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Cool It This Summer
The heat of summer is upon us. Growing up on the farm in Illinois, for me, July and August were centered around baling hay, harvesting oats, and then baling the oat straw. That meant spending those 90-degree-plus, extremely humid days…
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Going Green
Welcome to prime vegetable season. The earliest entrants have already appeared in local farmstands: the first fiddleheads and spring onions, then peas. There is a whole assortment of greens to be had, all fresh, crisp, colorful, and delicious. Of course,…
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Eats, Shoots, and Leaves
Better-tasting food starts with having fresh, nourishing ingredients. A Chinese proverb has the right idea: “The field nourishes the people who live in it.” In other words, they use what’s available in the local village market because it’s fresh and…
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Put a Spring {Vegetable) in Your Step
I’m ready for a menu shift. My appetite is changing. It’s the time of year when spring showers encourage the blooming daffodils and crocus. On the farm, I could smell spring coming through the thawing frosted ground. It’s the time…
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When Grill Meets Vegetable
Grilling is the perfect way to take full advantage of fresh vegetables. The high heat boils out some of the water and enhances the natural flavors. Whether you have a gas or a charcoal grill, you can make a great…
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In Spring, the Asparagus Is Always Greener
Thank heavens for the lowly shoot of the lily family plant known by the Persian word for sprout, “asparag.” The British, for a brief period in the 18th century, called it sparrow grass. Too many of us today think of…
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Quick Pickled Vegetables
This recipe is from Sylvia Fountaine's Feasting at Home blog.
