I tend to eat cherries fresh and plain, nothing to fuss with their perfect flavor and texture. Then I read about this crazy, simple cherry pitting technique while I planned a dinner party one June. With such a short season, a cherry dessert was essential. So, I wrapped the fruit in pastry dough and it tasted like pure summer.
Read MoreIn celebration of this spring crop that is ideal for our SF environment, we’ve been cooking them all week – both large and small. Any way you eat them, artichokes are a bit of work to prepare; either by steaming them whole until finally those tough outer leaves become tender, or by trimming them up and focusing all your cooking (and eating!) attention to the tender and delicious heart.
Read MoreThe humble cabbage never seems to get it’s due. But some may argue, is it ever the right time to praise a cabbage?
Read MoreMy sister had made this for me once before, and I’ve never forgotten the texture or flavor. It starts off almost like a bread pudding (minus the egg and milk) but after nearly 3 hours the bread and broth have become one, sinking into each other, and becoming the most extraordinary texture. It's soft and rich and smooth and almost otherworldly.
Read MoreSliced apples created a pinwheel pattern on the top, and the milky batter had filled in the gaps around them, puffing then crisping up between the fruit. The batter was simple but the effect is pretty show stopping.
Read MoreAnd now I’m a bit of an eggplant junkie because of it. This method could not be easier. No salting, no blotting, no individual brushing of oil needed. Slice your eggplant. Cook dry. Season. DONE.
Read MoreThe most amazing part of this recipe is how the corn is truly the star here. The kernels pop in your mouth with each bite, and the flour really acts only to hold the whole thing together, not weigh it down. I am already imagining delicious variations, namely adding jalapeno to the fritters themselves, or a couple crumbles of cotija cheese. They are a great summer dinner, yummy with things from the grill or a large salad on the side.
Read MoreUs San Franciscans have the added benefit of living in a perfect lettuce growing place. Lettuce doesn’t love hot weather, which to my dismay, we don’t get very often.
Read MoreSo, my roommates and I decided to get chickens. When I tell people I have chickens, they are either happily shocked or look at me as if I’ve lost my cookies. While there are lots of folks in the city getting into raising chickens themselves, it’s still rare enough that most people are stunned by the idea. But, I feel we are in good company.
Read MoreI find there are few things more satisfying than a productive day in my garden and one of my most favorite moments in life is the first time I sit down at the end of the day to look around at all the progress I’ve made. I pull up a seat at the long farmhouse table we built last year, drink something refreshing, and take it all in. I imagine what plants will look like once they’ve grown a bit and begun to fill out the space. The new mulch always cleans things up and does such good things to the soil health and I love the newly tidy vines along the fence.
Read MoreAs I began embracing cauliflower, I discovered that I had ignored one of my most favorite vegetables of all. I started pureeing it in Indian spice soups, mashing it like potatoes and baking it with cream and cheese into a gratin. But by far my most favorite way to eat it is my favorite way to eat everything. Chopped into bits, drizzled with olive oil, and left to roast until it is incredibly crispy. Cauliflower (good, fresh cauliflower) sweetens as it’s roasted, and each little floret clings to the salt and oil, creating a caramel crunch that is positively addicting.
Read MoreRaw kale may be a big leap for people that don’t like it at all but I would argue that sometime soft leaves are a turn off for people, and that a salad of crisp fresh winter greens may be more appealing in the end. For me, preparing vegetables is all about the combination of flavors, and nothing holds more to true to this than kale salads. With a few basic techniques, the possibilities are endless.
Read MoreMany people come to our garden and ask us what they can grow in our unique climate. While some crops are more challenging, there are many that flourish in our mild weather and sandy soil. Leeks are one such crop that is easily grown in San Francisco backyards. And their mild flavor and bright green color are welcomed into our kitchens this time of year. I love this recipe for leeks vinaigrette – it is the perfect winter salad option when lettuce is less available.
Read MoreWhile I still pass on my black licorice bits to my mom, I have full embraced fennel, raw and cooked, into my kitchen. Here is my new favorite way to cook it, from my new favorite cookbook. I’ve used this caramelizing method after grilling the fennel and on endive as well.
Read MoreOne other way I appreciate this late summer bounty is by always having a jar of olive oil slow roasted tomatoes in my fridge. I throw these in the oven, sometimes nearly forget about then, and then pluck their shriveled selves off the cookie sheet and into my mouth. These tomatoes have a sweeter and more concentrated flavor than their raw counterparts and keep for up to a week and a half in the fridge.
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Garden address: 1590 7th Avenue, San Francisco
info@gardenfortheenvironment.org
Mailing address: 2150 Allston Way, Suite 460, Berkeley, California 94704
Garden for the Environment is a fiscally sponsored project of Earth Island Institute.
