FEATURED RECIPE

I love a good omelette. I've learned how to make a proper one in the last few years, from my son who is an actual chef. He taught me that you cook the eggs low and slow, that you scramble them gently then roll/fold the omelette to keep the softness of the edges. His omelettes are more classic and include a decadent ratio of more egg yolks than whole eggs, with the omelette center being filled with a soft French cheese. I sometimes make that version (not as well as he does), but also love this herby version inspired by the omelettes in Lyon France, that skips the cheese entirely. This somewhat healthier omelette relies on whatever herbs are on hand or in the garden. I rarely get the omelette roll right, and I've been through so many pans it's almost comical at this point. But even with the imperfections, I still love the process and the end result of this go-to meal. 

What you'll need:

• A good non-stick pan. My latest go-to is the All-Clad omelette pan.
• Two farm fresh eggs
• Sea salt
• Butter
• A handful of fresh, chopped herb. My favorite combo is dill, parsley and thyme, but whatever you have on hand will work.  

Mix the eggs in a bowl, and chop you herbs so you have them ready to go. Warm your pan so the butter slightly sizzles and just starts to turn brown. Pour your eggs into the hot pan, and using a plastic spatula, stir constantly. You may have to pull the pan off the heat to not cook the eggs too fast. Low and slow is the way to go here, you want basically a thin layer of lightly scrambled eggs. Sprinkle the herbs over the entire pan, then roll/fold your omelette. Slide onto a pretty plate and enjoy! Best served with a slice of artisan toast, and a sprinkle of herbs, salt and pepper to garnish.

We have a beautiful fig tree in our property here at the Villa that bears a ton of fruit. Figs are abundant in wine country, and when it's fig season we are all trying to find things to do with these delicious, seasonal treasures. Once the fig jam, fig syrup, and fig cookies have all run their course, there are still figs that make their way to the freezer for use in smoothies or whatever else may come up. This recipe has become a favorite as it is super simple to make, yet feels special. The complex flavors with the spice mixture, plus the figgy goodness makes for the perfect not-to-sweet dessert. Bonus, it is even better on day two and three, making it a wonderful cake to make ahead for company. The key ingredient is of course figs, but figs that have been frozen get a bit jammy, which is the secret to this cake's moistness. I make it in a cheesecake pan, simplifying to just one layer. I also fill a couple ramekins with the batter, to enjoy immediately, should you be saving the cake for a later date.

What you'll need: 

• Butter and dusting of flour to grease the pan
• 3 cups of flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground ginger
• 1 tsp cardamom
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar (I use maple sugar but any will do)
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cups olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of greek yogurt (preferably whole fat)
• 1 cup chopped fresh figs (best if they have been frozen)
• 3/4 cup fig jam
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup of cream cheese at room temperature
• 1/2 stick of butter at room temperature
• 2 cups of powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons of honey
• Splash of vanilla
• Pinch of fine salt

In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, baking soda and salt. Then using an electric mixer, whisk the sugar and eggs until they are light and fluffy. Gently pour in the olive oil and yogurt to combine. Slowly add the dry ingredients, blend just until they are incorporated. Fold in the chopped figs, fig jam and pecans.

Pour into your prepared pan and bake until the cake is lightly browned, and a toothpick comes out clear, roughly 45 minutes for a 9" cheesecake pan. If you have the ramekin tasters, they will cook faster so be sure to watch them.

While the cake is cooling, mix the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, honey, vanilla and salt to make a creamy frosting. Frost the cake (I leave the sides frosting free), and cover with decorative pecans or figs as you see fit. The cake is best the second and third days, it likely won't last longer! 

After much indulgence this holiday season, coupled with the tensions surrounding the pandemic, AND the events this week in the U.S. with the storming of the Capital, some healthy comfort food was what we seriously needed. This recipe is inspired by one I found on Epicurious, and so darn easy to make, plus healthy and delicious!! Next time, I’m making a double batch and eating it for days. 

What you'll need:

• 1 1/2 pounds organic (preferably local) boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 large)
• 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp ground allspice
• 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for serving
• 6 cups homemade organic (or store bought) chicken stock
• 8 ounces organic mixed mushrooms, torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 jalapeño pepper cut lengthwise in half, seeded and sliced thinly
• 1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Sliced scallions and cilantro sprigs for garnish

Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and allspice, put them into a good-sized soup pot with the garlic and bay leaves. Cover the breast with chicken stock (all 6 cups) and bring to a slow simmer over high heat. Once things are boiling, immediately reduce heat to medium-low, cover your pot, and cook for 8 minutes. Remove the chicken from the broth and let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces.

Next, strain the stock into a clean pot, discarding the solids. I just use the soup pot lid for this step, but feel free to use a strainer, or cheesecloth, whatever you have easy access to. Pour the stock back into the clean pot, and add the mushrooms, jalapeno, ginger (grated on a microplane or finely diced), vinegar, and soy sauce. Grab a couple cloves of the garlic from your initial stock remnants and run them through a press back into the stock. Bring the stock to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until broth tastes rich and flavorful, roughly 15-20 minutes. Add the chicken back in, and simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.  

