Daily Loaf

My Saturday habit is to start the day at a farmer’s market. Instead of going with a menu and specific ingredients in mind, I choose what looks best and design my menu around what I buy and this week the stars of the show were the peaches.

They’re in season within 100 miles of my home, getting from the farm to my table quickly. This means they are picked at their peak and I get to enjoy a peach that is dripping with juice, has a heady aroma, and tastes…. like a peach.

One of the best ways to enjoy peaches like this is sliced, chilled and topped with a drizzle of good quality heavy cream. But this Saturday I was having company for dinner and wanted something more. One of my dinner guests was my mom, who doesn’t eat much in the way of sweets.

This peach shortcake recipe was pretty, homey and very tasty. The base is a faintly sweet biscuit that gets a flavor and moisture boost from sour cream. The peaches have just a bit of sugar added to help coax out juices to drizzle on the cake. Whipped cream adds a touch of vanilla for a sweet quality without extra sugar. Read the rest of this entry »

It has been almost 30 years since the first annual Earth Day celebration kicked off in the U.S. on its annual April 22nd date. It seems as every year passes, more and more people are “going green” with more readily available educational classes/workshops, consumer products, and organic foods to help them on their quest of saving the earth one recycled can at a time. Even Clorox has a “Greenworks” line that has hit grocery stores recently. If a bleach company can attempt to be more eco-friendly, can’t we all try to do our small part?

So what is happening in Tampa for the big day?

Check out the Earth Friendly Sierra Club’s website for some good local family-friendly Earth Day action.

If you are interested in organic food growth and learning more about healthy-eating and nature based crafts, check out local events going on in the Tampa Bay Area at the Local Harvest website.