Food

Stuffed Butternut Squash with Quinoa and Sausage
All of my favorite produce for the Fall season comes together for this delicious weeknight meal. Move over pumpkin spice, when the pomegranates start to ripen on our tree, that's when I really know Fall has arrived to Southern California. Just so you know, this...

Classic Basil Pesto ~ A Garden Tradition
I love basil. I love growing it, I love eating it, and I love how it smells. Homegrown basil pesto is culinary magic. On our trip to Italy last year, we spent some time learning basic Italian. It turns out that "pesto" comes from the italian word "pestare" which can...

Kitchen Basics: Making Your Own Pasta From Scratch
Homemade pasta makes you feel special. It's got a chew, al dente in Italian, that makes it far more comforting than any boxed pasta and can arguably give a warm winter stew a run for the money. Homemade pasta also comes with a reputation for being too time consuming...

Fresh Passion Fruit Agua Fresca Recipe
This passion fruit agua fresca is the perfect refreshing Summer drink. Aguas Frescas are very popular in Mexico and Central America, where various fruits are blended with water, sugar, and maybe some lime to create a refreshing beverage. I'm very lucky to live near...

How to Eat Passion Fruit: Processing, Juicing, Storing & Using Fresh Passion Fruit
Last post I discussed How to Grow Passion Fruit, but what happens when you get your hands on some of this tasty tropical fruit? Below I'm sharing how I know my fruit is ripe, how we eat our passion fruit fresh, and how we store our extra harvests long term. How to...

Pickled Red Onions ~ A Quick and Easy Refrigerator Pickle
These pickled red onions are quite possibly my favorite refrigerator pickle of all time. They are a MUST-HAVE on carnitas tacos (don't forget the cotija cheese too) and are equally delicious as a side for grilled steak and potatoes. I'd love to see all the ways you...

How & Why to Freeze Tomatoes: Preserving Your Harvest
Picture this: it's the middle of Summer. Your kitchen counter is overflowing with tomatoes and the harvests just keep coming. You've made sun dried tomatoes, tomato sauce, fresh tomato salads, given away bags to neighbors, and you are just too tired to do anything...

Homemade Lemon Herb Seasoning Mix
This simple seasoning mix is a go-to for roast chicken in our home. The lemon powder is so bright and refreshing that I could also see this being delicious on fish or roasted vegetables. Make sure to do a little taste test so you know how salty it is if you are going...