Harvest to Table

White stock is full bodied with little or no color—and, on its own,nearly  neutral flavor. Use white stock to amplify the flavors of the foods added to it. Dried vegetable soups–black bean, white-navy bean, lima bean, kidney bean, whole and split pea, and lentil–are made with white stock. Reduce white stock to use as a [...]

I make many flavorful soups year-round using vegetables from my kitchen garden. Chicken stock and vegetable stock are the base for many of these. Here’s how I make chicken stock: Chicken stock is a basic preparation used to make many soups and sauces. Chicken stock draws its flavor from the bones and meat of a [...]

Vegetable stocks draw their flavor entirely from vegetables and water and, sometimes, herbs and spices, and wine. Vegetable stock can be served alone or used to flavor soups, sauces, meats, poultry, fish, and vegetables. Use vegetable stock for light, healthy dishes. Vegetable stock—also called vegetable broth–is a clear, thin flavored liquid—the flavor is determined by [...]

When harvest comes for each crop, be thorough. The best specimens will go right to the table. All crops need to be harvested. What you can’t use fresh, store for later use. Crops that are damaged should still be picked and sent to the compost pile. Harvest varies from crop to crop and also with [...]

Baby beets are beets harvested just as they have started to round out. Leave these beets until they mature and you can call them table beets. Baby beets—just about the size of a ping-pong ball—have the most delicate taste and texture. Table beets—as big as your fist—still taste good, but don’t let them grow much [...]

Artichokes are always eaten cooked. Once cooked, they can be served hot, warm or cold. Pull off each leaf; dunk it in the sauce; put it in your mouth and pull, scraping the tender flesh through your teeth. Cut the tender nut-flavored bottom into bite-sized pieces, dunk in sauce and eat. Serve with béchamel, butter, [...]

Dried beans eaten fresh meaning during the season just after they have been harvested and dried–will undoubtedly be the best tasting. But a big plus for dried beans is that they have a long shelf life if stored in a dry, cool, airtight container away from sunlight. Quite easily, you can keep dried beans on [...]

Winter squashes are the most plentiful from early autumn until late winter. Unlike the summer squashes, the winter squashes must be cooked before they are eaten. Add winter squash to soups, stews, couscous, and curries. Use winter squash to make pies, cakes, muffins, cookies, pudding, soufflés, and cream desserts. Choose a winter squash—such as the [...]

October is fresh pumpkin month. You’ll find pumpkins in September and pumpkins in November, but October is when more than 80 percent of the pumpkins grown each year are harvested and come to market. Select. Select a pumpkin that is bright colored, firm, and unblemished. Amount. How much pumpkin do you need? Remember that three [...]

Vegetables mixed with a batter and dropped into hot fat or vegetables dipped in batter and fried. Fritters or tempura? Yes! The term fritter is used for both of these preparations. And tempura is not far behind. Here are quick directions for an almost vegetable fritter you can whip up using the leftover vegetables in [...]