Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Serves 4

Grilled Cheese Ingredients:
8 one-inch slices of your favorite freshly baked bread
8 oz gruyere, thinly sliced
6 oz brillat savarin, or a creamy bloomy rind cheese
4 oz Mama Lil’s pickled peppers
6 TBS unsalted butter

Tomato Soup ingredients:
2 large cans San Marzano tomatoes
1 cup sweet onion, small diced
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBS butter
2 TBS olive oil
2 tsp salt

Start the soup first. In a medium soup pot heat the oil and butter and saute the onion and garlic until they are soft and cooked through but not brown, about 10 minutes on medium heat. Empty cans into a bowl and crush the tomatoes well with your hands. Add to the soft onions, bring to a boil and add the milk and cream. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Soup should become thick and rich. Season with salt.

Heat a large saute pan with 3 TBS butter. Build the sandwiches on a cutting board. Start by arranging 2 oz each of sliced gruyere onto 4 slices of bread. Arrange 1 oz each of peppers on top of the gruyere and finish with about 1.5 ounces of sliced brillat savarin, it will be goopy on top of the peppers. Make sure the filling is evenly spread out on the bread. Top with the other slice of bread and begin to grill on your buttered pan. If your pan is not big enough to hold all 4 sandwiches do it in two batches. Once the bottom is browned, carefully flip the sandwich**, add the remaining butter and transfer to the oven. If you are doing in batches transfer the sandwiches to a sheet pan first.

Bake until the cheese is melted and the top and bottom of the bread are nicely browned. Serve with hot tomato soup! BEST THING EVER!!!!

** Chef’s Tip: Hold a kitchen towel in one hand and the spatula in another. Lift the sandwich with the spatula and hold the kitchen towel on top of the top piece of bread with your other hand. Flip the sandwich into your towel hand and use the spatula to transfer the flipped sandwich back to your pan.

Happy cooking,
Erin

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Our bees are going crazy. The other day I found a swarm huddled on a lemon tree. A few days before, they were on a branch of the eucalyptus tree next door. A refrigerator repair man who came to the office said they were all over his white van for a while.

I was in the garden a few days ago when I noticed the shadow of a bee swarm hanging over me. I looked up and realized I had a cloud of bees flying just over my head. I’ve been reassured by my bee-keeping friends that honey bees are harmless when they swarm.

Apparently they have outgrown their home in the hive, made a new queen, and a group of bees have left the hive to go look for a new place to call home. So, swarming bees do not have a home to defend. Since they are not protecting a home, they are very docile. Still, I don’t entirely like having a swarm of bees hovering over me while I’m trying to water the garden. I am going to order some more hives in the hopes that the swarming bees will decide to stick around and make us some honey if I offer them new, spacious living quarters.

Happy gardening,
Lora

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A friend reminded me recently of something we learned in High School. I believe it was Wordsworth that championed the idea of “man’s affinity with nature”. I couldn’t help but think of this as I walked the farmer’s market recently. I was in the best mood, skipping as I shopped. As I was humming “Walking on Sunshine,” I felt happier than I’d been in awhile. And then someone commented on the bouquet in my hand. I was holding a tiny bouquet of fresh basil. Baby basil. It was the smell of it that had first attracted me, and I had added to it daffodils, a bag of English peas and asparagus. The perfect spring bouquet with my anise laced baby basil as the star. The Ligurians believe that basil is magical, and some believe the herb can lower anxiety. It’s interesting that’s it was the first thing I picked up at the market, that my mood lifted and my case of “the winters” seemed to dissipate. Too early for a tomato salad, I paired some of my baby basil with a simple potato salad and the rest I chopped and served with butter over my English peas.

Seek out your own instant happy. Look for the first of the season basil, the kind that’s grown in the ground, not a greenhouse. Give it a good sniff. Breathe deep. Be gone anxiety and stinky mood! Be gone cobwebs of winter and ho hums of cold and rain. Spring is here. Time to begin again. Nature is fresh and new. And you can be, too.

To possibilities,

Rachael

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Makes about 4 dozen crackers

Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour
½ cup rye flour
½ cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¼ ground cinnamon
4 oz (1 stick or ½ cup) cold butter, cut into ¼ inch cubes
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp dark molasses
¼ cup cold water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 to 2 cups melted dark chocolate
½ cup toasted hazelnuts (or any nuts), roughly chopped

Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees F.

Using a food processor, combine whole wheat flour, rye flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add cold butter and pulse until it resembles crumb texture, about 3 to 5 pulses. Combine all the wet ingredients and add to the dry and pulse until it forms a crumbly dough, about 8 to 10 pulses. Gather the dough to form a flat rectangular disc. Between two pieces of parchment paper, roll the dough flat with a rolling pin to an ⅛ inch thick. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut the dough into 1×2 rectangles, and place crackers on a parchment lined cookie sheet 1 inch apart from each other. Dock crackers with a fork or a paring knife, and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes or until slightly darker brown in color. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, slowly melt the chocolate in microwave or over a double boiler and toast and chop hazelnuts. Set aside.

