Photo by Judith Hausman Here’s a fresh dish for spring. A recent trip to Turkey gave me a jumpstart on spring cooking because of the milder weather there (the peach and apricot trees were already in bloom) and because of the wonderful vegetable-centric cuisine of that country. It goes without saying that cucumbers, tomatoes and […]
Photo by Judith Hausman This pretty pink dish put spring in your step. Here’s a humble, vegetarian pasta combination, perfect for a still-cold night. Often if I find decent winter beets in the market, I roast them right away when baking something else, so the beets can wait ready-to-eat in the fridge. Red beets tossed […]
Photo by Judith Hausman Nordic food finds an locavore twist. Now that the best restaurant in the world (Noma) is in Denmark, Nordic food is having its moment in the sun. Could that be why the bunch of fresh, local dill I found at a farm stand recently made me think Scandinavian? Unlike the Midwest, […]
Photo by Judith Hausman Stew is good for you! Winter is still among us in the New York’s Hudson Valley where I live. The beets and potatoes at the farmers markets are getting a little wrinkled, but a few greens and fresh herbs, grown slowly under snow-dusted hoop houses, are beginning to show up. I […]
Photo by Judith Hausman Soup or salad? When it’s cold out, choose soup. I had been hoarding sweet pork sausage from my CSA pig for several months, when we had a second snow day in one week. This seemed like a great occasion to defrost three packages of sausage and create my white bean and […]
Photo by Judith Hausman Beer and bread equal best friends. Beer is a great base for beef stew but usually I shamelessly gather the brews up and use them to make the easiest bread ever, in all kinds of variations, and the beer can be flat or fizzy. You may already know this recipe; the […]
Photo by Judith Hausman Pumpkin and rice are winter comfort foods. I love this pumpkin and rice winter salad recipe, a substantial cross between a salad and a side that makes use of long-keeping winter resources such as pumpkin and onions. Serve it room temperature accompanied by a green salad to make it a light […]

I spent last evening watching The Lorax with my kids. I found it timely in light of what's happening with our native ginseng (Panex quinquefolius).