Smoked salmon dip

So easy to throw together and always a crowd pleaser. Goes great on a charcuterie platter with an assortment of sausages, olives, crackers, etc.. It’s easy to smoke your own salmon or simply buy some good quality stuff at the store.

Lamb lollipops

My friend Holly makes the most delectable little lamb chops, or “lollipops”as we like to refer to them.  There’s something about this dish which brings memories of warm summer evenings with friends. A little time in the marinade  and a short stint on the grill and you have heaven on a stick. When choosing your rack of…

Chipotle hummus

We used to make this one in the restaurant a lot. Easy, spicy, good! Serve with pita chips or other chips.

BBQ rub

Often, I like to simply use Kosher salt and coarse black pepper to rub down briskets and the like, but sometimes I get crazy and use this all purpose rub.

Roasted butternut squash soup

Unfortunately, there were no butternuts emerging from the garden during this growing season. With all the garden items, I just didn’t make room this year. However, this squash is plentiful and easy to grow. Thankfully, I have access to the farmers markets and a decent selection at the local grocery as well.  This recipe is…

Chocolate chip persimmon cookies

I should refer to these as “Jill’s Chocolate chip persimmon cookies”. Our family looks forward to the holiday season when the persimmons finally freeze and become soft and ripe. Jill loves to pluck the fruit from the otherwise bare tree and make batch after batch of these delicious cookies (the rest of the family just…

Blueberry Coffee Cake

My family loves this simple coffee cake and it is also great for company. Since the ingredients are straightforward, it’s likely that you’ll have the stuff necessary without making a special trip to the store. It’s easy enough to throw this recipe together while everyone is enjoying their first cup of coffee in the morning….

Apple Pie

Northern California in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada is apple country. During these days of fall weather and terrible traffic as out of towners descend on us hill folks to participate in apple related activities, I thought it would be appropriate to whip up an easy apple pie at home. This way, I can…

Coleslaw

This easy and versatile coleslaw dressing recipe can be used with either whole head cabbage or an equivalent amount of that tasty broccoli slaw mixture which is available at the store.