The difference between an average green salad and a great green salad is the choice of greens, the flavors you match with the greens, and the dressing. Start a green salad with two or three greens—choose varying flavors and textures. Next combine or toss the greens with flavor affinities—foods and seasonings that bring out the […] More
Fresh pasta is easily made at home—with no recipe. All you need is all-purpose flour, eggs, salt, and a few drops of water. It is delicate and rich flavored and excellent with light sauces–butter and Parmesan cheese, or olive oil, garlic and parsley, or cream and bacon bits, or tomato sauce with an herb or […] More
Pesto is a creamy green herb sauce you can make by hand in about ten minutes. Classic pesto is a combination of fresh basil leaves, garlic, pine nut kernels, grated parmesan cheese, salt, and olive oil. But pesto is not a specific dish, but the name for a style of sauce; so substitutions for the […] More
Risotto—the creamy Italian rice dish—is simply made from rice, butter or oil, onion, stock, Parmesan cheese, and technique. Serve risotto as a first course, part of a larger meal, or make it its own main course by adding meat, poultry, fish, or vegetables and serving it with a salad. Limitless ingredients can be added to […] More
Simply put coleslaw is a salad made from shredded cabbage and along with other chopped or shredded vegetables bound with mayonnaise, vinaigrette, or other dressing and sometimes flavored with herbs or fruit. The word coleslaw comes from two Dutch words: kool meaning cabbage and sla an abbreviation for salad—koolsla. Coleslaw is sometimes called “cold slaw”—which […] More
Cabbage soup is earthy with a subtle sweetness. With a few aromatic vegetables or some meat or lentils added, it makes an inexpensive yet flavorful and filling one-dish meal. Common green cabbage from the spring, fall, or winter garden is ideal for cabbage soup. Ratio. The ratio of liquid to solids can vary from 1:1 […] More
Dried bean soups are hearty and perfect for chilly days. Black beans, navy beans, kidney beans, lima beans may be used. For a velvety, smooth soup, purée or whir the beans in a blender after cooking; for a soup with texture, purée only half the beans. Water is the common liquid ingredient for dried bean […] More
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 […] More
Purée aromatic and sweet vegetables in a blender for a velvety soup or purée them by hand in the pot for a slightly chunky soup. Carrot soup, leek and potato soup, cauliflower soup, broccoli soup, winter squash soup: root vegetables and substantive bodied or flowered vegetables make thick, flavorful purée soups. Potatoes, carrots, turnips, rutabagas, […] More
Onion soup served with melted cheese and crusty bread (on top or on the side) will make for a hearty lunch. The same with a summer garden salad or a side dish of roasted winter root vegetables will make dinner. Use medium size white or yellow globe-shaped onions for strong flavor or large flat onions—called […] More
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 […] More
Minestrone means big soup in Italian. You can make and serve minestrone as a meal in itself, nearly a vegetable stew. Minestrone varies from cook to cook but most commonly includes onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, and tomatoes bolstered by beans or peas and pasta or rice. Because minestrone is a thick soup, the vegetables are […] More
Stephen Albert