Category: General Recipes

Asparagus

Asparagus is a classic sign of springits bold energy breaking cold ground, stretches tall to greet the warming sun. With a happy, enlivening spirit, asparagus acts to announce the awakening life and possibility that we associate with spring. Like many greens that also come to life in the spring, asparagus is bitter in taste and…

Blueberries

Blueberries in Peak Season: July is National Blueberry Month Available at the market from May through September, it is July that blueberries hit their zenith of flavor, just in time for July 4th barbeques and celebrations. How fitting! Blueberries are truly American, since the blueberry is native only to North America. In terms of nutrition…

Strawberries

When I think of June, I think of celebrationsespecially graduations and weddingsand, l think of strawberries.link At their peak and bursting with flavor, strawberries herald the long days of summer, with its change of pace and its promise of possibility. Strawberries are a lively, happy food: like raspberries, they are one of the few fruits…

Stone Fruits

Summer EndingsStone Fruits, Plums, Peaches, and Apricots Summer heat and humidity linger into late summer, and so do stone fruits. It is our last chance to savor these before fall brings the apple/pumpkin harvest season. When I think of late summer, I think especially of plums. Their sweet-tartness and cooling, hydrating nature make them a…

Pumpkin

Pumpkin is versatile and can be incorporated into any meal, from breakfast through dinner. Pumpkin is a good source of vitamin A, a nutrient that helps protect the mucus membranes of the lungs and digestive system against infection. It helps the body retain vitamin C, and it counters acne, asthma, bronchial infections, and cholesterol. Pumpkin…

Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Cooking with Sun-Dried Tomatoeslink The sun is a mighty force. It works to pull fresh shoots from the ground in the spring, provides energy throughout the growing process, and then lends its energy to help preserve its bounty after harvest. Sun-dried tomatoes first became popular in Italy before the days of easy canning. Tomatoes were…

Quinoa

Quinoa: The Mother Grain of the Ancient Incas and a Powerful Grain for Modern Times Quinoa (pronounced keen wah) is a relatively new discovery. Thought of as a grain, it is actually related to the leafy Chenopodium (beets and spinach) family. Grown in this country only since the mid-1980s, it has gained popularity because it…

Natural Sweeteners as Substitutes for Sugar

Refined white sugar is a highly concentrated chemical. It is 99 percent pure sucrose, stripped of its natural nutrients. Sugar depletes our body of vital nutrients because just for its metabolism, we must tap into our stores of vitamins and minerals. Because our body is programmed to expect foods in their natural whole form, sugar…