Column Alison Steele Archives - San Lorenzo Valley Post

Brine cured Olives packed in Herbs and Oil

March 17, 2024April 3, 2024 slvpost.com0 comment

By Alison Steele The first time I tasted home-cured olives was with California farmer gal Towhee Nelson. She dropped by with a jar of shiny black orbs, soaking in oil and and her farm grown flavors, harvested from the hand-tilled earth of Camp Joy Gardens. Anyone who has ever attended the annual Spring Plant Sale or the infamous Wreath Sale… Read More

Column Alison Steele Columns Health

Corn Flower Face Mask

March 3, 2024March 14, 2024 slvpost.com0 comment

By Alison Steele Self-care is the new buzzword. Without caring for ourselves, it’s nearly impossible to care for the folks around us. Self-care is time taken, time out, no matter how little, on a daily basis to give our nervous systems a breather and reconnect with our true selves. I love getting older. All the know-how piles up and suddenly… Read More

Column Alison Steele Columns Food & Drink

Cherokee Trail of Tears Bean Soup with Scarlet Kale & Winter Herbs

January 13, 2024February 1, 2024 slvpost.comrecipes0 comment

By Alison Steele I throw on a sweater and stroll along the garden path for a fresh start to the day. My former convention garden layout of rectangles and rows is transforming. Winter time is prime for garden rearranging, bed resting, thinking, and reconfiguration. Meandering paths of fruit trees and winter greens tucked amongst the purple pincushions are becoming my… Read More

Column Alison Steele Food & Drink

Apple & Huckleberry Hand Pies

October 21, 2023October 21, 2023 slvpost.comautumn, baking0 comment

By Alison Steele For our family, applesauce, apple butter, and cider are the easiest ways to preserve the bounty of the apple trees. I’ve moved away from stovetop stock pots in favor of the electric slow cooker as an energy and time saver, but when the crispness of fall mornings begins, so does the pie making. It’s a labor of… Read More

Column Alison Steele Columns Food & Drink

Dark Chocolate Desert Queen Fig Pudding

September 12, 2023September 22, 2023 slvpost.com0 comment

By Alison Steele Every August we return to Boulder Creek from Virginia summers to find sunflower forests, magic beans, and mysterious squash entangled in what seems like an enchanted garden from a childhood storybook. Spent pea shoots are cleared away to reveal jewel toned beets and carrots ready for harvesting. The jostaberries are sundried on the branches with a curious… Read More

Column Alison Steele Columns Food & Drink

Dill Pickled Beetroot

August 27, 2023September 7, 2023 slvpost.com0 comment

By Alison Steele On a quick visit to the neighboring farm, I returned with a basket of fresh beets from Jon Knopp’s vegetable garden and a new motto that made me smile. Grow to Give! The Knopp’s are an old family here in Staunton whose name is synonymous with kind. It’s not hard to see why they’re spoken so fondly… Read More

Column Alison Steele Columns Food & Drink

Wild Brook Trout with Crushed Juniper Berries

August 5, 2023August 10, 2023 slvpost.com0 comment

By Alison Steele Our summers in Virginia start religiously with a getaway to the coast along with family, fresh oysters, blue crab, and swimming. It’s relaxing to see the kids play fearlessly in the Atlantic Ocean flanked by dolphins and warmed by the southern sun. After a week or two we make our way inland to the mountains and unwind… Read More

Column Alison Steele Columns Food & Drink

Nettle Souffle

May 18, 2023June 13, 2023 slvpost.comFood, recipes0 comment

By Alison Steele I’m at the beck and call of spring sunshine as the earth warms and the sweet scent of berry blossoms wafts through the garden. It’s time to free up the blueberries as they intertwine with the nettles in a delicate dance of time and space. At the peak of their nutrition, I pull the nettles as the… Read More

Column Alison Steele Columns Food & Drink

Buckwheat Griddle Cakes

April 8, 2023June 13, 2023 slvpost.compancakes0 comment

By Alison Steele Last summer, I met Harry and Millie Hornbeck while taking a banjo workshop in Elkins, West Virginia. They tap trees for sap, grow and mill fresh buckwheat and corn flours, and sell them at the local farmers’ market beside the train depot. After talking to them, I couldn’t resist stocking up on all three. Stored in the… Read More

pastured eggs wilted greens and sourdough

Column Alison Steele Columns Food & Drink

Pastured Egg & Wilted Sorrel atop Toasted Sourdough

March 13, 2023June 13, 2023 slvpost.comeggs, sourdough0 comment

By Alison Steele Eggs on toast with wilted greens is a combination older than the hills enjoyed by folks and farmers everywhere. I heard KBCZ’s Tina Davey raving about toast on the radio stacked with eggs and avocado as a quick nutritious meal while stocking the camper with goodies for our spring campout. Erin Valdivia, bread baker extraordinaire and cohost… Read More