Tepary beans have a flavor and texture that is like a cross between kidneys, lentils, and pintos. They are creamier, nuttier, easier to digest, and higher in protein than all three. Some locals refer to them as “the creamy beans”.
A colcannon inspired by the readily available winter vegetables in our local food shed and my family. A little Vietnamese. A little Irish. I have been meaning to give this a go for quite some time and I am so glad I finally did. It has all the veggies, all the flavors, texture, and it's a spicy umami bomb. It's vegan and delicious served on its own or served with "wheat meat" sausages or a big heap of steamed Chinese broccoli or broccoli rabe. It is wonderful with seared fish. Serves two as a main, four as a hearty side dish.
It is officially winter and I'm making soup with all of the vegetables! This is a one pot wonder that comes together fast. It is easy to scale up, you could make double and have enough for the week, or freeze some of it for another time. It's pretty delicious for breakfast or chilled too.
Eggplant eggplant everywhere. Everywhere! The price is good and the flavor is wonderful, so I have ended up with a ton of it as part our weekly farmers’ market hauls... This miso honey glazed eggplant comes together fast and it’s really elegant and versatile.
I can vividly recall the first time I ever made a summer squash casserole. I was perplexed. Mix up mayonnaise, sour cream, and an egg, add fresh corn and chopped onion, layer between slices of yellow squash, and top with sharp cheddar and buttered Ritz Cracker crumbs. Bake. I mean. Whoa. It just seemed like tooooo muuuuch stuff. But once baked, sure enough, all the ingredients did work and come together, and it hit all the right notes.
Super ripe summer tomatoes taste amazing but they are also very juicy, and all that tomato juice can make for a soggy puff pastry. Sad panda face. Nobody wants gooey play dough puff pastry. We want layers of buttery, flaky, crispy awesomeness. Happy panda face.
Making bánh xèo from scratch can definitely be a thing. However, I have learned that if you plan and prep everything out in advance, it’s actually pretty easy. And totally worth it.
During ramp season, I frequently meet people at the farmers’ markets who are intrigued by ramps but hesitant to buy them. Interestingly, they have all shared the same concerns...
