Picnic Champions at Scribe Winery in Sonoma California photo by Justin William

June Expeditions

June 22, 2015

These last few weeks have truly been an exploration of the greater Bay Area. We have played in the hills of wine country, beat the heat in Sacramento and admired the bounty of the Monterey Bay and its secret valleys in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

It feels like time has been in hyper speed as my days in the bay area are coming to an end and the kiss of summer upon us. It is always bittersweet to leave a place you call home and people you love but the wind is beginning to sing my name and I know there is more to discover ahead. I have been spending my days enjoying my home on the West Side of Santa Cruz and planning more events or 'Pop-Ups' around the country. The Pop-Up phenomenon is a game I am incredibly familiar and bewildered by at the same time. It is thrilling to be apart of a movement that creates a once in a lifetime culinary experience, I do it often with Outstanding in the Field, but the game is never same and I find myself furiously improvising at ever turn, and I really love it. This year I am ambitiously plotting to do my own culinary tour across the United States with Eclectik Domestic. I am often asked how I plan these events and most of the time it just comes down to a friend I really want to cook with or a place whose dirt I want to get under my fingernails or a whisper through the grape vine. There is much to discover this year in this bountiful country and I am confident that I will continue to add layers of flavor to my ever evolving cooking style.

Quail with Stone Fruit

4-8 stone fruits, halved and pitted, reserving liquids

juice of one Orange

1 tablespoon Honey

1 cup Olive Oil

2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

Salt and Pepper, to taste

4 small semi-boneless Quail

Halve stone fruits, (peaches, plums and apricots are all excellent choices). In a large bowl whisk together remaining stone fruit juice, honey, olive oil and vinegar. Season quail with salt & pepper. Add quail and stone fruit to bowl. Let marinate for 10 minutes. Heat cast iron skillet to medium high heat and place quail and stone fruits (face down) on the pan. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until fruit is blistered and quail is firm to touch (about 10 minutes total). Serve atop your favorite preserves and leafy greens!

Putting the Table to Sleep at Devil's Gulch Ranch in Nicasio, Califonria — Putting the Table to Sleep at Devil's Gulch Ranch in Nicasio, Califonria

Peach Tartes by Pastry Chef Robert Vallejos — Peach Tartes by Pastry Chef Robert Vallejos

Scribe Winery in Sonoma, California — Scribe Winery in Sonoma, California

Ansom Mills Grits Spring Peas and Charred Onions by Chef Mark Sullivan at Scribe Winery Sonoma, California — Ansom Mills Grits Spring Peas and Charred Onions by Chef Mark Sullivan at Scribe Winery Sonoma, California

Creamy Grits with Spring Peas + Charred Onions

2 cup good grits

8 cups water

2 bay leaf

1/2 stick butter

1 cup mascarpone cheese

2 cups fresh peas

1 dozen small spring onions

salt & pepper to taste

For best results soak grits over night or for a minimum of 8 hours. if you're in a rush, soak for at least at hour. Using the water from soaking, on high heat stirring constantly bring grits to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes covered. On a high flame char spring onions in a cast iron pan with a bit of butter. Lightly steam peas. On low heat continue to occasionally stir grits and add bay leaf and salt and cook for about an hour, tasting and stirring about every 15 minutes. Once grits are smooth, add mascarpone and season with more salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Lay grits in a shallow bowl, top with peas and onions.

Making a Scene in San Jose at Lion Super Market

A few weeks ago I held my first Pop-Up in Santa Cruz at the Midtown Cafe. I featured all of my favorite Vietnamese delicacies and made a serious amount of Pho. It was a whirlwind of an event, and we had an immense turn out, with a line out the door for almost the entire night. It was overwhelming to produce food to order in a new kitchen, with a crew that had never worked together, but we absolutely crushed it. The experience was one that taught me a lot and it was thrilling to have my community in Santa Cruz come out and support me.

Midtown Cafe is Santa Cruz's Pop-Up Meca

Phở

Making this stock for the pop-up was one of the more ambitious culinary projects I have done. It was really the volume of stock that made it challenging but I refused to have faux pho and I toiled in the kitchen for hours making 180 quarts of this elixir. I would not have been able to complete this project if it wasn't for the lovely ladies of Kitchen Witch Bone Broth lending me their ball valve stock pots. This critical piece of equipment allows you to drain the stock from the enormous pots which weighs about 300 pounds. I recommend making a large amount of the stock to have on hand in your freezer whenever you have a craving for pho.

