As the leaves in our neighborhood begin their autumn show of yellows, oranges, and reds, I find myself drawn to foods that match their hues.  Pumpkins and other squashes will fill that category, of course, but so do beets.  Our farmer’s market and the grocery–Read more

Crunchy sweet corn meets just-tender zucchini in this salad that celebrates summer. The vinaigrette that binds it has touches of mellow onion and bright notes of mint. It’s pretty simple to put together, can be assembled ahead of time, and will wow whoever is gathered–Read more

Sometimes giving a vegetable very simple treatment is the way to let it shine. This asparagus recipe, adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi’s “vibrant vegetable” cookbook Plenty, has few ingredients, basic preparation steps, yet wows with its flavor.  Although the ingredient list is short, making sure those–Read more

Whenever I was lucky enough to go to Luigi’s Restaurant, a one-hundred-year-old institution in Bakersfield, I always loved to order the marinated carrots they served with their antipasto setup. The carrots had just the right bite—both in texture and in spiciness. Luigi’s secret was to–Read more