May your new year be filled with...

(check all that apply)

1. viable seeds
2. ample farm baskets
3. tried-and-true recipes
4. fertile herb gardens
5. new culinary experiences
6. organic fruits and vegies
7. excellent health
8. perfect weather
9. bustling farmers markets
10. zero food waste!!!

[fresh picked] Resolve to eat healthy snacks, it's easier than you think

I can never have too many good reminders to eat whole foods in place of quick carbs, nor can my teenaged kids!

Healthy snacks under 105 calories from the chicagotribune.com

Recipe for Peace

I wish I could share this recipe with all of you but I still haven't found all the right ingredients, techniques and amounts! But I'll keep experimenting, and I hope you will, too! Happy Holidays to the readers at Extra! Extra! May your season be filled with family, fun, food and peace!

Tamara

[fresh picked] Beware, your local grocer might be trying to grift you!

Listen, I'm no conspiracy theorist, but I've sat in enough marketing and advertising classes to know How Supermarkets Trick You Into Spending More Money. OrganicAuthority.com lays it out for you here, in case you didn't know this or need a refresher, at HuffPo.

[holiday recipes] Super quick and tasty pimiento cheese party spread

Pimiento Cheese Party Spread

Need a last-minute appetizer to take to a party? Try this one on for size: easy to make and who out there doesn't love a zesty cheese spread? If you're shooting to include a veg in this recipe, the choice is really easy: celery sticks or endive leaves are perfect vehicles for serving this spread as a crudité topped with cherry tomato halves, celery leaves and/or bacon bits.

PIMIENTO CHEESE PARTY SPREAD
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup mayonnaise
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 cups Monterey Jack cheese
1 teaspoon green peppercorns (drained)
1 (4 ounce) jar diced pimientos (do not drain)
1 tablespoon grated horseradish (or more, to taste)
1 teaspoon onion powder (or two green onions, minced)
1 splash Worcestershire sauce
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crostini, crackers, thin sliced rye or pumpernickel bread
(or) Celery sticks/endive leaves, celery leaves, bacon bits, halved cherry tomatoes


In bowl of stand mixer, whip cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add mayonnaise and blend to combine. Add cheddar and Jack cheese and blend to combine.

Place peppercorns in a mortar and grind with a pestle until broken into smaller bits (these can also be smashed with the flat side of a knife). Add peppercorns to cheese mixture with pimientos, horseradish, onion powder and Worcestershire sauce; blend until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper; blend on medium high until nicely whipped. Refrigerate cheese spread at least 30 minutes so flavors can develop (the longer the spread chills, the better the flavors).

Remove cheese spread from refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving to bring to room temperature. Serve with your choice of crackers or bread. Good served at room temperature, spread on bread and broiled or used as a canape sandwich spread. Or, pipe mixture into celery sticks and garnish with celery leaves, bacon bits and/or halved cherry tomatoes.

[interview] Parent Map interviews Extra! Extra! re: family foodie traditions

I'm so thrilled to be part of this wonderful group of Seattle-area foodies!

Parent Map || Seattle:  Seattle Foodies on Family Food: http://www.parentmap.com/article/foodies-on-food-tamara-sellman

[holiday recipes] 3 must-have seasonally inspired condiments

At this time of year, time comes at a premium while we try to add all the duties the holidays bring into our already packed lives. Having a few tasty homemade condiments on hand like the ones I offer below can make dinnertime more interesting; these additions can dress up a roast or soup that's cooked all day long or make a sandwich more lively. Of course, break these out for your holiday entertaining as well; everyone loves savory bites and you can sneak in seasonal ingredients while you're at it!

PICKLED ONIONS

3 limes

2 small red onions, peeled and trimmed

1 tablespoon sea salt

Lukewarm water

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Into a small bowl, juice the limes, reserving the peels (or using them) for other purposes (visit this link for ideas). Set aside. Cut the onions in half. Using a mandolin slicer, slice the onions thinly and place in a separate small bowl. Sprinkle with

salt and a few drops of the lime juice. Let the onions rest for about 10 minutes. 

