YEAR ROUND GARDEN DESIGN. I designed my current kitchen garden in 2004, as part of a five year plan when I moved into my new (1905) house. At the time, it was perfect: a simple four-square design with a bark path. Yet lately I have been thinking about how to rebuild it to give it […]
Artful Garden Sheds
There is a big difference between a practical tool shed, and a tiny garden house, yet either way a little cottage designed within the garden gate invites whimsy and imagination to flow. Like a good pantry, a garden shed should be large enough to contain everything you need, easily accessible, and organized enough so you […]
Slow Snow
Driving to Montreal for New Years, the long flat stretches just after the Vermont border were unexpected after leaving the mountains. Endless long white fields of snow with swirling clouds as a dramatic backdrop and it seemed that the curvature of the earth was visible against the horizon. In the city, we parked the car […]
Top 10 Healthiest Vegetables to Grow
Cooking for flavor or optimum health? I say both! Especially when it comes to cooking with alliums. Did you know that only two minutes in a frying pan can reduce garlic to little more than flavor and ruins its healing potency? When substances in garlic commingle, an enzyme reaction is triggered that creates the healing […]
Garlic Honey Dressing for Winter Salad
Years ago, I bought a jar of garlic honey from Emmet Dunbar at Anjali Farms at the Londonderry Farmers Market. The combination of garlic and honey seemed a little odd, but it was not to put on toast, Emmet explained, “It builds up your immune system to ward off a cold”. Sure enough, that winter […]
Recipe: Savory Onion Tart
Savory Onion Tart | Serves 8 I’ll be the first to admit that I often get my best ideas when wandering in a kitchen store. So it’s hard to say if it was the recipe or the fluted removable tart pan, which first inspired me to try baking a tart. But this is the time […]
Recipe: Caramelized Shallot Timbale
Shallots are one of the easiest alliums to grow, and actually pack a higher nutritional punch than the common yellow onion or leek. For this reason, I’ve taken to using them in just about everything I cook. After all, I cook for both flavor and health, so why not get both in one dish. This […]
Natural Beauty.
Sometimes the beauty in our gardens is not really about the design, but the glorious ways that nature grows all on its own to form a partnership. When I first began to garden, it was all about the flowers. In fact, for the next twenty years it continued to be all about the flowers. I […]
Summer Herbed Cheese Bread
Summer Herbed Cheese Bread | Makes 1 large loaf or 2 smaller loaves Baking bread is a forgotten pleasure, and this fragrant herbed bread is such a simple way to bring the aroma of the garden into your kitchen. This recipes was handed down from my grandmother, and continues to be a favorite because it […]
Potato Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
Potato Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing Makes 6 servings Once you’ve tasted this nutty, lemony dressing, it will quickly become a favorite for a range of spring greens or this alternative to a traditional potato salad. The thick paste of ground sesame seeds, known as tahini, is thinned with lemon juice to result in a delicious dressing […]
Carrot Butternut Squash Soup (with Creamy Lime Garnish)
Still Life with Vegetables
This time of year, it’s hard to decide whether to eat the harvest or simply arrange it in a basket to admire the natural beauty of home grown food. Instead of writing about food, I thought I would simply share my favorite photos taken by Ali Kaukas for my book, The Complete Kitchen Garden. These […]