Equipment needed-

Large Stock Pot, Butter Muslin, Colander

Stock Base-

Serves about 8

2 large onions, split

1 large knob ginger, split

5 pounds good beef bones (shin/knuckle bones)

Spice Pack-

4 cinnamon sticks

6 tablespoons coriander

6 tablespoons fennel seed

5 whole star anise

6 cardamom pods

10 cloves

Season-

4 oz salt, to taste

6 oz sugar, to taste

1/4 cup fish sauce

Preheat oven till 425 degrees. On a sheet pan laid with parchment paper, lay out bones in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. On a cast iron skillet or another sheet pan, char onions and ginger, until almost black. In a large stock add bones, onions and ginger. Cover completely with water, plus a little more and bring to a boil. Meanwhile toast spices until fragrant, wrap in butter muslin & knot. Add to stock pot. Remove any foamy scum that rises to the top of the stock pot for about an hour while it boils, discard scum. Add salt, sugar, fish sauce and allow to simmer for 3 to 6 hours tasting frequently. Adjust seasoning to taste.

To Serve-

2 packages Banh Pho, flat rice noodles*

1-3 pound lean beef (london broil, eye round), sliced thin**

1 bunch Cilantro

1 bunch Scallion, sliced into discs

Handful Pickled Red Onions

Garnish-

1 Jalapeños, sliced thin

1 cup Mung Beans

1 bunch Thai Basil

2 Limes, cut into wedges

Hoison & Sriracha

In a pot of boiling water (about 6 cups), cook noodles for about 5 minutes, tasting for firmness, every minute. Submerge in cold water. Place in large bowl. Atop noodles, place raw thinly slice beef, cilantro, scallion, red onion and pour piping hot broth a top. Serve aside, jalapeños, mung beans, thai basil, limes, and hoision and sriracha. Enjoy!!!!

*ingredients should only be rice, water & salt

**freeze the beef for 15 minutes to firm it up to cut extra thin

Beautiful Flower Arrangement for the Pho Pop-Up by Deanna Duffy of Happy Boy Farms

Cold Noodle

Sauce

1/4 cup nut butter or sesame paste

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 teaspoons grated ginger

2 tablespoons of lime juice

1 tablespoon sriracha

1 dash chili powder

Combine all ingredients in bowl and stir till smooth. If mixture is thicker than you'd like add more soy sauce or lime. Set aside.

Noodles

1 package Rice Noodles

or make your own Veggie Noodles:

2 large zucchinis, shredded with a julienned peeler

1 cucumber, shredded with a julienned peeler

Garnish

1/2 cup peanuts, toasted & chopped

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 cup bean sprouts

1 lime, cut into wedges

Cilantro to taste, chopped

In a medium bowl stir together sauce ingredients. Cook noodles to packaged instructions or make your own. Slowly add sauce, dressing as much as you'd like. Do be aware that if using veggie noodles, the zucchini will release liquid over time. Chill or serve immediately.

King Salmon Crudo from H&H by Chef Chris Curtiss at Secret Sea Cove Santa Cruz, California — King Salmon Crudo from H&H by Chef Chris Curtiss at Secret Sea Cove Santa Cruz, California

Bon Anniversaire- Zealand, Jim & I's new Band at Everett Family Farm in Soquel, California

Everett Family Farm in Soquel, California — Everett Family Farm in Soquel, California

I also had my anniversary with Outstanding the Field at Everett Family Farm this week. Last year while working at Camp Joy Gardens, one of my best friends from back East, Adam Galster who does the chicken production at Everett, told me Outstanding was coming to his farm and that I should work the event. I didn't really know what I was getting into but I got hired. I lived in Boulder Creek at the time and it would be a 2 hour bus ride from Boulder Creek to Soquel with a 2 mile walk at the end. I got on the bus early in the morning from Boulder Creek and finally was dropped off at the base of the hill where Everett sits. I hitch hiked to the top and found my way to the field where the dinner was being held. I was star struck, everything about the event was so grand and the food, hyper local. The people were the top of their field, passionate and I was elated. It was like my dream job, that I never knew existed. Jim Denevan and I chatted, and I had no idea he was the owner of the company. We joked about being giants and have been buds ever since. I owe Everett a lot for the start of my culinary journey, it meant a lot to come back this year and serve my friends who farm the land.

