Main Courses

Tomato, Corn, and Cheese Tart with Basil

I’ve just returned from vacation at my little cabin in the woods of our family’s organic farm, Yellow Branch Farm, in the mountains of western North Carolina. Real farm labor, as always, was busily underway throughout my stay there. Cows were milked, artisanal cheeses made, vegetable and fruit gardens tended, [...]

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Tex-Mex Stuffed Peppers, 7-Layer Dip Style

Do you remember Tex-Mex 7-layer dip, the outrageously popular appetizer and party buffet table mainstay of the 1990s? I’ve certainly dunked more than my fair share of tortilla chips into that wonderful dip while attending other people’s parties. However, I’ve never actually served it at my own. This appetizer always [...]

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Oven Fried Chipotle Chicken

My usual approach to making American-style fried chicken, a perennial comfort food favorite, is something of a cheat. Although the aroma and flavor of classic stove top fried chicken is heavenly, the vast amount of oil, mess, and cook’s time spent tending it is not. So, like many others before [...]

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Shrimp, Scallop, Corn and Tomato Chowder

When an American hears the term “chowder” it typically brings to mind three very traditional hearty soups: “New England style” seafood chowder with its heavily thickened cream or milk base, “Manhattan style” seafood chowder with a base of chopped or pureed tomatoes, and vegetarian corn chowder which typically involves a [...]

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Oxtail Ragout

Spring is rumored to have arrived here, but I’m not quite sure I believe yet. I, for one, am still reaching for a sweater every morning and still finding that wintertime dishes, such as this Oxtail Ragout, hit the spot at dinner time. I grew to love oxtails while living [...]

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Brunswick Stew

Brunswick stew is one of the great, and one of the oldest, comfort food dishes of the American South. That said, if you were to quiz twenty Southerners about its ingredients you might get at least that many answers. The Brunswick, Virginia version uses chicken, rabbit, or squirrel as a [...]

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Chicken with Vegetables in Basil Coconut Sauce

Poor Chickens. We can’t seem to get enough of them, and it’s easy to see why: they’re succulent, budget-friendly, quick and easy to prepare, and can be cooked in a virtually infinite number of ways. Perhaps surprisingly, they also have a relatively small environmental footprint as a source of animal-based [...]

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A Spicy Shepherd’s Pie

Is blandness an essential characteristic of shepherd’s pie? I don’t think so. This recipe for a spicier, keema matar-influenced version of the dish is a particular family favorite. It includes ground lamb flavored with garlic, onions, chilies, coriander, cumin, garam masala, and peas, which combine beautifully with the potatoes. Although [...]

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Easy Mojo Marinated Pork Roast with Black Beans and Rice

The week before Christmas is a particularly hectic time for those of us who celebrate the holiday. Juggling the competing demands of work, holiday decorations, shopping for and wrapping gifts, parties, and perhaps also hosting house guests can leave us gasping. Under such circumstances, my motto is to keep mealtime [...]

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Ratatouille Pizza with Fennel and Pine Nuts

I’m a ratatouille fancier, particularly when my family’s vegetable garden is in high gear in the fall, winter, and spring months. But how to turn ratatouille into a proper vegetarian main course? Pizzas, tarts, and pasta dishes are my favored go-to methods. In this pizza recipe, I have, shall we [...]

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