The Forest Feast
April 22, 2013
The Forest Feast: Pear Pancakes
Even though it’s starting to become spring, it’s still cold in some parts! We were recently in NYC and since Jonathan’s family has a house in Vermont, we took a group of friends there for the weekend. We cooked big meals together, played snow football and spent evenings by the fire. (It’s kind of like The Forest Feast in the snow!).
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March 25, 2013
The Forest Feast: Matzo Brei Scallion Pancakes
Happy Passover, everyone! Matzo Brei is a traditional Jewish dish that is made during Passover, which runs through next Tuesday, April 2nd. The recipe calls for eggs and matzo cracker. It’s often sweetened with cinnamon and sugar, but I made a savory version with scallions. I also added some green garlic that came in the CSA box this week, for an added kick.
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March 18, 2013
The Forest Feast: Beet Haroset
For those of you planning your menu for Passover, or for anyone looking for a quick appetizer idea, here’s a fun and colorful twist on haroset, a traditional Jewish dish. Haroset is usually a blend of fruit and nuts made during Passover (which starts a week from today). At times chunky, sometimes smooth, it’s often served on matzoh crackers. I replaced the usual apple with beets to rosy things up!
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March 11, 2013
The Forest Feast: Beet, Onion + Eggplant Stack
This is a fun way to present roasted vegetables and it’s super easy! Just try to find eggplant, beets and onions that are approximately the same size around, so the circles match up when stacked. Use a generous amount of olive oil when roasting, plus salt and pepper to taste. You may need to take the eggplant out of the oven a little early (it cooks faster than the other two).
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March 4, 2013
The Forest Feast: Sunset Manhattans at The Cliff House (SF)
One of my favorite places for a sunset cocktail in San Francisco is the historic Cliff House. First opened in 1863, it sits on the site of the Sutro Bath House ruins overlooking Ocean Beach. Go early for a walk around Lands End. It’s such a stunning spot! Back at the Cliff House, I recommend the bar downstairs, which faces west and gets the most gorgeous late-afternoon golden glow.
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February 25, 2013
The Forest Feast: Hamentashen for Purim
Jonathan’s brother and his wife Arielle came to visit last weekend from New York. The weather was gorgeous so we did a little late afternoon baking on the deck with a glass of wine! Arielle is a fabulous baker and this is her recipe for hamentashen. These cookies are traditionally made for Purim, a Jewish holiday this past weekend (people dress up like Halloween, give these cookies to each other and drink a lot — it’s great!!).
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February 18, 2013
The Forest Feast: Collards with Capers + Burrata
I have been getting a lot of collard greens in my CSA lately. I love how easy they are to quickly chop and fry up with a bit of olive oil. But yesterday I fancied them up a little with capers, burrata and truffle salt (which I am obsessed with lately!). The greens get a nuttiness when you fry them quickly at a medium high temperature — but make it brief, you don’t want to over cook them.
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February 11, 2013
The Forest Feast: Annabelle’s Farm to Rich Table
I recently had a dream assignment for Edible San Francisco Magazine in which I followed one ingredient literally from farm to table in a single afternoon! I took a gorgeous drive up the coast to Bolinas, CA, where I met Annabelle Lenderink, owner of La Tercera farm. She picked a head of puntarella (a bitter chicory) she’d grown and gave it to me to deliver Rich Table in San Francisco.
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February 4, 2013
The Forest Feast: Olive Oil Cake
It is a bit unnerving that the word “oil” is a part of the name of this cake, but don’t let it fool you, it’s delicious. Besides, there’s oil in any cake, right? And since it’s not super sweet, this makes a great breakfast pastry, similar to a banana or zucchini bread. The addition of the salty sunflower seeds on top really seals the deal for me, adding a little crunch and savoriness.
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January 28, 2013
The Forest Feast: Tu Bishvat
Over the weekend, we celebrated a little Jewish holiday called Tu Bishvat. It’s often called the “new year of the trees” and is sort of like Jewish Earth Day. Traditionally people eat 15 kinds of fruits and nuts and drink four glasses of wine… then you go outside and plant a tree (who doesn’t love that?!)! For shabbat dinner we drank “The Feast” wine and I made these apricots for dessert.
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