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 bottlesContinue reading “Buttermilk Ranch Dressing”

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 often 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 beContinue reading “Poppy Seed Dressing”

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, magicallyContinue reading “Herby Alfredo Pasta Dinner”

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. TheContinue reading “Arugula Salad”

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 last summer, we forgot all other potato dishes. My kids found it in DK Children’s Cookbook by Katharine Ibbs one day when they wereContinue reading “Paprika Potatoes”

Egg Salad, Three Ways

  I grew up eating lots of boiled eggs — hard boiled, soft boiled, deviled or 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 andContinue reading “Egg Salad, Three Ways”

Spinach or Kale 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 discoveredContinue reading “Spinach or Kale Quiche”

Morning Glory Muffins

I’m a big muffin maker so I keep my eyes peeled for new and interesting baked goods options, and I’ve recently seen so many takes on this. While I’ve stirred up my share of carrot sheet cake and pumpkin bread, I had never tried a morning glory muffin before. So of course I got right down to recipeContinue reading “Morning Glory Muffins”

Easy Peasy Pancakes

  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 sometimesContinue reading “Easy Peasy Pancakes”

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 alsoContinue reading “Classic French Toast”