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# Christina Nifong

Writing at the intersection of wild+connected+sustainable

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## Posts

- [A Gardening Book to Inspire a New Way of Growing](https://christinanifong.com/2026/01/a-gardening-book-to-inspire-a-new-way-of-growing/) - Permaculture gardening helped Nicky Schauder feed her family; now she wants to help others do the same. Nicky Schauder could be considered an unlikely author of a book on permaculture gardening. She doesn’t hold a horticulture degree, didn’t grow up in a farming family, doesn’t regularly sell at farmers markets. But it turns out that
- [Easier Than Pie Apple Cake](https://christinanifong.com/2019/12/easier-than-pie-apple-cake/) - This recipe first crossed my counter as I was staring down a bushel of quickly softening apples and not enough fridge space to store them. It has returned again and again as an easy favorite that's just as good for breakfast as it is for dessert. Whip up a batch for visiting guests or to
- [Simple Stuffed Peppers](https://christinanifong.com/2026/01/simple-stuffed-peppers/) - At the end of summer, sometimes even as late as October, there will, inevitably, be a day when my counter is covered in peppers. I love all the sweet peppers: bell, banana, carmen, cherry; plus poblanos and jalapeños. Sometimes we get a final flush from plants in the garden or sometimes I just can't help
- [Maple Nut Granola](https://christinanifong.com/2016/09/touch-of-honey-granola/) - As good as oats and nuts and cinnamon and coconut are, the not-so-secret ingredient that makes this granola the one you'll keep coming back to is the maple syrup. The golden elixir that's been wooing eaters for millennia plays a starring role in this dish, expertly blending so many flavors, subtly sweetening this long list of ingredients
- [Mini Chocolate Chip Cheesecakes](https://christinanifong.com/2018/02/mini-chocolate-chip-cheesecakes/) - I’ve made plenty of cupcakes over the years, as well as my share of sheet cakes and cookie cakes. But mini cheesecakes just might take the cake as my favorite celebratory sweet. My photo shows teeny-tiny cheesecakes, which are great if you’re making them for a large party. But I think the best way to eat these
- [Classic Lemon Bars](https://christinanifong.com/2017/01/classic-lemon-bars/) - I love cookies. I really do. More than cupcakes or cheesecakes or pies or ... well, maybe not more than doughnuts. The point is that if you love cookies as much as I (and, thankfully, my kids) do, then you need a long list of cookie recipes to choose from. These lemon bars make me
- [Local for Lunch: Welcoming Spring](https://christinanifong.com/2017/04/local-for-lunch-welcoming-spring/) - Salads took center stage for my Spring class at The Roanoke Co-op. We built salads filled with grains and proteins, interesting textures and flavors -- and as much local as I could muster. We topped them with a choice of Ginger Sesame Dressing or Poppy Seed Dressing. Then we paired all those leafy greens with a
- [Eating Local Is My 'Diet.' What's Yours?](https://christinanifong.com/2017/04/8833/) - To any of you who've been reading what I write for awhile, the story of how I cleaned up my eating act is a familiar one. In a nutshell, several forces converged to push me toward a healthier, more plant-based life than I'd grown up with: my husband and I put in a garden and we
- [Mushroom Adventures](https://christinanifong.com/2016/11/mushroom-adventures/) - It was about this time of year, several years ago, that my husband and I decided we were ready to take on a new botanical project. The garden was winding down and the season of dreaming of spring was nearly upon us. Maybe a catalogue came in the mail? I'm not sure what our inspiration was. But
- [A Hankering for Honey](https://christinanifong.com/2016/10/a-hankering-for-honey/) - Right around mid September in these parts the heat of the summer winds down, and for those who keep bees, it's the perfect time to gather that golden elixir they've been nurturing for months. So the beekeepers haul out their equipment and prepare for a sticky weekend of cutting open portions of their hives -- not too much, mind
- [An Okra Adventure](https://christinanifong.com/2015/09/an-okra-adventure/) - My husband is the magic behind our garden. It was his idea to begin growing our food the first summer we owned a home, all those years ago. He is the planner and planter. I’m the second-wave worker, on maintenance and harvest. But every now and then, I pipe up with a suggestion. What about
- [Tangy Tomatillos](https://christinanifong.com/2015/09/tangy-tomatillos/) - We pulled out the tomatillo plants a few weeks ago. I’m missing them already. For years we had talked of growing these delightful cousins to the tomato but had never found the plants when we needed them. So we’d move on, regretfully. Next year, we’d sigh, we’ll try those tomatillos. Then this spring, it all
- [Pesto Possibilities](https://christinanifong.com/2015/08/pesto-possibilities/) - The basil came late to our garden this year. We planted it, same as always, but for some complex convergence of heat and rain, sunlight and nutrients and pollinators, it took awhile to get going. It was the same with the carrots. But now that a little rain has arrived, the carrots — and even moreso, their
- [Grateful for Zucchini Galore](https://christinanifong.com/2015/07/grateful-for-zucchini-galore/) - Growing zucchini can be tricky at our house. We have a small yard with a big garden and once we attract insects like squash bugs or squash vine borers, it’s tough to find a way to give our plants a pest-free zone. One year in an attempt to save them from the bugs overwintering in our
- [The Raspberries Are Ready](https://christinanifong.com/2015/06/the-raspberries-are-ready/) - My raspberry bushes made me so happy I could cry last week. For the first time since we bought those first woody canes four or five years ago, they produced more fruit than we knew what to do with. Bowl after bowl, day after day, we picked big, bright berries. And the next day, there
- [Sampling Scapes](https://christinanifong.com/2015/06/sampling-scapes/) - Garlic is not a mainstay of our garden. We have grown it a few times, but most years we struggle to find garlic bulbs in the fall, when it’s time to plant. Last year, though, I asked at my farmers market: Will you be selling any seed garlic this year? When should I look for
- [Strawberry Season](https://christinanifong.com/2015/05/520/) - Strawberry season is nearly over at our house. We’re just about done with those three weeks or so in May when our two berry patches draw us in and don’t let go. Sleep? Dinner? Travel? Forget it. We have berries to pick! In the cool of nearly every evening, we search and snap the red
- [Chicken Wings With Honey Yogurt Sauce](https://christinanifong.com/2017/12/chicken-wings-with-honey-yogurt-sauce/) - Wings are fun, festive, quick to make, and delicious. Perfect as an appetizer before your holiday party or as a simple dinner paired with mashed potatoes and salad. When my family last bought a batch of local chicken, we picked up six fresh whole chickens and cut them into parts before we froze them --
- [Basic Meatballs](https://christinanifong.com/2016/01/go-to-meatballs/) - Meatballs are a staple in our kitchen. Whether served as a complement to roasted vegetables, atop spaghetti and mixed with marinara, or stirred together with a sweet and sour sauce, they are a versatile and easy dinner, beloved by all. We have, over the years, tried many recipes: Swedish meatballs, slow cooker meatballs, Asian meatballs. But
- [Blue Cheese Herb Dip](https://christinanifong.com/2016/10/blue-cheese-herb-spread/) - If you're looking for an appetizer to make either for a celebration or to keep a hungry family at bay, consider stirring this one up. This cheese spread is as tasty as a cheese ball but easier to pull off. You can substitute feta if you're not a blue cheese fan. Another variation is to
- [Sweet Potato Hash](https://christinanifong.com/2016/11/sweet-potato-hash/) - A little sweet, a little heat, with an egg on top. Oh yeah. This recipe is flavorful and filling. Serve it as a side to some pan fried pork chops or heap it on your plate with a slice of toast and a dish of homemade applesauce. In the fall of the year, after the
- [Roasted Winter Veggies](https://christinanifong.com/2017/02/kickin-winter-veggies/) - Sweet potatoes or butternut squash; parsnips or carrots; onions, peppers, even cabbage. Whatever winter veggies you have on hand, toss them into the pan with a splash of olive oil and these Latin-inspired spices. Your cold winter night just got warmer. Makes 4-6 servings. Ingredients 1 tsp. ancho chili powder 1 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt 1 tsp.
- [Herby Orzo](https://christinanifong.com/2018/03/herby-orzo/) - I've made my share of risotto and herby pasta over the years, but this winter I fell in love with a new earth-y, broth-y, rice-like pasta dish that has the potential to taste even better as the first fresh herbs of spring shoot up and I'm looking for ways to eat them. I can't say enough about
- [Sweet and Sour Sauce](https://christinanifong.com/2021/02/homemade-sweet-and-sour-sauce/) - Condiments are the key to whipping up a healthful, from-scratch meal. Having homemade mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, jam, Asian peanut sauce, or salad dressing in the fridge makes grain bowls, pasta, cookies, and pork more nutritious -- and more delicious. Often those same sauces purchased from the grocery store are full of sugars or other unpronounceable
- [Chickpea Curry Dinner](https://christinanifong.com/2021/03/chickpea-curry-dinner/) - As early spring warms into longer, sunnier days, I find my dinners are a mix of winter's root vegetables and early-bird greens and onions and herbs. This curry dish couldn't be better suited for this in-between time -- pair potatoes, sweet potatoes, and/or carrots with kale or spinach or chard. Maybe you have some cilantro
- [Vegetarian Spring Rolls](https://christinanifong.com/2021/04/vegetarian-spring-rolls/) - In the spring, 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 it the perfect time to wrap up some Vegetarian Spring Rolls. These beautiful and delicious rolls pack a
- [Arugula Berry Spring Rolls](https://christinanifong.com/2021/04/arugula-strawberry-spring-rolls/) - They're called "spring rolls" for a reason, right? Because this beautiful fusion of salad and wrap combines the very best of spring -- greens and berries and goat cheese and fresh herbs. I love making these Vegetarian Spring Rolls. With their pan-fried tofu and Asian Peanut Sauce, they are an easy lunch or a light,
- [Garden Ratatouille](https://christinanifong.com/2016/09/garden-ratatouille/) - I did not grow up eating ratatouille, but it's one of those dishes I've been making for as long as I've been harvesting my own veggies. It's a great way to toss your garden into a cast iron pot and call it dinner. Once you've chopped all your ingredients, you're pretty close to done. But, ahhh, that
- [Cheesy Grits](https://christinanifong.com/2016/03/cheesy-grits/) - I first made cheese grits as I was stirring up a batch of Chef Bill Neal's famed Shrimp and Grits, but I quickly discovered that the whole family gobbled these up faster than I could scoop them out. Why should they be limited to only one dish, I reasoned. We now eat cheesy grits with all kinds of meals -- alongside
- [Simple Slow Cooker Applesauce](https://christinanifong.com/2017/10/easy-crockpot-applesauce/) - This recipe couldn't be easier. But you wouldn't believe how many people ooh and ahh over homemade applesauce. It's so different from anything you can buy at the store. Following these steps will give you a sauce that lets the many, lovely flavors of apples truly shine -- the cinnamon only works to bring out
- [Gorgeous Gazpacho](https://christinanifong.com/2016/09/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 of recent summers has made me
- [Kale Chips](https://christinanifong.com/2017/03/kale-its-whats-for-dinner/) - Kale grows easily in our garden. We're likely to have a stand of it most months of the year. But in the spring, it takes off, which means it's time to make some kale chips. This recipe is easy and tasty and a great way to enjoy a big batch of healthful leafy greens. Ingredients
- [Seasonal Pasta Salad](https://christinanifong.com/2018/04/greek-pasta-salad/) - When early spring begins to show her face and salads are again appealing, it's time to throw together this dish. In summer, cherry tomatoes, banana peppers, cucumbers, and green onions can easily be subbed for the veggies listed below. But for spring, asparagus, kale, and chives are what's growing, so olives and dried tomatoes or roasted red peppers
- [Lemon Cream Cheese Scones](https://christinanifong.com/2017/05/lemon-cream-cheese-scones/) - When my oldest daughter was in middle school, she really found her baking groove. After a long week of school or whenever she had a moment, she would ask: "Mom, can I bake?" And I, who will take all the help in the kitchen I can get, quickly made room for my cooking buddy. Her specialties
- [Brown Sugar and Spice Banana Bread](https://christinanifong.com/2017/04/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! Over time, I have tweaked and omitted and tested until this recipe is entirely my own. Not too
- [Red Beans and Rice](https://christinanifong.com/2017/02/red-beans-and-rice/) - Roughly once a week, we eat Latin at our house: tacos or quesadillas, enchiladas, pork with spicy rubs. Although the red rice and beans of New Orleans — the version that most readily comes to mind — is not strictly Latin, rice and beans is a staple eaten throughout Latin America. We often serve it
- [Spring Dutch Baby](https://christinanifong.com/2020/04/savory-spring-dutch-baby/) - There is a certain airy, eggy deliciousness called a Dutch baby or German pancake. Mulling it over some time ago, I realized it could be the start of a dinner that featured eggs and leafy greens, and thus a great springtime meal. Over the years, I've made it with arugula, kale, spinach, adding a variety
- [All-Butter Pie Crust](https://christinanifong.com/2018/01/basic-pie-crust/) - I've been working at improving my pie crusts for years. I've asked every baker I know for tips. (Flatten the dough slightly before rolling it out. Freeze the dough before working it.) I've written stories about pies. I've amassed a large body of knowledge about how to make a beautiful, tasty pie crust. I just struggle
- [Moravian Chicken Pie](https://christinanifong.com/2016/04/chicken-pot-pie/) - Growing up in Winston-Salem, NC, the heart of Moravian culture in the South, I ate a lot of Moravian chicken pie. My paternal grandmother cooked them to feed her extended family, as an offering to church fundraisers, as meals for families with new babies and newly departed loved ones. What sets Moravian chicken pie apart
- [Savory Summer Crepes](https://christinanifong.com/2021/06/savory-summer-crepes/) - When I think of crepes, chocolate, jam, and a generous dollop of whipped cream leap to mind. You, too? Well, let's walk away from that image and consider how delicious a batch of thin, savory pancakes would be with some pan-roasted mushrooms, a handful of fresh garden herbs and spoon or two of creamy chèvre. Drooling yet? I thought
- [Chocolate Cherry Granola](https://christinanifong.com/2018/01/chocolate-cherry-granola/) - I love to make my own granola, using all the best ingredients, eating it straight from the pan warm, mixing and matching nuts and seeds and dried fruit to create exactly what I want at that moment. I've shared my granola go-to before. But here's another recipe, sure to cheer any morning. This is often
- [Grilled Spiced Okra](https://christinanifong.com/2015/09/grilled-spiced-okra/) - I am always looking for new ways to turn the okra from our garden into dinner. So when I happened upon this recipe, I was intrigued. Lots of spice and extras and cooked on the grill. Turns out, we love all its spicy, crispy, Indian-leaning goodness. Inspired by a recipe from Chef Steven Satterfield of Miller
- [Go-To Barbecue Sauce](https://christinanifong.com/2016/01/barbecue-sauce/) - I hail from the North Carolina Piedmont, not far from barbecue capital, Lexington, N.C. If you know about these things, then you know that fans of Lexington barbecue take their smoked pork with a vinegar tomato sauce and their chopped slaw stirred with the same. In my home kitchen, I cook my locally-raised pork shoulder
- [Herby Alfredo Dinner](https://christinanifong.com/2016/05/herby-alfredo-pasta-dinner/) - In the spring, I walk around my garden thinking mostly of one thing: How to get all the delicious, thriving herbs and greens from my yard onto my plate. Could a snip of parsley, a handful of spinach, a few strands of oregano, a spring onion, and maybe a mushroom or two somehow, magically become
- [Zucchini Feta Pancakes](https://christinanifong.com/2016/02/zucchini-feta-pancakes/) - This dish is a go-to in our house, both in the height of summer as zucchini are plentiful in our garden and at the farmers market. And in winter when I reach into the freezer for the shredded zucchini I've saved for meals such as this. My frozen, shredded garden zucchini cooks up beautifully in these. Stir
- [Warm You Up Chili](https://christinanifong.com/2016/11/warm-you-up-chili/) - I once won a neighborhood Chili Cook-Off with my vegetarian chili recipe, which mixes bulgar wheat with the typical kidney beans and tomatoes to give a chewy, filling feel. If you're looking for a meat version, this is a great one-pot meal that can feed a crowd. It's satisfying without being spicy. It's become a cold-season standby for my
- [Corn and Potato Chowder](https://christinanifong.com/2017/01/kielbasa-corn-and-potato-chowder/) - This recipe is an adaptation of one of my favorite soups as a kid. That version featured potatoes, corn, and hot dog slices. In this one, I'm stirring in kielbasa as my protein and adding a few more veggies to round it out as a meal. Think clam chowder, but without the clams. This is a
- [Broccoli With Mustard Glaze](https://christinanifong.com/2017/01/stir-fried-broccoli-with-mustard-glaze/) - I have loved this recipe for a long time. It’s quick and easy, using ingredients I typically have on hand. By searing the broccoli on high heat and then quick steaming it, the veggies never get mushy. This is a perfect side to a dinner of pork chops and rice or chicken pot pie or a plate of sweet potato
- [Vegetarian Chili](https://christinanifong.com/2017/01/vegetarian-chili/) - This recipe is perfect for that drizzly, gray day that shows up all too often in late fall and winter. It can work some special mood magic -- filling the house with the satisfying smells of cumin and peppers and filling your belly with the meat-like chew of barley and the bright taste of the veggies.
