Cauliflower is one of those vegetables that gets a bad rap. It ends up in dried-out chunks on veggie platters or mushy lumps in curry dishes and rarely gets to be the star of the show. This is such a missed opportunity because cauliflower is absolutely delicious and one of the healthiest options out there. This dish brings cauliflower the glory … [Read more...]
Santorini Fava Bean Hummus
August and September in the Southern Mediterranean has been hot and dry. It has been perfect for hanging at the beach and exploring small towns, but eye-opening to see the strains of this climate on growing conditions. Of course everyone knows that plants don't grow well without enough water, but I've never actually spent time investigating local … [Read more...]
Feta Cucumber Salad
This is one of my favorite late summer dishes. I had a version at a wedding shower years ago served with smaller cucumber chunks and corn chips for dipping. I was hooked and have since turned it into a stand-alone salad that I make almost weekly in late August and early September. It never disappoints! This year, it was a treat to make while … [Read more...]
Zucchini Mint Fritters (and Tomato Basil Fritters)
We made tomato fritters in one of my Greek cooking classes and they were outstanding - simple, whole foods ingredients and lots of flavor! Unfortunately they were also deep-fried, so I decided to try making a similar version at home that could be cooked in a pan - none of the deep-fry and all of the deliciousness, well, almost all. Zucchini … [Read more...]
Three Herb Pesto with New Potatoes and Green Beans
I'm officially obsessed with pesto! It is one of my favorite things to make, is packed with nutrients, and literally tastes good on everything. I begin the summer each year by making (and freezing) as much garlic scape pesto as possible, and then proceed to spend the summer making batches with all the other herbs I grow on my roof deck or find at … [Read more...]
Pickle Extravaganza
One of the things I miss most while on The Big Trip, is canning and preserving in my kitchen at home. I have the preservation bug! I think it is a derivative of my nesting instinct -- I always want to be harvesting and putting up food to use during the cold winter. My problem is finding time to actually use everything I preserve! Anyone want … [Read more...]
English Mushy Peas
The English are wild about their mushy peas! They are served as a side dish with pub food like fish and chips, bangers and mash and pot pie. At first, I was turned off by the name, but I changed my tune after actually tasting them. Well, I should say I changed my tune tasting them at Russell's Fish and Chips, in the English Cotswolds town of … [Read more...]
Beet Salad with Goat Cheese
As you may have guessed, beets hold a special place in my heart. They seem to perfectly epitomize the ideal vegetable – versatile, delicious, overflowing with nutrients, and beautiful to boot! Beets are truly a superfood. Beets are best known nutritionally for their high antioxidant levels, many vitamins and minerals, and support of … [Read more...]
Greek Pasta Salad
There is something about summer that inspires me to make pasta and grain salads. First of all, I love any excuse to use up as many veggies as possible, but I also love that these salads are good warm or cold and can be eaten right away or enjoyed a few days later. They are the epitome of easy, healthy, summer cooking. My standby is a quinoa salad … [Read more...]
Perfect Steamed Artichokes
Artichokes have been popping up at markets all over Europe this spring. They are one of my favorite "special" vegetables, so I've been buying them whenever possible. Prices have ranged from $1 to $7 per artichoke at different markets. Artichokes have such a wonderful sweet taste and the process of eating them leaf by leaf is so much fun. They … [Read more...]