Foraging Figs

Look at these beauties - I believe these are Adriatic figs - the tree from which I nabbed them growing in a ditch in a vineyard. Laden with fruit, the tree was the last thing on the minds of the vineyard workers harvesting the grapes. So, no harm no foul, I took home a stash. Since this variety is not as sweet as the Black Mission Figs that I love to eat raw, I broiled them with some honey to bring out their sweetness, and finished them off with a sprinkling of sea salt. It made for a sweet and savory breakfast. Thanks Mother Nature!

Pinot Noir Poached Pears

All the limos had driven away, the chefs had packed their knives, the sparkling chatter had died down to quiet hum. The wine cellar that had just hours before been dolled up with beautiful decor and beautiful people once again looked like, well... a cellar. The Wine Gala was over. I was exhausted.

The remains of the huge party that had just consumed my every waking minute for days on end were many: gorgeous floral arrangements that needed homes, unclaimed goodie bags and auction items that had to be stowed for safe keeping, and wine. Bottle after bottle of top-notch wines that out of necessity had been opened, but in reality would never be consumed in their entirety. Since it pains me to watch good wine to go to waste, I took home several half-full bottles, knowing that I could put them to good use.

The wines I had chosen to bring home with me were one lone bottle of Oakville Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon that had just enough left in it for me to enjoy one more glass (which was the last thing I needed - but damn, it's just too good to turn down), and three bottles of Beringer Pinot Noir of varying amounts.

The first thing that came to mind: Pinot Noir Poached Pears. And that's just what I did. And once the pears were perfectly poached, I continued to reduce the liquid to make a Pinot Noir syrup to serve alongside.

To say that my house smelled divine as the wine simmered on top of my stove is an understatement. It was like ushering in Fall, with the heady aroma of mulled wine permeating the crisp Napa Valley air. It was a soothing way to spend my morning, since it required little effort on my part, but gave me all the benefits of an aromatherapy session at the spa.

As you can see, the results were amazing. Thanks, Wine Gala, for the leftovers. It made my day.

Pinot Noir Poached Pears
This recipe is written in quantities sufficient to not only poach the pears, but to make a syrup out of the remaining liquid as well (the syrup is not only delicious over the poached pears, but as a topping for ice cream or other sweet treats as well). If you don't want to make the syrup, cut the quantities in half for poaching only.

• 6-8 pears, peeled (I used red pears, but Bosc or Bartlett pears would also be good choices)
• 3 cups Pinot Noir
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Dash of allspice
• Dash of freshly-grated nutmeg

Combine all ingredients (except pears) in a deep sauce pan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, gently place the pears in the liquid (I drop them in with a slotted spoon). Once the liquid returns to a boil, reduce temperature until the liquid is at a simmer. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes, turning pears occasionally. The finished pears will take on a gorgeous red color and can be easily pierced by a fork. Remove from poaching liquid and set aside. To make the syrup, let the poaching liquid continue to simmer until it has been reduced by half (or less - depending on how thick you'd like the syrup). Remove the cinnamon stick and serve the syrup over the poached pears.

Care Package Inspiration: Raspberry S'mores

It's always a wondrous day when I get a package in the mail from mom. No matter how big or small, I always know that whatever lies within the shipments will be an ever-so-thoughtful gift - something chosen with me specifically in mind, and sent off with her love tucked in there amongst the Styrofoam peanuts. Her packages always arrive in a box wrapped in plain brown paper, and sealed with enough packing tape to deter anyone but the intended recipient (armed with a hacksaw blade) from tearing into the goods. But a little brown box sitting on my porch at the end of the day never fails to lift my spirits.

So the latest little box arrived unannounced. I wasn't expecting anything from her - no birthdays, holidays or remembrances to be observed. All the more mysterious, I tore into the package unsure of what treasure I would find. And a treasure it was: a single, beautiful little Mason jar filled with the epitome of Summer: mom's homemade raspberry jam. It was accompanied by one of her ever-present handmade cards (also always a treasure); this one reading simply, "A taste of home. Love, Mom."

