CAKES

Well, I made it through a couple weeks of a terrible end of summer cold and a child with a broken arm. Now it is back to cooking. Hope everyone enjoyed their Labor Day Weekend!

There seems to have been a wave of cupcake and cake orders lately. Although, I enjoy the creativity of cakes, I wouldn't say it is a talent that come naturally to me. It certainly wasn't a skill that we spent a great deal of time on in pastry school. I think making cakes is a practiced skill. Unfortunately, I probably don't practice it enough. But with recent orders I dusted off my skills and created the following cakes and cupcakes.

Menu

Savory

Chicken korma with grilled flatbread (whole chicken and flatbread) $20 or $5/portion

Whole chicken cut into portion and marinated in non-fat yogurt, saffron, cardamon, fennel, coriander, cayenne. Grilled onions marinated in cumin, olive oil, garlic, ginger, almonds. Flatbread with yeast, flour, organic sugar, olive oil.

Herbed Gnocchi with Lemon Thyme Chicken - $20 full pan (9x12) or $6/serving

herbs, flour, lemon, thyme and chicken breast

Vegetarian

Thai sweetcorn cakes with chili (4 cakes) $5

potatoes, corn, ginger, peppers, green onions, thai chili sauce, lime

Barley Risotto with Butternut Squash - $5/serving or $18/pan

Butternut squash, olive-oil, chicken broth, onion, garlic, pearled barley, thyme, parmigian-reggiano

Breakfast

Cinnamon Croissant Coffee Cake

Whole Cake - $15 or $4/portion

Cinnamon, organic sugar, streusel topping with unsalted butter, flour

Dessert

Cherry-Olive Polenta Cake $4/serving

Lemon, vanilla, flour, polenta, cherries

Strawberry-topped Lime Mouse Tart - $5/serving

almonds, organic sugar, unsalted butter, limes, cream, white chocolate, non-fat sour cream, strawberries, strawberry jam

Lemon, Tiramisu Cake $5/serving

marscapone, ricotta cheese, lemon curd, eggs, cake flour, organic sugar, lemonade (homemade)

Alforjores Cookies - 6 cookies $4

Mexican cornstarch cookies filled with dulce de leche.

First Day of School

Well, I made it through the Back to School chaos and through the first week of school! This year I have graduated out of Elementary School and into Middle School. Well, my oldest son D did. A whole new world for him and for me. I didn't attend Middle School in the States. School in Europe is a different world. So I have a lot to learn. First rule, don't take any pictures, Mom! Second rule, just pretend you don't know me. But as we sat in the car waiting for the bell to allow him on the the grounds. He wasn't to big or to embarrassed to kiss me on the cheek and thank me for the big pancake breakfast I got up to make.

Anyway, it was all exciting and exhilarating (for the first day at least). After three days all four kids were tired and grumpy and already asking for a mental health day. I would like to agree with them. I am already looking forward to the next holiday!

Deliveries will be Sunday from 9am-11am at the Office.

MENU

Savory

Lemon Chicken with Pilau Rice $25/9x13 or $5/serving

Lemon, Chicken Breast and Chicken Thighs, Chili powder, cumin, garlic, rice

Mediterrian Beef Kabobs with couscous $25/ 9x13 or $5/serving (2kabobs)

Ham and artichoke calzone $6/calzone

Ham pieces, marinated artichoke, pizza dough, spices, cheese

Vegetable/Pasta Bake $20/ 9x13 or $4/serving

onion, garlic, roasted summer squash, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, fontina cheese, mozarella

Zucchini, Goat cheese and Mint tart with cheese crust $5/serving

Flour, Butter, mint, zucchini, onion, goat cheese, strong cheddar

Breakfast

Breakfast Tart with apples (maple glazed) $4
Puff pastry, apples, cream cheese, maple syrup

Chocolate and Honey Muffins $2/muffin

Chocolate, honey, whole wheat flour, sugar, vanilla

Sweets

Pear Crisp with Vanilla Brown Butter $5

Pears, butter, sugar, brown sugar, flour, vanilla bean

Chocolate Creme Brulee $5

Chocolate, whole cream, eggs, sugar

Lime and Coconut Slices $3/slice

Lime, coconut, eggs, butter, sugar, flour

Napa Chefs Farmers Market

The Napa Chefs Market has closed for the season. However, I attended the last one with friends A&D. The Chefs Market is a family event. It includes entertainment (4 stages), cooking demonstrations, produce, wine pairings and craft vendors. A&D are experienced customers at the Market. They know where to eat, they know the jewelry vendor, they even know where to find a seat and eat enjoy the entertainment. It was a treat to be guided through the crowd. The produce section had slowed down for the season but I was determined to come home with heirloom tomatoes, which I found. We then wandered over to the food. Pulled pork sandwich for me, tacos for A and D had a beef sandwich (I think). Next we roamed just outside of the Market to "Sift" for cupcakes. We tried the Snickerdoodle, Pink Champagne, Oh La La, Irish Car Bomb, Peanut Butter Ripple (Yum!) and Over the Moon. You have to love the names of these cupcakes. The cupcakes where enjoyable, although the frosting was a little sweet for my taste. We enjoyed our cupcakes with a nice cup of coffee from Annette's. Such an enjoyable evening with good friends, food (lots of it) and people watching. Next year, I will make more of an effort to make it to Napa for this Market.

