I am enjoying my time spent in Mexico. I am devouring all the culture I can and cooking with ingredients found locally while at the same time, choosing to write about and share ideas and dishes that you can make during the winter holiday season at home. Last year, my son Alex bought me a cookbook for Christmas called Frida's Fiestas. It's all about Frida Kahlo, her favorite recipes and her love of cooking for friends and for her famous artist husband Diego Rivera. As it so often happens with great cookbooks, my friends here in Mexico have a copy too. I thought it would be a great time to finally read this book and gain some food inspiration while I'm at it. In the chapter titled "December" I came across this delightfully different, refreshing salad. I think it would be a great choice for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, or anytime really. I changed a couple of things but the idea remains Frida's. I wish I could have been a guest at her table when she was throwing her parties at the 'Blue House' in Coyoacån, she had such enthusiasm for life, loved preparing food and had a passion for entertaining, kind of like me!

Roasted Beet, Jicama, Orange and Peanut Salad, Honey-Lime Vinaigrette
for Salad:
2 medium or 1 large jicama, peeled and sliced thinly
2 oranges, peeled and sliced
2 medium beets, *roasted, peeled and sliced
3/4 c peanuts, roasted, salted, chopped
1/4 c cilantro, chopped for garnish (optional)
for Vinaigrette:
6 T olive oil
3 T fresh lime juice
1 t honey
zest of one orange
pinch of chile powder or cayenne or both!
salt and pepper

​To make the vinaigrette, combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake to blend well, the honey will emulsify the dressing. On a large platter, arrange the jicama slices in a circle then the oranges. Pile the beets in the middle. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and sprinkle with the peanuts and cilantro. You could sprinkle with a bit of Tajin (a chile-lime salt available in most stores) as a finishing touch or sprinkle with pomegranate seeds for more color.
*To roast the beets, heat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle whole beets with olive oil, salt and pepper and wrap in foil. Roast for 1 hour, cool then peel, dragging the dull side of a knife over them to remove the skin. Slice or chunk, your choice.
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​Serves 8.

Sometimes you just feel like a nice, warm bowl of homemade soup but haven't at all prepared for this craving. That is exactly what happened to my daughter Lily one night last week. It was too late to go to the store so she went to the pantry instead. She found a can of pumpkin and a can of chicken stock... soup perhaps? She started to work with an onion and some spices and in a few minutes she had what she wanted, a nice, steaming hot bowl of comfort that tasted like it had been simmering all day. Best of all there's no need to pull out the food processor!
I was lucky enough to consume a bowl of this wonderful orange yumminess first hand and I couldn't wait to share this recipe with you. This soup is so simple and requires only a few 'on hand' items. Best of all you can switch it up for a bunch of different flavor profiles. Try Thai coconut milk and a squeeze of lime or heavy cream with a few tablespoons of peanut butter and a chopped bacon garnish. I garnished mine with a dollop of plain yogurt and some crumbled, fried sage leaves. Get creative and have fun. Serve next to this delicious seasonal fall salad, it's the perfect accompaniment for a light but hearty dinner by the fire. You could sub sliced Fuyu persimmons for the apple as we get closer to winter or add already cooked chicken breast for some good protein. Enjoy!

Fall Greens Salad
3 c mixed hearty salad greens
1 c arugula leaves
1/2 head radicchio (about a cup when sliced thinly)
1 lg Honeycrisp or Braeburn apple, sliced into matchsticks
toasted pepitas or walnuts

Dressing:
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar 
2 1/2 Tbsp honey
1/4 tsp each cinnamon, curry,
​cumin, black pepper
1 T dijon mustard
1 t salt
1/2 c. oil (I often use olive
but walnut oil would be delicious)

Whisk everything but the oil together to blend then the oil slowly, in a steady stream to emulsify. Toss the greens and apple together in a salad bowl with the dressing as needed, top with the nuts and serve. Add some good crumbled blue cheese such as Pt. Reyes on top too if you like, or any other cheese for that matter! This makes more dressing than you will need so just store the unused portion in a jar on the counter and use within a week or so.

A lot of the food sites that I follow are already starting to talk about crock pot cooking, stews and soups...but here in Murphys we are still experiencing summertime heat and the cucumbers are still coming in! My friend Annie planted Suyo Long cucumbers this year, a Japanese variety that is spiny, burpless and super flavorful. In an attempt to use these beauties while they are still with us, I came up with a cucumber salad that is a bit spicy, different and really refreshing. 

Japanese Suyo Cucumber Salad
2 medium cucumbers, peeled & sliced
2 oranges,* peeled and supremed**
1  jalapeño, sliced into thin rounds
1/2 c mint, chopped roughly
1/2 c cilantro, chopped roughly
1 dz baby tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 red onion, cut in half & sliced thinly
1 T rice wine vinegar
2 T fresh lime juice
1 T sugar
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Put the last 3 ingredients in a bowl and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Put all the other ingredients in the bowl and toss; chill.

*Feel free to substitute fresh mango cut into a 1/2" dice for the oranges for a real ‘south of the border’ flare.
**Supreming is a technique that removes the membrane from citrus fruit so it can be served in slices. To supreme an orange begin by trimming off the very top and bottom of the fruit with a sharp knife. Next, set the fruit on end, and carefully cut the skin from its flesh, beginning at the top and following the curves down. Then, carefully cut out each section of the fruit by inserting the blade of the knife between the flesh and the membrane on both sides. The wedges should come out easily, leaving only the membrane intact.

I love beans. I especially love heirloom beans! Rancho Gordo is a Napa Valley company that grows specialty types of beans in the U.S. and Mexico. I was lucky enough to end up with a pound of their ‘Marcella’ beans (a delicate type of the cannellini bean) after a friend recently visited their Napa store. Finding myself with a plethora of garden tomatoes this week, the idea of the combination of the two set me thinking. This bean, tomato and artichoke salad with a basil vinaigrette is my idea of a perfect summertime combination.

​​Heirloom Bean, Tomato & Artichoke Salad
1  6.5 oz jar of marinated artichoke hearts, cut in half
4 c heirloom beans (recipe below) or 3 (15 oz) cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 
6 green onions, chopped
1/4 red onion, sliced thinly
2 c tomatoes, cut into bite sized pieces, all shapes and colors
1/2 c basil vinaigrette (see recipe below)

Toss everything together in a large bowl, chill or serve at room temp. For a more substantial light supper salad, add crumbled feta or goat cheese, grilled chicken, good quality canned tuna or cooked pasta!

It's always a good idea to have several versions of potato salads in your recipe box. This one is a crowd pleaser. Fashioned after everyone's favorite toppings for a baked potato, it's just a little bit different and really colorful too. I made this one on the 4th of July and it was a huge hit. It's great with bar-b-que, holds up well in an ice chest and can be made a day ahead. You can substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream if you must, I don't!