Roasted Potato and Fennel Soup

This recipe is adapted from Ina Garten’s The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. There’s a tattered copy on our shelf — stained with years of reverent use. Though we love Ina, we also routinely doctor her recipes to reduce the fat and salt content. She’s heavy-handed in these areas, but her recipes are always simple, pure and consistently satisfying. You can omit the cream (or reduce) if you like, but it adds a lovely richness. We’ve already reduced it by half from the original. If you have leeks, substitute one for some of the onion.

Continue reading

Quinoa Salad with Fresh Peaches and Herbs

I’m hooked on the light, fluffy whole grain, quinoa.  Blame it on the fabulous N.Y. Times food writer, Martha Rose Shulman (if blame must be placed), who recently featured this protein-packed whole grain in her Recipes for Health column. If you haven’t been following Ms. Shulman before now, check out her column for its nutritional information and recipes centered on fresh, seasonal and healthy food.

Continue reading

Quinoa Salad with Fresh Plums and Herbs

This recipe was inspired by Heidi Swanson’s fabulous cookbooks, Super Natural Cooking and Super Natural Every Day. Feel free to substitute other seasonal fruit for the plums – peaches would be superb. This salad shows off the bounty of even the most modest herb garden. Try adding chives, parsley, arugula or cilantro to the mix.

Continue reading

Roasted Fennel with Cherry Tomatoes and Olives

Adapted from Jamie Oliver who knows how useful a glug (his word) or two of wine is to a roasting pan.  You won’t believe the flavors—deep and intense, yet mellow.  The aroma is enough to drive the household mad.  This is the ticket for anyone who shies away from the strong licorice scent of raw fennel.  You won’t detect a trace here.

Continue reading

Celery, Fennel and Citrus Salad

This salad is very flexible – you can vary ingredients depending on your preferences.  Add more fennel—if you enjoy its licorice flavor—or less if you don’t.  Vary the citrus depending on your preference for the sweetness of orange or the sour taste of grapefruit.  I like to add a good amount of arugula, but if that’s too spicy a taste for you, simply add a milder lettuce, or use less of the spicy green. Packaged “Sweet and Spicy Pecans” can be found at Trader Joe’s stores.

Continue reading