If you ever had a garden up north, you know that late summer is when all your summer (tender skinned) squash comes into its own and you have so much that you don’t know what to do with it! When I was a kid, my mom made delicious squash bread, fritters, hash, cakes and quiches,…
Vegetables & Sides
Spicy Roasted Acorn Squash
Now that winter squashes are in season, I’m a happy girl. I can’t get enough Butternut, Acorn, Hubbard and Kabocha 🙂 But this post is about one particular squash. . .Acorn. You know, that adorable dark green squash with the unique shape that resembles an acorn? Like many winter squashes, it’s packed with stuff like…
Roasted Okra
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I am definitely not from the South. . . Still, I’m fascinated by Southern cooking traditions that include delicious dishes like collard greens, BBQ, corn bread, brisket, creamed corn and fried chicken. With one exception: Okra. Okra is something I haven’t been able to convince…
Summer Squash Ribbons
If you grew up with a garden, like I did, you know what happens near the end of summer, when it seems like everything needs to be picked at the same time! But oh, how glorious it is to simply walk to your garden, pick something beautiful and get it onto the dinner table. One…
Calabaza Squash w/Lime, Garlic & Cilantro
Even though current temps in Florida reveal no hint of “Fall” approaching, I’m starting to get the bug to cook Fall-type dishes, which always includes hard squash. I absolutely adore Butternut, Acorn, Hubbard, Kabocha and Pumpkin, and am open to any other, if presented. In my house, cooking squash is a sure sign that temperatures…
Baked Eggs with Moringa, Bacon & Tomato
Breakfast in our house usually consists of scrambled eggs with tomatoes and whatever herbs we have on hand, OR a bowl of old-fashioned oatmeal with toasted nuts and fresh fruit. Let’s be honest, sometimes it’s not that exciting, but it gets the job done and sets us on our path for the day. But once…
Moringa & Basil Pesto
Moringa is a hearty tree that produces branches with small, dark, pretty leaves. In some areas, it’s even referred to as drumstick tree or horseradish tree because of its long, narrow, triangular seed pods. It originated in Himalaya but it’s also grown readily in the Philippines, Malaysia, India, and Central and South America. It grows…
Baked Tomatoes with Basil Pesto
I remember the first time I ate a stuffed tomato. . . I was dating my (now) husband and he was making dinner at his tiny apartment on the beach. What a place! Everything in his kitchen was miniature-sized. The stove was a vintage unit with tiny burners and its oven was a quarter of…
Heirloom Tomato Galette
As a kid in Massachusetts, my family had a beautiful garden filled with string beans, zucchini, yellow squash, potatoes, carrots and tomatoes, and every summer we got our fill of tomatoes, when they all seemed to ripen at the same time! When a tomato is ripe, sun-warmed and fresh-picked, there’s nothing better. Am I right?!?…
Sweet & Spicy Refrigerator Pickles
This time of the year can produce a lot of late season crops, so I wasn’t surprised to see tons of cucumbers at the farmer’s market recently. I happily picked up a bunch of the little guys, thinking I’d be so good and snack on them all week. What was I thinking?!? After only 3…
Sweet Butternut Squash with Rosemary
I love Fall for many reasons, not the least of which is having easy access to Butternut squash — a wonderfully delicious, sweet and nutty winter squash. I especially love it roasted or pureed, but I also enjoy it in cakes, pies and salads (all equally delicious). Some of my favorite flavor pairings with Butternut…
Shrimp-Stuffed Poblano Peppers
When I was in college I got a job as a waitress at a Mexican restaurant. I had no idea what I was doing and prayed that my manager wouldn’t figure it out and send me packing because I really needed cash! Surprisingly (for me), I picked it up pretty quickly and really enjoyed the…