Harvest Time

It has been a cool summer here in the redwoods. Rarely hit 80 and the mornings were foggy and evenings chilly. The environment is reflecting that shortened warmth with smaller yields. The huge blackberry stand that winds itself from my fence in an L shape into the backyard has tons of berries on it, but they are smaller than last year's crop. I finally got around to picking them and baking a pie today. Used a Mario Batali recipe and loved his final instruction "Let it cool and devour." That is a definite with a homemade berry pie, eat it warm with cream and savor life's blessings.

This year I planted broccoli, onions, cabbage and cauliflower. The seeds from last years eggplant and tomatoes decided they wanted in on the action and are coming up in the bed as surprise and welcome guests. The tomatoes I planted in a container went in too early and the long rainy season drowned them, although they have made a slight comeback too against all the odds. But we'll see if they can get enough sun as the fall moves in and the sunlight takes a more slanted angle to the earth.

Since it was the first time I have grown broccoli, I had no idea what to expect. What I ended up with isn't what you see in the grocery store. I got a long stalk, really long, with a spindly looking flower end. The end that is supposed to be the edible part. So that was an experiment that didn't quite work out. The cabbage is coming along nicely if slowly, adding leaves and building a nice purple head. The great success is the onions. Easy to grow but my first attempt as well. I planted several kinds, red, yellow, and an Italian onion. They all grew and I now have several wonderful and delicious onions. I took one and just ate it on the spot raw, it was incredible. Can't wait to get them into a nice fresh salad with the sweet rich taste of a fresh, ripe tomato. 

The days are getting shorter. Right now it is only 7 pm and it is starting to get dark outside. But this year, I made a conscious effort to take full advantage of the long days and take those dog-initiated walks after work as late as 8 pm. So Penny and I got the most we could out of the summer's long days. My genius dog brings me socks and tosses them at me as I recoup from the commute on the couch. Gentle hint. Winter is coming, she wants to get in as much fun as possible before the rain limits our evening constitutionals.

Delle Venezia

Just ask my dog, Penelope, salmon is good. And smoked salmon is really good. Well worth the extra effort of mesquite on the grill and a slow fire. So this week in the hills, it is smoked salmon, grilled veggies, green, red, and yellow bell peppers, onions, and asparagus, so good! Marinated with a soy sauce-based marinade. And to go with it, a nice Pinot Grigio, Kris delle Venezie. Yes, it is good, yes, it is cheap, yes, it is perfect with grilled salmon and veggies. Of course, I marinated them in balsamic vinegar and olive oil and then just plain threw them on the hot grill. Salute!

Viva Espana!

Hello, fellow foodies! I have been busy with that thing they call "life". And I also started another blog that provides reviews of restaurants in Palo Alto specifically focused on lunch fare. Please check it out at hungryinpa.drupalgardens.com.

It is an odd spring season in my redwood forest and all over California. Lots of rain that never seems to end. But on the bright side, I don't have to water my little garden for now. I planted broccoli, 3 types of onions, and cabbage. The broccoli is for health (superfood, people), the cabbage a homemade coleslaw habit that my son started, and the onions... All veggies I have never grown before. I am especially excited about the onions, they are a key ingredient in so many of my favorite recipes and I know that the type of onion makes a huge difference in the flavor of a dish. My culinarily-gifted son and I were just talking about how leeks and shallots can alter the taste of a dish with their subtle essence.

So, things are quiet on the western front but the sun is coming and the earth is ready to bloom. My wild blackberry bushes are flowering their prediction of delicious berries to come. And the bistro table on the deck beckons. I am hosting my first bbq this weekend. Definitely chicken, steaks, and peppers with eggplant drenched in balsamic vinegar going on the grill.

Here is a great steak recipe you can use on a grill or on the stove. Skirt steak marinated in olive oil with minced garlic, onions, and bell peppers. The marinade is olive oil, Worchestershire sauce, soy sauce, a little sugar. You can also add red wine. Salt, so good, but I am cutting back on it, so I use it sparingly, especially since soy sauce already has sodium. And black pepper, of course.

Slice the steak in 1" slices against the grain. Mix the meat into the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and leave it in the marinade for an hour or more.

Saute the marinated meat (with the marinade) first in olive oil for about 10 minutes while stirring regularly. Remove the meat to rest. Add a little more olive oil then saute the veggies: sliced red peppers first, slightly blacken these, then add the onions (yellow or chopped green onions, or try a new one, shallots perhaps) and sliced garlic. I added sliced fresh jalapeno peppers. Fresh ones are not extremely hot but they add a nice crunch and just a little heat. I mixed a little flour and water together to make a paste and added it to the sauce to thicken it (3 tbsp flour with water to make a soft paste). Let it thicken on low heat constantly stirring.Then put the meat back in and cook it in the sauce for awhile, 5 minutes on low heat.

For wine pairing, try a Spanish red. There are a lot of good ones but I recently tried Sierra Cantabria Rioja. It is very easy on the palate but substantial enough to stand up to the teriyaki steak and veggies. The delicious sauce can be soaked up by a bed of white rice.

Salud, amigos!