Leftovers for Lunch at Everett Family Farm in Soquel, California

Yurt Goddess Emily Parsons of Everett Family Farm in Soquel, California

Fennel Panzanella with Mint + Tomatoes

4 cups stale bread, toasted & cut into bite sized pieces

1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

3 lemons, juiced

1 cup olive oil

1 bunch mint, chopped

1 bunch basil, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

Salt & Pepper, to taste

In a large bowl add bread, fennel, tomatoes. Toss in olive oil, lemon garlic and herbs. Season to taste.

Wilder Ranch State Park at sunset in Santa Cruz, California

Beaches are farms too- Santa Cruz, California

Dinner at Scribe Winery in Sonoma, California

A magical dinner at lille æske Gallery in Boulder Creek, California

My dear friend Emily Eder of The Cremer House recently had a dinner in the mountains of Boulder Creek at lille æske gallery. The beautiful 'little box' (as the name translates) sits on Highway 9 right in center town. Last month they approached us to each do dinner on their gorgeous reclaimed redwood table for their Supper Table Series. The space is a feast for the eyes, with whimsical details in every corner and a love beating throughout the entire gallery which is also the owners Sarah & James's house. Emily served a Spanish Calcotada featuring traditional tapas, spring onions with romesco and many other goodies. It was a blast to work with her and our other partners in crime, Maggie Appleby Thomas of Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery & Deanna Duffy of Happy Boy Farms. Its been over a year from our Camp Joy days where we all met just up the hill in Boulder Creek. Us ladies have cooked together many times and turned out one hell of a dinner that night. I look forward to having them by my side July 2nd when I hold my Full Moon Feast.

The dream team Deanna Duffy, Emily Eder & Maggie Appleby Thomas

Grilled Bavette Steak & Fennel Panzanella

Roasted Santa Rosa Plums Balsamic + Thyme — Roasted Santa Rosa Plums Balsamic + Thyme

Roasted Santa Rosa Plums with Balsamic + Thyme

1 dozen Santa Rosa Plums, halved & pitted

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons balsamic

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 sprigs fresh thyme

pinch salt

In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, balsamic, olive oil and salt and toss plums in liquid. In a medium baking dish, lay plums face up and add thyme. Bake for 15 minutes or until plums are soft. Serve with crème fraîche or ice cream!

H & H Oysters & Chorizo for Emily's Dinner at Lillie Aeske in Boulder Creek, California — H & H Oysters & Chorizo for Emily's Dinner at Lillie Aeske in Boulder Creek, California

Reaching for the Sun at Everett Family Farm in Soquel, California — Reaching for the Sun at Everett Family Farm in Soquel, California

The Farm Dinner Gang at Scribe Winery in Sonoma, California

Corn Cake with Strawberries and Wildflower Cream by Chef Robin Song at Front Porch Farms in Healdsburg, California — Corn Cake with Strawberries and Wildflower Cream by Chef Robin Song at Front Porch Farms in Healdsburg, California

May Daze

May 20, 2015

Miles Traveled in California to date appox. 2346 km/ 1457 miles

Well its that time of year again folks, farm dinner season is upon us! I have been moving about the central coast and once again find myself working with Outstanding in the Field. The culinary circus kicked off their public tour a couple of weeks ago and we have been galavanting in some of the most pristine pockets of California. The days are long in the hot sun where we set our tables but I have remained grateful for my time in these magical places. The long drives, heavy lifting and as my pedometer recently informed me, an average walk of over 10 miles during service, keeps me fit and the food we serve, leaving me inspired.

Our first week brought us to the rolling hills of Pescadero, to a 6th generation cattle ranch called Markegard Family Grass Fed. The family farm is home to a substantial herd of Belted Galloways that graze on the otherworldly 6,000 acres of preserved coastal pastures.

I had just finally got around to finishing one of my required California readings, The Grapes of Wrath and the novel gave words I could never find to the breathtaking landscapes of California. As we set the table in the pastures of Pescadero, I stare into the hills and remember Steinbeck's words, "The full green hills are round and soft as breasts".

Belted Galloways at Markegard Family Grass Fed in Pescadero, California

Spring Gem Lettuce + Strawberries + Walnuts & Wildflowers by Chef Robin Song at Front Porch Farms in Healdsburg, California — Spring Gem Lettuce + Strawberries + Walnuts & Wildflowers by Chef Robin Song at Front Porch Farms in Healdsburg, California

Springtime has leant itself to wildflowers, spring onions, lamb and strawberries littering our menus and the hot days are soon blanketed with thick fog coming off the Pacific and the cool breeze has me craving hearty stick to your bones food.

