Spiced Roasted Chickpeas

These spiced chickpeas are a staple of mine for a make-ahead snack on-the-go, main dish garnish, or salad topper. You can vary the spices to your taste and to pair with just about any other flavors. You can use whole and ground spices, or a combination. One of my favorite versions uses a blend of smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and a pinch of cayenne that pairs nicely with Middle Eastern food, like on top of a tabouleh salad or with Indian food, adding crunch on top of a vegetable dish or dal. You can also serve them with this Shaved Brussel Sprout, Apple and Walnut Salad. If you’re game for cooking your own chickpeas, it’s not hard and here’s how.

Time saver tip: If you use a particular blend of spices often, make a batch and store it in reused spice jars. Often if I see a little bit of something left in a jar, I might add a few other spices to make a favorite blend. My funnels are re-purposed shields from my old breast pump. Great for solids! When making spice blends, I often leave off the salt so I don't end up adding extra!

What you need:

• 1 ¾ cups cooked (or canned and rinsed) chickpeas*

• 1 tablespoon oil (olive, canola oil, coconut, etc.)

• 3 pinches sea salt or kosher salt

• 3-4 teaspoons spices or dried herbs**

* you can make this in any quantity you desire, but I write this for 1 ¾ cups since that is what you get out of a standard can of chickpeas.

** the herbs and spices are up to you, but here are some of my favorite combinations:

• cumin + garlic powder + smoked paprika + cayenne

• oregano + basil + garlic powder + red pepper flakes

• cumin + coriander + garlic powder + ginger + turmeric

• coriander + cumin + fennel + chili powder + garlic

• Za'atar seasoning

Step 1:

Using a clean kitchen towel, pat the chickpeas dry. Homemade or canned work equally well (rinse canned chickpeas first.)

Step 2:

In a bowl, mix together your selected spices.

Step 3:

Add the olive oil to make a paste. It should pass the spoon test on left.

Step 4:

Add the chickpeas to the bowl and toss to coat.

Step 5:

Roast the chickpeas in one of two ways:

Spread the chickpeas in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in oven at 425 degrees until lightly browned and toasted, about 15 minutes.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chickpeas and toast until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir or shake the pan occasionally.

Rhubarb & Oat Cream Scones

Rhubarb season in the northeast is so fleeting that I must find ways to preserve this tart treasure for year round enjoyment. Enter baked goods that can be frozen! Side note - I was shocked and a touch envious to learn that fresh rhubarb is available practically year round in Iceland, of all places. And after a little more research, I've decided to plant a rhubarb bush this fall for harvesting next spring. On to the scones, which can be enjoyed today (in just about 40 minutes if you get to work right now) or a few months from now when you take them from your freezer and bake them...

Rhubarb & Oat Cream Scones

For dairy eaters, use the butter and heavy whipping cream. For a vegan version, substitute coconut oil for the butter and a combination of coconut cream and coconut milk for the heavy whipping cream and use maple syrup in place of honey. The result is almost identical in taste and texture. The vegan version is only missing its golden brown sheen from the egg wash. You can attempt to achieve a nice golden brown crust with a brushing of coconut cream, maple syrup or combination of the two, and a slightly higher oven temperature. These are delicious served with strawberry conserve or jam or this Rhubarb Strawberry Compote you can whip up in 15 minutes.

Makes: 8 scones

What you need:

• 2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting your board and shaping scones

• 1 cup whole rolled oats, plus more for sprinkling

• 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 - 2 cups rhubarb, diced into 1/4 inch pieces

• 1 - 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar, plus more for sprinkling

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes (4 cubes per tablespoon) OR 1/4 cup coconut oil, chilled until solid

• 1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream OR 3/4 cup coconut milk + 1/2 cup coconut cream, plus more coconut cream for brushing

• 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, oats, baking powder and salt.

3. In a small bowl, combine the rhubarb and sugar.

4. With your fingertips, gently work the butter into the dry ingredients until butter pieces are coated with the flour mixture and none is larger than a raisin.

5. In a large measuring cup or small bowl, whisk the whipping cream (or coconut cream and coconut milk) with the honey (or maple syrup) until smooth.

6. Slowly stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until the dough starts to come together. At this stage, about 1/3 of the dry ingredients should be left unincorporated.