Deliveries this week will be on Saturday as I will be at Wooden Valley Sunday for Harvest. Harvest is a great event! Come and see us if you get a chance.

Menu

Savory

Chicken Tamales with Queso Fresco and Tomatillo Sauce $25/tray or $5/serving

This includes radish pico de gallo and tomatillo sauce

Chicken, garlic, chili powder, queso fresco, radish, cucumber, red onion cilantro, lime, tomatillos, habernero.

Grilled Sausage and Fig Pizza large pizza $18 or $5/serving

Grilled Sausage, fresh figs, argula, fontina cheese, red onions, fresh pizza dough

Vegetarian

Stuffed Eggplant $25/tray or $5/serving

garlic, tomatoes, oregano, cinnamon, cloves, Parmesan cheese, eggs

Stuffed Red Pepper Rolls $5 for 6 rolls

Italian parsley, oregano, garlic, capers, eggs, breadcrumbs, olive oil, bell peppers

Salad

Thyme Marinated Squash Salad $5/serving

Squash, thyme, cider vinegar

Breakfast

Orange Cranberries with Raspberry Coffee Cake - $4/piece

Orange soaked dried cranberries, fresh raspberries, almonds, flour, eggs, low fat sour cream.

Sweets

Chilled honey and raisin risotto $4/serving

Local honey, raisins, risotto, almonds

Raspberry Blackberry Mochi Cake $5/piece

Sweet Rice Flour, butter, evaporated skim milk, organic sugar, eggs

Peach, blueberry and thyme galettes $5/galette

Fresh Peaches, fresh blueberries, fresh thyme in wrapped in a pastry

The Beach Concert and a Fantastic Picnic

I don't get to do many activities without kids. However, when all my children were recently visiting family members I took the opportunity to enjoy the Friday night free Concert Series in Santa Cruz. But what would going to the beach be, without a fantastic picnic? Herb Chicken Sandwiches with Roast Peppers on fresh bread, Fresh Fruit, Granola Bars, Vanilla, Honey Lemonade and carmel corn for during the concert. I must have been too busy eating to remember to get pictures of the food. I did compensate for all the calories with a long walk on the beach and of course, I rocked out at the LoverBoy concert.

Deliveries for Sunday from 9am-11am

Savory

Blueberry Coated Ribs $5/serving or $25/ 9x13

Blueberry Syrup (homemade), chili powder, pork ribs, onions

Chicken Divan $5/serving or $20/serving (9x13)

chicken breast, leeks, chicken broth, sherry, thyme, broccoli, Parmesan, homemade mayo, dijon mustard

Vegetarian

Sicilian Vegetable Stew $5/serving or $20/ 9x11pan

Eggplant, tomatoes, onion, capers, green olives, raisins, celery, white wine vinegar, pine nuts

Breakfast

Breakfast Risotto $4

dried fruit, coconut milk, fresh juice from apples,aborio rice

Blackberry Oatmeal Muffins $3 for 2 muffins

Blackberries, oatmeal, butter, flour, sugar

Sweet

raspberry tart with pistachio crust $4/piece

vanilla, eggs, pistachios, fresh raspberries

Cherry and Plum Crumble $5/crumble

Cherries, plums, flour, lemon, cardamom, honey

Plum Struesel Cake with Toffee Glaze $5/piece

almonds, cardamom, cinnamon, buttermilk, plums, vanilla, eggs

Chocolate/Coconut Ice Cream $5/pint

Goodbye Old Friend

The picture above may look like an old mixer but in fact it is a old friend. This Kitchen Aid mixer is almost 20 years old and has travelled all over the world with me. I have plugged it in to the back of my car in England so I could mix a perfect cookie dough, ran it from a generator in Puerto Rico during a tropical storm and sat waiting for months for it to arrive in Bahrain. It went through the trials and tribulations of Pastry school with me. It is has mixed many failures. It has whipped perfect meringue and made my first homemade sausages with me. It is with great sadness that I watched it slowly finish its days in my kitchen. I finally removed it after the smoke cleared one evening. It sat on the dining room table as I contemplated discarding it or finding somewhere to put it. While flicking through a magazine on day, it came to me. What a perfect addition to the garden. The mixing bowl looks cheerful again with bright yellow mums. Nothing like re-purposing and adding some interest to the garden!

I will be at Wooden Valley on Sunday for the Rockin the Glass with the Matty T Band, The Jeff Watson Band and Pushback. Tickets are $20 and include a logo glass and a glass of Wooden Valley Wine. MagPies will be out with ice cream, desserts and sandwiches. For tickets click the link on our blog to Wooden Valley and see the events calendar.

Deliveries will be on Saturday, unless you would like to make arrangements for another day/time.

