Grain free Gingerbread Layer Cake with Pumpkin Maple Mascarpone Frosting

I ALWAYS think I’m going to hold out on summer forever, and then – something happens… It may have something to do with pumpkins ripening – looking so earthy and appealing, and the Canadian geese honking overhead as chilly days commence. Whatever it is, gingery, spicy, pumpkin pleasures were on my mind as I conjured…

Peach and Lavender Semifreddo with Elderberry Swirl

Summer = peaches. It’s that glorious time of the year. And oh man … …my first ever semifreddo (kind of a cross between ice cream and gelato) turned out so deliciously well … as you can see … This twist on a traditional Italian recipe celebrates classic dairy ingredients, plus, (*Colorado peaches*) and foraged elderberries,…

Carrot Top Pesto – “root to stem” deliciousness

Aside from the fact that carrot top pesto is just plain delicious, using the whole plant from root to stem is a thoughtful thing to do, in the theme of  Waste Not Want Not. As some of you dear readers may remember, I just took part in the 2nd annual Slow Foods Nation in Denver, Colorado, where not…

Feta Stuffed Squash Blossom Summer Casserole

It was magical in the kitchen today. And it all started in the cool morning garden. 🙂 Take a quick peek:     Then I had to celebrate with all the vegetables I brought home. As I said on my Garden Mandala post earlier today, “Point me to a garden plot in late February and I’ll…

Garden Mandala – a gratitude of bounty

Show me a garden plot at the end of February and I’ll be happy through November. July 30, 2018 So much to love How does Pachamama hold such beauty? Today: Rainbow chard, mixed lettuces, purple kale, blue lake green beans, burgundy beans, snap and snow peas and their greens, beets, squash blossoms, cucumber, and herbs,…

“You put the Lime in the Coconut” Banana Bundt Cake

Summertime … calls for light and refreshing life … And this beautiful, tart/sweet cake can help! It’s gluten free of course… I wouldn’t have it any other way 🙂 I’ve been playing around – recipe development with bananas and cake and gluten free, whims and versions and revisions. This one is pretty close to perfect,…

Slow Food Nations, Denver, Colorado: Food for Change

The energy was palpable and positive, generous and forward thinking – for both years of this marvelous festival SLOW FOOD NATIONS – 2017 and 2018. Mid-July these last two summers, hundreds of organic farmers, ranchers, brewers, chefs, food activists and more descended upon Denver’s Larimer Square for a grand, beautiful summit and cultural display of…

Two little Earth Angels

Back in mid-May, I was hankering for a walk out in nature – and chose the trail up above Spring Canyon park towards Dixon reservoir, about 10 minutes from my home. My back and body had been really hurting but I wanted to get out there. Some readers may know that I have a severe…

Lebanese Cheese and Watermelon Salad

Are the dog days of summer already here?? In Colorado the answer is – whew! Yes! But so too are the wonderful days of the farmer’s markets. On Saturday I got to two of them in Fort Collins. I, along with I imagine millions of other people, was still reeling from the news of beloved Anthony…

Roast Golden Beet Carpaccio with Walnut Sherry Vinaigrette

Unexpected. And glorious. Plant based and gluten free. Light, and perfect for picnics or special occasions. I had an inspiration the other day, cradling the two golden beets I had just pulled from my refrigerator in my hand, not wanting to simply boil them, or roast them for that matter, but something … something different….

Roger’s Tree

Roger’s Tree, Geneva, Ohio. When my husband Roger transitioned from this life, his cousins Dean and Ruth gifted the family a baby blue spruce. On Saturday, 34 years later, I got to stand beneath it, hold its living needles, smell it’s piney fragrance. The tree is at least 20 feet tall, healthy and beautiful, and…

May Day – Seeing Green in the garden

Gardening is embedded in my DNA, and reverberating in my heart. Growing, tending, dreaming, harvesting, cooking, sharing. Such bliss …. And another season of delight is beginning once again. This year’s garden is sprouting! Purple Peruvian potatoes … and the Red Sangres – Red and white, alternately planted onions. I bought these, and all the…