Any cookie monsters in your family? Check out the Fat Rascals featured in this Kitchen Parade column for a tasty after-school treat.

Today's recipe for late-summer or early fall, a gratin of steamed cauliflower and tomatoes, lightly seasoned and topped with melty cheese. Delicious! ~recipe & photo updated 2012~ ~ more recently updated recipes ~ 2006 Original Post: So what's a seasonal cook to do on a 93-degree first day of fall? Build a bridge between the seasons, that's what! This cauliflower dish struck just the right note tonight, fall's creamy cauliflower paired with summer's slightly acidic tomatoes. Thanks to my cousin Sharon for the recipe, who serves this with roasted meat or grilled fish and says that it's attractive for a buffet supper. I agree! Next time (and there will definitely be a next time) I'll make one or two changes to lighten it, with little change in enjoyment, I think. I'll either double the cauliflower or use half the bread crumbs and cheese. 2012 Update: How often I feel "called" to remake something at exactly the same time of year (or the &

"Trees" are tasting better and better, thanks to the aggressive trimming learned back on Day 55 . This was bright and refreshing though next time I'll use half the orange/curry. But it's a definite keeper. For other broccoli possibilities, see the broccoli section . BROCCOLI with ORANGE & CURRY Hands-on time: 15 minutes Time to table: 25 minutes Serves 4 1/2 cup orange juice (reduced from 1 cup) Juice from a lemon (about 2 tablespoons) 1 teaspoon butter 1/2 tablespoon curry powder (reduced from 1 tablespoon) 1 pound broccoli, trimmed aggressively Mix the orange juice, lemon juice, butter and curry in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and let simmer until the liquid begins to thicken just slightly. Meanwhile, bring about an inch of water to boil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan. Place a collapsible steamed inside, add the broccoli, cover and cook for exactly 5 minutes. Drain the water, return the broccoli to the hot pan. Stir in the sauce, cove

Tonight's supper decision was made at the last minute, standing in front of the meat counter. Did it turn out okay? Of course. Could it have turned out better with planning? Of course. Some cooks are naturals at makin' it up. But I'm not one of 'em. If I'd only made a little bit of effort beforehand, I'd have had a basic recipe like this (nope, too much added fat) or this (hmm, better, lime juice is a good idea) or this (that's it!) to follow and THEN vegg-ed up -- likely with better results and just as importantly, results more likely to be repeated. A good lesson, another to add to A Veggie Venture's growing list . TURKEY BURGERS "VEGG-ED UP" Hands-on time: 10 minutes Time to table: 20 minutes Serves 4 1 pound 99% fat-free ground turkey 1/4 an onion, chopped fine 1/2 a red bell pepper, chopped fine 1/2 cup grated carrot (tonight, a handful of grated carrot from a bag was chopped in just seconds) 1 teaspoon curry Dash ca

Here are several thoughtful-yet-practical tips for serving up healthy snacks for kids. They've have been condensed from the Burlington Free Press, where you may read the complete story. Stick close to nature. Fresh fruits and vegetables are some of the best snack choices because they offer strong nutrition value with no additives. Beyond that, the shorter the ingredients list, the better A box of raisins (with one ingredient) vs Gummy snacks (pear concentrate + three forms of added sugar + partially hydrogenated oil). Don't be a purist: If it takes a little ranch dressing to get your child eating fresh veggies, it's a small price to pay. No more white bread. Look for at least 2 grams of fiber per serving of any grain-based product such as bread, cereals or crackers. When choosing cereal, follow the "3-3-9" rule 3 grams of fiber no more than 3 grams of fat no more than 9 grams of sugar. Be a label reader. Avoid trans-fats (usually listed as hy

Once you start roasting tomatoes in late summer and early fall, easy suppers like this half make themselves. Here, it's just pasta tossed with a ten-minute sauce, including a few skillet-toasted walnuts. Just gorgeous ... Real Food, Fresh & Seasonal. Just Seven Ingredients! A Late-Summer Classic. Not Just Easy, Summer Easy . Little Effort, Big Taste. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Vegetarian.

Many thanks (again) to JenGray for her photo, this time the cross-stitch from her Gram's apron. It's that time again, the vegetable-centric posts from other food bloggers / home cooks. This week, the focus is on vegetable dishes for the Six O'Clock Scramble , weary from work, trying to put supper on the table in a few minutes, hungry kids waiting in the wing. From the Accidental Hedonist, a lofty-sounding Spinaci alla Piemonte, really just spinach with a secret ingredient From the Amateur Gourmet, a quick-to-the-table summer squash and corn pasta From the Bacon Show, which to my surprise features one vegetable recipe after another, a quick skillet toss of red cabbage and fixin's including bacon, natch From My Adventures in the Breadbox, a lovely garden minestrone with summer squash, zucchini, carrot, corn and spinach too And for nights when there's time for the oven: From Though Small, It Is Tasty, a sweet potato and spinach and egg "tian&quo