I am recently home from speaking on a culinary cruise along the Atlantic coast of Europe. Thomas P. Gohagan & Company put together the tour for alumni organizations and cultural institutions. Like all of Gohagan’s adventures, the voyage was intimate, with only 230 passengers on a small, luxurious ship. My job was to give lectures about food along our route and host meals at distinctive venues in the countries we visited- Portugal, Spain, and France.

I tasted some excellent Spanish cheeses, all purchased at Andrew’s Cheese Shop in Santa Monica. Andrew introduced me to Mont Enebro, a real discovery! It is oblong shaped, soft ripened goat’s milk cheese that is covered with a layer of what appears to be ash but is actually penicillium roquefort mold, the same that is used to make exquisite blue cheeses. However, Mont Enebro is not a blue cheese, but has a creamy white center with an earthy flavor punctuated by peppercorn-like spiciness. It is dense when young, but ripens to a plush creaminess. It is the creation of legendary cheese makers, who are part of an artisanal cheese movement in Spain. Its taste is so complex, I like it best on its own with crusty bread or atop a simple tossed salad. If you don’t live near Santa Monica, the cheese can be ordered from Murray’s Cheese. 

I heard that Ethridge Organics was selling very special tangerines, so I went straight to their stand at the Topanga farmers’ market Friday morning. Aaron Ethridge cut a wedge of the deep orange fruit, releasing its fresh floral aroma- I could almost taste its intense sweet-sour tang before he handed it to me. This is a fruit to seek out. 

Romanesco Cauliflower: Found at Weiser Family Farms stands at many Los Angeles farmers’ markets. From the grocery store: Choose regular cauliflower.

The just picked fruit, vegetables, and herbs I find at local farmers’ markets are loaded with flavor, and therefore it takes very little effort in the kitchen to create marvelous, healthy dishes when using them. They are what inspire my cooking. I intend to frequently highlight produce I bring home from the markets, and tell you about the easy preparations I make. These dishes are simple to prepare without complete recipes, they are more ideas than formulas.

German Butterball Potatoes: Found at Weiser Family Farms stand, at many Los Angeles farmers’ markets. From the grocery store: choose Yukon gold potatoes instead. 

Chanterelles Mushrooms: Found at several stands at local farmers’ markets. I have been purchasing them from Mello AG, at the Santa Monica farmers’ market, and Vital Zuman Farms at the Topanga farmers’ market. From the grocery store: Gelson’s and Whole Foods Markets carry chanterelles, but they are costlier than at farmers’ markets. Button mushrooms or shiitakes can be used in the suggestions below; they will be tasty, but won’t offer the same woodsy flavor or substantial texture.

I’m happy to announce that my new cookbook, Weeknight Fresh and Fast, is now available. It can be found exclusively at Williams-Sonoma stores this month and February, and then in March it will also be in bookstores. It can be preordered on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, for March shipment.

The rain this morning forced me to cancel a hike with friends, and so I baked cookies for them instead. I was eager to taste the organic, reduced sugar fruit spreads Crofter's had given me, and knew that thumbprint cookies, their indentations designed to be filled with jam or jelly, would be a yummy way to try the preserves. 

I ordered fresh Italian Marroni chestnuts from a family orchard in the Sacramento valley for our Thanksgiving feast. The chestnuts arrived only a few days after I requested them from the website. I am happy to report that the chestnuts are sweet, tender, and moist. Roasted, they make an excellent winter treat for before dinner or while sitting around a cozy fire.

Williams-Sonoma Cooking at Home is a big, beautiful cookbook, filled with timeless recipes for classic dishes seasoned with modern flavors, food that is perfect for weeknight cooking and entertaining. The book is packed with helpful tips, hints, and charts too. Many of the recipes in the book were developed by excellent writers I worked with during my long tenure as food editor for Bon Appetit magazine, so I feel comfortable saying the recipes in the book are really good.

Tender, fresh lima beans are available right now at the McGrath Family Farms stand at several farmers’ markets. Because the beans are already removed from their pods, it takes only a few minutes to get them ready to use, and I am having fun fooling around with them. I have braised them with peppers, zucchini, and green beans; tossed them with spaghetti and fresh pesto; created a fresh succotash; and fashioned a hearty soup with the limas, fingerling potatoes, winter squash, and greens.

I discovered that the fresh limas develop a rich, earthy flavor and silky texture when simmered with sautéed shallot or onion and a few herbs until tender, and then left to cool in the salted liquid for at least 20 minutes. The first time I prepared the fresh limas, the process felt a little awkward, because I am accustomed to simply boiling frozen limas in water for about 15 minutes. Now I cook the limas when I get them home from the market, and store them in the refrigerator to use over the next few days.