Tzatziki Sauce

This Greek sauce is a must-make for our house, especially in mid-summer when the number of cucumbers coming off the vines means we’ve got to get creative in how to eat them. We slather it over falafel, serve it alongside tabbouli, sometimes even pour it atop a salad or a tomato sandwich. And when we do make tzatziki in winter, it’s like sneaking aContinue reading “Tzatziki Sauce”

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”

Cucumber, Tomato, Feta Salad

Say “cucumber,” and I think Middle Eastern: tzatziki sauce, tabbouleh … and some combination of tomatoes, feta, olives and cukes. The cool of the cucumber lends itself so well to the sharp of the feta, the salt of the olives, the fresh of the tomatoes. So here is how I’ve put those sublime ingredients together.Continue reading “Cucumber, Tomato, Feta Salad”

Asian Cucumber Salad

I have made some version of this salad for many years. Its cool cucumbers and cilantro mix perfectly with the heat of the pepper flakes, the sweet of the ginger and the crunch of the peanuts. There are lots of variations of this dish out there. This recipe is my take, combining all my favorite flavors. HopeContinue reading “Asian Cucumber Salad”

Happy Summer!

Here’s hoping your garden is bursting with tomatoes and zucchini and green beans, cucumbers and peppers and melons. Maybe you’ve dug some potatoes. Or headed to a local farm to pick blueberries. Or stocked up at your farmers market, bringing home enough sweet corn to roast on the grill today, as well as cut offContinue reading “Happy Summer!”

Grow With Me

I did not grow up in a garden. I was raised in the suburbs and largely fed from grocery store shelves. Though my father hailed from a nearby dairy farm and his parents still lived on the family land, I have next to no childhood memories of helping anyone dig or plant or harvest. It’sContinue reading “Grow With Me”

Gazpacho

As much as I love my chilled cucumber soup, you’d think I’d be a long-time fan of gazpacho. But, in truth, not so much. There are so many ways to stir up tomatoes that I’d never felt compelled to turn them into a cool dinnertime slush. But the heat this summer has made me reconsider.Continue reading “Gazpacho”

Cucumber Heaven

It’s been a few weeks now, since my husband stepped outside to our verdant, twining cucumber vine, covered with sunshiny yellow petals and a healthy dose of meandering bees, and proclaimed that it wouldn’t be long till we were in Cucumber Heaven. By that, he meant that we’d soon be reaching the height of our cucumber harvest,Continue reading “Cucumber Heaven”

Tangy Tomato and Cucumber Salad

This is a simple salad but oh-so-good. The pucker of the vinegar, the heat of the jalapeño, the cool of the cucumber and the sweet of the just-a-touch of sugar hit pretty much every taste sensation out there. There’s even a little soy sauce to curb your umami craving. In summer, when the cukes andContinue reading “Tangy Tomato and Cucumber Salad”

A Midsummer Night’s Meal

Let’s pretend I have all the time in the world to create sumptuous feasts. And all the resources in the world to gather up the tastiest ingredients. In this fiction, I wave my wand and on the table every night fantastical, incredibly delicious multi-course meals appear. My reality, of course, is quite different. Cooking is hard, time-consumingContinue reading “A Midsummer Night’s Meal”