I set the gem-like jar on the kitchen counter, where it sparkled like a garnet and tempted Randall to pine for a fresh jar of peanut butter. But I couldn't let this one precious jar simply be wasted on a lowly PB&J, as much as I love them. If you've ever tasted my mom's homemade raspberry jam, you understand.

Finally, this weekend presented an opportunity and an inspiration. We were heading out camping with some friends, and I was in charge of dessert one night (me??). I knew immediately I wanted to make s'mores - we were camping, for crying out loud, s'mores are required! - but I also knew that they should be something slightly more sinful than the normal marshmallow/Hershey bar/graham cracker variety (as if those aren't sinful enough!).

Years ago, I somehow stumbled upon making s'mores not with graham crackers and chocolate, but the lovely Lu brand Le Petit Ecolier biscuits. What could be easier? The cookies are already pre-loaded with the chocolate, and they come in a couple dark chocolate flavors (my pick always being the Extra Dark Chocolate version). Even if you do nothing more fancy than using these biscuits in lieu of graham crackers, the s'mores already seem like a much more grown-up version of a favorite childhood camping treat.

But, armed with a pint of fresh raspberries from the farmers market and with my mom's raspberry jam taunting from its pantry perch, these raspberry s'mores were born. The vision was complete with some hand-made vanilla bean marshmallows from Whole Foods (you'll never go back to the jet-puft sort after tasting handmade marshmallow pillows... ugh! Addicting!).


So it goes a little something like this:

• Lay the Lu biscuits chocolate-side up on a sheet of tinfoil
• Place a dab of raspberry jam in the center of the chocolate
• Place 2-3 fresh raspberries (depending on size) atop the jam on 1/2 of the biscuits
  
• Put the foil with the cookies either on a grate over some red-hot campfire coals, or on a flat rock near the fire, to provide some indirect heat to melt the chocolate
  
• As the chocolate is melting, toast your marshmallow to your preferred gooeyness (charred or carmelized - your call)
  
• Place your toasted marshmallow atop the melted chocolate/jam/raspberry biscuit
• Put a second biscuit (sans fresh raspberries) on top of the marshmallow to complete the s'more sandwich
  
• Prepare to get messy
• Prepare to want seconds
• Have some cold sparkling wine to wash it all down (these s'mores pair beautifully with a Brut-style champagne)
• Dive in

Thanks, mom, for the inspiration... and I don't just mean for this dish.

Plum Perfect: Plum Berry Crumble Pie

It was the perfect storm of coincidence: I was given generous amounts of beautiful plums by a couple different friends with uber-productive trees, and not two days later, I attended a BBQ where my friend Jessica (baker extraordinaire) showed up with a Plum Berry Crumble Pie. Seeing - and of course tasting - her pie made me realize that I was not destined to a diet of nothing but plums for the foreseeable future; I too could make a pie. It helped that I knew I had a ready-made crust in the freezer (a trick Jessica would never deign to employ, but salvation for me).

As luck would have it, Jessica had contributed an Apple Blackberry Crisp recipe to the Fare to Remember cookbook; it was this recipe that provided the basis for the Plum Berry Crumble Pie (same recipe, just plums substituted for apples).

So if you have a wealth of plums (or any other stone fruit, for that matter) looking for a home, give this recipe a try. It sure made the plums disappear from our house like nobody's business!

Plum Berry Crumble Pie
Adapted from Jessica Taekman's Apple Blackberry Crisp recipe

Note: I don't have a recipe for pie crust - Jessica's or otherwise - so this recipe assumes you'll go the semi-homemade route like I did, or you're industrious enough to hunt one down.

Topping:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted, chilled butter cut into pieces

Fruit:

• 5 pounds plums (blanched, peeled, pitted and sliced)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh berries
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup crystallized ginger, finely diced (optional)
• Zest and juice from 1 small lemon

For the topping, mix flour, sugar and salt in food processor. Add butter and blend, turning on and off until mixture resembles coarse lumps and crumbs. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pre-cook your pie crust until it is golden brown. Gently toss fruit ingredients in a large bowl. Transfer mixture to baked pie shell. Crumble topping over fruit; there will be a lot but use it all. Bake until fruit bubbles through and topping is golden brown, approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Fresh Pics! Photographic evidence of my haul from the new Berkeley Bowl West

