A recent trip to California provided tons of culinary inspiration! It’s such a cliché, but California cuisine is just so fresh, so flavorful, so simple. This recipe for a beautiful salad of radish, avocado and toasted seeds typifies this method of cooking. Nothing complicated about it, but it’s jaw-droppingly delicious. Get the recipe!
A recent trip to California’s Sonoma County and its lovely wineries and dining scene provided a ton of much-needed inspiration for new recipes — especially for dishes that are simple, seasonal and produce-centric. I’ll be posting several of these new recipes in coming weeks. First up: a fantastic sweet potato-bacon hash with poached eggs that’s great for brunch or “breakfast for dinner.” Get the recipe!
So, you’ve got the whole grill thing figured out for your Memorial Day cookout: burgers, brats, chops, whatever. Now you need to focus on the sides. Skip the icky storebought potato salad and the greasy, overdressed pasta salad. Here are THE side dish recipes you need for your Memorial Day menu. Check ’em out!
This recipe is inspired by a dish that a colleague many years ago brought to an office potluck. Some 15 years later, it’s still one of my favorite lunchtime salads, and a great side dish for grilled chicken, too. This fantastic salad features whole-grain farro, sweet vegetables, herbs and an easy balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Get the #recipe!
A glut of overgrown arugula in my garden — combined with some beautiful green garlic I scored at the farmers’ market — went into a big batch of spring arugula and garlic pesto this week. It’s fantastic over pasta, or as a condiment for grilled Italian sausages and new potatoes. Get the recipe!
When I spotted a bin full of beautiful purple and green baby kale at the farmers’ market recently, the farmer and I agreed it would make a terrific caesar salad. And it did. Of course, you could use the traditional romaine lettuce, or do a mix of baby lettuces and salad greens like arugula. Don’t be afraid of the anchovy or raw egg — both are essential to caesar dressing. Give this a try while greens are still in their adorable baby stage. Get the recipe!
Typically, panzanella is a summertime salad of toasted bread, tomatoes, cucumbers and olives. But here’s a perfectly wintery spin on this Italian favorite, with hearty multigrain bread, roasted butternut squash, walnuts and a kiss of sherry vinaigrette. Perfect with roast chicken or grilled pork. Get the recipe!
This vegetable-laden take on the traditional Italian Bolognese pasta sauce is extraordinarily satisfying. Don’t be put off by the list of ingredients: ALL the chopping happens in the food processor, and within an hour you’ll have an incredible meal. Leftover sauce freezes well, so make a big batch! Get the recipe!
What was your favorite dish to make this year? I’ve compiled my favorite recipes from 2015, from strawberry shrub to overnight oatmeal to the best damn potato salad ever. Get the recipe roundup! And happy wishes for a fantastic new year!
