘It’s Pasta Friday, it’s Pasta Friday!’ By Allison Arevalo | Photos by Denise Woodward   For salad 1 pound green or red little gems, torn into bite-size pieces 1 bunch mint, stemmed and roughly chopped 1 bunch cilantro, stemmed and roughly chopped 1 bunch parsley, stemmed and roughly chopped 1 avocado, cut into cubes ½…

Read More

Shredded Beet, Apple, and Currant Salad

From A Vegan Holiday Feast Recipe by Chef Bryant Terry | Illustration by Julia Cost Reprinted with permission from Bryant Terry’s Vegan Soul Kitchen 2 large fresh beets, peeled 2 large tart apples, cored, peeled ¼ cup apple juice 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper ½…

Read More

Chef Bryant’s Glazed Carrot Salad

From  A Vegan Holiday Feast | Illustration by Julia Cost   Recipe reprinted with permission from Afro-Vegan by Bryant Terry, © 2014. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1½ pounds carrots (about 10 medium carrots) 1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt 2 tablespoons peanut oil…

Read More

Roasted Watermelon Radishes

From What’s in Season by Barbara Kobsar  Illustration by Caroline H. Gould   Serves 4 1 pound watermelon radishes, trim off top and root 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon butter ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon minced thyme, rosemary, or basil (optional) Preheat oven to 400°. Cut prepared radishes into ½-inch wedges. Mix radishes…

Read More

Asian-Inspired Celery Salad

Recipe provided by StopFoodWaste.org from Food Storage Tips Serves 4 For the dressing: In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 2 tablespoons sesame oil 2 teaspoons sugar 1¼ teaspoons grated ginger 2 teaspoons lemon juice 2 teaspoons fish sauce (or ½ teaspoon salt). Whisk together. For the salad: Cut 5 celery stalks across the…

Read More

Thai Curry Salad with Brown Jasmine Rice

By Lori Camille, Nutrition Educator in West Oakland Serves 10 Thai Curry Dressing: 1/2 cup olive oil 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or lime juice 3 tablespoons honey (use Thai honey, if available) 3 and 1/2 tablespoons Thai curry powder 1/3 cup unfiltered apple juice 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 teaspoon salt Salad: 2 cups…

Read More

Karina’s Winter Chicories Salad

From DIY: Do It For the Bees With a passion for cooking with friends and a background including stints at Pizzaiolo and Ramen Shop, Karina Rivera, sous chef at the Bull Valley Roadhouse, brings her own style of sassy camaraderie to the kitchen. Whether running the line, lending a motherly hand to those learning, or standing…

Read More

Green Bean and Potato Salad

From the story The Happy Forever Community Garden Bears Fruit by Simona Carini I grew up in Perugia and at age 21 moved to Milan. I quickly discovered that people there used a different name for familiar foods, like green beans, which I called “fagiolini” (small beans). One evening I was invited to a friend’s…

Read More

Jicama in a Minted Salad Dressing

From the story: Exploring Culture and Conversion Through Food by Anisa Abeytia 1 small jicama, peeled ¼ cup diced fresh mint leaves Juice of 1 lemon ¼ cup organic, cold-pressed olive oil Salt to taste Slice the jicama into small thin strips. Arrange on a plate. In a small mixing bowl add other ingredients and mix…

Read More

Garden Salad with Tomato-Water Vinaigrette

By Chef Anthony Paone My new summer salad addiction is tomato-water vinaigrette. I keep all my scraps when I’m cutting tomatoes, and when I have a pound of them, I chop them up, add 1½ tablespoons salt, and put this in a fine strainer over a jar. After a few hours, the clear, vibrant tomato…

Read More

Bellanico’s Farro Salad

From Gnocchi Is Just Another Noodle, Raising kids to be fearless eaters, by Haley Pollock Serves 4–6 as a side dish 1 cup farro 3 cups water 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 cups hen-of-the-woods mushrooms (a.k.a. maitake), coarsely chopped ½ cup dried cranberries, chopped or whole 1 cup shaved Brussels sprouts ½ cup hazelnuts, lightly chopped, then…

Read More

Sweet Potato, Wilted Frisée, and Cheese Curd Salad

From the story Curds, Cheese Interrupted by Kirstin Jackson With its roasted sweet potatoes topped with warm curds, this hearty salad emulates poutine. But the addition of wilted frisée, which becomes sweet when heated, makes it totally modern. Warming flavors of sage and brown butter usher in the colder season. —KJ Serves 2 10 ounces…

Read More

Community Jam

A network of food and gardening projects eases hunger in Hayward By Rachel Trachten | Photography by Scott Peterson Forty years ago, Marcy Timberman became inspired to cook while reading the mystery novels of Georges Simenon. In these tales, the protagonist, French detective Jules Maigret, often lunches at home with his wife. Madame Maigret’s dishes…

Read More

Kale, Delicata Salad with Farro and Parmesan

Featured in A Friendsgiving Picnic by Melissa Fairchild Clark Serves 12 1 cup farro 3 delicata squash 1–2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1¾ teaspoons sea salt (divided) 5 teaspoons maple syrup 7 teaspoons sherry vinegar 3 turns fresh-cracked black pepper ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil ⅓ cup shredded Parmesan In a small pot, boil the farro in 2½…

Read More

Fuyu Persimmon Waldorf Salad

  Recipe by Armand Harris and Marcy Timberman from Community Jam, Edible East Bay Winter 2015 This favorite salad is great with holiday feast leftovers. You can play with the proportions of apples and persimmons, even using persimmons only. In fact, many recipes calling for fresh, cut-up apples, like a classic fresh apple cake, can…

Read More

A Mindful Salad

A Mindful Salad of Red Oak Leaf Lettuce, Hard-Boiled Eggs, Roasted Radishes, and Chervil RECIPE AND PHOTO BY CHEF MARIO HERNANDEZ Mario Hernandez created two short videos on water saving to go with this recipe. You can find them at the bottom of this page. Mario Hernandez is a chef and coordinator for Pacific Coast…

Read More

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…

Read More

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.…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

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,…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More