what can you do with meyer lemons?

answer....everything. i just noticed that i have been posting a lot of recipes/stories about meyer lemons...pasta...limoncello...cake... you name it. i was a bit worried that this was overkill...i mean. ..what if readers don't like lemons? but i have realized that i am writing the way i try to cook...using fresh, seasonal, local, organic/sustainably grown ingredients...and i cannot get more local than fruit grown in my garden! my lemon tree has been fruiting since december...and i continue to look for ways to use up the bounty.

i use lemons in everything...a bit of lemon juice and zest amps up the flavor in baking, vegetable dishes, fish, chicken, pasta, salads, fresh fruit, tea...i keep a pitcher of water with sliced lemons in the fridge...you name it...i use it.

our good friends richard and caitlin came to dinner on wednesday. i had tons of work to do that day, so i wanted an extremely easy menu...i made a simple pasta with almonds, garlic and peas (will give recipe in another post), roasted asparagus...and a meyer lemon marmalade cake with a strawberry/balsamic sauce for dessert....the pasta and asparagus were hits...and the cake won rave reviews. as i told you last time...my family and friends all "grade" my recipes by using the word bloggable...they are so used to me writing about everything we eat that it has become their shorthand...one bite of cake and they all said..."bloggable!" richard went for seconds...and asked if he could take some home. (for me, this is the ultimate compliment...think it goes back to my italian mom....i feel really, really happy when my friends and family enjoy my food....fyi...caitlin emailed me the following day letting me know the cake was just as good the next morning with coffee for breakfast :)

so...here is the recipe for the cake...full disclosure as to how it was developed...i make meyer lemon marmalade all the time...i have an easy (but really labor intensive) recipe that is usually foolproof. i made multiple batches one day and...for some unknown reason...one batch did not set. now i make it exactly the same way every time...the recipe only uses lemons and sugar...nothing else...so i am baffled as to what happened. but, since i love experimenting, i decided i wanted to create recipes using the unset marmalade (is that even a term?). i thought a vanilla bundt cake drizzled with the marmalade would be nice...well, it rocks. .but since i cannot give you a recipe for that, i substituted a meyer lemon simple syrup with a few spoonfuls of correctly made marmalade...works just as well...but..if you happen to be making jam and screw it up...here is an option for your creation....and a new expression"when life gives you runny marmalade...make cake?"

i wrote about my vegan chocolate cake earlier this year and it has become one of the most popular sites from a search engine perspective...i love this cake which i adapted from one published in the moosewood cookbook. i used the same basic recipe for this vanilla cake...just tweaked the ingredients around to remove the chocolate. i love the way it turned out...think it will become my go-to summer cake used with many different types of summer fruit...and, best of all...it is super simple...can be mixed with a wooden spoon, so no mixer to clean...and the extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar used makes it a bit healthier...so a bit more guilt free...please let me know what you think...

meyer lemon marmalade cake (just happens to be vegan)

(with strawberry/balsamic sauce)

for the cake

3 2/3 cups organic unbleached flour

2 cups sugar (organic will really make a difference)

1 tsp salt

2 tsp alum free baking powder

2 cups cold water

1/2 cup plus 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp pure vanilla extract (i use tahitian vanilla)

meyer lemon marmalade syrup

2 cups organic sugar
zest from 1 meyer lemon, plus 3/4 cup fresh meyer lemon juice
2 cups water

2 tbsp meyer lemon marmalade

combine sugar, zest, and 2 cups water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until sugar has completely dissolved. bring to a boil. turn off heat and allow syrup to come to room temperature (keep in saucepan). when completely cool, pour though strainer into small bowl(throw away strainer contents) . stir in meyer lemon juice and marmalade.

strawberry/balsamic sauce

2 1/2 cups fresh strawberries

1 1/2 tbsp organic brown sugar

1 tsp orange zest

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

handful of fresh mint for garnish, rough chop

(i use this sauce all summer on cakes, pancakes, waffles, ice cream, fresh fruit. .etc. feel free to substitute other berries..whatever you like)

wash, stem and puree 2 cups of the strawberries in a blender or food processor. add the brown sugar, orange zest, pepper and balsamic vinegar and puree until almost smooth. pour into serving bowl. slice the remaining 1/2 cup berries and add to bowl. taste and add a bit more sugar if needed...total amount will depend on how sweet your berries are..

step 1...make cake

preheat oven to 350 degrees. oil and flour a bundt pan and set aside. combine the water, e.v.o.o., vinegar and vanilla in a large bowl. in a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients...do not skip the sifting, you want all the small lumps removed... add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. (do not over-mix). bake in preheated oven approx. 45 min-1 hour. start checking at 45 minutes...when a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean...the cake is finished. remove from oven and place on rack. let cool for 10 minutes.

