Portobello Cream Bites

Portabello Cream Bites with goat cheese and garlic, yum! Jonathan and I recently made these for a cocktail party and they were a hit. We found pre-made pastry cups that we filled, but you could also put this cheesy, creamy mushroom mixture on crackers or crostini. I spooned the mixture in to a freezer ziplock bag, snipped the corner and piped it in. They are easy to make ahead and can be served at room temperature. Garnish with scallions and enjoy with a cocktail!

By Erin Gleeson for The Forest Feast

Herbed Blackberry Cocktail

We have a huge blackberry bush right off the deck, and I have found a tasty new use for them. Fresh rosemary muddled with sweet blackberries plus tequila! Yes! Check out the recipe on my Better Homes & Gardens post today.

Cheers!

By Erin Gleeson for The Forest Feast

Afternoon Forest Light

Sorry for the lack of posts recently, I have been finishing up my cookbook (that comes out in the Spring!) and have been totally buried in it. I’m soooo excited about how it’s coming together though and can’t wait to share it with you!

Here’s a little pic of some late afternoon forest light to sweeten your Friday. Happy weekend!

Mint Pesto Quinoa

I was recently gifted a beautiful edible planter basket full of herbs and lettuces. Since the mint is going crazy, I made some mint pesto and mixed it with cooked quinoa. Topped with pepitas and parmesan, it’s good hot or cold!

Click one of these links for 2 of my Mint Pesto recipes: I have previously made it with pepitas for crostini and with walnuts for potato salad …yum!

By Erin Gleeson for The Forest Feast

Farmers Markets of Silicon Valley

I had so much fun illustrating this map of farmers markets in Silicon Valley for the current issue of Edible Silicon Valley Magazine. My local market is the Mountain Goat/4 corners (see it?). There is also an article about Maggie, the woman who spearheaded that market, and I photographed her along with one of the farmers, Guillermo (whose flowers I am obsessed with and buy every week!).  I took this photo of them on the opening day of the market, so you can see it was still a little chilly. Now it’s bustling and warm and there’s live music, every Wednesday evening. So fun!

Please note this map is an illustration so it is not geographically exact or to scale, and we were unfortunately not able to fit all the markets in the area, but we chose some favorites, including some of the smaller markets that are mentioned elsewhere in the magazine.