Tony took these photos of hummingbirds at the gardens in the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum.
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SPICES – STOCKING UP THE PANTRY
Fall is the time to fill up the spice cabinet, just before the holiday baking season. Ordering spices in bulk from a spice dealer will give you a great price and the best quality. This will make a huge difference in your holiday baking.
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PLANTING FLOWERS FOR HUMMINGBIRDS
We made some changes in the garden this year, intentionally planting flowers for hummingbirds. Early in the spring we planted lots of flowering plants that attract hummingbirds and now have a variety of different colored birds that visit the yard. We try to provide natural food for them instead of using a hummingbird feeder.
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PLANTING FLOWERS FOR HONEY BEES
Honey bee populations are on the decline, and it helps to plant flowers that provide food for them. They need both nectar and pollen, so we have planted a variety of flowers. So, this year we we have been researching what plants they need and are planning on planting flowers for the honeybees next year.
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VIETNAMESE CANH SOUP
The Vietnamese Canh soup is similar to Italian Wedding soup, so Tony added orzo for the pasta, and Brussels sprouts as one of the vegetables.
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Tony Fitzgerald Photography ranks in the top 50 in the world on Feedspot
We are celebrating! Anuj Agarwal, the Founder of Feedspot just contacted us to let us know that we rank in the top 50 Food Photography blogs in the world on Feedspot! We are thrilled!!
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COOKING HEIRLOOM BEANS
Cooking heirloom beans from scratch is almost as easy as opening a can. It just takes a little planning ahead. The key is to soak the beans overnight in filtered water with salt added. The salt brines the beans so they hold their shape. The water is filtered because minerals in the water could keep the beans from cooking evenly.
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POT-STICKERS
RYE BREAD FOR SOLSTICE
Maybe it’s the Nordic influenced area where I grew up, Ballard in Seattle, but Rye bread and Salmon always seemed appropriate for celebrating the Solstice in June.
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SOUTHERN TEA CAKES FOR JUNETEENTH
We were looking for something to make to celebrate Juneteenth, and found a recipe for Southern Tea Cakes to be the perfect thing. A wonderful butter cookie that is a tradition for the day.
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Buying Direct from Growers
Growing your own sprouts
So easy to grow sprouts at home. They add a gourmet look to some dishes and provide a really big nutritional punch. We found this to be an easy and healthy swap for the usual salad ingredients. And since this is an example of eco friendly eating, it also makes a good project for kids.
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Flammekuchen in Strasbourg France
This recipe for flammekuchen is so easy and foolproof we use it almost weekly. It is the perfect make ahead meal and can be a fun family meal project or a healthy food swap, depending on how you make it.
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Making Garlic Olive Oil
We ramp up the flavor on may dishes by adding garlic olive oil. It makes a great substitute for butter and is a healthy alternative. We make it ahead and consider it part of the routine of stocking the pantry. By leaving the garlic in the oil, we also have sauteed garlic, or garlic confit, ready to use.
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Discovering Mushrooms in Santa Cruz
Just after a rain is a perfect time for photographing mushrooms in the Santa Cruz hills. We only hunt them for photographs, and are not foraging.
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