The Fresh Approach

09/05/2026

Recipe of the week!
Chanterelle Soup

Ingredients:
1 pound chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed, trimmings reserved
1 1/2 quarts low-sodium homemade or store bought chicken broth
7 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 medium shallots, thinly sliced (about 1 cup), plus 1/2 shallot minced (about 2 tablespoons)
3 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup dry sherry or white wine
2 bay leaves
6 thyme sprigs, plus 1/2 teaspoon picked thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions
1. Set 1/2 cup mushrooms aside for garnish. Place mushroom trimming in a medium saucepan. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a sub-simmer and keep warm.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until very soft but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add mushrooms (except for garnish) to pot and cook, stirring frequently, until excess liquid evaporates and mushrooms start to sizzle, about 10 minutes.
3. Add flour and stir to incorporate. Cook for 30 seconds. Add sherry or white wine and cook, stirring constantly and scraping bottom of pan, until thick and syrupy, about 1 minute. Place a fine-mesh strainer over the soup and pour the mushroom-infused broth through it. Discard mushroom scraps. Add bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Bring soup to a simmer and adjust heat to maintain a bare bubble. Let simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Discard bay leaves and thyme and transfer soup to a blender. Close blender and blend, starting on low speed and slowly getting faster. Once blender is at full speed, add 4 tablespoons butter, one tablespoon at a time, until fully incorporated. Continue blending until completely smooth. Rinse out pot and pour soup back into it through a fine-mesh strainer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. To serve, heat oil in a medium saucepan over high heat until lightly smoking. Add reserved mushrooms and cook, tossing continuously, until browned, about 2 minutes. Add minced shallots and thyme sprigs and toss until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add 2 tablespoons water and the remaining tablespoon of butter. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
6. Ladle soup into warm bowls and top with sautéed mushroom mixture. Serve immediately.

08/31/2026

08/29/2026

Recipe of the week!
Fire Roasted tomato and red pepper soup

Ingredients
6 to 7 cups tomatoes (3 to 4 pounds) – (I used a combo of larger tomatoes. Use any kind you like)
1 medium white, or yellow onion, cut into wedges
5 to 7 cloves garlic, peeled, left whole
1 1/2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large red bell peppers
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 to 1/3 cup heavy cream(optional)
Fresh basil leaves(for garnish)

Instructions
Prepare: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an extra large rimmed baking sheet (or, two large baking sheets) with foil – if worried about sticking. Remove any stems from larger tomatoes, and cut the larger tomatoes into wedges. Leave any small grape or cherry tomatoes whole. You can use all of the same tomatoes, if you prefer. Add the tomatoes to the baking sheet. Along with the cut up onion. Use most of the 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to toss the tomatoes, and the onion together until they’re well coated in the oil and salt. Spread them out in an even layer.
Make a foil packet for the garlic: This method allows the garlic to get roasted within 20 minutes, verses roasting an entire bulb of garlic for 40 minutes, to an hour. Place the peeled, and whole garlic cloves on a small piece of foil. Add about 1/4 teaspoon of the oil, and a healthy pinch of kosher salt. Toss to combine. Seal the foil packet up by folding the edges in on each other, the packet should be tightly sealed, and the garlic cloves should be in a single layer. Make room for the foil packet on the baking sheet by moving a few tomatoes over.
Roast: Roast the tomatoes, garlic, and onion for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tomatoes, have shriveled up a little, released their juices, and the onion is tender. The garlic cloves should be slightly browned, and fork tender.
Roast the peppers: I have included 2 methods of roasting your peppers. Gas flame method – While the tomatoes are roasting in the oven, roast your bell peppers over the flame of a gas burner. I place the pepper directly on grate of the gas burner, the open flame is touching much of the pepper. Use tongs to rotate the pepper until all sides are mostly charred. This will take about 8 to 10 minutes – don’t leave them unattended. I like to use one burner per pepper. Broiler method – Alternately, once the tomatoes are done cooking, you can preheat your broiler and place the peppers on a baking sheet, and place them directly under the broiler for about 10 minutes, rotating the peppers every 2 to 3 minutes to ensure even charring.
Allow the red peppers to steam: Once the peppers are nice and charred place them in a medium sized mixing bowl. Cover tightly with a lid, or plastic wrap, and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes. This allows the heat from the peppers to create steam, and allows the skin to lift off of the peppers easier.
Peel the red peppers: Once the red peppers have cooled enough to handle use a paper towel to help you peel most of the charred skin off the peppers, leaving some behind, because it adds flavor. Roughly cut up the flesh of the peppers, discarding the seeds and stems.
Blend: To a high speed blender add the tomatoes, onion, roasted garlic, and any tomato juices. Also add the roasted red peppers – you may need to blend a little, then add more tomatoes once there is room. Carefully blend the tomatoes and red peppers until smooth. Taste and add the optional red wine vinegar if you need a little more acidity, the olive oil, red pepper flakes – for heat, smoked paprika for a little smokiness, and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt – blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the flavors as needed.
Finish: Transfer the soup to a medium sauce pot to slowly heat the soup up. At this time add in the heavy cream, if using, or chicken broth/veggie broth if you wish to thin out the soup a little more. Taste and adjust any flavors as needed.
Serve the soup: Once the soup is heated through you can serve the soup immediately, as is. Or, you can top it with fresh basil, if desired.

