Herbal vinegars are a delightful way to preserve the harvest and to add vibrant flavor to all your favorite dishes! Harvest season is in full swing right now. Nights are getting cold and it is time to pull everything from the garden that could be damaged by frost. There are many herbs that are somewhat cold hardy. Even here in northern Vermont, I can still see the green of winter savory, thyme ...
Sheep Birthday Party Cupcakes and The Joy of Plan B
These cute allergen-friendly sheep cupcakes will be the hit of your little one’s party. Perfect for littles that love farm animals, Shaun the Sheep, or Timmy Time. In my busy life as a blogger, food writer, business owner, hearthkeeper and soul seeker, there is still one thing that makes me feel more accomplished than anything else in life and that is a smile from my little girl! Recently as ...
The Best Balela (Mediterranean Chickpea Salad)
Balela salad is all the rage. Here are my lip-smaking ideas to make it the most delicious one you've had yet! The first time I had Balela salad it was at a local restaurant here in Stowe, Vermont called PLATE. The next time I bought a tub of Pita Pal’s brand at Costco and totally fell in love! Now I see recipes for Balela everywhere and it makes sense, because it is really easy to make at home ...
Fresh Figs with Parmigiano-Reggiano and Balsamic Reduction
Beautiful, fresh and elegant. Perfect for sharing with friends and family. There is just something magical about the pairing of figs and balsamic vinegar. The sweet, syrupy richness of the vinegar, the sharp taste of the cheese cutting through the sweetness of both fig and balsamic is unparalleled. Just look at the color of that fig – if that isn’t a sexy show stopper on your summer table, I ...
Cinnamon and Vanilla Infused Coffee Ice Cubes
Are you tired of diluted iced coffee, or want to give your iced coffee a healthy and natural flavor boost? Here is your answer! Cinnamon and Vanilla Infused Coffee Ice Cubes! I am still on a coffee theme this week. If you missed last week’s post on affogato (ice cream “drowned” in espresso), please check it out! Remember how coffee ice cubes became all the rage on the Internet a few years ...
Perfectly Grilled Summer Vegetables with Sherry Vinegar and Honey Marinade
I almost never wrote a post about this delicious, quick and easy summer dinner that finds its way to our table at least twice a month, because it didn’t seem all that fancy. The real recipe here is my delicious marinade that turned an eggplant hater into its greatest fan, but more about that later in the post. This is exactly the sort of dish I love writing about. One of the reasons that I ...
Grilled Millet Flatbreads with Sesame Seed and Kombu Seaweed Sprinkles (Gluten Free, Vegan)
My favorite gluten free bread baking cookbook is Gluten-Free and Vegan Bread: Artisanal Recipes to Make at Home by Jennifer Katzinger and I especially like her various sandwich bread recipes. Usually I make the Soft Millet Sandwich Bread and a couple of weeks ago, I had mixed the bread dough, preheated the oven and was all ready to slide my bread in, when I realized my oven had shut off and ...
Strawberry (Heart Berry) Sponge Cake with Swiss Meringue and Coconut Cream (Grain Free, Dairy Free)
I read a wonderful article last week, Sacred Strawberrying Time! about strawberries and their symbolism to Indigenous peoples of the Eastern nations (like the Cherokee, Haudenosaunee (Iroquois), Ojibway, Shawnee, and hundreds of others), where it is referred to as the “heart berry” and is strongly linked to women. I thought this made perfect sense when I read it and I have been thinking about ...
Simple Potato Salad with Pickled Chive Blossoms
Potato salad is a no-brainer when it comes to the summer table. I often like the traditional mayonnaise version, but others prefer something a bit lighter and vinaigrette salads are becoming more popular, especially with the addition of healthy raw apple cider vinegar. This salad is simple to put together, but adds a special zing because of its unique garnish, pickled chive blossoms. Chives ...
Red Lentil Pasta with Wilted Arugula, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese
This combination of sun-dried tomatoes, chèvre, pine nuts and baby greens, mixed with pasta is something I created long ago and it is still my favorite. This dish is quick, easy, healthy and full of taste popping ingredients that you are sure to love! I should just call this Pasta alla Jenn, because for the past 20 odd years I have been making a version of this dish using these key ...
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