Once onions have rested, add lukewarm water to the bowl just to cover them. Let the onions sit for another 10 minutes. Rinse and drain the onions, then add the lime juice and oil. Season to taste with more sea salt. Cover and store onions in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours (or overnight, ideally, for the pinkest onions). Check seasoning right before serving and add salt, if necessary.

How to use pickled onions:  Sandwiches of all kinds benefit from a nice layer of pickled onions. They can also be served as they are on an antipasto platter, sprinkled on flatbread or pizza dough before baking, tucked into tacos or served on the side with fried Asian foods for a nice contrast.


DUXELLES (Mushroom Paste)

1 pound whole mushrooms (wild or domestic), wiped clean
6 tablespoons butter
½ cup minced yellow onion 
4 medium shallots, minced
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Arrange a large clean and dry floursack towel (or other thin towel) on your kitchen counter. Mince mushrooms as fine as you are able and place in center of towel. Gather up corners of towel and wring mushrooms as dry as possible. Set aside.

In medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add onion and shallots and cook, stirring often, until very soft and golden, about 10 minutes; do not allow to brown.

Reduce heat to low. Add mushrooms to onion mixture. Cook, stirring often, for about 15 minutes or until mushrooms cook down and develop into a paste. Season duxelles with salt and pepper.

Divide mixture into half; roll each half into a small log and wrap tightly with foil. Place in freezer.

How to use duxelles:  Using a sharp knife, slice off pats of duxelles from the frozen log whenever you want to add a nice mushroom flavor to your savory dishes (i.e. casseroles, soups, sauces, potato dishes, pasta dishes, rice dishes). You can also mix half a log of duxelles (thawed) with a small amount of fluffy cream cheese or crème fraîche, some coarsely ground black pepper, a splash of red wine or cognac and a bit of chopped fresh thyme to make a quick, tasty mushroom "pâté." You can also use duxelles as fillings in homemade raviolis or pastries.

CHIMICHURRI

2 cups fresh parsley, firmly packed

¼ cup fresh oregano 

6 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons chopped white onion

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (not balsamic)

Zest of one lemon

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Sea salt and red pepper flakes

In a blender or food processor, combine garlic and onion until minced. Add parsley and oregano and process until minced. Transfer to small mixing bowl. Whisk in olive oil, vinegar, lemon zest and juice until combined. Season chimichurri to taste with salt and red pepper flakes.

How to use chimichurri:  This bright, herbaceous condiment goes well with grilled meats and can be used to enliven soups, sandwiches and omelets as well.

[holiday recipes] Three great side dishes using seasonal ingredients

You can still find all of these great whole foods in those markets that are still open this time of year in our region. These three dishes are cozy and warming and make great accompaniments to all kinds of roasted meats.

ACORN SQUASH RINGS

1 whole small acorn squash, unpeeled
½ stick butter, cut into pats
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar
Zest from one orange
½ teaspoon ground cardamom

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray (or use butter to grease); set aside.

In small bowl, combine brown sugar, orange zest and cardamom until it forms a nice crumbly texture. Set aside.

Cut acorn squash crosswise into ½-inch slices; remove and discard the seeds and fiber in the center with a knife (or use a cookie cutter that's larger than the center, if you have one).  Arrange the squash rings in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Place half the pats of butter equally across the tops of each ring. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle half the sugar-zest mixture over the rings; reserve the remainder.

Bake 15 minutes; turn rings over, arrange remaining pats of butter over them. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the remaining sugar-zest mixture over the rings. Bake another 10 minutes; serve immediately.


HORSERADISH SMASHED POTATOES

1½ pounds Red Bliss potatoes (baby reds)
Cold water
1 tablespoon sea salt
¾ cup crème fraîche 

3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 
½ stick butter at room temperature
¾ teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (parsley, chives, tarragon all work well)

In a medium to large pot, arrange potatoes and cover them with cold water (about 2 inches total above the potatoes). Add salt. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered, about 15 minutes or until fork-tender. Reserve ¼ cup of the cooking water; drain the rest, but reserve the cooking pot.

