I must give my thanks to Mark at Ollin Farms for introducing me to Hon Tsai Tai. Since I joined Ollin Farms’ CSA, I have a feeling this summer is going to be one of culinary experimentation with whatever they give me in my weekly share of organic veggies. I’m definitely up for the challenge.

Hon Tsai Tai, however, wasn’t really a challenge. I treated it like broccoli rabe and was pleased with the result. It also went well with some Hazel Dell mushrooms.

I chopped the hon tsai tai into reasonably sized pieces and sautéed them in a little olive oil and chopped garlic for just a few minutes until they softened and turned deep green. Then sprinkled it with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. This was really simple and really good.

This is the best time of year because fresh produce is finally growing in Colorado. I have a basil plant at home, so now I can start making fresh pesto in a pinch.

I put a cup of walnuts, a cup of basil, 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, some sea salt, crushed black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil in my food processor, and in a minute had pesto. Perfecto!

I have never known much about olive oil. I spend so much of my life in the kitchen, but I know next to nothing about olive oil. I intend for that to change this year, and my first step was purchasing some unique olive oil from Oliv You & Me, a local olive oil specialty shop located here in downtown Boulder, CO.

Oliv You & Me is going to be a stop on some Local Table Tours (my new business with my friend Julie), where guests can sample different olive oils, much the same way you taste wine. I was very impressed with the distinct flavors of each oil I sampled. My favorite was this bottle of Olio Sapora because it has a peppery finish that you really must taste in order to believe. It is a delicious olive oil and it will be featured as an ingredient from now on here on my blog.

This is a champagne mango tossed with a shallot in an olive oil and tangerine fig balsamic vinegar.

Here is the shallot, sautéed in olive oil and then tossed with a tangerine fig balsamic vinegar. If I didn’t have this vinegar, I think I would add 1 teaspoon of orange juice and 1 teaspoon on honey to a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar.