Enjoy the Last of Summer’s Bounty

Rosemary Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Peach Mustard & Grilled Peaches Tomorrow, September 22, 2020 is the fall equinox. While I hate to see summer go, I’ve been pleasantly distracted with late-summer produce- enjoying the best of the season’s bounty and preserving some for eating later in the year. My husband lets nothing get in the […]

Red Sauce – An American Icon?

Thank you, Bon Appetit, for “Red Sauce America ” a celebration of the Italian American Restaurants we love. (1)  . Who doesn’t have a memory, or many, made in an Italian-American “red sauce” restaurant? I do. As I child, my family frequented Banchero’s, in San Leandro, California. Your meal came in courses – a relish […]

Pounds and Pounds of Produce – A Visit to Kruger Pepper Farm

Sicilian Caponata This year, instead of being jealous of the people who rave about their extraordinary harvest of tomatoes, peppers and the like, I made a 2 1/2 hour road trip to the Kruger Pepper Farm in Wapato, Washington, a candy store for cooks who are not serious gardeners. Thanks to my husband’s Italian heritage […]

End of Summer Gazpacho

It is Gazpacho season in many parts of the world and last week it came to Seattle. In nearly 20 years of Northwest living I’ve served cold soup twice – once last Saturday. The thermometer was crawling into the 80s, toasty for my soon-to-arrive  guests. I seized the opportunity to capture the essence of end-of-summer […]

Move Over Halibut

Lime-Glazed Cod with Triple-Pepper Tomato Sauce I used to turn up my nose at cod and other more humble types of whitefish (1) in favor of halibut, but wild fish have their seasons, and winter is time for cod.  It’s a downright bargain, too, in terms of both the price (2) and nutrition:  A 3-ounce […]

Late Season Tomatoes and Basil

A Last Chance for Panzanella – Grilled Bread Salad Pay homage to the last of the season’s tomatoes and fresh garden basil with panzanella – grilled bread salad. Chop a pound of ripe tomatoes, any type will do, making sure to capture all their glorious juices to moisten the charred bread, fragrant with garlic and […]