Cooking Greens — How to cook ’em all!

Mixed braising greens from Markcristo Farm in Hillsdale, NY. Wok-braised greens using the alternative light braise in step # 2. (I added  freshly grated ginger and stock.) Wokked or Braised Greens from The Locavore Way CSA farmers frequently tell me that the question most asked by members is, “What do I do with cooking greens?” […]

Skillet Corn Bread

No excuses! Burgeoning Winter and Holiday Farmers Markets make it convenient for you to include fabulous farm fresh foods in your winter feasts, starting with Thanksgiving. See below: To find a market near you and for this weekend’s Berkshire Holiday Markets. Lots of Locavore Thankgiving Recipes Legislative Action alert:Save small farm production now! I’m a […]

Smashed Potatoes and Celery Root with Chive Butter

Knobby celery root doesn’t look like a vegetable to cuddle up to, which is why most Americans don’t cook it. But scratch its skin for an earthy aroma that’s celery-like with a distinctive edge. When classically paired with neutral potatoes, it elevates both vegetables, so that together they become something more than either alone. Serves about […]

Market Salad with Pan Roasted Potatoes and Local Cheese

One early summer variation with beets, radishes and feta (or blue cheese). You could also add arugula, chives, and numerous other goodies. Fresh goat cheese could be spread on a toasted baguette if you prefer. I love what I call open recipes, because they’re flexible and forgiving. Add a little more or less of this or […]

Strawberries and a Talk about Salads

Three websites, each with a tasty… A short talk on about Salads The first is Caroline Alexander’s Berkshire Food Journal, which I’ve featured before for its superb audio segments and accompanying slides about regional farmers. Today, I’m steering you to a short talk I did on salads, which I hope you’ll find useful now that […]

Grilled Cheddar with Broccoli Rabe

This simple sandwich bites back, with its 3 get-up-and-go regional ingredients — aged cheddar, broccoli rabe and whole grain bread. The cheddar came from my trip, mentioned in last week’s post, to the Grafton Village Cheese Factory.  I picked up the broccoli rabe at the Great Barrington Farmers Market, cooked it with pasta, then used […]

Grilled Asparagus with Chive Oil

What grows together goes together in this lovely pairing of spring asparagus and chives. Grilling asparagus brings out their woodsy flavor, and chives lend a subtle depth. The recipe makes extra chive oil, which is tasty on other grilled vegetables or fish. Serves 6-8  2 pounds asparagus 1/2 cup oil (half olive oil, half flavorless oil) […]

Play with Your Goat Cheese!

Smooth and milky with a upbeat tang, no wonder fresh goat cheese production and consumption has boomed over the last few decades. Likely there’s a small regional farm in your neck of the woods, say a 70’s homesteader like Susan Sellew’s Rawson Brook Farm near me, who chose her goats for their good looks and […]

Roasted Potato Wedges

My husband, Tommy, who at times I affectionately call “Mr Potato head,”kindled my passion for potatoes early in our 26 year marriage. Half Irish Catholic, half Irish Protestant, he grew up eating potatoes at every meal. These days, we often roast 5 pounds at a time for the two of us to keep on hand […]