Winter Gardening – Microgreens

Winter Gardening – Microgreens

In the cold of winter I miss my garden. While I may be able to pick a little hardy kale if the temperature is not too low and I haven’t used it all, the garden is mostly barren this time of year. And even though 

Green Gold – Chimichurri

Green Gold – Chimichurri

After noting that I often serve empanadas with a bowl of chimichurri on the side, several readers asked for the recipe for this fresh, uncooked, herb-based sauce. It also goes beautifully as a marinade or finishing sauce on grilled steak, chicken, or fish. I love 

A Fall Canvas – Truffle Potato and Caramelized Onion Tart

A Fall Canvas – Truffle Potato and Caramelized Onion Tart

It is always better when food looks good, in addition to tasting good. In upscale restaurants chefs have to be artists on two fronts; each course is a meticulously prepared work of art, not just in terms of flavor combinations, but also as a fleeting, 

Salsa Verde – Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Salsa Verde – Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

The first year I grew tomatillos, it was in a garden that happened to be on a nature preserve. I had a pretty good harvest. It was in the second year that I realized there was a problem. The tomatillos from the previous summer had 

Salad on a Stick – Greek Salad Bites

Salad on a Stick – Greek Salad Bites

As we cross the threshold from summer to fall, I am harvesting the last of my summer vegetables before cool-weather, fall crops ripen in earnest. There are a few cucumbers and tomatoes hanging on the withering vines, and I want to savor the last of 

The Great Basil Harvest – Pesto

The Great Basil Harvest – Pesto

My family loves pesto. It was the first meal I ever cooked for my wife, although she complained my pesto didn’t contain enough garlic. (Not a bad sign for a potential relationship.) Now we eat it on grown up grilled cheese sandwiches, sautéed veggies, and 

Pico de Gallo

Pico de Gallo

When I first met my wife, Marci, in graduate school, I courted her with food. I made everything from pesto to potato knishes, and omelets with beautiful fruit salads in the morning. I also made pico de gallo, a Mexican fresh salsa with chopped tomatoes, 

The Main Event: Tomatoes – BLTs

The Main Event: Tomatoes – BLTs

Gardeners and gourmands wait all year for August tomatoes, and right now we are thick in the middle of tomato season. For many, they are the main event of the year; meaty and juicy, they are a gardener’s dream. Since they are so good and 

A Trip to Italy – Grilled Bruschetta

A Trip to Italy – Grilled Bruschetta

About 10 or 11 years ago, we were lucky enough to take a family trip to Italy. Our children must have been about 6 and 8. On this particular day, we spent a long time driving to our next destination; a beautiful hotel in the 

Digging for Buried Treasure – Smashed Potatoes

Digging for Buried Treasure – Smashed Potatoes

The fun aspect about growing potatoes in my garden, is that I never know what I’m going to find until harvest time. It’s like digging for buried treasure. Some years my crop fails and I get only a few puny spuds. Other years, as I