My house all-purpose pasta sauce that’s great on everything from spaghetti to after-school English muffin pizzas. And nothing is wasted in this slow-simmered sauce. Mom would approve! It’s Sunday. We have plenty of time to cook and we want to make the home smell wonderful. We also want to have plenty of leftovers for other…
Autumn Pot Pie with Roasted Vegetables
The ultimate comfort food, but in this version no one will miss the meat (especially if you don’t bother to tell them it’s not there…) There is one dish everyone in my family agrees on – a pot pie. Chicken pot pie, turkey pot pie, and seafood pot pie are the favorites, but I think…
321 Quote Me: Food for Thought
Hello All! I have been tagged by Ribana at Popsicle Society for this amazing: 321 Quote Me with the topic Food For Thought! 321 Quote Me was created by Rory at A Guy Called Bloke Once a week, Rory will pick a random topic, post two quotes on that topic and tag 3 bloggers, who in…
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Basil and Lemon Sauce
Add a few pomegranate seeds and lots of black pepper, and you have a tasty side dish with balance and texture. Sweet potatoes. They are nutritious, lovely to look at and, well, sweet. In a savory side dish, the sweetness can be a problem to some. I’m not a huge fan of really sweet vegetable…
Crystalized Ginger
This is a “three-for-one recipe” using only two ingredients – ginger and sugar! You can always have crystalized or candied ginger in the pantry if you make it yourself! If you have a local source for ginger, even better! Our Vermont farmers have started growing fresh ginger during our long daylight hours of summer. They grow…
French Apple Cake
The apple is the star of this dish, or rather, the “apples” of different varieties! I’ve made apple cakes for years, and they are always a hit. When we head out to the orchard to pick, I know there will be a special dessert sometime in the near future, most likely served after Sunday dinner….
Autumn Salad with Maple Poppyseed Dressing
Add some rosemary, lemon, and garlic marinated mushrooms, and you have a flavorful fall lunch using seasonal beets three ways. It is the season of color. The leaves are turning quickly, and the hillsides are vibrant yellow and orange and red, with evergreen thrown in for contrast. The same colors are in abundance in our…
Mulled Apple Cider
Cider mulling in the kitchen is the aroma of Vermont in Autumn. Add a crackling fire in the hearth, and you’ve no reason to venture out. I’m not sure if the wood smoke of the fireplace makes the cider taste better, or if the cider makes the fire dance more slowly. Either way, it’s a perfect…
Vermont Shepherdess Pie
A vegetarian version of the layered casserole we all grew up on! Hearty enough for everyone. We are no longer under the illusion that summer will last forever. The temperatures have dropped, and so have lots of leaves! But right now, there seems to be just about every vegetable out there one could want, along…
Chicken with Mushrooms, Dijon, and Tarragon Sauce
A quick weeknight dinner, that is also home at a dinner party. Don’t eat chicken? You can also make this with tempeh or tofu! This is one of those dishes that is quick to cook on a week night and well received by the family. It also reheats beautifully, so it’s great for lunch the…
Grandmother Alice’s Gingerbread
This is a traditional gingerbread, baked in a traditional square pan, but with a few little flavor twists along the way to move it into this century. I lived across the road from my Aunt Mary, my father’s sister, most of my growing up years. She was a cook who fussed little and rarely used recipes. She…
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…
Grilled or Oven Roasted Oysters
My mother was an oyster fanatic. Oysters were her favorite food in any form from raw to stewed, baked or broiled, and even nestled in casseroles. Her sister, my Aunt Elda, was also a crazy oyster lady, and she lived on the seashore in Connecticut, which was probably why her obsession was so easily fed….
Pears Roasted with Blue Cheese & Pecans
This roasted pear dish is sweet, salty, savory, and seasonal! A dessert that is equally at home as a starter to a special meal. This is a simple dish to make, using one of my favorite flavor combinations: pears, blue cheese, and nuts, especially butternuts or pecans. I think it is a combination made in…
Sea Scallops with Sweet and Sour Apple Cider Sauce
Sweet Maine sea scallops get a tangy boost with apple cider and apple cider vinegar. We bid summer adieu this year with a quick trip to the Maine coast. With temperatures in the 80s, the season held on until the last moment! We were delighted with beautiful red sunrises and sunsets, blue skies, and the…
Butternut Squash, Apple, & Ginger Soup
The apples are beautiful! The squash is beautiful. And we have locally grown exotic ginger just waiting to enhance just about everything, so it’s soup tonight! With a side of Apple Bread… I got lost in the apple orchard today, intentionally of course! The morning was crisp and bright the sky blue, and the car…
