Jump to the Recipe The turnip, along with her cousin the rutabaga, is an underappreciated root vegetable in the cabbage family. Winter turnips (the most common cultivar is Purple Top White Globe) can have a sharp, almost radishy flavor, but this mellows out and sweetens when you cook them. In this recipe, turnips and apples…
Vegetables
Curried Sugar Hubbard Squash Soup
Jump to the Recipe When you’ve got a Sugar Hubbard Squash that needs to get used, you’ve got a lot of squash. Sugar Hubbard is a cross of Blue Hubbard and Sweet Meat, and it’s just fantastic. It roasts well and has a smooth, creamy texture when pureed. Last time I grew Sugar Hubbard I…
Harissa Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Jump to the Recipe I’m pretty late to the harissa game. What can I say, I’ve lived in suburbia for 14 years and don’t get out much. Oh sure, I’d heard of this North African spice blend. I’d even eaten a decent amount of grilled squid with harissa, made by the the one restaurant within…
Kale Florets with Garlic, Chili and Lemon
In case you missed my earlier description, kale florets are the delicious edible flower bud of a mature, overwintered kale plant. You might think of them as bonus no-work broccoli raab. Or perhaps as “the only thing that’s harvestable in the whole damn garden right now.” However you mentally characterize these tender little brassica buds,…
Roasted Carrots with Feta and Parsley
This is a simple side dish that turns even bulk, supermarket carrots into something special. The combination of the sweet roasted carrots and the salty feta works really well together, and the parsley and lemon keep everything fresh and bright tasting. This dish couldn’t be simpler – toss carrots in olive oil and season with…
Easy Cabbage and Pasta with Creamy Mustard Sauce
The dish came about as so many do. I was searching for inspiration in the fridge and found only cold, leftover cooked pasta and a head of green cabbage. Cabbage and noodles can seem ho-hum, but more than one civilization has applied culinary alchemy to them and made greatness happen. I won’t claim this dish…
Beet Greens with Lemon, Bacon and White Cheddar
With beets, you get two great vegetables for the price of one. The greens are very similar to chard (beets and chard are closely related) but with thinner stems and a smoother, smaller leaf. This easy preparation is a variation of my standard, go-to method for skillet cooking greens. Here, beet greens get paired with…
Easy Skillet Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Oh, poor maligned Mr. Brussels Sprout. Seems like he gets pulled out every year as a Thanksgiving side and then is forgotten the rest of the year. Can’t you just imagine him in a group therapy session for one-day-only vegetables? Brussels would take the floor: “Hey guys. Yeah, well, it’s gotten a little bit better…
Romaine Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Tangy Blue Cheese Dressing
This salad came about, as so many things in my kitchen do, because I was looking to use up some leftovers. For dinner a night or two before I made this salad I had roasted several sweet potatoes in their skins and served them simple and plain, with butter and salt passed at the table….
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Maple-Bourbon Vinaigrette
This recipe is from the Eating Local in the Depth of Winter recipe demo and presentation I gave at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show. Thank you so much to everyone who came out to learn just how delicious it can be to eat from your garden, even in the “low time.” To view all…
Lacinato Kale and Roasted Sweet Potato Salad (Plus Variations!)
Kale is a hearty green. It is tough and fibrous and people think you have to cook it to make it palatable. But kale can be fabulous raw, in big-time cold weather salads that double as a meal. One of my favorite combinations is finely shredded raw Lacinato Kale (also called Tuscan, Cavolo Nero, or Dinosaur kale) with…
Curry Roasted Squash Seeds
Inside that tasty, tasty beast of a Sugar Hubbard squash was a whole other garden gift: squash seeds! Now I don’t bother to pick through and roast the seeds from every squash I harvest, but when you have a big squash you have some big, tasty seeds. So especially on your large winter squashes (squashi?),…