Berry Muffin Cake . . .

Hi Everyone!

I have this great recipe for berry muffin cake that I'd love to share. It is super delicious and made with all natural ingredients. If you can find organic ingredients it will be even better.

Enjoy!

2 cups Flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup skim milk
2 egg whites
3/4 cup Agave Nectar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 Tb grapeseed oil
1 1/2 cup fresh berries*
Granola to Top

In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon
In a small bowl combine milk, egg whites, agave, vanilla and grapeseed oil gently mix
Next make a well in the center of the dry, add the wet mix and fruit
Gently fold the ingredients together until incorporated
Pour the batter into a small loaf pan
Sprinkle the top with granola and bake on 350º for 35-40 minutes


* This recipe is a great base so you can use any kind of berries or fruit that you like.


Banana Granola Muffin Cake

The Produce Report

Eating seasonal, fresh and local is becoming increasingly important to a healthy lifestyle and as a way to support your community. Local food products travel a much shorter distance from the farm to your table. Therefore they retain more nutrients, taste better, cost less and cut down on pollution.

In my effort to learn more aobut my local community and share with others the journey into seasonal fresh and local foods, I have created The Produce Report. I am hoping that it will be a great resource to keep you updated on what is in season and inspire culinary creativity.





Making this video was a great experience everyone at the Georgia State Farmer's market was partciulary helpful. Especially Marsha Thomas of the Atlanta Produce Dealers organization, whom without her this video would not have been possible.

Marinated Beet Salad

2 cups Diced beets
1/2 small red onion julienne
2 Tb chopped parsley
3 tb red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Goat cheese crumbles
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1. Combine beets, red onion, parsley, vinegar and olive oil
2. Toss together gently to mix all the ingredients
3. Season with salt and pepper
4. Place the balsamic vinegar in a small pan over medium and bring to a boil and quickly lower the heat to a simmer.
5. Allow to simmer until reduced by half or until the vinegar becomes a syrup
6. Serve topped with goat cheese and balsamic syrup





Arugula Walnut Pesto

2 cups Fresh arugula
1/2 cup Olive oil
1/4 cup Toasted walnuts
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
black pepper,to taste
kosher salt, to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Season with salt and pepper to taste

Fresh and Fruity

Now is a great time to start enjoying the fresh fruits coming into season. This time of year strawberries, blueberries, cherries, certain varieties of grapes, and watermelons are great picks. When shopping for fruits look for firmness in the flesh, skin that is free from blemishes, holes or breaks. Peel and dice your fruit, create a mixed fruit salad and portion into single servings for easy access throughout the week. When fruits are in season their natural sugar is enough to satisfy any sweet tooth, so next time you are at the store skip the desserts and grab the fruit. For more information on fruits that are seasonal local and fresh visit the Georgia Organics website.

Enjoy!

How does your garden grow?

Last week I decided that I would plant a garden. This is a way to try my hand at cultivating my own organic produce and herbs for the summer. Those of you who are blessed with a green thumb any suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated. I am excited to see how my little seedlings mature. I planted sage, basil, flat leaf parsley, thyme, spinach, green beans, peppers, tomatoes and corn. I know, it is ambitious for a first timer. I am doubtful that the corn will make it however I could not resist the idea of a 5ft tall stalk on the side of the house. I have very high hopes for my herbs. I can't wait to make , salads, fresh pesto, herb vinaigrette and marinades. YUM! I look forward to roasted pepper ravioli made with fresh pasta dough and light tomato sauce.

It has only been about 10 days since I planted everything and to my delight some of the seeds have begun to sprout. It is amazing to see and it reminds me of how wonderful nature is. As the summer months arrive I plan on creating some great recipes using only what my little garden yields. I wonder if all this time I had the gardening touch but I just did not know. Well, you learn something new everyday.

Happy eating and gardening!



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Happy Easter!

Just wanting to wish everyone a Happy Easter. In an effort to bring me back to my youth I colored my eggs for the first time in many years. I did not employ any fancy culinary techniques or skills, just the old fashioned color tablets, vinegar and water. Nothing says Easter like PAAS. The perfect egg coloring kits filled with dye, stickers, and an interesting shrink wrap that never quite fits. Some things never change, what a fun way to celebrate the holiday. I can't wait to eat my colored stained eggs for breakfast, as egg salad, or simply seasoned with salt and pepper.


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Fresh for Spring. . .

According to the calendar and the weatherman it is officially Spring. Now is the time to shop for fresh fruits, vegetables and plant those herb gardens. Before heading out to your local grocery store or farmers market find out what is in season. Right now strawberries,blueberries,melons, green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale and collards are great picks. Another great pick is cabbage, Here is a light recipe using savoy and red cabbage, a simple vinaigrette and seared salmon.

