It has been one heck of a summer to be a gardener. To say the weather hasn't cooperated would be an understatement. Cold late, then no rain for weeks, then way too much rain, then cold early, bugs in Biblical sized mobs, and finally, blight on our tomatoes. We are more fortunate than a lot of people though, because we are just now seeing it, and we will get all the tomatoes we need. I have to credit our blight battling strategies for this, because some people started seeing a month ago. But, it ... Read More about Creamy Tomato Bacon Soup
Vegetables
Summer Squash Gingerbread Loaf
The best of summer veggies combined with fall baking! This Summer Squash Gingerbread Loaf was conceived from a conversation. Though I live in a rural area, I am very fortunate to have a group of blogging friends to hang out with. These are other people who actually understand what it's like to work from home. How to be your own boss, but also to slave for hours over a post. To work forever to get your photos to tell the story, or to wrestle a sentence into submission, no matter how long it ... Read More about Summer Squash Gingerbread Loaf
Orzo Stuffed Zucchini
Orzo Stuffed Zucchini I think in a good growing year, every gardener experiences "the zucchini that ate Manhattan" syndrome. You know - you go out there and pick your squash every day, because you know, to get more nice little squashes, you have to make sure you don't have any gargantuan squashes. Letting summer squash get too big signals to the plant that it's time to make sure that the squashes they have are all that they can be - they put their energy into growing canoe hulls instead of ... Read More about Orzo Stuffed Zucchini
Crispy Zucchini Fritters
When we are having family over to eat in the summer time, Crispy Zucchini Fritters are the number one thing that they request. I've been making them for years, so it's not surprising that people wondered why I hadn't ever put the recipe on my blog. I finally got it on the old blog a couple years ago, and now I'm told I need to put on this one too, lest I keel over at an early age, and it be lost to all humankind, forever. We can't have that. Making these takes me back to the years when the girls ... Read More about Crispy Zucchini Fritters
Green Beans with Crispy Leeks
I know this is almost downright un-American, but I have to confess that I am not at all a fan of Green Bean Casserole. That's a bit of an understatement actually, but I hesitate to state my dislike in any stronger terms, lest I cause some real trouble among my friends here on the blog. Some people have such affection for this dish, that to insult it in any way, is akin to making a disparaging comments about someone's religious beliefs, or to insult their favorite politician. And, indeed, with it ... Read More about Green Beans with Crispy Leeks
Grilled Romaine Salad
Grilled Romaine? I have to admit that I didn't think up grilled salads all on my own. There are many versions out there, some more complicated, and many using different ingredients. I like to keep this to the most basic elements - fresh, crisp romaine, a flavorful vinaigrette and some salty cheese. Perhaps you haven't yet run across this idea yet, in which case, you might be thinking that I have lost my mind, but rest assured - grilling lettuce is not crazy! When you begin with a nice crispy ... Read More about Grilled Romaine Salad
Kale & Spicy Sausage Soup
Finally! We have some nice warm, spring weather. Time to get out in the yard and garden and really get to work. As my grandmother used to say, we've been so busy that "our shirt tails haven't touched us all day!" There's no happier busy in the world, but it still leaves me feeling kind of lazy about cooking at the end of the day. Which is why I love making soup - especially a lively one like this Kale & Spicy Sausage Soup. I like getting everything in the pan, and then both of us getting to ... Read More about Kale & Spicy Sausage Soup
Crash Hot Sweet Potatoes
Crash Hot Sweet Potatoes is probably the most popular recipe* on my old blog, so I had to make sure that I got it moved over here to the new place. If you are here because you followed a link from my old blog - welcome! I hope you like the new place and you can make sure you never miss a single new recipe by clicking on this link to subscribe to my newsletter. There is always something tasty going on around here, so I hope you will subscribe and keep up with the latest! You can also click ... Read More about Crash Hot Sweet Potatoes
Brussels Sprout Colcannon
If you were fortunate enough to have had a good crop of brussels sprouts last fall, you might still be enjoying them, in which case this Brussel Sprouts Colcannon would be a very good idea. That was not the case for us however. We had a sort of brussels sprouts famine, with no idea why. That part of the garden seemed to be lacking the gumption to actually form the sprouts, though the plants were big and beautiful. It is not easy to switch a garden over to organic fertilizer, and we are still ... Read More about Brussels Sprout Colcannon
Turkey and Pesto Stuffed Sweet Peppers
During high school, and for a few years after, I worked on and off at a local Italian restaurant. I was mainly a scullery maid and pizza maker, but I also did stints as a waitress and bar tender - it was a small family place, and they made sure to get their money's worth out of the help. It was also a fairly fun and relaxed atmosphere, with one of the perks being that the owners fed us at no charge, often sending me home with a free pizza at the end of the night. They also ran specials certain ... Read More about Turkey and Pesto Stuffed Sweet Peppers
Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil
The stream of ripe tomatoes that ends in my kitchen is starting slow down now. I always have mixed feelings about that happening. On one hand, I'm heartily and truly tired of doing up tomatoes for this coming winter. I've got somewhere in the neighborhood of 65 quarts of various forms of tomatoes, from sauce and stewed, to diced, to concentrated tomato paste and various soup bases. The nightmares of being chased by 5 gallon pails of tomatoes have just about ended, and my hand that was frozen ... Read More about Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil
Green Beans with Miso
Thanks to succession plantings, we keep getting a stead supply of really nice green beans. Larry plants a new row about every 2 weeks, until the early part of August. Our favorites are a variety called "Jade", which is pretty widely available in various seed catalogs. "Jade" is a really nice producer, and the beans are long, straight, and stay tender, even if they get a bit on the big side before you get them picked. Green beans will keep producing for at least a couple, weeks, so long as you ... Read More about Green Beans with Miso