August 4, 2010

Stuffed with cheese.  Breaded and fried.

Do I really have to write any more?

I’ve been eyeing these gorgeous squash blossoms for ages now, and finally decided to try my hand at stuffing them.  Lucky me, it must have been in the cards because one of my favorite growers at the farmer’s market gave me 2 baskets for the price of one!  I took it as a sign and took them home to experiment.

A simple recipe… take your favorite soft cheese (I used light Laughing Cow), some Parmesan, garlic powder and pepper mixed together and gently stuff into the blossoms.  A light dusting of flour, a dip into milk or egg, and a roll in some seasoned toast or bread crumbs.  That’s all the prep you need to do!  I fried these little flowers for a minute on each side, until golden, taking care not to brown too much.  I recommend serving these over a simple spoonful of your favorite tomato sauce with a sprinkle of Parmesan on top.  To DIE for.  Guess what we had for dinner this night??

August 4th, 2010 | Category: Food, Grow It, Locally Made, Main Dishes, Recipes, Veggie | Comments (2)

July 31, 2010

“That’s it!  We’re outta here!”, I said to Jesse as I placed him into his stroller.  We needed to take advantage of the fresh ocean breeze and the bright sun this past Wednesday morning.

I had gotten enough of it…this summer fog that made it seem like early morning throughout the entire day.  The past month here on the Central Coast (especially in our South County area) has been cooler than normal, with far too many overcast days for my liking.

Good thing there was a sunny summer surprise waiting for us at the farmer’s market.

Who could resist this gorgeous local berries?  I was so happy to meet Jan, who has been growing these beauties since 1985.  She was kind enough to give little Jesse a plum to keep him happy on the rest of our walk, which he greedily bit into over and over again until all that remained was red red juice all over his face.

I thought he’d enjoy the berries, maybe even more.

A little vanilla yogurt and a few berries stirred in.  A good snack for both baby and mama.

Too bad these berries didn’t make it through the rest of the day…somehow they were eaten all up!

July 31st, 2010 | Category: Baby Food, Desserts, Food, Locally Made, Snacks | Comments (3)

July 8, 2010

Some of the true fruits of the season!  Tender squashes during this time of year don’t need big fancy recipes to let their flavor shine through.  Who has time for big fancy recipes during summer, anyway?

This stuffed squash recipe is so simple that I won’t even type out a proper recipe~

I gently scoop out the inside of each squash half (I’ve found that a small melon baller works best for me), taking care not to dig too deep. This will give you little squash boats to fill with your stuffing.  Using a knife or pulsing food processor, chop the scooped out squash and combine with chopped onion, peppers, and whatever other vegetables you’d like.  Here I’ve also added shredded carrot and chopped parsley.  A bit of salt, pepper, garlic for seasoning, and a sprinkle of bread crumbs to keep the mixture together, (quinoa is also great in these). 

Fill your squash with the mixture and top with a bit of Parmesan, goat or feta cheese. I pop these into a 375 degree oven until slightly browned on top (20-30 minutes depending on squash size).  Yum!

If you are looking for another simple recipe for these summer squash beauties, here is my recipe for Squash Ribbons with Parmesean.

July 8th, 2010 | Category: Food, Locally Made, Main Dishes, Recipes, Veggie | Comments (3)

May 5, 2010

Everyone needs a sweet treat every now and then (or more)!  I was lucky enough to recently win a quartet of Amy Bakes Cupcakes famous Chocolate Merlot cupcakes!   Yes, they are as fabulous as they sound.  I held myself back from eating the entire box at once in order take a few photos to share with you!

Amy has become a local fixture around the Central Coast, gaining attention for her baking skills, sunny blond hair, and super friendly and fun personality.  She takes much care in fulfilling all of your cupcake needs, whether that be a birthday treat or wedding for 200…oh and did I mention her vegan and gluten-free options?  Check our her adorable website to learn more!

And yes, I’ve been super absent from Localette lately… I’m already in the thick of the Joi Wedding Season, finishing one wedding, about to have another… who could blame a girl for a little cupcake break?

May 5th, 2010 | Category: Food, Inspiration, Locally Made | Comments (1)

March 27, 2010

Can we chat about my latest obsession?  Bloom Microgreens have been popping up in my SLO Veg deliveries this year and I can’t get enough of these fresh and tasty little leaves!

I add them to sandwiches, on top of my morning bagel (with avocado, to die for) or sprinkle them into salads.  Microgreens are the young sprouts of vegetables and Bloom has a huge variety to choose from.  My personal favorite right now is their Rainbow mix, which includes cabbage, broccoli, chard and sunflower shoots.  The Sunshine mix is so tasty as well, and I’m looking forward to trying their Asian mix (includes wasabi sprouts!) and their selection of herb greens.

