i hope you eat good food, grow beautiful things, and have more love than you know what to do with.
I knew it was going to be a cold day when I woke up this morning and I was buried under blankets I didn’t want to come out of. When I stuck my toe out to test the air, I could tell that my wood …
This recipe is always a hit as a side dish during any event or party–it’s tasty in its fresh simplicity. It uses copious amounts of mint (spearmint or peppermint), which is just as well because they can get invasive if not controlled. I usually make …
We carved up the pumpkins today just in time for Halloween, and that meant a lot of pumpkin innards. I don’t really like throwing away perfectly edible ingredients and I just so happened to have seen a recipe for pumpkin spice. Now, I’m not big on pumpkin spice flavored things at all, I like pumpkin pie once in a while but the whole craze for it during the fall gets a little insane. But my husband likes it and often orders it at Dunkin’ Donuts so there is at least one person in my house who will eat it.
It’s also a great ingredient to keep on hand in making muffins and cookies and cake and frosting and pancakes and waffles… alcohol–really anything that you can imagine pumpkin flavored, this spiced pumpkin spread has a place. I added two ingredients to this which I think makes it taste much better–salted butter for a slight savory depth, and a drop of vanilla extract for some fruitiness. My husband, upon tasting it, proclaimed it amazing and immediately ferreted some into his cup.
Recipe
1. Separate the seeds from the innards and save seeds for roasted pumpkin seeds. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.
2. Pour the puree into a saucepan and heat on low, covered for about half an hour, until the sugar has caramelized and it takes on a syrupy quality. Place into mason jars and go through the canning process if you wish to keep it until next year.
My husband likes bacon, I don’t, but sometimes he’ll buy a pack and beg me to make it for him. I’ll put bacon slices in the roasting pan and crisp it up that way (nice and even), and while he munches on his favorite cured …
As the cold weather sets in, the cool weather crops come out. Once the weather began dropping into the 40’s during the night, I cleared my annual bed and began to prepare it for the fall crops. One of the things I often grow (but …
As we start getting into the thick of Autumn, the weather’s starting to get colder and the garden is drawing to a close. I had a box of macaroni in the pantry that I haven’t used and it was taking up some space, so I decided to make a pasta bean soup with it. Light, but hearty and all around healthy, I pulled together things I grew in the garden (including the tomatoes I dried to store), foraged for some greens (mostly sow thistle and goosefoot, but also chard and kale), and picked some herbs to throw in the pressure cooker for a quick meal. This can be vegetarian if you choose to omit the ham and substitute chicken stock with vegetable stock.
Ingredients
Garnish
1. Place all the ingredients except for garnish in a pressure cooker and set to quick soup.
2. Alternatively, can be done on the stove covered, until macaroni is tender.
3. Garnish with parmesan cheese and a drizzle of nice, finishing olive oil.
One of the most interesting things I have in my garden, one that is always a conversation starter is saffron (Crocus sativus). A species of autumn blooming crocus. The same extraordinarily expensive spice is also quite easy to grow here in NY, its prohibitive cost …
After my first accidental catch of eel which was absolutely delicious, I set my heart out to catch more of these tasty, albeit scary looking morsels. They were actually out here where I was! My husband was not as enthused. It looks like a… sea …
A quick pickle with shiso, meant to be eaten as a side dish. I like roughly chopping the shiso but some people might prefer mincing it. This is a great way to use shiso if you have an abundance of them (red, green, or Korean are all fine.)
Recipe
1. Combine all the ingredients and toss to coat evenly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before eating.
I dug up some of the Jerusalem Artichokes from the garden, where it’s kept contained in a shady area surrounded by concrete against the side of the house. It hasn’t stopped it from exploding in population, but at least it’s contained and not as vigorous …