A few nights ago, the sisters and I decided to have a mini potluck and cards night. Nothing fancy, just a bit of good food and a game of cards (and maybe a bottle or two of wine). It was so fun to go to the little house in the woods, for such a cozy…
Category: Vegetables
Glazed Parsnips
This time of year, it’s all about root vegetables. The more of them we eat, the better we’ll be able to handle spring when it comes. Which is not today. This is how Mom used to cook parsnips, glazed in a cast iron frying pan. It is still my favourite way to eat them. Parsnips…
Rutabaga with Dijon
The under-loved rutabaga (swede, neeps or yellow turnip) has been part of the European diet since pre-historic times, and been used as livestock fodder since at least the 1400’s. It has fed folks through famine, and kept livestock alive through the winter. It may be whimsy, but I can easily visualize a young serf walking…
Shallots with Sherry Reduction
Back in the day, I used to make pickles, lots of pickles of every sort. One fall I made many pints of pickled onions, and thought it would be a good idea to top each jar with a small chili. Unfortunately I used Bird’s Eye Chilies. There they sat, for several months, infusing my cheerful…
Butternut Cottage Pie
The feeling of sitting down to a meal of “comfort food” is exactly that, comfort. The senses drag up old, comfy memories, of different times and places, but all of them bring us comfort. In our childhood home, if we ever had a roast beef or pot roast for dinner, the next day one of…
farmhouse cook 