locavore

Aspiring to Asparagus

Whether thin and delicate, fat and green, or white with purple shadings, asparagus poking up through its protection of straw is a sure sign of the oncoming growing season.

Spinach-Meat Patties

  Photo by Judith Hausman These easy meat patties resemble falafel. The beginning of last week was Passover (while the end was Easter), so I turned to the Jewish cookbooks on my shelf. My family usually prefers the tried-and-true traditional dishes, but I still like to poke around for some new-to-me recipes. One of my […]

Raclette, the Swiss-Can’t-Miss

Photo by Judith Hausman Raclette is a Swiss dish, based on heating cheese and scraping off the melted portion.  Raclette is the quintessential Swiss winter food, simpler even than fondue. I’ve eaten it authentically only once, sitting with friends around an open fireplace. Our host held half a wheel of cheese up to the flames, and […]

Parsnip Soup

Photo by Judith Hausman Carrots can be boring; try some parsnips this spring instead! Signs of spring are sprouting: crocus and daffodil greens poking through the snow, hopping robins and birdsong in the air, longer days and ice-free ponds. And yet, a few more soups can still be enjoyed from last season’s root vegetables before […]

Winter Sweets: Sweet, Natural Bread

Photo by Judith Hausman Winter sweets don’t have to be candy; this squash and apricot bread proves it. January is supposed to be a time of dietary atonement. Annually, all around the nation, people step on sales after the holiday cookies and grimace. Despite the cold that nudges us toward cozier, heavier foods, we are […]

Chickpeas with Tomatoes and Rosemary Soup

A Healthier Side Dish

New Year’s Lamb Stew

Photo by Judith Hausman With added North African spices, this stew is full of flavor. A meal for the new year, I think, should be comforting on one hand (What happened to 2012?) but also enlivening and piquant (What’s going to happen in 2013?) on the other. My friend and great cook, Debbie, served this […]

Green-Olive Tapenade

Fennel Salad Recipe

Photo by Judith Hausman A twist on the Waldorf salad makes for a great winter refresher. I turn to root vegetables and brassicas when the weather gets colder but the hearty, earthy food of winter also needs counterpoint. I was looking for a bracing salad to refresh us over the holidays and noticed the array […]