Thursdays in the Kitchen are BACK!

Thursdays in the Kitchen: Exploring the Autumn Harvest classes start this week at the Fullerton Arboretum!

Don’t forget, folks! The Jonathans are back on Thursday nights at the Fullerton Arboretum this fall! Our three part, holiday focused cooking series kicks off this week with an Early Fall Dinner Party. The menu

A Photo Gallery From The Muck’s Summer Farm Dinner, Have A Look!

This historic house in the hills of Fullerton is a gorgeous setting for a summer farm dinner. The Muck, as it is know, is a center for community and culture serving the citizens of north Orange County and beyond. We recommend you check it out!

These organic beauties were grown on the Fullerton Arboretum’s farm and used in The Muck’s farm dinner.

Farm dinner patrons enjoy passed appetizers and drinks in the main gallery before sitting down to dinner.

A refreshing libation to start the evening off right, Rhubarb and Elderflower Bellinis, served in the main gallery.

The table waits for guests.

The Muckenthaler family had their farm dinners in this same location. This festive table harkens back to the soul of this historic property.

Crisp and fresh, a vareity of peppers grown at the Fullerton Arboretum.

Chef Jonathan Dye, making the pasta for the ravioli course right in The Muck’s kitchen! Talk about fresh!

Farmer and Chef Jonathan Duffy Davis prepares the homemade herbed ricotta filling for the ravioli.

Guests fill the table and get excited for the meal, as the sun begins to set on Fullerton.

This beautiful chilled avocado and corn soup with cilantro oil is made with Fullerton Arboretum produce!

These colorful squash adorn the farm table and remind us that fall is just around the corner. They were grown on the Arboretum’s Farm!

This toothsome treat was garnished with browned butter and garden fresh sage and chives.

Guests raise a glass to friends and family.

Arboretum nectarines being prepared for desert!

Chef Jonathan Dye and Farmer Jonathan Duffy Davis speak to the table about food being eaten.

Incredibly flavorful balls of delight! Charentais & Musk Melons paired with prosciutto, basil and mozzarella make a delightful summer salad.

As evening comes to The Muck, the table and grounds grow more gorgeous.

The evening comes to a close with the nectarine crisp the summer heat giving way into a cool evening. What a beautiful night!

A beautiful evening, in a beautiful setting. Click through the gallery above for more photos of the Summer Farm Dinner at The Muck.

Thursdays in the Kitchen – 4th of July Backyard BBQ Spectacular Class at Fullerton Arboretum

Fourth of July is just around the corner and OurLocaltopia and the Fullerton Arboretum has you covered! Tonight’s class covered a menu of multiple meats, cocktails and side dishes that will make your BBQ the hit of the neighborhood! Here is the recipe booklet from class tonight: 4th of July Backyard BBQ Recipe Booklet. Share it with your friends, or print a new one since yours is probably covered in BBQ! Read on for the beer cocktail recipe and some pictures from tonight’s class…

Recipes from Fullerton Arboretum’s “Your Summer Entertaining Menu Made Easy” Cooking Class!

Cooking outside on a summer evening is wonderful!

Tonight’s cooking class at the Fullerton Arboretum featured fun twists on classic summer time favorites. We made three kinds of salsa, a tomato, onion and pickled cucumber salad, steak with chimichurri and some amazing blueberry tequila ice cream! Check out the recipes in the booklet linked here: Your Summer Entertaining Menu Recipe Booklet 6.20.13

And enjoy some photos from class….

Wasn’t this refreshing?

Four types of basil grown right here at the Fullerton Arboretum accompanied tonight’s menu!

Sophisticated Summer BBQ Class Recap and Recipe Booklet

Hello Thursdays in the Kitchen Friends! Here is the recipe booklet from class tonight and a few pictures of the action! Share it with your friends….

Thanks for coming!

Sophisticated Summer BBQ Recipe Booklet

Organic Strawberry Ice Cream: Making the Best of a Seasonal Favorite

Farm fresh strawberry ice cream.

As winter fades and spring comes into the year with all of the promise and excitement we expect, it was time to take advantage of a special ingredient that won’t be with us for much longer.  Jonathan Davis, the farmer at the Fullerton Arboretum has been tenderly caring for strawberries, and since their season is fading I knew my time was limited to make something really special with as many as I could get my hands on…

Thursday Night Pomelo Sour

I mentioned a cocktail during our class on Tuesday that I have been making with some of pomelos and I thought that a recipe might be in order. I am but a budding bartender but I think that this cocktail is a really good one. I believe that it technically falls into “sour” family of drinks – spirit + citrus + sweetener + egg white – but we’re not going to use egg whites (pomelo juice foams up fine

Making Your Own Preserved Lemons

People who like to eat and to cook are crazy about preserved lemons, but I must confess that before the “Thursdays in the Kitchen: Cooking with Lemon” class at the Fullerton Arboretum,  I had never even eaten them. With a heavy lemon crop on the branches and the need for a subject to film in my kitchen at home, I decided to make this short film. Thanks to Jonathan Dye and Alicia Hitchcock for the inspiration!

Want to make your own batch? It’s easy. Follow these short directions and watch the posted video…

Cooking With Lemon at Thursdays in the Kitchen

Last week’s class at the Fullerton Arboretum was much sweeter than its staring fruit. Farmer Jonathan Duffy Davis gave us a primer on lemon ecology and why this ubiquitous fruit is under appreciated. Then, Jonathan Dye and Alicia Hitchcock showcased an amazing menu that included…

A Love Affair With Lemons

Any time of year – any type of lemon –  my attention is centered.  With the 2^nd class in our culinary series fast approaching, I am excited to be revisiting favorite recipes and an AMAZING ingredient in preparation for Thursday the 31^st at the Fullerton Arboretum.  We’re going to explore at least six recipes in class this week in which lemon is the “star” ingredient – but I am MOST excited by two of our selections…