I hardly remember a time when eating fresh foods was not a part of my life. Growing up, my mother always prepared and served fresh vegetables and salads at every meal. Fresh fruit was readily available, according to the season.

As a child, it was a treat to sit at the dining room table and watch my Grandma Castellano lovingly peel an apple, slicing it carefully and precisely so the slice would fit into my hand for easy nibbling.

As a very young child, I remember my mother purchasing vegetables daily from the “vegetable man,” Ralph. He would come through the neighborhood in his small pick-up truck, scale swaying on a post in the truck, and laden with a variety of fresh vegetables. There my mother inspected everything she bought, touching and smelling, making sure it was the freshest possible and at the best price. She planned the family meals around these purchases.

My mother knew the importance of healthy eating long before it was mainstream.

Her love of olive oil and vinegar were legend in our family and she passed that love onto me. She always purchased the best, freshest quality olive oil that the budget would allow. Her meals were simple, delicious and nutritious.

I have been blessed to come from a long line of good cooks, including my grandmothers, aunts and mother, who understood the importance of a healthy, fresh diet.

My mother and grandmother used olive oil for everything.

They knew the value of it for good health, good taste and longevity. Although they did not have the easy availability of purchasing high quality olive oils and balsamic vinegars as we have today, they still found a way to purchase the freshest, best olive oil available.

My Grandpa Cibella planted and tended a garden his entire life up until a few days before he died at age 97. His tiny plot produced a harvest of tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, basil and parsley. When we visited, he enlisted his grandchildren’s help in picking the tomatoes when they were just ripe.

When I was in third grade, my best friend and I planted our very first garden. It was located in back of our garage on a small plot. Our dads helped us to get the soil ready by showing us how to break up the clumps with a hoe. The rest was left up to us. We smoothed out the soil, made short rows, and then headed to the hardware store to purchase seeds. My first garden consisted of carrots, radishes, lettuce, marigolds and johnny-jump-ups. It was thrilling to plant those tiny seeds in the earth, lightly sprinkle soil over them, water them, and then every day inspect our little plot to see if anything came up. To our surprise, everything did! The marigolds and johnny-jump-ups thrived. I remember the carrots were so tiny they each barely provided a bite. The radishes and lettuce did well and we were rewarded with enough to share between our families for salads. My mother dressed those fresh greens with olive oil and vinegar and we enjoyed the exquisite taste of a fresh picked salad.

Fast forward to my early adult years, when I had a variety of home gardens, large and small, raising chickens, growing tomatoes, okra, eggplant, peppers, squash, carrots, corn, lettuce, Swiss chard, arugula, and herbs. From these experiences, I learned the joy of gardening, an appreciation of nature and its wonders, the bounty of mother Earth, and the satisfaction of growing fresh vegetables and flowers.

Several years ago I was drawn to an amazing specialty shop that opened up a few miles from my home. It was there, first as a customer and then as an employee, that I was introduced to a tasty variety of extra-virgin olive oils, flavored olive oils and dark and white balsamic vinegars. Finally, there was a place to first taste and then purchase high quality products. This was a perfect match for me. It highlighted what I learned as a child about good quality olive oil and vinegar, and meshed perfectly with my passion for healthy living. And, it was the inspiration to write my second book, As Old As Time, which is a complete resource and cookbook using these wonderful products.

For some, having a garden might not be an option or an interest. But that doesn’t have to prevent anyone from eating fresh foods. Today there are an abundant variety of fresh vegetables, fruits, dairy, meats and poultry available. With the increasing popularity of local Farmer’s Markets, community gardens, and fresh, local produce available in supermarkets, small shops and bodegas, eating fresh vegetables, dairy, meat and poultry is an easy option.

And using high quality olive oils and balsamic vinegars is as simple as going to your local olive oil store to learn more about these healthy, life-giving products, tasting them, and making them a part of your life.

This book is intended to give the reader an introduction to some of the delicious farm to table foods available, and provide recipes using fresh farm to table products and preparing them with many of the extra-virgin olive oils, flavored olive oils, and dark and white balsamic vinegars available. Join with me in a farm to table culinary journey using fresh ingredients that Time After Time have proven to provide healthy, delicious, beautiful and satisfying meals.