Pumpkin with curry combines the sweetness of the winter squash with the savory-spiced flavor of curry. It is a warming match appropriate for the crisp days when pumpkins and other winter squashes come to harvest. Pumpkin and other yellow-fleshed winter squashes such a kabocha or butternut squash are best cooked until they are just tender […] More
Classic pesto is made with fresh basil, Parmesan cheese, walnuts, olive oil, lemon, garlic, and salt. Pesto is the traditional pasta sauce. Pesto is also a flavorful addition to grilled vegetables, grilled chicken, salads, sliced tomatoes, pizza, bean and vegetable soup, and as a vegetable dip. Pesto—which is essentially a pureed herbal mixture—can also be […] More
Just picked garden corn makes a rich, sweet soup. Make this corn soup with sweet corn, water, and some onion. Serve hot or cold. Choose ears of corn with fresh, green husks. The top of the cob should be rounded rather than pointed. If the silk is brown and slightly dry, the corn is ripe. When […] More
Corn chowder is a hearty soup. It’s a perfect match for the late summer corn harvest—a whiff of autumn in the air and sometimes a hint of chill. Chowder is an American term with French origins—chaudière is a sort of iron cooking pot. As for corn, the shorter the time from garden to table, the […] More
Grilled and roasted corn is most flavorful when it is cooked fresh—very fresh. As soon as an ear of corn is picked, its sugars start converting to starch. As the sugars turn to starch, the sweetness of corn is lost—though it is true that some new breeds of corn will retain their sweetness for days. […] More
Bruschetta is an antipasto—a “before the meal” bite or first course—except when it’s its own meal. There is much to be said for the simple, traditional bruschetta—grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with olive oil and salt and pepper. That’s an antipasto. But when the summer garden is producing, bruschetta demands fresh, seasonal toppings—tomatoes, […] More
Cucumber soup is a delicious summer soup served chilled. It’s cooling, light, and quiet. There is a simple way to make cucumber soup, here it is: whirl two peeled medium cucumbers and an 7- or 8-ounce container of plain yogurt in the blender until smooth; add salt and pepper to taste; chill until cold and […] More
Radish salad combines the crisp, juicy, mild flavor of the radish roots with the tender peppery flavor of young radish leaves—or use spinach, arugula, or leaf lettuce; all ready for the table just before summer. Radish salad is one of my late spring fresh from the garden favorites. The end of spring—just as cool weather […] More
Vegetable and rice noodle soup is both light and hearty. Vary the stock—beef, chicken, or vegetable for degrees of intensity and complexity of flavor—and vary the vegetables with the season—root and cabbage family vegetables in the cool time of the year, leafy vegetables and summer squashes in the warm time of the year. I use […] More
Candied orange peel (or any citrus peel) is a sweet and sour treat. You can serve it as a dessert or as a treat. It will keep for several months in the refrigerator. No more tossing out those brightly colored peels. Use organic, unsprayed citrus for this recipe—oranges, lemons, tangerines, grapefruits. PrintCandied Orange Peel or […] More
White bean soup is hearty and well suited for cold weather. Basic bean soup is easy to make; follow one simple rule for best flavor: keep the heat low; bean soups burn easily. Variations on bean soup are many: you can add leftovers, fresh vegetables such as greens sliced thin or chopped, pasta, cooked vegetables—carrots, […] More
This greens, orange, and beet salad delivers color and flavor. Choose fresh seasonal greens—a mix of tender lettuces like Boston, oak leaf, red leaf, and butter or spinach—and match them with the sweet, earthy flavor of cooked beets and the refreshing sweet and sour balance of oranges. To these add the peppery snap of sliced […] More
Stephen Albert