Food & Wine. Art & Food History at Abi's Farmhouse Kitchen
A good friend from my old life popped in for a short visit this past Saturday. I was knee-deep in my family reunion and had 40 wonderful Palmers running about so she couldn’t stay long. But today, while the kids nap a bit longer (a joy unto itself!), I find myself remembering my life before […]
There are probably sexier things to mull over on a breezy Saturday afternoon but… Leftovers get a bad rap. They do. Some dishes actually improve with time in the fridge or reheated on the stove. The spices intensify or the flavors muddle together more subtly. And a great time to drink those amazing bottles of […]
It’s turning warm out. Downright hot for some of you. And here in Sonoma, the greens are starting to ripen and gathering at Farmer’s Markets is a community staple. Salads are now the perfect meal. Here is one that my stepdad Wilson shared with us last month and we’ve enjoyed every week since. […]
PESTO: Pine Nuts can be silly expensive. And traditional pesto is tons of pine nuts and tons of fresh basil. But basil isn’t in season yet. Confession: We grow almost an entire bed of basil just so I can make fresh pesto all summer and freeze countless single-dinner-size containers. But as the weather warms, I […]
As every growing family knows, the more little people you create, the less time there is for savoring some of life’s most beautiful fundamentals – taking in a sunset, browsing the season’s new lipsticks in person, and a languid afternoon of any kind… When Dean and I first started dating, we cooked together most every […]
Artichokes comprise perhaps the single most complete, sensuously pleasing meal. Leaves softened by steam torn from the flower bulb and dipped into homemade, garlicky aioli before the tender fleshy base of each leaf is skinned clean by teeth. Initially painted with some vague aphrodisiac quality, the artichoke caught on because of its hearty vegetable stalk, […]
This is a delicious call to all of us fine foodies and wine lovers to eat more vegetables. Granted, I supe my veggies up with healthy amounts of butter and olive oil — then serve them with a lovely, rather large glass of wine but to each his own. This is a recipe for a […]
Over-roasted Spaghetti Squash = A Heavenly Dish of Citrines! Dean made us Spaghetti Squash last night. One of my absolute favorites. But, as luck would have it, our housekeeper was running a bit behind and Dean didn’t get a chance to remove the Squash from the oven after 50-55 minutes like we normally do. Instead, […]
Beets are one of the few vegetables you can buy, stick ’em in your fridge drawer and legitimately come back to them a week or so later and say, “I forgot you were there! Huh… what can I make with you today?” I came up with this dish mostly out of laziness this past summer…as […]
What to do with aaalllll of the tomatoes out there right now? All the perfect, gorgeously ripe fragrant tomatoes? It’s a gluttony! Our local Farmer’s Market, Sonoma, Glen Ellen and Oliver’s markets are chock full of tomatoes — not to mention that our kitchen garden truly just lit itself on fire in orange, red, yellow […]