Poached Fruit

  Photo by Judith Hausman Poaching fruit holds the flavor and color for more than a week. Oh my, local apricots and local cherries! In New York’s Hudson Valley, where I live, you can miss their season in the blink of an eye. On the one Saturday you see them at the farmers market, you […]

Smoked Fish Spread

  Photo by Judith Hausman This seafood spread is a snap. My food souvenir from a week on a New England island was a couple of filets of smoked, local mackerel, purchased as we waited for the ferry to return us to reality. I usually bring home a precious piece of the iconic bluefish, with […]

Tomato Aspic

  Photo by Judith Hausman Try this for dinner. Another heat wave, after a very brief breather, brought to mind a cool dish I haven’t had in years: aspic. The jellied beef or chicken consommé my mom tried out on me as a child was not an experience I wanted to repeat, but a wiggly-style […]

Scallop Skewers

  Photo by Judith Hausman Kabobs are simple and fun to make. Grilled seafood is light and easy in the summer. I’m lucky enough to have reliable access to relatively local fish where I live, from Long Island, N.Y., and the nearby Connecticut shore, as well as greater New England. Skewering with seasonal vegetables is […]

String Beans with Mustard Sauce

  Photo by Judith Hausman A chilled string-bean salad cools down a hot summer afternoon. Cool or room-temperature dishes are all we want during a heat wave. Honestly, it’s still a little early for string beans out here in the East, but this mustard sauce is wonderful on top of any number of lightly cooked […]

Berry and Banana Pancakes

Photo by Judith Hausman Pancakes are easy to make and fun to eat. My “new” CSA has a u-pick berry patch, and last week was the members’ first trip into the fields. These fragile, fragrant berries are a completely different beast than the shiny, hard, out-of-season California ones we typically see here in New York. […]

Spring Barley Salad

Photo by Judith Hausman This late season dish will let you enjoy one last taste of spring. Grain salads are flexible and simple as light lunches or substantial side dishes. The toothsome texture of barley, quinoa and cracked wheat nicely set off tender new vegetables and can showcase any herbs or dressings.  I love a […]

Pesto Torte with Rhubarb Glaze

Photo by Judith Hausman Pesto torte is delicious with a rhubarb glaze. I was looking for a substantial yet portable appetizer for a party, and at the same time, my stash of last year’s pesto and jam needed addressing. Strawberry picking and the inevitable resultant jam is difficult to resist more than two years in […]

Rhubarb Kickback

Photo by Judith Hausman Drinks anyone? I’m not much of a cocktail drinker, but there are a few days each summer, a few of those 90-degree-plus days, such as the ones we are suddenly having in New York at the moment, where long, cool drinks in frosty glasses appeal to me. But how to drink […]