Seasons in Vermont

Bouillabaisse

I sure do love a lazy, slow-cooking Sunday. Some people would say, that’s just tweaked. Given a perfectly good free day, what thinking person would choose to spend it in the kitchen..cooking..?! But to me, a cold, snowy Sunday with all burners lit is a good Sunday. I’ll save the skiing for the next sunny day that reaches 30 degrees…wimp that I am. This Bouillabaisse was a good Sunday project. I procured a big old (not actually old) Cod head to make fish stock, but that’s just my idea of fun. You can use store bought fish stock, vegetable stock… Read More

Carnivore’s Quiche

I make a lot of quiches. They’re good for cleaning out your fridge. Got some leftover sautéed peppers? Or a little grilled broccoli and cauliflower from last night’s dinner? Throw them in a pie plate, add some eggs, cream and cheese and you have an easy meal. I guarantee that virtually anything you have leftover from last night, will make a good quiche. I (quite daringly) once made a quiche out of spaghetti with shrimp and horseradish sauce. It was not bad. (Not great, but not bad.) I’ll bet your fridge has some even better quiche potential right now. Do you… Read More

Brussels Sprouts Gratin

I daresay, even those crazies who claim they don’t like Brussels Sprouts will like this creamy, cheesy and boozy gratin made with bacon and Cognac. This is a decadent Thanksgiving side dish that is well worth it’s place on the plate. But this gratin should not be reserved for a holiday feast exclusively, it’s really good piled on top of a simple weeknight chicken breast- or tossed with penne pasta. Brussels Sprouts Gratin Save Print Author: Lisa Cassell-Arms Serves: 6 – 8 Ingredients 6 oz thick bacon, chopped 2 tablespoons butter 2 pounds brussels sprouts, exterior leaves and root end trimmed…. Read More

Mulligatawny Soup

I love curried soups. They’re warm and comforting which is just what I, and many others, are looking for right now- a post election balm. In times of stress, the simple act of making soup can be a soothing distraction from the news feed. So, as we prepare ourselves for a bumpy ride ahead, I offer this multicultural soup to warm and nourish you, whatever state you’re in. Mulligatawny is a British version of an Indian dish, whose name is derived from the Tamil words for “pepper water”. There are many versions of Mulligatawny- this particular one is a mashup, I make it… Read More

Apple Caramel Cake Tatin

This Vermont fall has been spectacular. I can’t remember when we have had such a long stretch of gorgeous, warm sunny weather this late into the season. I know the wine grapes and the apples have been loving it as much as I have. But I also love the occasional rainy day, so I can actually get some work done. Lucky for me, “work” is usually in my kitchen, the place my husband calls, The Fun Factory. It’s apple season here in Vermont and we’re swimming in apples -this lovely cake is a great way to use them. Warm caramel, apples with scoop of vanilla ice cream….. Read More

Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies

“Sometimes me think, what is friend? Then me say, friend is someone who shares last cookie.”~ Cookie Monster Dense, chocolatey and not too sweet. With a hit of espresso. These deep, dark cookies pack a big chocolate punch. Sometimes it’s hard, but I have been known to share my last cookie. Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies Save Print Serves: Approx. 24 cookies Ingredients 6 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped 8 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, chopped 1 cup flour ½ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt 3 eggs 1¼ cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 teaspoons finely ground espresso (or… Read More

Paradiso Found

As we were driving through the Charlotte countryside yesterday, my husband remarked, “I almost feel like we’re in Italy..” Such was the perfect, bright fall day we were having. Sunny and warm with hardly a hint of moisture in the air. Of course figs grow here. Wait, we’re not in California or a Mediterranean climate, we’re in VERMONT. Figs, really? Yet there we were, looking at lovely Paradiso Farm, and its large greenhouse full of lush, thriving, beautiful fig trees. I’ve been wanting to visit this place since I read about the farm in Seven Days last year. Paradiso Farm in Charlotte is… Read More

Vermont Ice Cider Basil Royale

Cocktail Friday falls on Tuesday this week! Vermont Ice Cider is the star of this Vermont-ized version of Kir Royale. If you haven’t tried Vermont Ice Cider yet, you will want to run out and pick some up right now. It’s not at all like hard cider (for which I’m still trying to acquire a taste, with no luck …) Ice cider, like ice wine, is gorgeously rich, sweet and complex, but with a sharp hit of acidity to keep it from becoming cloying. This crisp and sparkling cocktail is refreshing on a hot day and is a great way to… Read More

Rustic Stuffed Tomato Tart

I love the cookbook, Canal House Cooking. I have Volume 1, the bright orange one, but I really think I need to own all four volumes. The women behind these books have a luscious, rustic and elemental way with food. That style of cooking really appeals to me. Not fussy or trendy, but simple, lusty and voluptuous. How do you like those descriptors..? Their meltingly delicious recipe for roasted tomatoes studded with garlic was the inspirational jumping off point for this recipe, but from there I diverged. I had some gorgeous, jewel-like tomatoes fresh from our local farm stand, a disk of previously made Parmesan Herb Tart Dough in the freezer, and… Read More

Rhubarb Sauce and Strawberry Shortcakes

I love, love, love strawberry season in Vermont. It’s the beginning of our glorious summer – all potential, stretching out in front of us like a lazy, hazy dream of sunny days, berry picking, boating, hiking, gardening, cooking and eating outside. Because our summers are so short and life is so busy, I am tempted to make lists. Lists of everything I want to do this summer, places I want to go, things I want to cook, work to be accomplished before our all too brief summer turns into fall. But as I grow older, I find it a little easier to tuck away the lists… Read More

Chicken in Ginger Sauce

Have you noticed that everything tastes better when you eat it outside? And, for those of you who happen to like boats, have you noticed that everything tastes insanely better when you eat it outside-and on a boat? Frankly, I think most everything is better on a boat. On a recent trip to Antigua, we spent an idyllic day on a beautiful 50 ft. sailing yacht named Jabberwocky. As Capt. Nick kept us under sail and entertained, his lovely wife Kaye kept us well fed. We had a lunch of stir fry chicken in a spicy ginger sauce that was out of this world. I asked… Read More

Chèvre, Beet and Fennel Salad with Orange Reduction

Sitting at a table under the almond trees, dappled sunlight and soft ocean breezes caress our cheeks, the Caribbean sea shimmers turquoise in the distance. The perfection of this simple beet, goat cheese and fennel salad we’ve just eaten is surely a figment of our imaginations. We’ve been hypnotized by the voluptuous sea breeze and delicate scent of fangipani wafting in the air. That’s why it tastes so damn good. I’m certain that when I recreate this dish back home in Vermont it will taste disappointingly dull and perfectly pedestrian. Fast forward one week. Here we are, sitting in our… Read More