I love grilling when the weather finally turns and Autumn whispers “hurry up, I’m almost here, get your grilling in!” I’m not a fan of standing over a grill filled with red-hot coals while it is 95 degrees out and extremely humid. But as soon as September creeps in, I’m out there grilling whatever I…
Category: Condiments
Napa Cabbage Salad with Ginger and Lime Dressing
Crunchy, a little savory, a little sour, and a little sweet! I love a salad with lots of interest! A salad that serves as a meal needs to have a lot going for it in my book – color, texture, a variety of flavors, and a good balance of sweet, salty, sour, and savory, with…
Zesty Ginger Peach Chutney
This chutney uses the best of the harvest, including Northern grown ginger! It’s harvest time in Vermont, and that means lots of beautiful produce just waiting to be preserved for the rest of the year. Apples, squashes, corn, tomatoes, berries, peaches, ginger. Yes, fresh ginger! There are quite a few…
Corn and Black Bean Salad with Malt Vinegar Dressing
During corn season in Vermont, we often have left-over corn we’ve cut from the cobs, perfect in salads, especially with a little accent of craft beer! Actually, sometimes it’s a big container leftover! I’ll usually buy a full dozen ears of corn, and what we don’t eat gets cut off the cob and either frozen…
A slice of homemade bread with some fresh blackberry jam?
Both of these recipes are quicker than the vintage versions, but just as delicious! It’s berry season and that means time to make some jam. I usually make strawberry jam, sometimes blueberry, raspberry if there are enough to be found, but always blackberry! It is one of my favorite kitchen gifts, and on the rare…
Blackberry Syrup, or would you rather a slice of pie?
Berries are plentiful right now, and the squirrel in me is transforming and tucking away these treasures for the rest of the year. I went to the berry farm today and what a selection! I was looking for blackberries, but went away with more blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries! They also offered currants and black raspberries, but…
Marinated Artichoke Hearts and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Put this together with simple pantry ingredients in just a few moments! We love little nibbles before a dinner party. Little bites of delicious treats while we catch up a bit, pour a glass of wine, or while we prep the meal. It can be something as simple as a bowl of spiced nuts, a…
Brandied Cherries
A perfect cherry suspended in a spiced brandy. These treasures will delight all year long, and they are one of the easiest kitchen gifts to make!Local is always best, of courseMake these when local cherries are ripe, firm, and beautifully colored. If you can get them, try using a mix of sour and sweet cherries, but…
Lilac Syrup
Let’s eat the flowers! Lilac season is glorious, though fleeting. I look forward to these voluptuous May blossoms with great anticipation each year. With lots of old-fashioned lilacs on my property, I know I will fill my vases every day, and the scent will fill my lungs with spring. After a long winter and cold,…
Marinated Grilled Spring Ramps
The Northeast woods offer many treasures in early spring, and ramps are always at the top of my list! These wild members of the onion family, Allium tricoccum, might find their way into a soup. Or, perhaps they’ll dress up a pot of risotto, or liven a stir-fry. Almost every use is enhanced with a quick…
Roasted Carrots with Carrot Top Pesto
Save these gems from the compost bin, add some maple syrup and ginger, and you have a delicious pesto! I have to admit, most of the time I have used carrot greens, or tops, as an addition to the stock pot so as not to waste them, or occasionally added a few leaves to salads….
Winter Vegetable Refrigerator Pickles
Winter root vegetables are beautiful to look at, all the colors of the rainbow. Right now, I’m still excited to cook with them, but I know that by March I’ll be tired of rutabagas and beets! The holidays are over and we’re settling in to that long stretch of winter that holds both magnificent beauty…