While potatoes are cooking: In a small bowl, combine crème fraîche, horseradish and garlic powder. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

When potatoes are drained, allow to cool slightly, then smash them with the tip of a large spoon or spatula until they begin to crack open. Return the smashed potatoes to the reserved cooking pot; heat over medium. Add the butter and salt; stir to coat potatoes. Add reserved potato water, a little at a time, to aid in glazing the potatoes (use as much or as little as you desire). Add chopped herbs and toss lightly.

To serve smashed potatoes, add a dollop of creme fraiche-horseradish mixture to top of each serving and serve immediately.


ESCALLOPED APPLES
2 pounds tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons clarified butter*, plus more to prepare dish
½ cup granulated sugar or a mixture of ¼ cup granulated sugar and ¼ cup light brown sugar
Ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Butter a medium shallow casserole dish (a quiche pan works well, too). Layer apple slices in a spiraling fashion in prepared dish; when one layer is reached, sprinkle with a third of the sugar and butter and sprinkle with cinnamon. Repeat layers one to two more times (depending upon the yield of your apples and the size of the dish), using up all the sugar and butter and finishing the dish with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Cover dish; bake 45 minutes. Serve immediately or allow to cool on counter slightly (can be served at room temperature).

*Scroll to the bottom of my previous post on using butter ends to find my clarified butter recipe.

[holiday recipes] Three seasonal appetizers for the holidays

Of course you can still eat yummy and seasonally in December! Try these three recipes for your next potluck or holiday party.


ROASTED CARROT HUMMUS
6 medium carrots
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove
¼ cup tahini paste
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon za'atar*
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Slice the carrots into 1-1/2-inch chunks. Place in bowl; toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange on sheet pan in a single layer and roast for 20 minutes until fork tender and caramelized. Set aside to cool.

Place cooled roasted carrots and garlic in a food processor; blend until carrots are broken up slightly. Scrape the side of the food processor bowl with a spatula, then add tahini, lemon juice, sesame oil, parsley cumin and za'atar. Blend until mixture is a smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with pita triangles and crudite.

*Can't find za'atar? Substitute an equal amount of ground sumac or lemon zest. 


KALE CHIPS

1 bunch fresh kale

1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt

Preheat oven to 300°F. Line one large or two small sheet pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

Remove the stems and center stalks of the kale (I cut these up and put in the freezer for making vegie stock later). Cut kale leaves into large pieces (they shrink a little in the oven) and place in bowl. Toss with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Arrange kale pieces on a sheet pan in a single layer on prepared baking sheet/s. Bake 20 minutes or until crisp. Allow chips to cool before serving.


BALSAMIC MUSHROOMS
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 clove garlic, crushed
1½ teaspoons brown sugar
1 pound wild or domestic mushrooms
¼ cup chopped fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a large baking dish; set aside.

Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and brown sugar in a large bowl. Set aside.

If using wild mushrooms, cut mushrooms into uniform bite-sized pieces. Add prepared mushrooms to marinade in bowl and toss well to combine. Place mushrooms with marinade into prepared baking dish. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring twice during cooking, until tender. Sprinkle with chopped thyme right before serving.

[holiday recipes] Cornucopia Fruitcake

There's nothing more traditional than fruitcake—except for the traditional sneers and jokes made about it. Despite that, I remain certain this recipe will change the minds and palates of even those who think that there's only one fruitcake in the world—the one passed every holiday from one household to the next like misdelivered mail. No, you won't find atomic cherries or unidentifiable green objects or stale nuts or rawhide dough here. This cake is filled with flavorful dried fruits and kissed with brandy. If you really want this to be ultra-tasty, you'll grind your spices fresh (but it's not required for a delicious outcome!).


