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  • First Sweet Corn of the Season

     Sweet corn appeared at the farmer's market on Saturday for the first time this year, so I picked up four ears of the yellow variety. I like to roast them in the husks on the grill. There is nothing fancy about this process. Just trim away the long "ears" of the husks and the silk that protrudes at ...
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  • Basil Inspiration

     The basil we grow in a pot on our patio has become abundant so I wanted to use some of it before it bolts when the summer heat arrives. I found some great-looking and perfect-sized zucchini and yellow squashes at the farmer's market, so I decided to make one of my wife's favorite side dishes:Â...
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  • Grilled Zucchini and Summer Squash with Basil and Parmesan

     This recipe is my wife's. It's based on a recipe from Bon Appétit (July, 1999). It makes a tasty side dish and is easy to prepare. Luckily, we can get so-called "summer" squashes almost year-round at the farmers' markets near us. Basil grows well in our pot garden almost year-round as well, ...
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  • Multigrain Artisan-Style Bread

     Making crusty artisan-style bread at home is really very easy and doesn't require much of a time investment. A heavy dutch oven, some kitchen parchment, and a large mixing bowl are the only pieces of equipment you need, other than a hot oven. Flour, water, salt, and yeast, and some optional grains ...
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  • Griddled Pork Tenderloin on the Grill

     A little frustrated with the early "June gloom" weather we've had for a week or so, I decided to break the mood a little by grilling our dinner the other evening. For this meal, I had two pork tenderloins, roughly 1 lb. each, and a few nice zucchini squashes. One of the tenderloins was destined for ...
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  • Pasta Puttanesca

     There are several different origin stories about Puttanesca sauce, perhaps all apocryphal. The one most often heard is that it originated with Neapolitan prostitutes at the turn of the 20th century, literally "whore's pasta". One version has it that the dish was cheap and quick to prepare between ...
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  • Hard boiling (and peeling) fresh eggs from the market

     We buy eggs from a vendor at the farmer's market in Laguna Beach. Mostly we eat them hard cooked, for breakfast and occasionally on a salad or with some asparagus. They are quite fresh at the time of purchase - at most a couple of days after they are gathered, and they are delicious. One can ...
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  • Quick and easy dinner on a cool Spring evening

     The days have been a little cool this week, with the cloudy mornings and sunny afternoons that are typical this time of the year. So I wasn't in the mood to grill yesterday, and I wanted to make something new (to us), but fairly quick and easy. I scouted around a bit and came up with Chicken with ...
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  • Chicken Breasts with Capers and Tomatoes

     This recipe is adapted from one found at NY Times Cooking, originally developed by Pierre Franey. It is simple, inexpensive, quick, and most importantly, tasty. I have made this with chicken breast cutlets instead of whole breast pieces, but I removed the chicken from pan while the sauce thickened ...
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  • Three Bean Bison Chili

     This recipe developed over time from several chili recipes I have tried. The taste develops as the dish simmers, so don't be tempted to start making adjustments right away. At first it is a little sharp and not terribly pleasing, but eventually the spices, broth, beer, coffee and cocoa work their ...
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