Prior to the mid-1990s, the concept of Portobello mushrooms on our home dinner plates was pretty much nonexistent. We really only heard about these Italian-imported, fancy mushrooms from waiters describing the ingredients in our dishes at high-end restaurants, or we may have spotted them in natural food stores but had no idea what to do…
Vegetables & Sides
Roasted Radishes with Butter & Chives
Buying veggies directly from a farm is just plain fun. Many farms even utilize a Consumer Supported Agriculture (CSA) model in which you purchase a membership, and the farm, in turn, supplies you with a box of veggies each week (and sometimes it’s a surprise what’s in there). It’s a great partnership because you support…
Chickpeas and Pasta
This week I dusted off M.F.K. Fisher’s How to Cook a Wolf. It was published in 1942 and opens with a quote from American humanist Charlotte Perkins (Stetson) Gilman: “There’s a whining at the threshold, There’s a scratching at the floor. To work! To work! In Heaven’s name! The wolf is at the door!” It…
Ricotta-Stuffed Chard
Many years ago I enjoyed delectable manicotti at a tiny Italian restaurant in Charlotte, NC. I thought it was a little ‘interesting’ that there could be such an amazing dish in the southern city I called home for a short time, but when I learned that the chef originated from Italy, it all made sense…
Sauteed Collards with Lemon
We’re officially back to healthy eating at my house, so you can expect to see posts over the upcoming months highlighting fresh veggies, warm/cozy soups, and tasty snacks! I think it’s safe to say that most of us are relieved the holiday hoopla is behind us, so I hope you’ll find something interesting here to…
Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle Cream
It seems like the humble sweet potato (or yam) is on just about every Thanksgiving table. Who would have thought that a root vegetable with origins dating back roughly 5,000 years would still be so revered? If you’ve ever grown them yourself, you know how fun it is! This marks my second year and my…
Curried Lentils & Rice
Several years ago, the documentary Forks Over Knives hit the streets. It was all about the benefits of eating plant-based (vs. animal-based) food in order to ward off cancer or other unhealthy stuff. I didn’t watch it until recently, when I re-upped my Netflix subscription, and I found it eye-opening. . . I believe there are…
Brussels Sprout, Pear & Prosciutto Salad
Hard to believe we’re seeing memes on social media counting down the days to Christmas, when Thanksgiving is just 76 days away! Which means it’s a good time to start queuing up ideas for holiday entertaining 🙂 I’m sure you’ve got lots of family-faves like green bean casserole, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, and grandma’s famous…
Summer Tomato Bruschetta
It’s Summer! But for those of you who live in Florida, you know what I mean when I say I’m actually looking forward to Winter. . . Yes, there are so many great things about living in Florida, but let’s be honest, we are having exceptionally hot and humid weather, day after day of torrential…
Kale & Broccoli Bruschetta
In Sarasota this week, Sunshine Community Compost is hosting a “Compost-A-Thon,” a special event for folks to try composting. It’s a cool concept – pay a small fee, get a bucket, save your kitchen scraps all week, then bring the bucket to the event, weigh it and transfer to a bin to start the composting…
Quick-Pickled Veggies
Visiting Florida farmers markets this time of year is so fun. It’s easy to find beautiful carrots with their greens attached, huge celery bursting with crunchiness, bright greens, deep purple eggplant, colorful peppers, big bunches of fresh herbs, and more. I don’t have a bag or basket big enough to carry everything I’d like…
Warm Vegetable Salad
“You don’t win friends with salad,” says Homer Simpson. I disagree! I adore salad and actually have lots of friends who love it, too. Heck, I’ve even started new friendships over salad! Fresh salad is awesome – tender greens, crisp veggies, something crunchy like toasted nuts or bacon, maybe grilled salmon or chicken or some…