Cool as a Cucumber

Cukes
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

Yes, cucumber really is cooling because of its high water content - it's not just a random saying. Cucumbers is one of the reasons why I love summer so much. I pick them straight from my garden and it's so easy to make a variety of quick and delicious dishes with them.

WITH RICE VINEGAR
My husband's favorite preparation is simply to just splash rice vinegar on sliced cumbers in a bowl and add a little fresh ground pepper. Sometimes with a little sesame oil too, and occasionally a some anise seed mixed in. It's so refreshing and goes well with almost any protein, especially grilled salmon which we eat a lot of in the summer.

I appreciate the ease in which you can prepare cucumber. Just rinse and slice/cut. No salad spinners or other crazy gadgets needed to get it ready for consuming.

GREEK SALAD
And of course there's the obvious... I like to cut my cucumber in large chunks and add garden tomatoes, feta, red onion and kalamata olives. I just add a little oil & vinegar and chop up marjoram, oregano or other herbs from my garden to add a little more flavor.

SLICES
Just slicing them up and dipping them in hummus is a satisfying snack when I'm starving and trying to prepare dinner, rather than noshing on bread. The slices are great for adding to sandwiches as well. And adding them to an appetizer platter makes them a nice alternative to crackers, not to mention adding a nice color and texture to the overall presentation.

I look forward to enjoying the refreshing crunch of the cucumber all summer long!

Double Rainbow

Yosemite never seems to amaze me. It is my favorite place on Earth and it's a place I will continue to return to for as long as I can. My husband and I spent our honeymoon there 14 years ago and when we take our overseas visitors there, they understand why we spent our honeymoon at this magical place.

The Mist Trail along Vernal Falls is always a favorite. Our most recent guests from Finland were thrilled to get soaking wet by the mist of the noisy waterfall while climbing this steep and rocky trail at the high altitude. Even young teenagers appreciate the awesomeness and beauty of where we were.

Can you see the double rainbow? The one on top is a little faint, but it was much easier to see standing there.

Choxie chocolate from Target

Choxie chocolate
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

First of all, apologies for the absence over the last several weeks - my new job has taken all of my free time!

Recently I came across this milk chocolate roasted almond sea salt bar at Target.

I've had both chocolate and toffee with fleur de sel before, but never with sel gris (a.k.a. gray sea salt). When I read on the packaging that it had grey sea salt in it I became curious and had to splurge the $3 to taste it. I was at Target (a shop know for its low prices) so I was equally curious about the relatively high price.

I consider sel gris to be a "working" salt vs. a fine finishing salt which is the reason for my curiosity. For example I put it in the water when boiling pasta or when making soups, so I couldn't imagine it combined with fine-ish chocolate.

The verdict....
Fabulous! I really could taste the big chunks of salt which enhanced the flavor of the chocolate and roasted almonds. My only complaint is that it had too little in it. The photo on the packaging is misleading because it makes it look like there are many chunks of salt.

So I went to my stash of sel gris in the pantry and added a couple more little chunks of salt with each bite and it was even better. Not only did it further enhance the flavors of the chocolate and almonds, but also added a nice little crunch which complemented the smooth texture of the milk chocolate.

What a pleasant surprise from Target!

Lemon Curd from Trader Joe's via England

Why is it that the English make the best lemon curd, but I've never seen a lemon tree in England. I've seen some lovely lemon trees in Italy but have never seen lemon curd made in Italy.

I suppose it stands to reason... if you're in England and you somehow find yourself with a big supply of lemons you would want to find a way to preserve it.

Whereas if you're in Italy with a tree in your garden that drops lemons nearly all year round, even in the winter, you may not care that much about preserving it.

And if English you find it necessary to satisfy your sour tooth with the refreshing taste of lemon whilst in the middle of winter, you may find yourself inventing a way to preserve it. "Necessity is the mother of invention" as they say (whoever "they" are). And what better way to preserve it than with some sugar, butter and egg yolks... a.k.a. lemon curd.

I hear that the English spread it on their toast but I haven't tried it that way yet, mainly because it doesn't really appeal to me. I love it best by just taking a little spoonful from the jar and enjoying it straight up. I also enjoy it on blueberry pancakes. What's also nice is to mix it in low-fat plain yogurt and add blueberries and walnuts.

