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ZUCCHINI If you’ve been visiting your local farmers market lately (and please do!), you’ve no doubt seen bins and baskets full of beautiful zucchini. One of a variety of summer squash, meaning they are harvested while immature so the rinds are edible, zucchini is a great choice for versatility and nutrition. One zucchini provides nearly [...]

FRESH GINGER Fresh ginger is a delicious addition to sweet and savory dishes as well as a great addition to water, lemonade, and tea. It’s unique sweet/pungent/citrus flavor is commonly associated with Asian cuisines, but it is delicious in desserts as well (candied ginger is an especially delicious treat!). Dried ginger can be substituted, but [...]

Welcome to The Fresh 20 Recipe Diary!  This week’s recipe: SPRING VEGETABLE PANZANELLA SALAD ORIGINS: A summertime staple in Tuscany, the panzanella salad was originally a humble dish designed to use up the stale bread and abundant tomatoes farmers had on hand. Bread was soaked in water to soften it and then mixed with tomatoes, [...]

Welcome to The Fresh 20 Recipe Diary! This week’s recipe: WEDDING SOUP ORIGINS: Surprisingly, Wedding Soup isn’t actually a soup served at weddings – its name originates from a mispronunciation! In Italian, the soup is known as Minestra Maritata; Minestra meaning ‘soup’ and Maritata meaning ‘marriage’ – but not that kind of marriage. It refers [...]

Welcome to The Fresh 20 Recipe Diary! This week’s recipe: MUSHROOM CAPRESE ORIGINS: The caprese salad, increasingly found on American menus, originated in the Capri region of Italy. It is a beautifully simple salad designed to celebrate its fresh, ripe ingredients; tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, and olive oil. Coincidentally, the finished salad represents the colors [...]

Welcome to The Fresh 20 Recipe Diary! This week’s recipe: HALIBUT CIOPPINO ORIGINS: Cioppino is a traditional Italian fish stew made famous in the U.S. in the San Francisco Bay Area where restaurants have been serving fresh fish and shellfish in a rich, delicious tomato broth for decades. No Cioppino is complete without warm crusty [...]

Welcome to The Fresh 20 Recipe Diary! This week’s recipe: CITRUS SHRIMP ORIGINS: Citrus and seafood have long been favored companions. The fresh sharpness of lemons and limes is the perfect counterpoint to the dense richness of seafood such as shrimp, lobster and crab. The popular coastal dish of ceviche even uses citrus juice to [...]

Welcome to The Fresh 20 Recipe Diary! Each week we will feature an in-depth look at one of the week’s recipes including its history, ingredients, and any special cooking techniques. As always, we love to hear from you, so please post any comments, questions, or suggestions below. Let’s get started! This week’s recipe: RED CHICKEN POZOLE [...]

St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday that can be equally fun for kids and adults. From crafts to food to games, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. If you’re hosting a party this year, here are some tips to ensure your celebration goes off without a hitch: Invitations – Set a fun tone for your [...]