I am getting e-mails from home cooks who are happy to have a place to learn more about seasonal foods. They tell me it has been a goal but they didn't know where to look.

I grew up in New Jersey, but somehow always knew I was a West Coast girl. We have so many available and wonderful local foods in the Pacific Northwest. It shouldn't be so hard to plan them into seasonal menus and meals.

We all agreed, yes, it needs to be done. It just so happened that I was in a part of my career that I had a little more time than the others to do it.