You never know what twists and turns a recipe will take. Rarely do I make a recipe exactly same as the last. Even my favorite dishes morph until I sometimes don’t recognize them from the original. Many of the meals we have started out in some way from a recipe of my mother, aunt, grandmother,…
Category: Suppers
Hearty Tofu with Apples & Sage
Vegetarians and meat eaters alike will enjoy this taste of the season! Autumn arrived officially last week, and many of us in the north country feel more than a little cheated by the weather this year. Our summer consisted of rain, rain, rain, flooding, cold, and one exquisite week (well five days in a row)…
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Cookbook Confidential: “Bistro Cooking” by Patricia Wells
A classic from the 1989 remains timeless! My friend Bernadette from New Classic Recipe (https://newclassicrecipe.com) came up with the wonderful idea to have an on-line cookbook club with some of her blog buddies. What a fun, and great way to choose a recipe or two from the books, cook them, and review them. Then,…
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Creamy Corn, Cauliflower & Crab Chowder
A simple classic dish with just a little taste of the sea to liven it up Corn season cannot go by without some more chowder, and it is going fast. As corn season progresses, this native treasure gets sweeter, and the price gets lower, so this is the time of year we pull out those…
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Hot Soup in Summer? Of course, especially if it’s rained for two solid weeks.
Lentil Soup with Kohlrabi and Swiss Chard The weather has been brutal in Vermont. The devastating flooding in our dear little state this week has left most of us is dismay at the massive property and land damage, destroyed buildings and roads, a landscape changed by towers of rushing waters. Anyone who has watched the…
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Coaxing Spring one Root at a Time
Spring turnips and radishes are the flavors of right now. It has been chilly this week, but we’ve had some breaks of sunshine in the spring rains. These blessed showers brought the green grass, and the trees are starting to leaf out as well. Perfect weather for the daffodils and tulips. It does the heart…
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Cookbook Confidential: Whole Wheat Pasta with Walnut Sauce and Swiss Chard
My friend Bernadette from New Classic Recipe came up with the idea to have an on-line cook book club with some of her blog buddies. What fun, and a great way to choose a recipe or two from the books, cook them, and review the books. “Milk Street Tuesday Nights Mediterranean,” from Christopher Kimball The…
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Stir-Fried Tempeh with Peppers and Onions
This nutritious ingredient is all about possibilities! You’ll always find a package of tempeh and one of tofu in my refrigerator. They are stable for quite a while, and make for a really quick weeknight meal when somehow the day has gotten away from the someone who shops and going to the market ended up…
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Spring Sorrel and Parsnip Soup
It’s time to make a spring tonic soup since the ice is out at Joe’s Pond! Ah, April. Just when we thought it was safe to ditch the boots and winter coats, just as the daffodils delight with their beautiful spring show, we had a spring snow storm that left thousands without power. The ice…
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(Today’s)Yankee Bean and Macaroni Soup
A New England classic that stands the test of time – inexpensive, quick, and really tasty. When I was growing up, Mom often put together a “Yankee Bean Soup” using leftover beans from another meal and a ham bone for flavor. It was a quick meal, tasty, filling, and usually served up with biscuits. There…
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Shiitake Mushroom Noodle Soup with Peas Three Ways
Shiitake mushrooms are the star here, but peas three ways are perfect supporting actors. Growing up, my uncle Leonard and Aunt Mary were neighbors. He was a great forager of many wild delights, especially mushrooms. From a young age, I learned to love the flavor of chanterelles, hen of the woods (maitake), morels, and other…
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Noodles with Tuna and Peas
Tastier and easier than that retro Tuna Noodle Casserole you may have grown up with (or not!). We have a vegan version too! I did not grow up with Tuna Noodle Casserole in our home. I guess my mother did not like it, or my dad! She loved egg noodles though, and usually served them…
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Lemon Garlic Shrimp over Spaghetti Squash, something light for the new year
We’ve indulged, and now it is time to think about a little lighter experience at the dinner table! The stars were with us, and our family was able to gather together and celebrate the holidays this year, only the second time we’ve all been together in over two years. This being Vermont, with its unpredictable…
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Rigatoni with Butternut Squash and Roasted Garlic
Autumn flavors combine with pasta for comfort food delight! The weather finally turned this weekend to crisp and cooler, and then rainy and dank. Lulled by a long, warm early Autumn, we’re all scrambling now to finish those yard chores before snow. Although the thermometer dipped and hovered close to freezing, and the chilly rains…
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Fennel and Leek “Vichyssoise” with Seared Scallops
A lighter version of one of our family’s favorites. Guilt-free, but just as delicious! It’s not a traditional Vichyssoise, but it is just as delicious (and there’s a vegan alternative too). My mother-in-law Pat Read was one of the best chefs I’ve ever known, and I learned lots from her. She ran two splendid restaurants…
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Polenta with Shrimp and Cherry Tomatoes
Yes, the cherry tomatoes are still coming strong, and this dish is a perfect accompaniment to shrimp atop a lovey batch of polenta, otherwise known almost affectionately as cornmeal mush in New England! First, the cornmeal The cornmeal is definitely half the main act here. Creamy and full of corn flavor, polenta makes a wonderful…
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Cedar Plank Tofu with Grilled Veggies
A super summer supper that celebrates the season! Quick too! The hot, humid weather broke this past Sunday, so I took advantage of the cooler air to head out to the grill. One of my least favorite summer food activities is standing over hot coals when it is 95 degrees and thick humidity! Even if…
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Heirloom Tomato & Corn Cobbler
Heirloom tomatoes. Fresh corn on the cob. A nutty whole-grain biscuit with scallions and black pepper. These create for a sensational seasonal summer supper! We wait all year for our local tomatoes to ripen. The season of too much is happening a little slow for many this year because of our extremely rainy July, but…
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So I baked bread, and made soup.
Homemade Roasted Broccoli Soup, Whole Wheat Sourdough bread, are comfort foods in unsettling times.
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Fire Roasted Tomato and Artichoke Soup
We can make this comfort soup entirely with items in our pantry, or dress it up with leftovers from the refrigerator. Whether living under a Stay Home order by the state, or just looking for an easy dinner on a day when there was no time to shop, this is a handy recipe to have…
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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,…
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Quinoa & Apple Stuffed Sweet Dumpling Squash
Farm stands are filled with colorful squash and apples, just begging to be put together. I love the sweet little winter squashes we find at this time of year. Delicata and Sweet Dumpling are my favorites. They just beg to be scooped out and filled with something delectable! And, if you can’t find these, you…
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Rumtum Diddy
It’s a funny name, but this inexpensive Depression-era dish will feed a family quickly and deliciously. While researching Depression-era recipes for a different project, I came across several versions of an old New England supper staple during these hard times –– “Rinktum Diddy” or Rum Tum Diddy or Rum Tim Ditty. No one seemed to…
