I know I may be jumping the gun a bit by posting a “Winter” recipe as it seems Summer has just recently said its final goodbye. But as the wind currently wisps outside my windows and the rain pelts down on the fragile jewel-toned foliage I just know the trees that were barely clinging to their few remaining leaves will be skinny skeleton limbs in the morning.

Also, I just couldn’t wait to tell you about it.

Winter is not often highly regarded for its salads. All that is about to change.

Julienned fennel, celeriac and apple are lightly coated in a tangy homemade Creme Fraiche dressing. Piled high on plate, one invisions the hopeful thought of white snow in the months ahead, as their fork lunges into the crisp salad. This welcomed change of taste is a far cry from the usual roasted, braised and baked dishes that accompany the chilled Winter.

I must give credit for this ingenious dish to Mataio, chef and owner of Ciao Thyme Catering. You may recognize this company from such weddings as Molly and Brandon’s. It is also known as my former place of employment before we made the move to Seattle.

I say former but on occasion they let me back in to teach and play in their gorgeous kitchen filled with the colors of Tuscany – it is always a joy to return. The food that emerges from that place is beyond fantastic. It is inventive, mostly local and filled with more passion that I’ve ever seen presented on a plate.

Jessica and Mataio, owners of Ciao Thyme catering are currently spending the month of November traveling in Italy – I am more than a bit envious. The driving force behind this trip is to seek new tastes, new dishes and a renewed purpose and love for the food they create. The lessons learned from this trip will fuel the creativity needed to inspire the menus that are never repeated. I will be the first one lined up at the door of Ciao Thyme upon their arrival home, waiting for the Italian inspired dishes to emerge.

Winter White Salad
Serves 4 as a side salad

Celeriac, also know as celery root, is the unsung hero of this dish. The flavor is similar to that of celery but with more spice and none of the obnoxious strings. It crunches like a carrot and yields an aromatic fragrance that will leave you wondering why you’ve never taken note of it before. You’ll have to get beyond the warty and hard to peel exterior but once you do you will be rewarded with a unique flavor and a crisp crunch that we so long for in the cold Winter months ahead.

1 apple – I used a tart Pink Lady and loved the flavor it added.
1 Fennel bulb
about 1/4 of Celeriac, peeled
1 small Leek

Using a Mandolin with the matchstick blade carefully slice the apple, fennel and Celeriac. Each item should yield about 1 1/2 – 2 cups once cut. You can play with the quantity of each depending on your flavor preference. Keep all the sliced produce in a bowl of cold water with a touch of lemon juice to keep them from browning. When ready to dress the salad make sure you completely drain the matchsticks.
Thinly slice just the white part of the leek. Separate the rings.
Make the dressing.

Creme Fraiche Dressing

Making your own Creme Fraiche is an easy and rewarding experience. Here is my version which yields a thick tangy cream that you will often find a stash of in our fridge.
1 cup Heavy Cream (I microwaved it for 20 seconds to take off the chill and to speed up the process) add 1 tablespoon lemon juice to the cream. Stir. Let this mixture sit out for several hours until thick. At that point it can be refrigerated and kept covered for a couple of days.

1/4 cup Creme Fraiche
2 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients together.

Lightly coat the fennel, celeriac and apple with the dressing. Garnish with the leek rings and small parsley leaves. Serve immediately.

*As a side note I will be teaching a class in Bellingham, WA at Ciao Thyme. It is a Holiday Baking course covering some fundamental baking techniques like caramel, meringues and pie crust. I would LOVE to see some of you there – in fact I’d LOVE to see ALL of you! Check out their website for more details.

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I grew up in raspberry country. Otherwise known as Western Washington. The fields were perfectly stacked with rows of raspberry bushes creating a dizzying pattern as I stared out the window of our old station wagon (complete with exterior wood paneling).

Growing up around here it was expected that once you hit a certain age you would be spending your Summers under the hot sun in the raspberry fields, endlessly picking. And for my brothers and I there were no exceptions, especially considering our Aunt and Uncle owned a small raspberry farm.

I made $5 that Summer.

This was due to the fact that my cousin, who lived on the farm, would often take me away from my picking duties so I could come play with her some place other than the raspberry fields. But mostly it was because I could not stand to pick the perfectly tart and sweet berries that scream all that is good with Summer and put them in my bucket. I thought it such a shame for them to land *plunk* against the white plastic pail rather than in my mouth so that their red juices could stain my too-young-to-wear-lipstick lips.

Flash forward twenty years to where I now revel in the delight of picking berries but still can’t resist popping a few into my mouth.

Knowing that the bounty would inevitably be small I still thought it would be fun to take my 3 year old and 1 year old berry picking a couple of weeks ago. That day we were hunting strawberries. After about 10 minutes of picking the boys were showing signs of being ready to go (i.e. screaming, whining, kicking dirt, etc.)

