Basil is one of my favorite summer things. I think I could eat some combination of basil, tomato, and cheese everyday until fall and never be tired of it. I love to keep basil growing in our garden so that we have it on hand all summer long. Basil leaves are the tastiest when you … Continue reading Pesto!
Author: amberrower
Grilled Artichokes
The artichoke: a food I never understood as a child. I watched, horrified, when friends and relatives would pick apart their boiled, grey leaves and use them to scoop up gobs of mayonnaise before dragging each leaf between their teeth. I did not understand the appeal. Then one day, on a whim, I tumbled a few … Continue reading Grilled Artichokes
Nutty Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Brownies
Some people bake great cakes. Some make beautiful pies. I am neither of those people. What I do make are brownies. Brownies that will knock your socks off. Fudgy, nutty, never-from-a-box brownies that can hold their own just as well with a glass of red wine as they can with an ice cold milk. Always … Continue reading Nutty Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Brownies
“Sun” Dried Tomatoes
Happy Autumn everyone! Here in the East bay, we are enjoying the very last harvest of our summer garden as the autumn weather begins to cool our days. Drying our excess tomato harvest allows us to enjoy these garden gems "sun dried" style in sauces and soups all winter long. I have been experimenting with … Continue reading “Sun” Dried Tomatoes
Caprese
On a hot summer day, few things are as simple to make and as good to eat as a fresh caprese salad. All it takes is five minutes and six ingredients: Tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, olive oil, salt and pepper. When making simple dishes like this, the key is to use fresh, high quality ingredients. I … Continue reading Caprese
Tomatoes!
The hot summer weather has brought around one of the best parts of keeping a garden: harvesting tomatoes! Growing up, I hated tomatoes. Tomato slices where cold, slimy, tasteless burger spoilers. They were pale, mealy, mushy sandwich ruiners. It wasn't till I was introduced to garden fresh, vine ripened, in season tomatoes in my early … Continue reading Tomatoes!
Dark Chocolate Truffles
I wanted chocolate, so I made truffles. I love chocolate truffles. They were one of the very first things I learned to make as a teenager when I was taught by one of my very best friends. We had been tasked with making a small film project for a class that we shared and took … Continue reading Dark Chocolate Truffles
Star Spangled Strawberry Shortcake
There is something about ripe strawberries, homemade shortcake and freshly whipped cream that complement warm summer evenings in a way no other dessert can. When I needed to whip up a treat to take to a Fourth of July BBQ, I grabbed a good strawberry shortcake recipe, dug out my 3" star cookie cutters and … Continue reading Star Spangled Strawberry Shortcake
Plums
There here!
Strawberry and Rosemary Tea Scones
Every so often, my body wakes up before my alarm sounds. I know this is shocking to those you who know I can sleep forever if not prodded out of bed. Sometimes, these mornings come about after an amazing nights sleep. I wake up feeling refreshed and the new day's sunlight glimmers on the windowsill … Continue reading Strawberry and Rosemary Tea Scones