Pounds and Pounds of Produce – A Visit to Kruger Pepper Farm

Sicilian Caponata This year, instead of being jealous of the people who rave about their extraordinary harvest of tomatoes, peppers and the like, I made a 2 1/2 hour road trip to the Kruger Pepper Farm in Wapato, Washington, a candy store for cooks who are not serious gardeners. Thanks to my husband’s Italian heritage […]

A Sicilian-Style Rainbow of Vegetables

Rosemary-Fennel Peperonata My fondest memory of peperonata was making it at a beach house we rented in Siracusa, Sicily one summer. The point of renting a house was so we could cook with local foodstuffs and give our small children some time to play on the beach. All my expectations of Sicily were met when […]

A Taste of Morocco

Moroccan-Spiced Farro Stuffed Bell Peppers When I was a teenager, I feel in love with the deeply fragrant spice combinations of Morocco.  I had picked up a discounted copy of Paula Wolfert’s book, Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco, and began to curiously cook and eat my way through an ancient cuisine with strange […]

Move Over Halibut

Lime-Glazed Cod with Triple-Pepper Tomato Sauce I used to turn up my nose at cod and other more humble types of whitefish (1) in favor of halibut, but wild fish have their seasons, and winter is time for cod.  It’s a downright bargain, too, in terms of both the price (2) and nutrition:  A 3-ounce […]

Put Spice and Color in that Stuffing

 Green Chili Stuffing with Chorizo, Sun Dried Tomatoes and Jalapenos  There is one thing I like about football season – my husband Brad volunteers to make the Thanksgiving stuffing the Saturday before Thanksgiving while watching a series of his favorite college football games.  Since he’s cooking, we make his favorite stuffing, a very colorful, spicy […]

Late Season Tomatoes and Basil

A Last Chance for Panzanella – Grilled Bread Salad Pay homage to the last of the season’s tomatoes and fresh garden basil with panzanella – grilled bread salad. Chop a pound of ripe tomatoes, any type will do, making sure to capture all their glorious juices to moisten the charred bread, fragrant with garlic and […]