Category Archives: seasons

Three-Bean Veggie Burger

31 May 2009 by local kitchen

It’s weird to think that just today I was making fun of Guy Fieri on the Facebook page, yet when I first made these burgers, I had never heard of him. Oh, the innocence of the Aughts. Of course, it was the Tweens that brought us this gem of a review on Guy’s American Tourist Trap in Times Square: I’m a decade-is-half-full kind of girl. . . . I must admit, I’ve been pretty successful in my New Year’s resolution to […]

Categories: beans, chickpeas, eggs, grains & legumes, main course, oats, parsley, radish, vegetable, vegetarian, year round • Tags: beans, cooking, food, local, recipes, vegetarian

Tai’s Rhubarb Ginger Jam

26 May 2009 by local kitchen

As we’ve discussed before, Tai, although a pastry chef by training, almost never cooks. We have an agreement that he will cook dinner once a week, which, at this time of year is usually sausages on the grill, with some grilled asparagus or kale, and he is an awesome sous chef, especially when I am preserving the harvest. He stirs, chops, lifts, pours and does dishes with the best of them, but as for pulling out a cookbook and actually combining […]

Categories: jams, preserving, rhubarb, spring • Tags: canning, cooking, food, ginger, jam, local, preserving, rhubarb

Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce

21 May 2009 by local kitchen

Yes, yes, I know – who the hell makes barbecue sauce when it’s 85 degrees out? I the hell do, thank you very much. When you’ve had a seriously crazy couple of weeks, you worked last night until 1:00 am, and you still have 5 lbs of rhubarb wilting in the fridge, you make barbecue sauce when the sun shines. Despite the fact that it’s about 95 degrees in my kitchen right now, this sauce was a delightful surprise. Kind […]

Categories: canning, condiments, preserving, raisins, rhubarb, sauces, spring • Tags: BBQ, canning, cooking, food, local, preserving, recipes, rhubarb

Pork Chop Heaven

19 May 2009 by local kitchen

I’ve found Pork Chop Heaven. This is one of those meals; one of those meals that made me start this blog, so I wouldn’t longingly remember Pork Chop Heaven, yet have no memory of how to get back there. One of those meals that makes me think I can never go totally vegetarian. One of those meals that makes me bless the noble pig: a magical, wonderful animal. One of those meals that makes Tai say “How do you do […]

Categories: chutneys, cranberries, garlic, jellies, main course, pork, quick & easy, rhubarb, spring • Tags: cooking, food, local, pork, recipes

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Sunday Spring Cleaning: Runner Cannellini Bean Stew with Herb Pesto

17 May 2009 by local kitchen

I generally think of bean stew as being hearty, thick with sausage, tomatoes, vegetables and a thick gravy. This one, based loosely on a recipe from Stone Barns chef Dan Barber, and presented in Rancho Gordo cookbook Heirloom Beans, is surprisingly light and Springy, with a subtle play of flavor and texture from the white beans, pesto sauce and goat cheese. Like most bean soups and stews, the recipe is extremely versatile, and well-adapted to using up odds & ends of veggies in […]

Categories: arugula, beans, fall, garlic, heirloom beans, parsley, spinach, spring, stew, vegetarian, year round • Tags: beans, cooking, food, local, recipes

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Rhubarb Rosemary Two-fer

16 May 2009 by local kitchen

I tried out the Rhubarb Rosemary Jelly recipe from Gourmet (via VanillaGarlic). Of course I had to get all fancy-pants and macerate the rhubarb overnight in sugar (to release more juice), and then decide to use pectin instead of gelatin, for a firmer set and the ability to store at room temperature, and then realize that I couldn’t use pectin, because you need to add the pectin before you add sugar to the juice, and then dig frantically around in the […]

Categories: citrus, condiments, jellies, rhubarb, rosemary, spring • Tags: cooking, food, local, preserving, recipes, rhubarb

Mainely Rhubarb

12 May 2009 by local kitchen

Over the weekend, Tai & I drove up to Franklin, ME to visit family, namely, Tai’s grandmother, aunt & uncle. They live in a beautiful spot, along the water in Hog Bay in two houses separated by a grassy field, Louisa’s gardens, Charlie’s pottery studio, and a whole lot of rhubarb plants. Tai’s Uncle Charlie is a potter and his Aunt Sue is a weaver; their work is quite gorgeous and can be seen on the Hog Bay website, not to […]

Categories: rhubarb, spring • Tags: cooking, food, local, recipes, rhubarb, vegetarian

Spring Green Veggie Pasta

6 May 2009 by local kitchen

On my last night in San Fran I tried to cook up all the wonderful veggies we had picked up at the Ferry Building farmer’s market. I had planned on a spring veggie risotto, maybe with some Niman Ranch bacon (which makes any dish wonderful), but it was a crazy day of running around, meeting at friend for lunch at the Beach Chalet, doing laundry, hanging prints, catching up on email… essentially, I did not get out to the store, […]

