Ever since the Frog Hollow Farm Marketplace has opened and since co-authoring, The Art of Preserving, people always ask me how I create my recipes. I usually tell them that, aside from the usual trial and error, I have been inspired by a variety of people through blogs and cookbooks. Now, I will share my some of my inspiration with four of my favorite blogs.

1. I love Melissa Clark, a writer for the New York Times. She has lots of amazing recipes like these healthy and sweet Lunchbox Harvest Muffins. 

2. Smitten Kitchen is also a great blog. The blog is organized by fruit, vegetable, season, and by sweets so that you can visit the blog when you have something to use and want some ideas. The website is also a visual feast of photos that outline the baking and cooking processes - like with these apple pie cookies. 

3. Food Gal, Carolyn Jung is a Bay Area food blogger who was the food writer and editor for the San Jose Mercury News, a contributor to for Gourmet Magazine, and to The Slow Food Guide to San Francisco and the Bay Area. Her recipes range from healthy to indulgent and have detailed recipes that are easy to follow. Check out her Baked's Pumpkin Almond Cake...

4. Jane Lear's blog - Writing on Food and Travel - is a great adventure. Her intro page alone inspires me to relocate to the kitchen...

There are many more that I could share but these are some of my favorites. I hope you enjoy and feel inspired like I do!

- Chef Becky