A few years ago I developed an iced-coffee habit. Cold brew was just coming in to some of the upscale coffee shops in our area, and I quickly got hooked. The problem was the damage this habit was doing to my wallet. At $4 – $5 per glass, it’s...
Cooking & Baking
17: Nancy & Walter Warner of The Potlicker Kitchen
Nancy Warner was, in her words, so addicted to canning and making jam, that her obsession grew from a home-jamming setup to a commercial kitchen serving supermarkets and specialty grocery stores across the country. Join us for a mouth-watering conversation about beer jellies and more traditional flavors, and get...
Tomatillo salsa: a simple, flavorful sauce
This recipe was inspired by a locally made brand of tomatillo salsa that I still buy on occasion. But with summer coming around again, I’m looking forward to making my own. Ingredients 2 pounds fresh tomatillos, paper husks removed 3-4 fresh jalapeño chilis 2 heads garlic Olive oil Salt...
Tomato sauce, with a kick
Despite the challenge of our cold climate, I love growing tomatoes, and plant them every summer. And after 10 years, I’m even getting pretty good at cultivating them. Of course, then there’s the question of what to do with all the tomatoes we can’t use immediately, to which I...
Broccoli Mac & Cheese Casserole
This hearty dish has been a go-to when I need a dinner plan for a couple of nights, and either don’t know what to make, or can’t find as many fresh ingredients in the middle of winter. It’s comfort food for sure, but with the addition of lean protein...
Quinoa salad, a quick and healthy lunch
Quinoa. Salad. Two words that strike boredom and possible fear in your average lunch-goer. I was skeptical of quinoa myself, at first. But I’ve found it to be a versatile and easy-to-make grain that plays well with a range of other flavors. Use the recipe below as a starting...
16: Kate MacLean, Longest Acres Farm
Kate and her husband Nick of Longest Acres Farm in Chelsea have a familiar farmer story. Tired of working in office jobs, they visited Kate’s farming cousin in the country and fell in love with the lifestyle of hard work, fresh air, and a direct connection with animals and...
The Birthday Cake
This is a recipe that my mother got from a little old lady at a church bake sale one year. It’s so good that it instantly became thebirthday cake in our household; Rick requests it every year. Tools 10-inch tube pan or bundt cake pan Large and small rubber...
Brew your own kombucha
It’s the hot new health trend that’s been around for thousands of years! Yes, even I have been bit by the kombucha craze. But at $5 – $6 per bottle it’s also a very expensive habit. So, I decided to try making my own kombucha at home. The first...
Roast chicken, four ways
Eating healthy. Scratch cooking. Meal planning. They sound good-for-you and also time-consuming and possibly difficult. But I’ve discovered that roasting a whole chicken and creating various dishes out of one bird is both an easy and an economical way to plan several meals in the course of one week....