- [Super Creamy Alfredo Sauce](https://christinanifong.com/2017/02/super-creamy-alfredo-sauce/) - Why is it that some of the seemingly simplest sauces are the hardest to make? I have been stirring up my own Alfredo sauce going on 20 years but it was very hit or miss. It all depended on the kind of cream I used or how finely grated the Parmesan was or how much
- [Traditional King Cake](https://christinanifong.com/2017/02/traditional-king-cake/) - Once upon a time my husband and I lived in Durham, NC, and had a neighbor who threw a rocking Mardi Gras party on the Saturday before Ash Wednesday every year. He's the one who introduced us to King Cake -- and to a new food tradition. Now, most years, we love shaking open a package
- [Potato Pancakes](https://christinanifong.com/2017/03/potato-pancakes/) - Potato pancakes are perfect anytime, but they're an especially nice meal for early spring. They act as a bridge between the seasons -- a hearty comfort food that pairs perfectly with an early season salad. Latkes are a great way to use those last wrinkled potatoes that have sat so quietly in their bulk box since
- [Sweet and Spicy Lentil Salad](https://christinanifong.com/2017/04/sweet-and-spicy-lentil-salad/) - I am always on a quest to add more plant-based protein and nutrient-rich fiber to my family's plates. One a search several years ago this, from the website My New Roots popped up. After a bit of trial and tinkering I found that I liked it quite a bit. The raisins and onions complement but
- [Crab Cakes With Aioli](https://christinanifong.com/2017/11/crab-cakes-with-hot-pepper-mayonnaise/) - I know, I know. Everybody's got their own favorite crab cakes, whether from a restaurant or a secret recipe they make at home. It's like barbecue, right? It just tastes wrong if you mess with those familiar flavors. So I -- not so much of a seafood girl myself -- am certainly not here to
- [Fermented Carrot Sticks](https://christinanifong.com/2018/03/fermented-carrots-three-ways/) - Fermented food is getting its due these days, with more and more research showing the health benefits of eating probiotic and lacto-fermented foods. What does that mean, exactly? Well, that all your parents' worries about keeping the food in the fridge and making sure mold never made an appearance in the kitchen were a smidge
- [Chicken and Dumplings](https://christinanifong.com/2018/03/classic-chicken-and-dumplings/) - I can only remember eating chicken and dumplings a few times as a child and my husband doesn't think it was ever served at his table. But my kids love biscuits and this seemed a good variation on chicken noodle soup. We typically roast a whole local chicken when poultry is on the menu. So
- [Birthday Carrot Cake](https://christinanifong.com/2020/03/carrot-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting/) - We're not big dessert eaters at our house. Maybe some ice cream or good chocolate. A lot of muffins get made and devoured. But if there's cake in the oven, there's a good chance a celebration will be following. After a few family requests for this cake, it became one of our go-tos. It's a
- [Asparagus and Greens Soup](https://christinanifong.com/2020/06/asparagus-and-greens-soup/) - As I write this in late spring/early summer, we have spring onions growing tall in one corner of the garden, our second planting of spinach is thriving, and our stand of kale is pretty as a picture. The asparagus is long-gone, but I can find some at my farmers market. I have a few jars
- [Tomato Shakshuka](https://christinanifong.com/2020/09/tomato-shakshuka/) - What is Shakshuka? It's eggs and tomatoes and a handful of greens and a combination of spices that is so warm and delicious, there is no dinner I can think of that better suits the waning light and heat of late summer. If you're truly blessed, you've got tomato plants giving you a last burst
- [No-Cheese Queso Dip](https://christinanifong.com/2020/11/no-cheese-queso-dip/) - I have long been a hummus fan. But a cookbook I reviewed a few years ago took hummus's main ingredient, tahini, and turned it on its head. The Tahini Table has recipes for pesto and sorbet, granola and sheet pan dinners, all with tahini as the star. I sampled several recipes from the book. This
- [Cucumber and Tomato Salad](https://christinanifong.com/2021/07/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.
- [PB and Chocolate Smoothie](https://christinanifong.com/2021/01/pb-and-chocolate-smoothie/) - Smoothies are a hit year-round in our house. But there are definite opinions about what ingredients make a smoothie top-notch. Me? It's all about the fruit and veggies. My husband is a big banana lover. And my youngest? Well, a smoothie is not a smoothie unless a healthy dollop of peanut butter is swirled in.
- [Spinach-Rice-Feta Bake](https://christinanifong.com/2021/02/spinach-rice-feta-bake/) - I am always on the hunt for tasty meals than can be prepared ahead. This easy-to-make mix of spinach, brown rice, eggs, and feta fits the bill -- and is delicious. Serve as a side with fish, chicken, or pork, or increase the portion size and make this your meal's centerpiece, complete with a slice
- [Italian Wedding Soup](https://christinanifong.com/2021/02/italian-wedding-soup/) - I can't lie. Winter can get pretty dreary in my world come January and February. Between the rain and the cold and the dark, I really need my hearty soups to keep me from curling up in bed and pulling the covers over my head. This soup is a satisfying meal on its own, but
- [Black-Eyed Pea Hummus](https://christinanifong.com/2021/05/black-eyed-pea-hummus/) - We eat a lot of hummus in our house -- on wraps or pitas or as a dip for cut veggies and crackers. But lately, my tried-and-true recipe was getting some disapproval at the table. So I began the search for a new favorite recipe. We tried version after version, switching up the tahini type,
- [Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms](https://christinanifong.com/2021/05/stuffed-zucchini-blossoms/) - As summer veggies begin to appear in the garden, there's a decadent treat you might overlook: the flowers on your zucchini plants. These fragile beauties are a tasty delicacy, a little sweet, with a silky mouth-feel. If you're growing zucchini, simply keep your eye out for blossoms as they appear on your plant. If you
- [Warm Raspberry Sauce](https://christinanifong.com/2021/05/warm-raspberry-sauce/) - We've had a beautiful bounty of raspberries for a few years now. They begin to ripen just as our strawberries are petering out, giving us a month more of fruit for our granola and our pound cake and our salads. And, if we harvest more than we feel like eating on any given day, there's
- [Cucumber Peach Salsa](https://christinanifong.com/2021/07/cucumber-peach-salsa/) - I love salsa. Spicy, sweet, chilled, home-canned, tomatillo, classic, yes and yes! So when the season is spilling over with cucumbers and peaches, well, they should become salsa too. You might have seen recipes that feature mango as the swap for classic tomatoes, but mangoes don't grow on the mountainside in these parts. So peaches
- [Beet and Black Bean Burgers](https://christinanifong.com/2021/07/beet-and-black-bean-burgers/) - When your family is begging you to make veggie burgers from nutritional powerhouses like beets and black beans, you know you've landed on a keeper of a recipe. I have made tofu burgers and grain burgers, bought frozen veggie patties from the grocery store and certainly ordered my share of non-meat restaurant burgers over the
- [Pico de Gallo](https://christinanifong.com/2021/07/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. It doesn't matter the size or type of your tomato, the more varieties, the more complex the flavor. (In the photo, I threw in some green tomatoes, just because we
- [Doe Creek Farm Apple Pie](https://christinanifong.com/2021/10/doe-creek-farm-apple-pie-2/) - 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 in
- [Simple Scrambled Eggs](https://christinanifong.com/2025/06/simple-scrambled-eggs/) - This recipe is not complicated or fancy or really even notable. But if you are a kid learning to cook or a young adult hankering for a quick dinner, it never hurts to have a guide to get you started. I imagine this will be the kind of recipe you'll follow two or three times.
- [Jalapeño Lime Sautéed Kale](https://christinanifong.com/2025/09/jalapeno-lime-sauteed-kale/) - This dish packs so much flavor. It's a great choice for your fall or winter menus. Serve it with a baked potato, a pork chop, or honey curry chicken breasts. You'll be excited to have another kale recipe in your go-to file. Ingredients 6 cups fresh kale, washed and well-dried 1 Tbsp. preferred oil (try
- [Zucchini Parmesan Crisps](https://christinanifong.com/2015/07/zucchini-parmesan-crisps/) - Zucchinis are some of my favorite summer veggies. They end up in breads and desserts, sautéed into grain bowls and added to egg dishes. These baked rounds are yet another way to bring these tasty squash to the table. Serve this dish with some new potatoes and green beans or with a flaky filet of
- [Mint Pesto](https://christinanifong.com/2015/08/mint-pesto/) - Mint grows like a weed, so finding a tasty use for all that herb feels satisfying. Try this twist on traditional pesto alongside lamb kebobs or steak. Slather it on your baked potato or thin it with extra lemon juice and olive oil for a simple salad dressing. Pesto can be made from nearly any
- [Carrot Top Pesto](https://christinanifong.com/2015/08/carrot-top-pesto/) - Did you know you could make pesto out of just about anything? My go-to is basil pesto, but I'm a big fan of cilantro pesto and this carrot top pesto, too. It's bright and crisp and lemon-y. The perfect spread for sandwich or salad or pasta or fish dish. Stir this up after you snip
- [Fried Okra](https://christinanifong.com/2015/09/fried-okra/) - We love okra in our house -- the beautiful flowers that come before the fruit and the delicious pods that we roast and fry all summer long. The crisp of the corn meal and the slight sweet of the coconut oil turn this into a real treat. Makes enough for 4 large side servings. Ingredients 1
- [Two Tasty Pork Rubs](https://christinanifong.com/2016/01/pork-rubs/) - The bulk of our meat comes from farmers we know, raised humanely, less than an hour from our house. I typically make two trips a year, in the spring and fall, to pick up eight whole chickens or a processed half-a-hog. Which means that I have to get creative in my meat cooking. I rarely
- [Minestrone](https://christinanifong.com/2016/02/minestrone/) - When it's cold out, there's nothing that feeds the body and soul so well as a good hearty soup. And I'm not sure any soup fits the bill so well as minestrone, an ancient Italian soup that includes pasta and beans, onions and tomatoes, and whatever you've managed to put up from your summer garden.
- [Turnips Anna Livia](https://christinanifong.com/2016/02/turnips-anna-livia/) - When the weather turns cold and the tomatoes are done for good, it’s root vegetables that begin to star in my dinners. Turnips may not be everyone's cup of tea, but in this recipe, they are truly delicious -- a warm, cheesy comfort food that you'll look forward to on the chilliest of nights. It's a twist on the classic French
- [Creamy Coleslaw](https://christinanifong.com/2016/02/creamy-coleslaw/) - Every time I set out to make coleslaw, I end up reinventing my recipe. Not because I want to so much as that I don’t have a recipe I love, so I am forever pulling one offline or out of a cookbook, making it mine for the night and then not writing it down. There is, of
- [Jam Bars](https://christinanifong.com/2016/02/jam-bars/) - These have to be one of my most requested cookies -- and one of my healthiest dessert recipes. Made from our homemade jam, oats, and whole wheat pastry flour, they boast protein and fruit and not so much sugar. But my family doesn't care about that. They like them for their buttery, naturally sweet taste.
- [Bulldog Tofu](https://christinanifong.com/2016/02/bulldog-tofu/) - This recipe, like so many of my favorites, is really a framework to support a meal of creativity and whim. It’s different each time I make it, depending on what’s growing in the garden or what I can pull from the freezer. It was passed along to me by a friend who got it from a
- [Arugula Lemon Salad](https://christinanifong.com/2016/05/arugula-salad/) - This simple salad is a must-make in the spring and fall when our arugula plants get big and we are looking for ways to enjoy their peppery, spicy crunch. Can you mix arugula with lettuce, spinach, chives, parsley, chicory, and endive to make a stellar mixed greens salad? Absolutely. But this dish of straight arugula will surprise you. The
- [Chocolate Zucchini Cake](https://christinanifong.com/2016/02/chocolate-zucchini-cake/) - In a good summer, we grow zucchini, lots of zucchini. I love it baked into breaded rounds, diced and added to pasta or other veggie dishes, fried by the panful. But what I end up doing with most of what our garden grows is shredding the zucchini, tucking it into ziplocks stored in the freezer
- [Strawberry Balsamic Jam](https://christinanifong.com/2016/02/strawberry-balsamic-jam/) - I make and can strawberry jam most years. It’s a great way to preserve berries that all ripen at once. We eat the jam on peanut butter sandwiches, in jam bar cookies and sometimes just straight from the jar. We also give it as gifts. This recipe uses less sugar than others and a touch of balsamic
- [Okra Gumbo](https://christinanifong.com/2016/02/okra-gumbo/) - On a cold winter day, nothing warms quite like gumbo. And in the heat of summer, gumbo is a great way to stir together so many flavors at their peak of ripeness -- tomatoes, peppers, and of course, okra. We had such a bumper crop of okra last summer that I blanched and froze some for
- [Chestnut Pumpkin Soup](https://christinanifong.com/2016/02/chestnut-and-pumpkin-soup/) - Chestnuts turned into kind of a project for me one fall as I discovered their rich history and buttery, satisfying flavor. I had pounds of chestnuts in my fridge at various points testing and tasting to find recipes that were worth the extra work of cooking with these incredibly nutritious nuts. Below, I bring you
- [Good for the Soul Chicken Noodle Soup](https://christinanifong.com/2016/03/the-best-chicken-noodle-soup/) - I make my own chicken broth and grow my own vegetables. When I cook chicken for dinner, I begin by roasting a local, whole chicken, so there's always dark meat and less desirable bits leftover. This recipe stirs all that work together into a delicious comfort food, perfect for staving off winter's chill. What makes this soup
- [Bulgur Citrus Salad](https://christinanifong.com/2016/03/bulgur-citrus-salad/) - This dish is a great choice for early spring when we're not quite in the salad days, but my body is craving fresh. I am fond of bulgur, a grain made from the wheat kernel that has been parboiled, dried, and cracked. Its starring role is typically in the Middle Eastern cucumber-tomato-mint mix known as tabbouleh.
- [Horseradish Cream Sauce](https://christinanifong.com/2016/03/horseradish-cream-sauce/) - We've grown horseradish in our garden for many years and I've come to really love it. I typically harvest it after a few killing frosts in the fall, then grate it and mix it with vinegar to keep in the fridge for the year. (Read more about my horseradish adventures here.) My favorite way to eat
- [Simple Snickerdoodles](https://christinanifong.com/2017/01/simple-snickerdoodles/) - Sometime since becoming a mom, I was introduced to the joy of Snickerdoodles. They're a sugar cookie, but with cinnamon, too. The best versions are light and buttery, the perfect after-school snack or end to a lovely meal. On my quest for the perfect cookie, I sampled oh-so-many recipes. In the end, I liked the
- [Beef Stroganoff](https://christinanifong.com/2016/03/beef-stroganoff/) - This classic is a family favorite -- hearty, warming, delicious. It's a perfect substitute for soups in winter and a nice dinner during those cold snaps of spring. Serve it with a salad picked from the garden. For this recipe, I began with Joy of Cooking's basic how-to and upgraded from there to include whole wheat noodles, shiitake
- [Classic French Toast](https://christinanifong.com/2016/04/classic-french-toast/) - My husband is our bread baker, so we eat wonderful, homemade loaves of bread for our sandwiches and toast and -- lucky us -- once every couple of weeks that good bread becomes one of our family's favorite breakfasts: French Toast. Serve this basic recipe with powdered sugar sprinkled a drizzle of maple syrup. It's also
- [Easy Peasy Pancakes](https://christinanifong.com/2016/04/perfect-pancakes-2/) - There are some amazing pancake recipes in the world, stirred up with quinoa and coconut and banana and chai tea, even. And someday, I'm sure I'll get to those. But for now, the basic flour-milk-egg version is doing me just fine. They're a great switch from our Sunday Morning Waffles every now and again and sometimes we
- [Morning Glory Muffins](https://christinanifong.com/2016/05/morning-glory-muffins/) - I'm a big muffin maker so I'm always looking for new and interesting baked goods options. This is my adaptation of a recipe I found at Earthbound Farm's website . They write that their culinary consultant developed this treat in the '70s when she was chef and owner at Morning Glory Café on Nantucket Island. I'm here to
- [Spinach Quiche](https://christinanifong.com/2016/05/spinach-quiche/) - This recipe has been in my collection so long that I have no idea where it came from or when I began to bake from it. At this point, it’s a raggedy piece of paper littered with grease spots, but bearing that all-important badge of honor: an A++ scribbled in the corner. I've recently discovered
- [Egg Salad, Three Ways](https://christinanifong.com/2016/05/egg-salad-three-ways/) - I grew up eating lots of boiled eggs -- hard boiled, soft boiled, deviled, and stirred into egg salad. I assumed everyone ate boiled eggs. Then I met my husband. Slicing a boiled egg onto a nest of spinach was exotic for him, much less mixing it with mayo and celery or curry spices and apples.
- [Paprika Potatoes](https://christinanifong.com/2016/05/paprika-potatoes/) - Is there anything more satisfying than a warm, crunchy potato? We enjoy them all ways at our place -- baked, pan fried, mashed. For breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But when we discovered this recipe, we forgot all other potato dishes. This recipe is so easy and delicious, it's what we serve up anytime we've got a
- [Poppy Seed Dressing](https://christinanifong.com/2016/06/poppy-seed-dressing/) - This dressing is my absolute favorite for spring and fall when my salads consist mainly of leafy greens, herbs, tender peas, and sometimes even berries. The sweet complements the delicate flavors of the fruits and veggies and the vinegar provides just enough kick to keep things interesting. This is also a nice coleslaw dressing and would be especially tasty
- [Buttermilk Ranch Dressing](https://christinanifong.com/2016/06/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 bottles super
- [Honey Mustard Vinaigrette](https://christinanifong.com/2016/06/honey-mustard-vinaigrette/) - I love a good honey mustard dressing. This one is a little less sweet and a little less creamy than those you might find in a restaurant. But the oil and vinegar make it pair especially well with fresh veggies. Feel free to stir in some from-the-garden herbs (oregano? basil?) dried or fresh to add yet another
- [Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies](https://christinanifong.com/2016/06/oatmeal-cranberry-cookies/) - We all love oatmeal cookies at our house -- the combination of chewy and crunchy, sweet and hearty. But raisins? Well, not so much. Some of us like raisins. Others prefer chocolate chips and after years of splitting my batch and making separate stacks of two different versions every time I made oatmeal cookies, I
- [Mexican Wedding Cookies](https://christinanifong.com/2016/06/mexican-wedding-cookies/) - I have adored these dainty treats for years but never gotten around to baking them myself. When my kids needed sweets for Spanish class fiestas, it was time to give them a try. I had recently tasted a friend's batch of Mexican Wedding Cookies. When she said she'd made them from a Mark Bittman recipe, I knew I needed
- [Panda Bear Cookies](https://christinanifong.com/2016/06/panda-bear-cookies/) - These brownie-like treats were staples of my childhood, made from my mother's favorite cookbook, Farm Journal's Best Ever Recipe Book. Their dark dough with confectionary sugar patches has led my kids to call them "Panda Bear Cookies." My mom's cookbook names them "Chocolate Macaroons," but these days that means something entirely different. Whatever you call them, know
- [Better Than Ever Biscuits](https://christinanifong.com/2016/06/better-than-ever-biscuits/) - I made my own from-scratch biscuits for years but was never been really happy with them (I felt the same about pie crusts). They were ... fine. But never as fluffy or decadent as I dreamed they could be. So I began searching for help. Tips. New techniques. Whatever it took. And one of my
- [Homemade Taco Seasoning](https://christinanifong.com/2016/07/homemade-taco-seasoning/) - Over the years, I’ve discovered that if I want to eat food free from preservatives and chemical flavors and unpronouncable additives, then I pretty much need to make it myself. I’ve also been pleasantly surprised to find that making my own typically tastes better and costs less than what I can buy in a package. This
- [Oh-So-Good Guacamole](https://christinanifong.com/2016/07/guacamole/) - Guacamole may be my favorite condiment/sauce/topping on the planet. I love the creaminess of the avocado, the kick of the peppers, and the medley of flavors that the tomato, cilantro, and onion bring to the plate. Like any dish, the better the ingredients, the better the end result. I want my avocados soft, but not too
- [Lemon Balsamic Dressing](https://christinanifong.com/2016/07/lemon-balsamic-dressing/) - I am always looking for tasty dressings to drizzle atop my garden veggies. I make a mean Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, a lovely Poppy Seed Dressing, a tangy Honey Mustard Vinaigrette, and a garlicky Ginger Sesame Dressing. But sometimes you want something with enough flavor to stand out. This Lemon Balsamic was it, tart and fruity
- [Bacon Gruyère Quiche](https://christinanifong.com/2016/08/bacon-gruyere-quiche/) - We make a lot of quiche in our house -- spinach quiche, or maybe a simple cheddar pie topped with tomatoes. This is another favorite, especially good in fall and winter. The best part is this quiche features thick-cut bacon, the kind we get from our local farmers who raise hogs for us each year.