Menu

Savory

White Bean and Herbed Chicken Pot Pie - large pie $25 small pie $5

Fresh carrots, summer herbs, white beans, beans, rosemary, celery, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, chicken, milk

Chorizo, cabbage and chickpea stew 9x13 pan $25 or $5/serving

pork sausages, chickpeas, red wine, stock, cabbage, onion, chorizo

Muffins

Spinach and Goat Cheese Muffins $4 for 4 muffins

fresh spinach, goat cheese, little cayenne, flour, milk, parm.

Vegetarian

Oven-baked tomato risotto with summer herbs $4/serving

Tomatoes, onion, risotto rice, vegetable stock, herbs, Parmesan, flat leaf parsley, basil and mint

Salad

Ratatouille Salad $6 /quart

Tomatoes, peppers, oregano, onion, eggplant, garlic

Sweets

Chocolate honey meringues 4 for $5

Dark Chocolate, Honey, Organic sugar, almonds, egg whites

Apricot custard rolls recipe $5 for 6

Egg, milk, semolina, cornflour, dried flour, filo pastry, cardamom, rosewater.

Ice Cream

Ice Cream $5/pint

Candied Bacon Ice Cream

Summer List

When reading my fellow food bloggers posting this week, I noticed that a numbers of them had compiled a list of Things to do for the summer. I decided to follow the trend and compile my own list.

My Summer List
Run through the sprinklers
Wear dresses/skirts
Go to more farms
Explore new Farmers Market
Heirloom tomatoes
Homemade lemonade
Almond Ice Tea
Laying on the grass in the park
Motorcycle riding
Sleeping in
Staying up late

Why not put together your own list?

I will be at the Vacaville Farmers Market from 8am-Noon.

Deliveries will be made on Sunday from 9am-11am.

Savory
Moroccan Beef $25 for 9x13 or $5/serving
Sweet paprika, cumin, rump steak, chickpeas, mint leaves, tomatoes lemon zest and juice

Chicken Puttanesca - $25 for 9x13 or $5/serving
Anchovy paste, chicken, tomatoes, kamalata olives, tomatoes

Vegetarian
Farmland Pie $25/large pie or $5/small pie
Local Summer Vegetables

Salad
Vietnamese Chicken Salad $5/quart
Shredded Chicken, Asian Noodles, peanuts, basil, lime, green cabbage, red chillies

Breakfast
Pineapple Noodle Kugel $4/pie
Fresh pineapple, egg noodles, cottage cheese, sour cream, brown sugar

Desserts
Lime and Blueberry Pie $4/small pie
Tart lime pie with blueberries

Pear Frangipane Cake $4/piece
Pear, almonds all in a moist cake

Ice Cream
Oatmeal -raisin cookies sandwiches with white chocolate-allspice $3

We all have friends that are planners and friends that are more spontaneous. My friend Jaymee is a spur of the moment kind a girl. One day a couple of weeks ago she called me and said lets go camping. Two days and 7 kids later, we were heading to the Redwoods. Now, with 7 kids a little planning is involved. We discussed our dinner and lunch menus and shopped so we had all the needed supplies. When we arrived at our camp site and had 7 hungry kids we quickly unpacked our camp stove, only to realize we were missing a part. With all the hungry kids getting antsy we improvised. Hot dogs on a stick and mac and cheese on the fire. It worked great. Coffee pot the next morning, right on the log and that night spaghetti, right over the fire, with corn on the cob. When our couple of days where done, we all agreed, that although the food was simple, it tasted fantastic! There is something that only a campfire can do to the taste of ordinary food!

We will be at the Vacaville Farmers Market on Saturday from 8am-Noon

Deliveries are for Sunday 9am- 11am

Savory

Peachy Chicken with brown rice$25 9x13 pan or $5/serving
Fresh Peaches, pieces of chicken breast, low-sodium soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, almonds, brown rice

Grilled Sirloin Steak Kabobs with Grape Tomatoes and Herbed Couscous $25 9x13 or $5/serving
marinated sirloin steak, local grape tomatoes, red wine vinegar, fresh thyme, couscous, shallots

Vegetarian

Stir-fried Tofu with Heirloom Tomatoes (recipe adapted from Slanted Door Restaurant - S.F.) - $5/serving

Silken Tofu, local tomatoes, onion, garlic, mirin, green onions

Salad

Fresh Pea Salad with Prosciutto $6/pint

Fresh peas, Prosciutto, green onion, butter, garlic, pepper

BBQ Macaroni $5/pint

Homemade BBQ sauce, macaroni, pickles

Sweet

Raspberry Buttermilk Cake $5/piece

Triple Citrus Bars $4/2 bars

An animal cracker/brown sugar base, with key limes, lemons and oranges. Topped with toasted shredded coconut

Gluten Free Lemon Tart $4/tart

Brown Rice Flour, Potato Starch and Ground Almonds, lemons, sugar, eggs

Peach, Raspberry and Panna Cotta Parfait - $4

Mini Chocolate Pavlovas - $4

Apricot shortbread $5 for bag of shortbread about 8 cookies

Breakfast

Blueberry and raspberry bread and butter flummery $4/piece

Kind of like a British summer pudding but it is baked. Great for breakfast!

Ice Cream

Strawberry and Mascarpone gelato slab $4/piece