Spring Onion Ragot with Fava Beans + Chicken Apple Sausage

3 chicken apple sausages, sliced

5 small spring onions, sliced

3 heads green garlic, sliced

1 garlic scape, sliced

1/2 cup red wine

1 cup fava beans, roughly chopped

1/2 cup fresh Chèvre

2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

salt & pepper, to taste

In a cast iron skillet over medium high heat, sear the sausages. Once browned, add the onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic and scapes and sauté until hot. Add the wine and deglaze the pan. Add chopped fava beans. Cook for another 5 minutes and serve. Top with fresh chèvre, olive oil and salt and pepper.

I took some time to venture to San Francisco with a girlfriend and as we drive up the iconic Highway 1, I beheld the raw coastline that no matter how many times I drive along it, still leave me breathless. We bopped around San Francisco, relishing the ethnic food that is somehow void in Santa Cruz, admire the architecture and I slept on my friends fire escape in her camping hammock. Awoken by the sun we head to my favorite boutique Japanese knife shop Bernal Cutlery to cash in my free sharpening I earned last year, leaving me itching to practice knife techniques in the kitchen.

Soba Noodle Bowl with Spring Peas, Radish and Carrot

Serves 2

6 ounces soba noodles

1 cup spring peas, sliced

5 radishes, cleaned & sliced thin

2 large carrots, julienned

1 handful micro greens

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 cup rice vinegar

chili flakes, salt, fresh ground pepper, to taste

Cook soba noodles to packaged instructions. Place noodles in serving bowls. Place peas, radish, carrots and micro greens in little bundles atop of the noodles. Drizzle sesame oil, soy sauce and vinegar over top. Season with chili, salt and pepper. Serve immediately or top with broth. Add a poached egg if you're feeling frisky!

Ramblings at Alan Chadwick Gardens at UCSC Santa Cruz, California

Meat & Cheese Spread in Oakland, California

I then found time to stage with the infamous Pickle Girl of Felton, Emily Eder at the Cremer House and learned some of the tricks of her pantry. We broke down 20 pounds of carrots and reminisce about our days at Camp Joy. I am lucky enough to make off with one of her legendary recipes.

Toasty Pickling Spices for more depth of flavor — Toasty Pickling Spices for more depth of flavor

Front Gate at Camp Joy Gardens in Boulder Creek California

Emily's Dill Pickled Carrots

1 lb Carrots, cut into sticks

1/4 cup picked dill

3 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 tbsp chili flakes

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp celery seed

1/4 tsp mustard seed

1 tsp dill seed

Brine-

1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1 cup Water

3 tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tbsp salt

In a large mason jar intermittently layer carrots, dill, garlic, and seasonings. In a medium sauce pan combine Apple Cider Vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over carrots. Keep in fridge for a week and enjoy for up to a month. If canning, prepare jars and store to packaged instructions.

The Outstanding tour soon moves north into Petaluma and the hills become grander and more immense and we watched the cattle parade home for feeding and milking. Steinbeck's dreamy white farm houses of California echo in my mind at Dolcini Ranch.

Doug Dolcini a 5th generation rancher whose family has been on the land since the 1870's, took a shine to me after we shared a beer on his porch and talked raising animals for slaughter. The ranch has seen many hands and I wonder about the family that has defended, shepherded and protected this land and moved it for over a 140 years. The fog cooled our bones and David Retsky of County Line Harvest who leases land from the Dolcini's for vegetables offered us his insulated yurt, complete with a fire place and outdoor kitchen. We rest for the night, all 12 of the crew packed into the tiny yurt, giggling with joy that we do not have to brave the chilly night. We awake with the fog and cook a feast of last nights leftover rabbit meatballs topped with Kitty Dolcini's pastured eggs atop. It is Mother's Day and we all take time to make contact with our mamas and thank them for brining us to this beautiful earth.

Strawberry Rhubarb Galette

Crust
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

Zest of half a lemon

8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/4 cup ricotta, yogurt or sour cream

3 to 4 tablespoons cold water

Combine flour, salt, sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl. Add butter pieces and work into a coarse meal, so the butter turn into roughly the size of a pea. Add water to ricotta and knead into dough. Make a ball and wrap in plastic. Flatten into a disc. Chill for at least an hour.

