Doe Creek Farm Apple Pie

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

Tzatziki Sauce

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

Beet and Black Bean Burgers

When your kids are 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 theContinue reading “Beet and Black Bean Burgers”

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 youContinue reading “Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms”

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 ofContinue reading “Thai Curry Noodles”

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 wayContinue reading “Roasted Radishes”

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 intoContinue reading “Easy Dal Dinner”

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 pickContinue reading “Pick-Your-Own Berries in Southwest Virginia”

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 theContinue reading “Grilled Pork Tenderloin With Cherries”

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 beContinue reading “Creamy Potato Salad With Fresh Herbs”