I am officially one month into my experiment in gardening- taking a page out of the book my mother writes. I could never understand her delight in digging in the dirt; I only know that some of our best talks occurred while we aimlessly wandered the yard, picking weeds and watering in the summer dusk. I never held an interest until this summer when I planted my tomatoes and now am finding so much joy in a place I was not aware of.

The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses.  ~Hanna Rione

My small little balcony vegetable garden is teaching me so much more than keeping my little babies alive. It’s helping me to notice the details and the subtle changes in each plant. I am getting better at reading them now – which one needs water, which one is holding on fine. The colors of the leaves very quietly change, but is telling in their moods. I am finding inexplicable delight in the way one grows quicker than the other, only to find the first one shooting up overnight. I am getting a sense what motherhood is all about, and why parents are so obsessed with every sound their kid makes. I feel that way about my little babies too. They are teaching me to be more aware of everything in my world – people, animals and nature alike.

Week 4: Over 13 inches tall, up from 5 inches when I brought them home.

Many things grow in the garden that were never sown there.  ~Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732

The garden has opened up a new room in my house. Whereas I used to avoid the patio and my old dead plants, now the hot East Bay sun beckons me out every morning with a cup of coffee. Many an hour has been spent out there doing work, creating menus, connecting with my east coast loves.  The exterior has moved inside this summer, and I’m grateful for the corner of the world I inhabit.

Tomato count: 13; at least 15 more buds; grown 11 inches

Happiness comes where least expected. God bless 2010 and my unexpected pleasures.

xo,

k2

Good news. I have not killed any tomato plants yet. In fact, I have expanded my family. More basil, more cilantro, thyme, chives and another tomato plant. And a big tomato plant that I have nicknamed “Fighting Chance”. I figured for my first time out, it didn’t hurt to take out an insurance policy.

herbs, herbs & more herbs

Another little Early Girl Tomato Plant

I shall call this one "Fighting Chance"

Thank you to the wonderful people at Flora Grubb who inspire me to grow a green thumb everytime I am there. It is hands down the most beautiful nursery I have ever been to, and I think my new life plan will have to involve countless hours spent lounging among the plants there. Because I have so much free time on my hands. For those who aren’t familiar with this corner of heaven, check out the website at www.floragrubb.com.

What a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Off to cook!

xo,

k2

My babies

I got it into my head this summer that I will be a gardener. Yes, I already realize the irony in this, as I have yet to keep more than two plants alive my whole life. And one of those plants is still on the fence. But I get a ridiculous amount of sunlight on my patio, and I spend a ridiculous amount of money on tomatoes every summer, so why not….right??

I was all set to buy a bag of dirt and a plant and throw it together when my fellow chef friend Tom pointed me to this website: www.growbetterveggies.com

Hmm. Fish heads. Bone meal. Egg shells. I became completely overwhelmed and sat around idle for two weeks trying to decide if I was up for the task. This morning I bit the bullet and planted, more or less following his instructions. Ok, more less than more, basically because I have to work at 2:00 today and OSH looked like the day after Thanksgiving with frantic gardeners running around.

I skipped the fish head and went for shrimp shells. I was scared of what sort of critters might be attracted to a large fish head. Although the website claims they never had a problem, urban gardening strikes me as a little different then life on a farm. I then added the crushed egg shells and an aspirin. Then I fell off the wagon and added organic soil and called it a day.

My goal is to grow actual EDIBLE tomatoes, 100% organically, have enough to sustain my household for the summer, AND hopefully have enough left over to can for the winter season. A bit lofty, I realize, but I figure I can dream big.

Day 1: Here is what we are looking at so far…

Early Girl Tomato

Cilantro

Yellow Brandywine Tomato

Sweet Basil

On Sunday I ventured back to culinary school, a place I had not set foot in since my final exam in the first few days of 2007. Although I always meant to go back and see all the changes that had been made in the years past, it took the sad and surprising passing of my beloved teacher, Chef Mial Parker, for me to return.

The only way to understand this loss is to know him; to have spent many, many, many early morning hours watching this comedic man prance is way around the kitchen, sprinkling sarcasm and wit, while always imparting extensive knowledge on us. It’s true that you only realize what you have when it’s gone. In the years since I have been out of school I have come to realize how fortunate I was to have been taught by such a gifted and talented man. He might have appeared like he was joking 99% of the time, but if you paid attention, you could see how much wisdom he was handing down to us.

“Parkerisms” were his signature statements that usually sounded a little crazy but had so much truth in them. My favorite, and one I use to this day, goes a little something like this….

“Most days, you should know what the hell you are doing in the kitchen. But somedays all you can do is say three Hail Marys and just hope it comes out ok.”

Oh Chef Parker, you have no idea. Thank you for reminding me to always find the humor in the situation. Thank you for inspiring my passion and guiding me on this truly amazing career path. I am so grateful for all you have given me. May you rest in peace.

xo,

k2

December is my favorite month of the year by a long shot, although for those of us in the catering industry it often feels like running a marathon from Thanksgiving weekend until the holidays pass us by. From my feverish quest to send out the first holiday card of the year, to my somewhat psychotic search for the PERFECT gift, I embrace the holiday season in all of its madness.

In this somewhat depressing economy it becomes even more important to get out there and stimulate our economy….especially when at all possible to support the local communities that we live in. Whether we are shopping for produce at our Saturday morning farmer’s market, or frequenting the local boutiques, it’s important that we all take a few minutes to think about what it takes to keep the world we live in thriving.