Filling

makes 6 pints
3 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

2 pound fresh rhubarb stalks, leaves removed

3 1/2 cups granulated sugar

METHOD

Wash & clean berries and rhubarb. Hull berries and slice in half, set aside in bowl. Chop rhubarb into 1/2 inch pieces and place in the bowl with the berries. Cover with sugar and stir. Set aside for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.

When the juices are released from the fruit pour into a large skillet over medium heat. Bring to a rapid boiling, stirring often for about 10 minutes or until the juice is thick. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On parchment paper roll out dough until about a 1/4 of an inch thick. Cut into pentagon shape. Lay strawberry rhubarb mixture atop of dough and gently fold dough around filling.

Glaze
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water

coarse sugar, for sprinkling

With a pastry brush, brush yolk mixture on outside of pastry and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool & enjoy!

I then find myself in Healdsburg, California in Sonoma County, land of Olive Oil and Fine Wine. I hang my hammock in the tree tops along the Russian River and serve Miyagi Oysters to thrilled guests at Front Porch Farms. I relish the biodynamic plants that are perky and abundant at Preston Vineyards and we serve dinner amongst the 60 year old grape vines that produced the fermented juices I am pouring into guests glasses, directly in front of them.

OITF Dinner in Healdsburg at Preston Vineyards

OITF Dinner in Pescadero at Markegard Family Grass Fed — OITF Dinner in Pescadero at Markegard Family Grass Fed

I arrive back to Santa Cruz exhausted from the back to back dinners and find myself hosting a potluck of young, ambitious, healthy farmers who have all decided to gather at my house. We throw together whatever we please and the dinner is impressively cohesive. Deanna's Salade Niçoise steals the show with its hearty & salty nourishment. I fall into a deep slumber and awake to the Pacific Ocean out my window and am once again grateful for my community and the beautiful food that seems endlessly abundant in California.

Salade Niçoise

Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 stalks green garlic, minced

1 cups flat-leaf parsley leaves, loosely packed and minced

3/4 cup of tarragon, loosely packed and minced

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients and shake together in mason jar. Set aside.

Salade

5 bunches fresh garden greens

20 anchovy fillets

2 pounds of tiny new potatoes, steamed & sliced

5 farm eggs, hard-boiled, peeled & sliced

1 cup radishes, halved

1 cup steamed beets, sliced

1 cup niçoise olives

salt and pepper, to tast

In a large salad bowl, lay salad greens. Lay anchovies, potatoes, hardboiled eggs, radish, beets, and olives atop. Dress with vinaigrette and toss. Serve immediately.

Six Feet Under in Moore Creek Preserve in Santa Cruz California

Miyagi Oysters + Green Garlic Mignonette at Front Porch Farm — Miyagi Oysters + Green Garlic Mignonette at Front Porch Farm

Path to Santa Cruz in The Moore Creek Preserve at dusk — Path to Santa Cruz in The Moore Creek Preserve at dusk

Wilder Ranch State Park looking South to Monterey, California — Wilder Ranch State Park looking South to Monterey, California

California Recipe Round Up

April 14, 2015

Fewer places in the United States inspire me as wildly as California. I have returned to the Golden Coast and reconnected with the amazing community of farmers, artisans and visionaries that is Santa Cruz.

I am lucky enough to have met some kindred spirits in this place last Spring when I was apprenticing at Camp Joy Gardens in Boulder Creek, just north of Santa Cruz. This sleepy bay town nestled between San Francisco and Monterey is almost a secret garden of eden that lends itself to an escape from the agriculture powerhouse it sits within.

I have found myself fiercly cooking day in and day out with the exuberance of leaving the icey clutches of the East Coast and being thrown into the peak of spring produce. Radishes, Spring Onions, Broccolini, Asparagus, Strawberries all drip off the stands of the farmers markets, some of the grandest I've seen outside of France. I am almost brought to tears at the magnificent colors. Many of my friends here also luckily work at the farmers markets and are pretty much throwing free organic produce my way.

I've found myself nesting off the cusp of my favorite Santa Cruz Park, Wilder Ranch. This historical preserved farm land is a massive 7,000 acres of pristine coastal line and is in my friend's backyard. I have found myself in a house called the Out Post, filled with East Coast expats. Their dreamy yellow kitchen oozing with natural light, has been a breeding ground for my culinary visions. It is also the home of my favorite lady plant scientist and farmer Deanna Duffy. We were thick as thieves last year at Camp Joy and she has opened up her home to me and with her technically savvy mind, cooking skills and kindness has helped organized my cooking and enabled me to cook to my hearts content. I'm a lucky gal.

