This Lebanese salad is a perfect way to use up stale pita bread, but it’s so good that you’ll want to buy (or make) extra pita to ensure you’ll always have some left over for Fattoush.  The lemony garlic dressing spiked with sumac is what really makes this salad shine – I think I would eat just about anything as long as it was drenched in that concoction! The crisp pita soaks up and helps balance the tart dressing while the garden fresh vegetables and herbs make this a summer classic.  You really need to try it. Continue reading →

This was a simple but lovely treat on an extremely hot summer afternoon.  I had been snacking away on my first figs of the season when I remembered the bag of frozen bananas in the freezer.  Combined with whole milk, fresh figs, and a touch of local honey, I had a feeling that one of those bananas would turn into a unique and delicious shake.  I was right. Continue reading →

A couple of my peaches ripened overnight and I decided to try making some peach salsa to go with my lunch.  As I dug through my fridge for salsa ingredients, I realized that I was out of both jalapeño and serrano chiles, one of which I had been hoping to use in the salsa.  Since I didn’t feel like running to the store before lunch, I dug a little further in the fridge and found a container of Peppadews I had purchased last week. Continue reading →

I am a big fan of green salads topped with fruit and nuts, especially when the nuts are glazed or spiced!  I also love snacking on nuts – salted, spiced, glazed, smoke-flavored – I love them all.  I’m not sure why I’ve never tried making something like this before, but these glazed walnuts were so simple I’m kicking myself for not trying it sooner.

When I first saw Ellie Krieger’s recipe for Maple Glazed Walnuts, I was a little skeptical that they would turn out right.  It just seemed too easy.  If the recipe had been attributed to any other Food Network celebrity I’m not sure I even would have tried it, but I trust Ellie more than some of the others. Continue reading →

I’m not sure what the weather is like in your neck of the woods, but here in California it’s definitely grilling season.  While I’m a big fan of grilled meat, I think I might like grilled squash even more.  Usually I do nothing more than dress some zucchini slices with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper before tossing them on the grill, but I wanted to do something a little different with the gorgeous yellow squash I picked up at the Farmer’s Market last week.  I hope you enjoy it! Continue reading →

This is the simplest of salads and a perfect way to usher in the summer that suddenly seems to be in a big hurry to arrive here in Central California.  Cucumbers have always been one of my favorite vegetables, so when I saw some beautiful, young Armenian cucumbers at the farmer’s market on Saturday, I couldn’t resist picking up a couple.  This simple cucumber side dish would be a perfect accompaniment to grilled meat or fish, but I usually eat it as an afternoon snack. Continue reading →

I grew up in central California where I certainly ate my fair share of artichokes over the years.  And during those four years I spent in Sicily, I probably ate way more than my fair share.  Sorry, it couldn’t be helped.

My standard way of cooking/eating artichokes is to steam them whole then peel off the leaves one by one, dipping each into mayo before scraping off the tiny bits of artichoke “meat” with my teeth.  I continue to do this until I have ingested way more mayonnaise than any person needs to consume in one sitting (as evidenced by the huge pile of artichoke leaves towering in front of me by the time I’m done) and I have made my way to the heart, which I carefully trim and clean before eating it with even more mayo.  Don’t judge. Continue reading →

This is a quick lunch I threw together from what I could find in my fridge and pantry today.  I wanted something to go with the leftover grilled steak and chicken I brought home from a family barbecue the other night and this delicious brown rice salad really fit the bill.

The salad works well as either a side dish or a light vegetarian main course for lunch.  Top with thinly sliced grilled chicken, steak, or tempeh and you have a hearty and delicious summer meal.  Feel free to play with ingredient amounts to suit your own taste.  I think it would be great topped with some sliced avocado and roasted pepitas.

Continue reading →