Let's Eat
Seasonal Recipes
Three Sisters Vegan Cassoulet
We can learn a lot from the cycles of the seasons and the planning of gardens. Take for example the main ingredients in this hearty vegetarian riff on a traditional French classic, the cassoulet: squash, corn and beans, known to the Iroquois and Seneca as the Three Sisters, star in a comfy stovetop casserole, that pays homage not only to my own French heritage but also to the wisdom and Earth-knowledge of the indigenous people of North America.
The Fresh Cranberry-Orange Christmas Muffin
Muffins hold a special place in my heart—several years ago I told my famous “love muffin” story on this blog, and every so often, have shared another version of the original. I make a muffin for nearly every holiday, going with the flow and flavors of the season. To me they are a special gift—the personal, just-the-right-size cake, yes? You can make them super healthy with bran and protein powders, or gluten-free for special diets or—in the case of this muffin—extra special with fresh seasonal fruits and extravagant splurges.
Down Home Cooking: Collards with Creamy Corn Grits
As most Green Gal readers know, I worship the ground Chef Vivian Howard walks on. So it should come as no surprise that when her PBS series A Chef’s Life came to its final episode, I was inconsolable and weepy for weeks.
And then…this fall…she was back! And she was headed Somewhere South, on an incredible trip to places–yes, but more importantly into cultures, somewhat familiar but also far from her own table, not only through counties and regions of the South but also through history—much of it never told in mainstream—and deep into Black, Creole, immigrant and Indigenous cooking traditions. I’ve seen every episode and am still watching. My two favorites are about porridge and greens, which got me started on the dish I’m sharing below. Because, of course, I wanted to celebrate, too, in my kitchen!
Powered Up By Nutrition…sip by yummy sip!
I began the month of November with a feel-good activity—I volunteered with my local heroes at Bring Your Own Glen-Ed, a community-based volunteer organization devoted to ridding our planet of plastic pollution, on a highway cleanup campaign. Times are risky in many ways this year—a year like none other I can remember, honestly. But we planned well, took all necessary “pandemic precautions,” and did the good work.
I love these guys for their unwavering motivation and dedication to heal our planet. So I really wanted to be there for them on that first chilly Saturday morning in November. And being there for others means taking personal care of yourself, yes? Enter The New Hope Network with a blogger box product that is now a mainstay in my house: Iconic Grass-Fed Protein Drinks.
Skillet Butternut Squash with Orange-Scented Rice
It never fails: every holiday season my daughter makes the same request for my Curried Butternut Squash Soup. And while this is quite the compliment, I try to remind her that I have a whole folder full of recipes for butternuts. She never wavers, and I always give in. This year will be no exception. But that concession doesn’t stop me from encouraging her to explore my other butternut favorites, like the layered casserole I made a couple Christmases ago, or the Blonde on Blonde Pasta dish that has become my personal favorite. In fact, I try something new with butternuts every year, including this year.
Daydreamy Roasted Apple Scones
A few weeks ago, I was chatting it up with my friend Jane—that’s Jane Zappia the proprietor of Pop’s Pies—as we were on our way to see one of our favorite farmers, Bruce Haas, the owner of Daydream Farm in Greenville, IL. We were almost giddy because Bruce’s amazing green apples had come in, and it was a bumper crop. Bruce brought his entire haul to the Land of Goshen Community Market—the Fujis, the Delicious, the Gala….oh, the mouthwatering recipes Jane and I were contemplating.
Autumn Snacking…crunch, crunch, crunch
We love Halloween in my house—the sweet part of it, right? The little trick-or-treaters in their costumes, the homemade goodies for family and friends at harvest gatherings, the seasonal displays of pumpkins and gourds, squeals and laughter. But we don’t mind getting a little salty either, especially when it comes to snacking: just the right combination of salt and sugar is the magic incantation for those treats so good you just can’t stop eating.
But they should be at least a little healthy right? I mean, if you are going to eat a lot of a snack, it should have nutritional benefit, don’t you think? Okay, before you think I’ve taken all the fun out of Halloween, consider my newest creation: Sweet and Salty Roasted Chickpeas. A little bit corn nut, a little bit Payday candy bar in a protein-packed snack. TaDa!
Delicate Delicata Squash—a Fall Favorite
Everybody knows by now that I love fall and winter squash—just about any kind, from pumpkins (that are food not decorations) to butternuts. And by far, my favorite is delicata, which until recently could only be gotten at the farmers markets. The grocery stores are so slow to catch on the fabulous local food, but delicata squash turn up regularly now at major chains, though I still get all mine from local my farmers.
Bon Matin! Begin Your Day with the Ultimate French Toast
In college, I took two years of French. I loved studying and speaking this beautiful language. You can literally read a grocery list in French and create poetry. Pommes de terre, les haricots verts, et rôti de boeuf—that’s potatoes, green beans and roast beef, y’all.
But today? It’s pain perdu!
