Category Archives: Vegetarian

Tomato and Avocado Quesadillas with Mango and Red Pepper Salsa

Love, love, love quesadillas and salsa.  Easy, forgiving, zingy, sloppy, cheap, pretty and the girls like them.  What more could a person ask for? Wait for them to cool a bit before slicing as it gives the cheese time to set up and not ooze out the sides. You can hold these in the oven [...]

Cook the Book – Summer Vegetable Strata

Summer Vegetable Strata   12 slices of day old or dry French or Italian Bread, cut in 1/2-inch slices 1 clove garlic, slightly crushed 5 large eggs 2 cups milk 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 cup loosely packed fresh chopped basil leaves 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 [...]

Cook the Book – Couscous & Chickpea Salad

Couscous and Chickpea Salad 1 1/4 cups water 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup uncooked couscous 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1/4 teaspoon sugar 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained 2 small red bell peppers, seeded and diced 4 scallions, minced 1 large carrot, diced 1/2 cup pitted [...]

Cook the Book – Sautéed Greens

This is a simple way to use all those greens you are finding at your local Farmers Market and are ready for harvesting in your own garden. Sometimes there is nothing better than sautéed greens with little or no embellishment.  Other times I’ll boost the flavor with Parmesan or feta cheese, roasted nuts, and/or diced [...]

Eating Locally: Fresh Pea Soup and Fiddleheads from Maine

Less than a week before we sail!  Can’t believe we are there already.  This has been the best outfitting season of our career with the perfect mix of good crew and weather and a healthy dose of experience on our part about how to do this well. The Portland Press ran the column last week [...]

Asparagus – Its In the Bag

I have yet to see one stalk of asparagus come up in my garden, but I’m waiting, albeit impatiently, and it’s warm enough for me to have a serious craving.  At our recent Easter dinner, India, a friend and chef, brought asparagus cooked in a new way.  And it was du-lish-ous, as Chloe says. While [...]

Easter Dinner the Sequel

It’s the first time in the history of Easter dinners that we’ve spent more of it outside than in.  We have several friends, none of whom have family in the area, with whom we often celebrate holidays.  Typically we all gather with our winter coats on to watch the kids find their eggs and then [...]

Wilted Brie Salad

This recipe was inspired by Kerry Altiero, chef and co-owner of Café Miranda’s in Rockland, Maine.  If you haven’t eaten there yet, it’s a palate’s delight. This is a perfect last minute meal for greens that you might find popping up in your garden (or under the cold frame).  If you don’t have time to [...]

Cook the Book – Tomato Soup with Herbed Yogurt

This soup is not your average Campbell’s with a side of cheese sandwich, although I wouldn’t  pass on the grilled cheese.  It’s bright, tangy, zesty and imminently satisfying to the body for it’s flavor and to the mind for the childhood memories it brings to the fore. This time of year, canned tomatoes are perfectly [...]

Artichokes – How to cut them, how to eat them

Artichokes are one of my favorite foods.  It’s a toss up between the flavor of them and how much fun the leaves are to eat.  This week’s column features these versatile veggie with: Veal Shanks w/Artichokes, Mushrooms and Cream Artichoke Leaves with Garlic and Lemon Artichoke, Feta and Green Bean Salad Don’t forget that the [...]