Food & Flowers (early summer garden)

I am cooking up something great tomorrow at the Granville Art Affair and Wine Festival. I will be there at 2:30. It looks like a fun day of tasting wine and sampling treats. On the menu for tomorrow are Grilled Lamb Kabobs with Mint Chutney and Cool Yogurt Sauce. Today I am walking around my garden thinking of the flower arrangement that will be plopped on the table. We take a very casual approach here. Whatever we can gather. What goes with orange? What goes with chartreuse?... Read More

It’s Ramp Season!

It’s ramp season in the Midwest. When native wildflowers like the Yellow Trout lily begin to bloom you will also find the leafy green stalks of wild ramps emerging. Fresh, green, garlicky,oniony ramps can be used in any recipe where you would use green onions. The ladies of my household gathered some to make a simple cheese spread for crackers. We used cream cheese- goat cheese would have been better. We added chopped ramps and minced a clove of garlic. I would have... Read More

Poppy Seed Rolls with Calamondin Orange Marmalade

  Preheat oven to 375 degrees Poppy Seed Filling 1-1/2 cup poppy seeds 2 Tbl. honey 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup raisins, chopped 3/4 cup milk   Grind the poppy seeds in a clean coffee grinder in small batches until finely ground. Mix all of the ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the filling is thick but still spreadable. Set aside. Sweet Dough 1 cup water 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup butter 4 cups unbleached flour 1-1/2 to 2 cups whole wheat flour 1/2... Read More

Pasta With Spinach & Feta Cheese

Spinach and Swiss chard are the cool season vegetables that are abundant in the kitchen garden now. Lately I’ve been mad about spinach and I’ve been fixing it every which way. On Thursday, my good friend, Rob Lamp shot some footage for a short video we’re working on. That day we made Quick Spanokopita which you can find here. I have also been making spinach pizza with garlic and goat cheese. Today, it’s Pasta with Spinach and Feta Cheese. The fall... Read More

Apple Pie Comfort

The last few weeks we have been collecting suitcases loaned out to friends, closing old accounts and consolidating belongings so they weigh under fifty pounds. My youngest son will be working in Japan for a year and I have been trying to not interfere with his packing. Last night we savored a family meal with his brothers and favorite foods including a pie with apples from our own trees. Today I dropped him off at the airport, followed him with my blurry eyes until he turned... Read More