Dip crackers halfway into dark chocolate, shake off excess chocolate and place them on parchment paper. Sprinkle cooled toasted hazelnuts on the chocolate before it sets. Set aside in a cool area until chocolate has set or place in the refrigerator for 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

Happy baking,
Jun

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I’ve been reading Bukowski lately, so I need a little frivolity in my life. (That dude was way too depressed about the human situation, and in my opinion, overrated.) With that said, I just want a wine that is fun. Forget sublimely structured. Forget typicity. Forget pensive. Forget Bukowski. I want hop-scotch on a sunny day. These wines hit the spot (at least for the next 5 seconds):

2008 Nicodemi Montepulciano d’Abruzzo $172008 Paradiso Vernaccia di San Gimigiano $152007 Provenza Chiaretto $18

The Wine Dude Abides,
David

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So you want to grow your own tomatoes? Congratulations, growing tomatoes from seed is relatively easy and gives you a lot more choices than the seedlings available at the local garden center.

If you live in a climate where it freezes, you will definitely want to start your seeds indoors or in a greenhouse.

Even here in Southern California where temperatures rarely dip below 40 degrees, starting seeds indoors is still a good idea. Seeds just don’t want to sprout when it gets chilly. Tomatoes originated in the tropics of Mexico and Central America so it makes sense that they like it warm and humid. However, I don’t have a greenhouse or a sunny windowsill, so I start my seeds outside and let them tough it out. However, they will grow faster in a greenhouse or cold frame.

I plan to transplant tomatoes into the garden in April and May, so I like to start my first batch of seeds in late February and keep planting tomatoes through early April. When you start your seeds will depend greatly on where you live.

There are a lot of differing opinions on what the best soil mix is for seed starting, but the most important characteristic is that the material should hold some moisture but still drain well. Fungi can be the enemy of tiny seedlings, so you don’t want an overly moist planting mix that may encourage fungal infections. There are commercial seed starting mixes available and you may want to start with that. Peat moss is very popular as an ingredient in seed starting mixes but it is a non-renewable resource so a lot of eco-conscious gardeners eschew it.

I sometimes use cactus mix, a potting material made for cactus, which has great drainage. I’ve also added sand or perlite to ordinary potting soil to improve its drainage. Seedlings will also need nutrients to grow, so you may add a small quantity of organic granulated fertilizer or good quality, home made compost to your mix.

The standard size for seedlings at the store is a 4” pot, though they often come in even larger sizes. If you are starting seeds at home you may transplant them at a smaller size. In that case, you could start your seeds in a six pack and then transplant them directly into the garden. Or you may start with a “plug” tray with very small cells and transplant the plants into larger pots at some point.

If you just want to grow a few seedlings, enough for a home garden, I like the larger size six pack containers that annual flowers usually come in. From this size you can either plant directly in the ground ( or a container if that is their eventual home) or transplant to a larger pot before transplanting again.

Next, fill containers with potting mix. Thoroughly water the pots and allow excess water to drain out. Make a small depression with your finger or a pencil for the seed. A good rule of thumb for planting seeds is to plant the seed 2-3 times as deep as it is big. So for a tomato seed, that isn’t very deep, no more than a quarter inch. Cover the seed with more potting mix. Pat down the soil a bit so that when you water the soil, seeds don’t float away. Seeds will take a week or two to emerge. Keep the soil evenly moist but never soaking. Remember, you don’t want to drown them. Be patient and let the little guys grow. After the seeds have emerged, put the seedlings in a sunny spot but be mindful of intense afternoon heat if you live in a place that gets really hot.

At what stage you want to transplant your seedlings is a matter of choice. They should be at least two inches high, have a sturdy stem and a decent root system. If your spring garden is still growing strong and you aren’t ready to make room for summer crops, put your tomatoes in a 4” or larger pot and transplant them at a slightly larger size. When planting your tomatoes, bury the stems deep, removing lower leaves. Only the top leaves should be above soil level. Roots will grow out of the stem. This will make your plant more sturdy and help to give it a good start.

Happy gardening,
Lora

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“If you grow it, they will come” is a good rule for attracting birds, bees, butterflies and all sorts of life to your garden. While there may be some bugs (aphids!) or animals (raccoons!) that you don’t want in your garden, there are many good reasons to want more wildlife in your landscape: They can be a pleasure to watch. They can keep populations of less desirable bugs in balance. They can pollinate your garden plants. And in urban and suburban areas, your backyard can be crucial wildlife habitat. Simply by planting a few flowers you can support a healthy local ecosystem.

We all know that bee populations are under a lot of stress. But your garden can be a part of the solution. Even a window box at an apartment can provide flowers for the bees. All birds, animals and insects need a few basic things to be able to survive. At the most basic level they need shelter, food and water.

