the day I met ruth reichl
For the size of city that Boise is, the art and culture offerings never cease to amaze me. And it's not just that there's quantity – there's definitely quality. The Idaho Shakespeare Festival presents live theater in the most gorgeous setting under the stars all...
it’s like vegetable candy
It happens at the end of each summer – I have more tomatoes that I hardly know what to do with. The freezer is already full of marinara, and I've eaten them for what feels like breakfast, lunch and dinner for weeks. But I know that when the bounty is gone and I'm...
roasted tomatillo salsa
When we planted our community garden I think it's fair to say that we got a bit carried away with the tomatillos. I'm not sure if we didn't fully realize how big the plants get or maybe we didn't grasp the sheer amount of fruit that one plant yields. I claim ignorance...
you can take the girl out of the farm
I didn't realize when we sold my old freezer what a hole it would leave and I'm not talking about the big space where shiny bright white storage cabinets are now. It was probably time for it to go. My to-be husband had just moved in and we were trying to find room for...
a more laid back pesto
I've been giving more thought to the saying "waste not, want not" these days although perhaps not in the manner in which it is intended. The pondering is not driven by a monetary factor (although it never hurts to save a dime) but is more about the merit of that which...
spiced pear & goat cheese tarte with mustard cream
Each month I've been trying to take one of the cookbooks that I've never made anything out of down off the shelf and finally do it some justice, but I have to admit, I've been a bit lax this summer and there's really no excuse. There's still lots of opportunities –...
nectarine basil mojito
I am inspired by some of my friends that when it comes to cooking, they never seem to throw anything away. Carrot tops can be made into pesto. Watermelon rind can be pickled. They get the most out of everything, and everything is always delicious. I aspire to be more...
roasted nectarine-buttermilk sherbet with basil
I had a friend that used to call me the Mistress of Frozen Desserts – and really, what's not to like about a title like that? It was the result of a summer where my ice cream maker put in overtime and there was a focus on sorbets – especially combinations of citrus...
having a ball – concrete landscaping spheres
My husband and I are stalking a house a few blocks away. We are always finding reasons to add it to our route even though it's out of the way of most anywhere we go. There's all kinds of things to admire there, from the landscaping to the pool area that we peek at...
when blackberry pie came in handy
I like pie. A lot. I remembered just how much (not that one really forgets these things) when I saw a recipe for hand pies in a summer edition of Bon Appetit and while I'm sure blueberries are great, as they had in their version, it was blackberries that I dreamed of....
smoky garbanzo bean salad
I'm willing to bet it's happened to a lot of us. You walk into a BBQ, go to the picnic table to set down your contribution, and realize you aren't the only one that has brought a potato salad, or pasta salad or green salad. And while I like all of those well enough,...
a dip for a dip
Making this dip, I admit, is for purely selfish reasons. Our friends, Mark & Romy, have a pool and with the sweltering hot days we've been having, I like to up the chances of getting an invitation any way I can and so I like to make sure I have something yummy in...