by Laurie | Family Cooking, Recipe, Summer Cooking
My father always grows green beans. At this time of year, we have an abundance of green beans. Fresh green beans are wonderful, sautéed until bright green. Actually, the “official” method is to blanch them in one pot, then sauté them with a little olive oil and...
by Laurie | Family Cooking, Recipe, Summer Cooking
Ready for Labor Day BBQ? Our All-American Cooking Camp includes this Barbequed Calabacitas recipe. We always prepare a Santa Fe Fiesta as our celebration meal on the last day of class. Everyone is surprised by how yummy this combination of vegetables tastes. We serve...
by Laurie | Family Cooking, Recipe, Summer Cooking
Peas: I love fresh English peas in the pod, shelled and just barely cooked so the sweetness is still apparent and even just a bit of texture rather than pea “mush” that’s been over cooked. If you find fresh peas at a farmer’s market or natural grocery bring some...
by Laurie | Family Cooking, Recipe, Summer Cooking
Corn: This month’s harvest, corn always seems to signal summer. It’s so easy, throw it in a pot of boiling water for a couple of minutes or put it on the grill for a few minutes and it’s ready. Buy plenty so you have an ear or two left over. I love to cut the...
by Laurie | Family Cooking, Recipe, Summer Cooking
Plums should be available this month, which is perfect for our Plums with Ricotta Recipe. I had a large Santa Rosa plum tree in my back yard for years when I was raising the girls. When I moved, coincidentally there is a small Italian plum tree in my yard. Now, each...
by Laurie | Family Cooking, Recipe, Summer Cooking
We often are asked about vegetarian recipes. Chef-K® staff prepare vegetarian menus several times a week. Rice and beans are such a perfect combination and the two ingredients make up a complete protein. Rice and beans can be found in many Hispanic recipes. Cuban,...
by Laurie | Family Cooking, Recipe, Summer Cooking
Here at Chef-K, we love a refreshing fruit salad during the summer. Fruit salad can be made with any fruit in season. In summer, find berries, grapes, peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, melon, and so much more. We don’t even use a recipe in our camps. We just...
by Laurie | Family Cooking, Recipe, Summer Cooking
Hot Spiced Cider is perfect during the colder time of the year. We had a family tradition of getting a jigsaw puzzle to put on a table and leisurely work on it during time off. Each year as the kids matured, the puzzles got progressively challenging until now we...
by Laurie | Family Cooking, Recipe, Summer Cooking
I’ve always loved this Salad Nicoise Recipe. It’s such a classic and very nutritious with lots of vegetables. I’ve made this for baby showers, a special summer lunch, and in the kitchen of our rental in Avignon. Often in the summer, I’ll have leftover potatoes...
by Laurie | Family Cooking, Recipe, Summer Cooking
What’s better than a Hot Cocoa? A Coconut Milk Cocoa Bar! I’ve done a super fun break at my events using coconut milk hot chocolate. I set up a thermos of coconut milk cocoa and a variety of toppings like cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne powder, peppermint, and coconut...