- [Crispy Peanut Butter Cookies](https://christinanifong.com/2016/08/crispy-peanut-butter-cookies/) - These cookies are among my family's favorites. A basic recipe (no chocolate or other fancy add-ons), the proportions create a cookie that is crunchy and flavorful. For the best results, choose a peanut butter that’s made of nothing but nuts. Makes 2-3 dozen. Ingredients 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (can substitute whole wheat pastry flour) 3/4 tsp.
- [Easy From-Scratch Brownies](https://christinanifong.com/2016/09/easy-from-scratch-brownies/) - I think I was in my 20s before I realized a person could make brownies without a mix. They were a dessert I fixed often in my teens, following the instructions on the back of the box. And they were good. Today's boxed brownies are even better -- a vast array of flavors, layer options, organic versions. You
- [Garlicky Baba Ghanoush](https://christinanifong.com/2016/09/baba-ganoush/) - I’m realizing as I compile this online recipe collection that I owe so many of my favorite recipes to my garden. If I’d never grown tomatillos or okra or sun chokes, I would have likely never cooked with them. And even if I had picked up a few at the farmers market and made my
- [Asian Peanut Sauce](https://christinanifong.com/2016/09/asian-peanut-sauce/) - This easy-to-make, delicious topping has become a go-to in our house -- nutty, with just a touch of heat. Mostly it’s a great way to bring a creamy goodness to whatever’s coming from your garden. This type of sauce is probably most familiar stirred into fat noodles with a sprinkling of green onions on top. We like
- [Pesto Cheese Straws](https://christinanifong.com/2016/09/pesto-cheese-straws/) - What to do when you have so much Traditional Basil Pesto that you don't know how to eat it all? Try making this recipe for a tasty snack of cheese straws! It's not hard, doesn't need any specialized kitchen equipment, and is super delicious. This is great for late summer or fall when you might
- [Corn Fritters with Honey-Bacon Drizzle](https://christinanifong.com/2016/10/corn-fritters-with-honey-bacon-drizzle/) - I am a huge honey fan. Did you know there are more than 300 documented varieties of honey in the US alone? Or that the University of California, Davis developed a tasting wheel to categorize the hundreds of flavors that can be detected in these many hues of honey? Of course, the best part of honey is
- [Honey-Curry Chicken Breasts](https://christinanifong.com/2016/10/honey-curry-chicken-breasts/) - Honey is a wonderful addition to sauces and glazes especially for pork and chicken. This sweet and spicy marinade will light up your taste buds — and make your house smell divine. Serve with a scoop of wild rice. Recipe adapted from Taste of Honey by Marie Simmons. Serves 4 Ingredients 3⁄4 cup honey (try
- [Sausage and Apple Stuffing Bites](https://christinanifong.com/2016/10/sausage-and-apple-stuffing-bites/) - At some point, I saw this recipe in a beautiful Food & Wine magazine edition, ripped it out, and tucked it away for later. It's perfect for fall, that juicy-apple-and-freshly-processed-local-pork season. I tweaked the recipe to use a pound of mild ground sausage, making these really more meatball than stuffing. I can imagine these bites
- [Honey Oatmeal Ricotta Muffins](https://christinanifong.com/2016/10/honey-oatmeal-ricotta-muffins/) - Honey is such a special ingredient, a literal distillation of place. My mind gets blown a little anytime I think about it! I love cooking with local honey and incorporating this natural sweetener as many ways as I can: Think Honey-Curry Chicken Breasts and Corn Fritters with Honey Bacon Drizzle. These muffins are another great
- [Asian Rice Noodle Salad](https://christinanifong.com/2016/10/asian-rice-noodle-salad/) - This is the salad that I'm always ogling when I head to potlucks. But I've never tried making it on my own for fear that I couldn't pull off a real food version that would satisfy. Thankfully, Lisa Leake, author of the 100 Days of Real Food blog and cookbook, has crafted one for me. This
- [Thai Butternut Squash Soup](https://christinanifong.com/2016/10/thai-squash-soup/) - I've tried many butternut soups over the years. There’s a three-sisters version, a Mexican variety, those that pair winter squash and apples. But my favorite, the recipe I’m searching for every fall, is one that heightens the sweetness of the squash and pairs it with the Trinity of Thai cooking — fish sauce (made of anchovies and
- [Not-Too-Sweet Pumpkin Bread](https://christinanifong.com/2016/10/not-too-sweet-pumpkin-bread/) - Every fall, I roast, puree and freeze several farmers market pumpkins (we've never had much luck growing our own). So pumpkin bread, pumpkin scones, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin soup are all, always, just a trip to the deep freeze away. You can certainly use canned pumpkin in this recipe and save yourself a few steps. Along with
- [Roasted Figs with Honey and Cheese](https://christinanifong.com/2016/10/roasted-figs-with-honey-and-cheese/) - I have eaten and enjoyed fresh figs but never cooked with them. When I happened upon some local figs, I got busy researching. Here's my takeaway: You want your figs to be really, really ripe. If you've never tried them, think grapes. You eat the skin and all, and they have something of a sweet-but-musky
- [Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins](https://christinanifong.com/2016/10/pumpkin-cornbread-muffins/) - I was looking for something to complement a fall soup when I came across this keeper. It instantly appealed: the pumpkin would add moisture to the cornbread and the corn meal would temper the sometimes-too-sweet of the pumpkin. Which is exactly how they came together. Toss in the honey for a touch of sweet. Use a gluten-free flour blend
- [Roasted Pumpkin Seeds](https://christinanifong.com/2016/10/roasted-pumpkin-seeds/) - I have tried dozens of ways to make roasted pumpkin seeds, some to better effect than others. My favorite method of the moment is detailed below. Spicy and sweet variations follow the basic recipe. Ingredients One medium-sized pumpkin fine sea salt olive oil, vegetable oil, or refined coconut oil Instructions Cut open the pumpkin by carving
- [Lemon Zucchini Bread](https://christinanifong.com/2016/11/lemon-zucchini-bread/) - When you're craving something just a little sweet, something light and lemony, this is it. You can use fresh or frozen zucchini. Expect moist and bright and just a touch sweet. I made one loaf with icing and the other without. Both were winners. Makes 2 loaves Recipe adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod
- [Snow Cream](https://christinanifong.com/2016/02/snow-cream/) - I didn't grow up in a particularly snowy place and I had never tasted snow cream until I had kids of my own. But now I won't let a winter storm go by without making a batch. It's decadent, yet so simple. And let me tell you, there is nothing easier than harvesting snow! Be sure
- [Homemade Hot Chocolate](https://christinanifong.com/2016/02/hot-chocolate/) - Yes, it's super easy to heat up some water, open a packet, and there you have it: hot chocolate. But, typically, it's not very good hot chocolate and who knows what's in those foil-lined envelopes. When the temperature drops and you're jones-ing for a sweet pick-me-up, try these two recipes: one for a single serving
- [Cornmeal Blueberry Scones](https://christinanifong.com/2016/02/cornmeal-blueberry-scones/) - Scones are not as popular as muffins in my kitchen, but they're a close second. Straight from the oven, these biscuit-like drop scones make a tasty, hearty breakfast -- with just a touch of sweet. Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Garden Makes 12 scones. Ingredients 1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 2/3 cup cornmeal
- [Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting](https://christinanifong.com/2016/02/chocolate-cupcakes-with-cream-cheese-frosting/) - This recipe pairs moist chocolate cake with ever-so-tasty cream cheese frosting. Barely a birthday goes by that I don't make these for someone. Whether it's birthday or holiday or any excuse I can dream up (after school snack?), these are not to be missed. Recipe inspired by www.bettycrocker.com Makes 24 Cupcake Ingredients 2 cups all-purpose flour
- [Family Favorite Mac and Cheese](https://christinanifong.com/2016/02/family-favorite-mac-and-cheese/) - When my kids were young, they loved this recipe more than any other and would have eaten it several times a week if I would have let them. This is still a comfort food that I make often. A new twist: Make this the base of your "grain" bowl and pile it high with sautéed
- [Brussels Sprouts and Braised Chestnuts](https://christinanifong.com/2016/02/brussels-sprouts-and-braised-chestnuts/) - This recipe pairs two earthy, autumnal flavors in a hearty, filling way that is perfect for fall or winter. Brussels sprouts are everywhere these days and maybe chestnuts will have their moment, too. Stirring them together creates an incredible nutritional profile and an even better taste. Recipe inspired by Julia Child in “The Way to Cook.” Serves 4
- [Roasted Sweet Potato Fries](https://christinanifong.com/2016/11/roasted-sweet-potato-fries/) - We make paprika potatoes often in our house but we love a good sweet potato fry, too. This recipe is just as easy and equally tasty. You know what makes this recipe stand out? You get to leave the potato skins on, saving minutes and increasing goodness. Time to fire up that oven. Just don't plan
- [Not Your Mother's Green Bean Casserole](https://christinanifong.com/2016/11/not-your-mothers-green-bean-casserole/) - Our garden gives us green beans. We blanch and freeze them. Then, come Thanksgiving, we've got what we need for that holiday staple, green bean casserole. But it seems a shame to slather our garden bounty with a can of condensed mushroom soup. So here's what I make instead. It's so flavorful, you'll be sorry
- [Ginger Crinkles](https://christinanifong.com/2017/01/ginger-crinkles/) - Looking back through my mother's cookbooks, I can find at least three dog-eared ginger cookie recipes plus one for gingerbread cake, oh and there's a spice cake recipe as well. I distinctly recall each of these desserts and I remember loving them all. So one year, as winter set in and I began craving the homey, holiday tastes of
- [Kale and Tomato Hoppin' John](https://christinanifong.com/2017/01/kale-and-tomato-hoppin-john/) - Growing up, greens and black-eyed peas were as big a part of my New Year's Day as packing away the Christmas decorations and listening to Casey Kasem's American Top 40 Year-End Countdown. My family ate them because it was tradition and good luck -- and likely because it was an easy dish to pull together after
- [Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread](https://christinanifong.com/2017/01/cast-iron-corn-bread/) - I have exactly one cookbook that I absolutely, positively could not live without. It's Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook. I love it because it's plant-based and it uses herbs and spices in a way that make my vegetables sing. I'm sure there are other cookbooks that could make similar claims, but Moosewood landed in my hands when I
- [Even Better Than the Original Chex Mix](https://christinanifong.com/2017/01/even-better-than-the-original-chex-mix/) - My mother is an incredibly generous cook. When I was growing up, I swear at least once a week she made her signature Tollhouse Cookies to give away. At Christmastime, our kitchen became a veritable cookie factory. These days, she lives 3,000 miles away. But when she flies in, she always arrives with a batch
- [Carrot and Cranberry Stuffed Acorn Squash](https://christinanifong.com/2017/01/carrot-and-cranberry-stuffed-acorn-squash/) - All fall long and well into the winter, produce from the amazing squash family is abundant in gardens and grocery stores, food stands and farmers markets. Beside the best-known pumpkins and butternut squash, there are cushaws and delicatas, acorn squash and spaghetti squash, Hubbard and Kabocha -- all slightly different in taste and texture and
- [Whirley-Pop Popcorn](https://christinanifong.com/2016/02/whirley-pop-popcorn/) - Is there a snack more fun than fresh-made popcorn? It's warm and salty, buttery, and airy. It's not complicated or expensive, but feels more festive than, say, opening a bag of chips. While there are many ways to pop your own popcorn, I am fond of the Whirley-Pop method. I purchased our pan years ago and it's
- [No Frills Vanilla Cupcakes](https://christinanifong.com/2016/02/no-frills-vanilla-cupcakes/) - As you might have sensed, I typically opt for simple rather than over-the-top, basic instead of bells-and-whistles. My cooking mantra is to use the very best ingredients, letting their very best flavors shine. So here, find a standard vanilla cupcake that can be frosted with ganache, buttercream, cream cheese icing -- or, if you're my non-sweets-loving oldest kid,
- [Celebratory Cinnamon Rolls](https://christinanifong.com/2016/01/cinnamon-buns/) - Christmas mornings. Birthday breakfasts. Snow day feasts. These sweet and sticky, warm and gooey treats are what we whip up for special occasion breakfasts no matter the time of year. Yes, they are more work than unrolling a can of Pillsbury. But they are oh-so worth it. Recipe from King Arthur Flour Makes 12 large
- [Sunday Morning Waffles](https://christinanifong.com/2016/01/sunday-morning-waffles/) - At our house, Sunday mornings mean waffles. Often before the sun is up, my husband and I are downstairs, heating the cast iron waffle maker, tossing together the flour, eggs, butter, and milk. My waffle rarely makes it to a plate. I usually stand, gobbling its steaming goodness. And forget about leftovers. If we want
- [Pizzelle](https://christinanifong.com/2016/01/pizzelle/) - I had never seen nor heard of these light-as-air cookies before meeting my Italian-American mother-in-law. Now my family makes them at least once a year, typically around Christmastime or sometimes to celebrate the first snowfall. Their thin circle shapes and dusting of powdered sugar make them resemble delicate snowflakes. But as beautiful as they are, it's their sweet
- [Creamed Spinach](https://christinanifong.com/2016/01/creamed-spinach/) - When you're looking for something green but not necessarily a salad, this dish fits the bill. Serve it with cornbread and pork, or eggs and toast. Perhaps the biggest endorsement of this dish is my 15-year-old, vegetable-averse son who recently said: "You know that spinach you made? At first I didn't think I would like it, but
- [Chicken Piccata](https://christinanifong.com/2016/01/chicken-piccata/) - This lovely dish is warm and flavorful, but not heavy. It's fancy but not fussy. Top it with loads of fresh parsley and serve it on a nest of angel hair pasta, with a salad on the side. It's nice enough for a holiday meal and tasty enough to appear often on your weekend dinner
- [Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones](https://christinanifong.com/2015/11/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-scones/) - In my quest to enjoy all the pumpkin I process and freeze every fall, I am always searching for new ways to eat them. If you're a pumpkin fan, you'll love these scones -- so hearty and earthy. The chocolate chips give them just a hint of decadence. Recipe inspired by King Arthur Flour Makes 12.
