Back in the beginnings of our life on the farm, we used to grow squash in places where we’d had a burn pit. We’d turn over all the ash, add some compost, and plant a few seeds. Sometimes they were seeds that a friend had from the last year’s crop. The biggest were Hubbards, and…
Caramel Sauce
Sometimes a recipe’s ingredients aren’t readily available. Usually caramel sauce is made with sugar, water, cream, and a bit of vanilla. Three of those ingredients are usually in the house. Cream: not always. However, eggs are usually on hand. This recipe uses the richness of egg yolks to help set the sauce, and give it…
Steamed Cranberry-Ginger Pudding
In our childhood home, Christmas dinner used to always end with a suet pudding with hard sauce. Lovingly made a month or so ahead of time to be part of the day’s celebrations. Unfortunately, most of us children didn’t like the pudding. It was too heavy following an exhausting day and a big dinner. Even…
Sautéed Mushrooms with Baby Kale
My older sister has just bought a small home on Thetis. I tell you, this island is somehow in our blood. We have a small photograph of our grandparents standing on the rocks by the Chemainus boat slip in 1921, with Thetis in the background. This might not seem unusual, but my grandfather met my…
Butternut Squash Spoon Bread
Spoon bread seems to be in every magazine right now, and I figured it was about time I found out just what it is! Trolling online and through cookbooks, I found out just a couple of essentials. Firstly, it is made with cornmeal, secondly it has eggs in it, and thirdly, no self respecting American…
farmhouse cook 