Enjoy!

Savoy and Red Cabbage Salad w/ Salmon
serves 4

1 # Salmon filet skin on*
2 cup Savoy cabbage shredded
2 cup Red cabbage shredded
1/4 cup red onion julienned
2 tb champagne vinegar
1 tb dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil for dressing
2 tb olive oil to cook with
salt and white pepper

1. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium high heat
2. Season salmon with salt and pepper on both sides
3. Place the skin side down first an allow to cook for 3-4 minutes, turn over and cook another 2-3 minutes
4. In a bowl combine the vinegar and mustard
5. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, season with salt and pepper
6. Add the cabbage and onions, toss gently and season
7. Serve the salad and salmon together

* When buying salmon with the skin on, be sure to remove the scales. Cooking fish with the skin on adds flavor, keeps the flesh moist and adds crispy texture.


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Vanilla Sunday

Today marked my first visit to the Atlanta Botanical Garden since moving back to Atlanta this past year. I was honored to be the guest chef and doing two cooking demonstrations as part of their Vanilla Sunday event. For those of you who attended, thank you so much for your presence. I am so pleased to have shared my time with you.

Vanilla is wonderfully fragrant and has an amazing ability to transform and enhance the flavor of many dishes. Unfortunately, vanilla is often limited to desserts. However, it can and should be apart of more savory dishes. The easiest way to welcome vanilla to you entrees is in a compound butter. Take some room temperature butter and whip it with some vanilla beans until evenly incorporated. Next lay out some plastic wrap and place the butter in the middle. Being very gentle, roll it into a log shape. Place it in the freezer to set and then slice off a piece as needed. Pair it with fish, seafood or a peppercorn crusted steak, the possibilities are only limited to your imagination.

Here are the recipes from today.

Vanilla-Shallot Vinaigrette

1 Tb minced shallot
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 whole vanilla bean, seeds removed
1 Tb honey
3 Tb champagne vinegar
3/4 cup grapeseed oil
kosher salt, to season
white pepper, to season

In a bowl* combine the shallots, dijon mustard, honey, vanilla, and vinegar.
Season with a little salt and pepper
Whisk together until smooth.
Next, slowly add the grapeseed oil while whisking continuously.
Taste and season again if necessary

* This recipe can be made using the blender or food processor.

Served with seared scallop, and frisee-tarragon salad.

Vanilla Ricotta Mousse w/ Mint Marinated Strawberries

16 ounces Whole milk ricotta
4 ounces Mascarpone Cheese
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 pint strawberries, quartered
1 tablespoon mint chiffonade
1/2 lemon juiced

For the strawberries

In a bowl combine the quartered strawberries, mint chiffonade and 1/3 cup of sugar.
Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the mixture.
Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes.

For the Mousse

In a bowl combine the ricotta, mascarpone, 1/3 cup sugar and vanilla bean.
Using a mixer whip until very smooth.
In a separate bowl whip the heavy cream until it becomes soft and light.
Next add the whipped cream to the ricotta mix.
Very gently fold the whipped cream into the mix to create a smooth and light mousse.

Serve with the strawberries on the bottom and the mousse on top. Garnish with fresh mint.

Enjoy!

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State Farmers Market

This week marked my very first visit to the Georgia State Farmers Market. It is the mother of all the other farmer's markets in Georgia. I mostly frequent the Dekalb Farmers market because of the convenience, but the trip south is well worth the drive. On this particular day my trip to the GSFM was completely by accident. We were lost in Forest Park, GA looking for a auto-body shop when I noticed the massive sign for the market and immediately decided we have to stop there. As long as I have lived in Atlanta, I always wanted to go but never made it a priority. It was perfect timing because it was lunch time and my belly was aching. Before jumping into the shopping, we ate the Oakwood Cafe,where they serve up some delicious down home southern favorites. Deciding what to order was the most challenging part of the day, there is so much to choose from. I finally settled on the smoked chicken, collard greens and fried green tomatoes.

After a satisfying lunch I was able to take my time and explore all that the market has to offer. There are several rows of produce dealers all offering the best of their harvest. Early morning is the best time to arrive to get the best picks, spot local chefs and purveyors bargaining for the best deals. Heading into Spring the market is gearing up for the arrival of more farmers, especially those located in Georgia. I could not resist checking out every aisle, bright, beautiful produce lined up is intoxicating, bringing a big smile to my face.

In addition to produce you can purchase, fish, meat, produce and plants. There is an entire area dedicated to each. Whatever it is that you are looking for you can probably find it at the Georgia State Farmers Market. Please make the trip I promise you the only thing you'll be regretting is that you did not get there sooner.