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…
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 fun variation on Chicken Noodle Soup. We typically roast a whole local chicken when poultry…
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…
Scenes of Spring
Now that the days are longer, the calendar has announced a new season and the birds and the bees are here to stay, I can’t help but take a deep happy breath and let a smile stretch across my face as I exhale. I am always elated to put the dark and cold…
Kielbasa, Corn and Potato Chowder
Potatoes are one of those vegetables that we keep a box of in our basement. Along with the butternut squash and sweet potatoes, the garlic and the onions, we save what we grow in our garden and when those run out, we buy in bulk from our farmers markets. So when the…
Tangy Tomato and Cucumber Salad
This is a simple salad but oh-so-good. The pucker of the vinegar, the heat of the jalapeño, the cool of the cucumber and the sweet of the just-a-touch of sugar hit pretty much every taste sensation out there. There’s even a little soy sauce to curb your umami craving. In…
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…
Bulgur Citrus Salad
No, we’re not quite in the salad days yet. But my body is craving fresh and the spring sun is shining its welcome warmth, so plenty of salads are on the menu. I am fond of bulgur, a grain made from the wheat kernel that has been parboiled, dried…
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…