Pesto, Pesto, Which One is Besto? (The OG One or the Guilt Free One)

Pesto, Pesto, Which One is Besto? (The OG One or the Guilt Free One)

A favorite pasta dish in our house is Pesto with Linguine.  Years ago (I mean YEARS AGO), I clipped the LA Times winning Pesto recipe from their Basil Festival. The recipe was from the restaurant, Casa Monica, and has been my go-to Pesto ever since.  It starts with fresh basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan …

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Corn, Tomato, & Avocado Salad (Summer In a Bowl)

Corn, Tomato, & Avocado Salad (Summer In a Bowl)

Every weekend I look forward to going to our local farmer’s market.  Well, except when I have to schlep everything I can’t resist buying back to my car.  For example, today my Sherpa trip included 6 ears of fresh, sweet corn (corn is heavy-who knew?), a sun-kissed orange honeydew, a bushel of peaches and nectarines …

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Baba Ghanoush (Roasted Eggplant Dip)

Baba Ghanoush (Roasted Eggplant Dip)

Right up there with Hummus, this eggplant dip is made with Tahini, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, and olive oil, and seasoned with cumin and smoked paprika. Eggplant contributes a lightness and creaminess different than chickpeas.  The smoked paprika and cumin add another level of smokiness, so delicious.  I adapted the recipe from Cookie + Kate, …

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Blueberry Muffins-Humming a New Tune

Blueberry Muffins-Humming a New Tune

My first stop at the farmers market is the blueberry stand.  I love those little blue gems and find myself adding them to salads, eating them out of hand, and feeding them to Moose (Jamie’s dog, not actual moose).  But my favorite thing?  Baking blueberry pastries like snacking cakes, hand pies, cobblers, and of course, …

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Smittened by Blueberry Muffins

Smittened by Blueberry Muffins

The last few weeks our favorite blueberry vendor has been at the local farmer’s market.  These sweet, plump, juicy nuggets have made their way into salads, breakfast yogurt with granola, or popped straight into my mouth like candy.  My bounty of blueberries had me delving into the archives for blueberry recipes. Favorites like Blueberry Hand …

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Eric Kim’s Grape Tomato “Quick Kimchi” (Rock-Paper-Scissors)

Eric Kim’s Grape Tomato “Quick Kimchi” (Rock-Paper-Scissors)

Every Sunday I meet up with friends for coffee then we walk to our local farmer’s market to stock up for the week.  Every year, like clockwork, when summer is upon us, the following conversation takes place between us… While Walking Back From the Market… She who shall not be named Person #1 So, who …

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Ina Garten’s Country Cake with Strawberries (The Comeback Cake)

Ina Garten’s Country Cake with Strawberries (The Comeback Cake)

When my oldest was a tyke his favorite cake was the Barefoot Contessa’s Strawberry Country Cake.  This was his cake of choice for his birthday for quite a few years… Then Along Came Daddy (his Carrot Cake actually) that put the kibosh on the strawberry cake, so sad.  After I shoved my ego aside, I …

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