Vegetables

As a kid, I never liked butternut squash, it was always mushy and flavorless.  Years later, I learned how to make it.  It is funny how subtle things in a recipe sometimes make all the difference in whether we like or dislike something.  Growing up, butternut squash was one of those foods that I was […]

Cauliflower has become one of my favorite vegetables.  With its “riced” form, readily available almost anywhere, it has become even easier to cook.  Because of its mild flavor, there are virtually unlimited options to keep this cruciferous vegetable interesting. As I have gotten older, I have had to modify how and what I eat.  Sadly, […]

Boy did I hate Brussels sprouts when I was a kid?  To my six-year-old self, these were odd-looking vegetables not meant for human consumption.  Kudos to my parent, the Brussels sprouts kept returning and eventually, I learned to like them.  Now, older and wiser, I love them.  Their baby cabbage-like appearance, their strong almost spicy […]

A crudité is a traditional French appetizer and an important part of entertainment if you ask me.  If they are made right, they can be a great focal point, adding vibrant colors as well as offering a healthy food choice option for guests of all ages.  I am a big vegetable eater generally, but I […]

I call this my California vegetarian burrito bowl: it’s nothing fancy, but it’s a favorite of mine.  It’s rather easy to make, adaptable, and healthy.  This one-bowl meal is a great, reliable option for busy nights when you need something fast that’s not from the freezer. This is also a great meal option for my […]

Squash blossoms are delicious and one of my favorite special treats. Technically, they are edible flowers produced by the zucchini.  They are highly perishable, ideally consumed the day they are picked, and thus you are more likely to see them early in the day at a farmer’s market than at a supermarket. These flowers can […]

There is nothing more delicious than summer peas and I could probably eat fresh summer peas with mint yogurt every day.  I will admit, I never liked peas growing up, mainly because they were always served so mushy.  My oldest son went through a very long 5-year period where peas were the only vegetable he […]

Fave bean puree is a clean, earthy, and truly delicious summertime treat. Fava beans are simply underutilized in my opinion.  I adore favas, but due to their need for both shelling and peeling, they can be a labor of love.  Fava beans, also known as broad beans or horse beans, are packed with protein and […]

You should eat some asparagus this Spring.  And they can be so much better than a lot of restaurants make them.  April to June is the typical growing season and the best time to eat them–since you can find them with tender stalks and vibrant green colors.  Thicker, older stems produce a woody and much tougher vegetable. […]

I discovered Cotija cheese several years ago when I hosted my husband’s 40th birthday party, which had a Mexican theme and was catered by Tacolicious, a fantastic California-style taqueria in San Francisco.  Cotija has become a staple in my house ever since.  Cotija is a cow’s milk cheese named for the small Mexican town in […]