I grow vegetables. People eat snack food. I teach people how to turn vegetables into snack food. People eat more vegetables and vegetable farmers take over the world. I have a lot of work to do. The first task is to let you know that you can’t make kale chips in 30 minutes or less….
Category: Kitchen
Brighten Up Heavy Wintertime Food: Garnishes exist for a reason
This time of year, food can get heavy, and flavors meld together from longer cooking times and cooking methods that take longer since we don’t mind the extra heat from a pot simmering on the stovetop or in the oven or in your crock- or instant-pot. Winter is the prime time of year to come…
Why You Should Be Eating Leeks Right Now
Leeks are a vegetable in the allium family that includes onions, garlic, and scallions. These vegetables are native to all parts of the world and still have wild cousins, ramps. Alliums contain many healthful nutrients, and at the same time, the sugar they store makes them sweet, with a subtle flavor that compliments soups and…
Chai: My Culture-less American Recipe
But way better than what you can buy. Masala Chai is one of my favorite beverages to drink in the winter. It’s like a hug from my imaginary Indian grandmother. It’s why pumpkin pie flavor is so popular. We don’t genuinely care about pumpkin. We love the spices, sugar, and cream that become masala chai….
Scale Down Your Thanksgiving Meal and Have Fun Cooking.
Thanksgiving tips for smaller gatherings. As a cook, I love Thanksgiving. As a chef, I love that people still cook on Thanksgiving so that chefs can be home with their families. I love that the stores are packed with people that will go home and make their favorite dish for their family. I tell people…
How to Make Basic Soups
Utilize these two methods to use up vegetables from the garden. At the farm, we would host an open house each fall and make two vegetable soups straight from the farm. Served with salad and bread, it was the most effortless catering event I have ever seen. The members that visited the farm raved about…
How to Utilize a Mixed Vegetable Harvest
Just like people, vegetables come in all different shapes and sizes. The grocery store doesn’t allow us to appreciate this variation. Everything needs to be the same size and weight for consistency when pricing. When you grow vegetables or buy them from a small farm, you inevitably end up with an assortment of items that…
Green Bean Casserole Re-Imagined
Made from scratch green beans with a simple recipe improves the texture and taste. Returning to college after Thanksgiving, during my freshman year, I first learned that Green Bean Casserole was not a secret family recipe. I was a little crushed, and a lot embarrassed that I never noticed that the recipe is plastered on…
Baking in Small Quantities: Scones for Two
A dozen is nice but not for your waist. Scones are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. They’re one of my favorite baked goods. If you think that you don’t like scones, likely, you have never had one fresh from the oven. I love sweets in all their forms. But I have…
Blend Sweet and Spicy to Enhance Everyday Winter Squash
Winter squash comprises the more well-known vegetables, pumpkin, butternut, acorn, spaghetti, and kabocha. There are others, including Hubbard, delicata, Kuri, carnival, and honeynut. Usually, we think of winter squash as a sweet dish, and many recipes will add brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey to bring out the sweetness of the squash and layer on…