08/22/2026

Recipe of the week!
Pear Butter

Ingredients:
4 to 5 pounds chopped Bartlett pears, peels and cores included (remove any bruised or damaged parts)
1 whole star anise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
2 cups water
1 cup lemon juice
2 to 3 cups sugar (adjust down or up given the sweetness of the pears)
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Directions
Step 1
Cook the pears until mashable:
Put chopped pears, star anise, and ginger into a large pot. Add 2 cups of water and 1 cup of lemon juice.
Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the pears are completely soft, anywhere from 25 to 40 minutes. Remove from heat.
Step 2
Push the cooked pears through a food mill:
Fish out and discard the star anise from the pear mixture. Ladle the pear mixture (liquid included) into a chinoise or food mill and (use a pestle if using a chinoise) force the mixture through to a large bowl below.
Discard remaining solids (seeds, stems, tough parts).
Step 3
Add the pear purée and sugar to the pot, season:
Measure the resulting purée, and pour into a large (8-qt), wide, thick-bottomed pan. For every cup of pear purée, add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of sugar (adjust given the sweetness of the pears). Stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the cardamom, nutmeg, and lemon zest. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Step 4
Cook until thick:
Cook on medium heat, stirring often to prevent the purée from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning. Cook until the mixture is quite thick, and a small bit placed on a chilled plate is not runny. This can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the batch.
Step 5
Prepare jars for canning:
While the mixture is cooking, prepare a water bath for canning. Place a steamer rack in a large stockpot, and place 6 to 8 half-pint canning jars on the rack. Fill the jars and the pot with enough hot water to cover the jars by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Wash the lids in hot, soapy water. Because the jars will be processed in a water bath for 10 minutes, you do not need to sterilize the jars. They do, however, need to be warm.
Step 6
Pour the pear butter into the jars:
When the pear butter is ready, pour into the hot jars. and seal, leaving 1/4 inch head space between the pear butter and the rims of the jars. Wipe the rims of the jars clean. Screw on the bands so they are fingertip-tight. At this point, you may either can the pear butter, or simply let it cool to room temperature and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. If you plan to store the pear butter outside of a refrigerator, follow proper canning procedures. Lower the filled jars into the stock pot with canning tongs. Make sure the water covers the jars by at least 1 inch. Bring to a full rolling boil and process for 10 minutes. The sealed jars will keep for a long time, but are best consumed within 1 year.

08/15/2026

Recipe of the week!

