Try this colorful coleslaw and enjoy a lighter side at your next barbecue. Slimmer Slaw includes craisins, apples and cider vinegar for a tart sweet tang that is as perfect for fall gatherings as it is for summer picnics.
Vegetables
Orzo with Spinach and Pine Nuts
I write a lot about the seasons here and yet, like true friendship, some recipes transcend the seasons. Orzo with Spinach and Pine Nuts is one of those recipes. This silky pasta dish, somewhere between a velvety risotto and a comforting mac and cheese, has been a family favorite for nearly as long as I’ve been cooking. A good friend shared it with me soon after we met…
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
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 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.
Honey Roasted Parsnips
At the heart of a parsnip there is a hint of citrus. It complements subtle notes of green grass and fresh herbs. Roasting further develops the appealing flavor 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 add a bit of visual contrast to this simple side dish.
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 […]
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Cranberries with Pecans
Discoveries on the Produce Aisle Last week I found stalks of Brussels sprouts for sale in the produce section of Sprouts market. A generous quantity of individual sprouts adorned each stout central stalk budding out from the base where each leaf had grown. It caught me by surprise. I don’t […]
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. Writing […]
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 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 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 […]