Fruits and Vegetables Recipes
Rhubarb Pineapple Jam
Over the last couple weeks, I’ve noticed rhubarb reappearing at our local farmers markets. I have held out buying any as the two rhubarb plants in our backyard garden have been growing quickly. I marvel at how briskly rhubarb grows ever spring, from those first early leaves that poke out of the ground when it…
Strawberry Salad with Creamy Poppy Seed Yogurt Dressing
For many years, my father had a hush-hush arrangement with a stand holder at Lancaster Central Market. I only learned about it last year when he delivered a coveted box of the first homegrown strawberries after I had come home empty handed only hours before. After shopping at Market for sixty-plus years, my father…
Grilled Balsamic Carrots with Rosemary and Thyme
When they appear on the dinner plate, cooked carrots don’t always elicit oohs and aahs. When carrots are grilled or roasted, however, their flavor is enhanced and they don’t become mushy. They are really quite good! I occasionally roast carrots in the winter and love to use my Maple-Dijon Vinaigrette as a marinade. Grilling is…
Baked Pineapple Casserole
A delicious addition to a holiday table and anytime ham is served, this quick and easy recipe may be doubled and baked in a 9×13-inch casserole. Can Easter really be less than a week away? After a weekend of delightful weather－so welcome after the long, cold, snowy winter－it’s actually starting to feel a bit…
O’Brien Irish Stew
This classic Irish stew was passed down from the decades old recipe box of an Irish friend. The tried-and-true recipe offers oven and slow cooker options, and the flavor improves over time, making it a great make-ahead meal. Most Americans think of stew as having a thick gravy base. But traditional Irish stew is…
Make-Ahead Granola Parfaits
This slightly different preparation yields surprisingly delicious results. Consider preparing several at one time, as the parfaits will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days. Preferring my granola crunchy, I was skeptical the first time I tried this. After resting in the fridge overnight, I was pretty sure the granola…
Teriyaki Salmon Wraps
Somewhere between today and tomorrow is the two year anniversary of The Fountain Avenue Kitchen. You see, my site launched on February 29th–Leap Day–of 2012. There was a teacher in my elementary school who was born on Leap Day. I remember the year he turned nine (technically, 36). None of the kids could imagine celebrating…
Cuban Black Bean Soup
Hearty and wholesome, this soup is a favorite in my family for its incredible flavor. Delightful on its own, although the optional toppings add to the soup’s broad appeal. For years I, like many cooks, rarely measured ingredients. We eat a lot of hearty soups, salads, and one-pot meals in our house, and this sort of cooking…
Warm Broccoli Salad with Fried Garlic
This bright green side dish is a recipe I made often in the early years of my marriage after stumbling upon Ina Garten’s very first cookbook. While she used olive oil in a similar preparation, avocado oil works beautifully here because of its extremely high smoke point. It’s a simple yet delicious…
Chicken, Butternut Squash and White Bean Soup
After 12 fabulous years, I recently said farewell to the only car my almost 12-year-old son ever knew. Even my 15-year-old son hardly remembered the car that preceded this one, but after sinking progressively more money into it, the time had come. I had no idea what sort of car I wanted next, and we…
Loaded Dinner Nachos
You could say it was love after the first neatball! In all seriousness, I was truly skeptical when Laura Lapp first offered me a bite of the healthy meat alternative that she crafted in her kitchen. But it tasted great. By way of background, Laura began her experimentation process to address her two daughters’ decision…
Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken
We all experience times when motivation is lacking. I love cooking for its creative outlet, but the nightly ritual of getting dinner on the table can be a chore. Sometimes, feeding one’s family feels like a monumental effort. Even for me. Of course, we still get hungry and, sadly, there is no Dinner Fairy. Pouring…
