I was really looking forward to making a sweet potato pie this week for Fall Fest.  I’ve never made one and I’m pretty sure that I’ve never even tasted a sweet potato pie.  Yes, it’s a shame, and I’m hoping to remedy the situation soon. But you may have noticed that I have been baking (and eating) a lot of desserts lately.  And after yesterday’s amazing Praline-Pumpkin Cake, I just couldn’t bring myself to bake a pie. Continue reading →

It’s time for Fall Fest again and this week we’re celebrating brassicas – a genus of plants that includes cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and more.  I chose to focus on brussels sprouts because they are currently available on the stalk and I think it’s fun to take home a giant, awkward stalk of brussels sprouts! Continue reading →

Since we are celebrating root vegetables at Fall Fest this week, I decided it was time explore the world of the rutabaga.  Up until recently, the only thing I knew about rutabagas is that they live next to turnips in the produce section at the grocery store.  And I know nothing about turnips.

But thanks to the internet, I now know that rutabagas are a root vegetable that supposedly evolved from a cross between a wild cabbage and a turnip.  They look a lot like a turnip, but are yellow instead of white and have a rougher skin.  The flavor is supposed to be sweeter than a turnip.  Rutabagas can be prepared in many different ways, but mashed or roasted seem to be the most popular ways to go. Continue reading →

The Fall Fest theme this week is “mad stash” or what we’re freezing, canning, dehydrating or otherwise stashing away for the winter.  Since I don’t have a garden this year and I haven’t even been to the Farmer’s Market for a few weeks, I don’t really have much to put away for the winter.  But I did get a little carried away buying organic pears last week and yesterday found myself with a few pounds of fruit that needed to be used up way faster than I would be able to eat them.  In keeping with this week’s theme, I decided to cook them down into a pear butter and stash it away in jars.  Well, my few pounds of pears cooked down so much that I ended up with only a pint of pear butter.  I don’t think my stash will last through the end of the month, much less the entire winter! Continue reading →

Welcome back to Fall Fest!  I missed pumpkin party last week, but I really think this simple and delicious pear cake will make up for it.  This rich and spicy cake is filled with fresh pear chunks and topped with a buttery, crunchy pecan streusel. Continue reading →

Fall has finally arrived here in California, bringing thunder, rain, and the cooler temperatures I’ve been waiting for.  While these cool gray skies have me dreaming of hearty soups and warm baked goods, the theme this week for Fall Fest is fall salads.  I’ll save the soup-making and bread-baking for next week since my kitchen is still only half unpacked – an easy fall salad was the perfect thing for me to make this week.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Continue reading →

Fall Fest continues and my favorite fruit has taken center stage this week.  I was hoping to make an apple pie in time for the celebration, but I’m in the middle of moving (yes, again!) and it just didn’t happen.  Luckily, I have plenty of delicious apple recipes to share with you, including an easy and delicious Apple Galette and my favorite Sourdough Stuffing with Apples and Bacon. Continue reading →

I’m thrilled that Fall is here.  The days here are still really warm but the nights have been cooling down nicely allowing for perfect brisk mornings that make me dream of pumpkin carving and apple pies.

But spinach?  I can’t say I dream of that often.  Well, spinach is the theme for this first week of Fall Fest so I pushed aside my thoughts of pumpkins and apples and decided to make a hearty soup chock-full of spinach and sausage, perfect for the cooler weather that seems to be on its way.

I bought spinach and sausage specifically for the soup, but the rest of the ingredients were just things hanging around my kitchen that needed to be used up.  Please just use the recipe as a jumping off point and feel free to throw in whatever you happen to have hanging around your kitchen. Continue reading →