Staring Contests with Cattle at Wilder Ranch

Aside from all of the heady produce I have been drowning in, there has been much cause for much celebration. Another beauty from Camp Joy, Emily Eder, the Pickle Queen of the newly founded Cremer House of Felton, had a birthday on Thursday. Deanna and I decided it was only just that we go all out to celebrate this dreamy lady and threw a garden party on the Out Post's serene coastal backyard. Here are some of the recipes we've been hashing out in the kitchen.

Deviled Eggs

1 Dozen Eggs

1/4 cup Mayonaise

5 cloves Garlic, minced

2 tbsp Mustard

Handful Chives

Cayenne, to garnish

Salt and Pepper, to taste

In a large pot, cover a dozen eggs with cold water. Heat on high until water boils. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Discard hot water and cover with cold water or allow to cool at room temperature. Once cooled, slice eggs in half. Remove hardened yolk and place in a small mixing bowl and delicately set whites aside. Add remaining ingredients to mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Carefully place egg yolk mixture in a pastry bag or plastic bag with tip cut off and funnel into reserved egg whites. Garnish with chives, salt and pepper, and cayenne.

The Pickle Queen of Cremer House, Emily Eder

STRAWBERRY CREAM 1234 CAKE

Cake

4 eggs

3 cups cake flour*

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 pints strawberries, sliced into discs

Make sure your eggs, flour and butter are at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350. On a large cookie sheet, lay out parchment paper and grease with butter. Measure out all ingredients. Separate eggs. In a large bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar. Fold in egg yolks and in thirds add flour mixture while slowly adding milk. Add vanilla. Beat egg whites until they form glossy peaks and fold in. Pour batter onto pan. Bake for 25 minutes, rotating racks in oven around the 10 minute mark. Remove from oven and let cool. Run knife around sides of sheet pan and gently flip onto a plate. When completely cool, gently cut each cake in half with a serrated knife and transfer to cake plate lined with parchment paper.

Whipped Cream

4 cups heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup fresh strawberries

1 tbsp vanilla extract

In a large mason jar, muddle strawberries until smooth with vanilla. Add one cup of cream of time and shake until whipped. You can also use a electric mixer!

Set 1st cake layer on pan and smooth out a dollop of whipped cream. Lay out a ring of strawberry discs and repeat 3 times. ice cake with whipped cream and enjoy!

*Lets be real, who has cake flour lying around? I sure didn't. To substitute simply take all purpose flour and for every cup replace 2 tbsp with corn starch. Be sure to sift the mixture thoroughly (1 cup all purpose flour - 2 tbsp replaced + 2 tbsp corn starch, sifted 3 times over)

Herb Crusted Pork Chops with Mustard Jus

Pork Chops

5# bone-in Pork Chops

1 heaping tablespoon lard

4 tbsp dijion mustard

1/4 cup Parsley, Thyme, Rosemary, minced

5 cloves garlic, minced

Mustard Jus

1/4 cup Red Wine

1 tbsp dijion

2 tbsp Butter

Salt & Pepper

In a small mixing bowl, mince garlic and herbes and mustard. Rub on pork chops. Set aside.

Heat a cast iron skillet with lard until hot, and sear pork chops, about 5 minutes each side, until firm to the touch. Remove from pan. Return skillet to heat and add red wine. Reduce until slightly thick. Add butter. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Nettle Cauliflower Soup

1 lb blanched stinging nettles

1/2 cup mint leaves

2 leeks, cut into discs

1 carrot, chopped

1 blub fennel, chopped

1 cup cauliflower florets, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

4 cup chicken stock

salt and pepper

In a medium stock pot over medium heat add leeks, carrots, and fennel and cook for 5-10 minutes or until brown. Add garlic, cauliflower, mint and nettles. Cook for 5 more minutes. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and blend with immersion blender until smooth. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

When I'm not cooking, I'm reading somewhere in the Oak trees

FRENCH BREAKFAST RADISH WITH FRESH BUTTER

a dozen french breakfast radishes

1 pint good heavy cream (I used seven star farm)

salt to taste

In a mixer, mix cream on high, past the point of whipped cream, about 5 minutes. Roll radishes in salt and then spread a teaspoon of butter atop. Enjoy immediately!