Categories: beans, farmer's markets, herbs, main course, pasta, spring, tarragon, vegetarian • Tags: cooking, food, local, recipes, vegetarian

Sunday Spring Cleaning: Heirloom Squash Soup with Roasted Chestnuts

2 May 2009 by local kitchen

Whether you’re on the East Coast or the West, it seems to be grey, chilly and raining – perfect weather for this spicy, warm and satisfying soup. And with 3 lbs of pumpkin cleared out of my freezer, I’m wondering how many California almonds (and walnuts and pistachios) I can fit into my carryon bag… I thought that the Last Fresh Pumpkin of ’08 had fallen, but I did not count on my friend Nadine fobbing off giving me two […]

Categories: fall, roasting, seasons, soup, thyme, vegetarian, winter, winter squash, year round • Tags: cooking, food, local, recipes, soup, vegetarian

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Easy Breezy Pea(sy) Salad

26 April 2009 by local kitchen

Update: Funny to see how hot it was in April, three years ago, when here we are in June 2012 and it’s been chilly, grey and rainy for days. This time around, with fresh peas-from-the-pod, ever so slightly steamed, and radishes & lettuce from the first CSA of the year, this salad was still easy, breezy, pea(sy) good. —————————– This crazy “Spring” weather, with temps approaching 90 degrees, has got me not wanting to do much of anything beyond laying in front of […]

Categories: cheese, dill, lettuce, peas, radish, salad, spring, vegetarian • Tags: cooking, food, local, quick & easy, radish, recipes, salad, spring, vegetarian

Yeasted Pumpkin Bread

24 April 2009 by local kitchen

Hallelujah! The oven is fixed. The ‘Oven Guy’ came yesterday, replaced the igniter, and now I should, ostensibly, have much more consistent oven temps during baking. In celebration, I made one of my favorite “one-day” breads, a yeast bread with my favorite all-purpose vegetable, pumpkin. The eggs and pumpkin puree in this bread give it a moist, cakelike texture with the delicious but subtle flavor of pumpkin and a lovely golden color. The eggs also work to give the bread additional structure, […]

Categories: 100% local, baking, breads, whole wheat flour, winter squash, year round • Tags: baking, bread, cooking, food, local, recipes, whole grain breads

Cranberry Roasted Turkey Breast

20 April 2009 by local kitchen

Easiest. Dinner. Ever. Seriously, this meal is a stand-by at our house and truly could not be easier (unless you’re calling for take-out, of course). Cranberries and turkey go naturally together and make everyone think of Fall; but cranberries are excellent for much more than just cranberry sauce, just as turkey should not be relegated only to Thanksgiving. Cranberries are naturally acidic, and in addition to tasting fabulous with turkey, will work to tenderize the flesh and makes the most […]

Categories: 100% local, citrus, cranberries, roasting, sauces, turkey, year round • Tags: cooking, food, local, recipes

Caldo Verde

20 April 2009 by local kitchen

Ten years ago, I spent three weeks in Portugal, tooling about the countryside in a rented Suzuki (the “A” car for the “E” price), sight-seeing, visiting family & friends, and watching a whole lot of football (soccer, in our football-heathen country). I still remember having caldo verde, literally “green soup,” nearly every day. It’s a traditional dish in Portugal, and on the menu pretty much everywhere you go, with a broth as light as air but full of flavor, bright […]

Categories: 100% local, fall, kale & leafy greens, pork, potato, sausage, soup, spring, winter • Tags: cooking, food, local, recipes, soup

Sunday Spring Cleaning: Olive Tapenade with Arugula & Sun-dried Tomato

19 April 2009 by local kitchen

I’m not really a big olive fan. I don’t mind black olives, sliced on pizza or sprinkled on the top of nachos or an enchilada, but you’ll never catch me munching on one of those monster Spanish olives, stuffed with pimentos. I think it’s a combination of texture and taste – I’m not fond of pickled things in general, but I do like olive tapenade, in moderation; something about chopping up the olives with a little garlic & oil makes them […]

Categories: condiments, non-local luxuries, olives, spreads, spring, vegetarian, year round • Tags: condiments, cooking, food, local, recipes, vegetarian

Grilled Salsa Chicken & Fire-roasted Corn

16 April 2009 by local kitchen

Just in time for a gorgeous, sunny Spring weekend: quick & easy grilled marinated chicken and roasted corn – the flavors of summer (without the 98% humidity!). Given how simple this meal is, it’s unbelievable how flavorful it is. The corn is a revelation; pure summer, captured at it’s peak last August and roasted over smoky coals until the flavor makes you want to write an opera (Ode To Corn? A-Maizing Maize? Corn Cob Blues? OK, I’ll stop now). Seriously, […]

Categories: 100% local, chicken, fall, grill, main course, peaches, quick & easy, roasting, salsa, spring, summer • Tags: cooking, food, grilling, local, recipes