step 2

turnout cake from bundt pan onto serving plate. using a toothpick, poke a number of holes in cake top. using a large spoon, drizzle meyer lemon marmalade syrup onto cake top, about 1 to 1 1/2 cups in total. cake should look really moist...not soggy. allow to cool completely. garnish cake with large pieces of lemon peel from the marmalade (i just use a fork to strain out from the syrup mixture)

step 3

to serve, slice cake and plate...either spoon strawberry/balsamic sauce around cake...or serve plain and pass sauce separately. top serving with sprinkle of mint...as my friend richard says.."the mint is key...it wakes up the entire mouth"

today, the lemon trees are covered with blossoms...and the entire yard is perfumed with the beautiful scent...so i am going to spend some time outdoors relaxing and enjoying the flowers...because...in mere moments (just a slight exaggeration)...those flowers will become meyer lemons...and the cooking, baking, juicing will begin... again....

do you have favorite lemon recipes?...please send them my way...either as a direct email or posted in the comments section of this story...

best,

diane

diane padoven

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

and follow me on twitter

fresh or canned?

regular readers of this blog are probably thinking..."of course she is going to say fresh. she is a broken record regarding fresh, organic or sustainably farmed, local when possible, best quality ingredients. canned, i don't think so". most of the time you would be correct. canned vegetables?...no way. canned fruit?...never. i just do not like the taste, texture, color or additives. but i do make an exception when it comes to canned beans.now, i admit, i find a big pot of fresh beans simmering away on the store very comforting...soaking the dried beans, rinsing, draining and then cooking with vegetables and seasonings is pretty easy...but can take a lot of time....when i am looking for a fast, easy and delicious menu option, canned beans is a perfect solution.

how about canned white beans whirled in the food processor with lots of garlic, sea salt, extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice spread on hot bruschetta? or canned kidney beans tossed in a romaine salad with chopped red onions, chopped tomatoes, sliced kalamata olives, cheddar cheese and crumbled tortilla chips for a fast taco salad...for this i use half vinaigrette and half prepared salsa for my salad dressing. maybe white beans sauteed with onions, garlic, fresh rosemary, sea salt and e.v.o.o. mixed into hot pasta, served with plenty of freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano? i cannot tell you how often i heat up canned refried beans, add grated cheese, chopped onions and salsa and wrap up in a tortilla for a fast burrito....i could go on and on...and i often post recipes using beans...sometimes calling for the homemade version..but almost always canned beans work as the fast, easy substitute.happily, organic canned beans are available everywhere...from whole foods, to trader joe's, to the everyday supermarket...and i find the organic versions really do taste better...so today... in honor of canned beans...i thought i would share one of my favorite recipes...just in time for the start of barbecue season...although they are delicious year round...so...introducing...baked beans, my waythe framework for this recipe originally came from the moosewood cafe...i made it for years. then one day i wanted to make the regular recipe but did not have many of the ingredients on hand...and was too lazy to go to the store...i experimented with what i had in my pantry with a "mole" sauce as inspiration. the recipe went from kind of a jamaican jerk...to a mexican barbecue mole...."what??"" trust me...this is delicious...and i only make "my" version these days...we spent easter last sunday at my friend ann's home for an afternoon barbecue. i was asked to make a vegetarian side dish...my bean recipe seemed to be the perfect choice. happily, everyone at the party agreed...they told me the recipe was so good that it was "bloggable"...so...blog...here ya go...(one last thing...i am addicted to chipotle peppers packed in adobo sauce...so one more canned item to add to the list!!) baked beans, my way

(do not be put off by the long list of ingredients...once you chop and measure everything, the dish goes together quickly & easily..and, if you can...organic/suistainably grown local ingredients really do make the difference)

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
3 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tsp dried cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp sea salt

1 cup light manzanilla sherry

2 tsp dijon mustard

1/4 cup smokey barbecue sauce (homemade or best quality bottled)

1 chipotle chile, finely chopped

1 tbsp adobo sauce (from the canned chipotles)

1 tbsp best quality unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup water

1/4 cup smooth peanut butter

2 tbsp brown sugar

4 15 oz cans organic beans (or 6 cups homemade cooked beans) rinsed and drained **see note

preheat oven to 325 degrees. add olive oil to large pot. add onions and ginger and cook over medium flame until onions are soft and translucent..approx 4-5 minutes. add the garlic, cumin, oregano, cinnamon and sea salt. stir to combine. cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.

uncover and add sherry, mustard, barbecue sauce, chipotle, adobo sauce, cocoa powder and water. stir to combine, cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.

add peanut butter and brown sugar to pot, stir well and cook uncovered over low heat for 5 minutes. at this point the sauce is ready. if you like sauce with texture, skip this next step. if you want a smooth sauce you can either transfer to a blender and puree or run through the smallest holes of a food mill...or do what i do and use an immersion blender. (i strongly vote for the immersion blender choice as i am not a fan of pouring hot liquids in blenders...to me, a disaster waiting to happen!!)

place the beans in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. pour all the sauce over the beans. cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. remove from the oven and let sit (covered) for 20 minutes. serve immediately...

