Late-ripening tomatillos have replaced summer’s steady stream of tomatoes, from my own vines and from the Co-op‘s. I love the tangy-tart of tomatillos, but I never know what to do with them besides make salsa verde. With the season is so short, though, I guess it’s not a horrible rut to be in. Using the same roast-then-blend…
Author: Susan
Sommelier, gardener, baker, berry fiend, pickle hound, and all-around food dork.
When in doubt, go with the rosé. Or gin.
Grilled Nectarine and Burrata Salad
Peaches and cream? Absotively. Nectarines and burrata? Why not? Grilled Nectarine and Burrata Salad No set “recipe” here, since there’s not even a vinaigrette involved. Scale everything to your own needs and tastes. If you can’t find super-creamy, super-fresh burrata* (mine was from Di Bruno Brothers), fresh mozz, fresh ricotta, or even goat cheese will…
Swap-Box Hero: Hoagie Peppers
It was meant to be, I guess. The same bag of banana peppers I’d exchanged for a carton of mushrooms Tuesday morning was still in the swap box after everyone had picked up Tuesday night—along with a second bag of mixed wax peppers. By now, you probably know what that means: it’s time to prep…
Grill … Whoosh … Baba Ghanoush
Somehow, after last Tuesday’s sharebox, I wound up with three different kinds of eggplant. A few of the tender, wee ones found their way into a mixed sauté of zucchini, tomato, and onion. But come Monday, a day ahead of this week’s CSA delivery, the others, though still in great shape, were taking up valuable fridge real…
Great Scot: Ginger-Cantaloupe Jam
It’s late one evening in March 2001, and we’re finishing up dinner our first night in Campbeltown, Scotland. Joyce Gardiner, my dear friend Judith’s mum, places a sterling shaker on the table alongside our post-entrée cantaloupe. Pepper, I assume. Hmmm. Maybe my dad’s side of the family, who sprinkled salt and pepper on all kinds…
Swap-Box Hero: Homemade Tomato Paste
Who swaps out plum tomatoes? Well, whoever you are (and I’m guessing it was one of our half-dozen picker-uppers who ordered a supplemental 25-pound box from the co-op), I thank you. Your bag plus my bag gave me a four-pound quorum—just enough for a small batch of über-concentrated tomato paste. Another adventure in really, really slow food,…
Whizbang Summer Salsa
When it comes to homemade salsa, in high tomato season, anyway, I’m usually more of a pico de gallo gal. Finely diced fresh tomato, onion, garlic, and pepper, finished with a little lime, salt, and cilantro. No cooking, but lots and lots of chopping. Last week, though, I saw Deb Perelman’s post on a three-ingredient…
Honey-Sweetened Blackberry Butter
My family’s humble, lakeside cabin in northern Wisconsin is way, way up there—at the tippy top of the state, in fact, just shy of the UP, halfway across. As if a week in that fabulous place with my fabulous family weren’t enough reward, most years I also come home with a parting gift: anywhere from…
Cloudy with a Chance of Pickles
Half-sour dill pickles, to be exact. Fermented halfsies, to be even exacter. I can’t pretend to be an expert on the lacto-magic that happens here; I can only testify that it works. After years of trying to replicate “Kosher dills” using the vinegar-brine method—and ending up, every time, with tasty but mushy spears—I finally gave in,…
Grilly Beans
A few Thanksgivings ago (wow, now that I think about it, it’s more like ten), I started roasting haricots verts until they blistered, then zapping them with grated lemon zest on their way from oven to table. Ever since, that’s become my go-to potluck veggie dish. In fact, I rarely prepare string (or stringless) beans any…
Boxing Day 