Halloumi, where have you been all of my life? After seeing this Cypriot cheese featured on several blogs recently, I finally decided to give it a try. Halloumi is a firm, salty cheese traditionally made from sheep and goats milk. When eaten cold, it’s rather plain with a rubbery texture but when grilled, this is…
Category: Garden to Table
Fresh vegetables from our backyard garden
Summer Corn and Zucchini Chowder
I was right out of college and wanted to learn how to cook so I signed up for a class with a focus on healthier cooking. It was taught by Robin Rifkin, an inspirational woman who continues to work in the food and nutrition community in Philadelphia. This was one of the first recipes I…
It’s Pesto Time!
If I had to pick a scent that screams summer, it would be the aroma of fresh basil. I use this fragrant summer herb, straight from the garden, as an unexpected pop of flavor in sandwiches and salads, sprinkled on pizza and eggs and of course as the star ingredient in pesto. Needless to say,…
Drying Fresh Herbs in the Microwave
I am so lucky to have a bounty of garden-fresh herbs to cook with all summer long. But when winter sets in, I’m back to buying overpriced, uninspired herbs from the supermarket. No longer! Thanks to another great tip from Cooks Illustrated, you can dry herbs in the microwave. Yes, the microwave! In about 2-3…
Recipe Roundup: Tomato Palooza 2020
Summer = Greg’s (my husband) garden-fresh tomatoes! In honor of my husband’s dedication to growing and nurturing these little and not so little gems, I’m rounding up our favorite tomato recipes that I’ve been making this summer. This year is our 2nd annual “Tomato Palooza” and we’re not letting Covid-19 stop this festive outdoor family…
Kohlrabi Fries
I experimented with kohlrabi over the winter, making kohlrabi fritters, and my husband loved it so much he wanted to grow it in his garden this year. Our kohlrabi is ready to harvest so this time around I’m making kohlrabi fries. The trick to kohlrabi is trimming it’s rough, irregularly shaped skin without losing too…
A Farewell to Garden Fresh Eggplant with Baba Ganoush
As my husband pulls the last of the eggplant from the garden, I’m saying my final farewell to these purple jewels by making this healthy, Middle Eastern eggplant dip called baba ganoush. This dip is so simple to make and calls for just 5 ingredients. Traditional baba ganoush is made by grilling the eggplant for…
Tri-Colored Gazpacho
When the garden is overflowing with sun-kissed, juicy, “eat like an apple” tomatoes, it’s time to make gazpacho. And nature sets the ingredient stage for this summer soup with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and basil, all garden fresh and ready to pick at the same time! Gazpacho can be made lots of different ways but when…
Rhubarb Sauce with Golden Raisins, Ginger and Cinnamon
Here’s round three in the rhubarb recipe series and it just might be my favorite. Rhubarb sauce is so easy to make. I make several batches during the rhubarb season because it freezes well allowing us to have the taste of fresh rhubarb in the middle of winter. Simply cut the stalks into chunks, add…
Rhubarb Shrub for Mocktails or Cocktails
I found this rhubarb shrub recipe from epicurious.com and knew right away I had to make it. My husband’s garden is filled with beautiful rhubarb so I’m making all of my favorite rhubarb recipes and posting them over the next few weeks. This deliciously refreshing, slightly tart and sweet rhubarb cocktail (or mocktail) is the perfect…
Cooking and Eating on the Amalfi Coast
Eating and preparing Mediterranean food on the Mediterranean is this dietitian’s dream. I got my Mediterranean culinary fix on a recent trip to the Amalfi coast with my husband. We both enrolled in a cooking class at the Villa Maria Cooking School high up on the mountain in the beautiful town of Ravello. Talk about…
Elevated Marinara
I’ve made many tomato-based sauces over the years but this is hands down the best marinara I’ve ever made. This recipe, which I adapted from Cookinglight.com, makes a rich, intense killer sauce. The difference is that it’s baked in the oven rather than simmered over the stove. Full disclosure, I did use my husband’s award…