It’s been a long winter and we’re craving greens! With a sunshine hit of lemon, some peppery arugula, this quick soup will wake you out of hibernation! I needed spring this week so I made this soup. We want to be done with snow, and sleet, and mud, and with roasted root vegetables too, no matter…
Author: Dorothy Grover-Read
Our family has run a small Vermont Bed and Breakfast Inn for 18 years, with our focus on local, organic produce, dairy, and meats. After many years of daily serving up of our local delicacies, cooking classes, and catering, we are now only open for special events and book a number of rooms for musicians and artists. I've been a writer all my life, newspapers, radio news, and magazines, but now turn my attention to my cookbook and a cooking column for our county newspaper "The Commons." And, of course, feeding family and friends! With a family that includes nut, peanut, fruit, and vegetable allergies, gluten intolerance, dairy intolerance, vegetarians, heart conscious, and a couple of picky eaters, there has to be a few quick tricks in the book to keep everyone fed and happy!
Dressed Up Green Beans & Tomatoes
One secret ingredient, and a light adornment of Parmesan, transform the humble green bean into the star of the plate. Green beans are handy to have in the refrigerator. They keep for days, and can be cooked in a matter of minutes. There is nothing like fresh green beans from the garden, steamed, bathed with…
Fennel & Leek Soup with Parmesan Pepper Dumplings
We’ve neglected dumplings! But these little gems are at home on many soups, not just chicken stew. AND, you can make them gluten-free, deliciously! We really have neglected dumplings. No, not the yummy Asian dipping dumplings that we all love, but the little biscuit-like creations simmered on top of a soup or stew. New England…
Chèvre & Cranberry Stuffed Shiitake Mushrooms
Little Peruvian “Beak Peppers,” also known as Sweetie Drops, are making their way to our dinner plates adding a little punch of acid and mild heat. While roaming through the market this week, I came across two unusual ingredients and knew I had to create a dish that would use them both. The first was…
Crispy Saffron Jasmine Rice
A humble cup of white rice can be transformed into an addictively crunchy accent to a weeknight meal! I love rice. I often make a big pot of rice on the weekend and doll it out in various incarnations throughout the week. While my usual house rice is a nutty, brown, jasmine rice, I love…
Yankee Gumbo…
Not exactly “traditional” but this Northern version of the Southern classic is full of flavor! It is Vermont. It is winter. It is also Mardi Gras, the day of feasting and celebration before the beginning of Lent. I planned to make a gumbo for dinner tonight, and, as usual, had a difficult time finding some…
Loaded Macaroni & Cheese
Kid approved: A little healthier, and loaded with both vegetables and flavor! Every kid in my life has loved macaroni and cheese. Really, any combination of carb and cheese and they are happy, be it grilled cheese or cheese pizza! In our Vermont home that means macaroni and cheese from scratch using extra-sharp cheddar and…
Smelts with Lemon & Capers
Yes, these little New England natives have a funny name, and they don’t look like much more than a mouthful, but these mid-winter natives remain popular. Rainbow smelts are a saltwater fish that, like salmon, spawn in fresh water tributaries, particularly on the Maine coast. These little gems are an extremely popular target of ice…
A “New” New England Boiled Dinner
New England Boiled Dinner is a classic winter dish, although the protein used is a point of disagreement among many. This version avoids the argument completely. Ask a New Englander what is in a New England boiled dinner, and you will get a wide range of replies, and every one is considered to the THE…
Eggs in Purgatory
A spicy tomato base with its potato cousin studded throughout. A favorite of family and inn guests as well! You’ll find this dish throughout the mediterranean and mideast, referred to by many names, including “shakshouka” which is lots of fun to pronounce and seems to be on menus everywhere these days. The dishes feature variations…
Cabbage and Carrots With Caraway
Under pressure, this nutritional side dish is made quickly (and without the aroma penetrating the entire house all day) Cabbage is a cheap New England staple vegetable. In the autumn, you can find heads larger than your own at the farm stands for little money, and the winter co-ops and CSAs offer these local treasures…
Socca with Garlic and Herbs
Quick and easy, this chickpea flatbread tastes like nothing else! This unique, crunchy chickpea pancake, hails from the south of France, a rustic Niçoise street food. Made simply with chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour, water, and olive oil, there are also versions of this dish in Italy. It is perfect in its simplicity, but that doesn’t…
