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Melon and Cucumber Salad
According to The Oxford Companion to Food, salad is a term derived from the Latin sal (salt), which yielded the form salata, ‘salted things’ such as the raw vegetables eaten in classical times with a dressing of oil, vinegar, or salt. In the medieval period, salads composed of green leaves, sometimes with flowers. Later, at…
Read MoreStrawberry Granita
Summer brings a host of welcomed changes…longer days, warmer sunshine, fresh fruits and vegetables, being outdoors more, freshly cut lawns, pretty flowers, outdoor social gatherings, and birds singing. When the temperature soars, it’s time to cool down and a favorite of mine is homemade granita. Originating in Sicily, granita is a semi-frozen dessert made from…
Read MoreFresh Spring Rolls
The house feels empty now that Aida and Laura aren’t here. I enjoy cooking for both of them as they aren’t fussy eaters and are game to try new foods. One morning Aida asked me if I thought my time spent in Asia made me a better cook. Hmm, a good question to which I have…
Read MoreGrilled Garlicky-Herbed Shrimp
Grilled, poached, fried, battered, roasted, sautéed, steamed – you name it I’ve tried it. Shrimp are one of my favorite crustaceans, they take little time to cook and there are health benefits, too. Shrimp is a nutritious alternative to meat proteins as it is low in calories and saturated fat. It is an excellent source of…
Read MoreCedar Plank Grilled Mushroom Stacks
John and I barbeque all year round and when Spring and Summer arrive, it’s full on. Our barbeque gets used on a weekly basis so it’s not unusual to see me out on our back deck firing up the barbie. I love it…less mess for me to clean up! I’ve been noticing more and more…
Read MoreDaylily Petal Salad
How decadent! Daylilies in a salad! Using flowers in a dish isn’t a new thing for me but it has been a long time since I last did so. My grandmother always had a bed of nasturtiums in her flower garden which she used in bouquets around the house and if memory serves me correctly,…
Read MoreColeslaw with Granny Smith Apple and Chili
Warmer weather brings out all our favorite recipes for barbecues, family picnics and when it gets too darn hot to cook in the kitchen! Everyone has their favorite coleslaw recipe that perhaps their mom or grandmother used but this one, for me, takes the blue ribbon at a state fair hands down! Coleslaw gets its…
Read MoreGrilled Romaine Salad with Rosemary, Garlic and Lemon Dressing
‘We both love to garden. We love the look of our gardens (most of the time). We talk about what we will do next season differently and what new crop we want to try. But we both garden differently. Karen’s garden mimics the French “potager” (raised-bed in a pattern) style with an emphasis -a BIG…
Read MoreBulgur Salad with Cannellini Beans, Feta & Mint
Whenever I feel as though we’ve eaten too much red meat, we take a break and consume loads of veggies and ancient grains such as bulgur. It’s this sort of balance that keeps us healthy…I can’t recall the last time I had a cold or the flu. Bulgur is made from precooked wheat berries. It’s…
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