I harvested the summer’s first zucchini last night with mixed feelings: grateful for fresh vegetables from our garden but already racking my brains for new ways to maximize zucchini’s subtle (some might say bland) flavor. In the past year, I’ve relied on lemon zest to brighten zucchini, taking the idea from a Bon Appetit recipe [...]
Avid A la Carte readers no doubt noticed that this week’s story lacked a local angle. As I was out of town, we chose The Associated Press piece on burgers, which is nevertheless timely for summer and chock full of great recipes. All the better because burgers are a tough topic to tackle when one [...]
The week-long lapse in entries to this blog can be blamed not on a lapse in cooking, but on my kitchen’s remote location. While vacationing on a houseboat at Lake Shasta, I cooked five nights of dinner for fellow boaters and campers numbering between seven and 25 on any given evening. What was I thinking? [...]
It’s hard to guess sometimes what types of food stories will resonate with readers. While local strawberries may seem like a no-brainer, the article may pass with little acknowledgement. A story on cooking to prevent diabetes, by contrast, elicits a flood of phone calls. The topic of raw foods is one I’ve approached with caution. [...]
The newspaper has tried with varying degrees of success for the past two years to keep readers up to date with what’s fresh at the Rogue Valley Growers and Crafters Market. One editor’s penchant for just a few pieces of produce, namely asparagus, green beans and tomatoes, inspired our online market calendar, ideally updated weekly [...]
As usual, the 4-H/FFA Lamb Sale at local Sherm’s Markets was a short-lived affair. Customers on Thursday clambered to get the prime cuts while those who had pre-ordered a whole or half animal were secure in the knowledge that their freezers were stocked for another year. In past years, I’ve contrived to arrive on the [...]
Eat with the seasons, and you’ll be rewarded with prime flavors and usually lower food prices. The downside, of course, is consuming the abundance even after you’ve had your fill. Although fresh strawberries have been available in stores since Easter, the local crop is just coming into its own and very deserving of today’s A [...]
By now, most people know there’s so much more at local farmers markets than seasonal produce. Among my mainstay purchases, as many readers of this blog have no doubt noticed, are fresh pasta and wild mushrooms, maybe with a few delicious pastries thrown in. Farmers’ produce is a boon, but one that I enjoy less [...]
