Seasons in Vermont | A Vermont food, drink and travel blog

Raspberry Jam and Frangipane Tart

Looking for something to make for Valentine’s Day that’s NOT chocolate? Not that there’s anything wrong with more chocolate, but if jam’s your jam, try this pretty Raspberry Jam and Frangipane Tart for something delicious and Valentiney red! Raspberries and almonds are made for each other- this crunchy pâte sablée tart shell is filled with almond frangipane (an almond paste made with ground, whole almonds, sugar, butter and eggs) sandwiched between raspberry jam and topped with toasted almonds. I’ve been making it for so many years now, I don’t even remember where the recipe started, but I believe it… Read More

Meyer Lemon Tart

Living where I do, winters are long. By February I am pining away for spring, pouring over my garden photos from last season and thinking about all the beautiful, warm places in the world and how to possibly escape to one of them. Some years bring more challenges than others, and this particular winter has shaped up to be one of the more challenging ones, so imagine my delight when on a frigid, snowy day, the mail carrier delivered a box to my house- I opened it to find it packed with fresh Meyer lemons- picked by a friend… Read More

Chicken Curry with Tomato Ginger Sauce

Indian cuisine is one of my absolute favorites, yet I know relatively little about the warm spices, complex flavors and combinations that I love so much. That changed some this weekend, when I had the pleasure of hosting an Indian cooking class in my kitchen, taught by the wonderful Lini Mazumdar. Lini is a talented chef, caterer, certified herbalist, counselor of Ayurvedic nutrition, and a genuinely lovely person. I feel grateful to have had the opportunity to spend a Saturday afternoon with her and a great group of women, learning about Indian dishes, spices and some of the Ayurvedic principles… Read More

Delicata Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter

Oh, how I love fall in Vermont. I want to break into a Robert Frost poem right now. The colors are brilliant where I am in Northern Vermont and it looks like someone has come by and airbrushed all my leaves, so I’m including a few of them in my ravioli picture, just because. The other day, my neighbor gave me a baby butternut and a delicata squash from her garden, and I’m in a fall cooking kind of mood- so I decided to make a classic squash filled ravioli. The fresh pasta recipe I usually make uses Italian 00 flour, eggs and… Read More

Apple Cider Bundt Cake

It’s apple season in Vermont and I have a big bag of Macs sitting on my kitchen counter. We have an orchard close to our house where we can pick or buy several varieties of apples, along with freshly pressed apple cider and homemade apple cider donuts (a weakness of mine). But sometimes you’ve had one too many fried donuts. Sometimes you just want cake. Maybe you want a delicious, non-fried, warm, apple-y cake that tastes like apple cider donuts. I got you covered! This cake is so good. It’s best made in a bundt, as that type of pan… Read More

Tasting Ikaria

It was during a particularly frigid cold spell this past winter that warm and sunny thoughts of Greece began swirling around in my head. It was our fifth consecutive day of sub-zero temperatures in Vermont and I was working, holed-up in my kitchen, attempting proficiency at making homemade phyllo dough. I’m a cook, I actually enjoy that sort of thing. On that freezing day, I was craving a jolt of glittering Aegean blue, and longing for a taste of something sun-kissed and exotic; something with figs or honey. Naturally, I took a break to watch the movie, Mamma Mia. That day,… Read More

Tuna Poke Bowl with Shiso

I love a good tuna poke bowl. In Hawaii, where poke (diced raw fish) originated, you can find all different kinds, literally tubs of the stuff made fresh every day, in every supermarket deli case. Here in Vermont, when I see super fresh Ahi tuna at my local market, that’s what I think of making first. Poke is easy to make, and quick too – it’s mostly about the chopping – so sharpen your good knife for this no-cook dinner. Diced cukes and onions add a nice crunch to the soft silkiness of the tuna and avocado. Rather than the… Read More

Bulgur Salad with Feta and Garden Veggies

Here’s a great way to use your garden or farm-share veggies! Bulgur salads are a summer staple – they are so quick and easy to make and you don’t even have to cast a sidelong glance at the stove. You can whip it up fast; essentially in the time it takes for the bulgur to soften, and it’s healthy, and satisfying without being heavy. You can practically throw the kitchen sink into this salad- so have at it with whatever you’ve got on hand! I was given some veggies from a friend’s garden, so that’s what went into my version,… Read More

Phyllo Wrapped Feta

What’s not to love about this traditional Greek appetizer, a few bites of salty, melty goodness wrapped up in a crispy little package with a drizzle of local honey. Sweet and salty, my favorite combination. It’s quick to make and is perfect for a meze platter, or as a crispy addition to a cold Greek Salad on a hot day. On my last visit to the cheese counter at my local market, I counted no fewer than five feta cheeses made in Vermont. Some made from goats milk, some from sheeps milk, cows milk, or a combination. There is even… Read More

Pear Tarts with Graham Cracker Crumble

Pears, almonds and maple – they’re made for each other. I love making a classic Pear Frangipane Tart, but these little mini-tarts will deliver those beloved flavors, with the benefit of immediate gratification. And you can pick them up and eat them with your fingers, even with a scoop of maple ice cream on top, which is always a plus in my book. Pear Tarts with Graham Cracker Crumble Save Print Author: Lisa Cassell-Arms Serves: 6 tarts Ingredients ½ cup sliced almonds, toasted 3 graham crackers 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar 1 teaspoon maple syrup ⅛ teaspoon almond extract… Read More

Pistachio Spice Cake

Cake or bread? Loaf pan or springform pan? Either…or both! No matter how you (literally) slice it, this Pistachio Spice Cake is good and easy; you will eat it toasted for breakfast and then you will top it with sweetened yogurt and eat it again for dessert. The irresistible spice blend I used in this cake is called Orchidea N. 34, one of the spice blends that I ordered from La Boîte after tasting it at a recent dinner at our beloved Honey Road in Burlington VT. This special dinner featured the cooking and spice blends of Chef and spice… Read More

Panna Cotta with Rosewater Rhubarb Compote

It’s rhubarb time! This steadfast and faithful vegetable comes up dutifully year in and year out. My rhubarb plant came from a clump that my father grows, which came from a clump that his father grew, which came from a clump that his father grew. It’s the only heirloom plant that I’ve managed to keep with me (and alive) through various moves and renovations. And not for lack of abuse! I cringe when I think about the heirloom roses that proliferated on my fence, that had been originally cultivated by my grandmother (and from which she made rose petal jam)- … Read More

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