Savor the best all year long! Jams, Jellies, Preserves, Fruits, Pickles, Relishes, Vinegars, Chutneys, Salsas, Tomatoes I grew up with Ball canning jars. My mother would fill them with jams and jellies and applesauce, and pickles of just about anything in abundance. She made sweet pickles, relish, dill pickles, zucchini pickles, and pickled green…
Vanilla and Balsamic Peach Butter
A Good Year for Peaches? With a few shortcuts, you can make use of that golden surplus! I got a little carried away at the orchard this past weekend and ended up with a large crate of peaches. They were labeled as “seconds” but I didn’t find a one that was not near perfect. It…
Corn Stuffed Baked Tomatoes
Delicious Surplus! This is a great dish to make when there is surplus of everything, even the basil to garnish. You can add other other seasonal vegetables to this stuffing, just keep the dice small, and vegetables mild in flavor. I added a small zucchini when I last made this dish, and I’ve also…
Totally Tomatoes!
Red, yellow, orange, purple, green. They’re here! “What’s for dinner?” “Tomatoes.” “Didn’t we have tomatoes for lunch?” “Yep. Guess what we’re having for breakfast?” We wait all year for that blush of red in the garden, and the first few are precious. Nothing beats the flavor of fresh tomato, unadorned except for a sprinkle of…
Savoring Corn Season
In New England, we measure the seasons by the crops, and this is one of the best! When Corn Season is upon us, I hunter-gather at all the farm stands near home and buy a couple of ears from each. Then I cook them and taste. Most years, there is a standout favorite! We might…
Peach Cobbler for a Summer Gathering
What do you bring to the Labor Day Picnic? Well, Northern Peaches are in season! Our local peaches are beautiful and abundant, and it is time for a special dessert. This dish makes plenty to share at a picnic or potluck. It’s best to use a mix of sweet ripe fruit, and a few that…
Peaches with Ginger Rum Sauce
It’s Peach Season and we simply can’t get enough! I stop at the farm stand and smell the peaches the second I walk through the door! For months, we have all been waiting for this. I buy a big greedy bagful, and am tempted to try to eat one…
Grilled Ratatouille and other tricks to Save the Summer!
We have it all right now, But how do we save it? It is the moment you’ve waited for all year. Your garden and local farm stands offer an overflow of tomatoes, squashes, peppers, corn, onions, carrots, and greens. For a short time, it seems every fruit and vegetable is there at your fingertips. You…
Berries: The Jewels of Summer!
Enjoy the treasures while they last, then make them last all year – without standing over a hot wood stove for hours! There is a perfect moment in Vermont when the strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and raspberries are all singing together at the same time; only a moment it is, and only if we are lucky. These…
6 Chilled Summer Soups
We have a dilemma – with all the wonderful vegetables available right now, it’s just too hot to cook! Chilled summer soups solve the problem, and can take only moments to prepare.
Garlic Scapes: The Silly Serpent of the Garlic World…
Garlic scapes are the crazy little budded flower stems that look like a wayward plant! They have a wide range of uses, from pesto to stir fries.
Cherries. Yes.
Sweet or sour, fresh local cherries, these jewels of summer, are ready to enchant. Clafoutis? Scones? How about brandied cherries for gifts?
