what makes a good salad?

tips to make the best homemade salads

What makes a salad stand out? Last night, fondly enough, as I was preparing a salad (it was a scorcher of a day) I pondered the same thing.  I looked at the ingredients laid out before me:  avocado, leftover grilled steak, cherry tomatoes, fresh sugar snap peas, leftover grilled broccolini, and chilled lettuce leaves picked…

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all-dressed fiddleheads

all-dressed fiddleheads

Most people associate Spring vegetables with asparagus, leeks, rhubarb, ramps, and peas.  But for a very brief time, fiddleheads are sold at markets and grocery stores.  They are the unfurled fronds of a young ostrich fern and are collected in the wild before the frond has opened. They are aptly named because they resemble the…

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roasted radishes – so pretty!

roasted radishes - so mild & delicious

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve most probably seen a few photos I’ve taken Saturday mornings at our local farmers’ market.  It’s a perfect way to connect with vendors who earn their living off the land and it’s inspiration for me deciding what to make for dinner that night.  I always find something new. …

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roasted vegetable stacks with goat cheese

roasted vegetable stacks with goats cheese

I am in veggie heaven with these roasted vegetable stacks and in one recipe I get the daily recommended servings of vegetables; my kind of dish.  Although the end of Summer means goodbye to warmer days (sigh), its departure signals the bounty of the harvest (yay!).  It’s the perfect time of the year to grab…

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whole roasted cauliflower with a parsley sauce

Do you remember eating cauliflower when you were a kid?  I do.  My favorite was smothered in my mom’s homemade cheddar cheese sauce.  Come to think of it, I don’t think I really liked cauliflower; I loved the cheese sauce!  Fast forward to my adult years and I have served cauliflower many ways and fondly…

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Roasted Vegetables & Sausage

 Looking for a Sunday-style roast but without the fuss?  As much as I adore a Sunday roast, it’s an all day thing or close to it.  Sure, you can leave the roast in the oven and putter around the house or go out for a quick lunch, but realistically, you need to be nearby to…

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Lentil and Vegetable Stew

Stews can take a while to cook but this lentil and vegetable stew can be ready in 35 minutes.  It’s loaded to the brim with vitamin and mineral goodness and will fill you up and keep you satiated for hours.  Lentils are slow-burning, high-fiber, and lean protein food.  TweetFacebookLinkedInTumblrStumbleDiggDelicious

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Baked Vegetable Custard

Years ago I bought a book to hold all my scraps of paper that I scribbled recipes on or ones I cut from magazines and newspapers.  I remember, after the last recipe was glued down, how triumphant it felt to see my collection in one place.   The other day I went through one I started…

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Kohlrabi Slices

For months I have passed by the vegetable section of my local food market and wondered what kohlrabi (German word for cabbage turnip) was.   The other day I finally picked up a bunch and decided to do a little research on this curious vegetable.  It’s an odd-looking thing and couldn’t get my head around…

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Roasted Hakurei Turnips

I am and have been for a long time enamored with local farmers’ markets.  For those who don’t know me, I grew up in the country where my parents grew their own vegetables and later on had chickens and pigs (hobby farm, of sorts).  As much as I liked being able to walk over to…

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