Recipes

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  Cabbage salad with apples, fennel and pine nuts

  Raw cabbage with fresh apples is a classic pairing. For a refreshing salad, toss them together with some shaved fennel bulb, a bit of sour cream, apple cider vinegar, blue cheese and toasted pine nuts.
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  Chipotle chili beurre blanc

  This sauce is the perfect accompaniment to oysters, either barbecued on the grill or served raw. A zippier version of a classic French sauce ("beurre blanc" means "white butter"), it can also be a terrific addition to fish and light meats, and pairs well with a glass of sauvignon blanc.
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  Grilled cabbage with lime dressing

  Cabbage on the grill? Yes! Ventura chef Rachel Main Holst says adding char to the vegetable enhances its naturally sweet flavor. Drizzle with a Thai dressing and suddenly cabbage becomes a showstopper.
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  Jordan nigiri with wild mushrooms and grilled New York steak

  Nigiri is a type of sushi—traditionally sticky rice that is pressed or molded into a ball or triangle, then covered with a vinegar-based sauce and wrapped with thin slices of fish or vegetable. Chef Knoll uses a similar technique, but serves it with thin slices of grilled steak.
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  Pan-roasted maitake with two garlics

  Chef Knoll prefers to roast the garlic and mushrooms in an outdoor pizza oven, but when the weather refuses to cooperate, he says a cast iron skillet and a hot oven come close.
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  Pork belly with almond bisque and fresh shaved raw green almond

  Green almonds (immature nuts available only in late spring) have a distinct taste described as grassy and fruity, with a slight almond flavor. LA chef Sergio Perera grew up eating them in his home country of Spain and still enjoys using them.
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  Spring asparagus with blood orange and toasted hazelnuts

  Use either green or white asparagus or a combination for this spring dish, which pairs beautifully with chardonnay. Roasting the asparagus brings out its natural sweetness.
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  Spring pea soup with North Coast Dungeness crab

  Chef Knoll serves this chilled soup in the spring when sugar snap peas are at their peak and local Dungeness crab is abundant. If you don't have Dungeness crab, try Pacific rock cod, lobster or fresh oysters.
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  Frozen grape kabobs

  A few minutes of prep turns an already delicious fruit into an irresistible snack for kids and adults alike. While the kabobs can satisfy a sweet tooth anytime, the skewers make this recipe festive party fare, too.

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  Mac and cheese with picada sauce

  Sausalito chef Ryan Kacenjar offers a different take on everyone's favorite: mac and cheese. He suggests using ear-shaped orecchiette pasta for the recipe because "their shape allows them to capture a ton of cheese!"

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