Panzanella Salad

A friend mentioned this salad years ago and it just sounded weird.  I think it slipped in and out of my mind without hesitation --my thought process was probably this: bread salad? meh.  How naive I was.

Recently I attended the High Sierra Music Festival in Quincy, CA and it was HOT.  So hot that all we could do during most of the day was sit in the shade.  And drink cold beverages.  And wish we were swimming.  Luckily there was really good music.  We finally left and went to Chico... where it was even hotter (yes, this story does have a point).  In Chico we visited the Sierra Nevada Brewery and lounged in the air conditioning.  Panzanella salad was on their menu -- described with all the fresh vegetables and... coldness... it sounded amazing.  And it was.  I couldn't believe I'd never had it before.  Soon after returning home, where it was still hot, I had to make it again.  And share it with you.  Trust me: fabulous.

Strawberry Daiquiris

It's almost always strawberry season here in California... but I rarely go strawberry picking.  It's about an hour to the nearest you-pick place, and with an awesome farmers' market (or two, or three) each week, I usually don't even think about it.   But a friend at work was telling me about picking over 60 pounds of strawberries (and blackberries and ollalieberries) and I got the itch.  This weekend we went to the coast and picked the morning away.  Afterward, back at home while I thumbed through cookbooks for galette, pie, ice cream and short cake recipes, my boyfriend, Bill, got right to work in the kitchen.  He came up with this luscious cocktail in no time -- and it is fabulous.  It's not too strong, nor too sweet, and the fresh strawberry taste and aroma is unbelievable.  (If you haven't been in on Bill's other cocktails, I recommend checking them out!)

Papaya pudding

I am so fortunate to have farmers' market and local ethnic supermarket visits as a part of my normal work schedule.  At Collective Roots, where I work, we teach lots of healthy-cooking-on-a-budget classes.  We have graduated over 150 participants from 6-week healthy cooking classes!   Working with participants from diverse backgrounds has given me the opportunity to try fruits and vegetables I've never tried (or seen!) before and to try new recipes for fruits and vegetables that I eat all the time.

So -- how does this relate to papaya pudding?  Last week when I was shopping for our cooking classes at the nearby Latino market, the papaya display was too irresistible to pass by.  So I didn't.  Happily lugging my three-pound papaya home, I wondered what I'd do with it all.  Eating a papaya fresh is always nice.  So are morning smoothies.  But with all that papaya, I started looking around for something more interesting.

Baked Figs

I LOVE figs.  I was overjoyed to see beautiful baskets of the dark black/purple Mission fig at the farmers' market this past weekend.  Fig recipes are piling high on my coffee table: ice cream, figs stuffed with various treats (see a bonus idea for this, below), salads, pizzas... but today's recipe is nearly as simple as just popping them in your mouth:  Figs topped with a lovely balsamic vinegar and the flavourful (but not too strong) Manchego sheep's milk cheese, baked briefly and eaten warm.  Heavenly.

Watermelon Mojitos

Watermelon mojitos have come to the rescue on a couple hot, hot days -- what a winner for a refreshing, delicious summer cocktail!  The first time I had this drink it was thanks to my brother's girlfriend, Cat, who found a recipe while flipping through Ina Garten's, How Easy Is That? cookbook.  Cat and my brother were visiting from the east coast just in time for 95- 100 degree weather here in California.  I have to give her credit for rallying, despite the sluggish heat, to gather the ingredients and blend together this great cocktail.  

Coconut Lime Sorta-Sorbet

With the hot weather continuing, my ice-cream maker is getting quite the work out and is certainly earning it's keep.  This recipe is the latest trial -- and will certainly be repeated.  It is dairy free, but seems too creamy and rich to lump into the 'sorbet' category.  Using coconut milk as the liquid (instead of water or a dairy product) makes this a refreshing and creamy dairy-free treat.  The lime and rum bump up the flavor, adding a fragrant, citrus-y edge without being booze-y.  This recipe also keeps well in the freezer: it does not become too hard or icy.

Rainbow Zucchini 'Pasta' Salad

Believe it or not, but I don't only eat sweets.  It might be hard to tell from all the sweet things I post here.  But, in fact, I really do love eating good, healthy food.  It would be a shame to let all the beautiful, colorful vegetables at the farmers' market (and in my garden!) go without notice.   This salad is a brilliant way to pack in a ton of colorful, fresh veggies -- all without heating up the house with any cooking.  There is no real 'pasta' in this recipe -- the 'pasta' is actually thin slices of the raw zucchini and cucumber.  It's great as a side salad, or it can be a more substantial dish with the addition of walnuts and Mozzarella.  Delicious, refreshing, pretty!