You know you're a food geek when going to a grocery store is the most anticipated event on your calendar. Such was the case with me last week, when I had the chance to stroll, ogle, sample, drool, imagine, and yes, shop, at the brand spankin' new Berkeley Bowl West.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with the Berkeley Bowl, suffice it to say that it is no ordinary grocery store. Sure, sure - there are aisles of food, and it's arranged as one would expect... you know - deli over here, frozen foods there, bulk bins somewhere in between... but the produce section is what sets this market apart from pretty much any other you've ever frequented. To say that it is massive is putting it lightly (the photo above is but one teeny tiny corner). To say that there are items stocked there that you have no earthly idea how to use and never will is an understatement. To say that it's tempting to become a vegetarian simply to eat more of the gorgeous, unusual, dizzying bounty of fruit and veggies is not really doing it justice.

I counted no fewer than 11 varieties of eggplant, and seven types of green beans. A great deal of the produce is local and/or California grown, but if you wanted to pick up some mushrooms from Serbia, they have those too (every last item is labeled as to its origin).

And the new store is not only bright, open and huge, it fixes the one thing that made stopping at the original location such a chore: no parking woes!

At any rate, I raided the produce section with an eye toward bringing home some unique and unusual items - things I knew I would never find at the chain store in my neighborhood. And here's a sampling of what I found, and how I used (or plan to use) it. So if you live in the Bay Area, pay them a visit. And if you don't - don't you wish you did? :)

Fiddlehead Ferns: I was pleasantly surprised to find these in stock, since I thought the fiddlehead fern season had long since passed. But nope - there they were, all coiled and tightly wound, ready for a turn in my saute pan. I cooked them in a bit of olive oil and crushed garlic, and finished them off with salt and spicy red pepper flakes. They have a wonderful crunch - similar to that of green beans - and a flavor a bit reminiscent of brussels sprouts (but not nearly as strong). They made for a perfect lunch.


Green Heirloom Tomatoes: I don't know the exact variety of these tomatoes, but they're among the first of the heirlooms making an appearance this season. Couldn't pass them by.


Result- Fried Green Tomatoes, of course: Sliced em up thick, dredged them in flour/egg white/panko, seasoned them with salt, then quickly pan-fried them with some olive oil until golden. Topped them with a sweet and spicy jalepeno pepper jelly. Delish!


Blue Velvet Apricots: That's right - these are not plums. They are apricots in a royal wrapper. Their skins are a deep purple blue, but the inside flesh is the same gorgeous orange color of regular apricots. No fancy plans for these babies other than to pop them right into my mouth.


Mushrooms Galore: They had fresh mushrooms in dozens of varieties. I carted home with me morels, porcinis, chantrelles, baby shiitakes, and the cutest little baby erynghi mushrooms you ever did see. I plan to make a funghi grilled pizza - stay tuned.



Oca Potatoes: Looking at this picture on my monitor, it doesn't really do these spuds justice. The reason I picked them up is because they were a striking, bright orange color. And by bright, I mean as vivid as a carrot. Their shape was intriguing as well....


Result- Smoky Oven-Roasted Fries: Cut the colorful spuds into thin wedges, dusted them with a combo of garlic powder, salt and smoked paprika, and then roasted them in a hot oven (400 degrees) until they were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The taters didn't really keep their vibrant orange hue, but rather, mellowed to a color more akin to a yam (funny - some subsequent research tells me these Andean tubers are also called New Zealand yams). They had a really nice creaminess to them, and were surprisingly sweet and tangy - a great counterpoint to the smoky spice.

The Key is in the Limes, Silly

This is my friend Betsy's Key Lime Pie recipe. The flavors simply sing - it's like Summer on a fork. For a non-baker such as myself, it's a great dessert option with a lot of wow factor (not too much of that measly measuring and sifting stuff). So hop to it... your guests are waiting!

Key Lime Pie
Contributed by Betsy Mueller

Crust*

• 16 graham crackers, crushed
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cube (1/4 lb) margarine or butter

Mix the ingredients and press them into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. Cool .

*You could always go the semi-homemade route and buy a pre-made crust. That's why Keebler exists, no?


