Just Beet It: Spinach and Beet Salad with Citrus V...

I could be wrong, but I don’t think I’m alone in having grown up with a latent schema associating beets strictly with cans. As in originating from, and best kept there indefinitely unopened. Over the years, though, I’ve grown to  appreciate these hardy yet sweet leafy root vegetables, and to admire their range of hues, from deep red purples to warm and golden. But this summer, I’ve really learned to...

Quick post: clean and easy, versatile Thai sauce

Since I can’t take any credit at all for the recipe brilliance that motivates this post, it seemed sensible to make it a quick one, but I could expound upon it for pages with ease! Last week, we grilled pizzas with some friends, a summer tradition that must become a much more regular habit…yumm! We had three kinds of dough and a range of toppings, resulting in margherita, pesto, and Thai varieties. The Thai pizza...

Because Tomato is a Fruit: salad with peaches, muf...

I was captivated, intrigued, and a tad skeptical when I saw the bright, luscious looking page spread  devoted to Summer Peach and Tomato Salad in last month’s issue of Cooking Light (June 2010). Slight wariness notwithstanding, I couldn’t wait to try it. It’s simple and brilliantly colorful: ripe peaches, a variety of tomatoes, and thinly sliced red onion tossed with a little vinegar, honey, and a small...

Sweet Potato Gnocchi, Sauced Four Ways

There is something highly therapeutic about making gnocchi. It’s like playing with edible play dough as an adult. Generally, except for the particular aficionado, one of the many beauties of making these little potato dumplings is that the end result need not look perfect. Like snowflakes, invariably no two are quite alike. Thus, in teacher speak, it’s the process not the product. Even better though, the product...

My New Favorite “Must Use”: Knife Shre...

So, we’re attempting some new “crops” in our small but generous raised beds this year, and I’m learning by necessity about thinning. You know that feeling of arrival that is borderline bittersweet with the realization that the eager anticipation is about to end? I’m not necessarily talking about achieving a hard-earned goal, or even being mid-way through a much longed-for vacation. It’s...

Fruity Rainbow Slaw

There’s something about slaw…the way even the word alone just slips off your tongue, giving little away as to its true nature. It could be elfin and delightfully whimsical, or seedy and leery, a thief lurking in the shadows. And the actual concoctions called “slaw” are just as capricious, in my opinion. I seem to have a visceral reaction to the whole spectrum, for better or worse. I LOVE most Asian...