I discovered this recipe one year when I received a windfall of both corn and tomatoes and wanted a way to use both. It’s a lovely relish, an abundant recipe, and a very tasty condiment. A pint of red corn relish is a big hit as a hostess gift, and is great for Christmas giving… [Continue Reading]
I’ve worked in restaurants off and on since I was a teenager. As a result, I’ve gotten pretty good at eyeballing consistent sizes when slicing anything. Then, I was given the gift of a Mandoline Slicer. I love this contraption! Now, any dish I prepare that is best served by consistenly sized veggies (e.g., pickle… [Continue Reading]
One summer, I was gifted with about 5 pounds of tomatillos. I’d seen them before, but never actually eaten or cooked one. I found this recipe when trying to figure out what one does with tomatillos. This is an extremely tasty salsa verde. One of my favorite uses beyond the standard is to slow cook… [Continue Reading]
When I was a kid, my mother, sister and I lived with my Italian grandmother for a bit before moving into our own digs. There are several food related memories from those days, as you might imagine.
Chamomile is a lovely smelling and looking flower whose primary use is for a nice, calming herbal tea. I was given the gift of chamomile jelly once. I was a tad skeptical, but the first taste made me a convert. This light aromatic substance is a small piece of heaven. It is delicious. I can… [Continue Reading]
This is an interesting variation on a strawberry/rhubarb dessert. It’s inexpensive to make, plentiful, and downright tasty. I got this from an old boyfriend’s Mom, and I make at least one batch every time I get my hands on some fresh rhubarb. I do use a little less sugar, because I like to taste a… [Continue Reading]
As often happens with me, I stumbled onto rose hips as food quite by accident. While walking on a beach in Maine, I found a remarkable patch of Sea Spray roses that had progressed to the rose hip stage. The hips were huge and looked like crabapples.
I saw this recipe prepared on an episode of The View. It’s from the book Good Stuff by Chef Spike Mendelsohn. Is there any other flavor more memorable and more reminiscent of summer evenings than the toasted marshmallow? Not in my mind. This shake is quintessential summer… ice cream and toasted marshmallows. Yum!
Because of its perennial status, rhubarb can easily be categorized in the Yard Larder category. It’s sour when eaten raw, but I do know folks who are perfectly content with a stalk of rhubarb and a shaker of salt. I’ve done that myself; not bad, but not my favorite use of rhubarb. Personally, I think… [Continue Reading]
I have a yard that is less a lawn and more a home for wild growing things. One of my faves among those things is Wild Strawberries. This tiny version of the popular fruit packs a lot more flavor per berry than its larger counterpart. Their season is short — three to four weeks starting… [Continue Reading]
Shrimp pizza is one of my favorite homemade pizzas. We make it a little more non-traditional by using an alternative pizza sauce. Our sauce for shrimp pizza is a traditional cocktail sauce, and instead of mozzarella, we use grated cheddar. Also, the shrimp is par cooked before topping the pizza. If put on the pizza… [Continue Reading]
I have oceans of this stuff in my front yard. It doesn’t get very tall — never more than 5″, say — has a sweet little flower, and it smells wonderful when crushed underfoot…the scent is reminiscent of pineapple. If it had no other value (but it does), just the scent would make this plant… [Continue Reading]
Most fruit makes pretty darned good salsa. The recipe is basic; the fruit variable. If, for example, you have a list of favorite fresh pineapple recipes, and if it’s not already there, add pineapple salsa! 2 cups diced fruit (pineapple, peaches, apricots, blueberries, mangoes… you get the drift) 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (I use… [Continue Reading]
When I first moved into my house, I noticed this weed running rampant. I pulled up some…it’s a root propagator, “some” is a relative term…and brought it to my local greenhouse for i.d. The i.d. was followed up with advice on how to manage this weed. Since the management tool was chemical, I did a… [Continue Reading]
Where I live, in rural Maine, the dandelion is not viewed as a yard intruder. We don’t mind wildflowers popping up in our yards. I shouldn’t speak for everyone, I guess, but I certainly don’t mind. I think they’re pretty, and thanks to a friend, see the flowers as a tasty appetizer, too. Eat dandelion… [Continue Reading]