Filling

• 4 large or extra large egg yolks
• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup fresh key lime juice (the juice of approximately 12 Key limes - more if you like a really lime-flavored pie)
• 2 teaspoons grated lime peel (zest only)
• Whipped cream

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks until they are thick and turn to a light yellow (don't over mix). With the mixer off, add the sweetened condensed milk and stir to combine. Turn the mixer back on to a low speed and mix in half of the lime juice. Once the juice is incorporated add the other half of the juice and the zest. Continue to mix until blended (just a few seconds). Pour the mixture into the graham cracker crust and bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Cool completely, and dust the top of the pie with powdered sugar. Optional: Once cool, top the center of the pie with whipped cream (leaving the edges showing); refrigerate until ready to serve.

Everything's Peachy!

It's peach season! One of the best times of the year, as far as I'm concerned. I love all the stone fruits that are exploding onto the farmers market scene right now, but those beautiful fuzzy peaches hold a special place in my heart. In the past couple of weeks, I've made some awesome peach scones, blended up plenty of peach puree to squirrel away for winter, and eaten my fill of the fresh-plucked globes while leaning over the sink as the juice runs freely down my arms. But my favorite way to enjoy peaches is to grill em!

I simply halve and pit the peach, brush it with some olive oil, and place face-down on a searing hot grill. Turn once after a couple of minutes, and in no time you've got a simple, healthy dessert or a fab addition to a green salad. I've also taken to brushing the peaches with a little dab of jam or jelly that I've rendered into liquid with a quick pop in the microwave (my current favorite, pictured on the white peach, above: Blackberry Cabernet Jam from Napa Valley's own Humble Beginnings).

So get them while they're fresh, and winter will seem like light years away....

Cherry On Top: Grilled Pork Chops with Cherry Zinfandel Sauce

It's cherry season! Cherries are one of my favorite fruits, hands down, and I relish this time of year when I can get them fresh. In my neck of the woods, cherry stands sprout up on street corners, and my fingernails wear the tell-tale pink stain of the fruit's dark red juice.

I'm always looking for ways to incorporate cherries into just about anything, and this recipe has no inspiration other than that. I had big, fat pork chops in the fridge; a fresh pint basket of cherries in my market basket; and half a bottle of day-old zinfandel on the counter. Voila! A recipe is born.

After making the sauce (and spooning up every last drop!), I can tell you that it would be delicious on many things other than pork - chicken, duck, beef.... cardboard (grin!). Reduce it even more (from a sauce into more of a glaze), and it would even be a wonderful dessert topper (like ice cream, or pound cake). One thing is for sure - anything is sweeter with a cherry on top! Enjoy!

Grilled Pork Chops with Cherry Zinfandel Sauce
(makes enough sauce for two servings, but you can double accordingly)

• 2 thick-cut boneless pork chops, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste
  
• 1 cup zinfandel wine
  
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2+ heaping tablespoons sour cream
• 1 cup sweet cherries (such as Bing), pitted and halved
  

Season the chops with salt and pepper to taste; grill until the chops reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees (remove from grill at about 155 degrees; allow meat to rest and come up to its final temperature of 160).

For the sauce, combine the zinfandel and the balsamic vinegar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a low boil; reduce heat and bring down to a simmer. When the liquid has reduced by half (approximately +/-20 minutes), add the butter and sugar and stir as they melt (taste the sauce at this point; add a dash more sugar if it's still too tart). Once melted, add the sour cream and whisk vigorously to incorporate. Add the cherries. Let the sauce continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced enough to coat a spoon without breaking. Serve over the top of the chops. Mmm.

So Smooth: Plan now to savor the flavors of summer smoothies all year long

The amount of fruit that finds its way to our house these days is ridiculous. It's a wonderful dilemma to have! But, there is no way that Ran and I can consume all of it before it goes bad, so I'm planning now to stockpile the juicy taste of summer in the form of fruit purees, and load my freezer to the hilt.

It's easy to do: simply throw fruit in a blender (mix and match as you like!), whir until smooth, and store individual servings in plastic Ziploc bags (you don't even need a fancy food sealer). Throw the bags in the freezer, and you've got the taste of summer available all year long for sauces, fillings, and maybe best of all: smoothie starters!