We headed into the barn to pay for our nearly 30 berries and that’s when I spotted them – the season’s first raspberries. My inner 8 year old self squealed with joy and grabbed a flat without hesitation. (I also walked away with 3 flats of jam berries that are now canned and waiting for me to relive the Summer’s harvest in the dead of Winter).

The raspberries that didn’t end up in my mouth joined the meager bounty of freshly picked strawberries in a bowl mixed with fresh mint, Greek yogurt and honey. Becoming the best fruit salad I have ever tasted.

Simply toss several pints of both raspberries and sliced strawberries into a bowl. Add just enough Greek yogurt to give the berries a sleek, white coat. Add finely sliced fresh mint and drizzle with honey until you deem sweet enough.

The success of this salad depends on the quality of the berries. Choose wisely and resist the urge to eat them all before they end up in this dish. Your discipline will be well rewarded.

A few from my fellow Raspberry Fans:

Raspberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake from Obsessed with Baking

Raspberry Maple Ice Cream from Christie’s Corner

Raspberry Mule from Mix Shake and Pour

Raspberry and Pink Peppercorns from the ever sweet Aran at Cannelle et Vanille

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Hello again. I can only stay for a minute. I’m sorry but I am oh so tired. My husband, myself and many wonderful helping hands have been busy moving our entire life out of our home. Hopefully by the end of this week or the beginning of next all the i’s will be dotted and the t’s crossed and we can officially say, “We sold our house!” without adding the hopefully at the end of that excited phrase.

Moving is a tiring process but it is also exciting. We, however, are postponing the exciting new home part and putting all our belongings in storage until we meet our future home – which is somewhere in Seattle waiting for us to find it.

With all this excitement and extreme exhaustion happening around here cooking happens quickly but the results are still delicious and often highlight some of the many gifts from the dirt that are emerging along with the rising temperatures. (oh and there has been the occassional slice of delivered pizza as well).

Fresh pea soup has hit our dinner table on several occasions recently. Unlike its cousin, split pea soup – which I also love, fresh pea soup is vibrant, light and perfect for this time of year.

For this recipe I utilize a couple of different food scraps which sort of makes me feel like I am cleaning the fridge while cooking.  For the stock I use frozen asparagus – well, just the woody parts from the ends. I cut them off, enjoy the tender asparagus, then throw the ends in a zip-loc and place in the freezer for occasions such as making pea soup. I also save the flavorful rind from parmesan. When added to soups or risotto it gives the finished dish a salty complexity and depth.

This is a great base recipe. Try adding fresh mint or chives. Add after you take the soup off the heat.

Fresh Pea Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1 cup chopped yellow onion

3 2″ pieces of parmesan rind

4 cups vegetable or chicken stock (I used asparagus stock made from the saved woody ends of asparagus)

5 cups freshly shelled peas or 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen peas

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Salt & Pepper to taste.

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I have so many wonderful things to post but no (or very little) time to write so I wanted to give something.

I, like so many others during this wonderfully chilly season, love the soothing warm and versitility that soup provides. Soup is a wonderful clean-out-the-fridge sort of a meal.

A few times this season I have found myself with an abundance of beautiful locally grown broccoli. So with this abundance I have made numerous batches of Broccoli Cheddar Soup. I have started stock piling my broccoli in the freezer so that at any moments notice I can through together this hearty and satisfying soup.

This soup is chock full of broccoli goodness and because it is also packed full of cream and cheese my son loves it (so does the Mr.)

So please enjoy this soup while I try and find time to get you the post you deserve.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

• 7 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, room temperature
• 2 pounds fresh broccoli, stems and florets separated and chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 6 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 3 tbl flour
• 2 cups grated sharp cheddar
• salt and pepper to taste

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in heavy medium pot over medium-high heat. Add broccoli stems and onion; sauté until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and tarragon; sauté 1 minute. Add stock; bring to boil. Simmer uncovered until broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes. Process in a blender to get a smooth puree. Stir in cream.

Mix remaining 3 tablespoons butter with flour in small bowl to make paste. Whisk paste into soup. Add broccoli florets. Simmer until soup thickens and florets are tender, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese reserving the remaining for garnish.

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There is a subtle chill in the air. The sun is sleeping in longer than I am. Wearing my thick knit orange sweater and my big brown boots I am hit with the realization that today is my first day of fall. Whatever the calendar says, I ignore it because today is the day that my Fall has begun.

I have been reluctant to warmly welcome this new season as I feel Summer went on without me even realizing it. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to raspberries and tomotoes. I didn’t want to bid ado to stone fruits and snap peas. I shed a tear as black and blueberries have come and gone.

I am honored to be writing a monthly recipe for Terra Keramik, an online marketplace that sells handcrafted, eco-friendly and down-right gorgeous dinnerware and beverageware. Check out the rest of the post and the recipe here.

