The cherries are in season, so why not use them rather than an imported fruit? Cherry salsa? Why not? We often serve fish tacos with the popular mango salsa, and when I was thinking about making fish tacos recently, I knew I needed to come up with an alternate fruit because of an allergy ––…
Category: Appetizers
Shrimp Stuffed Avocados
Serving this salad in little avocado boats adds a little bit of festive to a summer dinner. When I was growing up, I doubt I ever saw an avocado. Now, there’s hardly a day when I don’t find one on my plate in some form from breakfast to party appetizer. They are everywhere! My mother-in-law…
Update your picnic with a modern twist on a three-bean salad and other treats
It’s picnic time, if the weather holds… It has been a rainy spring, and while we haven’t thought much about going on picnics, the warmth is returning, and the bonus from all that moisture is a green landscape that begs for a blanket and a basket of treats. The easiest picnic food is eaten with the…
Heavenly Baked Blooming Onions
The smell of baking onions drives the hungry wild! One of my favorite commentators on Vermont Public Radio for many years was the late Janet Green, whose homespun reflections were often memorable in some way. In one of her programs, she talked about what to do when dinner is going to be a bit late,…
Thai Baked Tofu with Peanut & Sesame
Flavorful and satisfying, even the meat-lovers will enjoy this! This is one of my favorite lunches or snacks. It is a little spicy, a little sweet, a little sour, and a whole lot savory. I find it addictive as well! Our local food co-op offered a baked thai tofu in its “Grab and Go” section…
Spicy Guacamole Salad
A refreshing guacamole is not just a dip for corn chips. With just a few additions, you have a lovely spring salad or first course. Add a little shrimp, and you have a light lunch. I love avocados and eat them in some form most days. They are great simply sliced and drizzled with citrus…
Marinated Spring Vegetables
You can use either fiddleheads or asparagus, ramps or scallions. These spring treasures will add a pleasant freshness to any meal! When local wild spring vegetables are bountiful, we look for every way possible to use them. Fiddleheads make only the briefest of appearances in our Northern woods, but when they start poking their little…
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…
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…
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…
Roasted Vegetables Make the Meal
Roasting vegetables enhances the flavor––who doesn’t love those caramelized edges? I love roasted vegetables, and I love the process of prepping and roasting them. From potatoes to Brussels sprouts, it is hard to think of any vegetable that doesn’t benefit from the added flavor and texture when roasting. I grew up in a time when…
Homemade Hummus with Roasted Chickpeas
If you make it from scratch with dried chickpeas, this dip not only tastes better than what you find in the market, but it is quite economical as well. I love hummus. I always have some in my refrigerator and I use it for dips and as a spread on sandwiches or crackers. As delicious…
Party Wings & Other Things
Use this Maple, Ginger, and Garlic Marinade on wings, or cauliflower florets, and everyone is pleased! Most of my family loves wings, some love them spicy, some love them mild, and some don’t eat meat at all but love the spicy flavors! Since everyone does not eat meat, there is no one-shop recipe….
Boston Brown Bread
If you have never heard of the New England tradition of Boston Brown Bread, you are in for a treat! When I was growing up, when we had a supper of beans, they were often served with Boston Brown Bread. This was the comfort meal, a bowl of beans and a biscuit or brown bread….
New Year’s Shrimp Egg Rolls with Homemade Duck Sauce
A family tradition that is fun for all ages. The kids and I make Homemade Egg Rolls, Fried Rice, and Crab Rangoons every New Years. It is a change from other foods we’ve been feasting on the last couple of weeks, and it is always a lot of fun. It takes only moments for the…
Christmas Morning Breakfast Quiche
A Perfect Make Ahead Breakfast using Sugar Snap Peas and Caramelized Onions! I forget about quiche for long periods of time, or perhaps I make them too often and tire of them. If it’s been a while, perhaps it’s time to revisit. When I would serve this to my guests at the inn, I looked…
