Bacon Gruyere Quiche

I have made my peace with quiche as a family dinner. Me? I love spinach quiche, or maybe a simple cheddar pie topped with tomatoes, gosh, I’d even choose mushrooms, onions, peppers and zucchini to stir in with my cream and cheese and crust. But nooooo. When I make such delicacies I get major pushbackContinue reading “Bacon Gruyere Quiche”

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 for the cukes and carrots and one last leftover beet that wound up in this week’s salad, IContinue reading “Lemon Balsamic Dressing”

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 notContinue reading “Guacamole”

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.Continue reading “Homemade Taco Seasoning”

Better Than Ever Biscuits

I have made my own from-scratch biscuits for years but I’ve never been really happy with them (I feel 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 ofContinue reading “Better Than Ever Biscuits”

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 keepsContinue reading “Cookie Fever”

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, knowContinue reading “Panda Bear Cookies”

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 IContinue reading “Mexican Wedding Cookies”

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, IContinue reading “Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies”

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 anotherContinue reading “Honey Mustard Vinaigrette”