It’s been a challenge for me to get excited about the 4th of July. Not so much for political reasons (though, there are a few of those), but rather because the person I’d most like to spend the holiday with is currently traipsing around Berlin. Plus, I hate cheesy 4th of July desserts (think blue-and-red Jell-O molds and flag cakes).

But, he’s been away for a few weeks now, and he’s not coming back for another few, so I have decided to focus on what’s going on in the here and now. And I tell ya, what’s going on here in San Francisco is pretty freaking incredible. Creamy local goat cheese is going on. Fresh, sweet strawberries are going on. Ripe, juicy blueberries are going on. A buttery black pepper crust is (say it with me)going ON.

They all bake together in a custardy tart, sweet bites of fruit intermingling with tart bites of goat cheese and spicy black pepper. Oh, and it also happens to be a classy, dignified nod to this country’s flag. Betsy Ross would totally have approved.

Serve this as part of a BBQ spread, or with a big green salad alongside.

Never was there a food that captured this feeling like the tomato.

There’s this feeling I’ve been having a lot lately. During that perfect moment when the sun is setting behind me, the air is warm and the light is beautiful. I get it when I’m wrapped up in tight embrace with someone I really like, whom I know I’m not going to see for a while. And I get it when James jumps onto my lap for hugs and kisses; it’s a simultaneous realization that wonderful things are happening, yet time is not slowing down for them. It’s a strong desire to hold onto the specialness of each moment for just a little bit longer, before it slips away.

Never was there a food that captured this feeling like the tomato. Though, in this modern world, we have access to imported ones all year round, the local ones only really ripen to the full extent of their deliciousness in the summertime. We drizzle them with olive oil, tuck them into sandwiches with buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil, or just pop the tiny ones, whole, into our hungry mouths.

And then summer ends and they go away, and we are left with flavorless supermarket imports until the following year. So, in an effort hold on to the gloriousness of ripe summer tomatoes for just a little while longer this year, I am making this spicy jam. Jam is called “preserves,” after all—the idea being that it preserves fruit, long after its season.

Try this on grilled cheese (OMG), with french or sweet potato fries, dabbed on crostini with a thick smear of goat cheese, or drizzled over grilled meats. Do as I’m doing and make a big batch to eat year-round, and a little touch of summer magic will be right there in your refrigerator until next June.

Have you heard about this no 'poo business? Evidently, it's the latest underground beauty craze. People everywhere have stopped washing their hair and are "claiming it's the best thing ever.

I have to say, I'm inspired. Throngs of former shampoo-slaves are tossing their bottles and reporting shinier, healthier, more manageable locks. I'm seriously considering giving it a try...

...but not just yet. I have some important work things next week, and I need to look presentable (no 'poo-ers say the first few weeks of giving up shampoo leave you looking like a bit of a greaseball as your scalp adjusts its oil production). But I was psyched to discover this post from the hip homesteading blog, Crunchy Betty. It seemed like a good compromise--a homemade shampoo made from simple, inexpensive ingredients--just pure castille soap and coconut milk. Evidently, coconut milk contains very mild natural surfacants, which, in combination with the castille, create a luxurious lather. Oh, and it's 100% biodegradable. Now, sitting here, freshly showered, I can tell you: this stuff works. My hair smells amazing (kind of island-breezy, from the coconut) and feels soft and smooth, but not heavy. Even better, my scalp, which can sometimes get a little tight and dry after I wash my hair, feels great. Next time I make a batch, I might even experiment with adding a few drops of essential oil.

Call me a hippie--I don't care. My hair looks awesome.

I have just returned from the most glorious weekend. Evan and I went to Fernando’s Bed and Breakfast, in Bodega, CA. We slept in every morning, sipped cappuccinos on the sunny deck attached to our room, and spent our days walking along the beach and poking around Bodega Bay and Sebastopol. Each afternoon, Fernando and his wife Marivone served wine on the patio, where we sipped and teetered on the porch swing.

All of this left me deliciously happy…and very full.

And, OMG, did we eat. Fernando cooked us a glorious breakfast each day, using fresh eggs from his very own chickens. We spread baguette slice after baguette slice with butter and homemade jam (strawberry! quince! mango! fig!). We went out for long, luxurious lunches and dinners, and left no bottle of wine or locally-brewed beer untasted. All of this left me deliciously happy…and very full.

And so, this light but satisfying corn salad is my lunch, and will also probably grace the side of some simply prepared fish for dinner tonight. It’s simple, fresh and healthy, and gets its smoky, roasted flavor from a quick charring. If you can’t find good corn, or if you just don’t feel like bothering with the shucking and slicing, use thawed fire-roasted corn from Trader Joe’s.

I slathered it over chicken thighs before roasting them and serving hot

This bright green pesto flavored an entire weekend of good eating. On Friday night, I slathered it over chicken thighs before roasting them and serving hot, smothered with caramelized onions with massaged kale salad and fresh challah. On Saturday morning, I stirred it into creamy scrambled eggs, which we ate on top of toasted, buttered leftover challah. On the same day in the late afternoon, we smeared crisp, olive oil-drizzled crostini with creamy goat cheese and topped each one with a spoonful of pesto and a whisper of fresh black pepper.

If you can’t find green garlic (young, greenish garlic with long stem-like scapes attached to the bulb) at your grocery store, look for it at your local farmer’s market. It has undertones of mature garlic, but it’s much sweeter and more herbaceous—perfect for Spring cooking.