Saffron Lane :: Seasonal Food, Celebration + Life bio picture

Welcome to Saffron Lane, a blog dedicated to seasonal food, celebration and life. I'm Elizabeth, a chef, food writer, recipe developer and food stylist.

My culinary career began at an early age. While other ten-year-olds were setting up lemonade stands, I was meticulously crafting gourmet chocolates and picking fresh berries from the backyard (to pair with them, of course) for my stand. Among the many lessons that summer, I learned that chocolate doesn't sell very well after hours melting in the sun, no matter how great it tastes.

Raised in a passionate family full of inspired cooks and culinary entrepreneurs, food was always the focal point at family get-togethers. With a bi-coastal upbringing, I was exposed to a wide variety of cuisines and quickly learned the importance of eating locally.

After years of study and hands-on experience in various culinary styles, my focus came full circle when I moved to San Francisco in 1999:

Simple, seasonal, style-driven and beautifully presented food, recipes and photography.

Channeling my energies towards a career I love proved to be the right choice. I was chosen as a finalist on season two of The Next Food Network Star. I've also appeared on Dining Around with Gene Burns and have been featured in The James Beard Foundation's JBF Notes. My work has appeared on Shape.com, SFGate, Slow Food Marin, MoreMarin and in Edible Marin & Wine Country. I'm also a regular contributor to the innovative recipe-search site, Gojee.com and a featured author on Glam Media's Foodie 100.

My goal with this blog is to inspire you. I’d love to get you in the kitchen more often (because you want to) and ignite (or reignite) a strong sense of curiosity about food. After all, good food evokes memories, pleasure and emotions -- the fun and most essential things in life.

I’d also like to invite you to celebrate more often. Throw parties for the people you love, celebrate the milestones and savor life ... with a big dose of passion.

To connect: inquiries[at]saffronlane[dot]com

All of the content on this website is original content produced by me, unless otherwise noted. All content is under copyright and may not be used without permission. If you’d like to use a photo or recipe, please just email with your request. I’m usually more than happy to share.

Point Reyes Blue Cheese + Candied Blood Orange Tartine

March 23, 2011

Just in time for the 5th Annual California Artisan Cheese Festival this weekend, this simple tartine (a French open-faced sandwich) highlights one of our favorite local producers, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company.

Their award-winning blue cheese exhibits a great deal of complexity attributed to the lush, organic grass their Holstein cows graze on, the thick coastal fog and the salty Pacific breeze.

With a much creamier style than many blues, we love to pair this cheese with natural honey or a wedge of gooey honeycomb. For a unique twist, we quickly candied some ruby-hued Moro blood orange zest and tied it all together with toasted pine nuts, black pepper and fresh rosemary.

Pt reyes blue + candied blood orange tartines1

The result was exactly what we hoped for: creamy, salty and sweet with just a hint of sour. Truthfully, we couldn’t get enough — and hope you feel the same.

Ingredients

4 medium blood oranges (another orange variety will work well, if not available)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
french or sourdough baguette, 1/4 inch slices, cut on the bias
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
wedge of Point Reyes Blue Cheese
1/3 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
fresh rosemary sprig
black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon natural honey

Method

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the rind from the oranges in long strips. Place in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and then drain and rinse. Repeat this step two additional times to remove the bitter characteristics of the pith (the white part of the rind).

Place zest back in saucepan, add sugar and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and let cook slowly until the liquid becomes thick and syrupy, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from heat.

Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil onto a plate and coat each bread slice with oil on one side. Arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet (oiled side up). Place under the broiler for about 2 minutes per side, or until crisp and lightly.

Spread about 1/2 tablespoon blue cheese on each toast and crumble a piece of the candied zest over top. Sprinkle with a couple pine nuts and fresh rosemary sprigs. Crack fresh black pepper over top and drizzle with a small amount of honey and extra virgin olive oil.

Serve immediately + enjoy!

Check out this fun Sonoma Marin Cheese Trail Map for a complete listing of all the region’s local artisan cheesemakers.