Zucchini Zoo 2: Summer Spaghetti

Turns out, my mammoth zucchini are almost too easy to deal with deliciously. I  can almost say I’ll really miss them, even. If only they didn’t all burgeon up with such alarming suddenness, like a swell of fat swim noodles in a kiddie pool. In any case,  I’ll certainly miss the ease of scavenging the garden for  sweetly sun-ripened dinner components when the season turns, all too soon. It’s hard to...

Gingerly Planning, Still (Ginger lemon bread, Ging...

It’s been more than a week, and despite a string of flavorful and aromatic meals whittling it down, our amazing bulk of ginger root continues to throw its weight around in the crisper drawer. I’d even venture to say the time to wrap and freeze a good-sized portion of it is imminent. That said, our hardy nightshade has been treating us well, especially during a week that seemed rife with so many stress-inducing...

Oh (Ginger) Snap!

It’s taken a little longer than usual to get to posting this week. Even though I’ve had relevant ideas flinging through my head like ping-pong balls, I’ve been a seriously reluctant writer, even when it comes to the randomly casual sort of messaging, like e-mails and Twitter. My head has been too cloudy, having caught a bad cold that seems to be taking down our school, knocking off students and teachers like...

Sweet Potato Gnocchi, Sauced Four Ways

There is something highly therapeutic about making gnocchi. It’s like playing with edible play dough as an adult. Generally, except for the particular aficionado, one of the many beauties of making these little potato dumplings is that the end result need not look perfect. Like snowflakes, invariably no two are quite alike. Thus, in teacher speak, it’s the process not the product. Even better though, the product...

Sweet (but not saccharine) surprise: Bear Naked...

As a general rule, I don’t really like surprises, and I don’t think I’m alone. Not to be a spoilsport, but being caught off guard isn’t really my cup of tea. I’d love to be carefree and spontaneous, and thanks to a high level of gullibility and occasional tendency to get lost in my own head, on rare occasions I can pull off the impression that I actually am so. Or maybe the appearance given is...

Sweet and Tangy Brown Rice ‘Anything Goes...

I’m labeling this recipe as ‘anything goes’ because of its simple versatility, and the fact that it’s one of those “anytime” meals, much like breakfast served all day. Taken more as a template than a standard, you can have a lot of fun with this, changing up everything about it: the grains, the vinegar, the fruits, the nuts, the quantities. In addition to the ingredients listed below, I...