how a roasted chicken dinner becomes a steaming pot of borscht and other such kitchen magic...

plus...

GF organic corn fettuccine with garlic roasted red bell pepper, summer squash & zucchetta, purple basil, parsley & pumpkin seed pesto, capers, lemon zest, shaved manchego, and fresh cracked rainbow pepper...

GF triple ginger cake...

winter root soup...

brining olives at home...

simple roasted chicken, bone broth and Ottoman chicken soup...

the wide world of culinary herbs and spices...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_culinary_herbs_and_spices

and much more from scratch goodness...

stay tuned!

eat your oatmeal...

heres a healthyish oatmeal recipe you won't have to hard sell anyone on...

creamy coconut chai oatmeal

1 c coconut milk (use light if your concerned about fat content)
1 c brewed chai tea I save leftover tea for this)
1 whole cinnamon stick

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 vanilla pod scraped
3 whole cloves
3 green cardamom pods
4 allspice berries
pinch of kosher salt
1 c rolled organic large GF flake oats

toppings: ghee, maple syrup, honey, ground cinnamon or nutmeg, toasted sliced almonds, walnuts, shredded coconut, chopped dates, raisins, currants, figs, cherries or other dried fruit, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, mango, nectarine, apples or other fresh, seasonal or stewed fruit...

In a medium sized pot, add the coconut milk and the whole spices, along with the pinch of salt. Let it simmer over medium heat for 5-10 minutes until it comes to a slow boil. Remove spices, reduce heat to low and slowly whisk in the oatmeal, stirring occasionally until oats are tender, about 15 minutes. Add a little hot water to thin the oatmeal if desired. Serve in bowls with your favorite toppings. Makes 2-4 servings.

fall...

I've waited so long for you to blow into town, and now that the Moon and cooled down mornings have announced your arrival on the oaked chaparral savannah of far No. CA I'm going to take full advantage of you in the kitchen! As soon as the Sun gets the message, which I feel in my knees is on the very verge of happening... 

in the meantime I am collecting seeds and getting super excited about the following culinary adventures that lie ahead this season...

squash, squash and more squash...two of my favorites are Kabocha and Delicata, but there are so many other delicious varieties out there...I will try to sample as many as possible for you in a host of recipes...and pumpkin, of course! I will be doing a whole lot on pumpkin and everything I plan to subject it to in the kitchen after I get it home from the market including an incredible spicy pumpkin and goat curry which I will attempt to master, some slow roasted chipotle pulled pork and pumpkin tacos and a pumpkin, goat cheese and organic bacon quiche with a savory potato crust will be on the blog...oh yeah...creamy risotto's with roasted pumpkin and squash using Massa's brown rice http://www.massaorganics.com/ local goat cheese from http://northvalleyfarms.com and sage these rustic risotto enriched meals-many of which will be served with herb and lemon roasted chicken, root vegetables and braised greens are seriously not to be missed...

I am extremely excited about Fall mushroom hunting this year and will do the risotto thing with wild mushrooms many times...and as we wait for the rains to coax most of their primordial caps from the ground I just have to be patient...in the meantime I can drive up into the surrounding mountains and hunt the Matsutake mushroom also called the pine mushroom and hen of the woods...there will be more on my mushroom hunting obsessions later...

Matsutake

here's some history...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matsutake

Rainbow trout and Chinook salmon fishing are definitely on the Autumnal horizon...you've got to get em while you can...fish for breakfast? I've got plenty of fantastic weekend breakfast and brunch suggestions...including a super simple blender hollandaise which is perfect on poached salmon, plus healthy smoothie and fresh pressed juice drinks your kids will actually crave...

looking forward to a fresh crop of Fall and Winter greens and hearty salad making with quinoa, roasted jerusalem artichoke, beets, sweet potatoes, parsnips and carrots, crunchy radish and salad turnips, walnuts, dried apricots, sun dried tomato, fresh herbs, mustard greens and arugula...plus suggestions for chopped dinner salads to make any night of the week...

herbed frittatas made from farm fresh eggs and served with gingered tomato relish canned from Summer's bumper crop...this is a meal which will repeat as often as the lunar cycle in my house... a rich comforting horseradish crusted GF mac-n-cheese made with a super savory and nutritious white sauce, baked with fresh goat, aged cheddar and romano cheeses and stuffed with peas, sun dried tomatoes, capers and ham...

and of course copious quantities of soup involving ridiculous amounts of garlic...roasting a chicken a week yields fresh stock and I can't wait to jump into hearty soup and stew making incorporating dried bean varietals, greens, local lamb and sausage from Furnari http://www.furnarisausage.com/ ...several comforting potato and corn chowder recipes with and without local Llano Seco Rancho bacon http://llanoseco.com will be explored and the perfect moist maple cornbread recipe to accompany them inspired by a friend...I am already working hard on a reliably nourishing chicken soup recipe for the Winter issue of Edible Shasta-Butte http://www.ediblecommunities.com/shastabutte/ and will keep the blog updated with my progress regarding that delightful ancient & medicinal remedy...

another current obsession with seaweed is inspiring several variations on a gingery miso soup bowl filled with fresh asian ingredients...plus a coconut curry soup with rice noodles and hard boiled eggs and some sensational split pea and lentil soup recipes that I need to share...and more braised and stir fried greens...especially kale, cabbage and bok choy...

a kitchen experiment making fresh goat cheese from a friends milk surplus is in the cards...and then there are the Fall and Winter nuts and fruits to take advantage of, apples, pears, pomegranates almonds, walnuts, olives and citrus fruits...all these lovely and amazing things will work their way variously into many satisfying Fall and Winter meals to come...so stay tuned for a full and tasty season in the kitchen with clementinecooks, it's going to be tantalizing and delectable!

behold the great pumpkin in all it's glory!