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I have been very busy with my gardens and projects this summer but it's time to get back to blogging as I miss it much! I am growing zucchini, Japanese eggplant, yellow crookneck squash, Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans, Early Butternut Squash, Swiss Chard, three colors of carrots, sweet banana peppers, dahlias, tomatoes and herbs. I am so excited my tomatoes are starting to show a hint of color -- saw the first yellow glow just yesterday on my Early Girls. My heirloom Better Boy are more full than I can fathom with the UFO shaped orbs showing on the tips of the branches. I am already looking toward my fall gardens! I am also intrigued with how many people are starting their own gardens to deal with growing food costs. I came across this article about backyard farms titled, "Suburbanites Turn Green Yards Into Cash With Mini Farms". Our garden has certainly cut down our grocery bills. Now if only we had a chicken and goat.....
Great news is I received two honorable mentions as one of the 'food writers to watch' from The Symposium for Professional Food Writers for my personal food memoir titled "My Family and Other Animals". Big deal! The two organizations I most wanted to be recognized by are the ones that gave me the mentions, == that being Edible Communities and Leite's Culinaria. I did not win the prize but getting a mention out of thousands of writers is a coup! Here is the link to my mentions as well as the winning essays.
I also got a photograph of mine into my first juried show at Ventura College. It was chosen out of hundreds -- only a handful of photographs were shown. I hope to post some of my latest black and white images here soon.
Stay tuned for an article on Cafe' Zack's new menu due to appear on stands at any moment in the Ventana Monthly. I also have a new personal memoir in Edible Ojai that is available at select stores and restaurants and will be online shortly.
Meanwhile, with my garden produce I've been making lots of raw chopped summer salads. They vary, depending on what veggies, meats and cheeses I have in the fridge. Feel free to add or substitute a cucumber, fresh summer corn, peppers, etc...It's crunchy, fresh, satisfying and yet light. Here is the basic idea:
Chopped Summertime Salad
1 Zucchini
1 Crookneck Squash
1 small apple, pear, orange or cherries, raisons, etc.
1 Avocado
1 Tbl. pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, chopped walnut, almond or pecans
1/2 cup cooked turkey, chicken, tuna or fish
1/4 cup sage cheddar cheese, feta or any other semi-firm cheese of your choice
1 lemon
1 Tbl. Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. honey
1 Sprinkling of Cayenne Red Pepper Flakes
Chop all vegetables, fruit and meat into small bites and put in large bowl with nuts and cheese-- for instance I quarter a zucchini lengthwise then slice. If you have fresh avocado chop it too but wait to add it to dressing.
Grind salt and pepper over salad and sprinkle with cayenne flakes
Squeeze half a lemon over the salad, then add olive oil, then honey. Toss. Afterwards add avocado. You can toss lightly but it will get messy if you're not careful.
Mange!
** Variation. (My sister's trick) If you want to infuse the dressing with the avocado you can by putting the lemon, olive oil and honey in a small container and shaking or stirring it, then add the chunks of avocado and mix some more. Pour the whole thing over the salad, then toss.