I'm a big fan of smoothies: healthy, delicious, inexpensive and super easy to make in a flash. And although you can find fruit smoothie recipes out there loaded with added sugars and calories, I much prefer the stripped-down, naked models where the fruit is the star. The following recipe is sort of a basic template from which I vary the ingredients according to what I have on hand and what is in season (or in my freezer!). So play with it as you will, but do play!

Honey Vanilla Fruit Smoothie (makes 2 large smoothies)

• 2 cups fruit puree (pictured: strawberry, blueberry, raspberry and peach)
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 banana
  
• 1 6-ounce container of honey-flavored Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 ice cubes
• Optional: 1 +/- tablespoon agave syrup (if the smoothie is too tart to your liking)
  

Throw it all in a blender, hit the button. Blend until smooth.

Kumquat Creation: Garlic Firecracker Prawns with Kumquat Molasses Glaze

Kumquats are so cute. I mean really, how can you resist? The bright orange, bite-size fruit just scream "Nature's Candy." But if you're new to kumquats, you might not be entirely sure what they are or how to eat them. Do you peel and segment them like little oranges? (A vision that immediately conjures up the scene in the movie "Big" where Tom Hanks' character nibbles an ear of baby corn as you would corn on the cob.) The Kumquat Growers, obviously, spell it out best: "The kumquat has a thin, sweet peel and a zesty, somewhat tart center. The kumquat tastes best if it is gently rolled between the fingers before being eaten, as this releases the essential oils in the rind. Eat kumquats as you would eat grapes (with the peel)."

They lend themselves beautifully to desserts and salads, and perhaps my favorite: marmalade. I actually set out to make kumquat marmalade when I brought home my stash of the little beauties because I wanted to use it in a marinade for some shrimp. But when I got right down to it, I hadn't purchased enough kumquats to make a proper batch, nor was I actually that ambitious. So, that idea evolved a little bit and I made a quickie kumquat/molasses glaze instead. It did the job nicely! The sweet and tangy glaze was the perfect counterpoint to the garlicky, spicy prawns. So the next time you're ready to throw some shrimp on the Barbie, this is a wonderful way to go!

Grilled Garlic Firecracker Prawns with Kumquat/Molasses Glaze

• 1 pound jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined
• The juice of one small lemon
• 3-4 tablespoons crushed garlic
• Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• Oilve oil, enough to coat the shrimp

Glaze

• 15 kumquats, split in half and seeded
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 2 tablespoons dark molasses
• Dash of kosher salt

In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes until well coated. Let marinate for one hour minimum. In a blender, combine glaze ingredients and puree (will not be entirely smooth due to the kumquat peels). Add more molasses to taste for extra sweetness. Thread prawns on skewers, and brush with the glaze. Place over high heat on BBQ grill, basting frequently with the glaze. The shrimp take no more than 3 minutes per side to cook thoroughly (don't overcook or the prawns will be rubbery!). Serve hot or cold (great picnic item!).

Let's Get Fresh: Pomelos

My latest foray to the Farmers Market yielded a bounty of seasonal goodies - I LOVE Spring! As I've mentioned previously, the Winter market is no wasteland, but there's something to be said about the market when the offerings start to explode, and the colors and flavors remind you that yes, indeed, Winter is no Spring. My haul included my most-coveted item of the year, morel mushrooms, as well as kumquats, avocados, fava beans (another favorite), spring garlic and one big pomelo. I'll have posts featuring recipes with many of my finds throughout the week, but am going to kick it off with the pomelo.

So a pomelo is basically a grapefruit on steroids, only sweeter. It's official name says it all: Citrus Maxima - it's the largest of the citrus fruits, and its flesh can be white or pink. I use a pomelo pretty much as I would a grapefruit. And this time around, I didn't even bother putting the one I brought home to good use in a recipe. I just sliced it up, peeled back the thick, pithy rind, and commenced eating it all on its own. But if you're hankering for a really fresh salad, here's a recipe that's included in the Fare to Remember cookbook; simply swap the grapefruit with pomelo.


