Of all the herbaceous perennials that have accompanied my household every time I’ve moved, the rhubarb plant is the oldest. A member of the buckwheat family, the first rhubarb cultivar traveled to New England via
Rice is the basic foodstuff of Asian cuisines; it is the fundamental grain that feeds half the world’s population. In Asian cultures, rice symbolically represents fertility and life. An essential food, rice has almost magical
Have you ever walked the beach at low tide and picked up a very large, triangle-shaped clamshell four inches or more across? These are the shells of the Atlantic Surf Clam (Spisula solidissima), a large,
March is my favorite winter month…longer days, the sun is higher in the sky, and the winds that blow hold the promise of spring. Time to plan the gardens, start seeds, and repot the houseplants.
Although often associated with the Irish immigrants that settled here in the New World, a boiled dinner is traditional New England one-pot comfort food. In my childhood farming family, the preparation of a boiled dinner
Have you ever enjoyed biscotti, the intensely crunchy cookie, dipped in coffee or sweet wine? Developed by the early Romans as a convenience food for travelers, biscotti are unleavened, finger-shaped wafers. The word biscotto is
Sadly, aside from Peter Rabbit, the rest of my family is really not completely in love with cabbage. Sometimes call the workhorse of the winter kitchen; cabbage is one of the few green vegetables that
Like many Maine families, our Sunday afternoons in January have been occupied with watching the 2020 National Football League playoffs. After the Patriots loss to the Titans last year in the wild card round, we
When my Meyer’s lemon tree, heavy with fruit, starting falling over and out of the pot, I knew it was time to harvest. With the daylight hours growing longer, the spindly branches were practically growing
The seed catalogs flooding the mailbox always inspire me to reflect upon my garden and pantry this time of year. I evaluate the successes and operational challenges, design my planting rotation, select new seed varieties,
The Maine scallop season is here, and we’ve stepped up our consumption of these rich, succulent bivalves. As excellent source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and Vitamin B12, Maine scallops are also an integral part
One of my favorite winter root vegetables is the beetroot, or beets. Deep garnet red, bright yellow, golden, even candy-cane striped, the taproot portion of the beet plant has a sweet and earthy flavor. Despite
Last week, my culinary students at Deer Isle-Stonington high school prepared and served a Harvest lunch for their 120 classmates and staff. It was a heroic effort that involved the whole school and spanned over
Through much travel and separation, our family has remained bound together with a passion for good eating. Some of my most vivid memories are of the foods, meals and feasts around the dining room table.
There’s an industrious level of excitement around our household as the month of October draws to a close. When the temperatures drop and daylight hours become shorter, we’re like the red squirrels, scurrying to prepare
Winter squashes sustained the Native Americans in the New England region for at least seven thousand years before the European explorers landed. Back when Maine became a state, it was common practice for farmers to
In her book, “Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking”, Marcella Hazan writes “one of the most satisfying salads is based on that old standby of the ingenious poor, bread and water.” In Panzanella or Italian Bread
Besides the iconic wild blueberry, Maine apples are one of my favorite year-round fruits. An important crop for the early Colonial settlers, apples were a vital part of homesteading life and used in numerous ways
One of my favorite children’s novels is “James and the Giant Peach”, written in 1961 by British author Roald Dahl. There have been several different illustrated versions of the book over the years, plus a
My friend Barrett Gray, owner of Boyce’s Motel in Stonington, runs the Healthy Island Project’s lunchbox program for senior citizens down here on the island. Every week, individuals get a wellness check-in telephone call from
Looking for recipes that use the zucchini explosion in your garden? Zucchini Yogurt Muffins, warm from the oven, make a delicious summer breakfast. The delicate, moist interior flecked with green and oozing with slightly melted
These days, my refrigerator shelves are overloaded with jars and small bowls of ingredients waiting for someone to eat them: extra-ripe raspberries, pulled chicken breast, roasted tomatoes, wild blueberry fruit sauce, and grilled summer veggies.
This season there are more families since World War II who are enjoying the benefits of their own “victory garden.” Back then, Americans were urged to “plant in every patch of available soil”. In doing
