It’s certain that fine women eat A crazy salad with their meat. ~ William Butler Yeats “A Prayer for my Daughter” A crazy salad at my home is a kind of kitchen sink dish, you make it with whatever you have on hand, within reason of course! When I make this salad, I go…
Category: Appetizers
Lemon, Farro, and Wild Rice Salad
Farro and wild rice both have wonderful texture, and when you put them together in a salad, you have a winning combination that is packed with flavor and nutrition. I love salads that I can put together and munch on all week at lunch or snack time. They are often the same salads that provide…
Winter Market Shallot and Arugula Soup
My winter farm market had the largest shallots I’d ever seen in my life, as big as an onion; I knew I had to make something special. The staples at our Winter CSA are reliable, and I am extremely grateful that all season long and well into spring, I can purchase organic, colorful potatoes, carrots,…
Fresh Spring Roll Lettuce Wraps
I couldn’t make up my mind. Did I want fresh spring rolls or lettuce wraps? I decided to combine the two! It was a rough week, weather wise, here in Vermont. Ice, rain, snow, then frigid below zero temperatures for days; even the sunshine did not make it easier, and no one wanted to leave…
Black Bean and Corn Salad
Corn and beans are a delicious combination, and when accompanied by lots of other flavorful and colorful vegetables, they shine. This is a vibrant salad with warm spices and lots of crunch! This little collection of beans, corn, vegetables, and spices can play many roles, so make a big batch and serve it differently at…
Mushroom cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
This vegan version of a traditional crab cake ticks all the boxes! Full of flavor from herbs and dry sherry, they are crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. Crab cakes have always been popular with family and guests, often served at New Year’s brunch. But this year, I wanted to change things up…
“Have a Ball” Root Vegetable Salad
Who says melons are the only produce to go to the ball? Carrots, beets, turnips, potatoes, and radishes want to have fun too! I’ve always loved fruit salads made with little balls of melon and other fruits. They are so pretty to look at! I had the melon baller in my hand recently and a…
Amie’s Artichoke Stuffed Baked Shrimp (or Mushrooms…)
A dish of flavorful Gulf shrimp stuffed with artichokes, shallots, cream cheese, garlic, and seasonings, is perfect for the New Year. There’s a vegan option too! My daughter Amie requests this dish for birthdays and holidays. She absolutely loves it, as does the rest of the family. With a side of Caesar salad, she is…
Yankee Cranberry Bean Soup
It was an old standby, a large pot of flavorful and filling soup that fed an army using pantry staples and leftover scraps. My mother made yankee bean soup when she had a leftover ham bone and bits of ham and wasn’t planning to make her split pea soup. She didn’t have an actual recipe…
Green Mountain Onion Soup
This variation on French onion soup gets a little twist with the additions of apple cider and maple syrup – just a touch. I love onions, and I really love French onion soup. However, what I want the most is to taste the vegetable first and foremost, so I thought I’d experiment with a vegetarian…
Heirloom Tomato and Mozzarella Pie with Herbed Crust
The crust makes memorable this simple pie of tomatoes and cheese. The surplus of cherry tomatoes has finally dwindled at our home to the last few treasures ripening inside. Thursday, we had a 65-degree day, and I let myself think perhaps my struggling cherry tomato plants might offer up something new. This morning? A frost,…
Autumn Turnip and Carrot Cakes
Stay with me please, I know the word turnip does not inspire a lot of sexy vegetable glamor, but they are good! Turnips and root vegetables are the star of this little fritter, and we’re using the lovely tops as well. We have definitely moved into root vegetable world! The markets are filled with carrots and…
Vermont Cheddar, Beer, and Mushroom Soup
Follow the trails for Cheddar cheese and craft beer, and you’ll be treated to some of the best flavors of Vermont (yes, we have maps!). In this soup, we throw in a few wild mushrooms for good measure. Any where you land in Vermont, there are several things you will never be far from – maple…
Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad
Sweet fall kale and Brussels sprouts are delightful in a salad surrounded by colorful autumn vegetables, and topped with a Creamy Lemon Parmesan Dressing. I raided the kale from my garden today and had lots of it to use. In the fall and winter, the kale is much sweeter than in the summer, and right…
Grilled or Oven Roasted Oysters
My mother was an oyster fanatic. Oysters were her favorite food in any form from raw to stewed, baked or broiled, and even nestled in casseroles. Her sister, my Aunt Elda, was also a crazy oyster lady, and she lived on the seashore in Connecticut, which was probably why her obsession was so easily fed….
Pears Roasted with Blue Cheese & Pecans
This roasted pear dish is sweet, salty, savory, and seasonal! A dessert that is equally at home as a starter to a special meal. This is a simple dish to make, using one of my favorite flavor combinations: pears, blue cheese, and nuts, especially butternuts or pecans. I think it is a combination made in…
