September is here! It always used to be my favorite month because it was back to school and I love school. It’s no exception when you’re adult because it’s a new season – the heat is waning, the nights are shorter, and more importantly, you guys harvest season is coming! All of our vegetables are coming in, and to celebrate harvest season Megan made this adorable calendar for you all full of everything you’d need to have the perfect lil garden! Enjoy.

This past weekend I volunteered with a great organization I want y’all to check out (or find a similar one near you! So here’s how it started. As you may or may not know, I have an orange and a lemon tree in my backyard (the best.thing.ever!)

Above two photographs by Mary Costa Photography

C’mon, does it get better than that? I think not. Anyways, so the fruit trees bloom a lot and produce fruit nearly year round. This means I have an overabundance of fruit in my backyard for much of the year. I’ve pawned lemons and oranges off on friends but it’s not always enough to keep up with the supply, and although the animals eat them (birds I tell myself, surely not rats!) I can’t help but think they’d be put to better use if eaten by people. So I did a little research and came across this article in the LA Times. From the article, published in April of last year, “Food Foward…has already collected and distributed 8.6 million pounds of fresh produce.”

From their site:

“We convene at private properties, public spaces, and farmers and wholesale markets to recover excess fruits and vegetables, donating 100% to local direct-service agencies who feed our community’s most vulnerable.”

So I thought, great! Donation time! But I wanted to see if there was more I could do. So I signed up to volunteer. You guys, it’s so stupid easy I can’t believe I hadn’t done it sooner. You go to a farmers market (after signing up for a “glean” as they’re called online). You meet with the glean leader, grab aprons, and hand out boxes to vendors that have produce to donate.

You wait about 20 minutes (and maybe do some shopping a la above), then go pick up the boxes and someone from a vendor partner picks up the boxes. It’s about an hour and a half, total. You put together some boxes, keep track of the weight of all the produce (so the vendors can get the tax deduction they deserve!) then you hand it off.

That’s it. I’m sure for different markets there are different protocols, but at the Burbank market it was super easy and the vendors already have a relationship with Food Forward. Easy peasy.

There are a ton of ways to volunteer with Food Forward, and I encourage you to check them all out. I will be signing up again in the near future to help out in this easiest of ways; and I see those lemons & oranges coming in, and can’t wait to glean the trees and donate those, too. Here we come, harvest season!

Do you guys volunteer for any causes? Any food related ones that deserve highlighting? Tell me about them in the comments below!

Smoothies continue to be my fave way to use produce that I’ve gotten overexcited about and purchased simply too much of. Such was the case of these figs. I made this when I’d recently returned from vacation and was in need of a boost of NOT pizza.

It was the first time of the season I saw figs, and let me tell you, despite all odds, I just love figs. I love fig cereal bars, or as my nephew calls them, cookie bars, I love fig flavored yogurt (TJs, why oh why did you stop carrying this?!) and I love figs cut up and eaten raw. But, you can only have so many figs before they start to go bad and you’re figged out, am I right? So enter this fig smoothie.

I used this new Superfood blend sample I received from Fitppl, and it added a little kick to this smoothie, let me tell you. But I bet this smoothie would be delicious with our without an addition. If you are into some kind of powder or protein powder, go for it, I say. If not, you’re cool. Just don’t forget the lemon and a dash of turmeric because DAMN that root is so good for you!

You know what else? Probably this would be great with ginger (Hint: I say that about every smoothie.) I didn’t add honey, because I love earthy smoothies, but you might want to add a smidge. Or add some more figs. Or berries. Or some other sweet fruit (lookin’ at your, strawberries.) Go wild.

Not into figs? Try this Smoothie instead for a different flavor with the same fresh boost.
Love figs? Make these Fig & Coconut Popsicles to do end of summer right.

Here’s the recipe for the above – I hope it resets you and brings you happiness at this end of summer!

Type: Smoothies, Snacks

Author: Jennie

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 2 Smoothies

Ingredients

• 10-15 figs, quartered
• 2 cup milk or coconut milk
• 1-2 cup kale, roughly chopped
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 scoops Fitppl Green and Red Superfood
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• honey to taste

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients (save the honey) in a blender until smooth. Add more milk to make smoother, less to make it thicker.

2. Add honey to taste and serve as is, or cold.

I made this salad last summer because I was missing grill food (hello shrimp!) but didn’t want anything to heavy (or hot, because let’s be real, it’s still August.) As yet another heat wave comes this weekend, I hope you get a chance to make this salad for yourself – it’s perfect for summer nights with some white wine!

*****

Summer salads are one of my favorite foods, you guys. Summertime means long, hot days full of sunshine and outdoor activities – picnics, swimming, lawn games, hiking, you know the drill. You don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen making complicated dinners and heating up your house anymore than you need to – which is why this barbecue salad is perfect.

The lovely people over at Rootz gave us a sample of their new Pineapple Barbecue Sauce to try and I must say – I am in love! I love the sweet and smoky flavor, I love that it’s made locally to Los Angeles, and I love that it isn’t full of weird ingredients I cannot say. You can get their Sweet + Spicy Sauce here if you’re interested…but this recipe will work with either sauce, so without further ado, here’s what you need to make this easy dinner salad.

If you want, go ahead and add cheese (I would recommend feta or goat) but this was amazing without the addition, so I kept it plain. I used the frozen shrimp from Trader Joe’s to make this for myself, since Jeff isn’t too keen on seafood, and just half everything above – it’s a great lunch or dinner. For lunch, keep your shrimp separate until just before you eat so nothing gets soggy. AND if you have a grill, try grilling your shrimp on kebabs first!

Type: Grill, Lunch, Salad

Author: Jennie

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Inactive Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 2 Servings

Ingredients

• 10-15 shrimp
• 6 ounce barbecue sauce
• olive oil
• 1 bunch mixed greens
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1 can black beans
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1 ear corn, sliced (raw or cooked)
• 1 lemon, juiced

Directions

1. Put shrimp and barbecue sauce in a bag or shallow container, and allow to marinate for about fifteen minutes.

2. Meanwhile, toss together mixed greens, black beans, fresh corn, cucumbers, and onion.

3. Over medium heat, heat about a half tablespoon of olive oil in a cast iron pan. Using a spoon, add shrimp (and some of that delicious BBQ!) and cook until pink, about four to five minutes.

4. Serve salad, topping with avocado and shrimp, and, if desired, squeeze lemon juice over top!

Hi y’all – I’ve got another great breakfast recipe for you. The Talbott Hotel hits close to home because it’s in Chicago, which happens to be where my immediate family lives. This hotel is Downtown and is the perfect home base for a trip to the Windy City, whether you’re there to shop, sunbathe by the lake, or sightsee!

Chicago is one of my favorite cities to visit because there is so much to do, and the Talbott Hotel is in the heart of one of my favorite areas. This Hotel was completed  in 1927 and recently underwent a gorgeous renovation. The guest rooms are spacious and quiet above the bustling streets of Chicago’s Gold Coast, and although the architecture is reminiscent of the 20s, the amenities are modern.

For such a interesting hotel, and in honor of Chicago’s yearly Donut Fest, I’ve chosen a juxtaposition in my recipe as well – doughnuts, but ones that are gluten free. For as well known as doughnuts are, gluten free baked goods have become more prevalent, thanks to the efforts of many mills who make amazing flour blends from non-wheat sources!

These Cardamom Pistachio Doughnuts were topped with pistachios and a rose-cardamom spice mix, a little diversion from your typical vanilla frosting with sprinkles – because being on vacation means you deserve something a little off the beaten path, don’t you agree? The recipe is over on the JDV Blog, here.