Lentil Cornbread Dinner

I came across a version of this recipe when I was first married and looking for easy, one-dish meals that I could put together in the morning and cook when I got home from work. With lentils as the main ingredient, I didn’t count on this being a big hit, but my husband loved it. And so didContinue reading “Lentil Cornbread Dinner”

Mediterranean Green Beans

  We grow several varieties of green beans in our garden and in a good summer, we harvest more than we can eat. I happily blanch, cool and freeze our garden bounty knowing that come January, I’m going to be thrilled to pull this taste of summer from our deep freeze. The olives and sun-driedContinue reading “Mediterranean Green Beans”

It’s All Good …

  I know there are people who live for Christmas. Folks who cannot wait to decorate and shop, bake and celebrate. I know that for many, December is the icing on the cake, the star in the sky, the best thing since sliced bread. I am not one of these people. Do I love toContinue reading “It’s All Good …”

Brown Sugar and Spice Banana Bread

I have tried so many banana bread recipes over the years. After all, every family needs a go-to recipe for what to do with those bananas after they’ve sprouted brown spots and no one will touch them. But I always come back to this one, from The Moosewood Cookbook. I have tweaked and omitted andContinue reading “Brown Sugar and Spice Banana Bread”

Cast Iron Skillet Spatchcocked Chicken

Some time in the last year or so, the concept of spatchcocking your chicken or turkey (think of butterflying a pork chop) has taken off. Why? Just like the Instapot craze, spatchcocking turns whole food ingredients into dinner in a fraction of the time more tried and true methods take. In the case of spatchcocking, it’s easierContinue reading “Cast Iron Skillet Spatchcocked Chicken”

Kale: It’s What’s for Dinner

It is kale season in our garden. I mean big time. We often have a little stand that grows throughout the fall and might stay strong in a mild winter. But spring is when the kale takes off. Which, of course, means it’s kale season at our table. This is not a beloved season at the dinnerContinue reading “Kale: It’s What’s for Dinner”

Scratch-Made Sloppy Joes

If you’re a parent of certain aged kids, you know the drill: From school to swim practice for one kid, a swing by the ballet studio for another and a stop at the track to fetch a third. All this in the crucial 5 to 6 o’clock hour when it would be helpful to actuallyContinue reading “Scratch-Made Sloppy Joes”

Slow Cooker Shredded Pork With Cilantro-Ginger Sauce

Most years, we buy a local half hog in the spring and another in the fall. We place the butchered, vacuum-packed cuts — thick, uncured bacon, flavorful sausage, tender pork chops — in our deep freeze and we plan our meals around this meat until it runs out. Which means we sometimes have to getContinue reading “Slow Cooker Shredded Pork With Cilantro-Ginger Sauce”

Potato Pancakes

When I say, “potato pancakes,” you likely head right to, “Hanukkah.” But I think March is the ideal month for frying up a batch. They bridge winter and spring, a hearty comfort food that pairs perfectly with an early season salad — a few spinach leaves, some lettuce from our cold frame, sprouts we’re growing on ourContinue reading “Potato Pancakes”

Classic Zucchini Bread

I love to bake with zucchini. Adding it to muffins and cakes and quicks breads makes them all the more moist — and nutritious. The flecks of veggie in my baked good give it a lovely color, a nice chew, a good density. Then there’s the whole using up the (sometimes) copious amounts of zucchini thatContinue reading “Classic Zucchini Bread”