Serves 4-6
Inspired by the $5 “grab bags” of vegetables sold by one of the vendors at our local farmer’s market, this variety of late season vegetables combined with woodsy Cremini mushrooms is equally scrumptious for lunch or dinner served alongside tofu “steaks” or a veggie burger, or simply spooned over whole wheat pasta or [...]
For us, summer means less time in the kitchen and more time outside in “the big room” – so of course, the less fuss involved in the preparation of meals, the better we like it. And what could be less fussy (and more delicious) than a stir fry prepared al fresco on the grill? Utilizing [...]
Roasting garlic produces a complete change in flavor, the “bite” of raw garlic magically turns into a mellow sweetness you have to try to believe! I often roast up to half a dozen garlic heads at a time. They keep well — a month or more in the fridge — and in my house, they [...]
Onions and summer squashes are superb when grilled, but don’t be afraid to try any vegetable on the grill. Toni also likes to throw in carrots, fresh fennel, and halved baby potatoes. You’re only limited by your own imagination.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
Basic Balsamico Vinaigrette (makes about 1 cup):
3/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. good quality Balsamic [...]
Broccoli’s name comes from the Italian piccoli bracci meaning “little arms” and just a single serving of this amazing vegetable provides 30 mg of vitamin C, plentiful fiber, and a slew of other anti-oxidant, cancer-fighting nutrients. And it’s not just good for you, it’s good!
Soup, salad, side, or main dish, broccoli is a cool weather [...]
This recipe is both easy and elegant and if you’ve never tried grilling these tasty spears, now’s the time! Gorgeous stalks of fresh asparagus are blanched, then grilled and dressed with lime juice. Heavenly!
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Good-sized bunch of fresh asparagus stalks, preferably the thicker type suitable for grilling
Coarse kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh lime juice
Extra virgin [...]
Fennel with Tomatoes, Onion, and Raisins
One of Italy’s favorite root vegetables, finocchio (fee-no-keeo, a.k.a. fennel) has a wonderfully crisp texture and a flavor that borders on sweet with a trace of licorice.
This tender white bulb can be enjoyed raw for its crisp, juicy texture or cooked in a variety of ways. The most prized [...]
Cathi Dicocco’s Oven-Dried Tomatoes
These tomato gems are sweet, delicious, and a snap to make. Oven drying enhances the sweetness while preserving tomatoes at a time when they’re abundantly in season and affordable. You can also do this with cherry tomatoes and you don’t even need to scoop out the innards – Sungolds work [...]
Peas for Kids
Vegetables are a tough sell for children, yet sugar and sweetened foods seem to go over without a hitch. Here is a recipe that takes sweet peas and makes them sweeter in a natural way that seems to appeal to most children. Pecans add chewy texture, nutrition, and yes, enough sophistication to [...]
Caribbean Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a wonderful root vegetable, sweet and flavorful, and loaded with dietary fiber (an important element in controlling cholesterol and some types of cancer). Sweet potatoes contain naturally occurring sugars, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron, and calcium. They have almost twice the recommended daily allowance of vitamin [...]