7. Swiftly add the rhubarb to dough until nearly all of the dry ingredients are incorporated. Turn the dough onto a floured surface or piece of parchment and using your hands and a little more flour, pat it together until it holds together into one large disk, approximately 8 inches in diameter.

8. Using a bench scraper or spatula, cut the disk into 8 equal triangles.

9. Transfer to a baking sheet (on the parchment if you used it). Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

10. Brush each scone with a lightly beaten egg, more cream, or coconut cream, maple syrup or coconut cream mixed with maple syrup. Sprinkle oats and turbinado sugar on top.

11. Bake at 425 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until tops are lightly browned and scones are firm to touch. Allow to cool 5 minutes on baking sheet.

    To freeze: arrange the scones in a single layer on parchment-lined trays and when solid, transfer to parchment lined or flour-dusted air tight containers. If stacking, separate scones with a layer of parchment. To reheat: Remove from the freezer. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake at 425 degrees for 8 minutes or toast in a toaster oven for 3 minutes.

Fish En Papillote

Fish en papillote or "fish steamed in a packet" is the perfect healthy weeknight-dinner-in-a-flash or prepare-ahead-presentation to amaze your fancy friends dish. I also love it because, like most of my techniques and formulas, it is versatile and can be completed with various types of fish and whatever vegetables, citrus and seasonings I have on hand or feel like using. It works in all seasons - just vary the contents. Spices and fats are optional. So versatile, in fact, everyone in the family can make a personalized version suited to his or her exact tastes and preferences. Last but definitely not least, it conveniently uses up that opened bottle of white wine hanging out in the fridge that no one is ever going to drink.

The amounts listed are for 1 serving or 1 papillote pouch. You can easily multiply to provide as many servings as you need, plus an extra for tomorrow's lunch. This provides a meal unto itself, but also pairs well with additional roasted, steamed or sautéed vegetables, roasted potatoes or steamed rice.

What you need:

• 3-5 oz fish fillet (cod, arctic char, salmon, monkfish, trout are all good choices)*

• 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil or melted butter, optional

• 2-3 pinches sea salt or kosher salt

• ground spices, such as black pepper, cumin, cayenne, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, optional

• 1-2 tablespoons liquid. I prefer a dry white wine, but beer, broth and even water do the trick.

• 1/4 cup finely sliced or diced vegetables. Use what you have on hand. Carrot, zucchini, bell pepper, cabbage, jalapeño, brussel sprout, and sweet potato are all great.

• 1 slice of lemon, orange or lime

• parchment paper cut into large "hearts"

How to prepare the parchment for papillote:

*Note on fish selection: Where you live will determine the best fish choices for you, for freshness and sustainability. Check out this resource by Oceana and Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch for a guide on selecting fish. You can choose printable pocket guides that are specific to your region or download their nifty phone app.

What you do:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and prepare all of your papillote fillings.

2. Set up your station with prepared parchment paper, salt, oil and fillings.

3. Season each piece of fish with salt. Add spices and a touch of oil or butter if desired.

4. Place a slice of citrus on each piece of parchment. Lay the fish fillet on top.

5. Top the fish with your selected vegetables.

6. Season vegetables with a few pinches of salt.

7. Seal the parchment (see video above) leaving a small opening at one end.

8. Hold the filled pouch gently in one hand as you pour about 1 - 2 tablespoons of liquid inside.

9. Quickly seal up the open end by folding it a few more times.

10. Arrange papillotes in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 15 minutes, more or less for larger/denser or smaller/lighter pieces of fish.

Note that fish cooked en papillote will cook faster than if you are roasting fish outside of parchment. The steam trapped inside the papillotte is hotter than your oven and will cook fish faster.

Vegetarian Dolmas: Grape Leaves Stuffed with Spiced Lentils and Rice

Wrapped and rolled foods are the ultimate kids-in-the-kitchen activity. After preparing all of the components, allow kids to help combine the filling. Then enlist their support to do all of the wrapping and rolling. After a brief demonstration, some coaching and practice, you can probably even walk away and allow your little one to complete the job.  Share this instructional video provided by 6-year-old Emory with your child.

Vegetarian Dolmas: Grape Leaves Stuffed with Spiced Lentils and Rice

Dolmas or stuffed grape leaves are often made with a combination of gently spiced ground lamb and rice. We make a savory and satisfying plant-based version using french lentils. I also choose brown basmati rice for additional fiber, nutrients and texture. Omit the honey entirely or substitute agave nectar to make this recipe suitable for vegans.

