Food

Trying a Traditional Stuffed Artichoke (carciofi ripieni)
As a backyard gardener with at least six (and counting) perennial artichoke plants, it's probably no surprise that I'm always looking for new ways to eat them. This Spring I set out to try some version of a stuffed artichoke, and this traditional stuffed artichoke...

From The Garden Gyozas
You might have heard by now, but I grow napa cabbage almost solely for these gyozas and kimchi. The minute the cabbage heads are ready, we gather together and make lots of these gyozas to eat and to freeze for future meals. Our favorite way to round out the meal is to...

Plant This Butternut Squash Next Summer
Are you looking for a crop that is perfect for garden-to-table planning? Perfect for small garden spaces? How about a veggie that would be really cute to serve to guests AND tastes delicious? I'm very excited for this mini-series on the blog. It's brand new, but I...

Summer Melon & Rose Petal Sorbet
Can we agree that there's nothing quite like fruit that has been ripened on the vine in the warmth of the Summer sun? It's true! This refreshing sorbet combines two of my favorite Summer melons and transforms them into a dessert with a delicate floral twist! This is...

Parsley and Walnut Pesto ~ A Recipe from the Winter Herb Garden
What can I make with tons of parsley? Pesto of course! The Basics I used to think of parsley as that typically ignored garnish on dinner plates that never tasted particularly delicious. This belief persisted until I started growing my own parsley. Initially, I decided...

Chamomile Ice Cream Recipe From the Garden
This delicately flavored chamomile ice cream is a great way to use fresh chamomile blossoms. This recipe is based on my favorite Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Recipe but edited for a lighter flavor by switching to more milk than cream in the mixture ratio, so it has a less...

Our Favorite Ways To Use & Preserve Citrus
One of the best parts about gardening in Southern California is the citrus. This time of year there is literally citrus galore---especially in Orange County. I grew up in a neighborhood, not far from where I live now, that used to be an orange grove. In fact, many...

Orange & Rosemary Roasted Sweet Potato Casserole
As a kid I never liked sweet potato casserole at Thanksgiving. I was a textural eater, so the idea of anything "mushy" really bothered me. To this day, I have trouble eating food that has a mashed, dense texture---like bananas! Well, being a kid, I thought I just...