- [Salsa Verde](https://christinanifong.com/2015/09/salsa-verde/) - Once we planted tomatillos in our garden, we knew we'd never be going back. They are such a lovely fruit to have gracing the kitchen counter -- crisp and bright and tangy. This salsa is primarily how we eat them. But feel free to slice and add them to salads or roast and mix them
- [Traditional Basil Pesto](https://christinanifong.com/2015/08/traditional-basil-pesto/) - If you grow basil in your garden, at some point in the summer you’ve got way more than you can eat in salads or on sandwiches or even steeped into tea. That’s when you know it’s time to make pesto. Pesto can be made from just about anything leafy and green, but basil is what it's
- [Scratch-Made Sloppy Joes](https://christinanifong.com/2017/03/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 actually
- [Ginger Sesame Dressing](https://christinanifong.com/2017/03/ginger-sesame-dressing/) - Stirring up a homemade salad dressing elevates your lettuce and spinach and carrots and sprouts to a whole new level. This dressing has an Asian flair; I love it atop salads served alongside fish and chicken. It's especially good with a base of greens and raw veggies, topped with nuts (think pecans) and dried fruit (like raisins
- [Nana's Pound Cake](https://christinanifong.com/2017/03/nanas-pound-cake/) - Pound cake was a regular occurrence in my house when I was growing up. It's so versatile -- great plain, even better topped with pureed berries or homemade chocolate sauce or scratch-made whipped cream. My copy of this recipe is one of my favorite kinds: hand-written in my grandmother's loopy cursive. It's in my hands because
- [Delicious Corn Soufflé](https://christinanifong.com/2017/03/surprisingly-good-corn-souffle/) - Recently, I was staring down a bag of corn I'd blanched and frozen the summer before. 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. And I remember liking it very much. As I kept digging,
- [Homemade Yogurt](https://christinanifong.com/2017/03/hooked-on-homemade-yogurt/) - After college, I traveled abroad, landing in the little-known Mediterranean capital of Tirana, Albania. There, I lived with a lovely, tiny woman who cooked all the time -- in a kitchen the size of a closet, with electrical power that was spotty at best. And yet, her food was wonderful -- layers of phyllo dough, rich
- [Banana Chip Muffins](https://christinanifong.com/2017/04/banana-chip-muffins/) - Pretty much any time I set foot inside a grocery store, I add a couple half-gallons of milk and a bunch of bananas to my cart. Doesn't matter the season, doesn't matter if I went in for a few ingredients or my weekly stock-up shop, milk and bananas are must-haves at our house and we
- [Slow Cooker Shredded Pork With Cilantro-Ginger Sauce](https://christinanifong.com/2017/03/slow-cooker-shredded-pork-with-cilantro-ginger-sauce/) - For years, we bought a local half hog in the spring and another in the fall. We placed the butchered, vacuum-packed cuts — thick, uncured bacon, flavorful sausage, tender pork chops — in our stand-alone freezer and we planned our meals around this meat until it ran out. Which meant we had to get creative with recipes. Pork
- [Avocado Cilantro Lime Dressing](https://christinanifong.com/2017/04/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 pull
- [Spinach Artichoke Dip](https://christinanifong.com/2017/03/spinach-artichoke-dip/) - There's nothing like a great app -- it keeps the dinner hunger at bay, it's great for a party, heck, sometimes we even make a meal out of a couple apps and some fruit. I've made my fair share of artichoke dips over the years but when I started experimenting this time around, I wanted less
- [Classic Zucchini Bread](https://christinanifong.com/2017/03/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 that come from the garden. But I’ve struggled
- [Ginger Orange Sesame Slaw](https://christinanifong.com/2017/04/ginger-orange-sesame-slaw/) - While I'm a big fan of creamy coleslaw stirred together with homemade mayonnaise and whatever's growing in the garden, sometimes a girl just needs a change. And this lovely recipe -- with its cool cabbage, orange and cilantro -- is crunchy, bright and flavorful. Featuring cabbage and radishes, it's another spring salad star. Pair it
- [Lemon Pudding Cake](https://christinanifong.com/2017/05/lemon-pudding-cake/) - I recall loving this dish from my childhood. It was a standard familiar enough to be included in the scrapbook of recipes my mom made for me and my sisters after we'd left home. It's a lovely springtime dessert -- light and bright and not too sweet. In short, every bit as good as I remembered it. Makes
- [Spinach Swiss Souffle](https://christinanifong.com/2017/05/spinach-swiss-souffle/) - I love spinach -- how well it pairs with cheese and eggs and cream -- and nutmeg. It's wonderful in salads and sautés and smoothies. I honestly can't imagine ever feeling tired of spinach. And if somehow I did, it freezes pretty easily too. If you're looking for some new ways to turn this lovely
- [Beautiful Beet Salad](https://christinanifong.com/2017/05/beautiful-beet-salad/) - When the greens stretch tall and the dusty roots swell into big burgundy orbs in my garden, I start to do a happy dance. It's time to roast and grate and slice those sweet, juicy, earthy bulbs we know as beets. There are more varieties than ever available for harvesting or finding at the farmers market. Try golden
- [Linguine with Garden Herbs and Clams](https://christinanifong.com/2017/06/linguine-with-garden-herbs-and-clams/) - We are seafood fans in our house, but we are also well-aware of how fragile the edible ocean is these days. For more than a decade, I've been referring to my Monterrey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Guide to help me find environmentally friendly seafood. For me, the revival of Virginia Oysters has made those an attractive option. We
- [Mixed Greens Salad](https://christinanifong.com/2017/07/greens-and-berry-salad/) - I created this recipe to hand out to participants of a class I taught on surprising ways to eat your berries. It was a hit. The biggest takeaway might have been how pleasing it is to mix all kinds of bold flavors in with your spinach or lettuce. Yes to arugula and to mustard and
- [Ginger Berry Smoothie Bowl](https://christinanifong.com/2017/07/ginger-berry-smoothie-bowl/) - Smoothies are most often an after-school snack at our house. But these smoothie bowls combine the best of a smoothie and a bowl of cereal. They could be a great snack, but make an even better power breakfast. Feel free to mix and match both smoothie ingredients and toppings to keep things exciting and to
- [Peach Crisp](https://christinanifong.com/2017/09/peach-crisp/) - I went searching for a cobbler recipe and emerged with this crisp dessert, instead. Crisps feel a bit heartier, a bit more nuanced, definitely less sweet than the peach cobbler recipe I grew up with. If we're not careful, we can gobble down this dessert in one sitting! If peaches are not in season, try
- [Broccoli and Burrata Arancini](https://christinanifong.com/2017/09/broccoli-and-burrata-arancini/) - This was a new dish for me when my kids discovered it in a recipe book. Over the years we've made it our own, upping the veggies and testing different cheeses. We love this version of arancini that we've landed on -- so creamy and satisfying. I hope you'll give it a try. You might
- [Apple Oat Scones](https://christinanifong.com/2017/10/apple-oat-scones/) - These scones should come with a warning: Walk away before you eat them all. They are perfect for breakfasts, lunch boxes, snacks, and desserts. I'm sure it helped that I used apples straight from the pick-your-own orchard. The scones are not as pretty as my lemon scone recipe or the pumpkin chocolate chip scones, but
- [Appetizing Apple Chips](https://christinanifong.com/2017/10/appetizing-apple-chips/) - Need a garnish to make your table look pretty? Looking for something new to do with all those apples you brought home from the pick-your-own orchard? Want to transform your apples into the perfect backpacking food? Well, here you go. This method of slowly baking sliced apples in your oven is simple and fun. Plus
- [Go-To Lentil Soup](https://christinanifong.com/2017/02/go-to-lentil-soup/) - This recipe is easy and healthful. It's a quick dinner that can be pulled together at the last minute. It makes for great leftover lunches. It uses garlic, onions, peppers, and stock that I've put up from my summer garden. What's not to love? Ingredients 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 1
- [Mediterranean Grain Bowl](https://christinanifong.com/2017/02/mediterranean-buddha-bowl/) - I so love the flexible, tasty, nutritious meal concept that is a grain bowl. I can think of so many yummy permutations: Mexican (cilantro-topped kidney beans and brown rice), Southern (grits and collard greens, with bacon and black-eyed peas), Indian, Thai, Korean. I'll stop. But the one I'm sharing here is Mediterranean-inspired. Feel free to
- [Basic Grain Bowl](https://christinanifong.com/2017/02/make-your-own-buddha-bowl/) - Think of a grain bowl as a dinner jigsaw puzzle, where you can put the pieces together any way you like, as long as you follow a few simple guidelines. A grain bowl is a bowl filled with one part grain, one part greens, one part protein. Top that layer with veggies (they can be grilled,
- [Perfect Pumpkin Pancakes](https://christinanifong.com/2017/02/perfect-pumpkin-pancakes/) - I roast and purée and then freeze a handful of farmers market pumpkins every year. I love having the big, beautiful white and golden and green squash around to decorate with in the fall and then, once we've moved on to evergreens and holly, it's time to really enjoy these gifts from the ground. They
- [Makes Everything Better Cheese Sauce](https://christinanifong.com/2017/01/makes-everything-better-cheese-sauce/) - Once upon a time, I had kids who were 14, 12, and 8. They didn't love their veggies. Not like I wished they would. Which meant I sighed a lot. And asked for "five more bites" way more than I felt should be necessary. I won't even start with the 14-year-old's annoying habit of eating
- [Black Bean Sweet Potato Soup](https://christinanifong.com/2017/01/black-bean-sweet-potato-soup/) - I have several black bean soup recipes that have floated into my kitchen over the years. Some with a splash of orange juice, others with a bit of pork stirred in. I like the chunks of sweet potato in this version -- and using my Homemade Taco Seasoning, which is always at the ready in
- [Carrot Ginger Soup](https://christinanifong.com/2017/01/carrot-ginger-soup/) - This soup couldn’t be easier to make. Sauté a few veggies, then purée it all. But it’s so delicious. And who can’t use a major shot of vitamin A? The ginger is bold but complements the sweetness of the carrots. Topped, especially with the dill, this dish is bursting with flavor. Makes 4 meal-sized servings
- [Zucchini Cheddar Muffins](https://christinanifong.com/2017/01/zucchini-cheddar-muffins/) - Filling and flavorful, these gems boast cheese, eggs, and veggies, which add protein, fiber, and vitamins to a meal. My Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins perform a similar trick. Feel free to experiment with this recipe as a guide, perhaps subbing feta for the cheddar. Or even blue cheese and sun dried tomatoes. I have made the zucchini-cheddar version
- [Chex Muddy Buddies](https://christinanifong.com/2017/01/chex-muddy-buddies/) - I came late to the Baking With Cereal Party, but as my kids got older, they made more and more of the snacks and treats they ate. Chex mix and Chex Muddy Buddies were recipes they loved. So, if someone you know says they're looking to stir up a snack on a snow day or
- [Apple Cabbage Slaw](https://christinanifong.com/2017/10/autumns-apple-cabbage-slaw/) - I have a thing for slaw. It maybe has something to do with my love for salads. Slaw is simply a great way to toss together lots of seasonal veggies and have the whole taste even better than the parts. It keeps well in the fridge. It's already dressed. Slaws are big hits at potlucks. This
- [Black Bean Raspberry Dip](https://christinanifong.com/2017/11/black-bean-raspberry-dip/) - When your job includes writing for magazines, sometimes a local caterer will share a great recipe for you and your readers. In this case, Roanoke's Tracy Hamilton marries flavors I would never have thought to bring together. When she makes it, she seeks out a special raspberry salsa to make the dish sing. I made
- [Pear Spice Muffins](https://christinanifong.com/2017/11/pear-spice-muffins/) - Every fall I pick and buy local apples by the box. But this year when area farmers were offering pears in bulk, I decided to give them a try too. Let me say that it's a little scary to haul home 25 pounds of Asian pears -- or beautifully sweet carrots or luscious ears of
- [End-of-Season Cilantro Pesto](https://christinanifong.com/2017/12/end-of-season-cilantro-pesto/) - Like so many of my recipes, this one begins in the garden. First came an incredible stand of cilantro, the best we've ever grown, still going strong in October. Predictions of a frost sent me scrambling to snip and save and give away. But I had to find something more to do with what I
- [Mashed Butternut Squash](https://christinanifong.com/2017/12/mashed-butternut-squash/) - We grow our own butternuts and often we buy them in bulk, as well. So you'd think we cooked these amazingly nutritious root veggies in all kinds of ways. But in reality, not so much. We do love this Thai Butternut Squash Soup. Occasionally, we'll stuff and bake them. And they often wind up in
- [Mediterranean Green Beans](https://christinanifong.com/2018/01/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 winter, I'm going to be thrilled to pull this taste of summer from our freezer. Olives and sun-dried tomatoes bring lots
- [Pizza Dough Primer](https://christinanifong.com/2018/01/pizza-dough-primer/) - From-scratch pizza is pretty much a weekly occurrence in our house. It's beloved by everyone, can be partly made ahead, and takes less than 30 minutes from rolling out the dough to sitting down to dinner -- all plusses in our busy day-to-day. It's also a basic framework to eat whatever's in season. In spring,
- [Lentil Cornbread Dinner](https://christinanifong.com/2018/01/lentil-cornbread-casserole/) - 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 did
- [Stromboli Sandwiches](https://christinanifong.com/2018/02/stromboli-sandwiches/) - Mid-winter days are when a hearty bowl of soup or tray of comforting lasagna is what my body craves. While I'm trying to hit the Vitamin C and the leafy greens hard, I also think there's something to be said for a filling meal to stave off the dark and chill. We eat our share
- [Cinnamon Coffee Cake](https://christinanifong.com/2018/04/cinnamon-coffee-cake/) - When I happened upon this recipe, I hadn't made a coffee cake in years. They always seemed a little tasteless and disappointing. And there were so many better options. Like Morning Glory Muffins or Brown Sugar and Spice Banana Bread or Cornmeal Blueberry Scones. But a volunteer signup requested coffee cake, so I went searching.
- [Seasonal Fried Rice](https://christinanifong.com/2018/04/springtime-fried-rice/) - We love fried rice at our house -- served with some rubbed pork or sautéed tofu or even as the star attraction of our dinner, with a little Ginger Orange Sesame Slaw on the side. While spring is the perfect season for it -- what with the hens laying regularly again, the herbs growing like
- [Super Simple Roasted Vegetables](https://christinanifong.com/2019/04/super-simple-roasted-vegetables/) - Eating local means embracing root vegetables, especially in the winter -- and on into spring. That's hard for some folks, I know. To me, roasting the roots brings out their best flavor -- and makes for a pretty simple meal. My go-to roasted veggie recipe includes winter greens and nice dash of cayenne and turmeric.
- [Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins](https://christinanifong.com/2019/04/raspberry-cream-cheese-muffins/) - These were a hands-down hit for my house last spring and early summer as we had raspberries ripening on our backyard bushes faster than we could eat them. But frozen berries work, as well. The beauty of this recipe is that the fruit provides much of the sweetness, so no need for a lot of
- [Skillet Chicken Dinner](https://christinanifong.com/2019/12/skillet-chicken-dinner/) - When it's busy, there's nothing better than a one-pan meal that can be whipped up in less than a half-hour. If you dry Roma or cherry or grape tomatoes from your garden, this is a great way to use them. Plant parsley in a pot and move it inside in the winter to have fresh
- [Shepherd's Pie](https://christinanifong.com/2020/01/shepherds-pie/) - Here’s a recipe inspired by my husband’s side of the family. I don’t know if I have his Irish heritage to thank or if his mother made it because it was a quick, one-dish meal that would inspire everyone to pull closer to the table. My husband’s version featured a pie plate layered with ground
- [Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas](https://christinanifong.com/2020/01/salsa-verde-chicken-enchiladas/) - In the summer, we grow tomatillos in our garden. In the winter, we have to get the bright, citrus-y flavor of salsa verde from a jar -- either that we canned or someone else canned for us. In any event, this tray of tomatillos, chicken, tortillas, and cheese has become a go-to in our house,
- [Basic Bone Broth](https://christinanifong.com/2020/02/basic-bone-broth/) - Bone broth became a health craze several years ago. But it's one of those foods that has been around for eons. It was once simply the way soups and sauces were begun -- with a nutrient-dense liquid made at home from what was left of another meal. However you incorporate bone broth in your diet,
- [Whole Wheat Oatmeal Honey Bread](https://christinanifong.com/2020/02/whole-wheat-oatmeal-honey-bread/) - My husband is the bread baker in our home. Many weeks, he makes a batch that we use for breakfast toast, lunch sandwiches, afternoon snacks, or dinner sides. I encourage you, if you have access to locally grown, locally milled grains, to give them a try. You might be truly surprised at how they elevate
- [Harvest Vegetable Soup](https://christinanifong.com/2020/04/harvest-vegetable-soup/) - In times of struggle, anxiety, illness, there is no better balm than soup. It is literally a healing food. It's also a comfort. It's unfussy. It can be made quickly, easily, cheaply. This soup, in particular, lends itself to adaptation. Toss in a little of this. Add a little of that. So, pull out that
- [Scalloped Potatoes](https://christinanifong.com/2020/04/scalloped-potatoes/) - We plant our seed potatoes in March and harvest them in July. We store a big box of local potatoes through the winter and can usually find baby potatoes at the farmers market by early summer. To say potatoes are a staple on our family's table year 'round is an understatement. But this dish of
- [Creamy Potato Salad With Fresh Herbs](https://christinanifong.com/2020/06/creamy-potato-salad-with-fresh-herbs/) - Late June/early July is dig-the-potatoes season (or find freshly dug potatoes at your favorite farmers market). It's also the season for picnics and potlucks and backyard eating. This recipe makes the most of fresh potatoes and fresh herbs with just a bit of mayonnaise (or a vegan substitute) to hold it all together. You'll be
- [Grilled Pork Tenderloin With Cherries](https://christinanifong.com/2020/06/grilled-pork-tenderloin-with-cherries/) - When you order local meat from nearby farmers, the cuts aren't always the same as you'd find in the grocery store. But our latest delivery included a prized pork tenderloin. We knew we wanted to cook it in a way that would let its tenderness and flavor shine -- and this recipe rose to the
- [Kale Smoothie](https://christinanifong.com/2020/09/kale-smoothie/) - One of kale's super powers is that it's pretty easy to grow. Another is that once you've got a stand, it's not going anywhere. Kale can survive freeze, drought, even some hot stretches. Which means you've sometimes got to get creative at finding ways to eat it. Kale chips are good. Kale is great in
- [Easy Dal Dinner](https://christinanifong.com/2020/09/easy-dal-dinner/) - Lentils are (surprisingly) a favorite in our house, finding their way into all manner of weeknight dinners, salads, and soups. As grain bowls make regular appearances at the table these days, lentils show up there, too. In a recent quest to find more ways to serve this versatile, inexpensive, plant-based protein, I began digging into
- [Broccoli Cheddar Soup](https://christinanifong.com/2020/10/broccoli-cheddar-soup/) - As the nights grow darker and cooler and broccoli shows up again at the farmers market, my family clamors for this comfort dinner. It's surprisingly quick to come together. Serve it with fresh bread from the oven or a salad on the side and you've got your bases covered, deliciously. Makes 4 to 6 servings
- [Pretty Pumpkin Cheesecake](https://christinanifong.com/2020/11/pretty-pumpkin-cheesecake/) - Perhaps pie is not your jam. Or maybe you'd like to shake up your holiday dessert table a bit. In any case, this pumpkin cheesecake says fall flavors and delicious all swirled into one. I have made it for several Thanksgiving dinners over the years. It never lasts long! Ingredients For the crust 1 1/4
- [Balsamic-Glazed Salmon Filets](https://christinanifong.com/2020/12/balsamic-glazed-salmon-filets/) - We opted for salmon rather than turkey for Thanksgiving this year and we considered choosing fish again for Christmas before settling on a locally raised ham roast. But as we turn the corner into January and our instincts to eat healthfully kick in full-force, this salmon recipe is one to reach for. You'll want to
- [Bacon Rosemary Corn Pudding](https://christinanifong.com/2020/12/bacon-rosemary-corn-pudding/) - Corn is a popular side dish at our house, with corn soufflé, corn chowder, and cornbread all favorites. In choosing menus for holiday meals this year, we came across this gem, which we made, then promptly gobbled up, my mostly vegetarian youngest eating it as her main dish on more than one occasion. It's easy
- [Cuban Sandwiches](https://christinanifong.com/2021/01/cuban-sandwiches/) - My oldest loves pork and he loves sandwiches and somewhere between food truck visits and repeated viewings of the movie Chef, the brilliant creation of the Cuban sandwich, or Cubano, came into our lives. We don't always take the time to make a Cubano "right." Sometimes we'll turn ham roast leftovers into a sandwich with
- [Molasses and Mustard Pork Ribs](https://christinanifong.com/2021/01/molasses-and-mustard-crockpot-ribs/) - Ribs are the ultimate in finger food -- messy, tasty, chewy, lip-licking. This recipe is perfect for a summer meal on the patio or a winter dinner complete with baked potatoes and broccoli -- the house will smell divine while they're cooking. Double the recipe and invite some friends if you're feeling social. Recipe inspired
