Posts

Asparagus Noodles ♥

Today's vegetable recipe: Thin strips of asparagus stems, gently sautéed. Quick. Low carb. Weight Watchers 1 point. The local asparagus won't arrive for a couple of weeks but there's no avoiding the temptation of the first asparagus from the supermarket. These quick-cooked asparagus 'noodles' were absolutely delicious. I used a vegetable peeler to 'noodle-ize' fat spears of asparagus, then cooked them in nothing more than butter -- a splash of lemon juice might be nice too. SO simple. SO good. VEGETABLE RECIPES from the ARCHIVES ~ more ways to cook asparagus ~ ASPARAGUS NOODLES Hands-on time: Maybe 10 minutes Time to table: Maybe 15 minutes Serves 4 1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus (fat spears are best) 1 tablespoon butter Splash of lemon juice (if you like) Salt & pepper to taste Snap woody ends off asparagus and discard. Slice off the tips and if you like, save for something else. With a vegetable peeler, slice lengthwise along each spear, creating a '

Free Icons for Bloggers: Let's Celebrate Fresh & Local Produce!

Finally! The advent of spring may mean cherry blossoms in Washington but for vegetable lovers, it's the return of fresh, local produce that stirs our spoons. So I commissioned some icons to help myself -- and my fellow bloggers -- showcase fresh vegetables and fruits whether from farmers markets, a CSA, a you-pick farm, even our own gardens. (Sound familiar? Who remembers Blush the Sweet Tomato ?) So yes, fellow bloggers, you are invited to use these icons in your own blogs in posts and places that feature fresh and local produce. Together, let's help spread the word about the many sources of fresh and healthful produce. Each icon comes in 400px, 125px and 100px sizes. You're free to use one or more of the icons as you see fit: in posts; in sidebars; to link to a list of your own favorite farmers markets; to link to Local Harvest or your own CSA -- anything creative you come up with that's related to fresh, local produce. Use them once, use them a h

Roasted Zucchini with Orange & Lemon ♥

Today's vegetable recipe: Easy roasted zucchini recipe. Tossed with citrus zest and juice. Low carb. Weight Watchers 1 point. Spring is upon us: any day now, really truly positively. Already my seasonal sensibility for vegetables and other foods is doffing the winter, donning the spring. This easy zucchini hit just the right spot on a cusp-ish day, spring-ish in the morning, wintry-ish in the afternoon. Laffodil-daffodils, where are you?! NEXT TIME I will try-try-try to remember to line the baking sheet with foil! THE QUESTION IS Will Freddie and Alex like the zucchini? Their Mum, my pal Charlotte, is collecting "S is for summer squash" recipes this week. Big news! Their own veggie venture will soon be a book. "The Great Big Veg Challenge" -- how to get your children eating vegetables happily -- will be published in July. Congratulations to my vegetable-curious friends all the way in England! I couldn't be prouder! THE ANSWER IS Apparently Freddie likes it

Stuffed Artichokes ♥ Recipe

Today's recipe: Fresh artichokes stuffed with a simple bread-crumb mixture, then baked. Until now, anyone searching A Veggie Venture for artichoke recipes might well come away disappointed. In three years, I've collected only four recipes -- not one calling for fresh artichokes. Nil. Nada. Zip. Zilch. I just didn't 'get' artichokes. They were eeeh, okay, hardly worth the fuss. "Here, just eat the heart," I heard time after time. Eh. I did buy artichokes, half-writing posts in my head right there in the produce department. Two years in a row, their spiked leaves dried to nothing in the fridge. This year, they languished a good week before I forced myself to do something -- anything -- with them. Suddenly, one warmish spring evening, I was inspired to pull out the weapons that anyone veggie averse should have at hand, bacon and cheese . And oh glory, I get it, I finally get it. And yes, artichokes are a tad fussy (especially stuffed) but way easier to tr

Tool Tip: Asparagus Steamer

One of my favorite kitchen gadgets, a tall narrow pot to steam asparagus. By today's standards, my kitchen is small. Whenever I peer longingly into beautiful new kitchens and wish mine were bigger, more open, more something, I think of my 70-something west-door neighbor who cooked and fed husband and six kids in the same space -- and once again feel content with my kitchen, just the way it is. Few kitchen tools are allowed a permanent home in my kitchen, especially tools that are single-purpose. But my commitment to an asparagus steamer started early in this vegetable recipe odyssey. On Day Three's Lemon Asparagus , I sang the praises of an asparagus steamer. By Day Seven's Asparagus Tapenade , I'd finagled a decent alternative using a 9x13 pan. By Day Seventeen's Ginger Asparagus , I'd rigged one up -- very inexpensively -- using a tall narrow pot from Target and an everyday expandable vegetable steamer. Now, upon the first asparagus sightings, I move this mak

Country Cornbread ♥

Today's recipe: Homemade cornbread made supper-substantial with ham, sun-dried tomatoes and cheese. A 'concept' recipe. Who's looking for good ways to use up leftover ham? Me too, it seems, always. Add a bowl of soup and this homemade cornbread makes for a filling supper. [ Note to Vegetarians ] NEXT TIME I'll use bigger chunks of cheese so there are pockets of cheesiness. LEFTOVER REPORT Don't forget to refrigerate any leftovers, there's meat in this cornbread! This cornbread remained fresh and moist for the second day. NEW PRODUCT ALERT I love-love-love what I call 'fresh' sun-dried tomatoes. They're not the dried and dusty sun-dried tomatoes that require reconstituting in boiling water, neither are they the sun-dried tomatoes soaked in oil and calories. 'Fresh' sun-dried tomatoes are fat and plump, more like dried plums/prunes. They last in the fridge for several weeks - except that they're easy to snack on, too. Good news,

Swedish Pickled Beetroot Salad ♥

Even though pickled beet salads are traditional Christmas food in Scandinavia, today's recipe works for a quick Easter vegetable, too. It's just pickled beets and orange slices in a light mayonnaise, sour cream and horseradish sauce. Just look at that bright pink color! Very tasty! Naturally Gluten Free. ~recipe updated, first published way back in 2008~ ~ more recently updated recipes ~ This easy beet salad was one of three favorite new recipes last Christmas. It works so beautifully with ham, it's already on our Easter menu. The combination of beets, sour cream and horseradish makes it much like Borscht Beets . But Swedish Pickled Beetroot Salad is special (better? perhaps!) because of the extra spark from pickled beets and the texture/flavor/color contrast from orange slices. WHERE TO FIND PICKLED BEETS? Our Christmas salad used up the last of some homemade pickled beets but look for pickled beets in the grocery store alongside canned beets. I also supplemented t