CORNUCOPIA FRUITCAKE
1 (24 ounce) jar cinnamon applesauce
1 cup butter
1¼ cups granulated sugar
½ cup light molasses
⅓ cup honey
1 (10 ounce) box currants
1 (8 ounce) box chopped dates
1 (8 ounce) bag Calmyrna figs, chopped fine
1 cup dried apricots, chopped fine
1 cup golden raisins
1 pound black walnut pieces (if unavailable, substitute pecans), chopped
4½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ cup brandy

Preheat oven to 275°F. In large saucepan, warm applesauce over medium heat. Add butter; stir until butter melts and applesauce bubbles. Mix in sugar, molasses and honey; cook until sugar dissolves. Remove mixture from heat; let cool 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, grease and flour either two (10 inch) Bundt pans or ten (5×3 inch) loaf pans. Set aside.

In medium bowl, combine fruits and nuts; stir into cooled applesauce mixture until just blended.

In another medium bowl, combine remaining dry ingredients. Stir flour mixture into cooled applesauce mixture until just blended.

Pour batter into prepared pans, smoothing tops of loaves with spatula dipped in water.

Bake for 70 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Do not underbake. Allow to cool in pans for 1 hour, then remove from pans and cool an additional 20 minutes, or until they've reached room temperature.

Brush brandy over tops and sides of loaves using a pastry brush. Wrap each loaf in plastic wrap; follow by wrapping each in aluminum foil. Refrigerate at least one week before serving or giving as gifts in order for fruitcake to develop its flavors. For extra moist and aromatic loves, brush every third day with additional brandy and rewrap as directed.

[holiday recipes] 3 great hot beverages for the holidays

Don't wait until the eve of your big holiday to enjoy these. All three drinks make great chasers after a day of shopping, decorating or cutting down the tree. These recipes are nonalcoholic to make them family friendly, but feel free to add spirits as you like.


WASSAIL
1 cup water
⅔ cup granulated sugar
2 pinches ground cloves
1 cinnamon stick
3 cups fresh apple cider
1 lemon, sliced thinly

In large saucepan, combine all ingredients except cider and lemon. Bring to a boil. Stir in cider, but do not boil again (cider will separate). Remove cinnamon stick from wassail and serve immediately, floating a slice of lemon on the surface of each serving. Alternately, you can leave the wassail in a serving crock, remove the cinnamon stick and add the lemon slices for a self-serve hot punch. (Add rum, if desired.)


MULLED CRANBERRY JUICE
1 small orange, peel removed and juiced
8 cups cranberry juice drink (I like the cranberry-pomegranate blend with no added sugar)
¼ cup brown sugar, packed
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon whole cloves

Peel the orange, cutting the peel into twists. Juice the orange; set peel and juice aside. In large saucepan, combine orange juice, cranberry juice and brown sugar. In a muslin or cheesecloth pouch or teabag tied with a string (or a metal tea ball that seals shut), collect the orange twists, cinnamon stick and whole cloves. Place sealed pouch in saucepan with juice mixture. Cover; simmer on low for 1 hour or longer. Remove spice bag before serving either in individual cups or from a serving crock. (Add berry brandy, if desired.)


GINGER MILK TEA
3½ cups hot water
¼ cup chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons loose tea leaves (black or green)
½ cup milk (more milkfat = more creamy texture... you decide)
½ cup dark agave syrup
Freshly ground nutmeg

In a medium saucepan, combine water and ginger. Bring to a boil; turn off heat, add loose tea and cover saucepan. Let ginger tea steep for up to 5 minutes. Stir in milk and agave syrup. Pour the hot mixture through a sieve into the bowl of a blender, discarding the leftover tea leaves and ginger pieces. Cover the blender, then place a towel over the top of the closed blender (as a precaution: hot foods, when processed in a blender, can expand and force out the top). Blend until mixed and frothy; pour into individual cups and serve immediately or place in a serving crock and serve immediately, dusting with freshly ground nutmeg as a garnish. (Add rum, if desired.)

[fresh picked] Kinda like vegetarian snout-to-tail, no?

Of course, as someone who hates throwing food away, I loved discovering this post from CHOW in my feed reader recently: Eating Every Part of the Plant.

[pantry basics] Fresh Herb Aioli

My dinner table makes a regular acquaintance with aioli at this time of year. Aioli, a garlic-flavored mayonnaise, suits so many great roasted foods as well as crudite. 