Yield: approximately 3 dozen

I generally use jarred grape leaves. They work just fine but, of course, if you are on the west coast or are fortunate enough to have access to fresh grape leaves when they are in season, use them. Just soak fresh leaves in hot water while you prepare the filling.

What you need:

Grape leaves:

• ½ pound fresh grape leaves, soaked in hot water or 1 pound jar preserved grape leaves, rinsed and drained well, picked through with broken or ripped leaves reserved for lining the bottom of the pot

Rice:

• 2 quarts water

• 1 cinnamon stick

• ½ cup long grain brown rice

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ½ cup mint leaves, minced

• 2-4 scallions, minced

• ⅓ cup pine nuts, chopped

• ⅓ cup currants or raisins

Line the bottom of the stock pot with grape leaves to prevent your dolmas from burning or browning. Use the broken or torn leaves.

Lentils:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 small onion, small dice

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 ¾ cup cooked lentils (dark brown, green, or beluga)

• 1 teaspoon nutmeg

• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• ½ teaspoon allspice

• 1 tablespoon dried mint (or one mint tea packet)

Simmering Liquid:

• ¼ cup lemon juice

• ½ cup olive oil

• 2 teaspoons honey (omit or agave for vegan)

• 1 cup water or vegetable broth

• ½ teaspoon salt

• freshly ground black pepper

Roll tightly, but gently, so as not to tear the leaves, pushing in the sides as you go. Walk away, and let the kids do all the rolling while you do the dishes...or take a nap.

What you do:

1. Bring 2 quarts (8 cups) water to a boil. Add cinnamon stick, rice and ¼ teaspoon salt. Reduce to a rolling boil and cook 20 minutes or until just tender. Drain and rinse in cold water.

2. Combine cooked rice with fresh mint, scallions, pine nuts, and currants.

3. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. When it shimmers, add onion and a pinch of salt. When onion is soft, add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add lentils, nutmeg, cinnamon, cumin, oregano, allspice, and dried mint/tea. Combine with rice mixture. Allow to cool slightly.

4. Set aside the 36 best leaves for stuffing. Line the bottom of a heavy stock pot with the remaining leaves. Stuff each with about 1 to 2 teaspoons of rice/lentil mixture. Place leaf smooth side down, with stem close to you. Trim long or thick stems. Fold stem end over rice and hold in place. Fold in sides and roll away from you. Use any broken leaves for lining the bottom of the pot. Arrange dolmas (stuffed leaves) snugly in the pot, in layers if needed.

5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, honey or agave, water or stock, salt and pepper. Pour this mixture over the leaves, cover with a plate to hold dolmas down.

6. Cover, bring to a simmer, and cook 1 1/2 hours, basting occasionally.

Note: Use the "pasta method" for cooking the rice used in dolmas. Rather than steaming rice with an exact ratio of water, you will boil the rice in a large pot of salted water until al denté and then drain. You could certainly use leftover rice that was made using the standard rice cooking method but the texture may be slightly mushy in the grape leaves.

Tip 1: The simmering liquid makes a delicious soup or broth after the dolmas are done simmering in it. Use it to store dolmas in the fridge up to one week, drink it or serve as soup!

Tip 2: When I don't have fresh mint available, I just increase the amount of dried mint used. Just add all of the dried mint together to the lentil mixture to sauté before adding to the rice. I've also successfully substituted chives for the scallions in a pinch.

Vegan Winter Chili

In case we weren't sure, mother nature reminded us with a swift kick that it is still winter for a couple more weeks. So warm up with a batch of hearty vegan winter chili.

This vegan chili even satisfies my carnivore husband. If you use enough of the right blend of spices, and bloom those fully in oil, your meat lovers will get the same unctuous flavor they expect from traditional chili. However, I also have a trick for making both a beef chili and meatless batch at the same time. Just cook the beef in a separate skillet with spices, while making the vegan chili in a large pot. Once all vegan ingredients are added to the pot, remove a few cupfuls and add to the beef in its separate skillet. Continue cooking both over low heat until the vegetables are cooked through.

