Category Archives: appetizer

Zucchini Fritters

18 July 2010 by local kitchen

We take a break from the non-stop stream of jams & preserves to serve up another abundant feature of summer’s bounty: zucchini! As Ruhlman says, “when in doubt, fry.” These were tasty, easy and relatively quick. The recipe is eminently adaptable to what you have on hand and what suits your palate. Whip some up today and tackle at least one of those monster zucchinis, mocking you from the bottom shelf of the fridge. Adapted from Zucchini Fritters with Feta & […]

Categories: appetizer, cheese, mint, parsley, scallions, summer, vegetarian, zucchini • Tags: cooking, food, local, recipes, vegetarian

Ginger Soy Pickled Radishes

12 July 2010 by local kitchen

I put these little beauties up right before I left for South Africa, since I knew that two big bunches of radishes would do nothing but wither and die in the crisper if they had to rely on my Darling Hubs to eat them. They have been pickling away, down in the relative coolness of the garage, for over a month now, so I figured it was about time for a taste test. First and foremost: I won’t pickle the long, […]

Categories: appetizer, canning, condiments, pickles, preserving, radish, spring • Tags: canning, cooking, food, local, preserving, quick & easy, recipes

Fresh Favas with Bacon & Almonds

18 May 2010 by local kitchen

Inspired by the bounty found at the Ferry Market in San Francisco, this savory bean spread with local olive oil, balsamic, almonds and lemon was a rare treat for this Northeast locavore. The raves it garnered at our Saturday night dinner party suggests that it was a treat for some San Franciscans as well. The combination of flavors (fresh green beans, smoky bacon, bitter almonds, tart & brigh lemon) and textures (crisp on the outside, creamy on the inside fried […]

Categories: 100% local, appetizer, beans, citrus, pork, spring • Tags: cooking, food, local, recipes

Cheddar Parsley Scones

27 April 2010 by local kitchen

Another riff on the always popular Cheddar Scallion Scones, this one with fresh, flat-leaf parsely and red onion. In this version, I replaced the scallions with 1/4 cup each of finely chopped red onion and chopped fresh parsley; swapped 1 cup of spelt flour for 1 cup of whole wheat, and added another 1/4 tsp of freshly ground black pepper. I also made these into mini-scones: separate the dough into two halves; shape each half into a rectangle about 4″ […]

Categories: 100% local, appetizer, baking, breakfast, cheese, parsley, quick & easy, whole wheat flour, year round • Tags: baking, bread, cooking, food, local, quick & easy, recipes, whole grain breads

Tuscan White Bean Bruschetta

15 March 2010 by local kitchen

An easy way to use up leftover cooked beans, yet a delicious appetizer that tastes celebratory and rustic at the same time. A win-win! It’s been all flageolet beans, all the time, around here lately, but that’s what happens when you cook up a pound at once and then keep finding new ways to enjoy their deliciousness. This recipe is quite simple, uses basic pantry staples, and is a great way to use the tag ends of frozen kale or other leafy […]

Categories: appetizer, kale & leafy greens, quick & easy, spinach, spring, vegetarian, winter • Tags: cooking, food, local, quick & easy, recipes, vegetarian

Dark Days: Crunchy Baked Chicken Strips

15 March 2010 by local kitchen

A little spice, a little crunch. A few minutes to put together and you have a simple lunch or dinner that even the kids might like. This was a very haphazard recipe; I had been planning on making spicy chicken strips, chicken breast fingers essentially braised in a hot sauce until cooked through. They are quite delicious and handy to have on hand for sandwiches, salads and snacking. Yet I felt the need for something crunchy. So I changed plans, […]

Categories: 100% local, appetizer, chicken, Dark Days Local, main course, quick & easy, whole wheat flour, winter, year round • Tags: chicken, cooking, food, local, quick & easy, recipes

Roasted Garlic & Walnut Tagliatelle

14 March 2010 by local kitchen

The flavor of this earthy peasant pasta dish is belied by the simplicity of its preparation: it is rich yet sutble, with a layering of fruity olive oil, sweet roasted garlic and just slightly bitter toasted walnuts, all blending to create a taste that is more than the sum of its parts. Homemade pasta and slow-roasted garlic make this a pleasant (and aromatic) lazy Sunday project; but if you have roasted garlic on hand, leftover, perhaps, from another recipe, and some good storebought pasta, this satisfying […]

Categories: appetizer, garlic, main course, nuts, pasta, vegetarian, winter, year round • Tags: cooking, food, local, recipes, vegetarian

Flageolet Fritters

10 March 2010 by local kitchen

Eminently adaptable, thoroughly delicious, fried bean goodness. I don’t do much frying; it’s not the healthiest way to cook, and although I have none of the modern-day fatophobia, I think my love of all things bacon keeps me quite well supplied. Also, it’s the parsimonious Yankee in me: I hate waste, of any kind, and using a couple of cups of oil once, then simply throwing it away – well, let’s just say that I’ll generally try to find a […]