**note, you can use any combination of canned beans...i usually use 2 cans kidney and two cans either small red or white...but pick your favorites..as long as you use whole beans you are good to go...**

where do you stand on the canned food debate? do you use canned items? which ones? why or why not? please share your thoughts in the comments section of this post...and your favorite bean recipes...fresh or canned!!

have a good week!

best,

diane

diane padoven

founder/president

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™
please sign up for our company mailing list on the sidebar of this blog

napa mustard madness? roasted rosemary-mustard chicken with potatoes anyone?

i had the best weekend. my two sisters and two lifelong girlfriends came to visit from southern california...this has become an annual event...the girls weekend in napa. when i say "lifelong" i mean it literally. the girlfriends are sisters and grew up 2 houses from my childhood home. their parents and mine were best friends...still are...and when we moved into our house one of the girls was a few months old...the other was born a few years later...they seem more like sisters than friends...and when the five of us get together it is magic....lots of laughing, giggling, story telling, memory sharing...coupled with eating, shopping and...it being napa after all...massive quantities of wine consumed.we had a blast...i love driving around napa...showing off our beautiful terrain...and this past weekend really cooperated...the weather was perfect. it is march...so the mustard is still in bloom...and i made sure there were plenty of opportunities for picture taking...

if you have visited napa at this time of year, you have seen the amazing sight of mustard blanketing the hillsides...and the vineyards. i thought i would share a bit of history regarding the mustard. i pulled this from the internet...the exact words were listed a number of times under many resources, so not sure where to give credit...but the story is worth telling...

"A bit of history behind the mustard flower that blankets the Napa valley in a rich yellow carpet is worth mentioning. Father Junipero Serra had come from Spain to Mexico in the 1800's to spread his faith. He was told of a beautiful land to the north full of wildlife, grand trees and verdant valleys. Serra decided he must see this land and with the aid of some Native American guides, set out to explore the country to the north. Father Serra had brought with him Spanish Mustard seeds and scattered them all along the path of his travels. The following year they returned south and followed a golden ribbon of bright mustard flowers that had sprung from the northern trek."

how cool is that? of course, i am always thinking about blog story topics...and mustard has been playing a big role in my life lately (what an odd thing to say...only in napa, right?). the napa annual mustard festival is just drawing to a close, there is mustard growing wherever i look, i started making an organic mustard bath for my bath and body collection that immediately became a best seller (caught me a bit off guard) and i am experimenting with making prepared mustard...that warrants a story of its own,recipe and all..but it takes 6-8 weeks to cure and i want to ensure it tastes good before i post...so please give me a couple more weeks...then mustard making recipes...here we come...

in the interim, i thought i would post an easy and delicious recipe for roasted chicken and potatoes...this one features mustard and rosemary...one of my favorite combinations. the ingredients (sans chicken and potatoes) actually started as a salad dressing...and i thought the flavors would be amazing prepared this way. my friends and family love it...so of course i want to share it with all of you. as always, i recommend using the best quality, locally grown organic or sustainably grown if you can, ingredients possible...better for you..and just tastes better....

rosemary mustard chicken with roasted potatoes

2 packs chicken legs (10-12 legs)

2 tbsp honey-dijon mustard

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling

1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary, divided in half

1 tsp minced lemon zest

1/2 tsp red chili flakes

2 cloves garlic, minced and divided in half

4 baking potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces

1 yellow onion, cut into bite sized pieces

grey salt

freshly ground black pepper

preheat oven to 425 degrees. line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. add potatoes, onions, half of the rosemary and half of the garlic to baking sheet. drizzle with olive oil, season well with salt and pepper and stir to combine. (note, i just use my hands for this step..to ensure potatoes are completely covered in oil). place in hot oven.

meanwhile, combine mustard, balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp olive oil, remaining rosemary, lemon zest, chili flakes and second half of the garlic in a small bowl. rinse chicken legs, pat dry and brush one side with half the mustard mixture. season legs with salt and pepper and place coated side down in large skillet over med heat. cook for 2-3 minutes. brush non-coated side of legs with remaining mustard mixture, turn legs and cook another 2-3 minutes until both sides are golden brown.

remove baking sheet from oven..the potatoes should have been cooking about 20 minutes and have turned light brown..if not, let them cook a bit longer, about 20 minutes total...when ready, stir the potatoes and push them back to about 1/4 of the sheet.

this is what the chicken should look like before roasting in the oven

place the chicken legs on the open part of the sheet and put back in oven. roast 15-20 minutes. chicken is ready when clear juices run when pricked with a knife...and potatoes are dark golden brown...

serve immediately

so here's to sisters...and old friends...may you never take either for granted! (and mustard is pretty good too)

have a good week everyone....

best,

diane

diane padoven

founder/president

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

follow me on twitter

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limoncello, part 2

buon giorno! i am feeling very italian today as i post the second set of steps for making limoncello. i first wrote about limoncello forty days ago in my post want some ice cold limoncello this summer? i told you the story of the first time i visited italy with my husband...and our discovery of the magic of ice cold limoncello on a very hot italian summer day. we loved this liqueur so much that i decided to make it myself...we get tons of meyer lemons every year from our tree, we grow rosemary year round...and our summers here in napa are very similar to italian weather. i experimented with many recipes, but landed on this one...originally from sunset magazine...a few years ago as our favorite. it is easy and delicious...the only glitch...it takes 80 days!!!

