I’ve lived in Northern California for 3 years now, and in my home in Tiburon for two, so I’ve seen the seasons and how they impact the foliage on my property more than once. Much to my surprise last week, I found two beautiful plum trees on my property, covered in fruit. I swear they were not here last summer, or maybe they simply didn’t have much harvest to show. This year it was hard to miss the branches reaching high into the sky, however, laden with yellow fruit, and I was immediately taken back to my childhood, as my mother grew many fruit trees on our property in Italy. So, when I spotted them my innter hunter-gatherer-jammes took over. In my family, fruit trees are there to be picked and jammed so that sweet fruit can brighten the morning in dark winter months. I established (by checking with my local nursery) that these were edible fruit, and then harvested them quickly, climbing high into the trees to gather the fruit. When I´d brought in as much crop as I could manage, I reaped the reward, cutting, cooking, canning and finally spreading the “fruits of labor” on delicious bread. Who knew an invisible tree could do so much? Come and Cook with us!
Continue reading “Mirabelle Jam Anyone?”
Jessica and I continually talk about filling your plate with a rainbow of colors, and staying away from the – mostly- processed foods in shades of white. There are, however, a few foods whose white hue is welcomed, and at the top of this list is cauliflower. Along with the entire family of brassica vegetables, cauliflower contains compounds that give it it’s rightly deserved reputation a potent cancer fighter. And cauliflower is versatile, accessible, and very easy to prepare, so if you have a hankering for some white on your plate, give it a try and come and cook with us!
Come and Cook with Us 