They are everywhere this time of year in the north. Garlic scapes. They look like little serpents curling out of their baskets, but although they are strange to behold, the good news, is they are delicious and useful in many a dish with a subtle garlic flavor and lovey texture. The garlic tries hard to…
Category: Herbs
Welcome spring! Let’s clean up the garden and make something hearty for supper.
Happy official Spring, The Vernal Equinox arrived at 5:01 a.m.! Shh, the snow has gone. I am saying this quietly, lest I tempt the fates and end up with a surprise blizzard. It’s happened in the past if I celebrate the turning of the wheel too early. But the snowbanks finished melting over the weekend,…
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Scrap Happy Planet: Fromage Fort, from refrigerator bits to star of the party!
Let’s use our kitchen scraps to create better, more flavorful meals, and help in our own little ways to cut down on food waste. Once a month, we’ll offer some little tips on using up those items that normally go in the compost bucket or trash stream. It always starts with us. You rummage through…
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Garden Party Flower and Herb Phyllo Tarts
It’s been a mixed weather bag around here in the north country. We’ve had some extreme hot weather, violent thunder storms, chilly nights, muggy nights, and gentle rains. But the long daylight hours have also fed the gardens with sunshine as well, and everything is blooming and growing like crazy. I should have my first…
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Hakurei Turnips with Baby Potatoes in Mustard Sauce
It’s always exciting when the first crops of spring-grown vegetables make their way to the farm stands, and this week’s delight was the tender, sweet Hakurei turnips. These mild turnips are nothing like the turnips I grew up with, which were larger, with extremely strong flavor, and could be unpleasantly bitter, especially the tops. Plus,…
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New England Lobster Étouffée
Mardi gras is tomorrow, and I’m always looking for something from the south to help celebrate the day. We take seriously all the celebrations we can in mid-February, and tossing beads and dancing to a Zydeco band is right up there with Valentine’s dinners, and the first maple sugar on snow celebrations. Oh, that flavor!…
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Whipped Feta with Roasted Beets & Radishes
It is definitely beet season, and color abounds! Some of the prettiest side dishes are made with beets and radishes. Vibrant reds and pinks and golds, all invite you to eat that rainbow everyone is always talking about. However, as much as others in my family adore beets, I don’t really care for them, and…
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So, What to do with all that fennel…
Stuffed Squash. 1/2 gallon Fennel Stock. Tomato Fennel Soup. Fennel Pesto. Toasted Fennel Au Gratin. I came home from this week’s CSA with two massive fennel bulbs complete with long stalks and the biggest toppings of frilly fronds I’ve ever seen. This was going to take a little work, and I suspected there would be…
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Finally, we have asparagus! Now, let’s make some mayonnaise.
They’re here, and what a glorious season it is in the north! That first bite of fresh local asparagus is like a gift from the heavens. There are certain vegetables I only eat when they are in season. I’ve learned disappointment is likely to follow if I’m tempted to buy corn on the cob or…
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Goat Cheese Marinated with Herbes de Provençe
Keep a jar in the refrigerator, and you’ve got a quick appetizer! One of those happy accidents. I had prepared a plate of sliced goat cheese for a gathering and I sprinkled it with herbs and crushed red peppers, drizzled it with olive oil, and had a bit left over at the end of the…
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Cajun Seafood Pot Pie
Time to celebrate Spring, Mardi Gras, and perhaps a Birthday! I celebrate the seasons along with the meteorologists. Spring begins on March 1 in my book, and no one usually argues the point. Of course, in Vermont, March, and even April for that matter, often looks more like winter than spring, but some years we…
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Cod (or tofu) Baked with Fresh Tomatoes, Swiss Chard, and Summer Herbs
This is a quick summer supper with little hands-on time. There are lots of tomatoes about in New England (and everywhere else) right now. A perfect time to sample beautiful heirloom tomato varieties when they are at their peak of freshness, flavor, and a good price as well. Cod is a favorite in this region,…
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Savory Olive and Rosemary Madeleines
Little three-bite savory delights, perfect for a party! It started with a trip to King Arthur Baking in Norwich. I was meeting my friend Suzy for lunch at the cafe, and had a couple of things to pick up from the baking store, primarily the organic white whole wheat flour I frequently use. Of course,…
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Carrot Salad with Caper and Herb Dressing
This is not quite your mother’s carrot salad! Every holiday, mom made a little side salad of carrots. Sometimes, all it included was carrots, mayonnaise, a bit of sugar, salt, and pepper. Often, she would add dried cranberries or raisins, and sometimes cabbage as well. A change here and there I’ve changed her salad many…
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Vermont Cheddar and Rosemary Biscuits
Tender, moist, and packed with flavor, these cheddar and rosemary biscuits are a perfect little afternoon snack or brunch favorite. Do you need a little pick-me-up in the middle of the afternoon? A cup of tea, or perhaps an iced coffee, along with a nibble of something sweet or savory, and you’re set to go…
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Creamy Cauliflower, Leek, and Sage Soup
When the fall vegetables arrive, we suddenly find ourselves with colorful new possibilities. Cauliflower is a favorite in our family, and leeks a staple that will remain available through the winter. I’m glad of that since I have many recipes that use these sweet, tender members of the onion family. This is a simple soup,…
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Let’s use every inch of the carrot – roast them and create a luscious 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….
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Chicken Thighs with Chive Pesto
The freshness of spring and the beauty of flowers combine to make this topping memorable I planted a small clump of chives in my garden many years ago. I now have four large clumps, and have given away many more starts to friends and relatives. They are hardy in a New England garden, and they…
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The Life of Spice
Your own Spice Blends will save you time and money and ensure your flavors are truly unique to your own kitchen. One of my rituals of the new year is to go through my spice/herb shelf and take inventory. I usually have a lot to replenish after the cooking of the holidays, and this is…