- [Ham Roast With Blueberry Sauce](https://christinanifong.com/2021/01/ham-roast-with-blueberry-sauce/) - We often roast a cut of local pork for our holiday dinners. It feels festive but not fussy, and it leaves lots of room for sides. This ham-blueberry-honey dish has graced more than its share of celebratory tables, often alongside scalloped potatoes, mashed butternut squash, corn pudding and apple pie. But it works just as
- [Layered Chocolate Cake](https://christinanifong.com/2021/01/layered-chocolate-cake/) - This super moist, incredibly delicious dessert has graced many a holiday table at our home over the years. My girls discovered it at the Two Peas & Their Pod website and have stirred it up over and over -- for birthdays and Christmas and Valentine's Day. So if you're looking for a treat that will
- [Tropical Green Smoothie](https://christinanifong.com/2021/01/tropical-green-smoothie/) - We have been on a bit of a smoothie kick ever since we splurged on a new kitchen toy. But with nutrient-rich ingredients like spinach, sprouts, and ginger, and a delicious flavor to boot, who wouldn't be stirring up smoothies? This blend of green and sweet will definitely have you revving up the blender on
- [Roasted Radishes](https://christinanifong.com/2021/01/roasted-radishes/) - I know radishes aren't for everyone. But I love their bite. And the many varieties they come in. And how quickly they grow. And how you can coax a little stand of them from a sunny part of the yard during most times of the year (provided the ground isn't frozen solid). My favorite way
- [Pantry Carbonara](https://christinanifong.com/2021/02/pantry-carbonara/) - Carbonara can seem fancy because there is a technique to getting those eggs to form a perfect sauce rather than become a scrambled mess atop your noodles. But my husband -- with his Italian roots -- reminds me that it's really a simple supper, meant to be an easy weeknight meal using what every household
- [Thai Curry Noodles](https://christinanifong.com/2021/02/thai-curry-noodles/) - Here's another framework recipe, where you can add and subtract as it suits you. For me, the basics are coconut milk, curry paste, and noodles. Everything else is inspired by what's growing in the backyard or what I am finding at the farmers market or grocery store. Top those noodles with chicken, tofu, mounds of
- [Crispy Curry Fish](https://christinanifong.com/2021/02/crispy-curry-fish/) - We love a good fish meal for dinner and we're big curry fans, too. So this recipe checks lots of great boxes in my house. This recipe is tasty and doable and may stretch your palate -- in a good way. The curry means it pairs nicely with a pot of rice, a cucumber salad
- [Sugar-Coated Pecans](https://christinanifong.com/2021/02/sugar-coated-pecans/) - Add these to a salad or scatter them alongside the pickles and crackers on your charcuterie or set them out before you serve your meal as an irresistible snack. In any case, they'll bring a little fancy, a little salty, a little sweet to your table. The secret is starting with top-quality nuts. And don't
- [Cranberry Orange Sauce](https://christinanifong.com/2021/02/cranberry-orange-sauce/) - I made my first-ever cranberry sauce a few Thanksgivings ago. I have to admit, I was pretty smitten. These days, it's not hard to find whole, fresh cranberries at many stores. But if fresh aren't available, frozen whole cranberries will work too. I have tinkered endlessly with this recipe, trying to find the perfect balance
- [Irish Soda Bread](https://christinanifong.com/2021/02/irish-soda-bread/) - My husband's father is Irish-American and his mother was Italian-American, which means my husband grew up with an appreciation of both cultures, but a table topped with Italian dishes. When our family began our own holiday traditions, celebrating St. Patrick's Day was among them. But there was no cherished Irish Soda Bread recipe to be handed
- [Strawberry Shortcake](https://christinanifong.com/2021/04/strawberry-shortcakes/) - Strawberry season can’t go by without my making at least one batch of strawberry shortcake. There's just something magical about the perfect combination of sweet-ish biscuit, homemade cream and the natural deliciousness of strawberries at their peak. Over the years I’ve used a patchwork of recipes to pull together this dish. My favorite whipped cream
- [Huevos Rancheros](https://christinanifong.com/2021/05/huevos-rancheros/) - This is truly less a recipe and more a set of assembly instructions, but it does feel helpful to have a guide as I meal plan or rally myself to get dinner on the table on a busy weeknight. So here goes. My best instructions for how to turn this simple, nutritious meal into a
- [Asian Cucumber Salad](https://christinanifong.com/2021/07/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. Hope
- [Chilled Cucumber Avocado Soup](https://christinanifong.com/2021/07/chilled-cucumber-avocado-soup/) - I've been making cucumber soup for as long as we've had a garden, which is going on 30 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 make
- [Tzatziki Sauce](https://christinanifong.com/2021/07/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 a
- [Best Blueberry Muffins](https://christinanifong.com/2021/07/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 with
- [Tomato-Topped Quiche](https://christinanifong.com/2021/07/tomato-topped-quiche/) - Quiche is a favorite dinner in our house. A perfect way to combine what's growing in our garden (or put up in the freezer) with nutritious eggs and tasty cheese and a homemade crust. As is typical for my recipes, feel free to add or subtract here. Choose the cheese you like and the herbs
- [Savory Tomato Chutney](https://christinanifong.com/2025/09/savory-tomato-chutney/) - When your garden (or patio or farmers market) gives you tomatoes, give this chutney a try. It’s a great addition to tofu, rice, chicken, fish and egg dishes. Or spread it on sandwiches and dip your roasted potatoes into it. Chutney has a circuitous history (like so many foods), sometimes showing up as a dip
- [Balsamic Vinaigrette](https://christinanifong.com/2021/04/balsamic-vinaigrette/) - I'm a huge salad fan -- I build them with spinach, beets, lentils, you name it. But the piece that really pulls all those fresh veggies together is the perfect dressing. For a mix of spinach and sprouts and strawberries and pecans, I have long enjoyed this Poppy Seed Dressing. Then I remembered how well balsamic vinegar
- [Soul Searching Through the South](https://christinanifong.com/2025/04/soul-searching-through-the-south/) - Essay writer and illustrator Martha Park considers faith, family, climate change, and community in her debut collection. Debut writer Martha Park is stirring a pot of rice in Roanoke, Va., when her father tells her over the phone that he is retiring as pastor of a United Methodist church in Memphis, Tenn. “I couldn’t have
- [Put Down Your Phone](https://christinanifong.com/2021/01/put-down-your-phone/) - Book of personal essays transports readers to a happier time Rick Bailey is having a conversation with his wife. And striving to appreciate Beaujolais. And sightseeing with Italian friends. And washing gravestones alongside a widow. And we readers are grateful that he is. Because in each of Bailey’s 42 tightly-written, sure-to-make-you-smile personal essays, he extracts
- [You've Got a Friend in Her](https://christinanifong.com/2021/04/youve-got-a-friend-in-her/) - Helen Ellis's latest book of essays is sure to make you smile Helen Ellis is writing for me. A woman in my late 40s/early 50s. Someone who stares in the mirror and wonders: Is my hair grayer than it was yesterday? Did my cheeks always have those ridges at the bottom? No, I do not
- [Stories We Know By Heart](https://christinanifong.com/2023/04/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 female
- [A Thrilling Peek Into a Taboo World](https://christinanifong.com/2024/01/a-thrilling-peek-into-a-taboo-world/) - Molly Roden Winter dazzles with her debut. You may want to look away -- but she'll keep you turning the pages “It’s been almost two years since I first saw Matt, but I can hardly remember the before times, when I wasn’t caught in a constant swirl of secret lust and mother’s guilt.” This book.
- [Time for Tomatoes](https://christinanifong.com/2016/09/time-for-tomatoes/) - I always forget how long it takes to grow a good tomato. The first ones begin blushing sometime at the end of June, if you're lucky. But it's usually well into July before the bounty arrives. And when I look back, it's typically August or September when we can our dozens of jars of marinara. That's
- [March 2021 Newsletter](https://christinanifong.com/2021/03/march-2021-newsletter/) - The Gift of Hearing Others’ Stories In my work as a magazine writer, I interview people from all walks of life. We sit down, often in their living rooms or offices or a nearby coffee shop. I pull out my notebook and push record on my phone app, and out flow the stories. The big moments
- [February 2021 Newsletter](https://christinanifong.com/2021/03/february-2021-newsletter/) - Lessons of the Stumbling Stones In Isabel Wilkerson’s acclaimed new book, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, she shares the story of the stumbling stones. In 1992, German artist Gunter Demnig, began commemorating the lives of Sinti and Roma people who were murdered by the Nazi regime. The project soon expanded to include all who were killed by Nazis: Jews,
- [January 2021 Newsletter](https://christinanifong.com/2021/02/january-2021-newsletter/) - Seeing Stars There has always been something mysterious about the night sky. Something inscrutable. Ancient. Lost. Staring into its pinpricks of light feels to me like trying to read a scroll of hieroglyphs. That’s how it feels. But I know it’s not impossible to discover the heavens' secrets. Plenty of people peer into the inky expanse and see
- [December 2020 Newsletter](https://christinanifong.com/2021/02/december-2020-newsletter/) - Reading Books Is Our Super Power I was a confused and awkward middle schooler (weren’t we all?), who struggled to make friends and to understand the world outside my tiny experience of it. I was always saying the wrong words, doing the wrong things, ending up in places I didn’t want to be. Where I felt
- [Stacking Up a Satisfying Salad](https://christinanifong.com/2017/04/stacking-up-a-satisfying-salad/) - If someone asked my favorite course of a meal, I would, without a moment’s hesitation, tell them: Salad. Not bread, not dessert, not a thick juicy piece of meat. Not even soups or sandwiches or vegetable sides. Nope. It’s salad. I love how fresh and raw most of salad’s ingredients are. I love that so
- [Make the Most of Your Herbs](https://christinanifong.com/2017/06/making-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 basil
- [November 2020 Newsletter](https://christinanifong.com/2020/11/november-2020-newsletter/) - More Positive Than My Pup It is a bright, warm day in my smallish backyard. The sun is shining, new grass has sprouted, squirrels and birds flit over and between bare tree branches.This is a wonderful place to while away a few hours — especially if you are a five-month-old puppy. There are sticks to chew
- [The Magic of 'The Nutcracker'](https://christinanifong.com/2020/11/the-magic-of-the-nutcracker/) - If the show can go on, a flicker of hope will too When I was a little girl, there were few outings more magical than a trip to see the Nutcracker ballet. My sisters and I dressed in our Sunday best and climbed the narrow staircases of the posh theater. We held our breath when
- [An Attic's Memories](https://christinanifong.com/2020/05/an-attics-memories/) - This mom is itching to create a place to hold her family's history I fondly remember the attic of my childhood. A set of wooden stairs led into a hot, cedar-smelling expanse. The steps were cluttered with cleaning supplies. I recall an ironing board hung on the wall. But once the risers dissolved into a
- [October 2020 Newsletter](https://christinanifong.com/2020/10/october-2020-newsletter/) - Being Your Best On Thursday nights, my middle child has ballet classes and my youngest heads to soccer. Her dad drives her, staying to watch, and the dog goes along for a walk. Which leaves me completely, deliciously, unbelievably alone for a full hour-and-a-half. It seems crazy that I am so thirsty for this sip of
- [September 2020 Newsletter](https://christinanifong.com/2020/09/september-2020/) - Grow Where You're Planted I am interviewing small business owners for a magazine story I’m working on. As I listen, I marvel at how each of them is saying the same words to me when I ask how they decided to keep their doors open in March when state regulations and customer fears and a completely
- [Pick-Your-Own Berries in Southwest Virginia](https://christinanifong.com/2020/08/pick-your-own-berries-in-southwest-virginia/) - The strawberries ripen sometime in May, then come the blueberries and blackberries and raspberries. In the best years, blueberry picking can continue through September. All around the Roanoke Valley are farms and orchards with fresh, often pesticide-free produce waiting for us to come fetch it. Here's a place to start if you're hoping to pick
- [Here's Help for Eating Local](https://christinanifong.com/2020/08/heres-help-for-eating-local/) - After 20 years of trying to feed my family healthily and create a sustainable household, I have come to believe more strongly than ever that eating local is good for me, my kids and the planet. So, from time to time I'll post guides and resources, confessions and inspiration. Here's where you'll find the how-tos
- [Welcome to Nourishing Stories](https://christinanifong.com/2020/07/welcome-to-nourishing-stories/) - Nourishing Stories is my monthly email newsletter. It's not a run-down of headlines or a list of items to buy, but a few minutes spent pondering the big questions, savoring some good writing and feeling inspired by delicious seasonal recipes. I've dabbled in a few newsletter formats over the years, but last February I stirred
- [Lost and Found](https://christinanifong.com/2004/11/lost-and-found/) - What a close call. Recently, a dream of ours, my husband's and mine, nearly came true. Yet the closer it came to being, the more I realized how much I didn't want it. In fact, in losing what I thought I wanted, I found something I didn't know I was missing. I discovered what it
- [February 2020 Newsletter](https://christinanifong.com/2020/02/february-2020-newsletter/) - Finding My Path Six years ago next month, my first newspaper feature in more than a decade was printed in The Roanoke Times. That story marked the beginning of a new chapter in my life, one where I would attempt to add a career in writing to the swirl of raising three kids and eating local food and volunteering
- [March 2020 Newsletter](https://christinanifong.com/2020/03/march-2020-newsletter/) - To Connect Is Human Two weeks ago, I was in a retirement community in Eastern North Carolina, celebrating the long life of my mother-in-law.After a lovely funeral Mass, the family lined up to hear the kind words of those who knew her. We were instructed not to shake hands or hug. We could lean in, bump
- [April 2020 Newsletter](https://christinanifong.com/2020/04/april-2020-newsletter/) - Losing the Need to Win I can easily recall the disappointment on my sweet son’s face. We were perched, him and me, at a game table by the window at a state park in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. It was a rainy day and our plans of wandering and fishing had been shifted to play and
- [May 2020 Newsletter](https://christinanifong.com/2020/06/may-2020-newsletter/) - Behind Every Purchase Is a Person I was that early ’90s college kid who had the Think Global, Act Local bumper sticker haphazardly stuck to my dorm room door.Back then, it was a vague concept I was only beginning to grasp. Globalism itself was still early in its wide-reaching transformation of how we eat and shop
- [June 2020 Newsletter](https://christinanifong.com/2020/06/june-2020-newsletter/) - Learning to Listen For Lent one year, I thought hard about what would be a true sacrifice I could make during the season between Ash Wednesday and Easter.I was a young mother at the time, staying home with my children. There were so few things that were even mine to give up. I was not eating in fancy
- [July 2020 Newsletter](https://christinanifong.com/2020/07/july-2020-newsletter/) - Opening Up to New Possibilities It is just before sunset and ribbons of bright orange streak through low puffy clouds. I am walking on a foot bridge across the breathtaking James River in downtown Richmond, Va. Water courses over barely visible boulders. Mama duck paddles her babies to a stand of weeds to search for bugs. An osprey
- [Errands by Bike](https://christinanifong.com/2011/07/errands-by-bike/) - My husband is an avid bicycle commuter. Two feet of snow. Twenty-mile-an-hour winds. Torrential downpour. No matter. Heʼs out there. Every day he goes to work, he goes on his bike. His resolve has inspired all of us. My nine-year-old son bikes to school with his dad (itʼs on the way to work). And last
- [Snow Days](https://christinanifong.com/2014/01/snow-days/) - I remember so fondly the snow days from my North Carolina childhood. Peeking out the window expectantly, devouring the AM radio cancelation list, scrambling into gloves and hats and boots. There were forts to be fashioned, snowmen to be birthed, hills to be sledded. I remember, too, when my thrill of snow was put on
- [Our Kids Are Growing Up Faster in This, Our New World](https://christinanifong.com/2020/07/our-kids-are-growing-up-faster-in-this-our-new-world/) - It was a regular Thursday night. My youngest and I were boxing up beloved toys that she hadn’t touched in months. We were creating spaces for new projects sorely needed now that so much of our lives centered around home. Out of nowhere, my stomach began hurting. I felt hot and tingly. The thermometer confirmed
- [Grow With Me](https://christinanifong.com/2017/03/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’s
- [Treasure Hunt](https://christinanifong.com/2019/11/treasure-hunt/) - We found Christmas in the unlikeliest of places My youngest was strapped in a Baby Bjorn the first year our family cut our Christmas tree at Roll Out Farm in Pilot, Va. It wasn’t the first time we’d trekked to a Christmas tree farm. We had visited other places that were closer, and flashier, with
- [Tending a Blaze of Beautiful Words](https://christinanifong.com/1993/12/tending-a-blaze-of-beautiful-words/) - "Isn't it so beautiful?'' Eva shrieked as Whitney Houston crooned her latest song on the Voice of America radio station. I nodded, not really liking Whitney Houston so much, but unable to keep from breaking into a smile at Eva's enthusiasm. And her choice of words. As I've noticed in the three months since I
- [The Kitty Connection](https://christinanifong.com/2019/03/the-kitty-connection/) - As my teen grew up and away from me, a sweet little bundle of fur brought us back together My girl slips in the back door after a long day at the end of a long week. She looks weary and defeated. Her big brown eyes are dragging suitcases under them. It’s tough to be a
- [Scrapbooking By a Thread](https://christinanifong.com/2019/07/scrapbooking-by-a-thread/) - You'll find my fondest family memories on my phone Okay. Okay. I admit. I’ve got an OCD streak or two. The kitchen floor must be swept every night. Clothes drawers must be kept tidy. And after I’m done with a text thread, it’s deleted. No old messages cluttering up my phone. Well … except one. That
- [Even the Bricks Don't Seem the Same](https://christinanifong.com/2018/09/even-the-bricks-dont-seem-the-same/) - Who knew how different our home would feel as the kids grew? When I click through old photos on a whim, I am always astonished. My kids were that tiny? The floors were that messy? And the house. Is that really our dining room? Why does it seem like someone else’s? Except for the kitchen,
- [Teens Gotta Talk ... So I'm Letting Them School Me](https://christinanifong.com/2020/06/teens-gotta-talk-so-im-letting-them-school-me/) - Chillaxin’ at the dinner table with my husband, two teens and a tween goes something like this in these Corona Times: “Dude! These meatballs, though. They hit different.” “10 outta 10. Would eat again.” “Dopest dinner we’ve had all week, bruh.” And me, the English major, former newspaper copy editor and all around grammar police
- [High School Seniors, Here's My Shoulder. Have a Big, Ugly Cry.](https://christinanifong.com/2020/04/high-school-seniors-heres-my-shoulder-have-a-big-ugly-cry/) - Dear Class of 2020: I’m writing today because sometimes when terrible things happen, it’s important to stop, and count the cost, and just cry. Of course, having the next few months of your life popped like a soap bubble is nothing compared to the tens of thousands of people who have lost their lives. But
- [Wisdom from the Flock](https://christinanifong.com/2016/05/wisdom-from-the-flock/) - It’s been about a year now since a quick stop at the hardware store to pick up some, you know, duct tape and grass seed, turned us into part-time poultry farmers. Not that I blame my husband. Those little balls-of-fluff are enough to melt any man into a can’t-say-no-kind-of puddle. And those downy cuties made
- [Why I Cook Dinner](https://christinanifong.com/2015/03/why-i-cook-dinner/) - True confession: Sometimes I hate making dinner. I know, I know. You do too. It takes too much time and you don’t have everything the recipe calls for and you get distracted by your dryer beeping then you burn something. Or maybe you put a beautiful, healthy dinner on your table and someone says in
- [Eating My Way Through Virginia's Wine Country](https://christinanifong.com/2015/05/eating-my-way-through-virginias-wine-country/) - For four days I lived someone else’s life. I drove along country lanes connecting horse farms and wineries and estates, and ate multi-course breakfasts, lunches and dinners cooked by celebrated chefs often working just a few feet away from where I dined. I stayed at resorts and in manor houses
- [Celebrations](https://christinanifong.com/2015/11/celebrations/) - Thursday is Thanksgiving — a time to gather with family and friends, a day to indulge and relax. It’s an occasion to count our blessings and to spend time romping in the chilly sunshine and lounging in front of televised parades. It’s also the only holiday I can think of that is
- [Giving Chestnuts Another Go](https://christinanifong.com/2015/12/giving-chestnuts-another-go/) - My first encounter with a chestnut was in my friend’s backyard. She and her family have a beautiful chestnut tree whose branches reach across their whole lot, providing shade and climbing for her three boys — even supporting a swank treehouse. So when I asked if she might have a few extra nuts for me
- [Springing Forward](https://christinanifong.com/2016/03/springing-forward/) - It’s almost here, that amazing season of promise and possibility, when the sunshine warms us and the daffodils cheer us. And the spring greens, the spindly asparagus stalks and the tiny sprouts of new life actually, for the first time in so many months, feed us. Gone are the soups and stews of winter.
