How to Choose Zucchini and Other Summer Squash
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How to Choose Zucchini and Other Summer Squash

The first thing you need to know when choosing zucchini, or any other summer squash, is to look for the smallest ones; they will be the sweetest and most tender. In the photo above, there are yellow patty pans, dark green zucchini, and striped zucchini. Note that I have large and small examples of each…

Salsa Verde, Italian Style
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Salsa Verde, Italian Style

Salsa verde is extremely simple to make. The end result is a sauce with a distinctly flavorful punch. This example of an Italian green sauce is but one of many versions. Green sauces can be found in cuisines around the world: Italian pesto, Indian cilantro mint chutney, Mexican salsa verde…the list goes on.

How to Cook an Artichoke
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How to Cook an Artichoke

I have to thank my husband, David, for this entry. He’s the one who discovered this cooking method for artichokes. I came to love artichokes when I lived in Northern California. Artichokes can’t be grown just anywhere. They need certain soil and the right growing conditions. Those conditions exist in Southern Europe and, fortunately, in…

Pumpkin Soup
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Pumpkin Soup

Fall is here and I find myself making a lot of orange food. Pumpkin soup is simple to make, satisfying, and comforting. You could use any hard squash for this recipe, like butternut, dumpling, delicate, acorn, or kabocha. What distinguishes pumpkin from other hard squash is its delicate flavor. This is a squash soup that even…

Finished Applesauce
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Applesauce

What to do with all of the apples I collected for the photo in my last post? Applesauce. Applesauce is easy to make, and your efforts will be deliciously rewarded. It’s really worth the effort, and it’s a great dish to do with young children. Kids love applesauce, and eating the applesauce that they’ve helped…