Mâche Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
• 4 ounces mâche (lamb’s lettuce)
• 2 grapefruits, peeled and cubed
• 1 avocado, peeled and cubed
• 1 cup walnut pieces or halves

Dressing:
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
• 1/2 cup champagne
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Pinch sugar, optional

Toast walnuts in a sauté pan with a splash of olive oil. Season with salt. Whisk together dressing ingredients. Assemble salad and toss with dressing.

When Life Hands You Lemons

As seems to be the case with me sometimes, the stars have aligned. Weeks back, my good friend Kristin gifted me a beautiful slender glass bottle of her homemade limoncello. The liqueur had been steeping away for months under her careful attention, gathering flavor and potency until it was just right. When my precious allotment was handed over, I promptly put it in the freezer, awaiting just the right moment to bust it out.

And then, last week during our visit to Moondance Cellars (see my previous Shameless Plug here!), I discovered Dave and Priscilla's Meyer Lemon tree, and was given carte blanche access to take as many lemons as I like. And they had plenty.... they keep a strand of Christmas lights threaded through the tree, the heat of which is just enough to keep the tree producing gorgeous, sweet fruit year-round. I mean, get a load of this:


Needless to say, I brough home a LOT of lemons. And commenced to make a rather adult version of lemonade.

I started by making a Meyer Lemon/Mint Granita - a refreshing, sweet treat all on its own. It makes for a wonderful dessert - and of course (because it's me!) - it really couldn't be any easier. That Granita then became the base for a cocktail utilizing Kristin's limencello. The result is a very grown-up lemon Slurpee, perfect for a hot summer afternoon. (I know it's only Spring - but I'm pretending.) At any rate - enjoy. There's nothing sour about these recipes!


Meyer Lemon/Mint Granita

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup Meyer Lemon juice
• 3/4 cup loosely-chopped mint

In a saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add the lemon juice and mint, and bring up to a boil again for an additional 2 minutes. Pour into a flat casserole pan through a fine mesh seive to remove mint leaves; place the pan in the freezer. Every 30 minutes, rake the liquid with a fork as it freezes to produced a shaved-ice consistency. It will be frozen completely after about 3-4 hours.

Limoncello Fizz
Pour 1 shot limoncello* into the bottom of a martini glass. Add a heaping scoop of the Meyer Lemon/Mint Granita. Fill the remainder of the glass with sparkling apple cider. (Would be an excellent non-alchoholic drink as well - just eliminate the Limoncello.)


*Interested in making your own limoncello? Get your copy of the Fare to Remember Cookbook, for a recipe contributed by my friend Jill, master limoncello maker!!

Make Me a Match

This "matchstick" salad came about in my quest to maintain bright, colorful, fresh flavors in my diet right on through the winter. The ingredients are all in season and even at the peak of their juiciness right about now, and this salad simply explodes with refreshing tastes we more associate with summer. So have a little sunshine on me!

Celery Root, Green Apple and Citrus Matchstick Salad with Champagne/Grapefruit Vinaigrette

• 1 small celery root bulb
• 1 large Granny Smith apple
  
• 4-6 fresh seedless clementines or seeded honey tangerines, peeled and segmented (canned mandarin oranges would also work)
• 1 fresh Ruby Red grapefruit, peeled and segmented

Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup Champagne (Brut style works best; you can also substitute with Champagne vinegar)
• 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice
• Kosher salt, to taste

Trim leaves, ends and stems of celery root bulb (keep the leafy greens for your stockpot though!); cut away outer edges to square off the bulb. Chop the bulb into tiny matchsticks. Do the same with the Granny Smith apple. While you are chopping, place the matchsticks as they are created in a bowl of cold water with a tablespoon or two of lemon juice to keep them from browning. Cut the clementine and grapefruit segments into bite-sized chunks; add to the drained matchsticks. Toss all with the vinaigrette and let set in refrigerator for a minimum of 20 minutes to let flavors set. It gets even better the next day!

And speaking of celery root - my friend Aerial sent me this recipe to add after seeing the original blog post above. She said it's an old Jewish recipe, and it sounds delicious!

Celery Root in Mustard Dressing
Contributed by Aerial Gilbert

• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup light olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• White pepper, to taste
• 4 cups celery root (about 1 pound)
  

In a large bowl whisk together mustard and vinegar. Continue whisking and drizzle the olive oil a little at a time until fully incorporated; season with salt and pepper.

