Blackberry Peach Mint Fruit Salad
July 23, 2012 - Written by Diana
I think some seasonal fruits and vegetables become ripe at the same time for a reason… like they tastes so great together. Or maybe they taste so well together because they ripen at the same time. Peaches and blackberries are the perfect combination. This fruit salad can be a side or a dessert, either way it’s sweet, fruity and delicious. The mint takes it up a notch and white wine is the perfect finishing touch. Four ingredients for the perfect salad and while you peel and chop the peaches and chop the mint, most of the work is quick and easy and it can be made ahead and chilled while you work on something else. I served this at the (birthday) dinner party for the kids (college age kids) this weekend. It was wiped out – gone. I also made it for dinner tonight as a side for our main pasta dish.
Blackberry Peach Mint Fruit Salad Print …
Orzo, Asparagus and Garlic Scapes in Garlic Scape Pesto
May 29, 2012 - Written by Diana
What to eat when it’s hot outside ? A salad with pesto as the dressing is better than mayo or heavy dressings and parts of it can be made ahead of time to be combined sometime later before you eat. Both my husband and my son enjoyed this for dinner, my husband loved it so much he finished off whatever was leftover that same evening.
I received garlic scapes in my market bag and used it in the pesto and the salad itself, chopping it into pieces about one to two inches in length. I cut the asparagus and the leeks to the same size as the garlic scapes (though they weren’t used in the pesto). I prepared this again with more asparagus for our Memorial Day family gathering, but I have broccolini that would work well and so would fresh peas.
Garlic scapes are substituted for garlic in this dish, I used it in the pesto and the salad. They are the seed heads that shoot up among the garlic, cutting the scape off is supposed to lead to a bigger head …
Minty Spring Asparagus & Pasta with Lamb Mint Sausage
April 7, 2011 - Written by Diana
The last time we had Lamb Mint Sausage there were a few who said they didn’t know if lamb and mint went together. I love mint and I think the lamb mint sausage are very tasty, but it is a very mild flavor. I wanted to up the mint factor this time. So, I made a mint and parsely pesto to use with gemelli pasta and some asparagus, one of my favorite spring time foods. Of course I added some lamb mint sausage because I thought it would be the perfect thing to round out the dish.
For dinner, the pasta was warm when mixed with the pesto and the warm asparagus and sausage. The next day cold leftovers were even better. I think my mother will love this dish so much that I’m going to make it for her when she visits this summer. She has strict dietary restrictions and we have to go without tomatoes, onions and she doesn’t like heavy sauces, so this will be perfect for her. You could substitute beans for the sausage, …
Garlicky Smashed New Potatoes with Spinach and Lamb Mint Sausage
March 27, 2011 - Written by Diana
Lamb Mint Sausage is my new favorite sausage. We bought it at Blues Creek Farm Meats when we were at the Lamb Cutting Class and discovered that we love it . The mint is sort of subtle, and when you throw it into an Alfredo sauce like my daughter did last week, you might not taste the mint at all. However, if you cook it on it’s own and serve it without any sauce, you can get the nice mint flavor that’s subtle, but it’s there. As a result, I don’t like to mix this sausage with other foods and serve it on the side. Tonight, to go with the sausage, I made one of my husband’s favorite sides – potatoes, though he likes potatoes almost any way you can think of to prepare it. I did a rough smash, mixed it with some garlic and shallots that were sauteed in oil, and some fresh spinach that wilted down. I threw in a couple of tablespoons of butter and some garlic olive oil …
Roasted Apple and Butternut Squash
December 4, 2009 - Written by DianaHere’s a way the whole family will enjoy butternut squash and apple. I used a splash of orange, plus grated the rind and ginger. This was fabulous, fantastic, divine, delicious and good tasting. Butternut squash is so delicious and nutritious for you and such a great autumn food to serve. Apples go well with it, and the orange gives it sweetness without adding sugar.
I told my son to tell me it tasted wonderful, and after he tasted, he agreed. If you have kids that balk at squash, this is the way to serve it.
Oh, this dish is heavenly good. I think I’m bringing it to my mom for Christmas.
Roasted Apple and Butternut Squash 
Print Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
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Herb Day Sale
May 3, 2009 - Written by Diana
We have been so busy with track meets, it’s difficult to find time to cook, never mind writing about cooking. Hot dogs or burgers at the meets, or fast food afterwards. Sometimes a group of us will go to a restaurant and hang out, though usually it’s a buffet and portion control is always an issue there. My son is doing terrific, but he is one of the runners on the 4 X 4 team and they run the last race at every meet. An exciting, but usually poorly attended race because everyone leaves during the 2 mile race right before it. Last night, it was damp, and then turned rainy and cold. We stopped for the thunder and lightning, then went back out for the last two races. The kids are real troopers. We didn’t eat until 10, then because we were so hungry, we ate too much and didn’t sleep well. Well, what does that have to do with an herb day sale? When I was looking for the meet results (although we won the …
Holiday Gift Guide: Global Gardens Gourmet Club
November 22, 2008 - Written by Diana
Did you ever get to review something, or taste a food or look at pr materials and all you can think is WOW! That’s how I feel about the Global Gardens Gourmet Club. This would be such a great gift for a foodie, gourmet chef, or just someone who likes to experiment and try new things in their cooking. Deb, take note, this is what I want my husband to get me for Christmas. Send him this link. When you subscribe to the Global Gardens Gourmet Club you get a bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, an in-season Champagne Fruit Vinegar and two additional items. Every shipment is guaranteed to be worth 50.00 or more, but only costs 39.00 per shipment. There are 4 shipments during the year, February, May, August and November. Join the Olive Revolution!!
The Holiday 2008 shipment includes: California Estate Mission Varietal Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Fig Infused Balsamic Vinegar, Roasted Garlic Spread and Finishing Glaze.
The photo was from the late summer shipment that consisted of the California Estate Ascolano Varietal …
Unexpected garlic
July 27, 2008 - Written by Robin
Like many people, I’m always on the lookout for food with health benefits. And, like many more people, I absolutely love love love garlic and put it in practically everything I make. So I was delighted to find out that not only does it ward off vampires, but it is good for you too.
Cloves + Bayleaves + Sage = Natural Insect Repellent
July 2, 2008 - Written by Deb Ng
Did you know bay leaves, sage and cloves are all natural insect repellents? It’s true. You can crush them up and use them by themselves or crush them up and use them together. Put them in bowls and place around your barbecue and picnic to keep the bugs at bay, or burn as a potpourri. You can even put wrap them in a bit a gauze and wear them on your person to deter insects from biting.
Image via Newscom
Start your own herb garden
June 22, 2008 - Written by DianaI have my own herb garden, that I started years ago. Some years it looked really, really good and other years it went to heck and looked horrendous. It all depended on how much time I had available to work in and around the garden. Big vacation years, or when my kids were young and needed a lot of watching in the pool were the bad years. My kids are older teens and I now have a lot more time to spend in the garden, plus sometimes they help out. Raised beds make it easier to grow and control my herbs and keep the weeds and grass at bay.