Blankspace Gallery is located on San Pablo Avenue, just south of Ashby Street in Oakland. It’s a small unassuming building, but inside houses some really wonderful East Bay-driven arts and crafts. They are running a special holiday shopping event for the next few weeks called “Holidayland”, featuring over a 100 local artists. The prices are pretty reasonable and the selection is awesome. Really, really great stuff.

Oh, and I guess I should say that Crave San Francisco: An Urban Girl’s Manifesto is being sold there as well. Featuring Chef k2 and over 100 other female-owned businesses, it keeps with the motto of shopping locally. And often. Happy Gift-giving Season!

xo,

k2

“Celebrating Women’s Wellness”, an event featuring local female-owned businesses that focus on making women’s lives a little bit sweeter. Featuring Chef k2, Raelene Redman Massage Therapy, GO Fitness, Symmetry Chiropratic, Shay’s Cafe and Herbs & Spices, Dazzle Cupcakes and Confections and The Executive Moms Coach

It was a great empowering night all around – promoting small businesses in this somewhat depressing economy can lift up even the most pessimistic around us. I served Butternut Squash Latkes with Sage and Pine Nut Yogurt Sauce, Pulled Turkey BBQ Mini Sandwiches and Roasted Cauliflower and Truffle Oil Soup Shooters. It was a delicious evening from start to finish. Thank you to everyone who came out in support of this wonderful event!

xo,

k2

Those of us who live in catering land often talk about how much work goes into making our clients happy behind the scenes. Sometimes, it doesn’t seem real how long it can take to make a high quality dish from the moment of its inception to the second it’s placed on the table. This last minute birthday dinner for 70 people kept me running on my toes for a full week, but I found that once I arrived at the event the hectic pace slowed considerably and I was reminded just how much I love my job. There is a rhythm and a groove you fall into when catering….and I love it. I love it so much.

Buffet Dinner

Organic Grilled Chicken Breast with Toasted Almond and Mint Pesto

I have been wanting to try this recipe for quite some time, and yesterday I spent the day avoiding the horrendous Bay Bridge detour traffic in my house making this delicious soup. The recipe is way too long to write out (it is Sunday morning after all), but I believe the picture speaks for itself and I’ll gladly share the details if you email me. Compromise, right?

The tofu is crusted with Raw Pumpkin Seeds, Panko and seasonings. I pan-fried the tofu and left it holding warm in the oven. The Lemongrass broth simmered all day with onions, garlic, ginger and lemongrass ( my house smelled amazing!). Shiitake mushrooms, baby bok choy, scallions and rice noodles were added to the strained broth last minute, and the icing on the cake was some pickled radishes that had been soaking overnight.

The best part?? Leftovers for lunch today! A wonderful vegan meal, perfect for this foggy day outside my window.

xoxo,

k2

Although the forecast for San Francisco this weekend calls for sunny 75 degree days, my heart is currently on the east coast where my family huddles together in the crisp autumn days. Inspired by the desire to wrap a scarf around my neck, I made this simple AND delicious soup today for a client.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Homemade Croutons and Truffle Oil

2 medium sized cauliflower, cored and chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper
1 tbs of coriander seeds
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 cups of chicken stock
1/2 cup of half and half (completely optional)
Truffle oil (again, optional but who in their right mind would leave it out??)

2 cups of good bread
Extra virgin olive oil
Mixed fresh herbs – rosemary, thyme, whatever works for you
Salt and Pepper

Toss the cauliflower with EVOO and S/P. Roast at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes and set aside to cool. Stir a few times.

Toast the coriander seeds in a fry pan over medium heat for about 30 seconds. They will start to smell really fragrant. Grind up in a spice grinder or put on a cutting board and bang on them with a fry pan. Take out any built up aggression.

In a soup pot, saute onion in EVOO. Add ground coriander and cook on medium high heat until onions are nice and caramelized. Add cauliflower, chicken stock (sub veggie stock if desired) and bring to a boil. Add a little more stock if the vegetables are more or less covered. Simmer for 10 mins and let cool.

Puree in a blender and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Add half and half or cream if you want to make this over the top, but it really doesn’t need it.

Cut up the bread into large chunks, toss with EVOO, herbs and S/P. Toast in oven for 5-7 mins until they are crunchy.

Ladly soup into bowl, drizzle Truffle Oil on top and throw a few croutons on for good measure.

Serve to loved ones who warm your heart.

xo,
k2

Thank you to everyone who came out to support the launch of Crave San Francisco! We met a lot of fantastic entrepreneurs…had the best lavendar sea salt shortbread cookies ever (thank you Batter Bakery)…and got our hands on this sweet little book.

During the welcome speech, the owner of the company said something that has resonated in my mind ever since. Basically she said that amidst all the cocktails and chit chat, we should stop and think about how cool it is to be in a room with all these female small business owners. FEMALE. SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. IN THIS ECONOMY. Need I say more? There is a lot of negative thoughts out there right now about the state of our economy. But for every sad story you hear, there does seem to be a positive one about someone stepping out on their own and giving it a try.

Pretty cool stuff. Thank you again for the support!

xo,
k2

In addition to local retailers, you can buy the Crave book directly from me!

Organic Cherry Tomato Bruschetta