I AM SO CRAZY for quince. I may have mentioned that in my last entry which heralded their virtues. I have been devouring all that jam and jelly I had made last year but unfortunately it won’t be long now before it’s all gone. It was the largest batch of anything I had ever made, so much so that I shared quite a bit for Christmas gifts. Luckily, I planned to make the most of the 25 pound box of quince that I had bought at a local farm so along with the jam, jelly and preserves making last fall, I put up some quince vodka, or ‘Ratafia. ‘

To alleviate the disappointment of my dwindling supply of jam, I simply open up the pantry, and am instantly reminded of the pleasures yet to come- long, warm days and cool summer cocktails. Stored in the dark, among the cans and bottles on the bottom shelf, is a large eight quart jar filled with quince ratafia ‘to be.’ It has been sitting in there for three months now with the intention of being there for another five. read more »

THE ANCIENT QUINCE…..kind of a mystery fruit.  Neither an apple nor a pear, but of the same Rose family. This was the chosen fruit for the symbol of fertility by the ancient Greeks, who dedicated them to Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Quince are native to the area between the Caspian and Black Seas, namely Turkey, Iran and Southern Georgia. Their popularity brought them to South America, Australia, New Zealand and the Mediterranean, where they are commonly eaten raw as well as cooked.

In North America, Quince are on the specialty fruit list, with very few trees in production. Unlike apples and pears which are enjoyed right off the tree with their sweetness,  these bright yellow fruit are very hard, acidic and not naturally sweet. Instead, they are turned into marmalade, jam, jelly and preserves. To me, their flavor is similar to a guava, especially when made into jelly. They give off a wonderful perfume when ripe, close to the smell of roses, so keep a few in a bowl to fragrance the room. When cooked, they turn light pink, and their cooking liquid turns to a deep crimson hue.  If you are lucky enough to get your hands on any of them next Fall, I’ll share a few ways to make the most of them. read more »

IT FEELS GOOD to sit here this morning, in a quiet house, cup of tea keeping me warm while I get back to writing. The past two months have been devoted to taking care of the family. Not much creative kitchen energy emerged during that time…just sustenance. My biggest fan passed away. My mom. The queen of culinary standards. We grew up on her love of quality food-and learned to be comfortable cooks as we experimented on our own.  It’s no wonder that she spent her last few months only wanting the fresh fruits of summer and the home baking coming out of her daughter’s kitchens. Mom left us in style, just as she lived, and what a great feeling it was to be able to share that comfort and love with her. read more »

…OF OUR LABOR, in the garden of course, is a lovely act indeed. Although outside it’s Augtober, crazy days of sun and rain,  the produce is ripening and the offerings are abundant and everyone seems to be sharing. Friends of mine run a wonderful nursery tucked within the area of commercial design shops around the old Norm Thompson building in Northwest Portland. Peter has a natural, graceful hand at growing plants and nurturing them to their full beauty.   His nursery is filled with clever choices of unique and handsome plants. With a handful of admirers popping in daily to talk shop and lend a hand, Peter has created quite a following. So in perfect style, he and Karen have been cooking and sharing a midday meal in the garden weekly, using some of the seasonal produce grown just for that purpose. read more »

THE KITCHEN HAS BEEN QUIET in my house. The oven has kept cool, while the garden heats up. There has been no blog writing and not much time for creating due to a wonderful, but long, run of studio production. Dinners are fast and fresh from the garden. I have been able to pick a random cherry tomato or two so far, but the crop is still on the shy side of ripe. Give it a couple more weeks of sun and I’ll be tomato crazed and wondering why I planted so many plants yet again. The green beans have given the most with a large handful collected almost every day. They are so easy to use well in a cool kitchen. On the shadier side of the garden, the arugula, spinach and bok choy are in full swing. We will be eating well tonight.

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THE HEAT HAS ARRIVED, winter is now over and Avalon and I are recreating our summer trips to Hawai’i.

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Orange Cinnamon Bread

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BACK FROM THE KITCHEN with my most widely shared recipe…of course, a chocolate cake. The beauty of this cake is in the ease of putting it together. You basically can’t mess up. Get out your mixing bowl, and literally add each ingredient one after the other until they are all in there well mixed. No fancy techniques needed at all. A piece of cake.

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Also, if you need help with a menu, recipe or technique write it here, and I will get back to you.