Culinary Adventures with Camilla

This is a sponsored post written by me in conjunction with a Locavore Feast I hosted .  Some ingredients were provided for this post and this page may contain affiliate links. While most of the wine pairings for the Locavore Feast came from Donkey & Goat, I did receive a special treat for one course: a wine from local winemaker Ian Brand.* So, I poured that wine with salads that featured produce from Farmer Jamie at Serendipity Farms. Both are local producers; both are people I adore. What a treat! Have you ever had purslane? I first encountered purslane in a CSA box years ago. It almost looks like a succulent. Amazingly, its leaves have more omega-3 fatty acids than in some of the fish oils. I think I read somewhere that it's technically a succulent herb. And it definitely has a lot of flavor. Think sour and salty all at the same time. It's the perfect base for pesto. Pesto  is a sauce that originated in the Ligurian region of northern Italy.  Pest...

This is a sponsored post written by me in conjunction with a Locavore Feast I hosted .  Some ingredients were provided for this post and this page may contain affiliate links. No dinner party is complete without a few fresh salads, I say. And for a recent Locavore Feast, I wanted to use the wildflower honey from Carmel Honey Company in a hearty salad with greens from Serendipity Farms.* Ever grateful that two of my favorite purveyors donated to this fundraising dinner. Ingredients Strawberry Vinaigrette 1 C strawberries, stemmed and quartered 1 T honey  5 T red wine vinegar  1/3 C olive oil  1 t salt  1/4 t black pepper Salad greens, thinly sliced (I used the Braising Greens Mix from Serendipity that included kale and chard. Feel free to use less hearty greens if you wish) fresh strawberries for garnish freshly ground salt, as needed freshly ground pepper, as needed crumbled cheese, optional (I forgot to add this. Whoops!) ...

This is a sponsored post written by me in conjunction with a Locavore Feast I hosted .  Wine samples and some ingredients were provided for this post and this page may contain affiliate links. When people tell me, "Oh, I don't eat __________" I consider that a challenge...so long as there are no actual allergies involved. For instance, when one of my best friends told me that he didn't eat "purple dirt circles" - what you and I would call beets! - I hosted a dinner party and everything included beets. Yes, even the dessert. He's a beet-convert now, by the way. So, my culinary ploys do work. When I found out that a few people at a dinner I was hosting didn't eat fish, I emailed back and forth with my contact at Real Good Fish* to come up with some non-fishy options. And I did have a back-up plan with roasted chicken in case those diners were more stubborn in their stance to not eat fish than I was to have them eat it. Poaching fish—gently ...

This is a sponsored post written by me in conjunction with a Locavore Feast I hosted .  Wine samples and some ingredients were provided for this post and this page may contain affiliate links. To kick off my Locavore Feast, I wanted to create a cheese board, using honey from Carmel Honey Company and pairing it with wine from Donkey & Goat.* I am so grateful that two of my favorite purveyors donated to this dinner. I included Red Hawk, a triple-crème aged cow's-milk cheese with a washed rind; a fresh chevre rolled in edible flowers; salami; fresh raspberries; and a honeyed baked brie. The honeyed brie was a little less than picturesque, but it was a hit...and a delicious match for the wine. Honeyed Baked Brie Ingredients one 6- to 8-ounce brie, slightly chilled (I used a goat milk brie) 1/3 C chopped cashews 1/3 C chopped dried apricots 2 T honey + more for serving crackers or baguette slices for serving also needed: parchment paper and ...