A Whole Box of Dirty Vegetables

It's officially summer and my CSA box was absolutely brimming with vegetables! This week’s box (straight from the fields of Delvin Farms) included summer squash, green beans, kale, cucumbers, berries and so much more! Truly more than a girl knows what to do with in a week…so I decided to preserve some for winter and use the rest to inspire some local and seasonal recipes.

I spent all morning yesterday blanching, draining, vacuuming, sealing and repeating (my Foodsaver has finally redeemed its high price tag!).  And as Ava Perry sat at my feet munching scraps (some fell, some may have been "dropped");  I felt so incredibly connected to time and place.  Maybe it was the smell of fresh veggies in my kitchen or possibly the sweet sound of Stevie Nicks blasting from our record player in the next room over...but I began to feel nostalgic for the summers I spent with my sister, barefoot and rockin' out to the Mac as we meandered down to the lake in our hometown of Lake Wildwood, CA.  Leave it up to me to feel inspired by food (covered in dirt from the farm nonetheless), but today I'm more thankful for fresh-delicious food than I have ever been before.

I also just realized that I have yet to introduce some of the cast of characters in my new adventure!  Who is this CSA? Ava Perry? The Mac? Well, stay tuned…for all shall soon be revealed.

Cheers!  x

The Local Olive

Hello world!  It's very nice to meet you.

"Another blogger?"  In short, "Yes,  I've decided to join the ranks."  I've been working on my  first cookbook for several months and I'm excited to finally share my journey with you...

Now, most of the recipes are not mine...they are however a sampling of my Gram’s cooking expertise.  You see, Gram's cooking can be blamed for countless broken pant-buttons, licked-clean dishes and more boisterous conversations (some might consider it yelling, but that's up for debate) than I care to relive.  Essentially, documenting Gram's cooking is as much about capturing the essence of Italian livelihood, as it is about her unforgettable meals.

And now a personal disclaimer:  I'm not an authority of any kind  (except enjoying my Grandmother’s food). Gram has preserved the legacy of her Italian predecessors through her amazing meals and I’ve been inspired to share them with the world.  The purpose of my blog, the Local Olive, is to document my journey and share with you some tools for getting "back to the basics" and eating the way our Grandmother’s did by living off the land and eating local-seasonal foods.  I’m confident that if we refocus our attention back to eating fresh and healthy local food, “the good life” will inevitably follow suit.  And hopefully, we may also become inspired by the simpler things in life…like celebrating the seasons, traditions and the ones we love (dogs included).

Cheers!  x