The recipe below is for my Vegan Winter Chili. In late summer I will exchange the sweet potatoes and perhaps the carrots for bell peppers of various colors, zucchini and yellow summer squash. My summer chili also utilizes very ripe fresh tomatoes instead of or in combination with canned. Now I'm anxious for August and you can expect a Vegan Summer Chili recipe from me then.

Before the recipe, here are some tips.

Cut vegetables into a small dice to ensure quicker cooking, even distribution in each spoonful of chili, and to make them more appealing to picky eaters.

To cut vegetables into a small dice, first cut 1/4 inch thick planks, then strips, then cubes. (see steps from left to right above)

Sauté onions until they are soft before adding garlic, then spices, followed by other ingredients. If you add garlic or spices too soon, they may burn or you risk not cooking onion thoroughly.

"Bloom" or sauté spices in oil first to awaken their flavor compounds and infuse flavor throughout the chili through the cooking oil.

What you need:

Note: In this recipe post, I have not provided a photo of all of the ingredients. I even hesitate to give you an ingredients list for this and other stews and soups because the quantities and specific ingredients listed below are merely suggestions. Add more of the ingredients you love, less of those you just want a taste of and add as much liquid to get the consistency you desire. Personally, I add a lot more heat than most, but this recipe as written is at a moderate heat level.

Yield: Makes about 10 cups, or 6-8 servings

The combinations and amounts of ingredients are up to you. Add other vegetables you have on hand, swap out for different varieties of beans, amp up the heat with more jalapeños or spicier pepper varieties, or tone it down. Reduce liquid for thicker chili.

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 large red onion, diced

• sea salt or kosher salt

• 3-5 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon chili powder

• 1 tablespoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chili flakes

• ~5 cups home-cooked or canned, drained and rinsed, beans. My favorite is a combination of black beans and cranberry or pinto beans.

• 1 28oz can diced tomatoes, liquid included

• 2 large carrots, small dice

• 1-2 cups water

• 1 medium sweet potato, small dice

• 1-2 jalapeños, sliced, optional

What you do:

1. Heat a large sauce pot over medium heat. Add oil.

2. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion and a pinch of salt.

3. Once the onion has softened, add the garlic and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often for about 1 minute, careful not to burn.

4. Add the spices and a little more oil if pot is dry. Stir into a paste and cook for 30 - 60 seconds.

5. Add the beans, tomatoes, carrots and ~1 cup of water. I usually rinse the tomato can and use this water to get all of the tomato into the chili. I learned that trick from my mom, who I've watched make Italian tomato sauce for nearly 4 decades now.

6. Once the carrots are partially cooked (about 15 minutes), add the sweet potatoes and jalapeños, if using. Add water if needed. Cook on medium low, until carrots and sweet potatoes are tender, (about 1 hour) partially covered. You can simmer on lowest setting for an additional 2-3 hours to further reduce and develop flavors. If you need to continue simmering when chili is already fully reduced, keep on lowest setting and cover with a tight fitting lid. You can also add more water at this point if needed.

To serve, top with additional slices of fresh jalapeño, cilantro leaves, lime wedges, and sliced avocado. You can set up a bar with various toppings for eaters to add, including tortilla chips, chopped red onion, cheese and yogurt/sour cream. Everyone likes to enjoy chili their own way!

Lemon Ricotta Blueberry Pancakes

Our family honors Pancake Saturday. My older son has even created a song and dance to celebrate it. With a little extra time on the weekends to prepare and enjoy breakfast, and because we're all in need of a sweet treat at the end of the week, pancakes are perfect. This is also a great dish for kid kitchen assistants. My little helper measures ingredients, cracks eggs, and mixes, while repeating the mantra "we never over mix the batter." Don't over mix your pancake batter.

To save yourself even a little bit of time and a lot of mess when making weekly pancakes, mix your dry ingredients (flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt) in a large batch and store in the pantry. If you are like me and use multiple flours (I like a blend of whole wheat all purpose, white AP and cornmeal for most of my pancakes), this will allow you to just take one canister out of the pantry instead of 3 or 4! Now you have absolutely no reason to buy that packaged stuff. PLEASE don't buy that packaged stuff anymore.

We make a variety of pancakes but a favorite go to for their classic Italian origin and to help fatten up our skinny baby is Lemon Ricotta. While visiting my sister last week, I was inspired to make these after cleaning out her fridge and finding a pound of ricotta cheese and fresh local Florida blueberries. In return, she documented the finished stack you see above. It's nice to have a professional photographer for a sister.

