This is a perfect summer salad: not too much effort, and it takes advantage of late summer’s bounty. Because it is so simple, it truly relies on the best tasting produce to elevate it. Most importantly is the corn – find the sweetest, freshest corn you can. Ripe, local tomatoes are a must too.
If you are a proficient chopper, this salad can be on the table in less than 20 minutes. We ate it with fresh bread and good cheese to keep it simple, but it would be great as a side to grilled chicken or burgers. Continue Reading »
Preserving the harvest continues. I had forgotten about one lonely row of beets. Despite the jungle of weeds, they persisted. They were chiogga beets, which have the most lovely pink and white spirals. Although the stripes don’t withstand pickling, they have the advantage of turning the pickling liquid a daring magenta (in lieu of the more standard deep scarlet).
This recipe has a traditional flavor – sweet and tart, with the scent of cloves and ginger. Continue Reading »
Update: The gods at random.org have smiled on Julie D.! Julie, send me your mailing address and the mushroom people will mail you your honey.
The nice people at FungusAmongUs sent me a decadent little gift: honey with white truffles. I could smell the heady aroma of truffles before I even opened the jar. Would you like some? Read on!
Truffles are the famous European fungus that sell for outrageous amounts of money, and are judiciously used at the finest restaurants. I’ve dabbled with truffle oil, but fantasize about one day being able to cook with some fresh truffle. The reality is though, if I ever did garner myself a truffle, I’d probably be paralyzed with indecision on how to use it. Continue Reading »
It has been far too long. Summer, traveling, work, family, a feeble attempt to work out from time to time and several good books have kept me from posting here. But I haven’t stopped cooking (or photographing), so I do have some splendid things to share with you–including several preserving recipes. So if you have excess fruit, veggies, or tomatoes, stay tuned.
Here I give you an interesting spin on the common pasta salad. This is perfect for an end-of-summer potluck and is great if anyone is allergic to the tree nuts found in most pestos. It comes from Heidi Swanson at 101 Cookbooks. It is in her latest cookbook, Super Natural Every Day. I am really enjoying this cookbook – the photos are beautiful, the writing is interesting, and the recipes are wholesome, substantial, and innovative. Continue Reading »
I love a good pickle. Sweet, spicy, garlicky, tart, live fermented…I haven’t met a pickle I don’t like, regardless of my pregnancy status.
Making your own pickles at home is wonderful–not only will you get that smug Super Domestic Goddess feeling as you don your cute little apron to toss together some incredible snacks, but you will have ultimate control over the flavor.
Quick pickles are especially nice when you don’t have a bushel of produce, or don’t feel like hauling out the water bath canner. You can have the cucumbers washed, trimmed, and the brine prepared in a matter of minutes (although you do have to wait a day or two for the pickles to, well, pickle.) Continue Reading »