- [Salad Days](https://christinanifong.com/2016/06/salad-days/) - There's been a stretch of hot here in Southwest Virginia and it's spelling the end of what has been a wonderful few months of salad eating. We had red leaf lettuce from our cold frame in the chill of March and since late April we've been eating from a beautiful bed of mixed lettuces and endive, arugula and
- [Cookie Fever](https://christinanifong.com/2016/06/cookie-fever/) - Honestly, I'm not sure what's gotten into me. It's June and my garden is up and growing. I've got leafy greens winding down, raspberries coming in, zucchini flowers begging for me to sauté them. But somehow I keep reaching for my large mixing bowl and reflexively softening two sticks of butter. Yes, it's cookie-making that keeps
- [Make Mine Mexican](https://christinanifong.com/2016/07/make-mine-mexican/) - My husband is half Italian-American and nowhere is this clearer than the kitchen. Whether he's stirring up marinara from a recipe encoded in his DNA or pressing pizzelle at Christmas or building his tasty sausage lasagna layer by layer, Italian cuisine is his comfort zone. My heritage is more complicated: English, German, Eastern European but
- [Flowers for Dinner](https://christinanifong.com/2016/07/flowers-for-dinner/) - It's been a disappointing zucchini year. Nothing like last year's plenty that left me begging for mercy. But that's okay. My dad sent me packing back in June with a bag full and my local farmers market tables are groaning with zukes. I feel certain that if I asked around, a few of you might
- [A Midsummer Night's Meal](https://christinanifong.com/2016/08/a-midsummer-nights-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-consuming
- [Cucumber Heaven](https://christinanifong.com/2016/08/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,
- [Flavors of Fall](https://christinanifong.com/2016/10/flavors-of-fall/) - As I've been preparing to teach my class on cooking fall fruits and vegetables at the Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op this weekend, I can't help but contemplate: What is it about fall's flavors that make us swoon so? Is it the brief time they're in the spotlight? The nostalgia that comes with
- [How to Eat More Local Food](https://christinanifong.com/2016/10/how-to-eat-more-local-food/) - Last Saturday, I gathered my dishes and marched my way to the teaching kitchen at the Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op in my home town. I spread out my Thai Butternut Squash Soup and my Beautiful Beet Salad, my Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins, Blue Cheese Herb Spread and Apple Honey Cake. Plus I brought locally harvested Maitake
- [Let Us Eat Pumpkin](https://christinanifong.com/2016/10/let-us-eat-pumpkin/) - With Jack O' Lantern carving at Halloween and the absolute necessity of a pumpkin pie on the Thanksgiving sideboard, pumpkins have long been central to fall. But does anyone else find it ironic that while pumpkin pie flavor has found its way into absolutely everything (Oreos! Pop-Tarts! Twizzlers!), pumpkins themselves are still considered more decor than food?
- [Time to Talk Turkey](https://christinanifong.com/2016/11/time-to-talk-turkey/) - My favorite holiday of the year is two weeks from today. And I am nothing if not ready to start thinking about Thanksgiving. For many, the holiday countdown began long ago with checklists of what to knock out ahead, chatter about table decor and recipe testing in search of the perfect combination of sweet and savory, traditional and today. I'm a
- [Soup's On](https://christinanifong.com/2017/01/soups-on/) - There's no mystery as to why we eat soup in January. It warms us from the inside. It provides nutrients our bodies need now more than ever (when days are darker, outside exercise is harder and little fresh is growing in the ground). Soups are simple to make and even create cozy in our homes from
- [Greens, Glorious Greens](https://christinanifong.com/2017/05/greens-glorious-greens/) - As we march through Spring, past the asparagus and the strawberries, waiting patiently for zucchini canoes and tomato globes, we find ourselves in the months of greens. At our house, it begins with kale and spinach -- those cold-hardiest of veggies. We often have an early crop of lettuce, too, thanks to our trusty cold frame. This
- [Apples of Every Stripe](https://christinanifong.com/2017/10/so-many-apples-to-eye/) - Apples and fall fit together like two perfectly matched puzzle pieces. Just as the air acquires its seasonal snap, the apples are weighing down their branches, beckoning us to come pick them. And just as temperatures begin their slide, our kitchens are ready for slow cookers and warm ovens, for soups and pies, for the
- [Where to Pick Your Own Apples](https://christinanifong.com/2017/10/where-to-pick-your-own-apples/) - If you live in Southwest Virginia, here is a guide to nearby pick-your-own apple orchards. Did your favorite farm not make this list? Comment or message me and I'll keep adding to make this directory as comprehensive as I can. Carter Mountain Orchard 1435 Carters Mountain Trail Charlottesville, VA 22902 434 977-1833 http://www.cartermountainorchard.com From September
- [Easier Than Ever to Eat Local for Thanksgiving](https://christinanifong.com/2017/11/easier-than-ever-to-eat-local-for-thanksgiving/) - The evening skies got darker last Sunday and the weather in these parts took a turn for the raw, so there's no denying winter is just around the corner. Which, mostly depresses me, but I can stay positive for the next few months as my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving, arrives and is quickly followed by the
- [How to Make More Local Food Choices](https://christinanifong.com/2018/01/how-to-make-more-local-food-choices/) - I have shared this graphic on social media and in my newsletter over the last few months. But the more I sit in meetings about how to connect eaters with local food growers and the more I write about why local food matters to me, the more I love what this graphic does: It quickly
- [Hello, Spring!](https://christinanifong.com/2018/04/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't
- [How to Find Local Food](https://christinanifong.com/2020/02/how-to-find-local-food/) - Buying local can connect you with healthier food that is good for the environment and your community. It takes a bit of retraining -- like forming any good habit. But the rewards are delicious fruits, vegetables and proteins at the peak of their flavor. Below, find a few resources to get you started. Once you

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- [Eat Local](https://christinanifong.com/category/blog/)
- [Recipes](https://christinanifong.com/category/recipes/)
- [Sauces and Spreads](https://christinanifong.com/category/recipes/sauces-and-spreads/)
- [Soups and Sandwiches](https://christinanifong.com/category/recipes/soups-and-sandwiches/)
- [Vegetable Sides](https://christinanifong.com/category/recipes/vegetable-sides/)
- [Appetizers and Snacks](https://christinanifong.com/category/recipes/appetizers-and-snacks/)
- [Breads and Muffins](https://christinanifong.com/category/recipes/breads-and-muffins/)
- [Desserts and Cookies](https://christinanifong.com/category/recipes/desserts-and-cookies/)
- [Main Dishes](https://christinanifong.com/category/recipes/main-dishes/)
- [Everyday Essays](https://christinanifong.com/category/uncategorized/everyday-essays/)
- [Nourishing Stories](https://christinanifong.com/category/nourishing-stories/)
- [Book Reviews](https://christinanifong.com/category/book-reviews/)

## Tags

- [Alfredo sauce](https://christinanifong.com/tag/alfredo-sauce/)
- [appalachian cuisine](https://christinanifong.com/tag/appalachian-cuisine/)
- [appetizer](https://christinanifong.com/tag/appetizer/)
- [apple](https://christinanifong.com/tag/apple/)
- [apple pie](https://christinanifong.com/tag/apple-pie/)
- [apples](https://christinanifong.com/tag/apples/)
- [arugula](https://christinanifong.com/tag/arugula/)
- [Asian](https://christinanifong.com/tag/asian/)
- [avocado](https://christinanifong.com/tag/avocado/)
- [bacon](https://christinanifong.com/tag/bacon/)
- [baking](https://christinanifong.com/tag/baking/)
- [basil](https://christinanifong.com/tag/basil/)
- [bees](https://christinanifong.com/tag/bees/)
- [beets](https://christinanifong.com/tag/beets/)
- [blogging](https://christinanifong.com/tag/blogging/)
- [blue cheese](https://christinanifong.com/tag/blue-cheese/)
- [blueberry](https://christinanifong.com/tag/blueberry/)
- [bread](https://christinanifong.com/tag/bread/)
- [breakfast](https://christinanifong.com/tag/breakfast/)
- [brown rice](https://christinanifong.com/tag/brown-rice/)
- [brussels sprouts](https://christinanifong.com/tag/brussels-sprouts/)
- [building block](https://christinanifong.com/tag/building-block/)
- [buttermilk](https://christinanifong.com/tag/buttermilk/)
- [butternut squash](https://christinanifong.com/tag/butternut-squash/)
- [cabbage](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cabbage/)
- [cake](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cake/)
- [canning](https://christinanifong.com/tag/canning/)
- [carrots](https://christinanifong.com/tag/carrots/)
- [casserole](https://christinanifong.com/tag/casserole/)
- [celebration](https://christinanifong.com/tag/celebration/)
- [cheese](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cheese/)
- [cheese spread](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cheese-spread/)
- [chestnuts](https://christinanifong.com/tag/chestnuts/)
- [chicken](https://christinanifong.com/tag/chicken/)
- [chili](https://christinanifong.com/tag/chili/)
- [chilled soup](https://christinanifong.com/tag/chilled-soup/)
- [chives](https://christinanifong.com/tag/chives/)
- [chocolate](https://christinanifong.com/tag/chocolate/)
- [Christmas](https://christinanifong.com/tag/christmas/)
- [cilantro](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cilantro/)
- [cinnamon](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cinnamon/)
- [coconut](https://christinanifong.com/tag/coconut/)
- [coconut milk](https://christinanifong.com/tag/coconut-milk/)
- [coleslaw](https://christinanifong.com/tag/coleslaw/)
- [comfort food](https://christinanifong.com/tag/comfort-food/)
- [cookie](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cookie/)
- [cookies](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cookies/)
- [cooking](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cooking/)
- [cooking class](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cooking-class/)
- [corn](https://christinanifong.com/tag/corn/)
- [cornbread](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cornbread/)
- [cranberries](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cranberries/)
- [cranberry sauce](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cranberry-sauce/)
- [cucumber](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cucumber/)
- [cucumbers](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cucumbers/)
- [curry](https://christinanifong.com/tag/curry/)
- [dessert](https://christinanifong.com/tag/dessert/)
- [desserts](https://christinanifong.com/tag/desserts/)
- [dill](https://christinanifong.com/tag/dill/)
- [dinner](https://christinanifong.com/tag/dinner/)
- [dips](https://christinanifong.com/tag/dips/)
- [dressing](https://christinanifong.com/tag/dressing/)
- [eat your vegetables](https://christinanifong.com/tag/eat-your-vegetables/)
- [eating seasonally](https://christinanifong.com/tag/eating-seasonally/)
- [edible flowers](https://christinanifong.com/tag/edible-flowers/)
- [eggplant](https://christinanifong.com/tag/eggplant/)
- [eggs](https://christinanifong.com/tag/eggs/)
- [fall](https://christinanifong.com/tag/fall/)
- [fall flavors](https://christinanifong.com/tag/fall-flavors/)
- [family favorite](https://christinanifong.com/tag/family-favorite/)
- [family time](https://christinanifong.com/tag/family-time/)
- [farmers markets](https://christinanifong.com/tag/farmers-markets/)
- [feta](https://christinanifong.com/tag/feta/)
- [figs](https://christinanifong.com/tag/figs/)
- [from scratch](https://christinanifong.com/tag/from-scratch/)
- [fruit crisp](https://christinanifong.com/tag/fruit-crisp/)
- [garden](https://christinanifong.com/tag/garden/)
- [garden-eating](https://christinanifong.com/tag/garden-eating/)
- [garlic](https://christinanifong.com/tag/garlic/)
- [ginger](https://christinanifong.com/tag/ginger/)
- [gluten-free](https://christinanifong.com/tag/gluten-free/)
- [goat cheese](https://christinanifong.com/tag/goat-cheese/)
- [granola](https://christinanifong.com/tag/granola/)
- [gratitude](https://christinanifong.com/tag/gratitude/)
- [green beans](https://christinanifong.com/tag/green-beans/)
- [green peppers](https://christinanifong.com/tag/green-peppers/)
- [greens](https://christinanifong.com/tag/greens/)
- [guacamole](https://christinanifong.com/tag/guacamole/)
- [harvest](https://christinanifong.com/tag/harvest/)
- [healthy snacks](https://christinanifong.com/tag/healthy-snacks/)
- [herbs](https://christinanifong.com/tag/herbs/)
- [herbs and spices](https://christinanifong.com/tag/herbs-and-spices/)
- [holiday-eating](https://christinanifong.com/tag/holiday-eating/)
- [holidays](https://christinanifong.com/tag/holidays/)
- [homemade meals](https://christinanifong.com/tag/homemade-meals/)
- [honey](https://christinanifong.com/tag/honey/)
- [horseradish](https://christinanifong.com/tag/horseradish/)
- [hosting](https://christinanifong.com/tag/hosting/)
- [jalapeños](https://christinanifong.com/tag/jalapenos-2/)
- [jam](https://christinanifong.com/tag/jam/)
- [kids in the kitchen](https://christinanifong.com/tag/kids-in-the-kitchen/)
- [lemon](https://christinanifong.com/tag/lemon/)
- [lentils](https://christinanifong.com/tag/lentils/)
- [lettuce](https://christinanifong.com/tag/lettuce/)
- [lime](https://christinanifong.com/tag/lime/)
- [local](https://christinanifong.com/tag/local/)
- [local food](https://christinanifong.com/tag/local-food/)
- [local meat](https://christinanifong.com/tag/local-meat/)
- [magic wand](https://christinanifong.com/tag/magic-wand/)
- [maitake](https://christinanifong.com/tag/maitake/)
- [marinara](https://christinanifong.com/tag/marinara/)
- [mayonnaise](https://christinanifong.com/tag/mayonnaise/)
- [meat](https://christinanifong.com/tag/meat/)
- [Mediterranean](https://christinanifong.com/tag/mediterranean/)
- [menu planning](https://christinanifong.com/tag/menu-planning/)
- [mexican](https://christinanifong.com/tag/mexican/)
- [mint](https://christinanifong.com/tag/mint/)
- [muffins](https://christinanifong.com/tag/muffins/)
- [mushrooms](https://christinanifong.com/tag/mushrooms/)
- [mustard](https://christinanifong.com/tag/mustard/)
- [newsletter](https://christinanifong.com/tag/newsletter/)
- [noodles](https://christinanifong.com/tag/noodles/)
- [nuts](https://christinanifong.com/tag/nuts/)
- [oatmeal](https://christinanifong.com/tag/oatmeal/)
- [oats](https://christinanifong.com/tag/oats/)
- [olives](https://christinanifong.com/tag/olives/)
- [on the grill](https://christinanifong.com/tag/on-the-grill/)
- [onion](https://christinanifong.com/tag/onion/)
- [onions](https://christinanifong.com/tag/onions/)
- [orange](https://christinanifong.com/tag/orange/)
- [paprika](https://christinanifong.com/tag/paprika/)
- [Parmesan](https://christinanifong.com/tag/parmesan/)
- [parsley](https://christinanifong.com/tag/parsley/)
- [pasta](https://christinanifong.com/tag/pasta/)
- [peaches](https://christinanifong.com/tag/peaches/)
- [peanut butter](https://christinanifong.com/tag/peanut-butter/)
- [peppers](https://christinanifong.com/tag/peppers/)
- [pesto](https://christinanifong.com/tag/pesto/)
- [pie crust](https://christinanifong.com/tag/pie-crust/)
- [pineapple sage](https://christinanifong.com/tag/pineapple-sage/)
- [pork](https://christinanifong.com/tag/pork/)