(this is what the limoncello looks like after infusing for the first 40 days)
i invited readers to make this year's batch with me....kind of an interactive approach by only posting the steps as i go...and have received a lot of emails/comments from people letting me know they are following along and have limoncello infusing in their own homes...how cool is that? i have this image of people all over the world sipping this lovely drink at the same time one day in may with a virtual toast to summer, italy...and limoncello...

so, for all of you ready for step two...here you go...don't be afraid of the large quantity of sugar required (9 cups!!)...remember, if you are making the full recipe you will get 20 8.5 oz bottles. again, this recipe is easily reduced by half....but i wouldn't...it goes really fast once friends and family get their first sip...

and, if you have not started yet...it is never too late...just go to the first post for the directions to get started...you are always only 80 days away...good news for us...the meyer lemon tree we planted 4 years ago appears to be fruiting year round...it is march and the tree is still full of fruit, with lots of blossoms...so i will be making limoncello all year....it really, really goes fast in my home...
(a jar after second step and a jar before second step)

limoncello, part 2

10 cups water

9 cups sugar

2 bottles (750 ml. each) 100 proof vodka, such as stolichnaya or smirnoff

bring the water to a boil in a large pot. add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved. let the sugar syrup cool to room temperature.

divide the syrup in half and pour first half into one of your lemon-vodka mixture 1 gallon glass jars and the second half into the other gallon jar. pour 1 full bottle vodka into each jar. stir well. seal container and let sit undisturbed in a cool, dark place for another 40 days...

(note, i zest half my lemons with a sharp knife and half with a microplane zester...so combination of large peel and finely shredded peel... the peel will separate as the limoncello sits...no worries, the entire batch will be beautifully infused)

see you in 40 days for the third...and final!...step....

happy spring everyone...

ciao!

diane

diane padoven

founder/president

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

follow me on twitter

how about a recipe for pasta & peas??

my twitter friend dianne (dianne with two "n"s....i am a one "n" girl) asked me to guest blog this week...she was off for a well deserved holiday. dianne's blog...dianne's dishes...focuses on "fresh, food, fun"...and she lists a different recipe each day. i decided to post my recipe for pasta & peas...pasta, peas, onions, really good extra virgin olive oil, garlic, a bit of red pepper flakes... one of my go-to dishes...fast, easy, ingredients always on hand..and delicious... i thought it was perfect for dianne's blog...please let me know what you think of the recipe...either here or in the comments section of my guest post...

check out dianne's blog..it is really cool...and let me know what you think of my version of pasta & peas, my way ...
so...that is it for today...a short and sweet post...but for regular readers...no worries...my usual long, rambling style post is available over at dianne's dishes...you didn't think i would actually be pithy for once, did you???
have a good week everyone!
best,
diane
diane padoven
napa farmhouse 1885™
"live a green life of style"™

follow me on twitter

pancakes, my way??

i am incapable of following a recipe...i read tons of food and wine magazines, love cooking shows, devour cookbooks like some people read fiction best sellers...yet the simple act of faithfully executing the directions is impossible. i am always thinking about tweaking, adding, switching, changing...just a pinch of this...or a lot of that...and before you know it... a brand new dish.

the beauty of cooking is that experimenting is encouraged...you have "permission" to make it your way...to use the ingredients you love...and to create your own favorites...

take pancakes. there are probably a zillion good options...but i felt the need to make up my own twist...and i have a number of options depending on what i feel like that day. last year i posted my cornmeal pancake recipe, "how about cornmeal pancakes with fresh blueberries?" and i still get emails from readers telling me how much they enjoyed the story.

today, it is sunday...the first day of daylight savings (yeah!!), the sun is shining, i spent all day yesterday gardening...pruning, edging, trimming...getting ready for spring (my camellias are in bloom!)....and pancakes are the perfect way to start a lazy, late sunday. i thought i would post my "just pancakes" pancakes recipe...a bit traditional, a bit different...always a hit with family and friends....and ask all of you to share your favorite breakfast (although we frequently eat them for dinner) pancake ideas...

i love the idea of combining white flour with whole wheat...gives a nice texture...and i thought using maple syrup instead of sugar would add some depth...white flour/white sugar sometimes can just seem bland....and, of course... regular readers know i almost always use extra virgin olive oil in my recipes....here you go...pancakes, my way....

**note on ingredients..since i started my organic dog treat business, i always have organic unbleached flour and organic whole wheat flour, finely ground on hand. i find there really is a difference in the taste when using organic ingredients...so...if you can...go organic!

napa farmhouse 1885™ pancakes

2 eggs

1 1/2 c milk

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 c. organic unbleached white flour

1 c. organic whole wheat flour-fine

2 scant tbsp baking powder

1 tsp sea salt

beat eggs with a whisk in a medium bowl. add milk, olive oil and maple syrup and whisk until well mixed. sift together flours, baking powder and salt and add to egg mixture. stir until just mixed...a few tiny lumps will remain..do not over mix. pour batter into a large liquid measuring pitcher (or other pitcher). pour about 3 tbsp pancake batter per pancake onto hot griddle or large skillet. cook until bubbles form and tops of pancakes look a bit dry. flip and cook until second side is golden brown. serve immediately.

