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Caviar You Can’t “Beet”

Amy’s Beet “Caviar” This is also called Beeta Ganoosh by Aaron Dinwoody of Farm Fresh Solutions. He should have full credit for this recipe. I first had it when we visited Tunitas Creek Ranch, near San Gregorio, and have had it since on a few occasions. Lucky for us, he is now selling it at […]

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Artichokes with Lemon Garlic Aioli

Artichokes with a Lemon Garlic Aioli  Growing up in an Italian household, we ate a lot of artichokes. My mom liked to stuff hers with seasoned breadcrumbs and cheese. I remember loving the breadcrumbs, tolerating the leaves and fighting over the heart. Now, I live in the “heart” of artichoke country in California. How lucky […]

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Roasted Eggplant Dip

Roasted Eggplant Dip with Whole Grain Crackers I always think it’s fun when you have something in your fridge, just looking at you like “So, what are you going to do with me? Any ideas? Please, just don’t throw me away!”. Such was the case with an eggplant I bought recently. When I was growing […]

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Party Food for the Holidays

You walk in the grocery store. The party is starting in 60 minutes. What do you do besides the standard hummus and crackers and tortilla chips and salsa? There are many options out there and I’m here to help. It’s not to say there’s anything wrong with those dishes; you just might want some variety. […]

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The Best-o Pesto

I remember when I first moved to California. I had never heard of a Farmer’s Market back east. Sure, we had farm stands but I grew up in the country. Back then, everything was organic; my neighbor was dropping off bags of zucchini she grew in her yard. Man, that makes me sound old. “Kids, […]

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Quick and Easy Dips

Instead of opening a jar of olive tapenade or a dip from the refrigerated section of the market, consider making your own. If you keep some key ingredients on hand and have a small food processor or blender, you are in business! The olive tapenade is so easy and so much better when made fresh. […]

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Hummus at Pre-school? Really??

This past year, I have been helping my son’s pre-school with their snack program. They went from goldfish and graham crackers to organic produce, yogurt fruit shakes and whole grain, high fiber crackers. The children are very happy and the parents are even happier. I have a philosophy about kids and eating. Don’t make assumptions. […]

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