Blog entries from Lynn Greene

Quick breads

Lynn Greene — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:33:36 +0100

Quick breads are my answer to having fresh bakery midweek or having a hostess gift to grab in a hurry.

"What's so quick about them?" my noncooking friend asked. "You still have to mix them up and bake them."

Yes, my dear, that is quite true. But for those of us who like to make bread, the difference is quite substantial. Quick breads use baking powder or baking soda (or a combination), not yeast, which takRead More...

Savor those tomatoes

Lynn Greene — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:20:45 +0100

I don't have to tell all the gardeners out there that this has been a strange year - they already know it. The rain has been erratic, and the temperature has sagged just when we needed the heat to kick in.

As long as the garden keeps growing and producing, anything summer throws at you seems to be bearable - until it affects the tomato crop. Then, it becomes personal. Or at least emotional.

That's because Read More...

Zuchinni explosion

Lynn Greene — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:02:26 +0100

If you grow zucchini, you probably have a garden full of zucchini jokes by now. My favorite is how you have to lock your car doors this time of year. This is to prevent someone you know, or don't know for that matter, from depositing a big box of this green vegetable in your backseat. And then there's the fact that gardeners are usually waste-not, want-not types of folks, so they tend to get a bit schizophrenic when they have to choose between picking more of the stuff Read More...

Pucker up for Pickles

Lynn Greene — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:59:02 +0100

Not everyone wants to spend all summer canning, but if you are starting to see the bounty of your garden, you may want to try your hand at making a few jars of pickles.

Bread and butter pickles - those thin, coin-shaped slices of of cucumbers - are always a good addition to a summer barbecue. They are easy enough to can for those who have some pickling experience. If you haven't done it in a while, brush up your skills at Read More...

Super summer salads

Lynn Greene — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:34:33 +0100

Summer is finally here. I know, because after coming home and mowing one section of lawn, I'm too hot and tired to make dinner - and I love to cook. Good thing I have a backup plan.

In the summer, when I have time, I?like to make up salads: pasta salads, vegetable salads, meat or seafood salads. These are good on their own, of course, but served atop a bed of shredded lettuce, with a piece of garlic bread on the side, they make a perfRead More...

It's strawberry picking time

Lynn Greene — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:07:35 +0100

If you like strawberries, this must be your favorite time of year.

It's picking time.

Fresh-picked strawberries differ from those cultivated by large, commercial growers, who often produce hybrid varieties suited for shipping. Fresh-picked, therefore, win the taste test hands down.

Father's Day is a week away, and I have some gift suggestions if your dad likes to cook. Before you write me off, remember that grilling is cooking, and what father doesn't like doing that?

If you've got tons of money, get him the Big Green Egg BBQ Grill. It's a smoker, grill and oven all rolled into one. You can cook any kind of food on it, any time of year. The outer shell is ceramic, so it keeps the heat in (and it can get up to 70Read More...

Comfort foods

Lynn Greene — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 05:00:00 +0100

The National Restaurant Association held its 90th annual Restaurant Show May 16-19 at McCormick Place in Chicago. If you're in the food business, you go to the show to spot trends, check out new products and equipment and network. This year's show was heavy on the latter because the restaurant industry has been hit hard by this recession.

This is the largest show of its kind in the Western Hemisphere, and featured the International WiRead More...

'Lettuce' Make Salad

Lynn Greene — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Americans now consume an average of about 30 pounds of lettuce per year - five times more than they ate 100 years ago. Part of the reason for the popularity of green salads is the increased availability of ingredients.

Generally, the darker the color, the more nutrients you'll get. For example, romaine or watercress has seven to eight times as much beta-carotene, two to four times the calcium and twice the potassium as iceberg lettuce. GreenRead More...

Ruby-red Rhubarb

Lynn Greene — Thu, 28 May 2009 14:53:31 +0100

Are you planning to bake some treats this Memorial Day weekend? The holiday seems to demand something in red, white and blue, so I'm combining ruby- red rhubarb with fresh blueberries to create breakfast muffins, crepes for brunch and a dessert crisp.

If you don't have a clump of rhubarb, ask around for some. Mine finally took off after rain last week. Some grocery stores also carry it, but it's expensive; tRead More...

Stalking the Asparagus

Lynn Greene — Thu, 28 May 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Birds are to fault for people thinking they can just go along roadsides and pick their own asparagus like nobody's business. These avian gardeners have carried seeds far and wide. On a good day in May, you might think it must be a naturally occurring plant, since there's so much of it popping up.

In truth, asparagus is a cultivated vegetable. It has been a part of gardens worldwide for more than 2,000 years. During that timRead More...

Flavorful companions

Lynn Greene — Fri, 08 May 2009 06:00:00 +0100

What does your spice cabinet look like? If you’re like the majority of Americans who say they cook at least three meals a week at home, you probably have the top 10: salt, pepper, garlic, oregano, parsley, cinnamon, sage, some kind of Italian blend, an onion salt or powder, and, to round out the list, something like Accent. (These are listed in the order of preference.) If you ask a chef — someone who prepares food for wages — the top 10 might look like this: garlic, chiveRead More...

Kitchen gardens

Lynn Greene — Thu, 07 May 2009 06:00:00 +0100

When I write “kitchen garden,” do you think of lots of pots on kitchen window sills, of parsley, sage and thyme? Well, the kitchen garden I’m thinking of can be that — in winter — but this time of year, the pots are outside, not inside.

Really, the term itself comes from our ancestors, who planted gardens near their kitchens so they would have ready access to the vegetables, herbs and flowers they would want for the kitchen and table.

Potager garden

In FrRead More...

June is Dairy Month

Lynn Greene — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 06:00:00 +0100

June is coming sooner than you think, and that means it’s almost time for the June is Dairy Month special section. That popular section features our recipe contest, which emphasizes dairy products. It seems like everyone is a bit behind this year, though. Perhaps it’s because spring seems to be arriving in fits and starts — first cold and blustery, and then a few days of nice weather just to get us excited. Anyway, we would like to get a few more reciRead More...

Tapas: Small plates of appetizers for your party

Lynn Greene — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 06:00:00 +0100

Appetizers are perfect for those get-togethers that include guests coming and going at different times — like New Year’s Eve or Day.

Tapas are the Spanish equivalent of appetizers, and are a perfect way to keep everyone — vegetarians and meat-eaters alike — happy with their food choices. They can be cold, rRead More...

Make breakfast a family affair

Lynn Greene — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 06:00:00 +0100

It's probably the last thing you want to think of on Christmas day: the family breakfast. But it's also too good an opportunity to pass up; when's the last time you had everybody together for breakfast, after all?

If you have a big crowd, you can make it easy by planning ahead, using some convenience products, and assembling the main dish the night before. Forget about making omelets, eggs or pancakes to order. Instead, simplify and use recipes that can be stuck in the oven Christmas Read More...