this recipe makes a ton of pancakes...enough to serve 4-6...you can easily cut this recipe in half...

hope you enjoy the pancakes...and are as happy as i am with daylight savings time....i am so, so ready for spring and warm weather...how about you?

best,

diane

diane padoven

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

please sign up for our mailing list on the sidebar of this blog

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lavender cookie recipe?...go ask alice...

so i joined a book club. my friend brooke emailed me right before the holidays and asked if i would participate if she formed a club...she is amazingly cool and a brilliant writer (check out her blog...AficioNada)...and i immediately said "sign me up!"... last month, seven of us met at zuzu's (a local napa restaurant...tapas...really, really good...) and we crafted the "no rules, rules" for our group. we decided we did not want anything too formal...did not want to feel like we were back in school...and we selected the biography alice waters and chez panisse, by thomas mcnamee...as our first book.

regular readers know that i am a broken record regarding using the freshest, best quality available ingredients in cooking...i consider alice waters an icon in this area...i have learned so much from her...so selecting this book for our club was a natural. we agreed to read the book and then hold our first meeting at one of the member's homes and have each of us bring a "chez panisse inspired" dish.

first of all, i loved the book. i remember the first time i ever heard of alice waters...many years ago i was reading a restaurant review in the newspaper about chez panisse...the description of the food was unlike anything i had ever heard...the focus on the ingredients..not only what they were, but where they were from...was so unusual...i was inspired to visit farmer's markets, cheese shops, olive oil producers, bakeries for fresh bread...etc..but this was the early eighties and specialty food shops were not common...even in southern california where i am from...but, if you searched hard enough you could find them....i first ate at chez panisse in the late eighties for a company function...and knew immediately that i would be back as often as i could...every dish was the best i had ever tasted...i have followed the alice credo ever since..."fresh, local, seasonal, and where possible organic ingredients"...are words i live by.

i will refer to alice and the book frequently in upcoming posts...but for today...back to the book club...we had our first "official" meeting last night...there are seven of us...and what a group!...artists, chefs, sales executives, entrepreneurs and a writer...how cool is that? to top it off, one of the members had a friend visiting from out of town...who just happens to be a chef...and just happened to intern at chez panisse 5 years ago....we got all the scoops..and even though she had not read the book...she confirmed many of the stories...what a fun night...

so i read the book...even highlighted passages that were especially meaningful to me...and the next task was deciding what dishes to make for the book club meeting. we had agreed to keep it light...salady (i so love to make up words)...organic..."chez panissey"(i know, there i go again)... the easiest decision was the wine...they mention bandol rose frequently throughout the book...supposedly alice's favorite...so i went to my favorite wine shop and purchased a bottle...now, onto the food...i have been experimenting a lot with dishes made with organic lavender lately. i purchased a large quantity of organic lavender flowers while crafting recipes for our bath and body care line...organic bath tea is a natural...and... because it is too early in the season for my own lavender to flower...bought some from a favorite resource. i only use food grade ingredients in my bath & body care products...so having so much lavender around has inspired me to cook with it!! i love the concept of lavender in food...use herbs de provence frequently...but lately, every lavender dish i taste at a restaurant...or bakery...is just too "lavendery"...a little goes a long way with this herb. the concept of lavender, lemons, cheese and balsamic vinegar was interesting to me...so i landed on an experiment of parmigiano-reggiano cheese with balsamic reduction, served with lavender cookies...i played around with many versions of the cookies...and created a recipe that was light..not too sweet..not too much lavender..balanced with meyer lemon zest..that i fell in love with...the dish was a hit....i now have my lavender cookie recipe...one that i love cause the lemon and lavender pair beautifully together...and i thought i would share with all of you..please let me know what you think...

step #1..find the best parmigiano-reggiano available

step #2..serve with the balsamic reduction and lavender cookies.

that's it...easy...delicious...organic where possible...best quality available ingredients...very alice...we also had salads, really good bread...and a delicious vegetarian version of eggplant caponata (thank you ashley)....terrific food...even better company...i am going to really like this book club...and will enjoy telling you about it each month.

balsamic reduction

2 cups balsamic vinegar

1 tsp organic honey

1 tsp organic agave nectar

add ingredients to saucepan and cook over medium heat until liquid has reduced by half. allow to cool. i always keep this on hand, stored in a mason jar in my refrigerator..drizzle on cheese, fruit (esp strawberries), steak, roasted or poached chicken, steamed vegetables, pound cake....i use this on almost everything...

organic lavender cookies

2 cups unbleached flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup honey

1 large egg, room temp

1 tsp lemon zest (preferably meyer lemon)

1 tsp organic lavender flowers

preheat oven to 350 degrees. grease 2 baking sheets or use silpat. set aside. sift together flour, baking soda and salt...set aside. using an electric mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy. add sugar and cream together until well mixed. add honey and egg and incorporate well. add dry ingredients to mixing bowl and beat until well blended. add lemon zest and lavender and mix until incorporated into batter. drop by teaspoonfuls onto prepared sheets leaving approx. 2 inches of space between each cookie (dough will spread when baking). bake until cookies just begin to turn brown...12-15 minutes. remove from oven and cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. remove cookies from sheets, place on racks and allow to thoroughly cool.

do you have a favorite lavender recipe? please share in the comments section of this post..do you belong to a book club? if so, please tell me about it....oh, btw..our next book is about salt...one of my favorite ingredients...i cannot wait to read the book and tell you about it...look for that story sometime in early april...

best,

diane

diane padoven

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

please sign up for our mailing list on the sidebar of this blog....