Traditional cooks make their own mayonnaise from raw eggs, but concerns about salmonella in the yolks as well as a desire to simplify cooking inspire me to use my favorite prepared mayonnaise. You can use this as a spread for sandwiches or canapes, as a dip for vegetables or bread or as a dressing or side condiment with grilled meats or vegetables. Feel free to vary the herbs based on what you have on hand. Tarragon, cilantro and mint can also be used with success. The horseradish is optional to make this recipe family friendly. I love it in there, myself!!!

FRESH HERB AIOLI

½ cup fresh dill fronds

½ cup fresh chives

½ cup fresh basil

½ cup fresh Italian parsley

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup mayonnaise

½ lemon, juiced

1 tablespoon grated horseradish (optional)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place herbs in a small food chopper; add olive oil. Process until the mixture is smooth and bright green. Add the mayonnaise; process until combined. Add lemon juice; process until combined. Add horseradish, if desired; process until combined. Season aioli to taste with salt and pepper.

[d.i.y edibles] Gifts from the herb gardener

If you're like me, you grew a boatload of herbs this summer. You cooked with a lot of them, you dried a bunch, you made a bunch of pesto for the freezer. You might still have some herbs leafing out at even this time of year where you live.

Now that it's the holidays, wouldn't it be great to use your stores of herbs for gifts to give to your family and friends? You can make a lot of things out of herbs. Below is a list of ideas if you're stuck.

1. Pesto out of parsley, basil or cilantro is pretty welcome at most every foodie's household.
2. Herb salts are big these days. You'll want to use lighter flaked sea salts ground together with dried herbs in a spice mill for making a good quality finishing salt*. Great herbs for blending into finishing salts include dried parsley, rosemary, fennel frond/seeds, winter or summer savory and lemon thyme.
3. An herb jelly composed of basic apple jelly spiked with herbs, vinegars, garlic, chilis can be packaged into very pretty gifts.
4. If you want to make herb vinegars, you should probably start now, as the steeping time's what guarantees its flavor. Good vinegar herbs include fresh chive (including blossoms), fresh tarragon, fresh dill (including heads) and fresh basil (including blossoms).
5. Dried herb bundles such as quatres epices, when tied together and wrapped in small cotton bags, make thoughtful stocking stuffers.
6. Homemade soap kits are easy to find; adding your own bits of herbs to the mix and playing around with essential oils can result in some very pretty guest soaps.
7. Have a lot of lavender this year? I don't know anyone who doesn't love sachets of lavender stuffed into organza bags. Or, like in the photo above, you can make some felted wool ornaments and stuff them with dried lavender.
8. If you're like me, you live where rosemary grows wild throughout the year. Why not bundle some boughs of rosemary into a homemade wreath or swag?
9. I also always have a lot of mint. Drying it, then putting it into little tea sachets you can buy off the internet might make the perfect gift for a tea lover.
10. Help stock your neighbors' pantries with small jars of dried herbs you've grown over the season. Dried oregano and thyme are especially easy to dry and share and they're always coveted spices.

*What is finishing salt? Finishing salt is salt you add to dishes right before serving. It's not as strong and salty as the table salt you used for cooking, but it conveys a great flavor when combined with herbs or spices.

[fresh picked] Refugee Agriculture

I'm pretty happy that Refugees in the U.S. are Taking Up Farming as reported on in the NYTimes.com. That just means more chances to diversify our own food crops and expand our foodie horizons!

[no-toss ideas] Lemon leftovers

The lemon is definitely the fruit we use in this house more than any other fruit. The holidays mark a busy time for the bags of little yellow citrus we plow through in such short order. There's zesting and peeling and juicing to do whether it's for brunch, baking, main dishes, salads or pastas. What happens when you have to use one part of a lemon but are left with the rest?

For instance, a recipe might call for the juice of two lemons. What would you do with the peels? Toss 'em?