I actually have a lemon tree in my own backyard and can never consume the lemons fast enough. I most often use them by squeezing the juice in my water, especially in the summer. I'm usually dismayed when I look for recipes that require lemon because usually the recipes call for the zest and maybe 2 tablespoons (at the most) of the lemon juice - for a cake, for example. How can I possibly use up the 10 lemons that just dropped on the ground today if I only need 2 tablespoons for one big cake?

I'm thinking home made lemon curd is a possibility but this recipe by Alton Brown calls for 1 whole stick of butter to 4 lemons (plus a whole cup of sugar) - that ratio still doesn't maximize the lemons enough, and the amount of butter and sugar I would have to consume is too much. But I bet my friends, family and neighbors would love it... so I think I'm going to try it one of these days.

If you don't have a lemon tree and you're craving that sweet, smooth and mouth puckering taste of lemon curd, I highly recommend the one that Trader Joe's sells.

Iron Chef vs Manresa's Kinch - Battle Cabbage

Cabbage never tasted so good...

On March 15th 2009, Chef David Kinch of my favorite restaurant, Manresa, won Battle Cabbage against Chef Bobby Flay on Food Network's Iron Chef America.

Chef Kinch's victory was a big upset over Chef Flay - he outscored Flay in all the categories: taste, plating and originality.

For a few Sundays in May and June, Manresa is featuring the Battle Cabbage menu for dinner. Last night my husband and I treated ourselves to the splendid meal.

Luckily I remembered to bring my little point-and-shoot camera so I can share each dish with you.

Bon Apetit!

Amuse Bouche: Pastrami and eggs

Starting with some protein was great - I hadn't eaten in 5 or 6 hours to ensure I was plenty hungry. With cabbage being the focus, perhaps the Chef wanted to make sure we had a good base to start.

I've never had such tender pastrami. As I lifted it with my fork it practically fell apart and then melted in my mouth. The saltiness was a great way to prime my taste buds (but wasn't too salty). The egg was cooked to perfection - neither runny nor hard.


Course 1: Delicate salad of sea bream and geoduck clam - toasted sesame, seaweed and mushroom

I learned that this sea bream (white fish) is from the waters of Japan. Prepared almost sashimi style, it was light but also quite substantial.

I loved how the the sweetness of the cabbage and the thinly sliced clam complemented the the saltiness of the seaweed. The kombu seaweed was wet and firm while the other seaweed (I know it as nori, used for sushi) was dry and flaky - a nice contrast in texture.

The shiitake mushrooms added a nice earthy flavor to ground the dish and also tie together the overall "chewy" theme of the dish. Chewy in a good way, not at all tough or rubbery.


Wine:
It would have been nice to try the wine pairings but we both had to get up early for work the next morning so we decided to go by-the-glass.

I chose a Basque wine - 2007 Hondarribi Zurri, Txomin Etxaniz Getaria Gipuzkoa Txakolina. That's a lot of words and letters for such a light and fruity white wine with a little effervescence. It was perfect because it was a hot day and I was leaning toward a sparkly wine, but this was actually a better choice.

My husband chose something local, from Carmel Valley - 2007 Chesebro Cedar Lane, Sauvignon Blanc, Arroyo Seco. His wine had a lot more body and a little more earth and minerals which probably held up to the cabbage better than my selection.


Course 2: Red cabbage and pear borscht - stone ground mustard, pear and cabbage "choucroute"

I didn't know the server was going to pour a "sauce" on it so I didn't get a chance to snap a picture of how it looked before - the vivid color of the cabbage and the texture was amazing.

In this cold dish, the cabbage had a nice pickled flavor to it (was it fermented?) and was surprised at how the true flavor of the cabbage just exploded in my mouth. Perhaps the "pickling" combined with the sweetness of the pear and the slight bitterness of the mustard primed my taste buds. But yet the creaminess of the soup helped to bring it all together.

I can't explain everything that was happening in my mouth but I can tell you... it was all good!


Course 3: Cabbage Patch: stems, leaves, flowers... Benton's country ham

My favorite course of the evening... both for the visual and the originality of the "edible dirt".

The presentation was like a garden-inspired flower arrangement. Whenever I host a meal in the spring/summer, I always cut flowers from my herb garden and place in small jars to decorate the table - and this dish reminds me of my little garden bouquets.

