Exploring the menu of life.
Approaching September, tomatoes are coming on strong in the grocery stores and in home gardens across the nation. This crop is the #1 homegrown item since they’re pretty easy to grow and, well, homemade always tastes best. If you’re not a gardener, the rising popularity of farmer’s ... Read More »
Acorn squash is often a surprise “volunteer” arrival in my spring compost bin, when the scooped out seeds sprout with the warmth of the season. I’m able to grow a couple squashes before the plant realizes that summer heat is upon it and it goes dormant. Normally, acorn squash grows ... Read More »
Although vegetables have their own fabulous goodness on their own, when you tire of the same ‘ole thing, a simple sauce goes a long way to renewed or increased deliciousness.
My favorite spring vegetable is asparagus, a perennial plant related to garlic and onions and native to Asia, ... Read More »
Even as a adult, Roasted Brussels SproutsI hated these little cabbages. Until a friend brought a batch of roasted brussels sprouts over to our house. Now I’m addicted. The act of roasting concentrates the flavor and natural sugars in any vegetables so they emerge from the oven crusty and full of ... Read More »
Lentils, a dried legume loaded with nutrition, come in a variety of forms. The most commonly found are the brown ones but you can also find them in pink and green. Oddly enough, the humble brown ones have the most to offer the human body — 18 grams of protein and boat loads of fiber. They’re ... Read More »
For the past five years, I’ve been on a crusade. Not of a violent nature but one a little more serene – incorporating a wider variety of vegetables onto my daily plate. I say crusade since, at the beginning, it was a forceful act. Like many Americans, eating vegetables didn’t always come naturally ... Read More »
The other day, I met someone who doesn’t like green beans. Once I picked my jaw off the ground — generally, this vegetable is beloved by most Americans — I asked her why she thought this was so. Turns out, her mom force fed her canned green beans as a child and she hasn’t ... Read More »
I’ve become a strident evangelist for the oddest thing: a little, leafy vegetable called kale. It has become a darling of many a yuppie (if that word still exists) and added depth to many a “green” drink. But its mere humbleness is what makes it endearing.
A few years ago, ... Read More »
Sure, bottled salad dressings are quicker and more convenient. But homemade salad dressing tastes SO much better and fresher. This one takes 5 minutes to assemble, uses heart healthy condiments most people have on hand, and isn’t full of the scary preservatives found lurking in most bottles. ... Read More »
Growing up, our poor excuse for a Thanksgiving cranberry side was opening up a chilled can of cranberry sauce. I was never a fan… tasted like (and I imagine it still does) aluminum flavored, jellied cough syrup. It was one of the items I pushed around the plate until no one could notice I didn’t ... Read More »
With my summer garden beginning its overwhelming crop of zucchini, getting creative with this squash has become a necessity. This once-innocent plant –which started its determined life by sprouting from my compost pile — has decided to take over a large section of the yard. So I’m ... Read More »
It’s summer and ’tis the season to stuff your face with beautifully firm, fresh green beans. They’re everywhere right now and super cheap. My garden overflowth with Blue Lake bush green beans each warm season (they lavishly grow like weeds in both Florida and California) so I’ve ... Read More »