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.
Tag: vegan
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…
Share this:
Jazzy Rutabaga and Black Bean Soup
Full of flavor, this soup will warm you, wake you up, and make you want to dance. And it won’t break the bank! I was talking to my friend Chris recently, and he was making black bean soup. The thoughts of the soup stuck in my mind, so that evening I put a pound of…
Share this:
Tangy Endive Salad that can take a year to make, or just a few minutes…
A light and refreshing side to those hearty cold weather meals. At this time of year, daylight is precious, the weather chills and we tend toward heartier suppers. Soups, stews, casseroles, all help to warm the body here in the north country. A welcome addition to any winter supper is a side salad that refreshes…
Share this:
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…
Share this:
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…
Share this:
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!…
Share this:
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…
Share this:
Chickpea Flatbread with Asparagus & Chives
Chives and asparagus are among our earliest sprouts here in New England, dancing together nicely at this time of year! This is the season of lilacs in our village, and what a year it is! There isn’t a street where one does not inhale this incredible scent of spring, and their luscious color as well….
Share this:
(Today’s)Yankee Bean and Macaroni Soup
A New England classic that stands the test of time – inexpensive, quick, and really tasty. When I was growing up, Mom often put together a “Yankee Bean Soup” using leftover beans from another meal and a ham bone for flavor. It was a quick meal, tasty, filling, and usually served up with biscuits. There…
Share this:
Purple Reigns Salad
Purple reigns in this salad, and all that color means it’s loaded with lots of healthful nutrients, a nice boost on those low energy days! We’re two weeks in the month of January, often the Season of Resolutions and quests for foods that are nutritious but also hearty where the weather is cold, and it’s…
Share this:
Right Now, the World Needs Apple Crisp
And this one’s a blushing delight! You know it’s Autumn when you catch that first whiff of apples cooking, especially apple crisp, and right now, the whole world needs a nice big portion. Irresistible! Who can resist the site, the smell, the texture of the crispy top, and spicy softened apples? In this version, I’ve…
Share this:
Fennel and Leek “Vichyssoise” with Seared Scallops
A lighter version of one of our family’s favorites. Guilt-free, but just as delicious! It’s not a traditional Vichyssoise, but it is just as delicious (and there’s a vegan alternative too). My mother-in-law Pat Read was one of the best chefs I’ve ever known, and I learned lots from her. She ran two splendid restaurants…
Share this:
Stuffed Napa Cabbage Leaves with Peanut Sauce
We love the ease of feeding ourselves a rainbow of nutrition in high summer in Vermont! You never know what you will find at the farm stands and farmers markets in July in Vermont, but it’s a sure bet there will be lots from which to choose and enjoy. This week, I found everything I…
Share this:
Quite a Hodge Podge
Another northern dish with a funny name! This quick stew of midsummer veggies has long been a favorite when we need to sample the new produce, but don’t want to stand over the stove too long! Robbing a few new potatoes from the hills is a tradition around here. Pulling sweet baby carrots is also…
Share this:
Tempting Trio of Spring Treasures
Could there be anything more perfect than finding wild fiddlehead ferns, ramps, and asparagus all in the same day? The blossoms on the trees are just popping out in lacy, pale green wonder. The grass in the fields is beyond green as well, and the odd freshly tilled field scents the air with earth and…
Share this:
Free chairs, romance novels, fabric scraps, and sourdough starter
New Englanders are known for our thrift, which is sometimes an almost obsessive need to reuse and recycle. That’s a good thing! I drove to the market recently and passed by a house with a chair on the lawn with a “FREE” sign sitting on its threadbare cushion. It was not an unusual site as…
Share this:
Refrigerator Vegetable Stew
With just a little hint of the warmth of Provence, this simple vegetarian stew is quick to put together and will make your house warm and inviting while it simmers. This has been a winter of cold and grey, with frequent snows and rains or sleets. Lots of time to stay in the house, light…
Share this:
Mushroom Croquettes with Saffron Lemon Sauce
We need to please a wide range of dietary needs in our family and friends circle, so I thought a special redux of the traditional croquettes recipe was in order. I swapped out lightly cooked shiitake mushrooms for the cooked turkey in this recipe, and bumped up some of the seasoning.
Share this:
Sweet Pea and Leek Risotto
It’s pea season! Make something fresh and lively, but don’t throw away those pea pods, turn them into stock for your risotto! I love that old-fashioned term “mess of peas.” It reminds me of grandmothers on porches with children at their feet shelling peas (or shucking, depending on region) while talking about everything wild and…
Share this:
Moroccan Chickpea Stew
It might be a cold winter’s night, but a hearty bowl of stew with flavors from another land can warm the body and soul! Soups and stews warm many a winter’s night, or day. I love deep rich flavor that a nice long simmer will give a pot of vegetables lots of time to get…
Share this:
Sweet and Sour Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms
A versatile recipe that is not overly sweet or sour, just right in the middle of delicious. I love stuffing vegetables –– peppers, tomatoes, onions, zucchini. But my favorite is portabella mushrooms. They just ask to be stuffed with something. Whenever I use them in a recipe where they are sliced up I think it…
Share this:
Savory Vegetable Crisp
We all love apple crisp, but this creamy and crispy savory version uses potatoes, carrots, an apple, onions, garlic, and rosemary. There’s a vegan option too! Apple crisp is a delicious Autumn dessert that causes many a heart to flutter. If I had an event to cater at that time of year, apple crisp was…
Share this:
Black Bean and Corn Salad
Corn and beans are a delicious combination, and when accompanied by lots of other flavorful and colorful vegetables, they shine. This is a vibrant salad with warm spices and lots of crunch! This little collection of beans, corn, vegetables, and spices can play many roles, so make a big batch and serve it differently at…
Share this:
Quick Miso Soup
When you are craving miso soup, nothing else will do! The closest Japanese restaurant to us is a half hour away, so we usually plan ahead of time to make the trek, cravings for sushi or miso soup aside. But miso soup is really simple to make, and in less time than it takes to…