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will you help celebrate the napa farmhouse 1885 first anniversary? there is meyer lemon cake!

o.k...there is cake...but you have to make it. the recipe is listed at the end of this post.... today is valentine's day (happy v-day everyone)...but it is also the one year anniversary of this blog. sounds cliche, but i really cannot believe how quickly the time has passed. when i first started blogging i did not have a clear purpose...i just started telling stories about my post-corporate life. as the time passed, the emphasis focused on cooking and eating...using the best possible quality ingredients...and not messing them up with overly complicated recipes...broken record, i know...but my motto "the ingredients really do make the difference" is the theme for this blog...

what i did not expect was the many comments, emails, suggestions, ideas and tips that would come from readers...nor the many regular visitors who have provided tons of support for both my blog and my new business. i think these connections have been the greatest benefit of this process...also, since i love to ramble on, this gives me an outlet so i do not bore my family and friends to death hearing my stories over and over...

while each blog post has been meaningful to me...certain posts have resonated more than others with readers...and have showed up countless times in internet searches...i thought i would celebrate my one year anniversary with a recap of the most requested posts...all in one place for future readers...

hands down, the number one search has been about fresh figs...and my post do you like fresh figs? is read daily. the questions range from "what do i do with figs?" to "do you peel figs?" to "what do figs taste like?" and there are frequent requests for recipes using figs. i have listed a few additional fig recipes in other posts and, since my tree fruits twice each year, plan to write many more stories about figs...there seems to be a major interest in this topic.

a very close second in terms of popularity is my post about popcorn and olive oil...creatively called :) popcorn and olive oil? ....this story gets numerous hits every day with people asking the question..."can you use olive oil when popping popcorn?" the simple answer is yes...but the story was about my family's tradition of drizzling extra virgin olive oil on popcorn...instead of butter...and sprinkling the best grey salt you can find over it all. easy, quick and delicious...and everyone goes nuts over this when i serve at parties...i told the story of making this for the napa valley wine auction a few years ago...was a hit...and the company i represented "stole" the idea and now packages the ingredients as a gift set...wow, what a complement!!...try this "recipe"...the secret (as always) is the ingredients...fresh organic popcorn, best quality extra virgin olive oil for drizzling, a good evoo for the popping...and really good grey sea salt as the final touch...

i had such fun last summer participating in the martha stewart, everyday food food fest. my friend deb...who was an edf editor, but has since been promoted to executive editor of martha stewart living magazine (congrats deb!!)...started an 8 week blog-a thon focusing on a different summer fruit or vegetable each week. i had a blast with each post...and the recipes for pears, so what do you do with 30 pounds of pears? , for winter squash, is it time for winter squash yet? and, of course, for tomatoes, is it tomato fest time yet? are requested every day.

i think the concept of making soft boiled eggs is intimidating for many people...i wrote a story last fall that was really about my newly discovered love of writing...but my realization that my style...which is a very basic form of story telling...is a far cry from truly brilliant writers...and i used the author toni morrison as an example. i thought it would be fun to compare and contrast styles...so i took a classic passage from one of my favorite books...song of solomon...and listed my recipe for soft boiled eggs...then toni's. i expected numerous comments regarding the writing ...what i got...and still do daily...are requests for instructions as to techniques for soft boiling eggs...try the egg recipe...more importantly...enjoy toni morrison's beautiful words in soft boiled eggs, anyone?

i could go on and on...talking about recipes for persimmons, or recapping my 30 day thanksgiving series (thanks to all the guest bloggers)...or showing all the photos of mose that have been requested by readers( you will see him peeking at the lemon cake in a few photos today)...but this post would be longer than the preceding 70 posts together (70!!) unless i stop now...

if you are a new reader...welcome..and if you go back to the first few posts you will hear more about my story... for regular readers please keep the comments and emails coming...i so enjoy meeting all of you.

but i promised cake...so to help celebrate this anniversary, i am posting my new meyer lemon cake recipe. i have been making this cake for years, but it is "new" because i made this one with agave nectar...i have been experimenting with agave nectar a lot lately...love it as a substitute for white sugar...and will write about it soon..in the interim..enjoy this very, very intensely lemony cake....my anniversary gift to you...

meyer lemon cake

1/2 c fresh meyer lemon juice

3/4 cup agave nectar

1/4 c extra virgin olive oil

3 eggs, room temperature, separated

1 tbsp finely chopped meyer lemon zest

1 2/3 c unbleached flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

preheat oven to 325 degrees. lightly oil(i use olive oil) and flour a 9-5-inch loaf pan and set aside.

