Happy summer solstice (the first day of summer and the longest day [most daylight hours] of the year for people living in the northern hemisphere)! I made this dish — ricotta gnudi with peas and fava — earlier this week (when it was still spring), but life got in the way and I didn’t get … Continue Reading

  You probably think of salad as the opening act, but who’s to say that salad cannot be the main attraction — salad as a meal. In this case, a salad that showcases spring’s early bounty. Petite potatoes. Peas. Quail Eggs. Sorrel. Smoked Salmon. Not your typical potato salad by any means. No mayonnaise or … Continue Reading

  The inspiration for today’s dish started with some fiddlehead ferns and a bunch of [the first of the season] asparagus.  I get excited when I cross paths with an unusual vegetable such as the fiddlehead fern. Fiddleheads are the furled (coiled) fronds of the young [ostrich] fern.  They have a mild flavor and tender … Continue Reading

Feels like spring has FINALLY arrived (maybe?).  I see small glimpses. A few flowering trees dotted around Brooklyn. The arrival of ramps. Even some Jersey asparagus at the farmers’ market this past weekend. Spring greens, it’s what I’ve been waiting for/craving all winter long. Can’t wait to get my hands on these guys. Oh yes, … Continue Reading

One more quick fava bean and pea recipe before their respective seasons sadly come to an end…then, on to something else. I had a version of this salad way back, many years ago, at a [Slow Food] potluck when I was living in Chicago.  Love the concept of a potluck, particularly one hosted by Slow … Continue Reading