Tomato-topped Quiche

I’ve written before about the quiche tug-of-war in our house between me, the veggie-lover, and my kids, the carnivores. But since what’s growing in the garden often determines what lands on our table, this week our quiche is heirloom tomato-topped and flecked with basil and chives. I threw my favorite quiche cheese, Swiss, in for good measure.Continue reading “Tomato-topped Quiche”

Chilled Cucumber Avocado Soup

I’ve been making cucumber soup for as long as we’ve had a garden, which is going on 20 years now. One of the challenges of growing your own food is finding a way to turn lots and lots of veggies into breakfast, lunch and dinner. So anytime I can take an armload of produce and makeContinue reading “Chilled Cucumber Avocado Soup”

Vegetarian Spring Rolls

Gardens and farmers markets are bursting with greens (like lettuce, Swiss chard, arugula and spinach), fresh herbs (like mint, parsley, cilantro and chives), and other salad veggies (like carrots and radishes and snow peas). Which makes right about now the perfect time to wrap up some Vegetarian Spring Rolls. These beautiful and delicious rolls pack a nutritiousContinue reading “Vegetarian Spring Rolls”

Hello, Spring!

After the snowiest March I can recall, I’m kind of pinching myself. It’s April, right? Many years the forsythia and daffodils and cherry blossoms have disappeared already. But this season, the asparagus, the chives, the kale and spinach in my garden are just getting going. I know I’m not alone when I say I couldn’tContinue reading “Hello, Spring!”

Make the Most of Your Herbs

I love herbs. All of them. Mint, oregano, rosemary, thyme, lavender, chives. We grow them as flowers and greenery, as bushes and ground cover. Some of them fill in as quiet background plants, others steal the show in their corner of the yard. I have a dedicated herb garden just outside the back door; the basilContinue reading “Make the Most of Your Herbs”

Avocado Cilantro Lime Dressing

When the lettuce is tender and the pea shoots are popping through the soil, the chives have appeared out of nowhere and the cilantro is inching upward, there is nothing better than snipping a bit of this and chopping a bit of that until there’s a plate full of goodness waiting for the right dressing to pullContinue reading “Avocado Cilantro Lime Dressing”

Surprisingly Good Corn Soufflé

Recently, I was staring down a bag of corn I’d blanched and frozen the summer before. And seeing as how the hens were laying like crazy, I reached back in my memory to a dish my mom used to make. She called it Corn Pudding. It had eggs and corn and onions and butter and milk. AndContinue reading “Surprisingly Good Corn Soufflé”

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

  This dressing is thick and creamy and best when it’s filled with fresh local herbs. It’s a more decadent, flavorful version than what you’ll find on your grocery store shelves. But that’s exactly why it’s worth making from scratch. Makes 2 cups Ingredients 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup buttermilk (I use a local dairy that bottlesContinue reading “Buttermilk Ranch Dressing”