Chicken (or Mushroom) Medallions in White Wine with Wild Mushrooms

We have three options here, including two vegan: local chicken but more heart healthy than my mom’s original, mushrooms replacing the chicken, or tofu replacing the chicken. All delicious, so take your pick. My mother’s version of this dish used a whole cut-up chicken or thighs, all parts skin on and bone in, lots of…

Spring-Dug Parsnip Purée with Seared Sea Scallops

Right after maple syrup, the second New England crop of the year is spring-dug parsnips, and now’s the time to find them. Parsnips are a bit finicky to germinate and grow, but they are well-worth the effort because they keep well in the north for use all winter. Many farmers “store” a certain portion of…

A Spring Salad of Three Peas and Some Pods

Peas are the star of this delightful spring salad, but the Meyer Lemon and Ginger Vinaigrette is one you’ll surely use again! A large salad can really set the tone for a holiday meal, especially if it is one that is a little different and makes its own statement of the season. Spring salads can…

Quick Cod Curry with Mushrooms

A colorful weeknight dish that takes little time but packs tons of flavor! We didn’t eat a lot of curry in our house when I was growing up. Typical old time New Englander, my father liked things on the plain side, but my mom loved spices and heat. Dad usually won the battle, telling my…

Sea Scallops and Baby Potatoes in Purgatory

Any time of day, this flavorful dish is a crowd pleaser! We love eggs in purgatory, the Italian version of shakshuka, a spicy tomato sauce in which eggs are simmered. It is a delicious breakfast, brunch, or supper dish, that is popular around the world.  Let’s make a swap! But for a different take on…

A Platter of Bitter Delights with a Touch of Sweet Maple

Bitter just needs to be balanced, and since the sap is running, we know what to use! The sap is running! Today, it is supposed to hit 55 with spring rains forecast! Warm days and cold nights in late winter and early spring in Vermont mean the precious gold of our region is flowing through…

If you don’t like the weather…

In New England, we’re told if you don’t like the weather, wait a minute and it will change. This is quite often true! So let’s just cook. In the past week, we’ve gone from temperatures below zero to shirt-sleeve weather. We’ve had snow, rain, sunshine, sleet, mud, and a howling wind storm. Yesterday morning I…

Honey Whole Wheat Sourdough English Muffins

That sounds like a mouthful, but they are easy to make, and full of flavor and nutrition! When I was growing up, my mom made English muffins once in a while, but not as a regular part of her baking routine. She used tuna-fish cans as the mold to shape them, and as a kid…

Charred Pak Choy Salad with Apple Cider and Miso Dressing

Flavors of the season unite for a delicious and healthful dish! When I was growing up, my dad was the gardener in the family and my mom the cook. He loved puttering with his tomatoes and potatoes, and I think it was probably the only time in his life, besides fishing. when he was alone,…

Corn and Red Pepper Fritters with Poached Eggs and Salsa

Hurry! Corn season is fast winding down. This dish will serve as breakfast, brunch, or a quick summer supper, and there’s simple vegan and gluten-free options as well. We are approaching the Equinox, and with it the final days of our corn season. This is the time to squeeze in as many fresh corn dishes…

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,…

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,…

Strawberry Orange Crêpes with Nutella Sauce

Strawberries, chocolate, hazelnut, and a hint of orange make this a memorable breakfast. My guests at the inn always loved crêpes, any kind of crêpe, sweet or savory. When it is strawberry season, and they are starting their annual bounty so nothing else will do, of course. It’s a show-off kind of breakfast that is remarkably…

Stuffed Swiss Chard

It’s the end of our Winter CSA, but we still have lots of veggies to use! It is the end of our winter CSA, so I stocked up on a few favorites to tide us over until the farm stands open and the season begins anew with radishes and lettuces from our fields, plus a…

Shrimp and Arugula over Jasmine Rice

A spicy scampi-type dish that you can also make vegetarian. The base of this dish is a flavorful rice, topped with either shrimp or tofu which have marinated in a lemony, garlic, and paprika bath. It has a lot of the flavor of shrimp scampi, with the rice holding its own here. It is easiest…

Irish Cream Cheesecake, dairy free

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Although the March Winds are blowing and the temperatures below freezing, we had several glorious days last week where it felt like spring and we could enjoy being outside in our shirtsleeves. So fleeting these delights! Once I heard the forecast of possible 60 degrees, it took me about one minute…

Zucchini with Garlic, Lemon, and Hazelnuts

The humble zucchini moves from quiet weeknight sidekick, to dinner party pretty, and it’s quick and easy too! My grill has reappeared from the snow, and while I seldom hesitate to fire it up in the middle of winter, it was just been a little too cold this week to stand there for any length…

A New Season, a New CSA: Winter Salad

Sunset is now at 4:16 p.m. and our days are short. While my grass may still be green, the only thing surviving in my garden is parsley and Swiss chard in the cold frame, and some scraggly thyme, sage, and peppermint in the herb bed. Our local farmers to the rescue!

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…

Yankee Skillet Cornbread

This is a job for your grandmother’s cast-iron frying pan! Talk to a southern cook about cornbread, and a New Englander like me may well end up in a verbal disagreement over two aspects: the addition of flour and the addition of sugar. The southern cook will probably tell you that neither has a place…