I cook because I love to eat. I garden because I love to cook.
It’s early April and the weather is conflicted. Some days give a hint of what’s to come; warm and sunny, with birds squawking to attract mates and protect their territories. Other days are cold and dreary. Not snow-filled, but rainy and gray, and chilly to …
As I took my daily walk on this early February morning, I couldn’t help but notice the green stalks of spring flowers already peeking through the ground. It left me conflicted. On the one hand I love that spring – my favorite time of the …
It may seem obvious, but we should eat the season. In other words, we should eat fruits and vegetables that are in season locally rather than eating produce that has travelled from halfway around the world or all the way across the country. Our food …
As the angle of the sun dips on the horizon and the first golden hues shine from leaves that are nearing their end, the harvest from my garden changes from summer to fall crops. The shift is not sudden. Summer green beans, peppers, and tomatoes …
When I think of pickles, a variety of things come to mind, but “fresh” isn’t usually one of them. The synonym I’d more likely apply is “preserved.” Thoughts of pickles include big barrels on old sailing vessels; food made for long-term storage to be eaten …
I thought this week instead of telling a story or discussing my garden harvest and providing a recipe, I would give a quick video tour of my late June garden. As I watch this video, shot almost two weeks ago, I note how …
My wife Marci thinks I’m obsessed with broccoli rabe. Maybe that’s because I frequently order it as a side dish or in this pasta with sausage when we dine on Italian food, or because whenever I eat it, I proclaim my love for this incredible …
Warm, ripe summer tomatoes. Sweet, crisp sugar snap peas in spring. Spicy fall arugula. Crunchy, sweet carrots as winter approaches. Herbs as a garnish to shower over a dish before it’s ready to serve. All from my garden. Fruits, leaves, roots. All delicious. But as …
Overabundance in the garden is a problem I can deal with. To even use the word ‘problem’ is a stretch. Nonetheless, when there is too much of a given crop in the heart of its harvesting season, the gardener must find a way to use …
When our contractor was rebuilding our porch one spring after the old rotting one almost ripped away from our house in an ice storm the previous winter, I had just added a 4 x 4 foot raised bed of strawberries to the garden. The porch …