One of the most creative presentations I've seen. Pretty like a spring garden and evoking the nourishing treasures of nature.

There was quite a variety of vegetables here, including bok choy, which I would not have remembered is in the cabbage family if it weren't part of this meal. I ate each vegetable separately because I wanted to savor the flavor of each one.

The Chef chooses the highest quality vegetables, to ensure the true flavors stand out. The carrot puree found at the bottom had such a pure (no pun intended) carrot flavor. Don't even think he seasoned it.

I did save a few bites of the veggies to combine with the "edible dirt" which consisted of chicory, hazelnut and potato. I absolutely loved the dirt flavor and the potato stood out the most for me. In a way, potato skin does have a bit of a dirt flavor and there was just enough chicory to create a slight bitterness to make it seem more like I'm eating dirt.

The country ham's crispy texture was a nice complement but I thought the high salt content over-powered the wonderful and natural flavors of the vegetables a bit. So I ended up eating most of the ham at the end.


Warm bread

The center was perfectly moist while the crust had a perfect crunch and slightly burnt flavor that complemented the creaminess of the super fresh butter.

I loved the little sprinkle of fleur de sel on top and how the butter was served at room temperature so it spread easily. So civilized.

My husband joked that the bread was his favorite "course" but being married to him for almost 14 years, I don't think he was joking.

Course 4: Stuffed cabbage and forgotten vegetables - exotic spice and natural vegetable juices

This dish was described as a "Cabbage Napoleon" and indeed it was layers of cabbage with a mixture of primarily rutabega, parsnip and turnip in between. I wonder if he calls those vegetables "forgotten" because they're not used very often or because they're root vegetables (underground = forgotten?) - perhaps it's a double meaning.

The buttery fine bread crumbs and spice top layer added some nice texture and color, and also giving it a flavor that made me think of a Finnish dish called Kaalikääryleet (stuffed cabbage rolls). Those root vegetables are prominent in Finnish cuisine and even the detail of adding the fresh dill on top convinced me and my Finnish husband that the inspiration came from his home land.

The onions added a nice sweetness, I didn't distinguish the fennel (which I was told was there), and the carrots added a beautiful sprinkle of orange that created a nice color combination overall. I appreciate the restraint - no over-the-top food styling so the experience was more down-to-earth while still maintaining an elegance.


Course 5: Farro grain cooked like a risotto, roasted breast of duck - nappa cabbage, both stems and leaves, fried brussel sprout, meat juices

Wow - this composition was certainly befitting for a main course. I was expecting each course to be equally wonderful but this one stood out.

All of the different textures was so much fun, it was like a party in my mouth. The farro grain had a firm chewiness that made it feel as substantial as a protein dish. It was perfectly cooked with the firmness and moisture of a risotto and nicely salted and flavored with parmigiano cheese and other goodness.

The duck was tender, moist and had the right amount of fat. I'm not a fan of fatty duck but I know that's where the flavor is, and that flavor infused the nappa cabbage nicely. The portion was perfect as well.

My husband and I agreed that the crunchy parts of the dish made it unique. The super crunchy chestnuts (deep fried I think) tasted like a mellow banana and the light sweetness complemented the duck nicely. The brussel sprout leaves were fried in butter to the point of crispy caramelization and added yet another dimension to the dish.


Course 6: Joe's strawberries, both raw and cooked - strawberry consommé, goat's milk frommage blanc sorbet

May is the start of strawberry season so it was a perfect choice. The earthiness of the goat milk "ice cream" with the sweetness of the strawberries was a great combination.

The hibiscus gelée added a nice tartness to balance the sweetness, and also added a nice splash of color to give depth to the overall presentation.

Though I love the bitterness of arugula, the two leaves I found in the dish was a little too strong for me - it competed with the berries. I see where Chef Kinch was going with that but perhaps something with more subtle bitterness would work. I didn't end up eating the other arugula leaf because I just wanted to enjoy the sweetness of the dessert and the freshness of the strawberries.

I did, however, enjoy the flavor of the tiny tips of the basil leaves (was it Thai basil?) - it was a perfect complement to all of the flavors and a wonderful detail for the presentation. And no, there was no cabbage in this course - I was completely fine with that.