Peel and cut the celery root into julienne strips; toss with the dressing. Serve as a first course or on Boston lettuce as a salad.

Pomegranate Pointer

Psst... wanna know a secret? Pomegranates are actually super simple to seed. Really. If you're avoiding buying fresh pomegranates that are in abundance right now because you envision a lot of work for very little reward, fear not. No need to spend hours with an ice pick digging out the stubborn seeds, only to wind up with a kitchen resembling a crime scene from all the vibrant red juice. Use my method, and you'll have nuggets of pomegranate joy within minutes - and a clean kitchen to boot!

Here's the secret: Quarter the pomegranate, and then "crumble" the wedges under water in a bowl. That's it. The seeds will sink to the bottom, and the flesh and peel will float to the top. Strain the water, and voila! Perfect pomegranate seeds every single time.

Wasn't that easy?!

Persimmons: Pleased to Know You!

I know I know... we're all lamenting the seasonal end to luscious, juicy summer fruits and berries. But really, there's no need to be sad when there's just as many Autumn goodies to be had: apples, pears, pomegranates, and my favorite: persimmons!

Growing up as I did in the suburbs of Salt Lake City, Utah, I had no idea what a persimmon even was until I moved to Northern California. But now, I wait eagerly for them in the fall, and gorge on them while I can. When I met my husband, my persimmon fanaticism was in full swing, and it very well could have been the prolific persimmon trees on the grounds of his cottage that sealed the deal (actually, our relationship wasn't all thanks to the persimmons, there were also fig, pomegranate, apple and pear trees at the self-titled "Weed Farm and Spider Ranch" - how could a girl say no?).

To the uninitiated, persimmons are an Asian fruit - gorgeous orange in color - and there are many, many varieties. But there are perhaps two that you are likely to encounter: Fuyu persimmons, which resemble a tomato in shape and can be plucked right from the tree and enjoyed just like a crisp apple, and Hachiya persimmons, which give the fruit a bad rap! The Hachiya are the more globe-shaped persimmons that are astringent and very, very bitter if you bite into them before they are ready. And by ready, I mean squishy - almost rotten if compared to the standards of other fruit ripeness. But when the flesh becomes soft, the fruit is delicious as a puree that has countless uses in baking.

My favorite (of course, since I don't really bake), are the Fuyu. As mentioned, I eat them just like an apple, but learned a simple trick from my friend Aerial last persimmon season: squeeze some fresh lime over sliced Fuyus, and the flavor explodes on a whole other level.

And since now is the persimmon/pomegranate season, it's only fitting that I include a recipe that incorporates both, courtesy of the lovely and talented Betsy Mueller. Enjoy!


Persimmon and Pomegranate Tart

• 1 sheet ready-made pie crust (or make your own, if you're so inclined)
• 6-10 ripe Fuyu persimmons, cored and sliced
• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg

In a bowl, combine sliced persimmons with brown sugar and coat well. Let fruit macerate and become juicy. Lay out pie crust in a 12-inch round on a cookie sheet. Arrange persimmons in the center of the crust; sprinkle the pomegranate seeds over the top. Fold in the edges of the pie crust, and brush with some of the persimmon/brown sugar juice. Dust crust edges with cinnamon and freshly-grated nutmeg. Bake in a 375-degree oven until crust is fully cooked and fruit filling is bubbly (approximately 30-40 minutes). Let cool before topping with a syrup of pomegranate reduction (recipe below), serve and enjoy!

Pomegranate Reduction

• The seeds of 1 pomegranate
• 1/4 cup sugar (or more to taste)
• 1/2 cup cabernet sauvignon
  
• 1 1/2 cups water

Place ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Mash the pomegranate seeds and continue to boil for about 5 minutes, mashing the seeds every minute or so as they continue to soften. When you feel like you've mashed the seeds as well as can be mashed, strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve into a second saucepan. Return to the heat, add the red wine, and continue to boil until the juice has reduced to a syrup, perhaps another five minutes. Add sugar in tablespoon-sized increments until desired sweetness.