Kitchen as Classroom: Chef Hayley and the Amazing Pyrue Organic Sugarless Cookie Mix
The kitchen as classroom—it’s certainly not a new concept. A culinary hero of mine, Alice Waters, was one of the first chefs to identify this idea with her Edible Schoolyard Project, a project that has since taken on a life of its own and been replicated in myriad ways globally, helping children understand where their food comes from, that a healthy plant-based diet can be delicious when deliciously prepared, and how cooking fosters skills that we all need. This idea is different from seeing a kitchen as a place where one learns to cook; it’s reimagining this functional space as a place where one cooks to learn.
Curried Eggplant Over Homemade Hummus…Hubba Bubba!
If you keep up with this blog, you’ve learned by now that I am the veggie lover and my husband Don is the meat lover. We do cross paths on occasion—I am a strong believer in quality bone broth as part of my healthy winter regime, and Don eats (for the most part and with only a small amount of continual reluctance) my vegetable concoctions. That said, neither of us is willing to adapt in any significant way to the other’s lifestyle. We agree to disagree.
So when I find a vegetable and ways to cook it that make Don clean his plate, it’s a repeater. Which is exactly what I hit on with this new eggplant-inspired curry. And don’t you think the name is just too cute? Hubba Bubba—what’s not to love about that?
Mixed Berry Sorbet with Lavender and Sage
While I count ice cream among my top 10 favorite desserts—pretty close to number one, in fact—nothing beats a fruity sorbet on a hot summer day. It is sweet, clean, light and cooling to the entire body. I have never met a sorbet I didn’t love, including some off-the-wall ones that combine herbs and ground pepper flakes with standard fruits and flavors. Pineapple, mango and cayenne anyone?
Right now, though, I’m all about berries—blueberries and raspberries, specifically. The farmers markets are brimming with them. They are so good and so versatile, but their season is so short! When you buy, don’t forget to use a little restraint and freeze some for pies this coming fall and winter (I had to remind myself of this several times.). This week, however, I’m doing something frozen and super simple…let’s make a berry sorbet!
Curly Carrot Salad with Roasted Kohlrabi Ribbons
Carrots are, perhaps, one of the most familiar and popular of vegetables. Maybe the first veggie you ever ate—I do recall carrot sticks with cheese whiz….oh my. But carrots can be sort of scarce at farmers markets. You can find them, to be sure, but carrots take up lots of space in the vegetable patch and their perfumed tops are a deer and rabbit favorite—so not easy to grow and maintain. So most of us buy our carrots at the grocery. Imagine my absolute delight, then, when two of my favorite farmers—Jackie Mills of The Family Garden and Keith Biver of Biver Farms—started bringing beautiful carrots to market! I was shameless in the big bag I brought home.
Delicious Living Magazine’s Olive-Oil Citrus Cake Revisited
My featured cake gets heavy inspiration from a September 2009 issue of Delicious Living Magazine; the cake has become a family favorite that I’ve made annually, especially when brunch is happening in our house because it is so delicate, fragrant and subtly sweet–perfect for morning munching. When my daughter had to eliminate gluten from her diet, I created a modified version for her—a Strawberry Sunshine Cake that, while it’s not the same, is pretty delicious, too.
Zubi’s Organic Authentic Mexican-Inspired Sauces: Makes Dinner at Home a Fiesta!
Well we are closing in on Cinco De Mayo, yes? Not going to a big party? Then let the party come to you! I knew when the latest New Hope Network Blogger Box arrived, my little starter set of Zubi’s Organic Queso de Jalapeño, Crema de Jalapeño and Zubi Salsa were going to be a big hit. So I just didn’t tell Don they were vegan. A slight omission that he never even questioned. He just kept shoving tacos in his mouth and reaching for more sauce.
Cleaning Out the Deep Freeze: Or How I Turned a Green Bean Casserole Magnifique!
April may be the cruelest month according to poet T.S. Eliot, but for Don, it’s a food fiesta. Every April, we clean out the deep freeze, defrost and scrub it, getting it ready for the new market season ahead. Everything’s gotta go, and for Don it’s sort of like when you were little and the electricity went out and you had 10 gallons of ice cream beginning to melt. Gotta go, right?
Here’s Don: “Look! Another package of ham hocks!” “Did you forget about these ribs?!” “Pork chops…who knew they were buried beneath those green beans!” Yes, meat extravaganza doesn’t even cover the giddiness. But for me, it was all about that one-pound bag of green beans.
Celebrating Earth Day’s 5oth Anniversary: And Still We Rise
I’d like you to meet a new special friend: Here’s Maya, or rather Maya Two. She’s a gift from my friend Jane Zappia—yep Pop’s Pies Jane Zappia. Jane called at the end of March and said: “Would you like some sourdough starter? I have more than I need.” OMG. Can you say Soooooo Hippie! Of course I would!
Kefir Smoothies with Growing Naturals A.M. Energy One & Done SuperShake
Kefir is a natural for smoothies, much like a runny yogurt with a bit more tang and TONS of probiotics. When my latest New Hope Network Blogger Box arrived with a sample of Growing Naturals A.M. Energy One & Done SuperShake, it was a no-brainer. Let’s make smoothies!
