Oranges and orange juice, what would breakfast be without them? Browse the produce section of any grocery store today and you’ll certainly find oranges as a staple item available year-round. As a child it was traditional for mom to include an orange as part of our stocking loot at Christmas time. I once asked “why an orange?” It seemed like … Read More
Saffron- Buyer Beware
Saffron has long been considered to be the world’s most costly spice. Mentioned as far back as Biblical times, it has been grown from India through the mideast and all over Europe. Saffron is the stigma of a purple fall-flowering crocus. Each flower only has 3 stigmas and the flowers as well as the stigmas have to be hand plucked … Read More
Georgia State Farmers Market
Each time I travel to or from Atlanta there’s a sign on the east side of Interstate 75 that always catches my eye, not because it’s fancy, flashy, or particularly unique, but because of what it says: “State Farmers Market”. Unfortunately I usually seem to be passing through the area on some sort of timeframe…either trying to get a good … Read More
Peeling and Using Pomegranates
Pomegranate seeds with their sweet-tart flavor, garnet color, and crunch make a nice garnish on autumn salads, entrees, and desserts. Unfortunately they are messy to retrieve from the interior of the fruit without ending up with little red stains all over your clothing from squirting juice. To easily remove pomegranate seeds, follow these simple steps: Fill a large bowl with … Read More
Pomegranates
Pomegranates are considered to be one of the oldest fruits in the world. Some even speculate that it could have been the fruit that tempted Adam & Even in the garden of Eden. Believed to have originated in the area of Iran and the Himalayas, they spread throughout the mideast, Mediterranean, Europe and as far east as China as early … Read More
See it Wiggle, Watch it Jiggle!
My good friend Tom Weaver, whom I met while working at Walt Disney World in Florida, is originally from the area around Rochester and the Finger Lakes of upstate New York. He returned several years ago to make it home once again. Through my friendship with him I’ve also become very good friends with the rest of his family … Read More
My, What Lovely Melons You Have…
When was the last time you said this to your produce manager or farm stand owner? Heck, would you even know if their melons were “lovely”? I frequently have people ask: “what should I look for when choosing…._______(fill in the blank)?”. This is the height of melon season and with so many flavorful and sweet options to choose from, it’s … Read More
Romesco Sauce
Heavily influenced by the Moorish rule of the Iberian Peninsula from 711ad to 1492AD, the cuisine of Spain incorporates many influences from both the Arab world as well as the new world. Moors (a collective term for both the Arabs and Berbers that invaded and ruled the Iberian peninsula) are credited with introducing many of characteristic ingredients to this region … Read More
Roasting Peppers
In my last post I explained a couple of options for smoking tomatoes. Today I thought I’d show two options for roasting peppers. Both roasted peppers and smoked tomatoes can be easily frozen in either zip-seal bags or other storage containers so you can enjoy them year round. Great cooking year-round is dependent on having great ingredients at the ready. … Read More
Smoked Tomatoes
Red Ripe Tomatoes…Get ‘em while you can! This time of year I love tomatoes on and in everything. The deep intense red of a plump bulging tomato simply screams “summer” to me! Unfortunately my early spring challenge of trying to keep deer from dining on my roses made me realize that the effort put into a vegetable garden would likely … Read More