See July Issue of Inland Empire Magazine

On page 42, you'll see a short interview with me about pickling vegetables. There's also an easy recipe with a great color photo. Thank you- Inland Empire magazine !

Redlands Food Truck Festival This Saturday !

Redlands Mall Parking Lot - 100 Redlands Mall, Redlands, 92373

Join us at Redlands Mall Parking lot for Gourmet Food Trucks & Beer form hangar 24 Craft Brewery!
Saturday, June 30th
11:00am-5:00pm
$6.00 per person ($5.00 presale or with canned food item donated to 2nd Harvest Food Bank)
16 Food Trucks
WTF Pizza, Thai 1 On, ZZ Truck, Slummin' Gourmet, My Tornado Potato, Lee's Philly, Munchee-5, Ludo Truck, Rolling Sushi Van, Viking Truck, Bacon Mania, MeSoHungry Truck, Cousins Maine Lobster, Suite 106 Cupcakery, Waffles De Liege, Tropical Shaved Ice

Photo courtesy of Mod Photography (modphotography.com)

Blackberry Citrus Salsa

Seeing the beautiful berries at Soffel's table at last week's downtown Redlands farmer's market reminded me to pull out this fantastic recipe.

Blackberry-Citrus Salsa

Makes about 2 cups

INGREDIENTS

1 juice orange

1 lime (Mexican, also known as key lime, if possible)

1 cup white onion, minced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 stemmed yellow/orange chile manzano (black seeds removed); or 1 serrano or 1 jalapeno (unseeded), minced

1 cup coarsely mashed blackberries

1/2 teaspoon agave syrup or white sugar

Large pinch sea salt

DIRECTIONS

Squeeze the orange and lime juices into bowl. Mix in the onion and chile. Stir in the blackberries, sweetener and salt. Taste. Add additional minced chile if desired.

Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Herbed Goat Cheese (photo by ModPhotography)

Summer Squash 101

Local farmers markets are full of freshly picked Summer squash.  Both summer and winter squashes are members of the gourd family. All summer squashes are similar in flavor. They may be shredded or cut into thin slices and eaten raw, or cooked by sauteing, stir frying, boiling, steaming or broiling. Zucchini and crookneck yellow squash can be cut into length slices, coated with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and sea salt, then grilled (a personal favorite of mine). Sliced summer squashes can battered and pan-fried or deep-fried. All summer squashes can be halved, hollowed out, filled and baked - or made into soups, stews or, perhaps most notably, ratatouille!

Squash blossoms, particularly those of zucchini, can be sauted and used in a quesadilla, panini, pasta or soup. They can also be filled with a herbed cheese, then battered and deep-fried. No matter how you prepare them, squash blossoms are always a hit on any summer menu.

Storing: Put summer squashes in a perforated plastic bag and keep in the crisper section of your refrigerator for up to three days. Use squash blossoms, ideally, within 24 hours. Store blossoms wrapped in damp paper towel, inside a plastic airtight bag.