Side Dishes

Baked Zucchini Sticks with Pesto Flavors

“Happiness is the longing for repetition,” or so says the author Milan Kundera, who I assume spends little time in the kitchen. I made this odd association, and laughed at myself for it, while making roasted vegetables last week in my same old way. I asked myself: isn’t it time [...]

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A Light Spinach and Sweet Potato Salad

Even in fall and winter, many of us still crave the satisfying crunch of a good salad. However, finding seasonal salad fixings obviously poses more of a challenge in the cold months than in summer, when fresh, locally-grown tomatoes and lettuce are at their best and reasonably priced. This recipe [...]

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Cheddar and Stilton Rarebit

Homemade vegetable soup is a popular main course dinner in my family, and I frequently serve it with a rarebit side dish to make a satisfying and nutritionally complete meal. Rarebit couldn’t be simpler to make. It can be tossed together in a matter of minutes and just seems more [...]

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Green Bean Casserole: the Fresh Version

Like most Americans my age — I’m 57 — I’ve eaten my fair share of canned green bean casserole over the years. Although it’s considered a comfort food classic, I never quite worked it into my own cooking repertoire. It always seemed too soupy, too canned, too overcooked, and just [...]

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Yet Another Caesar Salad

Does the world need another recipe for Caesar salad? I believe that it does. At the risk of tooting my own horn, I think it needs mine. I have two issues with most Caesar salads served outside my home: First, the dressing ingredients are not fully amalgamated and thus sink [...]

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Collard Greens with Broth

The collard plants in my fall garden are now large enough begin harvesting, and I gathered the first batch of the season yesterday. What a treat! Southerners need no introduction to collards, but it occurs to me that other readers may be unfamiliar with them. Let me explain. Collards are [...]

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Tomato Salad with Basil and Feta

Because my family and I now spend most of our time in the Sunbelt and are committed organic gardeners, we have ready access to fresh, home-grown tomatoes and herbs most of the year. In fact, we often have too much of a good thing and must scramble to keep up. [...]

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Chive/Neufchatel Mashed Potato Casserole

This simple side dish has been a go-to recipe in my family for the past forty years and has never failed to deliver. Versatile? You bet. It works equally well with a Thanksgiving turkey, Christmas leg of lamb, boring Sunday baked chicken, mid-week broiled fish, weekend barbecue with friends, or [...]

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