The first photo shows how the dish was brought to us and then you see the cooked strawberry sauce being poured at the table. That final touch at the table always makes it more fun.


I can't wait to come back!
Overall it was an enjoyable experience and we even got to keep a signed menu as a souvenir.

This was my fourth time dining at the restaurant but definitely not the last. Chef Kinch and his staff make the place so inviting - everyone is friendly and the atmosphere is not stuffy, yet the service is top notch.

Esteban, the maître d'restaurant, goes out of his way to ensure everyone is comfortable and happy. Our server Bryan was attentive and knowledgeable about the dishes. Oh, I should mention that last year Manresa was awarded two Michelin stars.

Congratulations again to Chef Kinch and his team for the Battle Cabbage victory at Iron Chef America!

P.S. The best course was AFTER dessert, when Esteban took us back to the kitchen and we got to meet the chef - what a treat!

He's a busy guy and as much as I would've liked to have asked 20 questions, I only asked one... whether he thought the Iron Chef show chose cabbage knowing that he (the guest chef) specialized in bringing out the best in vegetables.

His answer was that the cabbage may have been favoring more Iron Chef, Bobby Flay because he's of Irish decent and the show aired the Sunday before St. Patrick's Day. Aha! I didn't even think of that but it makes sense!

Esteban was nice enough take a photo of us with Chef Kinch in his kitchen, and also below with our server Bryan, in front of the restaurant.

One last treat... on the way out, Esteban presented us with a bowl full of these wonderful soft caramels with fleur de sel. He invited me to take a handful, which I regret not doing because they were heavenly!

I was already completely satisfied but I guess it doesn't hurt to be even more satisfied. Luckily I saved one of the caramels so I could photograph it the following day. As I was enjoying it's soft and buttery sweetness I was reminded of the superb dinner I was lucky enough to experience the night before. Mmmm...

Chocolate and Zucchini blog

If you're into food blogs you might already be a fan of Chocolate and Zucchini. Clotilde, the talented and bi-literate blogger is quite a clever writer and I'm intrigued that such a young lady has immersed herself in food with such great passion.

I look forward to her weekly "edible idoms" in her blog - part of a series on French idiomatic expressions that relate to food. And while I'm not a French speaker, I love to learn them and about their origins. I also appreciate that the weekly "edible idiom" makes her blog unique and is something that draws me in, makes me look forward to reading her next blog post.

This week's idiom is "La fin des haricots."

"Literally translated as, 'the end of the beans,' it means that the situation is disastrous, that it's all over, and that all hope is gone." She goes on to explain further so read it here if you're interested.

It sounds so elegant and sophisticated when you say it out loud in French. And then to learn that it actually has a negative meaning just didn't seem quite right - cognitive dissonance, as they say. It made me laugh out loud.

This blog not only provides me interesting and current insights into French food culture and wonderful tips, but also entertains me. Hope you enjoy it too.

About the photo
I subscribe to the monthly newsletter in which Clotilde offers a monthly desktop picture - this photo was downloaded from this month's newsletter.

Strawberry season winding up

Strawberries // Swimming
Originally uploaded by giant dwarf

I love when May comes around because that means it's strawberries time! I picked up a flat of organic strawberries at the farmers' market the other day and have been enjoying them daily. Sometimes I put them in cereal with soy milk or with a little vanilla ice cream - yum!

Last weekend I had a little dinner party to celebrate my sister's birthday and Mother's Day. I needed to make a gluten free dessert/birthday cake for my sister so I made this...

Strawberry Yogurt Trifle

1. Sliced up a small loaf of gluten-free lemon poppy-seed cake I found at the shop. Put a layer of that on the bottom.

2. Then I poured a little bit of fresh squeezed orange juice on the cake.

3. Then a thick layer of yogurt - I used a mixture of sweetened vanilla low-fat yogurt and unsweetened plain non-fat yogurt.

4. Then I placed a layer of strawberries (cut in half) on top of the yogurt.

And then repeat the 4 previous steps. The great thing about trifle is that it doesn't have to look perfect. I didn't take measurements, just did it by eye. You can add other fruit or replace the OJ for jam. Feel free to take some creative liberties.

Easy and delicious and healthy and not too sweet. It was a hit!

