christinanifong

Stories We Know By Heart

Helen Ellis pens an irreverent, witty collection of essays about her life — and ours Helen Ellis is a 54-year-old writer with no kids, no colleagues, no car, living in a New York City apartment with a doorman. And yet. She finds a way to reach those of us — especially us Gen X femaleContinue reading “Stories We Know By Heart”

Doe Creek Farm Apple Pie

I once wrote a magazine story about Georgia Haverty, who worked on her family’s apple farm in the early ‘80s and then returned to her land in the beautiful Virginia mountains in 2011 to start a pick-your-own operation. When I showed up to interview her, she was making crockpot apple butter and had a loaf of bread inContinue reading “Doe Creek Farm Apple Pie”

Letting My Babies Grow

We were on a July canoe trip not so many years ago, paddling through rocky cliffs and sandy beaches and grassy fields, when we rounded a bend in the river and spied the big eyes and bright white spots of a frightened fawn. She was tucked into a little burrow in the bank, all alone, watchingContinue reading “Letting My Babies Grow”

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”

Pico de Gallo

If you grow tomatoes, you likely make your own salsa. It’s one of the quickest, tastiest ways to consume those round, red orbs at their peak of ripeness. In our house, it’s also one of the few ways my kids actually eat tomatoes. It doesn’t matter the size or type of your tomato, the more varieties, theContinue reading “Pico de Gallo”

Best Blueberry Muffins

This no-fail recipe has been working hard in my kitchen for years. Muffins at my place get served for breakfast, slipped into lunch boxes and devoured for snacks. If we’ve been blueberry picking or scored a hefty helping of blackberries at the farmers market, they might find their way into this batter. It’s great withContinue reading “Best Blueberry Muffins”

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”