Gazpacho

Ingredients
2 lbs ripe red tomatoes (Roma or beefsteak, cored and chopped)
1 English cucumber (peeled and roughly chopped)
1 green or red bell pepper (seeded and chopped)
1 small red onion (peeled and chopped)
1-2 garlic cloves (peeled)
2 tbsp sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil1 tsp kosher salt (adjust to taste)
1 slice of stale white bread (optional, soaked in water and squeezed dry to thicken)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Prep the Veggies: Cut the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and onion into rough chunks. Tip: Reserve a few tablespoons of finely diced cucumber, pepper, and onion to use as a crunchy garnish later.
Blend Everything: Place all the chopped vegetables, garlic, salt, vinegar, and the soaked bread (if using) into a high-speed blender. Blend on high until completely smooth, about 2 minutes.
Emulsify the Oil: With the blender motor running on low, slowly drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil. This emulsifies the soup, turning it a creamy, vibrant orange-pink color.
Strain (Optional): For an ultra-silky texture like a true Spanish restaurant, pass the soup through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing the liquids through with a spatula and discarding the remaining skin and seeds
Chill Completely: Transfer the gazpacho to a glass pitcher or airtight container and refrigerate for at least 4 to 6 hours, or overnight. Gazpacho must be served very cold for the flavors to meld properly.
Serve: Ladle into bowls or pour into glasses. Top with your reserved diced vegetables, a drizzle of high-quality olive oil, and croutons if desired.

08/08/2026

Recipe of the week!
Tomato and Bacon Jam

Ingredients:
½ pound smoked bacon
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 yellow sweet onion, finely diced
1 cup white sugar
2 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 diced jalapeno or serrano chili for heat (optional)

Directions:
1. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon slices on paper towels. Crumble bacon when cool.
2. Stir tomatoes, sweet onion, sugar, apple cider vinegar, salt, black pepper, and chili's together in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. Stir in crumbled bacon and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the spread is very thick, about 1 hour. Adjust salt and black pepper.
3. Cool and spoon into a clean 1-pint glass jar with a lid; store in the refrigerator for 1 week or frozen for 2 months. If freezing, put spread into small jars and let jars thaw in refrigerator overnight before using.

Fantastic on burgers, Grilled cheese sandwiches, eggs, etc. Try it on a steak, or grilled pork or fish! Great way to add flavor to summer dishes! Put it on your favorite grilled vegetables. Definitely one of my summer staples!

08/01/2026

Recipe of the week !

Scallop and plum ceviche

Ingredients
1 pound fresh sea scallops (tough muscle removed), cut into ¼- to ½-inch dice
2 ripe plums, pitted and cut into ¼- to ½-inch dice
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
½ teaspoon grated lime zest
1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
Salt to taste
A pinch of cayenne pepper
Optional: A small pinch of sugar if your plums are tart.

Instructions
Toss together the diced scallops, plums, lime juice, lime zest, tarragon, cayenne pepper, and salt in a mixing bowl.
Place the bowl in the refrigerator and let the mixture chill and cure for 5 to 15 minutes.
Taste the ceviche, adjust the salt or tarragon if needed, and serve cold.
Serve on tostadas and avocado, or with tortilla, or plantain chips.

07/25/2026

Recipe of the Week!

Peach Ginger Pie

Ingredients
For the Filling:
6 to 8 cups fresh, ripe peaches (about 3.5 pounds), peeled and sliced
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar, loosely packed
1/4 cup cornstarch (or 1/3cup for very juicy peaches)
1 to 2 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
For the Crust & Topping:
2 discs of all-butter pie dough (homemade or store-bought)
1 large egg mixed with 1 Tbsp water (for egg wash)
1 Tbsp sanding or demerara sugar (optional, for sprinkling on the crust)

Instructions
Prep the Peaches:
In a large bowl, combine the sliced peaches, lemon juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, grated ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Toss gently until the peaches are well coated and let the mixture sit for about 20 to 30 minutes to release their natural juices.
Assemble the Pie:
Preheat your oven to 425° F (220° C). Place one disc of pie dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Pour the peach mixture into the crust and discard any excess liquid pooling at the bottom of the bowl. Dot the top of the filling with the cubed butter.
Add the Top Crust:
Top with the second disc of dough, either as a full crust with steam vents cut into it or a woven lattice top. Crimp the edges to seal. Brush the top lightly with your egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake:
Bake at 425° F for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375° F (190° C). Continue baking for another 35 to 45 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the peach juices are visibly bubbling.
Cool and Serve:
Let the pie cool completely on a wire rack for at least 2 to 3 hours. This allows the juices to thicken so the pie slices cleanly.