These lemon ricotta pancakes are fluffy and creamy all at once. I adapted the recipe from a few sources, but mostly from Cooking Classy.

Makes ~8 6-inch pancakes

What You Need:

• 1 1/2 cups flour (I like a blend of 1 cup white AP and 1/2 cup whole wheat AP flour)

• 3 tablespoons sugar

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for brushing the pan

• 3 eggs, room temperature

• 3/4 cup whole milk

• 1 cup ricotta

• zest and juice of 1 large lemon

• 1 pint fresh blueberries, rinse and drained

What you do:

1. Whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Or if you have premixed your dry ingredients, measure out 1 3/4 cups dry ingredients and add to a large bowl.

2. Melt the butter. [tip: if you’ll be using a skillet to bake the pancakes, heat the skillet and melt butter in there to save yourself a dish to wash and to grease the pan).

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, ricotta, lemon zest and lemon juice. It may curdle a little bit, but that is okay. You also do not need to break up all pieces of ricotta. It's nice to bite into that creaminess in the pancakes.

4. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir a few times with a spatula just to combine. Do not over mix. Fold in the milk and blueberries just until combined.

5. Reheat the skillet over medium high heat. Brush with more butter if needed. Drop 1/3 cup of batter onto the hot pan and top with additional blueberries if desired. Flip after 2-3 minutes or when you see bubbles on top and edges are lightly browned. Cook another 2-3 minutes.

Variations on Hummus

Stop rolling up to the school potluck with a store-bought tub of ordinary hummus and some crunchy carbs for dipping. Hummus is simple to make from scratch. And it does not need to be boring. You can add spices, change up the acid and even hide some vegetables in it. Here's a straightforward formula followed by various modern spins, including a colorful roasted beet hummus you can spread on your kids' sandwiches. My sweet potato black bean variation below is exactly what your Superbowl party ordered. Bonus: these spreads make great baby food too, especially to pack a smooth high protein punch for a little peanut like mine who needs to pack on some pounds.

Basic Hummus Formula

Makes about 1½ cups

What you need:

• 1-2 cloves of garlic

• 1 1/2 - 2 cups cooked legumes (chickpeas, black beans, white beans, lentils, etc.)

• 1-3 Tablespoons tahini

• 1/4 cup oil (olive, canola, avocado, etc.)

• 1-2 Tablespoons acid (lemon juice, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, etc.)

• salt & pepper to taste

• 1/2 - 1 cup cooked vegetables (optional)

• 1-3 teaspoons ground toasted spices (optional)

What you do:

Simply put all ingredients (except the acid, spices and salt) into a food processor and purée until smooth. Taste and add acid, spices, and salt gradually to get desired texture and taste. You can always add more salt, acid and liquid but it is difficult to take it away or add more of all of the other ingredients if you go overboard on, say, the lemon juice and cayenne. If your spread is too thick, add more acid (lemon juice, vinegar, etc.) or plain old H2O if you want to thin it without altering the taste too much.

Note on beans: When using canned beans, I drain them and rinse off the liquid first to get rid of any extra salt or any taste imparted by the canning process. You can also easily cook your own beans. More on that in a future post.

Try these variations:

• Add a roasted beet and toasted ground cumin, cinnamon and cloves. You could also follow my recipe for Roasted Beet Hummus.

• Substitute a sweet potato for the beet and roast without foil. Use cumin, cayenne, dried ground chipotle and/or smoked paprika for the spices. Substitute black beans or stick with the chickpeas.

• Instead of beet or sweet potato, use ½ cup of any cooked vegetable (skins removed, roasted, grilled, or steamed), such as broccoli, red bell peppers, carrots, or squash.

• Add ½ cup of prepared pesto and decrease the olive oil to 2 tablespoons.

• Use lime juice, apple cider vinegar, sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar in place of the lemon juice.

• Add an entire head of garlic roasted in olive oil. Decrease the olive oil to 2 tablespoons. Use chickpeas or substitute navy or cannellini beans.

