Summer Cantaloupe Soup, or is that a Muskmelon?

We wait for them all year, and they are well worth the patience. It’s a pleasure indeed when we pick up that first heavy cantaloupe of the season! They always feel twice as heavy as they should be, and a little whiff at the stem end gives you a preview of what is to come….

Phyllo Nests with Blueberries and Lemon-Lavender Cream

Light, refreshing, and guilt-free. Did I say tasty? It’s blueberry season, and we’re having a really good year here! The surplus of these gems always gets me excited, and although my absolute favorite way to eat them is right out of hand, it’s fun to dress them up. Lots of blue memories       Blueberries have a…

The taste of the Sea, with a little curry to flavor it up!

This curry can be made with whatever seafood you find locally! Here, we’ve used wild caught sustainable New England fish and shellfish from the cold northern waters of the Gulf of Maine. When I make a seafood curry, you know company is coming. Let’s get together! We’ll cook. Recently, we were delighted to have a…

Everyone Wins: Grilled Summer Vegetables with Two Sauces!

It’s a feast in itself, and everyone gets to choose their favorite veggies and sauce. Happy Days! So, there was a break in the weather. It has rained here in Vermont for over three weeks, and everyone has seen the terrible consequences of that with flooding throughout our beautiful little state. There are still road…

Did you say Snickerdoodles?

New Englanders love to give silly names to simple dishes, just for the sake of saying them! My granddaughter asked to make snickerdoodles the other day. She asked me multiple times, using the word as much as possible because it is really lots of fun to say. “It should be a grandmother to make snickerdoodles…

Ginger Spiced Stuffed Patty Pan Squash

It’s that wonderful time in Vermont when we feel like we have everything at our fingertips. The tables at the farmers markets are filled with color and texture. The little farm stands, often self-serve, that are dotted around the back roads hold just about everything one might need from raw milk to locally raised honey,…

Baked Tofu with Ginger & Orange over Scented Jasmine Rice

Ginger and orange are lovely flavor companions. They are also quite a pretty color! Tofu usually appears on our table once a week, in some form. I might marinate it, fry it, add it to smoothies or sauces, accent miso soup, or even dress it up for dessert. I have a couple of favorite week-night…

Baked Sockeye Salmon with French Mustard and Yoghurt

Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon is in season right now with its dark red flesh and full flavor. In fact, sockeye salmon is considered to be the most flavorful of wild salmon. In season from mid-June through July, it is a popular summer barbeque fish, and frequent star of wedding feasts. The harvest of these fish…

Summer Solstice Strawberry Crunch Cake

Strawberries. Sweet, luscious, red through and through strawberries. They herald the summer season of fruits, and do so delightfully as we move to the longest day of the year. Happy Summer Solstice! Here we are at the longest daylight of the year, which means twilight here until nearly 9:30 p.m., tons of fireflies, and I’m…

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…

Snow Peas with Brown Butter and Miso

This is a 10-minute side dish from start to finish that tastes and looks like you fussed!       Peas are precious in Vermont, the growing season being quite short. But, during those fast and furious weeks of harvest, we have more than we know what to do with! We eat them raw, we turn them into…

Brown Rice Risotto with Peas and Potatoes

A celebration of the beautiful spring pea, with a healthful twist on my regular recipe, and full of flavor! When the peas start coming fast and furious, we’re all happy. Few vegetables are more perfect and versatile as the pea, and none more fleeting in its season, all the more reason to cherish. The sugar…

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

The Spring Song in Vermont! When the rhubarb hits the farm stands, you know the first strawberries will be close behind. The two spring treasures are a perfect balancing act – the berries sweet and vibrant, the rhubarb tart and sour. The good news is that both the strawberries and the rhubarb freeze beautifully, so…

Light and Lively Grilled Oysters

Once you get them shucked, this is as simple as it gets, and memorable for any gathering! May is the month of my mother’s birth, her death, Mother’s Day, and, of course, here we are in the middle of Memorial Day Weekend, my thoughts turning to all of those who are no longer here: my…