add the lemon juice, agave nectar, olive oil, egg yolks and lemon zest to a medium mixing bowl and stir together. in a larger mixing bowl, sift the dry ingredients together. in a third bowl, beat the egg whites until you get soft peaks. stir the lemon juice mixture into the dry mixture just until all ingredients are incorporated..do not over mix. gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter until thoroughly combined. pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

bake until tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean..approx 45 minutes. cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes...then turn out of pan and place on wire rack. place lemon slices on top of cake and drizzle with glaze. keep on rack until completely cool. (note, i add a plate under the rack to catch glaze drippings)

meyer lemon glaze
1 meyer lemon, thinly sliced

1/2 agave nectar

1/4 c fresh meyer lemon juice (about 2 med lemons)

place all ingredients in small saucepan. cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, 10-12 minutes or until mixture has thickened slightly. cool about 10 minutes before using

enjoy!...and let me know if you try the cake...

best,

diane

diane padoven

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

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want some ice cold limoncello this summer?

if you want to make your own, you must start now...it takes 80 days before it is ready. limoncello is a delicious italian liqueur...very, very lemony...traditionally served straight from the freezer. the first time my husband and i visited italy, it was june...unbearably hot...and we discovered limoncello was the perfect...cool you down...after dinner treat. needless to say, we had a lot of limoncello on that trip.fast forward many years to when we purchased our farmhouse. the first year we planted meyer lemon, lime and mandarin orange trees. wow...napa is this magical place where..."if you plant it it will grow"...our trees started producing fruit the first year...and now it is hard to keep up...so let's start with the meyer lemons which are ripe NOW!!...familiar story to regular readers...many of my "go-to" recipes are inspired by fruits, vegetables or herbs from our garden...and meyer lemon recipes are no exception. in fact, next monday and tuesday will be spent making my meyer lemon marmalade...a family/friends favorite...and this year i will be offering it for sale on our website...i have spent the past few weeks putting lemons in everything...cakes, pies, lemonade, candied peel, vinaigrette, sauces...you name it..i have juiced millions (only a slight exaggeration) and frozen for year round use..and yesterday..started this year's batch of one of our favorite traditions...limoncello...cause the memory of that first trip to italy...and the smell, taste, look of the country...stays with me...

i have been thinking a lot about italy lately..i love visiting that country...have been fortunate to have been there numerous times for business and pleasure...and living in napa is very similar in many ways...the weather, the terrain, the emphasis on fresh, local, sustainably grown food, the wine...many, many things. my husband is 100% italian, his grandparents immigrated here when they were young...i am 1/2 italian...but my family has been here forever so no italian speaking grandparents on my end...in any case, italy is very special to both of us...so for christmas this year, my husband and i did something a bit different for our gifts to each other. we decided a few years ago that we had enough "stuff"...didn't need more...and would give each other gifts of things we could do together...part of the "i am finally retired from corporate life and can be home more often" lifestyle. last year we did a series of concerts at the opera house here in napa...this year we gave each other "conversational italian" classes. our joke is that... going forward...if we have a disagreement...we can only argue in italian...gestures and all. we figure we will be laughing so hard we will forget about the argument...our first class was thursday...we had a blast...and if you will indulge me...i will practice a tiny bit in some blog posts....i seem to have a large number of regular readers from italy...so please feel free to correct me when necessary.

anyway, back to the limoncello...this recipe is easy...delicious..and will become a favorite of your family and friends too...but here is the twist...this will be an interactive recipe...let's make it together...i am encouraging everyone to give it a try...so i am only going to post a bit of the recipe at a time...the following recipe is just for the first part..make it now...it needs to infuse for 40 days...then i will post the next set of steps...it will then sit for another 40 days...then, sometime near the end of april it will be ready...just in time for all of us to share a toast to summer.

this recipe makes a lot but, trust me, never too much..and it keeps indefinitely in the freezer...makes 20 8.5 oz bottles..but you can reduce by 1/2 or even 1/4 (i wouldn't..my friends actually stop by on summer mornings, ask for a bottle..and proceed merrily on their way!)

note, i have experimented with many versions of limoncello...but i discovered this recipe a few year ago in sunset magazine and this has become my favorite...the addition of a small bit of rosemary is brilliant...thank you sunset...

meyer lemon limoncello

step 1

36 meyer lemons

two 4-in rosemary sprigs, washed and dried

2 bottles (750 ml. each) 100-proof vodka such as stolichnaya or smirnoff

2 1-gallon glass jars with a tight seal

peel lemons with citrus peeler, taking only the zest (the top layer). avoid any white pith. put a sprig of rosemary in each jar. place half of zest in one jar and remainder in second jar.

pour 1 bottle vodka over jar of rosemary and zest. repeat with second bottle of vodka over second jar of rosemary and zest. let jars sit undisturbed in a cool, dark place for 40 days...

to be continued

the traditional way italians drink limoncello is straight from the freezer in a well chilled small glass...like a shot glass...some people mix with club soda or sparkling water...i say no...no... no...go for the straight version...but experiment...and i know i said "after dinner"...but you will find early afternoon, before dinner, sitting around the pool, relaxing on the porch...etc...are all really cool choices..

here's to summer...

please let me know if you decide to participate in the limoncello making party...would love to read about your experience...oh yeah...and if you ask me how i am doing today, i will say..."molto bene, grazie. e tu?" (very good..and you?)

arrivederci!

diane

diane padoven

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

please sign up for our mailing list on the sidebar of this blog....

