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Meyer lemon curd is like a spot of sunshine on a winter day In case you haven’t noticed the 8 inches of snow outside, it’s winter. Although I miss our beautiful summer fruits and vegetables, wintertime cooking can be very satisfying. Lots of soups and stew and hearty braises. And certainly wintertime is the perfect [...] Mums at the Oak Park Farmers Market The Oak Park Farmers’ Market ended last Saturday, October 29. I’m always so sad to see the market end for the season. Not only does it mean the end of my Saturday mornings spent browsing beautiful, locally grown fruits and vegetables, but also it is a sure sign [...] Homegrown green tomatoes Fall in Chicago is characterized by bizarre weather. This week has been day after day of abundant sunshine, crisp autumn air and afternoon temperatures in the 70′s. In other words, it’s been perfect. But last week, we had nonstop rain and the temperatures were in the 50′s at best. The nights got [...] Beautiful Damson plums I have mentioned before that one of my favorite things about shopping at farmers’ markets is finding unusual, old-fashioned or heirloom crops that are not available anywhere else. At the Oak Park Farmers’ market, I have found garlic scapes, wild ramps, tayberries, gooseberries, squash blossoms, ground cherries and many other new-to-me fruits [...] There are so many reasons to love the summer, but for me, one of my favorite things about this time of year is that it is canning season. My perfect summer weekend involves buying some Midwest-grown fruit and vegetables, from my local Whole Foods or the Oak Park Farmers’ Market and then spending the afternoon [...]
Zuzu accompanied me to the Oak Park Farmers’ Market last Saturday morning in exchange for the promise of a powdered doughnut. (I wish I had taken a picture of her face covered in powdered sugar — she looked like a half-made up Geisha girl) We were in the market for cherries, but we quickly [...] Pretty farmers' market green beans One of the best parts about canning, to my mind, is making things that you couldn’t buy at the grocery store, not even for ready money. To that end, I love making jams with unusual and hard-to-find fruits, such as tayberries, which are a cross between a raspberry and a blackberry, [...] I pride myself on being an adventurous eater. I love to try different ethnic cuisines, from Ethiopian — which is really outstanding in my hometown of DC — to Filipino to Lithuanian. (The Lithuanians put sour cream on everything, which makes me wonder: am I part Lithuanian?) I love organ meats, from liver and kidneys to rich, [...] First of all, the randomly selected winner of the Stonyfield Farm giveaway is . . . Larissa! Larissa has two gorgeous kids who, I hope, like yogurt. Enjoy. Also, there is a nice piece about West of the Loop Canning on examiner.com today. Do swing by and check it out. Lastly, I am happy to report two things. One, Zuzu passed [...] Apricots and red currants Lest you think otherwise, things do not always go well in my kitchen. Today was a day of minor and major kitchen disasters. I am hosting a party tomorrow evening for a local early childhood non-profit on whose board I serve. It’s a small informal gathering and I am serving coffee and desserts. [...] I have a guest post today on the Chicago Now blog, Wee Windy City, which is a terrific resource for families in the Chicago area. I discuss picking your own fruits and vegetables with young kids and, naturally, about canning what you’ve picked once you get home! Please pop over and take a look. As you may [...] I went back to the Oak Park Farmers’ Market last Saturday morning, after a two-week absence, and I was pleased to see that there was a lot more on offer than there had been the first week — when the selection had been limited to lettuce, green onions and rhubarb. Not that I [...] Saturday May 22 was the day I had waited for since last October: the re-opening of the Oak Park Farmers’ Market! I leapt out of bed at the crack of dawn – okay, I eased out of bed at 8 am, but still, I was excited. As I walked into the church parking lot that [...] As an influential mommy blogger (ha!), I was invited to tour the Lake Zurich, IL warehouse of the online grocery delivery service Peapod. (The tour takes place next week; I will report back.) The invitation stated that, among other things, I would learn how Peapod can help save my family money by eliminating impulse buying. [...] Spring has finally arrived in suburban Cook County and it is making us all giddy. As soon as the temps hit the upper 60′s, Zuzu starts angling to wear her new sundresses. J.R., proud of his new trike-pedaling prowess, wants to play outside every single minute of the day. And we all start thinking ahead [...] |
 
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