Categories: 100% local, appetizer, beans, cilantro, citrus, heirloom beans, parsley, vegetarian, year round • Tags: beans, cooking, food, local, recipes, vegetarian

Dark Days: Preppy Spring Salad

8 March 2010 by local kitchen

Ah, pink & green, every Prepsters stock wardrobe must, especially in Spring. While my days of popped Izod collars and matching Tretorn-stripe tennis shoes are long gone, I can still show my love the for Pink & Green – locavore style. Three days in a row of 50-degree temps, not to mention lots of fresh Spring vegetables at the farmer’s market this Saturday, inspired a crunchy, fresh and altogether delightful pink & green salad. The pink: crisp & crunchy radishes, […]

Categories: appetizer, citrus, Dark Days Local, parsley, quick & easy, radish, salad, scallions, spinach, spring • Tags: cooking, food, local, quick & easy, recipes, vegetarian

Locavirgin: Roasted Leek Confit

28 February 2010 by local kitchen

Roasted leeks: who knew they could be so awesome? In doing some advance research on allium recipes for the March Can Jam, I came across this recipe in The Glass Pantry for leeks, slow-roasted in olive oil. Simplicity itself: leeks, oil, salt, pepper. The roasting and the fat combine to extend the (already pretty impressive) storage time of the leeks, and the flavor? Outrageous. This is an easy way to work local foods into your diet even if finding […]

Categories: 100% local, appetizer, condiments, fall, leek, Locavirgin, roasting, spreads, spring, vegetarian, winter • Tags: confit, cooking, food, leeks, local, preserving, recipes, vegetarian

Nachos

11 February 2010 by local kitchen

Satisfying. That’s the word for these nachos. Basic, yes; merely four ingredients make up the basis of this dish; but endlessly versatile and oh-so satisfying. We’ve all had our share of nachos – they’ve practically become as American as hot dogs and apple pie. They are the easy bar food that everyone can agree upon; the post-soccer fuel that you shovel in with abandon; the football-watching crowd favorite. But how often have you had really good nachos? The kind with a perfect ratio of […]

Categories: 100% local, appetizer, beans, cheese, quick & easy, vegetarian, year round • Tags: cooking, food, local, nachos, party food, quick & easy, recipes, vegetarian

Refried Beans

10 February 2010 by local kitchen

Hands up everyone who knew that “refried beans” is a misnomer: frijoles refritos actually translates as “well-fried beans” (hat-tip to Elise at Simply Recipes for that handy piece of trivia). I certainly didn’t know (although the whole “re-fried” concept never made much sense to me, and frying twice, well, ew). I don’t even like refried beans, but then again, given the lame flavor and unpleasant, mealy texture of the dish that I think of as “refried beans” I doubt that I’ve […]

Categories: 100% local, appetizer, beans, heirloom beans, side dish, spreads, vegetarian, year round • Tags: cooking, food, local, recipes, vegetarian

Dark Days: Herbed Whole Wheat Breadsticks

24 January 2010 by local kitchen

A local bread dough made with clarified butter, dried garden herbs and Wild Hive whole wheat flour makes a lovely bread. Cut into strips, given it a twist and a dip in 10-grain mix for some crunch, and 10 minutes later you have a delicious, crusty-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside breadstick, perfect for your Dark Days meal o’ the week. Served with 100% local Potato Leek Soup, this was a hearty but easy meal for a cold, drizzly Sunday night. Adapted from Quick(er) Whole Grain Pizza Dough; see that recipe […]

Categories: 100% local, appetizer, baking, basil, breads, Dark Days Local, herbs, mint, sage, side dish, whole wheat flour, year round • Tags: baking, bread, cooking, food, local, recipes, whole grain breads

Easy Homemade Hummus

14 January 2010 by local kitchen

I know what you’re thinking: “Hmmph. Easy. Says she of the 3-day pie crust and the day-long chicken pot pie.” But, really, this recipe is easy. Easy as pie. Well, way easier than pie, actually. Easy enough for Rachel Ray (although why make hummus when it’s so much more convenient to buy it in the store? And why do I pick on this woman when I’ve never even seen her show? I’m sure she’s a lovely person. Really.). Anyway, you […]

Categories: appetizer, beans, chickpeas, chives, citrus, herbs, quick & easy, spreads, vegetarian, year round • Tags: beans, cooking, food, local, quick & easy, recipes, vegetarian

Dark Days: Handmade Whole Wheat Pasta

10 January 2010 by local kitchen

I’ve been meaning to make fresh pasta again for a while now; I probably would not have done it today if I had not remembered that it is Sunday and I hadn’t yet planned my Dark Days meal o’ the week. Thanks, Dark Days Challenge, for giving me a kick in the pants! The last time I made whole wheat pasta, I used all whole wheat bread flour (hard red spring wheat flour from Wild Hive) and the dough was so […]

Categories: 100% local, appetizer, Dark Days Local, eggs, main course, vegetarian, whole wheat flour, year round • Tags: cooking, food, local, recipes, vegetarian