Divide soup among bowls and serve topped with scallions, cilantro and chili paste if you want a bit of heat. This yummy soup, combined with a nice loaf of whole grain bread and a glass of Nebbiolo makes for a perfect (and healthy) meal.

I love to bake. Which is ironic because I don't have much of a sweet tooth, except for my never ending craving for chocolate chip cookies. I've been playing with recipes, trying to perfect the perfect chocolate chip cookie for years. This latest experiment may in fact, be one of the best. And bonus, it's gluten free and very low sugar so even a healthy little treat!

I was inspired by the Hazelnut flour we found at our local Italian treasure, Salumeria Ovello, which is part Michelan star takeout, salumeri, and Italian specialty store. There you can find some of the best quality imports, Italian Hazelnut Flour being one of them. I used the flour in this recipe, plus wonderful local bittersweet chocolate chips. The result were cookies that has a complex and satisfying hint of nut, without being overwhelmed by actual hazelnuts. They are also lower in fat, and sugar than your average cookie, making them a not so guilty pleasure.  

What you'll need:

• 2 ¾ cups finely ground hazelnut flour
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 10 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature (1 1/4 sticks)
• ½ cup brown sugar (light or dark, any kind will do)
• ½ cup date sugar
• 1 large egg at room temperature
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 16 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips, the best quality you can find
• Maldon sea salt for finishing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all of the dry ingredients together and set aside. In an electric mixer using the paddle, mix the butter and sugars together until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and egg, beat until smooth. Slowly add the dry ingredients until they are incorporated. The dough will seem a bit stiff. Add the chocolate chips and mix until blended. 

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using a tablespoon, scoop some dough and form loosely form into rounds, about 12 per sheet. Lightly press with your finger, the cookies will not rise or spread like other cookies, so the shape you make is roughly the shape you will end up with after baking. Bake for 12 (ish) minutes until the bottoms begin to look golden. Sprinkle with a bit of salt, and let cool. Enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea, or even with a tall glass of cold Flax milk. Yum!

Ciambotta, pronounced (at least in my family) chom-botta, is a traditional Italian pepper stew, common in most Italian households. In my family, it was one of those recipes that nobody ever wrote down because you just knew how to make it, in late summer, when it was pepper season. It's made with those wonderful cherry peppers, little firebombs with varying degrees of heat depending on the batch, and how many seeds were left in, or out, in the making of the ciambotta. Jars and jars would be passed around as my relatives canned their own individual interpretation of this beloved delicacy. As my family grew larger, and the elders were passing away, I took it upon myself to write down a version, so my children and the next generations would have a reference. 

I interviewed several of my living uncles, and each had their own slight variation of how to make this magic stew. What was common, was the quality of the ingredients, and cherry peppers were a must. The recipe below is a summary of each of their perspectives, pulling it all together into one Petosa style ciambotta. This dish brings back so many fond memories for me. Once the ciambotta is prepared and canned, each jar was like a jar of gold. We counted how many we had left, until the next pepper season. Cherry peppers are sometimes hard to find, so if you come across them, buy a case and freeze them. Red or green both work, but they must be the cherry peppers. Feel free to mix in other peppers to get creative, but keep the base ingredient as the cherry peppers.

Almost always in my family, ciambotta is prepared by warming it in a skillet. Eggs are then cracked into the pepper stew and cooked until they are soft. The deliciousness is served with a loaf of quality french bread for dipping. Very healthy, and great for Sunday brunch, or a light meatless dinner. 

What you'll need:

• 2 large cans whole canned tomatoes (San Marzano preferably)
• 4 cups hot or mild cherry peppers sliced in half, seeds in for more heat
• 1 large onion sliced
• Sliced bell peppers if desired, to add additional flavor and color
• 4 whole cloves of garlic
• Lots of olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a large pot and cook until peppers are cooked and tomatoes have broken down, roughly 30-40 minutes. Put cooked mix into canning jars. If eating immediately or within two weeks, just store in the fridge. That's it! So easy.

If going to store unrefrigerated, go through the canning process by boiling all jars in water bath and following all instructions for canning. If preserved through the canning process, the olive oil rises to the top and makes for a very nice visual presentation. Great to give as gifts!

This is a non-recipe recipe, you know the kind? A little bit of this and a little bit of that, mix it all together add salt and pepper to taste. The abundance of winter greens we've been able to grow in our garden warrants pulling them together into something simple, yet special. Tonight, I'm going to sauté a my pickings of the day with a little bit of sliced garlic and local olive oil, and serve it with slowly roasted king salmon for a healthy and comforting winter dinner. 

What you'll need: 

• Handful of Swiss chard
• Handful of broccoli leaves
• Handful of cabbage leaves
• Handful of mustard greens
• Handful of tree collard greens
• Handful of kale
• Two cloves of garlic sliced thinly
• Olive oil to coat the bottom of a cast iron skillet
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Splash of balsamic or champagne vinegar to finish

Chop up all of your greens, to whatever your liking is. Get your pan with olive oil and garlic nice and hot. Cook garlic until lightly browned. Add your greens and cook until they are soft, but still firm. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with a dash of your favorite vinegar. Delish!