Strawberry shortcake can be a true family ritual. Visit the Kitchen Parade weekly blog for light, lovely Best Shortcake Biscuits and Iowa Shortcake , the "first" way my family eats strawberry shortcake every year.

Kitchen Parade is on holiday. But the Veggie Venture continues! We've searched the archives for the best weekly columns featuring vegetables. If you find a deal on red and yellow peppers, try this pair of recipes . The first is for a Red, Yellow Pepper Relish with mustard and olives, great with grilled meat. The second is a refrigerator (or canned, if you're ambitious) pickle called Pied Pipers that was featured back on Day 57 with grilled peppers from Trader Joe's.

Kitchen Parade is on holiday. But never fear, the Veggie Venture continues! We've searched our archives for the best weekly columns featuring vegetables. Love French Fries? Now you can make fries from carrots , not potatoes. Also included is a fast, easy recipe for pork tenderloin.

Kitchen Parade is on holiday. But never fear, the Veggie Venture continues! We've searched our archives for the best weekly columns featuring vegetables. Here are three ways to use sweet potatoes , in a Chicken Cider Stew, also mashed and roasted. All three are delicious!

Kitchen Parade is on holiday. But never fear, the Veggie Venture continues for we've searched our archives for the best weekly columns featuring vegetables. Here's a long-time favorite recipe for ratatouille , published back in 2002 as Kitchen Parade's debut.

Today's beet recipe: A simple beet salad, just cooked beets tossed with red onion cooked in olive oil and salty capers. Delicious and very pretty! ~ recipe updated & photo added in 2006 ~ 2005: Whaddaya say I get extra credit for this one? The yard is mowed, the suitcases are packed, the Explorer is loaded. Even the dog senses that soon we'll be hitting the road. Yes, tomorrow is the start of a two-week holiday and here I am, using up some of those beets cooked on Sunday. (The rest are in the neighbor's fridge.) So are they any good? Yep. Are they easy? Yep. Are they pretty? Yep. (Sorry, the camera's docking station is packed, too. But imagine beet-stained onions with sassy-green capers. Photo added in 2006 ... but isn't this a pretty dish?! ) Are they a keeper? You bet. 2006: These were even better than I remembered! They make for a hearty, filling side dish but I'd also toss them with pasta for a vegetarian supper. RECIPE for RED ONION BEETS Active time: 1

It gets no simpler than this. It gets no better than this. It gets no easier than this. When my nephew visited recently, his grandmother - his oma, a German war bride - sent along a basket of German goodies, black currant jam, Kevli crackers, chocolate and a loaf of rye bread. Is this a 'vegetable'? I dunno. But today I called it lunch. TOMATO on RYE Active time: 5 minutes Time to table: 5 minutes Serves 4 8 thin slices heavy rye bread Butter 1 tomato, sliced Salt & pepper Spread thin layer of butter on each slice. Top with tomato slice. Sprinkle liberally with salt and freshly ground pepper. NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Serving: 244 Cal (36% from Fat, 10% from Protein, 54% from Carb); 6 g Protein; 10 g Tot Fat; 5 g Sat Fat; 33 g Carb; 4 g Fiber; 55 mg Calcium; 2 mg Iron; 426 mg Sodium; 20 mg Cholesterol, Weight Watchers 5 points