Radishes 5 Ways

Recently, I've found myself answering lots of questions -- from cooking class students, fellow CSA members, and other parents -- about radishes. So I'm delivering on an overdue recipe post promise. These tightly packed peppery spheres produce passion. Previously, I was passionately opposed to radishes, which caused me to diligently leave bunches on a certain colleague's desk (you know who you are), but then I discovered how to prepare them. At this point, we generally only make them one way, because this is how a certain 5-year-old (he knows who he is) will have it. Pickled. Which, when mentioned in my house, will provoke a high-pitched squeal and the "yummy dance." I get it. But I feel like I'm cheating for my older son's vegetable appreciation because they are probably the easiest thing I make for him.

Here's what you need:

• 1 bunch of radishes

• 1 cup or so rice wine vinegar

• 1 scant teaspoon of honey

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds

Here's what you do:

One bunch of radishes usually fills a half pint jar. Use this jar to measure out the vinegar, about three-fourths full. Put that in a small pot and heat it with the honey just until the honey dissolves. While this is heating, thinly slice your radishes and pack them into your jar with the spices. Pour hot liquid over the top. Put cover on and refrigerate. These are best after one day but can be eaten in one hour or kept for weeks. I've never processed them to be shelf stable because the aforementioned 5-year-old eats the entire jar in 3 days. Warning: they smell a little funky, but taste delicious and are a great addition to toast smeared with chickpea or fresh green pea hummus, or a salad, sandwich or taco.

Maybe you're not so into pickles? Try these other great applications for your radishes.

Butter Braised: Scrub radishes, remove stems and tips. Cut into quarters. Put in a small pan and cover by an inch with water. Add a few pinches of salt. On medium-high heat, cook until nearly tender and water is mostly absorbed, adding more water if needed. Add about 3 tablespoons butter for each bunch of radishes, and cook stirring frequently until radishes are tender and slightly browned. When you add butter, you can also add your choice or dried spices or finish the dish with chopped fresh chives or parsley.

Roasted: Add cleaned, trimmed and quartered or whole radishes to a roasting pan with chicken and onions. Occasionally toss the radishes with the chicken drippings.

Potato Hash: Add diced radishes to your hash along with other root vegetables. Top with runny eggs.

Slaw: Shred or julienne radishes and combined with shredded cabbage, carrots and/or cucumbers and dress with a light citrus vinaigrette.

Tip: for stable cutting of a radish or other vegetable with a rounded edge, slice off a tiny piece on one side to create a flat surface for your sphere to rest on your cutting board.

Herb Garlic Butter

I attempted to grow a few things this summer. Overall it was a big flop. Between the lingering spring frost, weeds, rodents, and gnats, my garden was doomed. So I decided to focus on what I could control and invested some time and research into growing my herbs. For the first time, I actually re-planted my herb plants into spaces big enough to accommodate their sprawl. I took it to the gnats, inserting glue traps in all of my indoor pots, and re-potting them in clean fresh soil after shaking off the gnat infested soil. I spent hours one Sunday watching countless youtube videos about harvesting my herbs and then practiced, scissors in hand checking the computer screen over my shoulder. I'm so glad I did. This year, all of my herb plants inside and out, even those most difficult to grow for me, like cilantro and sage, flourished. So, now, per the instructions on all those youtube videos, I'm pruning my herb plants like crazy to encourage their continued growth. Since we can't really predict when this river of herbs might suddenly dry up, my plan is to preserve as much as I can in as many ways as possible for later.

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Here's that same sage plant just a few weeks later.

This recipe for herb butter is versatile and freezable. The measurements are just suggestions.

For best results, make sure your herb leaves are completely dry. In fact, if I'm using herbs cut from my own plants, I don't even wash them. If you must wash the herbs, be sure to shake off the excess water and dry them thoroughly on a clean kitchen towel before mincing.

This herb butter is perfect for making garlic bread, seasoning a whole chicken to roast, or topping some freshly steamed green beans. What will you use it for? Please share in the comments.

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces salted butter, at room temperature (I have a particular preference for Vermont Creamery's cultured butter for this recipe)

• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon parsley leaves, minced

• 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, minced

• 2 teaspoons thyme leaves

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

With a wooden spoon, thoroughly mix garlic, herbs, pepper and salt into the butter. Stir until evenly combined.

Transfer to a glass jar to store herb butter in your fridge for about 2 weeks or wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 6 months. I used to freeze this butter in small silicone or plastic containers, but learned the hard way that the garlic flavor never really washed out afterwards, so I've switched to storing in plastic wrap.