About the photo
The fabulous photo above with the cereal is by giant dwarf of Flickr. The photo below is the Strawberry Yogurt Trifle that I made.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all you Moms out there, and especially to my wonderful Mom!

I made this little flower arrangement for her - she has 3 children so this seemed appropriate. :-)

Love you Mom!

Orange season winding down

Oranges drying
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

Yes, the cost of living in California is high so you have take advantage of all the free things it offers, such as the good weather. And while we do get freezing cold and rainy weather here in Northern California during the winters, it's still temperate enough to grow citrus.

The orange tree in my parents' backyard has been reliably supplying us THE sweetest navel oranges I've ever had for about 25 years! This one full grown tree brings about 300 oranges per season.

It's fun to pick them and give them away to friends and neighbors. I like to squeeze the juice and store them in small containers in the freezer so I have some handy for drinks or to use in a citrus marinade.

The season starts about the end of January - that's when the first ripe oranges can be tasted. But here we are in early May and what's left on the tree is not much, but they're super sweet and juicy. It's such a treat!

My parents were kind enough to buy an orange tree for our backyard in the first year my husband and I moved into our house - that was about 11 years ago. Our tree is not quite as prolific (yet) but perhaps some day it will.

Thank you Golden State for the oranges that are nourished by your soil and climate!

Hopeful for limes this summer

Lime blossoms
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

I planted this lime bush 5 or 6 years ago, but have never seen any fruit. Back then as my husband was digging the hole in the ground, I fantasized about endless supply of limes for margaritas to serve to our friends during our summer BBQs.

I'm crossing my fingers that these little babies will grow into some juicy fruit so I can punch up my food and drinks and drinking water with that exciting flavor.

Fruit salad recipe...
Have you ever tried mixing the juice of 2 limes with a little honey and pouring it over a fruit salad of
- oranges
- grapefruit
- pineapple
- toasted walnuts or pecans
- and a few leaves of fresh mint, finely sliced

I just saw this recipe recently in a magazine and made a batch for my friend and her family. I think it was in Better Home and Gardens, though I couldn't find the exact recipe online.

It was refreshing and tasty! I could feel my body absorbing the vitamin C. Maybe at the end of winter my body just craved it, but I'm sure I'll enjoy it just as much in the middle of the hot summer.

Citrus, pineapple, coconut and walnut fruit salad.
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UPDATE: October 2009

I ended with my first and only lime which I picked and enjoyed on October 15th - it was exciting! I'm hoping for more limes next year.

Pumpkin-carrot walnut cupcakes

Both my parents' birthdays are within a couple days of each other so we always celebrate together. Mom likes pumpkin bread and Pop likes carrots so I combined the 2 ingredients to make birthday cupcakes for them. Decorated with Johnny-Jump-Up flowers cultivated in my garden specifically for eating.

Making it more healthy...
Yes, of course I altered the recipe which is based on Spiced Pumpkin Bread from Epicurious.com. It came out moist and delicious so I'll do it again...
- instead of 3 cups white flour, I used 2.5 cups whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup white flour
- instead of 1 cup of oil, I used 1/2 cup of oil and 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce (more liquid to balance the dryness of whole wheat flour)
- decreased the sugar to 1.5 cups (instead of 3 cups) and also added 1/2 cup honey (which helped to also increase the moisture)

- also added 2 shredded cups of carrots - this is optional since the recipe doesn't call it for it

Don't overbake...
If you bake them in a cupcake tin, then between 15-20 minutes seemed to be the right baking time, depending on your oven. And because it's based on a "bread" recipe, they're really more like dense muffins than a light cake. And because they're not too sweet, they worked well as breakfast muffins and tasted better the next morning. :-)

The frosting...
Just a basic cream cheese frosting - found a generic recipe and just decreased the sugar. You know... cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla.

All in all in turned out well and everyone enjoyed looking at them as well as eating them.

April 30, 2009 UPDATE...
In yesterday's San Jose Mercury News article in the Food section, Katherine Greenwald writes a great story titled "What's this flower doing in my food?" If you want to learn more about which flowers are edible, this is a must-read. More on this topic in a future blog entry!

Is coffee really that bad?

