[Masthead] Fair ~ 69°F  
High: 92°F
Friday, May 25, 2012
Desserts from the farm (05/13/12)
Every year my family vacations in August at a cottage in Muskegon, Mich., along the shore of Lake Michigan. Western Michigan's beaches are beautiful with the sand and fresh water rolling in with no jellyfish or crabs or sharks to worry about so it's great for swimming. ...
Quiche, please! A spring favorite from your Easter leftovers (04/08/12)
Quiche and spring is a pair made in heaven. A fluffy, light egg mixture in a flaky homemade crust studded with beautiful vegetables -- what could be better? Pair this with a salad of fresh baby spinach bathed in a lemony vinaigrette and you have the queen of all spring brunches to enjoy on the patio in the warm, fresh air...
Back to basics for cool delights (03/11/12)
March is one of those transitional months - in like a lion, out like a lamb. It looks pretty outside but can be deceiving, and everyone is looking forward to the longer, warmer days and fresh produce from the garden. But, for now, we depend on our pantry, longer storage items and staple produce from the grocery store...
Parsnips: A winter jewel (02/12/12)
Sweet, nutty, starchy and full of flavor, the parsnip is a jewel of the winter vegetables. Brought to America by the first settlers from Europe, it has not become a well-known and used vegetable here as the potato reigns supreme in most American kitchens. However, you will be amazed by this flavorful powerhouse and the versatility it brings to your winter dishes...
Harvest your pantry for winter comfort foods (01/15/12)
Winter is the perfect time for comfort foods. Hearty and flavorful dishes that warm you to the soul in meat and potatoes style. While there isn't much growing outside to fill these dishes, your pantry holds the key to creating great dinners packed with nutrition and produce. Actually, January is canned food month so let's celebrate with recipes from the pantry...
Fruits refresh the palate in winter, too (12/11/11)
Fruit is not the first thing that comes to mind with thoughts of the holidays. But if we think about it, fruits have long been linked to this season. For me, it all began as a child when Santa always put an apple and an orange in my stocking as a special treat. The red felt boot with my name in white that my Mom had made would bulge with the biggest apples and oranges I had ever seen...
Comforting cabbage (11/13/11)
Cabbage doesn't exactly bring to mind glamorous, beautiful dishes and upscale dining. What this rather homely vegetable brings to mind for me is comforting family meals. My first memory of cabbage on the table was what Mom called New England Boiled Dinner. Cabbage, potatoes, carrots and onions were simmered with a corned beef for hours on the stove, filling the house with a mouth watering aroma...
Pumpkin tricks and treats (10/09/11)
Jack-o-lanterns and decorating might be the most popular use of pumpkins this time of year, but the real treasure lies in the smaller pie pumpkins that are made for cooking. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cake, even roasted pumpkin with maple syrup or a creamy pumpkin soup highlight this wonderful fall vegetable...
Incredible edible eggplant (09/11/11)
Eggplant is an often overlooked vegetable in the produce section. It is beautiful with its glossy purple/black skin and little green cap, but what do you do with it when you get it home? Actually, eggplant is very versatile and often used in European, Middle Eastern and Asian cuisines. It loves to absorb other flavors and has a texture that makes it a good meat substitute in dishes such as eggplant parmesan...
Squash that appetite! (07/10/11)
Here a squash, there a squash, everywhere a squash, squash. When the zucchini, yellow squash and patty pans start maturing in the garden, the harvest is plentiful and the question of the day is "What do I do with it all?". The good news is that these summer squashes are so versatile. They can be used in dishes from salads and appetizers to breads and desserts...
A tribute to Texas Czech (06/12/11)
Where can you get handmade sausages and hotdogs, try three different types of Kolache and have a lunch of the best sauerkraut and cabbage rolls you've ever eaten? If you're thinking Eastern Europe, think a little closer -- Texas actually! Gay Ervin and I just returned from the International Association of Culinary Professionals Conference in Austin, Texas. ...
Bring on the broccoli (05/08/11)
President George H. W. Bush may not have been a broccoli fan, but he must be in the minority as the average person in the United States eats 4 ½ pounds of broccoli each year. As a cool weather crop, May is the perfect time to enjoy this tasty and versatile vegetable. ...
Welcome spring with asparagus (04/10/11)
Nothing welcomes spring in the kitchen more than fresh asparagus. Ideal spring conditions can cause these flavorful stalks to grow more than ten inches in a twenty-four hour period, which is good for us who want to cook with it. If you have only used the canned asparagus, I encourage you to try using the fresh this spring for a whole new taste...
Citrus warms chilly days (01/16/11)
I like to think of citrus fruits and juices as liquid sunshine during the long winter months. Its tangy, perky flavor wakes up the taste buds and reminds us of sunny Florida or California. Citrus is so versatile it can be used in main dishes, salads, desserts and side dishes. It is also good for winter months since it is high in vitamin C which helps strengthen the immune system. So I encourage you to break into citrus fruits and juices this month...
Cranberry Orange Scones and holiday baking tips (11/14/10)
November was always the start of the baking season when I was growing up. Mom would always start with the quick breads -- banana, pumpkin and zucchini -- to go into the freezer ready for breakfast or a tray to take to work. Next would come the fruitcake because it needed to "age" for six weeks to develop full flavor for Christmas. Then came the cookies -- dozens of different types for wonderful cookie trays...
Take out, stay in! (10/03/10)
When I was in high school my Dad went to Washington, D.C. for a few weeks to school. When he returned he had bought two Chinese cookbooks. So Mom experimented with the recipes and we started having really great Chinese food at home. One of our favorites was Kung Pao Chicken and it has become a family classic...
Learn your kitchen mathematics (09/20/09)
We were making pear preserves the other day and the recipe called for 3/4 pound of sugar to each pound of pears. We were using our postage meter to figure out how many cups of sugar to add to our 10 pounds of pears. That's when it dawned upon me how nice it would be to have a handy chart of equivalents...
Meat mallet makes meals in no time ... flat (08/16/09)
When you hear a lot of pounding coming from my kitchen, you know it is chicken for dinner. My meat mallet gets a lot of use in the kitchen to pound out boneless, skinless chicken breasts. After pounding them flat they can be used for sautéing. Top the chicken with a Dijon mustard sauce, coat it and fry it and serve it with gravy and mashed potatoes, or dust it with blackening seasoning and pan fry in butter to top a salad. For a quick and easy meal nothing beats a pounded chicken breast...
Thyme for backyard herbs (06/14/09)
One of my favorite things to do when I get home is to go to the herb garden outside the back door and brush up against the plants, releasing their fragrance into the air. The piney smell of rosemary, the citrusy freshness of lemon verbena and the grassy greenness of the flat leaf parsley -- all enticing with their aromas -- inspire me to rush to the kitchen and whip up a flavorful dinner...
Whitney Danhof
Seasonal Eating
Whitney Danhof is with the University of Tennessee Extension in Shelbyville.