making life delicious blog
Our homegrown tomatillos have been coming in at a trickle, and finally they started rolling in, so last weekend I made tomatillo chili. I’ve been working on this idea for a while, using all grilled or broiled ingredients for a smoky taste. I started by briefly marinating the chicken in lime juice while the tomatillos [...]
After my first taste of a sautéed Spanish padron pepper a couple years ago, I knew I had to grow them in the garden. Our first plant grew well, but only produced a few peppers, hardly enough for a tapa. The second year was slightly better, then this year I decided to go all out [...]
Last year we started growing heirloom Ivory Egg tomatoes using plants we bought at Debaggio’s, our favorite herb farm and nursery. They always have a fantastic selection of healthy plants, and we ended up with 20 tomato plants, 4 tomatillo plants, 6 bell pepper plants, and 12 hot pepper plants. That may sound crazy, but [...]
I can’t believe it’s already Labor Day weekend. The summer seemed to fly by and suddenly September is here. We’ve been super busy with the garden this year and have hit that time when we know there’s only a month or so left for the summer crops. The tomatoes and peppers are slowing down, the [...]
My boys don’t agree on many things, including food. Two like tomatoes, one doesn’t. Two like corn, one doesn’t. Two like carrots, one doesn’t. Two like melted cheese, one doesn’t. (I don’t get that one at all.) But one thing they all agree on is cucumbers. They’ll eat them sliced with lunch or dinner, plain [...]
So far our garden is doing very well. The tomato plants are hanging heavy with fruit, the basil plants are bushy, and some of the peppers have started turning yellow, purple, and red. With all the vegetables coming in from the garden now, we are busy harvesting each day, and cooking and putting up what [...]
Our summer garden is going gangbusters this year, and we have some surprise Thai basil volunteers that seeded themselves in our bay laurel tree pot. The plants have already gotten huge with fragrant leaves and pretty purple flowers, giving us plenty to cook with. The pungent flavor is a perfect match for this spicy Thai-style [...]
Ranchera. Say it. Try flipping the “r”. I still have trouble making that sound, even after living in a Spanish-speaking country for two years and developing an accent that could almost pass for a native. The Rs always gave me away. When I first moved to Colombia I couldn’t speak any Spanish except for the [...]
This is our first year for growing padron peppers. The plants are struggling a bit and we’re crossing our fingers hoping they make it. I have visions of a hot pan full of padron peppers…
One of my favorite childhood lunch memories was sitting down to a bowl of hot tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich. It was simple, not fussy; canned soup and plain white sandwich bread with American cheese, but I grew up with the notion that this was the perfect lunch on a cold day.
It's spring in the U.S. and the following foods may be in season in your area:
artichokes, fennel, fiddleheads, radishes, broccoli, rhubarb, kale, cresses, spinach, spring lettuces, chard, cabbages, chives, cilantro, collards, tatsoi, mustard greens, spring onions, asparagus, rosemary, wild garlic, ramps, strawberries, blueberries, cherries
Eat fresh seasonal produce to stay healthy and help your food budget.Learn more about seasonal and sustainable cooking at Sustainable Table - In the Kitchen.
