Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin Soup (easier than pie) with inspiration from Barbara Kingsolver
Buy small local sugar pumpkin. Cut out top and save. Carve out inside (remove seeds and pulp).
Fill with stock and 2 tablespoons of butter. Add dash of salt & pepper. Replace top.
Bake at 375 for about 40 minutes.
Remove from oven. Scrape down sides, being careful to [...]

No Umbrella Necessary

I’m a big believer in having a drink when necessary. However, I also recognize that not everyone is able or willing to drink alcoholic drinks all the time. But whenever I’m at a party and I see someone drinking just a coke or sticking to water, it makes me sad. Why? Because it sucks being [...]

Piece of cake?

When I look at recipes online—especially things that are visually stunning—I play a simple game of “could I make that?”
Not that I’m a terrible cook, but I’m a cook, not a baker, which means that I think all amounts are suggestions, and have difficulty following precise directions. So before I even think about hitting the [...]

Sounds crazy, no?

No one I know thinks Manischewitz is good for anything except filling Elijah’s cup at Passover. But I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for it. I mean, it tastes like grape juice, but so what? Grape juice is nice. Especially if you dip a piece of challah in it, right?
But since Manischewitz [...]

The World’s Best Appetizer

When I die, there’d best be a plate of these in the waiting room for heaven:

Tri-Color Yum
Ingredients: sundried tomatoes, fresh mozzerella, fresh basil, & french bread
You can get sundried tomatoes in jars at your local grocer, or buy at a fancy food store. Slice the mozzerella as thinly as possible and top with fresh basil [...]

Quick & Easy Chickpea Salad

(Amounts are equal to three gallons (feeds about 40-50); adjust to your party’s size!)
6 cucumbers, peeled & chopped
4 cans black olives, sliced
4 large cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 large container of crumbled feta (optional)
Mix all ingredients together, add salt and pepper, then drizzle olive oil & balsamic vinegar to taste. If preparing in advance, chop [...]

Can’t-Mess-It-Up Apple Crisp

A few weekends ago, I took part in the wonderful New England tradition of apple picking. My friend Elizabeth and I drove out to Honey-Pot Hill Orchards in Stowe, where there are rows upon rows of Cortlands, Macintoshes, Honey Crisps, and even pears. When you enter the orchard, you have to choose the size of [...]

More Recipes From the Broke Yet Creative Graduate Student

Summer Tuna Salad
Open and drain one can of tuna (solid white albacore, dolphin-safe, in water).
Smush in:

about a tablespoon of mayo (or more to taste)
a teaspoon of lemon juice (fake from a bottle is fine, rice vinegar would probably also be ok)
a tablespoon of olive oil (canola oil or veg oil will not do; this [...]

Kale is a Four-Letter Word

I’m a little scared of kale. Mostly, my experiences thus far with kale include it as a saute ingredient. Which is, you know, fine. Except that sometimes it’s still tough and chewy. And it tastes so… healthy.
But now I have a weekly farm share. Ergo, there is kale. Ergo, I was getting nervous: Do I [...]

Greens, greens!

Greens, greens, and nothing but greens:
Parsley, peppers, cabbages and celery,
Asparagus and watercress and
Fiddleferns and lettuce!
—Witch’s Lament, Into the Woods, Stephen Sondheim
Our weekly farm share has started.
So far, we have had:

mustard greens
spinach
arugula
broccoli
sugar peas
pea shoots
bok choy
red leaf lettuce
unidentifiable arugula-like greens
turnips (with greens)

I love my vegetables as much as the next person, but I confess I’ve been a [...]