A diversity of plants is a good place to start in planning for wildlife. A vast expanse of lawn surrounded by azaleas doesn’t provide a lot of food or shelter for the birds or the bees. With a wider variety of plants you can provide an array of food and nectar sources. Native flowering plants are always a good choice. In heavily developed regions where there may be little native plant life around, these plants are a valuable source of nectar, seeds, food and shelter for native wildlife. Even better, native plants are adapted to your climate and soil conditions which means they are easier to grow with few additional inputs of fertilizer or water. Flowers, fruit and seeds are food sources for all sorts of animals. Flowers provide nectar for birds and invite pollinating insects. Plants that have a long bloom period are therefore a good choice. Flowers with a tubular shape bring hummingbirds.

Don’t be too quick to trim plants and your laziness will be rewarded. Areas that are a little overgrown can be shelter for animals. Let plants go to seed. In your vegetable garden, leave parsley and carrots to flower and seed to attract beneficial insects. In your herb garden, culinary sages, oregano, thyme and basil are wonderful sources of nectar for both birds and bees when they flower. Mix flowers into your vegetable and herb garden to bring in color, diversify your plantings and of course, provide for wildlife. Try nasturtiums, marigolds, sunflowers or sweet alyssum.

In dry weather, providing water is important for supporting wildlife. A simple birdbath will work, as will a dish filled with water. Put a few rocks in the dish, sticking out of the water, so birds and bugs have a safe place to land and drink.

And of course natural, non-toxic gardening practices create a healthy environment for you and everything around you. So be very selective if you must control the bugs or other bad guys in your garden. Choose controls that do the least damage to the populations of good bugs when you are controlling the bad bugs.

Happy gardening,
Lora

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serves 6

Ingredients
4 cups fresh english peas, shucked
1 ham hock
½ onion, diced
½ fennel, diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
2 whole garlic cloves
10 cups homemade chicken stock
½ cup white wine
2 TBS olive oil
salt to taste

In a medium sauce pan heat oil. Brown ham hock, carrots, fennel, onion, and garlic until you get some nice browning on the meat and on the bottom of the pan. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up the bottom bits. Add the chicken stock and simmer covered for 1 hour. Once the veggies are soft and the stock is nice and porky, add the peas and continue to cook for another 30 minutes at a simmer.

Remove soup from the heat and take out the ham hock. You can either pull off the meat and add to the soup after you blend it or reserve it for another use. Blend the soup in small batches until it is very creamy and smooth. Season the soup with salt if needed, it may have enough already from the ham hock.

Enjoy! Happy cooking,
Erin

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Serves 4 to 6

Topping:
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark), packed
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cinnamon

Filling:
6 apples, medium size (you can mix different kinds of baking apples; in this recipe, I used pink ladies and granny smith)
¼ to ½ cup sugar, depending on how sweet the apples are
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
juice of half lemon

Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees F.

To make the topping, combine all ingredients in a bowl of a stand up mixer and stir on low speed until it resembles crumbled texture. Set aside until needed.

To make the filling, peel, core and slice apples into quarter inch thick; transfer to a bowl. Stir in sugar, cinnamon, salt and lemon juice until well combined.

Grease or spray oven safe baking dish (8×8), and transfer apples to form an even layer. Cover the apples with the crumb topping, you can use all of it or half. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until it is golden brown and apples are soft but not mushy. Serve hot with fresh whipped cream or ice cream.

Products used in this post:
Abigail*Ryan Hydrangea Tea Towel in Avocado
dbO Home Honeycomb Lil’ Bowl in Oyster Chocolate

Happy Baking!
Jun

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Yes, you can eat broccoli leaves. You can also eat cauliflower leaves or even the inner part of the stem of either plant. It is like a vegetable version of using all parts of the buffalo.

Broccoli and cauliflower are in the same family as collard greens, so it isn’t surprising that their leaves can be eaten the same way. Of course kale and mustard greens are also close relatives but they are more tender and less fibrous so I find collard greens the best comparison.

For those of you familiar with collard greens, you know that they tend to take a while to cook. Broccoli or cauliflower leaves are the same way. After at least an hour of cooking, the thick, fibrous leaves become tender and delicious.

Depending on the variety of broccoli (here I used romanesco, a type of cauliflower) the flavors can range from slightly bitter and mustard-like to sweet and mild. As my greens cooked, they smelled like really good brussel sprouts.

You could chop the leaves and add them to any slow cooked dish. They would be ideal in soups and stews and great with meat, beans or just on their own.

Here is a simple preparation for broccoli /cauliflower leaves:

Ingredients
About 3 pounds of leaves
1 whole onion
4 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup water (chicken or vegetable stock would also work)
1 teaspoon salt or to taste

Wash the leaves and remove the stems.
Roughly chop the leaves.
Cut off both ends of the onion, cut in half and peel off skin. Dice onion.

Heat oil in a large skillet and add onions. Over medium high heat, cook the onions until they begin to look transparent. Peel and dice the garlic cloves. Add garlic and sauté for one minute. Turn the heat down and add the chopped greens. Toss the greens around with the hot onions, cover and let the greens braise for about ten minutes. Add the water or stock, stir the greens around and then cover again and let cook about 45 minutes or until tender.

Happy gardening and cooking!
Lora

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