Author Archives: garyfleener

A little seafood chowder anyone?

Posted on November 19, 2013 by garyfleener

With the first crabs of the season on hand I crafted a hearty chowder for our first rainy night of NorCal winter. The crab-umami and fish combined with hearty beans & rice, and a delicate crunch from celery and cabbage … Continue reading →

Posted in Farming, Food & Cooking | 1 Comment

Change of Perspective: Peppers too hot. Relish just right.

Posted on October 27, 2013 by garyfleener

We love padron peppers. Blistered in some hot olive oil, and a few sea salt flakes – it’s one of our favorite summer appetizers. Thanks to the Galicians of NW Spain, these little peppers have found there way to Mediterranean … Continue reading →

Posted in Farming, Food & Cooking | 3 Comments

2012 in review

Posted on December 30, 2012 by garyfleener

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog. Here’s an excerpt: The new Boeing 787 Dreamliner can carry about 250 passengers. This blog was viewed about 1,200 times in 2012. If it were a Dreamliner, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Hot, Hot Roti at the Holidays

Posted on December 17, 2012 by garyfleener

There is a wonderful children’s story called “Hot, Hot Roti for Dada-ji” (F. Zia, 2011) about a young boy that makes fresh roti for his grandfather – roti that bestows superhero powers! Gwen and Sage discovered the book last year … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Food & Cooking | 1 Comment

Pumpkins of Mystery

Posted on December 4, 2012 by garyfleener

Tonight I made a pumpkin pie from squash grown in our own backyard. I know, “big deal – everyone in West County grows their own food.” What is remarkable about the pumpkin in this pie is that we have no … Continue reading →

Posted in Farming, Food & Cooking | Tagged farming, pie, pumpkins, seeds | 5 Comments

Beauty and the Beast: A tale of two Mondays

Posted on December 4, 2012 by garyfleener

Last Monday Reuben and I slipped out to Stillwater Cove for an afternoon of kayak fishing. The previous week had been blown out with large swells and high winds, but this day was lovely. As we paddled through the kelp … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Food & Cooking | Tagged fishing, kayak fishing, rockfish, Sonoma Coast, Stillwater Cove | 4 Comments

Farmer Sage meets (and eats) Hog Island Oysters

Posted on February 8, 2011 by garyfleener

Last week Sage and I loaded up for a day on the coast – tidepooling, whale watching, and an exploratory visit to Tomales Bay and the Hog Island Oyster Farm. Sage is 5 and generally adores fresh fish and seafood … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Food & Cooking | Tagged Aquaculture, Bay Area, Hog Island Oysters, Local Food, Marin County, Oysters, Seafood, Tomales Bay | 1 Comment

Nepali Polenta – Roadhouse style

Posted on September 30, 2010 by garyfleener

Boiled meal. Whether corn or buckwheat or some other ground nut or grain, there can’t be a more primal, more rustic culinary preparation than boiled meal. (Meal is simply a coarse grained flour.) But somehow in the west we have … Continue reading →

Posted in Food & Cooking, Nepal, Travel | 8 Comments

Not your average grocery…

Posted on September 21, 2010 by garyfleener

A 12 hour layover is a fine thing if that layover happens to be in Hong Kong. It is one of the few cities in the world where you can actually escape the terminal for no cost and no paperwork. … Continue reading →

Posted in Food & Cooking, Hong Kong, Travel | 2 Comments

Back on the blogtrail — Nepal