This is vibrant, simple, delicious, and make ahead. Who could ask for more from the last of the Autumn strawberries? My friend Ray gave me this recipe many years ago, and it always makes an appearance in our house along with the local strawberries. We often served this soup at high summer for a brunch…
Salmon with Roasted Corn, Fusilli, and Chèvre
Friday night special: In the time it takes the pasta to cook, you have everything else done and you’re ready to eat. I love having folks over for Friday night dinners. It is fun to make this meal a bit special to mark the close of the week. The weekend seems longer and more festive…
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Last corn? Time for a classic corn chowder
In New England, we measure the seasons by the crops, and this is one of the best! When Corn Season is upon us, we can’t wait to taste that wonderful sweet first bite. Often, the best flavor is usually not found at the beginning of the season, but a few weeks in. But this year,…
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Sweet & Sour Autumn Slaw
Who doesn’t love a nice crunchy slaw? This one is packed with flavor that only gets better with time. Sometimes I find the weirdest things at the farmers market. This week, my eyes spied a cone-shaped cabbage. Yes. Connie Conehead would have snapped it up in a minute. I already had a head of radicchio…
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Preserving Herbs for use all Season
No, it is not the same as fresh; sometimes it’s even better! This post is an encore of one I wrote a few years ago, so please forgive the late summer rerun! Ah, those fresh herbs I admit to being spoiled all summer long when I walk a few feet from my kitchen door to…
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If I say turkey meatball, please don’t run away!
We’ve all had them, turkey meatballs or burgers that were inedible, hard and dry, especially when using the almost fat-free ground. But’s no use making something lighter and healthier if no one wants to eat it. Even when I lighten a recipe, it has to taste good and be satisfying. Satisfy the craving Although we…
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Swiss Chard with Black Beans and Local Corn
Greens and beans and lots of local corn to keep it interesting! Summer is definitely winding down! I spotted some pumpkins and fall radishes at the farm stand today, and even though it was a humid 84 degrees, those signs reminded me that the change of season is on its way. After the heat and…
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One last zucchini recipe for the season, no apologies…
We’ve enjoyed them every which way we can, and still they grow with glee. This recipe is just for fun. Ever since my own children were little, we made zucchini boats at this time of year. They enjoyed making them as much as eating them, and we’d stuff all kinds of extras in the little…
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Orzo and Radicchio Salad Cups with Honey Lime Dressing
Summertime, and the living is easy, at least a little longer. We love a chilled salad, something packed with flavor that we can enjoy over a few meals without any additional cooking. Pasta salads are always at the top of the list, whether a humble macaroni salad, or colorful pasta primavera. They feed a lot,…
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A little fire, a little smoke, and a few pretty vegetables
Campfire Chioggia Beets with Summer Vegetables, Garlic, and Lemon features a classic technique with a little lively added! Our camping trips with my parents always centered on playing in the water and enjoying the food. When we weren’t boating or eating, it seems like we were talking about what we were going to eat next….
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After the Beach Salad with Low Fat Herbed Ranch Dressing
We’ve indulged, and now we want goodness that still tastes good. This ranch dressing recipe has no saturated animal fat, but tons of garden-fresh flavor and tang. There are many days when all I crave is a beautiful green salad, especially if we’ve been out of town and eating less healthful than we should. Last…
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How to stuff a sweet Italian
The sweet Italian frying peppers have hit the farm stands and they beg to be used in many different ways. I’m stuffing mine with smoked trout and chèvre for a delightful treat. A recipe often begins life with a flavor combination found in something totally different. I found the most beautiful sweet Italian frying peppers…
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Lemony Summer Squash Cake
You could also call this a Secret Ingredient Cake because no one would guess what is hidden inside. I got the idea for this recipe because of a wonderful chocolate zucchini squash cake recipe my friend Catherine gave me a few years ago. It was a chocolate amazement that I have written about both here…
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Scallion and Patty Pancakes
Right about now, you’ve probably got a lot of summer squash to use! Did you plant too many summer squash? Did your neighbor? At this time of year, summer squashes are bountiful so we’re digging out our recipes for ratatouille, roasted vegetables, zucchini bread and cakes, and any number of other dishes to use up…
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Grilled Napa Cabbage with Spicy Avocado Dill Dressing
A simple salad with the delightful high summer flavors of dill and smoke! When I was growing up, my Aunt Jeanette had a marvelous stand of self-sown dill plants by the edge of her garden. Her dill was happily shared with those in the family making pickles or dilly beans this time of year. I…
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Baked Grouper with Herbs over Polenta
A half hour dish that tastes like a lot of fussing! I love making a little fuss on Friday nights, a celebration of the beginning of the weekend! My sister usually comes over, sometimes we invite a couple of friends too. While it is great to begin with a feast, sometimes we’re a little tired…
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New Potatoes and Green Beans with Ginger and Mint
Potatoes with ginger? Green beans with mint? Both combined, along with garlic and sesame oil? Why not? July was always rob-the-potato-hills time in our garden growing up. Dad was the vegetable gardener and potatoes were his favorite to grow. He loved the whole process from planting the seed potatoes, hilling them up, and harvesting. About…
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Stuffed Pasta Shells with Summer Squash & Herbs
This vegan version of stuffed shells is a little lighter, but still full of flavor and satisfaction, you won’t miss the original. Right now, I have tons of herbs in my garden, so I’ve made green goddess dressing, herb salads, and garnished and infused just about everything with their wonderful flavor. Let’s stuff some shells!…
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Parsley and Parmesan Broth with Crabmeat Salad
Full of flavor, and we didn’t waste a thing! One of the joys of having an accomplished chef and restauranteur for a mother-in-law was the abundance of knowledge of little techniques along the way from her, often just by eating what she served. It was always incredible, always memorable, and never skimped on calories, carbs,…
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Tomato and Fennel Summer Salad
Here come the tomatoes, and my first fennel! I picked my first cherry tomatoes from my plants this week, and this is what really marks summer’s beginning to me. Of course, the farm stands are full of beautiful heirloom fruits of many colors, tempting me into making Salad Caprese with local fresh mozzarella, Bruschetta with…
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Wheat Berry Tabouli
This classic vegetarian salad has traveled well through countless decades! A good while back in my early adult life, my first vegetarian cookbook was the Moosewood Cookbook by Molly Katzen. If you are of my generation, you probably had it on your shelf too. It was certainly my first experience attempting meatless meals beyond baked…
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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…
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Celebrate the Season with a Luscious Lighter Strawberries Romanoff
This is a much lighter version of the old standby, with all the flavor and beauty. Strawberries are our first fruit of the season, and we wait all year for these beautiful little gems. Sweet, sometimes with a tart edge, red through and through, there is something magical about the aroma of macerated strawberries when…
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Leek, Asparagus, and Fennel Soup
Served hot or chilled, this soup is the flavor of Asparagus Season! Asparagus season is fleeting here in the Northeast, but we celebrate it with great flair. There are even asparagus festivals to celebrate this vegetable with every possible cooking method! Raw, baked, roasted, boiled, braised, sautéed, steamed, stir-fried, and grilled, any way you cook…
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Early Summer: Squash Roll-Ups Stuffed with Farro and Black Beans
Summer goes by quickly in New England, so once our temperatures hit 90, we declare it summer! Fresh, local, sweet little zucchini and summer squash caught my eye at the farm stand, and I couldn’t wait to sample them! These delicate little squashes herald the beginning of summer and all the possibilities coming our way….
