Seasonal Recipes
This time of year, many home gardeners are starting to ask themselves these questions:
“What the heck am I going to do with all these vegetables?”
“Just who thought it was a good idea to plant all this squash?”
“Did we really need 37 tomato plants?
“How on Earth did I forget to celebrate “National Sneak Some Zucchini onto Your Neighbor’s Porch” night?”
If you missed the opportunity to celebrate on August 8th - or have neighbors who take a dim view of trespassing, here’s a tasty alternative.
07 28th, 2008
Looking for ways to keep cool this summer? The Times Herald-Record, a paper in New York State’s Hudson Valley, has this low-tech list of suggestions that includes using a damp bed sheet as a “blanket” at night and practicing a Yoga breathing method to rid the body of heat.
But my favorite tip is this nugget from the West Indies:
“Spicy foods make you perspire more, which cools the body. Spices also help stop foods from spoiling as quickly, and give you an endorphin rush that feels good in any temperature.”
Wow! Who can say no to food that cools you off, tastes great, improves your mood, and also may help you avoid Alzheimer’s?
It’s time to whip up a bowl of fresh, homemade salsa.
06 16th, 2008
How to make, use, and freeze fresh pesto
Basil pesto is delicious, but the price of prepared pesto is alarming: expect to pay $5 or more for as little as half a cup! It’s amazing how something so expensive is so easy to make.
Fresh basil is easy to grow in the garden or on your windowsill. Take a pile of leaves, add some garlic, olive oil, and turn a cup of homemade pesto into three delicious meals - some left over to freeze for later. If you grow your own basil, ingredients for all three meals won’t cost much more than that measly little jar of pesto from the supermarket.
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05 6th, 2008
Spring is the time when vegetable lovers pause and bow in homage to the “king of vegetables.” Asparagus is at its peak right now, and this member of the lily family is a delicious, nutritious, and low-calorie food. The versatile green shoots can be steamed, stir-fried, grilled, or pickled.
However you eat it, asparagus is a tasty powerhouse of amino acids, phytochemicals, fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and more. Oh, and it’s also fat and cholesterol-free.
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12 14th, 2007
The Rich History of a Modern Treat
Can you imagine a world without fruitcake? One where it’s actually illegal for Great-aunt Gladys to drag out the family fruitcake recipe and bestow her traditional, indigestible gift on all the nieces and nephews?
It could happen. It has before.
As much as we laugh at fruitcakes now, they were once considered delicacies so rich, so tempting, that eating them was akin to a near occasion of sin. Step back in time and learn what all the fuss was about.
Face it: Halloween just isn’t what it used to be. This ancient relic of pre-Christian Europe used to involve wandering souls, fortunetelling, bonfires, and groups of people going from house to house asking for food. Oh. Well, maybe things haven’t changed as much as we think. One new aspect, though, is Halloween’s growing popularity. It’s the sixth largest spending holiday in the US, with over 70% of adults planning parties, costumes, or decorations.
As Americans eagerly head to the stores for costumes and candy corn, few realize the origins of the holiday’s symbols, customs, and traditional foods. For instance, the jack o’lantern, a carved, illuminated pumpkin, is arguably the most common symbol. But how many people realize that the ubiquitous orange gourd was originally a turnip?
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