Don't you dare. You can use them in the following ways:

1. Zest your lemons before you juice them. Take all that extra zest, leave it in a warm, quiet place overnight to dry, and stash in a jar to use in future recipes. You can also freeze the zest in a jar for a ready-made pinch anytime.
2. Having company? Make twists out of the leftover peels to use for garnishing cocktails.
3. Do you have a kettle on your stove filled with water to humidify your winter home? Throw your lemon peels in there; they'll deodorize your space.
4. Keep them at your kitchen sink for after dinner; sprinkle salt on the interior shells of lemon peels and use this to scrub greasy pans.
5. Clean your microwave. Put lemon peels in a microwave-safe bowl with some water. Leaving it uncovered, cook on HIGH for 5 minutes. The steam will release any cooked on splatters and leave your oven smelling very fresh.

Okay, so what happens if you need the zest of two lemons and you have the leftover "naked" fruit leftover?

Again, don't toss 'em. If you can't use the fruit right away in cooking, you can do the following:

1. Obviously, you can juice them for later use. Squeeze all that goodness out and keep in a small marked glass jar in the fridge. This juice can be used over the next two days. If you don't get around to using it, pour it into small ice cube trays and freeze. When frozen, pop the squares out, rebag and store in the freezer. You can lemon juice on demand when you need it.
2. If your manicure could use a little umph, juice your lemons and soak your nails in the juice for 10 minutes. Afterward, brush your fingernails with equal parts white vinegar and warm water to whiten, brighten and strengthen them.
3. Make invisible ink for your kids! Lemon juice, when painted onto white paper, is undetectable until the paper is held up to a light bulb. Therein lies the secrets to the universe!
4. If you're making fruit salad, use the leftover juice from the lemons to acidulate (prevent the browning of) your cut fruit, especially your pears and bananas.
5. Slice the peeled fruit as thin as you can. Put the slices in a water pitcher and cover with lots of ice and water. Drinking lemon water is very healthy and tasty and cleanses your palate.

Whatever you do, don't throw these goodies away, lemon is versatile not only in the kitchen but also a great household cleaner and personal cleanser and detoxifying agent.

['tis the season] Don't overlook the winter fruit basket

Some of my favorite gifts at Christmastime are edible. And I'm not talking cookies.

The much-maligned fruit basket is really a glorious thing at this time of year. So many of the dishes we prepare are soups or casseroles or roasted meats. Vegetables are roasted or stuffed or boiled, with few celebrated in the winter in their raw form. And the salad is not quite as de rigueur in December unless it's warm or made of something hearty like beans or pasta.

Still, let's not forget the many great sweet whole foods available to us in December which are much more healthy and satisfying than that batch of cookies your neighbors just left in your mailbox.

Keep an eye out for the following this season and see if you can incorporate them into your routine even just once a day. All that extra fiber and nutrition will help a sagging holiday on-the-go diet, plus their vibrant flavors can brighten the most dreary winter day.

1. Pears. The first Comice pear I ever ate came from Harry & David. I don't trade with H&D anymore since they were bought out a few years ago by a New York firm, which hollowed out the company and left Medford, OR with nothing but a shell of an idea back in 2004. (Local is local, folks.) I have come to enjoy Comice pears and, really, just about every other kind of pear at the holidays when I can find good purveyors. Generally the chain supermarkets aren't great for stocking the best pears unless you go to the higher-end markets. Even better is to hit the farmers' markets where they still exist at this time of year.

How to enjoy fresh pears in December (besides as they are!):

• Use in fruit salsas with roasted poultry or fish.
• Dice it, toss with raspberries, fill a crepe and drizzle with a little bit of warmed Nutella.
• Blend into frozen cocktails like daiquiris and margaritas.
• Make a pear granita.
• Slice and serve with your favorite gourmet snacking cheese.
• Toss into a spinach or arugula salad with toasted nuts and dress with a light vinaigrette.

2. Quince. Ah, you don't know what a quince is, do you? Sure you do. Quince is the magic behind marmalade (and you thought it was oranges!). I like to think of a quince as an apple that wants to be an orange. Its fruit is hard and its flavor is oh-so-tart. But this time of year, with our rich, heavy, warming diets leading the way, a little tart, citrus-like touch to anything is welcomed. These might be harder to find, but if you shop where your foodie friends shop, you'll probably get lucky. Remember, most varieties of these are far too sour to eat raw, but their flavor is worth cooking down into something yummy.