- [pot pie](https://christinanifong.com/tag/pot-pie/)
- [potatoes](https://christinanifong.com/tag/potatoes/)
- [potluck pick](https://christinanifong.com/tag/potluck-pick/)
- [pumpkin](https://christinanifong.com/tag/pumpkin/)
- [pumpkin cheesecake](https://christinanifong.com/tag/pumpkin-cheesecake/)
- [pumpkin cornbread](https://christinanifong.com/tag/pumpkin-cornbread/)
- [pumpkin scones](https://christinanifong.com/tag/pumpkin-scones/)
- [quiche](https://christinanifong.com/tag/quiche/)
- [quick bread](https://christinanifong.com/tag/quick-bread/)
- [ranch dressing](https://christinanifong.com/tag/ranch-dressing/)
- [real food](https://christinanifong.com/tag/real-food/)
- [recipe](https://christinanifong.com/tag/recipe/)
- [Recipes](https://christinanifong.com/tag/recipes/)
- [ricotta](https://christinanifong.com/tag/ricotta/)
- [roasted vegetables](https://christinanifong.com/tag/roasted-vegetables/)
- [rolls](https://christinanifong.com/tag/rolls/)
- [rubs](https://christinanifong.com/tag/rubs/)
- [salads](https://christinanifong.com/tag/salads/)
- [salsa](https://christinanifong.com/tag/salsa/)
- [salty](https://christinanifong.com/tag/salty/)
- [sauces](https://christinanifong.com/tag/sauces/)
- [sausage](https://christinanifong.com/tag/sausage/)
- [savory](https://christinanifong.com/tag/savory/)
- [scones](https://christinanifong.com/tag/scones/)
- [seeds and nuts](https://christinanifong.com/tag/seeds-and-nuts/)
- [shiitake](https://christinanifong.com/tag/shiitake/)
- [snack](https://christinanifong.com/tag/snack/)
- [soup](https://christinanifong.com/tag/soup/)
- [spicy](https://christinanifong.com/tag/spicy/)
- [spinach](https://christinanifong.com/tag/spinach/)
- [spring](https://christinanifong.com/tag/spring/)
- [squash](https://christinanifong.com/tag/squash/)
- [summer](https://christinanifong.com/tag/summer/)
- [sweet](https://christinanifong.com/tag/sweet/)
- [sweet potatoes](https://christinanifong.com/tag/sweet-potatoes/)
- [sweet rolls](https://christinanifong.com/tag/sweet-rolls/)
- [tacos](https://christinanifong.com/tag/tacos/)
- [tastings](https://christinanifong.com/tag/tastings/)
- [terrior](https://christinanifong.com/tag/terrior/)
- [Thanksgiving](https://christinanifong.com/tag/thanksgiving/)
- [tofu](https://christinanifong.com/tag/tofu/)
- [tomato](https://christinanifong.com/tag/tomato/)
- [tomatoes](https://christinanifong.com/tag/tomatoes/)
- [travel](https://christinanifong.com/tag/travel/)
- [turkey](https://christinanifong.com/tag/turkey/)
- [turnips](https://christinanifong.com/tag/turnips/)
- [varietals](https://christinanifong.com/tag/varietals/)
- [vegetarian](https://christinanifong.com/tag/vegetarian/)
- [veggies](https://christinanifong.com/tag/veggies/)
- [Virginia](https://christinanifong.com/tag/virginia/)
- [walnuts](https://christinanifong.com/tag/walnuts/)
- [winter](https://christinanifong.com/tag/winter/)
- [zucchini](https://christinanifong.com/tag/zucchini/)
- [main meal](https://christinanifong.com/tag/main-meal/)
- [potluck picks](https://christinanifong.com/tag/potluck-picks/)
- [family favorites](https://christinanifong.com/tag/family-favorites/)
- [homemade broth](https://christinanifong.com/tag/homemade-broth/)
- [balsamic vinegar](https://christinanifong.com/tag/balsamic-vinegar/)
- [biscuits](https://christinanifong.com/tag/biscuits/)
- [confectioners sugar](https://christinanifong.com/tag/confectioners-sugar/)
- [pecans](https://christinanifong.com/tag/pecans/)
- [salad](https://christinanifong.com/tag/salad/)
- [vinegar](https://christinanifong.com/tag/vinegar/)
- [poppy seeds](https://christinanifong.com/tag/poppy-seeds/)
- [scapes](https://christinanifong.com/tag/scapes/)
- [local eating](https://christinanifong.com/tag/local-eating/)
- [kitchen renovation](https://christinanifong.com/tag/kitchen-renovation/)
- [chickens](https://christinanifong.com/tag/chickens/)
- [chicken-keeping](https://christinanifong.com/tag/chicken-keeping/)
- [urban chickens](https://christinanifong.com/tag/urban-chickens/)
- [homemade mayonaise](https://christinanifong.com/tag/homemade-mayonaise/)
- [Swiss cheese](https://christinanifong.com/tag/swiss-cheese/)
- [brunch](https://christinanifong.com/tag/brunch/)
- [pineapple](https://christinanifong.com/tag/pineapple/)
- [ganache](https://christinanifong.com/tag/ganache/)
- [magazine writing](https://christinanifong.com/tag/magazine-writing/)
- [restaurant inspiration](https://christinanifong.com/tag/restaurant-inspiration/)
- [beef](https://christinanifong.com/tag/beef/)
- [egg noodles](https://christinanifong.com/tag/egg-noodles/)
- [essay](https://christinanifong.com/tag/essay/)
- [writing](https://christinanifong.com/tag/writing/)
- [inspiration](https://christinanifong.com/tag/inspiration/)
- [yogurt](https://christinanifong.com/tag/yogurt/)
- [bananas](https://christinanifong.com/tag/bananas/)
- [berries](https://christinanifong.com/tag/berries/)
- [smoothie](https://christinanifong.com/tag/smoothie/)
- [raw food](https://christinanifong.com/tag/raw-food/)
- [freezer-eating](https://christinanifong.com/tag/freezer-eating/)
- [grits](https://christinanifong.com/tag/grits/)
- [feta cheese](https://christinanifong.com/tag/feta-cheese/)
- [asparagus](https://christinanifong.com/tag/asparagus/)
- [lunch](https://christinanifong.com/tag/lunch/)
- [condiment](https://christinanifong.com/tag/condiment/)
- [bulgur](https://christinanifong.com/tag/bulgur/)
- [broccoli](https://christinanifong.com/tag/broccoli/)
- [celery](https://christinanifong.com/tag/celery/)
- [springtime](https://christinanifong.com/tag/springtime/)
- [peas](https://christinanifong.com/tag/peas/)
- [shepherd's pie](https://christinanifong.com/tag/shepherds-pie/)
- [kidney beans](https://christinanifong.com/tag/kidney-beans/)
- [lard](https://christinanifong.com/tag/lard/)
- [jalapeño](https://christinanifong.com/tag/jalapeno/)
- [Mardi Gras](https://christinanifong.com/tag/mardi-gras/)
- [gardening](https://christinanifong.com/tag/gardening/)
- [pancakes](https://christinanifong.com/tag/pancakes/)
- [finger food](https://christinanifong.com/tag/finger-food/)
- [almonds](https://christinanifong.com/tag/almonds/)
- [tomatillos](https://christinanifong.com/tag/tomatillos/)
- [raspberries](https://christinanifong.com/tag/raspberries/)
- [sauce](https://christinanifong.com/tag/sauce/)
- [okra](https://christinanifong.com/tag/okra/)
- [gumbo](https://christinanifong.com/tag/gumbo/)
- [peanuts](https://christinanifong.com/tag/peanuts/)
- [grilling](https://christinanifong.com/tag/grilling/)
- [cornmeal](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cornmeal/)
- [strawberries](https://christinanifong.com/tag/strawberries/)
- [food gifts](https://christinanifong.com/tag/food-gifts/)
- [Italian](https://christinanifong.com/tag/italian/)
- [snow](https://christinanifong.com/tag/snow/)
- [hot beverage](https://christinanifong.com/tag/hot-beverage/)
- [cupcakes](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cupcakes/)
- [cream cheese](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cream-cheese/)
- [icing](https://christinanifong.com/tag/icing/)
- [rosemary](https://christinanifong.com/tag/rosemary/)
- [shortcake](https://christinanifong.com/tag/shortcake/)
- [graham crackers](https://christinanifong.com/tag/graham-crackers/)
- [cheesecake](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cheesecake/)
- [chocolate chips](https://christinanifong.com/tag/chocolate-chips/)
- [chick peas](https://christinanifong.com/tag/chick-peas/)
- [tahini](https://christinanifong.com/tag/tahini/)
- [hummus](https://christinanifong.com/tag/hummus/)
- [Middle Eastern](https://christinanifong.com/tag/middle-eastern/)
- [popcorn](https://christinanifong.com/tag/popcorn/)
- [homemade](https://christinanifong.com/tag/homemade/)
- [vanilla](https://christinanifong.com/tag/vanilla/)
- [maple syrup](https://christinanifong.com/tag/maple-syrup/)
- [appalachian culture](https://christinanifong.com/tag/appalachian-culture/)
- [southern foodways](https://christinanifong.com/tag/southern-foodways/)
- [food history](https://christinanifong.com/tag/food-history/)
- [capers](https://christinanifong.com/tag/capers/)
- [nutmeg](https://christinanifong.com/tag/nutmeg/)
- [side dish](https://christinanifong.com/tag/side-dish/)
- [anise extract](https://christinanifong.com/tag/anise-extract/)
- [vegetable side](https://christinanifong.com/tag/vegetable-side/)
- [barbecue](https://christinanifong.com/tag/barbecue/)
- [root vegetables](https://christinanifong.com/tag/root-vegetables/)
- [Irish](https://christinanifong.com/tag/irish/)
- [cheddar cheese](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cheddar-cheese/)
- [experimenting](https://christinanifong.com/tag/experimenting/)
- [salsa verde](https://christinanifong.com/tag/salsa-verde/)
- [carrot tops](https://christinanifong.com/tag/carrot-tops/)
- [grow what you love](https://christinanifong.com/tag/grow-what-you-love/)
- [eat your flowers](https://christinanifong.com/tag/eat-your-flowers/)
- [stir fry](https://christinanifong.com/tag/stir-fry/)
- [rhythm of the garden](https://christinanifong.com/tag/rhythm-of-the-garden/)
- [food](https://christinanifong.com/tag/food/)
- [wine](https://christinanifong.com/tag/wine/)
- [breweries](https://christinanifong.com/tag/breweries/)
- [gelato](https://christinanifong.com/tag/gelato/)
- [charcuterie](https://christinanifong.com/tag/charcuterie/)
- [cloves](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cloves/)
- [sorghum](https://christinanifong.com/tag/sorghum/)
- [molasses](https://christinanifong.com/tag/molasses/)
- [childhood memory](https://christinanifong.com/tag/childhood-memory/)
- [sugar](https://christinanifong.com/tag/sugar/)
- [cream of tartar](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cream-of-tartar/)
- [healthy snack](https://christinanifong.com/tag/healthy-snack/)
- [black-eyed peas](https://christinanifong.com/tag/black-eyed-peas/)
- [ham hock](https://christinanifong.com/tag/ham-hock/)
- [sun-dried tomatoes](https://christinanifong.com/tag/sun-dried-tomatoes/)
- [kale](https://christinanifong.com/tag/kale/)
- [corn bread](https://christinanifong.com/tag/corn-bread/)
- [perfect side dish](https://christinanifong.com/tag/perfect-side-dish/)
- [powdered sugar](https://christinanifong.com/tag/powdered-sugar/)
- [lemon zest](https://christinanifong.com/tag/lemon-zest/)
- [butter](https://christinanifong.com/tag/butter/)
- [my mother's recipe box](https://christinanifong.com/tag/my-mothers-recipe-box/)
- [citrus](https://christinanifong.com/tag/citrus/)
- [Chex mix](https://christinanifong.com/tag/chex-mix/)
- [pretzels](https://christinanifong.com/tag/pretzels/)
- [Mollie Katzen](https://christinanifong.com/tag/mollie-katzen/)
- [cooking with cereal](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cooking-with-cereal/)
- [Rice Chex](https://christinanifong.com/tag/rice-chex/)
- [gluten-free option](https://christinanifong.com/tag/gluten-free-option/)
- [acorn squash](https://christinanifong.com/tag/acorn-squash/)
- [rice](https://christinanifong.com/tag/rice/)
- [eating locally](https://christinanifong.com/tag/eating-locally/)
- [vegan](https://christinanifong.com/tag/vegan/)
- [kielbasa](https://christinanifong.com/tag/kielbasa/)
- [buying local](https://christinanifong.com/tag/buying-local/)
- [eating local](https://christinanifong.com/tag/eating-local/)
- [blog](https://christinanifong.com/tag/blog/)
- [muffin](https://christinanifong.com/tag/muffin/)
- [cheddar](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cheddar/)
- [scallions](https://christinanifong.com/tag/scallions/)
- [stored food](https://christinanifong.com/tag/stored-food/)
- [food trends](https://christinanifong.com/tag/food-trends/)
- [bone broth](https://christinanifong.com/tag/bone-broth/)
- [Michael Pollan](https://christinanifong.com/tag/michael-pollan/)
- [herbal shop](https://christinanifong.com/tag/herbal-shop/)
- [communal eating](https://christinanifong.com/tag/communal-eating/)
- [quick and easy](https://christinanifong.com/tag/quick-and-easy/)
- [root vegetable](https://christinanifong.com/tag/root-vegetable/)
- [green pepper](https://christinanifong.com/tag/green-pepper/)
- [black beans](https://christinanifong.com/tag/black-beans/)
- [farmers market](https://christinanifong.com/tag/farmers-market/)
- [coconut oil](https://christinanifong.com/tag/coconut-oil/)
- [breakfast for dinner](https://christinanifong.com/tag/breakfast-for-dinner/)
- [weekend cooking](https://christinanifong.com/tag/weekend-cooking/)
- [eating from the freezer](https://christinanifong.com/tag/eating-from-the-freezer/)
- [one-pot meal](https://christinanifong.com/tag/one-pot-meal/)
- [family meals](https://christinanifong.com/tag/family-meals/)
- [heavy whipping cream](https://christinanifong.com/tag/heavy-whipping-cream/)
- [everyday dinner](https://christinanifong.com/tag/everyday-dinner/)
- [grains](https://christinanifong.com/tag/grains/)
- [leafy greens](https://christinanifong.com/tag/leafy-greens/)
- [chickpeas](https://christinanifong.com/tag/chickpeas/)
- [peanut sauce](https://christinanifong.com/tag/peanut-sauce/)
- [homemade dressing](https://christinanifong.com/tag/homemade-dressing/)
- [grain](https://christinanifong.com/tag/grain/)
- [roasted red pepper](https://christinanifong.com/tag/roasted-red-pepper/)
- [forbidden rice](https://christinanifong.com/tag/forbidden-rice/)
- [plant-based](https://christinanifong.com/tag/plant-based/)
- [coffee](https://christinanifong.com/tag/coffee/)
- [book review](https://christinanifong.com/tag/book-review/)
- [vegan option](https://christinanifong.com/tag/vegan-option/)
- [thyme](https://christinanifong.com/tag/thyme/)
- [St. Patrick's Day](https://christinanifong.com/tag/st-patricks-day/)
- [dried fruit](https://christinanifong.com/tag/dried-fruit/)
- [sprouts](https://christinanifong.com/tag/sprouts/)
- [king cake](https://christinanifong.com/tag/king-cake/)
- [food traditions](https://christinanifong.com/tag/food-traditions/)
- [yeast](https://christinanifong.com/tag/yeast/)
- [flour](https://christinanifong.com/tag/flour/)
- [spices](https://christinanifong.com/tag/spices/)
- [raisins](https://christinanifong.com/tag/raisins/)
- [dates](https://christinanifong.com/tag/dates/)
- [artichoke hearts](https://christinanifong.com/tag/artichoke-hearts/)
- [celebrations](https://christinanifong.com/tag/celebrations/)
- [make-ahead dinner](https://christinanifong.com/tag/make-ahead-dinner/)
- [one bowl dinner](https://christinanifong.com/tag/one-bowl-dinner/)
- [slow cooker](https://christinanifong.com/tag/slow-cooker/)
- [gardening resources](https://christinanifong.com/tag/gardening-resources/)
- [blueberries](https://christinanifong.com/tag/blueberries/)
- [seeds](https://christinanifong.com/tag/seeds/)
- [earth day](https://christinanifong.com/tag/earth-day/)
- [gardening how-to](https://christinanifong.com/tag/gardening-how-to/)
- [radishes](https://christinanifong.com/tag/radishes/)
- [salad dressing](https://christinanifong.com/tag/salad-dressing/)
- [soy sauce](https://christinanifong.com/tag/soy-sauce/)
- [eat local](https://christinanifong.com/tag/eat-local/)
- [sesame seeds](https://christinanifong.com/tag/sesame-seeds/)
- [almond extract](https://christinanifong.com/tag/almond-extract/)
- [souffle](https://christinanifong.com/tag/souffle/)
- [weekday dinners](https://christinanifong.com/tag/weekday-dinners/)
- [local milk](https://christinanifong.com/tag/local-milk/)
- [healthy eating](https://christinanifong.com/tag/healthy-eating/)
- [Greek](https://christinanifong.com/tag/greek/)
- [cooking how-to](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cooking-how-to/)
- [banana](https://christinanifong.com/tag/banana/)
- [top-quality oil](https://christinanifong.com/tag/top-quality-oil/)
- [eat your veggies](https://christinanifong.com/tag/eat-your-veggies/)
- [beans](https://christinanifong.com/tag/beans/)