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Gabe, Baron and I along with my parents are enjoying a relaxing week on the beach of Mission Bay. I think of it as a sort of last hurrah before baby #2 arrives. Not to say that when he comes our lives are over, but rather life will become all the more hectic. Packing our already over-the-required-weight-limit bags and hopping on a plane is about to become a bit more of a chore. So we are relishing this time we have to spend with each other, our first-born and our family in beautiful Southern California.

In anticipation of this trip I of course set out to find the favored food finds of the locals. What makes San Diego unique from a food standpoint and where can I sample the best?
A couple things stood out among the extensive Internet research I did. First of all fish tacos are a must and the elusive California burrito, which is made up of carne asada and French fries and is legendary around these parts. We have yet to cross these food finds off of our vacation checklist but rest assured that I will not leave this state without sampling a hefty burrito stuffed full of juicy, marinated steak and crisp, fresh from the fryer fries.

The other must do item on my list, and I was very adamant about this one no matter how long the drive, was to visit a farm made famous for the beauty of its produce.
While working at Spago in Beverly Hills I can still remember the thrill and excitement the kitchen crew felt when produce was scheduled to arrive from this Southern California farm. The berries from this farm were minute in size but the flavor that inhabited your mouth with one bite was as big as the sun which gave them their sweetness.
Among the most memorable were the Frais du Bois. These wild strawberries are famous for their intense sweetness. Their little strawberry bodies contain an intense strawberry flavor that makes my favorite Washington berries bow down in admiration.

These little berries held a position of honor. They were treated with the same amount of care and respect as our famous diners. The moment these beauties were hand delivered into our kitchen they were plucked from the crowded berry basket and laid out side-by-side on an impeccably clean and soft towel lined sheet tray. Each berry was inspected for mold so we could quickly remove any damaged fruit to ensure that it would not contaminate any of its delicious friends.

During our time living in Los Angeles, Gabe and I had often talked about visiting this farm where these berries and other amazing produce originated. But my days were primarily spent working in the kitchen and later my days off were devoted to helping Sherry with her book she was then working on. So with great sadness we left our home in L.A. having never visited the produce Mecca.
Now you can better understand my pressing desire to make the pilgrimage to this highly respected birthplace of beautiful fruits and vegetables.
The farm itself was a scenic thirty-minute drive from our condo. With our GPS in hand we embarked on this journey not knowing what to expect except that this particular farm is not clearly marked. But as we drove around a bend in a beautiful country studded with prickly cactus and immaculate horse stables, I spotted rows and rows of varied goods. I recognized the humble stand from magazines and TV shows that have highlighted this farm.

My mouth watered and my mind raced with endless dinner possibilities as I perused the variety of fresh from the earth vegetables. We were probably asked three times if we needed any help before I finally began to commit to exactly what was going to make the cut. I wanted to take everything home.
The carrots were stacked pristinely in hues of oranges, reds and deep purples and sat next to the diminutive beets of red and gold.
The vast array of greens screamed to be turned into a lightly dressed salad and the large in flavor but small in stature brussels sprouts were calling my name (they also told me that they wanted to braise in cream – and who can argue with that).
My knowledge of citrus varietals was humbled as I picked up what I thought to be the most amazingly scented lemon – imagine my surprise when I was told that the yellow as the sun fruit that I held in my hand was actually a lime, and the lemons that I sought were actually the color of oranges.

Sadly the strawberries that I remember so fondly were small in numbers (literally, we bought the last three) but were still as tasty as I recall.
Three large bags full later we walked away from the farmstead eager to delve into this bounty.
I did very little to the vegetables as the artists who took the time, care and energy to create the perfect conditions to raise such gorgeous food had done the work for me. The carrots and beets were tossed in oil, salt and pepper and roasted until tender. The cauliflower was cut into quarter inch slices drizzled with oil, salted and roasted until crisp.

In olive oil and butter the minute brussels sprouts were sautéed until caramelized then, obeying their wishes, braised in heavy cream until fork tender.
We picked up some red and green butter lettuce, arugula and mustard greens and gave them a quick toss in a shallot mustard vinaigrette. The salad was topped with grilled chicken and steak.
The three strawberries were devoured before we got into the car and finally the citrus has found it’s way into a tasty batch of rosemary lemonade which we have been enjoying as we are now back at the condo once again overlooking the bay and enjoying the time we have left of this sunny vacation.
My sincere appreciation and respect goes out to all of those who take great pride in their life’s work to grow and produce food the way in which God intended us to enjoy it. I hope that through my cooking, baking and tools such as this blog I can encourage others to care enough about what they eat to value the work and dedication of those who have devoted their lives to gifting us with such bounty.

Shallot Mustard Vinaigrette
1 tsp good quality mustard
3 tsp minced shallot
½ tsp honey
2 Tbl White Balsamic Vinegar
2/3 c Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Add the first four ingredients then slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking. Add salt and pepper to taste. You may also add a squeeze of Meyer lemon if desired.

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