How to enjoy fresh quince in December:

• Chop fine and use in place of lemon peel or orange peel.
• Make refrigerator jam as gifts.
• Roast it together with fennel and rich meats like pork or lamb to add flavor depth to your main dishes.
• Cook it down into a paste and serve it like you would figs with honey and cheese.
• Use it to flavor cranberry sauce.
• Poach it; you'll be amazed at the delicate, fragrant outcome, and the fruit turns pink!

3. Plums. I confess my general whole fruit intake trails off most notably in the fall, after my favorite Honeycrisps are no longer in season and I am too cold in the morning to make smoothies. Plums are one of the first fruits to fall out of favor, but I hope to change that this December. Plums are friendly with many other popular fruits at this time of year, like cranberries, citrus and dates. They also look sumptuous when baked or roasted, their edges curling and their centers softened and caramelized with sugar. And plums are a great go-to fruit to accompany rich meat dishes.

 How to enjoy fresh plums in December (besides as they are!):

• Slice and combine with sweetened whipped cream, crumbled amaretti and raspberries for an easy, beautiful trifle dessert.
• Slice and toss with brown sugar and a splash of port, then brulee or broil for a quick dessert.
• Blend into frozen cocktails like daiquiris and margaritas.
• Combine with macerated (liqueur soaked) dried fruits for an elegant compote.
• Grill, then chop coarsely and toss with lime juice, jalapeno and cilantro for a Southwestern-inspired side dish.
• Bake tarts, cakes, cookies, bars using plums fanned on top drizzled with melted apricot jam for a gorgeous decorative touch.

4. Pomegranate. I remember eating the seeds (the juice sacs inside pomegranates are called arils, by the way) from these fruits in my pre-teen days when I wasn't so self-conscious about walking around with red stains on my fingers and face. Now I am more intimidated by them than I was then, but not because they aren't delicious! I love the tart juice of pomegranates as much as I love cranberry juice. I think you can swap out pomegranate arils for cranberries in all sorts of applications (orange muffins, for instance, or sausage cornbread dressing).

 How to enjoy fresh pomegranates in December (besides as they are!):

• Learn how to disassemble them using the POM Council's easy Three Steps No Mess Process. 
• Reduce the arils down to a sauce (adding herbs, spices, vinegar and butter) to pair with savory meats.
• Sprinkle the arils over a tossed salad of more robust greens like kale.
• Make a sweet-tart syrup topping for ice cream, pound cake or cheese cake from a reduction of arils.
• Slip some arils into a flute of champagne and float a small amount of berry liqueur on top for a pretty toasting beverage.
• If you're making a hot spice beverage like cider or glogg, add the arils for added bright red color and tartness.

5. Apples. I always have to remind myself that there are apples. We have so many apples available to us here in Washington state that they are as ubiquitous as rain. Fall is prime apple season but more regional varieties with good storage value are worth keeping on hand to use in all kinds of preparations. One trick I've learned in baking is to use all kinds of apples (regardless whether they are "pie" or "eating" apples) to add a lot of depth to the flavors in pies, cakes and other treats. If you've got a lot of apples to peel (such as for making into applesauce or apple butter), have a peeling party and serve spiked cider!

How to enjoy fresh apples in December (besides as they are!):

• Next time you make Sangria, don't forget the apples. They provide a very nice foil to all the citrus and exotic flavors normally associated with this alcoholic punch.
• Bake something with apples besides pie. Try Al's Norwegian Cake. You'll crave this stuff once you have it for the first time.
• Float sliced apples (peels on) in cream soups as a succulent garnish.
• Sliced apples tucked between slices of date bread spread with cream cheese are divine.
• Your classic spinach salad with bacon dressing is a great place to introduce fresh chopped apples. Seriously, give it a try!
• Saute apples to use in German pancakes, crepes, buckwheat hotcakes or waffles.

[fresh picked] A seriously yummy winter salad to make this weekend

Put this healthy salad on your next tailgate party spread and watch them come back for more! Seasoned Chickpeas over Kale & Avocado Salad