I have to add another reason for why I love these microgreens…. have you ever gotten a box of sprouts from the grocery store and tried to take just a pinch out at a time?  It’s virtually impossible and I always end up yanking the whole lot out of the box.  Bloom microgreens are easy to take out a few at a time… I don’t know, it’s the little things that make me happy!    Bloom is located in Los Osos, CA and run by Kara Wood, yet another wonderful local business to support.   Yum!

March 27th, 2010 | Category: Food, Locally Made, Veggie | Comments (3)

January 27, 2010

Just a heads up to all you art lovers in the area!   This Saturday between 5-8:30pm SUPPORT LOCAL ARTISTS and come to an awesome show at the Sanitarium in SLO.  Featured artists are joey Salazar, Vincent Bernardy, Joe Tomei, Rober MAJA & Suzie Bliss.  Art, live music and wine tasting at this free, open to the public event.

This Saturday, January 30 from 5-8:30pm.  The Sanitarium is located at 1716 Osos St., on the corner of Osos and Leff in San Luis Obispo, CA.  For more info, contact Vincent Bernardy or Suzie Bliss at (805) 544-4124.  See ya there!

January 27th, 2010 | Category: Desserts, Inspiration, Local Places, Locally Made, Snacks | Leave a comment

December 9, 2009

I’ve got to share a great new local business with all of you, SLO Veg: Fruit & Vegetable delivery for San Luis Obispo and its surrounding towns.  I received a month of their totes for a Christmas present from a very generous friend.  Every week, I get a big box of gorgeous fruits and vegetables, all locally grown, all in season.  It’s like Christmas every time Steve shows up at my door with my tote in hand!  You don’t have to be an obsessive food nerd like me to get a thrill out of this great service…. totes are available is various sizes, and you can choose between weekly or bi-weekly deliveries.  A great local business to support!

December 9th, 2009 | Category: Locally Made | Comments (4)

July 31, 2009

Just a quick reminder to all of you out there to swing by Mari Robeson’s beautiful boutique in the village of Arroyo Grande TONIGHT FROM 5-8 p.m.! Mari is celebrating the launch of her first Limited Edition Fabric & Pillow Collection as well as a new online shopping site!  If you haven’t seen this very accomplished and talented local designer, please don’t hesitate to view her work and services here: Mari Robeson Home: Divine Details for Home and Child

Friday, July 31, 2009 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
51 West Branch Street, Suite B, The Village Of Arroyo Grande, California.
Phone: 805.473.1073

Did I forget to mention that delicious creations from Amy Bakes Cupcakes will be there, as well?  As if you needed another reason to attend!  Amy Bakes Cupcakes is a custom cupcake cakery, delivering an ever growing collection of unique flavors such as Kalhua Peach and Mexican Hot Chocolate, right along side traditional flavors.  A perfect night out in my opinion!

July 31st, 2009 | Category: Local Places, Locally Made | Comments (4)

July 8, 2009

So I HAD to force myself away from finishing up some important jobs to share a couple great things with you!  Our baby shower was a while ago, but here are some highlights….  okay, you got me, yes they are the edible kind of highlights.  (What else do you expect from me?)

First of all, I was so excited about my favors!  My little wedding favors didn’t even come close to what Megan at Saylor Studios made up for me!  (She’s lucky she wasn’t around here during the wedding, I would have had her make about 3 times the amount she made this time.)

Each guest got at least one cute take-out box with a HUGE dark chocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting, so good!  I also got surprised with these adorable mini brownie cupcakes with cream cheese frosting (green to match everything, of course!) for snacking during the festivities.   Visit Saylor Studios for any of your cupcake needs!  *Drool*

What did we eat besides cupcakes, you ask?  One of my favorite local blogs is by an amazing whole foods chef instructor, holistic nutritionist and blogger, Correne Quigley-Faysal.  Did I mention she’s also one of us Central Coasters?  Check out her blog Seasonal Cuisine.

Correne has the most tempting healthy recipes and I had to use one for shower snacks: Artichoke-Pine Nut Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms.  Oh if these just SOUND good to you, wait until you TASTE them.  I actually had to make a second batch of the artichoke pesto because….um…well…I ate too much of the first batch to finish the recipe.  Oops.  Check out Correne’s blog for some other amazing recipes!

July 8th, 2009 | Category: Food, Inspiration, Locally Made, Recipes, Snacks, Veggie | Comments (6)