People often associate pet training with the training of a dog. The fact of the matter is that many species of animals, including the cat, can be trained. I have heard of a hermit crab that was trained to ring a bell when he wanted to eat, an Oscar fish that would go through loops… [Continue Reading]
Dill pickles rock. Well, pickles rock. I have a small garden, and the bounty varies. When I get enough cucumbers to make a batch of pickles, and my tastebuds say ‘dill pickles’, this is the recipe I use. I’ve tried several that offer up good flavor, but this one gives nice, crispy pickles and good… [Continue Reading]
As far as flexible foodstuffs, nothing beats the pumpkin. It does everything — soups, main dishes, appetizers, side dishes and, my personal favorite, dessert. The Whoopie Pie is an extremely popular dessert here in Maine. It comes in many permutations besides the most popular chocoate. It didn’t take much to make the Pumpkin Whoopie Pie… [Continue Reading]
Summer squash is always one of the most successful vegetables in my garden, so I always welcome new and varied ways to prepare it. This preparation has been in my recipe box for many years; it is inexpensive and very tasty. This is my favorite use for late season or larger zucchini, crookneck and pattypan… [Continue Reading]
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]
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.
A few years ago my dog Buster and I were running around in the backyard when all of a sudden I heard him yelping and saw him running in circles, his entire body covered with wasps. I was horrified to say the least.
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]
No doubt many of you are feeling the dog days of summer heat. With the summer sun come unwelcome guests like pollen, fleas, and mosquitoes making their presence painfully known to us and our pets.
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]
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]