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have i told you how much i love the expression "dining table"? and sausage and peppers??

sitting around the dining table...sharing a terrific meal with family and friends...loads of wine...staying for hours afterwards talking/laughing...i cannot think of anything that makes me happier...this could take place in a formal dining room or just at the kitchen table...doesn't matter, as long as the friends/family are there...


i have been spending a lot of time lately thinking about dining tables...mainly because we just completed a bit of construction in our own dining room...nothing big...we just hung a light fixture...but when you live in a vintage farmhouse even small projects can get complicated. the "remodel" is not interesting...updating wiring, moving the electrical box to center the light over the table...patching, painting...etc...the story involves the fixture itself...it was the ceiling fixture which hung over my grandparents dining room table...so it has many special memories for me...i told you guys in one of my first posts about the love i had for my grandparent's circa 1920's home located in southern california why napa farmhouse 1885? ...so many happy memories from the many, many meals shared with my entire family. during the last two years of my grandmother's life, she needed to live in an assisted living home...my mom and her three siblings packed up the family home to get it ready to sell...a really sad time...and they recognized (prompted by my sister and my mom)...that the hallway sconces and the dining room chandelier should be kept in the family...they are vintage, very cool looking, but more important ...are a symbol of our family...memories of my grandparents.

my parents, aunts and uncles all have fairly modern houses and they were not interested in using the fixtures in their own homes...so my sisters and i became the very fortunate recipients. i got 5 of the sconces, my sister kathi 4 and my sister susan, 3 plus the chandelier. when we bought our farmhouse, one of the first things we did was install the sconces...they are perfect here, plus...what memories of my family...we hosted a family reunion a couple of years ago...it was touching to see how much the sconces meant to my mom and her siblings.... fast forward to today...my sister's current home is not design right for the chandelier, so it had been packed away in my parents garage for ten years. last summer, susan and i made a deal.. .i would "borrow" the fixture until she was ready for it...and the construction work needed in order to hang it has just been completed...i so love the fact that the sconces and light fixture have become part of my home..they look like they have always been here...and i have been flooded with cherished family memories...so to celebrate and inaugurate the chandelier, i made pasta last weekend (of course!). when i was growing up, italian sausage and peppers was a favorite treat. frequently, when my sisters and i spent the weekend at my grandparent's home, my grandmother would take us to an italian deli called claros after church on sundays... we usually ordered hot italian sausage and peppers sandwiches for lunch...and i have an aunt (last name donatelli) who makes grilled sausage, onions and peppers as an appetizer for most family parties...i thought creating a pasta dish out of these ingredients would be a good idea...and the perfect way to create our newest dining table memory. so i invited some friends to sunday dinner...in the dining room...as always, the success of dish depends on using the best quality ingredients you can find. "the ingredients really do make the difference". i found organic italian sausage and...because half the group were vegetarians..i also found vegan sausage that was delicious..and made half with the real sausage, half with the vegi one...both were really good... and the pasta with a green salad, good bread, parmesan cheese and red wine led to the dining table experience i described at the beginning of this post...talking, laughing, relaxing, enjoying and appreciating all that we have...so let's celebrate dining tables...one of my favorite places to be...

italian sausage and peppers pasta

1 lb hot italian sausage (use mild if you prefer)

1 yellow onion, cut in half and then sliced lengthwise

1 green pepper and 1 red pepper, both cut in half and then sliced lengthwise

4 tbsp good extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for drizzling

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 lb fusilli (or any short pasta you like)

kosher salt

grey salt

freshly ground pepper

1 tbsp good balsamic pepper

freshly grated parmesan cheese

cut sausage into 1 inch pieces and remove casing. saute in large skillet for 5 minutes. drain. add onion and saute an additional 5 minutes. pour off any drippings but do not scrape pan. add 2 tbsp olive oil and the peppers and cook uncovered for approximately ten minutes until sausage is cooked through. add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until garlic softens..do not let garlic burn... scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan..(note, if you use hot italian sausage and the red pepper flakes, this dish will be very spicy..which i love...if you do not, either use mild sausage, or eliminate the pepper flakes...) meanwhile bring a large pot of water to a boil. generously salt water with the kosher salt (water should taste a bit like sea water) and add the pasta. cook fusilli until al dente (firm to the bite)...start checking after 10 minutes. when pasta is ready, remove from pot with strainer and add to sausage pan. add 1/2 cup pasta water, remaining 2 tbsp olive oil and salt/pepper to taste. stir to combine. turn off heat, add a splash of balsamic vinegar, stir, taste and correct seasonings if needed. serve immediately with plenty of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

what are your favorite dining table memories? please share in the comments section of this post..and happy last week of january everyone....

best,

diane

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

please sign up for our mailing list on the sidebar of this blog....

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