According to my last Garden Update, it’s been about a month since I direct-sowed a whole lotta seeds in pots out on the deck. I have what seems like a million pots on the deck, and then a bunch more down against the rock wall in the driveway, what my friend Nadine calls “Little Tuscany.” We’ve had cool and rainy weather for the last month. Some gorgeous sun this weekend and my plants definitely responded, but I think they are […]
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
It’s been a very busy week and these rolls are just what the doctor ordered: quick & easy food processor dough, less than 10 minutes of kneading, 20 minutes in the oven, and then mouth-wateringly deliciousness. Seriously, these rolls are good. These are the rolls to serve to friends & family who “don’t like wheat bread.” Buttery, soft, nutty, wheaty – they’ll be so busy devouring the whole batch, they’ll never notice the whole wheat. This is a small batch so […]
Categories: 100% local, breads, grains & legumes, whole wheat flour • Tags: baking, bread, cooking, food, local, recipes, whole grain breads
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
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
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
The fringe benefits of a container garden: when the forecast calls for overnight lows approaching 32 degrees in mid-May, you can just move the garden inside for the night! If you live in or around upper Westchester County, you may want to think about row covers, Wall o’ Water, hay cover, or maybe just convince the dogs to sleep out in the garden tonight! I’ve often thought it would be an interesting experiment to heat a lot of good-sized rocks in a […]
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
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
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
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
Christina and I went to the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market on Saturday. I wish I could have taken lots of pretty pictures, but sadly, the day was rainy, wet and grey; not much like the sunny summer day shown here (from the market’s website). The rain did not dampen my spirits, however, when I was able to find Rancho Gordo beans (I bought Christmas Lima, flageolet, Midnight and Borlotti beans to bring home in my luggage), my favorite cheddar-chive scone from Noe Valley Bakery, and […]
Categories: community, farmer's markets • Tags: cooking, farms, food, local
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
Local Kitchen is headed West! I’m off to San Francisco to visit my recently re-located girlfriend Christina in her new digs in the City by the Bay. She’s very excited for me to come out and cook for her, and I’m excited by all the fabulous local ingredients that California has on offer: olives and olive oil, avocados, almonds, walnuts and pistchios, Rancho Gordo beans, citrus of all kinds and flavors, and oh my the wine! It’s going to be […]
Oh, Spring, wherefore art thou? The calendar says it’s Spring. The apple tree outside my window says it’s Spring. The radishes, green garlic and chives at the farmer’s market say it’s Spring. The thermometer? Not so much. 86 degrees here today and sure to go up another couple of degrees – will we hit 90 again this week? Ay, carumba. This weekend was a busy one in the garden. I tilled my (very) few “in-ground” plots; basically a couple of […]
Categories: gardening
localkitchenblog.com