Bad Ass Coffee in Santa Cruz, CA
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

All the conflicting reports out there has me really confused. I choose what I want to believe (don't we all do that?)... but I'll keep reading the latest & greatest new studies in hopes there will be a definitive answer. Can anyone recommend some good recent studies or articles on caffeine and its effects on health?

What I want to believe...
That a moderate amount of coffee (without milk) helps digestion and therefore helps with detoxification. (yeah! I like this one.)

Unfortunately the caffeine jolt triggers the adrenals and stress hormones, and apparently, that encourages fat cells to be stored (in the form of love handles in my case - urgh!).

Ultimately I believe...
That (mostly) everything in moderation is ok. One 8-oz cup in the morning with about 4 oz. of soy milk does the trick and occasionally in the afternoon, but never past 3pm (or I won't be able to sleep).

I love the smell of coffee in the morning and love the little burst of "energy" it gives me, . And do I love the taste of this motivation juice, so why not start my morning in a pleasurable way?

About the photo
Bad Ass Coffee is one of my favorite coffee shops in Santa Cruz, CA. Their coffee is incredibly smooth and tasty - which conflicts with their name. :-)

Thank you Mother Earth

Thank you for the beautiful works of art that you have carved and created all over this beautiful planet of ours.

I've been so fortunate to see your works of art on six different continents and with each place I go, I never cease to be amazed at your inspiring creations... many of which are literally just in my backyard.

Thank you for these works of art that I have been able to experience through my five senses and thus has nourished my soul. If I listed all of my favorite places and all of the magical things I've seen, heard, touched, smelled, felt and experienced, I would be writing non-stop for years!

For each of you reading this, go to a place where YOU have been... a place on this lovely earth where you have seen incredible beauty... NATURAL beauty. And take a moment to reflect and be grateful of our home, Earth.

Happy Earth Day to everyone!

Moments in my garden

California flower
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

Some of the most visually rich and gratifying moments spent in my garden are when I see beauty in the random and un-composed. It could be an unswept patio, still littered with leaves and blossoms from the strong spring winds, but that "litter", though chaotic, can make a naturally beautiful patterns.

Sure I love to have my garden look nice and cleaned up with orderly plantings, carefully selected by color and size. But the juxtaposition of the designed and not designed can make for a beautiful design in and of itself.

Orange poppies popped up in my bed of purple tulips - I would never mix warm & cool colors. Combined with the hose I leave out and the pebbles out of place looking messy and unkempt. But for some reason, it all works and I was compelled to capture this scene because it drew me in... into that magical moment when you just feel so happy to be in your garden.

And the photo below is another neglected area... but the pink tulips come up every spring, as dependably as the perennial geraniums push out bright red flowers. Both brighten up and make the path a place where I can stop and ponder.

This ramble will either make sense to you or not. Hopefully it does, but if it doesn't... well then, thanks for sticking with it to the end. :-)

Spring Thyme!

Woodland Brown 1 quart
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

Thyme is my favorite herb in my garden. It's easy to grow and versatile in cooking - goes well in many dishes. This time of the year my thyme plants are thriving and the fresh spring leaves are beautiful and tasty.

Recently I learned some cool things about thyme I didn't know before.

Did you know...
- Thyme is native to areas such as Asia, southern Europe and the Mediterranean region.

- It retains its flavor on drying better than many other herbs. As a rule of thumb, use one third as much dried as fresh thyme, a little less if it is ground.

- Either in its fresh or dried form, should be added toward the end of the cooking process since heat can easily cause a loss of its delicate flavor.

- 20-54% of thyme leaves contain Thymol, which is an antiseptic and is the main active ingredient in Listerine mouthwash. Before the advent of modern antibiotics it was used to medicate bandages.

- The ancient Egyptians used it as an embalming agent to preserve their deceased pharaohs.

I'm fascinated by all the great things I learned about this herb from www.wikipedia.com and www.whfoods.org. I've gained a whole new respect for this plant and will be more mindful of it's power when I'm gardening or cooking with it.

About the photo
A friend gave me a thyme plant a couple of years ago which I planted in my garden. It has been thriving ever since, and I think of her every time I see the plant. In this photo is the batch I had to prune to keep the plant healthy. I kept it in my fridge for almost 2 weeks - used for cooking, added to salads and gave some to neighbors. A gift that keeps on giving.