Mediterranean Salad

Forget iceberg lettuce (I sure have).  Really, once you go Mediterranean you never go back. The days of the everyday salad are over folks.

This salad is not only just as easy to make as a regular ol’ salad, it tastes better!  And really, tomatoes, sweet onions, arugula, dill, and spice.  This is a perfect time of year for such a dish.

Serving up CSA: Spicy Green Beans

Some like it hot… but I like it warm and spicy.  On their own (or cooked poorly) green beans get a bad rap (though some would argue the wrap is the best part).  Enough with the corny jokes?  Okay.

Ridiculously Good Caramelized Onion Tart

I don’t say this lightly: this is a ridiculously good tart.  This is the best tart I have *ever* made.  Suzi at Cooking’s Good gave me a serious craving for caramelized onions and my recent shopping experiences at a few stores I recommend on the Local & Humane page led me to this, my new basic tart crust.

Serving Up CSA: Broccoli Pie

Dedicated readers will remember my promise to deliver a fat-free crust for savory tarts.  Here’s an imperfect answer to that dilemma: artisan bread.This broccoli tart became more of a broccoli pie, as I rolled out the artisan bread too thickly.

Serving up CSA: Fake Fried Squash and a Book Review!

Isa Chandra Moskowitz has captivated many with her fake fried onion rings (hers are vegan too!), and I’ve adapted her recipe for fake fried squash of the vegetarian persuasion.

Chevre Stuffed Fig Salad

Figs may not be local, but they are in season!  Black mission figs have finally shown up at the neighborhood market I rely on for other treasures like squash flowers, masa, and cactus.

Lupita’s Homemade Cheese and Pepper Tamales

My nana is Polish, my papa is Italian, but I also have an abuela.  No, I’m not Mexican by birth, nor by rearing (though most of my friends growing up were); one of my mother’s best friends, Margo, who has been an aunt to me since the day I was born, provided me kinship, advice, love, support, and this recipe.

Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows

I’ve been putting off making marshmallows for years. Gelatin isn’t strictly vegetarian and I had been having a hard time justifying purchasing or using such a thing.  On a recent road trip, though, driving for hours with a friend, we turned to the subject of animal byproducts.

Okay, I realize this isn’t what a marshmallow hungry person wants to hear about, but suffice it to say, I weighed my personal pleasure against one box of gelatin and the economic, moral, and political implications of that gelatin, and in the end, it seemed fair that I could try this, at least once, in the interest of accomplishing something new.

Serving Up CSA: Carrot Latkes

The carrots are in, folks!   I have been waiting and waiting for carrots to arrive in my weekly CSA box.  They’re finally here!  And what do I do with them?  Bake them.  No question!

There’s no better carrot than a carrot baked. They become soft and sweet and somehow more substantial. These patties are usually pan-fried, but, of course, I’m baking them instead.  Baked or fried, this twist on latkes is extremely delicious and offers a few more vitamins for your buck.  Serve with a little greek yogurt (or sour cream).  Your family will think they’re at nana’s!

Michigan Cherry Pie

Remember that raspberry pie?  Well, once we had that, my aunt wanted more!  So the next day, she requested a Michigan cherry pie.  I, as always, obliged.

Cherries may not be Michigan’s most profitable crop, but they are the signature facet of Michigan agriculture.  I think this goes beyond the cherry-friendly climate and extends more toward the way Michigan views its relationship to the rest of the world.