Akebia Berry Smoothie

Akebia Berry Smoothie

The fruit on my akebia have split open, smiling with their seed and pulp glistening on the inside. I find it too much work to sit and eat it directly from the pod, so instead I decided I’d separate the pulp from the seeds with 

Grassfed Lamb and Pear Carpaccio

Grassfed Lamb and Pear Carpaccio

One of the things I am thankful for after starting to grow my own food is also being friends with other homesteaders, big and small, who also focus on being mindful in terms of where our food comes from and the care it takes into 

Spiced Tomato Chutney

Spiced Tomato Chutney

I was recommended tomato chutney as a possible recipe when my tomatoes started ripening in earnest. I have never had any before, to my knowledge, which is a pity because after this week, I’ll be canning as much as I could of this delicious condiment. 

Basil Tomato Grilled Cheese

Basil Tomato Grilled Cheese

And just like that, my tomatoes have started to cascade in red globes and spheres of all sizes, and with them come the abundantly delicious things I could make. Before I start the process of storing them (most likely dehydrated and powdered), I wanted to 

Fried Green Tomatoes With Pesto Remoulade

Fried Green Tomatoes With Pesto Remoulade

My tomatoes have gotten off to an extremely slow start this year, despite having had them in the ground since the beginning of May. They’re still green, and have made me impatient, so I decided to pull a few of them and make some fried 

Cherry Berry Rhubarb Compote

Cherry Berry Rhubarb Compote

My Korean Bush Cherry gave me about a cup of fruit this year, and I had wondered what to do with them. They’re quite tart, but surprisingly has a bit of sweetness behind them, so I thought I’d prepare a compote with the rhubarb from 

Tororo (Grated Japanese Yam) Over Rice Recipe

Tororo (Grated Japanese Yam) Over Rice Recipe

I grow nagaimo (Dioscorea polystachya), also known as the cinnamon vine, Chinese yam, or Japanese yam here in my backyard—it’s a beautiful and funny perennial vine, growing little bulbils that you can stick into the ground or steam over rice. It is a pain to 

Wild Mushroom Cream Pasta

Wild Mushroom Cream Pasta

Disclaimer: I’m out of cooking sherry and white wine so Armagnac tagged in. As the growing and foraging season gets underway, I’m looking to clear stuff out from my fridge and pantry. A young chicken of the woods has been sitting in the freezer all 

Cheeping Chickweed

Cheeping Chickweed

First, let me just say yes, chickweed (Stellaria media) tastes good—like if butter lettuce and alfalfa sprouts had a baby… but it’s a pain to harvest and harvest enough of it to justify making a salad. However, if you have nothing to do and are 

Akebia Shoot, Asparagus, and Chive Scape Okonomiyaki

Akebia Shoot, Asparagus, and Chive Scape Okonomiyaki

As I scour the internet for recipes on Akebia shoots, the thin, curling new vines that sprout each spring from last year’s now woody growth, the only thing that I can find is anecdotal evidence of the Japanese eating it as fresh greens, especially in