- [fruit](https://christinanifong.com/tag/fruit/)
- [plant-based meal](https://christinanifong.com/tag/plant-based-meal/)
- [Gruyere](https://christinanifong.com/tag/gruyere/)
- [weekday dinner](https://christinanifong.com/tag/weekday-dinner/)
- [orange zest](https://christinanifong.com/tag/orange-zest/)
- [whole food](https://christinanifong.com/tag/whole-food/)
- [plant-based eating](https://christinanifong.com/tag/plant-based-eating/)
- [cumin](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cumin/)
- [turmeric](https://christinanifong.com/tag/turmeric/)
- [berry picking](https://christinanifong.com/tag/berry-picking/)
- [local food how-to](https://christinanifong.com/tag/local-food-how-to/)
- [local food resources](https://christinanifong.com/tag/local-food-resources/)
- [pick your own farms](https://christinanifong.com/tag/pick-your-own-farms/)
- [eating how-to](https://christinanifong.com/tag/eating-how-to/)
- [advice](https://christinanifong.com/tag/advice/)
- [diet](https://christinanifong.com/tag/diet/)
- [Barbara Kingsolver](https://christinanifong.com/tag/barbara-kingsolver/)
- [locavore](https://christinanifong.com/tag/locavore/)
- [whipping cream](https://christinanifong.com/tag/whipping-cream/)
- [rice wrappers](https://christinanifong.com/tag/rice-wrappers/)
- [snow peas](https://christinanifong.com/tag/snow-peas/)
- [food travel](https://christinanifong.com/tag/food-travel/)
- [wineries](https://christinanifong.com/tag/wineries/)
- [duck](https://christinanifong.com/tag/duck/)
- [eating from the garden](https://christinanifong.com/tag/eating-from-the-garden/)
- [Swiss chard](https://christinanifong.com/tag/swiss-chard/)
- [green onions](https://christinanifong.com/tag/green-onions/)
- [clams](https://christinanifong.com/tag/clams/)
- [linguini](https://christinanifong.com/tag/linguini/)
- [fresh herbs](https://christinanifong.com/tag/fresh-herbs/)
- [recipe roundup](https://christinanifong.com/tag/recipe-roundup/)
- [lavender](https://christinanifong.com/tag/lavender/)
- [lemon balm](https://christinanifong.com/tag/lemon-balm/)
- [oregano](https://christinanifong.com/tag/oregano/)
- [beet greens](https://christinanifong.com/tag/beet-greens/)
- [gazpacho](https://christinanifong.com/tag/gazpacho/)
- [crepes](https://christinanifong.com/tag/crepes/)
- [spring rolls](https://christinanifong.com/tag/spring-rolls/)
- [chevre](https://christinanifong.com/tag/chevre/)
- [chia seeds](https://christinanifong.com/tag/chia-seeds/)
- [smoothie bowls](https://christinanifong.com/tag/smoothie-bowls/)
- [power breakfast](https://christinanifong.com/tag/power-breakfast/)
- [blackberries](https://christinanifong.com/tag/blackberries/)
- [local eating resource](https://christinanifong.com/tag/local-eating-resource/)
- [risotto](https://christinanifong.com/tag/risotto/)
- [burrata](https://christinanifong.com/tag/burrata/)
- [Southwest Virginia](https://christinanifong.com/tag/southwest-virginia/)
- [meatless meal](https://christinanifong.com/tag/meatless-meal/)
- [slaw](https://christinanifong.com/tag/slaw/)
- [fennel](https://christinanifong.com/tag/fennel/)
- [apple varieties](https://christinanifong.com/tag/apple-varieties/)
- [apple butter](https://christinanifong.com/tag/apple-butter/)
- [directory](https://christinanifong.com/tag/directory/)
- [serrano pepper](https://christinanifong.com/tag/serrano-pepper/)
- [raspberry preserves](https://christinanifong.com/tag/raspberry-preserves/)
- [dip](https://christinanifong.com/tag/dip/)
- [Asian pears](https://christinanifong.com/tag/asian-pears/)
- [buying in bulk](https://christinanifong.com/tag/buying-in-bulk/)
- [whole wheat flour](https://christinanifong.com/tag/whole-wheat-flour/)
- [heritage poultry](https://christinanifong.com/tag/heritage-poultry/)
- [seasonal eating](https://christinanifong.com/tag/seasonal-eating/)
- [parsnip](https://christinanifong.com/tag/parsnip/)
- [crab cakes](https://christinanifong.com/tag/crab-cakes/)
- [hot peppers](https://christinanifong.com/tag/hot-peppers/)
- [homemade mayonnaise](https://christinanifong.com/tag/homemade-mayonnaise/)
- [family traditions](https://christinanifong.com/tag/family-traditions/)
- [my husband's recipe box](https://christinanifong.com/tag/my-husbands-recipe-box/)
- [serrano peppers](https://christinanifong.com/tag/serrano-peppers/)
- [wings](https://christinanifong.com/tag/wings/)
- [holiday](https://christinanifong.com/tag/holiday/)
- [eat healthy](https://christinanifong.com/tag/eat-healthy/)
- [eat more vegetables](https://christinanifong.com/tag/eat-more-vegetables/)
- [cooking basics](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cooking-basics/)
- [local farms](https://christinanifong.com/tag/local-farms/)
- [shop local](https://christinanifong.com/tag/shop-local/)
- [hearty meal](https://christinanifong.com/tag/hearty-meal/)
- [pepperoni](https://christinanifong.com/tag/pepperoni/)
- [mozzarella](https://christinanifong.com/tag/mozzarella/)
- [vegetarian option](https://christinanifong.com/tag/vegetarian-option/)
- [fermented foods](https://christinanifong.com/tag/fermented-foods/)
- [probiotics](https://christinanifong.com/tag/probiotics/)
- [orzo](https://christinanifong.com/tag/orzo/)
- [broth](https://christinanifong.com/tag/broth/)
- [Sunday dinner](https://christinanifong.com/tag/sunday-dinner/)
- [Southern food](https://christinanifong.com/tag/southern-food/)
- [recommended books](https://christinanifong.com/tag/recommended-books/)
- [coffee cake](https://christinanifong.com/tag/coffee-cake/)
- [roanoke](https://christinanifong.com/tag/roanoke/)
- [personal essay](https://christinanifong.com/tag/personal-essay/)
- [weeknight dinner](https://christinanifong.com/tag/weeknight-dinner/)
- [one-pan dinner](https://christinanifong.com/tag/one-pan-dinner/)
- [growing up](https://christinanifong.com/tag/growing-up/)
- [local produce](https://christinanifong.com/tag/local-produce/)
- [csa](https://christinanifong.com/tag/csa/)
- [local dairy](https://christinanifong.com/tag/local-dairy/)
- [local food guide](https://christinanifong.com/tag/local-food-guide/)
- [stock](https://christinanifong.com/tag/stock/)
- [food waste](https://christinanifong.com/tag/food-waste/)
- [bones](https://christinanifong.com/tag/bones/)
- [vegetables](https://christinanifong.com/tag/vegetables/)
- [local grains](https://christinanifong.com/tag/local-grains/)
- [locally milled](https://christinanifong.com/tag/locally-milled/)
- [frosting](https://christinanifong.com/tag/frosting/)
- [family](https://christinanifong.com/tag/family/)
- [connection](https://christinanifong.com/tag/connection/)
- [coronavirus](https://christinanifong.com/tag/coronavirus/)
- [simple supper](https://christinanifong.com/tag/simple-supper/)
- [healing food](https://christinanifong.com/tag/healing-food/)
- [teen years](https://christinanifong.com/tag/teen-years/)
- [parenting](https://christinanifong.com/tag/parenting/)
- [competition](https://christinanifong.com/tag/competition/)
- [spring onions](https://christinanifong.com/tag/spring-onions/)
- [Nourishing Stories](https://christinanifong.com/tag/nourishing-stories/)
- [buy local](https://christinanifong.com/tag/buy-local/)
- [picnic fare](https://christinanifong.com/tag/picnic-fare/)
- [pork tenderloin](https://christinanifong.com/tag/pork-tenderloin/)
- [sweet cherries](https://christinanifong.com/tag/sweet-cherries/)
- [Lent](https://christinanifong.com/tag/lent/)
- [race](https://christinanifong.com/tag/race/)
- [holding space](https://christinanifong.com/tag/holding-space/)
- [attic](https://christinanifong.com/tag/attic/)
- [my calling](https://christinanifong.com/tag/my-calling/)
- [career](https://christinanifong.com/tag/career/)
- [funeral](https://christinanifong.com/tag/funeral/)
- [letting go](https://christinanifong.com/tag/letting-go/)
- [community](https://christinanifong.com/tag/community/)
- [listening](https://christinanifong.com/tag/listening/)
- [teens](https://christinanifong.com/tag/teens/)
- [teen speak](https://christinanifong.com/tag/teen-speak/)
- [perfection](https://christinanifong.com/tag/perfection/)
- [tree cutting](https://christinanifong.com/tag/tree-cutting/)
- [time](https://christinanifong.com/tag/time/)
- [home](https://christinanifong.com/tag/home/)
- [texting](https://christinanifong.com/tag/texting/)
- [kids](https://christinanifong.com/tag/kids/)
- [scrapbooks](https://christinanifong.com/tag/scrapbooks/)
- [family life](https://christinanifong.com/tag/family-life/)
- [smart phone](https://christinanifong.com/tag/smart-phone/)
- [pet](https://christinanifong.com/tag/pet/)
- [teen](https://christinanifong.com/tag/teen/)
- [snow days](https://christinanifong.com/tag/snow-days/)
- [seize the day](https://christinanifong.com/tag/seize-the-day/)
- [radio](https://christinanifong.com/tag/radio/)
- [no school](https://christinanifong.com/tag/no-school/)
- [Albania](https://christinanifong.com/tag/albania/)
- [language](https://christinanifong.com/tag/language/)
- [words](https://christinanifong.com/tag/words/)
- [beautiful](https://christinanifong.com/tag/beautiful/)
- [culture](https://christinanifong.com/tag/culture/)
- [grain bowl](https://christinanifong.com/tag/grain-bowl/)
- [grownandflown](https://christinanifong.com/tag/grownandflown/)
- [writing for radio](https://christinanifong.com/tag/writing-for-radio/)
- [commuting by bike](https://christinanifong.com/tag/commuting-by-bike/)
- [green living](https://christinanifong.com/tag/green-living/)
- [moving](https://christinanifong.com/tag/moving/)
- [Durham](https://christinanifong.com/tag/durham/)
- [North Carolina](https://christinanifong.com/tag/north-carolina/)
- [relocation](https://christinanifong.com/tag/relocation/)
- [Richmond](https://christinanifong.com/tag/richmond/)
- [new place](https://christinanifong.com/tag/new-place/)
- [life gifts](https://christinanifong.com/tag/life-gifts/)
- [discovery](https://christinanifong.com/tag/discovery/)
- [Indian cooking](https://christinanifong.com/tag/indian-cooking/)
- [moving forward](https://christinanifong.com/tag/moving-forward/)
- [ballet](https://christinanifong.com/tag/ballet/)
- [sunflowers](https://christinanifong.com/tag/sunflowers/)
- [alone](https://christinanifong.com/tag/alone/)
- [mental health](https://christinanifong.com/tag/mental-health/)
- [self-care](https://christinanifong.com/tag/self-care/)
- [introvert](https://christinanifong.com/tag/introvert/)
- [nutritional yeast](https://christinanifong.com/tag/nutritional-yeast/)
- [in the moment](https://christinanifong.com/tag/in-the-moment/)
- [puppy tale](https://christinanifong.com/tag/puppy-tale/)
- [waiting](https://christinanifong.com/tag/waiting/)
- [Nutcracker ballet](https://christinanifong.com/tag/nutcracker-ballet/)
- [Southwest Virginia Ballet company](https://christinanifong.com/tag/southwest-virginia-ballet-company/)
- [theater](https://christinanifong.com/tag/theater/)
- [pup](https://christinanifong.com/tag/pup/)
- [giving thanks](https://christinanifong.com/tag/giving-thanks/)
- [Nourishing Stories conversation](https://christinanifong.com/tag/nourishing-stories-conversation/)
- [salmon](https://christinanifong.com/tag/salmon/)
- [books](https://christinanifong.com/tag/books/)
- [reading](https://christinanifong.com/tag/reading/)
- [pickles](https://christinanifong.com/tag/pickles/)
- [baguettes](https://christinanifong.com/tag/baguettes/)
- [sandwich](https://christinanifong.com/tag/sandwich/)
- [food truck food](https://christinanifong.com/tag/food-truck-food/)
- [ribs](https://christinanifong.com/tag/ribs/)
- [ham roast](https://christinanifong.com/tag/ham-roast/)
- [Rick Bailey](https://christinanifong.com/tag/rick-bailey/)
- [cocoa powder](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cocoa-powder/)
- [kid-friendly](https://christinanifong.com/tag/kid-friendly/)
- [Thai](https://christinanifong.com/tag/thai/)
- [sweet and sour](https://christinanifong.com/tag/sweet-and-sour/)
- [local eggs](https://christinanifong.com/tag/local-eggs/)
- [heathy-eating](https://christinanifong.com/tag/heathy-eating/)
- [fish](https://christinanifong.com/tag/fish/)
- [Indian](https://christinanifong.com/tag/indian/)
- [oranges](https://christinanifong.com/tag/oranges/)
- [brown sugar](https://christinanifong.com/tag/brown-sugar/)
- [meatballs](https://christinanifong.com/tag/meatballs/)
- [couscous](https://christinanifong.com/tag/couscous/)
- [super power](https://christinanifong.com/tag/super-power/)
- [perspective](https://christinanifong.com/tag/perspective/)
- [love of books](https://christinanifong.com/tag/love-of-books/)
- [looking ahead](https://christinanifong.com/tag/looking-ahead/)
- [2021](https://christinanifong.com/tag/2021/)
- [stargazing](https://christinanifong.com/tag/stargazing/)
- [learning new things](https://christinanifong.com/tag/learning-new-things/)
- [wintering](https://christinanifong.com/tag/wintering/)
- [quiet](https://christinanifong.com/tag/quiet/)
- [green peas](https://christinanifong.com/tag/green-peas/)
- [spring greens](https://christinanifong.com/tag/spring-greens/)
- [aquafaba](https://christinanifong.com/tag/aquafaba/)
- [stumbling stones](https://christinanifong.com/tag/stumbling-stones/)
- [Holocaust](https://christinanifong.com/tag/holocaust/)
- [kindness](https://christinanifong.com/tag/kindness/)
- [small things with great love](https://christinanifong.com/tag/small-things-with-great-love/)
- [random acts of kindness](https://christinanifong.com/tag/random-acts-of-kindness/)
- [personal stories](https://christinanifong.com/tag/personal-stories/)
- [wise](https://christinanifong.com/tag/wise/)
- [kind](https://christinanifong.com/tag/kind/)
- [lived experience](https://christinanifong.com/tag/lived-experience/)
- [bookshop.org](https://christinanifong.com/tag/bookshop-org/)
- [Helen Ellis](https://christinanifong.com/tag/helen-ellis/)
- [book of essays](https://christinanifong.com/tag/book-of-essays/)
- [friendship](https://christinanifong.com/tag/friendship/)
- [aging](https://christinanifong.com/tag/aging/)
- [women](https://christinanifong.com/tag/women/)
- [eat-and-go meal](https://christinanifong.com/tag/eat-and-go-meal/)
- [Michael Twitty](https://christinanifong.com/tag/michael-twitty/)
- [The Cooking Gene](https://christinanifong.com/tag/the-cooking-gene/)
- [cherries](https://christinanifong.com/tag/cherries/)
- [eat seasonally](https://christinanifong.com/tag/eat-seasonally/)
- [holiday eating](https://christinanifong.com/tag/holiday-eating-2/)
- [bookreview](https://christinanifong.com/tag/bookreview/)
- [new book](https://christinanifong.com/tag/new-book/)
- [momlit](https://christinanifong.com/tag/momlit/)
- [South](https://christinanifong.com/tag/south/)
- [religion](https://christinanifong.com/tag/religion/)
- [climate change](https://christinanifong.com/tag/climate-change/)
- [chutney](https://christinanifong.com/tag/chutney/)
- [vegetarian-option](https://christinanifong.com/tag/vegetarian-option-2/)
- [salt](https://christinanifong.com/tag/salt/)
- [bulgur wheat](https://christinanifong.com/tag/bulgur-wheat/)
- [seafood](https://christinanifong.com/tag/seafood/)
- [sustainable eating](https://christinanifong.com/tag/sustainable-eating/)
- [spread](https://christinanifong.com/tag/spread/)
- [Indian-inspired](https://christinanifong.com/tag/indian-inspired/)
- [shallot](https://christinanifong.com/tag/shallot/)
- [angel hair](https://christinanifong.com/tag/angel-hair/)
- [Whirley-Pop](https://christinanifong.com/tag/whirley-pop/)
- [stovetop](https://christinanifong.com/tag/stovetop/)
- [mac and cheese](https://christinanifong.com/tag/mac-and-cheese/)
- [olive oil](https://christinanifong.com/tag/olive-oil/)
- [French](https://christinanifong.com/tag/french/)
- [garden eating](https://christinanifong.com/tag/garden-eating-2/)
- [seasoning](https://christinanifong.com/tag/seasoning/)
- [wrap](https://christinanifong.com/tag/wrap/)
- [in the garden](https://christinanifong.com/tag/in-the-garden/)