Vegetables

Orzo with Spinach and Pine Nuts in a pretty dish from Louisville Stoneware

Orzo with Spinach and Pine Nuts

Orzo with Spinach and Pine Nuts is a deliciously satisfying pasta side dish. Somewhere between a velvety risotto and a comforting mac and cheese, it has been a family favorite for nearly as long as I’ve been cooking.

Garden Pasta Salad with Fresh Herb Dressing

I love a good salad. In fact salads are the backbone of my summer (and often autumn, winter and spring) menus.  They can be made ahead and at times even improve with advance preparation, leaving me free near dinner time to focus on other parts of the meal or on other things […]

Cowboy Caviar on a bed of angel hair cole slaw served on a square plate

Cowboy Caviar

Hi there! It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? There are probably at least a million reasons. For my part the last few years have involved distracting challenges with moving, health, business, politics, organization, technology, photography and Apple products, just to name a few…. but that’s not really what I […]

Smashed Sweet Pototoes with Ginger and Honey on an autumn cloth served in a white bowl .

Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Ginger and Honey

Roasted sweet potatoes are easily taken from basic to special when smashed with a few simple additions from the spice drawer. A drizzle of honey also adds an interesting dimension. With these spare embellishments Smashed Sweet Potatoes become completely irresistible.

Parsnips and carrots are honey roasted and served in an oval ceramic dish.

Honey Roasted Parsnips

At the heart of a parsnip’s flavor there is a hint of citrus. It complements subtle notes of green grass and fresh herbs. Roasting further develops these appealing attributes lending a caramel-sweet nuttiness. A touch of honey deepens the complexity and adds a glossy finish to Honey Roasted Parsnips. Add a few carrots, if you like, to enhance the visual contrast in this simple side dish.

A serving of Quick Collard Greens with Cranberries on a white plate.

Quick Collard Greens with Cranberries

I have spent most of my life avoiding collard greens. From early on I took the view that they just didn’t sound good. On the produce aisle, gathered in bunches, dog-eared and dirty, they didn’t look good. In the kitchen, cooked at length until they were ladled out in dark […]

Plain Old Fashioned Mashed Potatoes

This recipe is for the kind of Mashed Potatoes we prefer in my family; fairly thick and with the occasional rustic lump of unmashed potato or bit of potato skin. Flavor with salt and pepper, along with butter, for an indulgent side dish to serve alone or with gravy.

A serving of Hominy Au Gratin Casserole served on a small blue plate beside a serving basket

Details, Details: Hominy Au Gratin

Much like Macaroni and Cheese, Hominy Au Gratin is a straightforward casserole that speaks of comfort and satisfies big appetites on a budget. Even if you don’t have fond childhood memories of hominy, I think you’ll enjoy this introduction to nixtamalized corn à la Julia Child.

Black Eyed Pea Croquette

Black-Eyed Pea Croquettes with Avocado Corn Salsa

After a season of feasting on rich foods and nibbling on elaborate cookies I’m ready to get back to basics. In my kitchen that often begins with the tradition of cooking black-eyed peas and greens to inspire luck in the coming year. The origins of this southern tradition are debatable […]

Cauliflower and Green Beans with Buttered Nuts and Crumbs on a plate with Chicken and Rice Pilaf

Cauliflower Medley with Buttered Crumbs

Testing Tradition With traditional meals and family favorites on my mind it can be a real challenge to think of new ways to add variety to the menus of the season. Recently, updating my Thanksgiving Menu Planner, I felt like I was in the company of old friends. Would they […]