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Southern Side: Creamed Collard Greens
I'm a little sick of the traditional Thanksgiving meal. That's why this year I plan on serving slightly different versions of old favorites — like a turkey roulade instead of a whole roasted turkey, for instance.
Rather than the usual green bean casserole, I'm reaching for a neo-Southern riff on the creamed spinach standby, and plan on impressing guests with creamed collard greens.
Creamless Creamed Spinach Is a Healthy Thanksgiving Side
Michelle Obama has only been a resident at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for 10 months, yet she's already managed to set an example for Americans to eat more fresh food, from planting a garden to starting a White House farmers market.
Earlier this year, I spotted a recipe for one of the first lady's favorite White House dishes, a creamed spinach without the cream. I bookmarked it, thinking it would make a satisfying yet light steak side, or a healthful addition to a large Thanksgiving feast.
In Season: Fennel
It's surprising that a hardy green such as fennel is so unknown to so many home cooks, especially considering the vegetable's adaptability: Its bulb, stalks, and fronds are all completely edible, either raw or cooked, and it possesses a pleasing, mild anise flavor. Although it's a perennial, fennel can be found at a reasonable price during Autumn months. Fennel newbies can sniff it at the market for a hint of the flavor to come.
Fast & Easy Dinner: Spinach, Olive, and Feta Omelet
Do you live alone? Are you a vegetarian? If you answered yes to both of those questions, I suggest you consider this omelet for dinner tonight.
In Season: Beets
I must admit I'd been seriously dismayed to see peaches and watermelons being replaced by Fall fruits at the farmers market, but once a myriad of different beets caught my eye, the season managed to redeem itself. From the crimson-red garden beet to the pink-and-white striped Chioggia, these root vegetables come in a range of stunning, jewel-toned hues.They add a punch of color — and a sweet, mildly buttery flavor when cooked — to just about any course. While they're available in California almost year-round, October, it seems, is the time of year when they taste most tender.
Can You Identify Root Vegetables?
The weather's becoming more moderate, which means root vegetables are turning up in markets everywhere. Root vegetables are typically firm to the touch, making them perfect candidates for soups, stews, and long braises. But there are so many tubers that, at times, it can be hard to set them all straight.
How to Clean Leeks
With their mild onion flavor and thick white stalk, leeks are one of my favorite vegetables. They're excellent in cold weather preparations like soups, stews, and braises. When cooking with leeks, it's important to take the time to properly clean them.
Make Your Own Vegetable Stock
While many soup recipes incorporate vegetarian-friendly ingredients like vegetables, cream, or cheese, the majority call for chicken broth, making them inedible to someone who doesn't consume meat. This problem is easily remedied with one simple component: vegetable stock. Made from vegetables that are roasted and then simmered in water, veggie stock is flavorful and rich.
VeggieTrader Turns Lemons Into . . . Carrots?
Home gardens are all the rage, and if you have friends who grow their own produce, you probably end up eating a lot of it too. One downside to getting down and dirty in the garden is that you often have way too much of one thing (kale, anyone?) and not enough of another. Enter VeggieTrader, a new website that wants to help gardeners swap their surplus fruits and veggies for crops that might not have come up so well.
Is It a Tomato or Squash?
In terms of produce, the end of September is a time that straddles Summer and Fall. Late-season heirloom tomatoes are juicy and plump, while early-season butternut squash are way too tempting. To celebrate the plethora of produce that can be found in markets, I've put together this fun quiz.
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Catherine Malandrino