mainly vegetables – Page 2 – The Wise Kitchen

July 23, 2012October 30, 2015

Romancing Summer I: Grilled Pizza with Pickled Onions, Arugula, and Squash Blossoms

My romance with pizza was sparked in a small trattoria in Parmigiano, Italy, where I had my first Italian version. It was with ham, artichoke hearts, and melted cheese. A revelation: there was no tomato. I don’t remember the cheese, but it was gooey and stringy, so certainly more than just Parmesan. Memory has faded, … Continue reading Romancing Summer I: Grilled Pizza with Pickled Onions, Arugula, and Squash Blossoms

October 30, 2011January 14, 2018

Fuji Apple, Celery, and Cabbage Slaw

One day recently at my farmers’ market, an Asian vendor, a German woman, and I found ourselves together in a three-way conversation about celery tops. The German woman had previously asked the vendor to please don’t cut off the tops of your celery; “they’re good for soups and seasoning,” she said. The vendor had accommodated … Continue reading Fuji Apple, Celery, and Cabbage Slaw

July 25, 2011October 30, 2015

Rhubarb Compote with Rosewater and Balsamic Vinegar

A box of wild rhubarb from my long time friend and sometimes co-author, Susanna Hoffman, prompted a cooking rendezvous with the tart, succulent vegetable cum fruit. On her Colorado Rocky Mountain property, she has six large patches of the odd chenopodium, whose far flung relatives include amaranth, spinach, epazote, and quinoa. Each May and June, like … Continue reading Rhubarb Compote with Rosewater and Balsamic Vinegar

June 27, 2011October 30, 2015

Fresh Pickles, No Waiting

I’m an avid pickler, must have some on hand at all times. After years of “putting by” in sealed jars, I have turned away from that chore and now prefer fresh pickles. There’s no need for processing the jars to store on the pantry shelf nor

Pickle select - modified copy — Beware the pickle poltergeist! The jar of cucumber pickles on the right was full to start with, but next thing I knew, it was only half full when it was time to shoot.

for lengthy resting in the frig while they cure. They are ready to serve within the next day or two. To that end, I have developed the following “magic brine” Continue reading “Fresh Pickles, No Waiting”

May 1, 2011January 15, 2018

Parsing Artichokes

When I was growing up, artichokes were regular family fare. My father, born and raised in California, where most artichokes in the U.S. are grown, had since “forever” known how to prepare the prickly vegetable. But, to others we met in our travels from place to place as he pursued his Air Force career they … Continue reading Parsing Artichokes

March 31, 2011October 30, 2015

Brown Rice, Walnut, and Dandelion Green-Stuffed Cabbage Leaves with Tomato Caper Sauce

Cabbage Rolls — Photo by Leo Gong, styling by Karen Shinto

Stuffed cabbage leaves have always been part of my life. When I was young, the stuffing was a lamb and rice one, a la my Armenian heritage, and they were called cabbage sarmas. Later on, I leapt to a variation for my Pig-by-the-Tail Charcuterie, exchanging the lamb and rice for pork sausage and the individual leaf packets for a whole head, which I called a cabbage turban and sauced with a tomato caper sauce. These days, I have returned to the individual packets but Continue reading “Brown Rice, Walnut, and Dandelion Green-Stuffed Cabbage Leaves with Tomato Caper Sauce”

February 2, 2011January 9, 2018

Skillet Roasted Chicken Breast in a Lusty Winter Salad

When I began my cooking career, I thought that fruit elements just don’t belong on the entrée plate. Please, no strawberry garnish a la South-of-the-Border. And excuse me from dishes that have fruit wrapped into their composition as they cook. But, as time went by, I looked back to Turkish Armenian cooking, one of my … Continue reading Skillet Roasted Chicken Breast in a Lusty Winter Salad

September 11, 2010October 30, 2015

Arugula: A Shining Star in the Constellation of Leafy Greens

Two days ago, I broadcast arugula seeds around and about my garden, in the pole bean circle, in front of the tomatoes and bell pepper rows, a few more in some pots just so I could have plenty. I kept the seedlings moist and today they were already showing green sprouts. Quick thrills for the … Continue reading Arugula: A Shining Star in the Constellation of Leafy Greens

September 1, 2010January 15, 2018

September Tomatoes

In the Great Depression of the 1930s, my immigrant grandmother went to work in a tomato cannery in Sacramento, California, where the family had settled. She supported her five children that way throughout the Depression and beyond. But, there weren’t just brought-home-from-work canned tomatoes in her kitchen. Her garden and those of my Armenian relatives … Continue reading September Tomatoes

July 30, 2010October 30, 2015

Okra: from Africa to My Microwave, and an Okra Succotash for All Tables

In July through September the okra displays at produce and farmers’ markets attract a veritable study in a cross section of peoples that make up America and its cooking: Japanese, Chinese, Southeast Asians and Asian Indians, Greeks, Turkish, African Americans, Latinos, Middle Easterners, all precisely selecting the size pods desired for their dish: tiny ones for … Continue reading Okra: from Africa to My Microwave, and an Okra Succotash for All Tables