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Raspberry Brownies

Raspberry Brownies

More than just Brownies

I remember the five-fingered ferns growing under the waterfalls, bobbing their green fingers as the droplets struck them. And I remember the smells of the hills, wild azalea and a very distant skunk and the sweet cloy of lupin and horse sweat on harness.
East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Brownies, why yes! Summer raspberries, of course! Yes to summer bliss in every bite. With such an unassuming recipe title it might be easy to ignore this compelling summer treat. This is a brownie with just enough chocolate to share the stage with in-season raspberries. A bittersweet chocolate glaze drizzled over the brownie takes these brownies from snack worthy to dessert. This is such an easy recipe to make, well worth the results. Just fantastic with summer berries. We went berry picking at Live Earth Farm, coming home with red and golden raspberries, a flat of blackberries too. I took a few photos for Instagram, made lots of jam and these brownies. Walking around the house barefoot is a favorite part of my summer, but intensely flavored summer berries might be even better.

Essentials

I thought the recipe was light on the chocolate, but this is not a dusky, dark chocolate brownie. This brownie is perfectly matched to complement sweet, summer raspberries. A drizzle of bittersweet chocolate adds the pop of flavor I crave in my favorite recipes. READ MORE . . .

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Raspberry Cream Pie

Raspberry Cream Pie

Gray

“Adam seemed clothed in a viscosity that slowed his movements and held his thoughts down. He saw the world through gray water. Now and then his mind fought its way upward, and when the light broke in it brought him only sickness of the mind, and he retired into the grayness again.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

It was an unusually gray August. A mix of coastal fog and smoke from the Soberanes fire, left us feeling that summer must be somewhere, just not here. To be fair, the sun pushed its way through the gray many afternoons, at least for a few hours. Then the late afternoon fog swooped in from the coast and settled until the next afternoon, or the day after that. The Soberanes fire has moved south and so has the dusting of gray ash, on our cars, patio, plants and whatever else was outside. We will remember this fire for a very long time. After this raging fire Big Sur and the Los Padres National Forest won’t ever be the same. It was started by an illegal campfire on July 22nd in Garrapta State Park and it won’t be contained until the end of September. That’s right, over two months of fire. Every June, July and August I look for summer, knowing that it will arrive in September and stay through October. This is how we summer in this part of California. READ MORE . . .

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Peach Raspberry Pie

Peach Raspberry Pie

A Spinning Top

“And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Life is good. Our planet Earth keeps spinning around the sun. Each day spills into the next. We try not to sleepwalk though the day. We pause to enjoy as much as we can because we know that at any moment our daily spin could spiral out of control. This past week has been heavy on the spin. I’ve been holding on. My mom was in the hospital for the second time in the last thirty days. Never a good sign, especially when you are 87. I can only hope I have half the tenacity she has. Without the stubbornness please. She has revoked her original DNR order and wants all measures taken. Refusing nursing home care, she has returned home. READ MORE . . .

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Olallieberry Financiers

Ollalie Financiers

Summer Berry Mania

“Wouldn’t it be funny if she never left Watsonville, thirty miles away? She could even slip in over the line and see her friends if she wanted to. Maybe she came to Salinas sometimes. She might be in Salinas right now.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

It was mid June. It was time for the local olallieberry harvest at Gidzich Ranch in Watsonville. If I held my breath it would be over. I grew up with the olallieberry harvest at Gidzich Ranch every summer. During those years I found my mother’s fixation with the olallie to be a bit obsessive. Often we would go pick berries each week of June and the beginning of July. We would leave early in the morning when it was still cool so my mother would have time to process the lush berries on the same day they were harvested. I am beginning to follow my mother’s path. I have been to Gidzich twice for olallies. I made pie, jam and froze olallieberries just as my mother did. But this year I tried a new berry recipe with my olallies. And I am very glad I did! READ MORE . . .