Oven roasted root vegetables with Indian spices
I don’t know about you, but when the temperature drops I crave more substantial savory foods like mac ‘n cheese, creamy soups and of course anything made with potatoes. Maybe it’s our bodies way of trying to fatten up for winter, which is something I don’t need, but I’m still having trouble resisting rich foods [...]
Baked Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers are HOT, and I’m not just talkin’ heat
If there is one signature Savage recipe, this is it: baked stuffed jalapeno poppers. We wait till the peppers are red and most flavorful, then we stuff them with a mixture of cheese, fresh herbs, garlic and onion to give them a flavor that is beyond fabulous! If you don’t like hot foods, well, this [...]
Summer rolls (or autumn rolls) with tofu and spicy peanut sauce.
Frankly I’m not real clear on the difference between summer rolls and spring rolls other than the season in which they are made, so maybe I should call these rolls autumn rolls because they are made from produce I picked in autumn. If you google summer roll, you will see that the filling is a [...]
Bye-bye tomatoes
I’m not crazy about summer ending. I never am. I love summer, even the really hot days. I find it easier to cool off in the summer then to warm up in the winter. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of living where there are four distinct seasons and there are many things [...]
Grilled tomato, mozzarella swiss chard wraps burst with flavor
I didn’t grow up eating Swiss chard, probably because it wasn’t readily available in stores back then, but it is now. I see it everywhere. It’s also very easy to grow and it produces all summer and even lasts after a few frosts. It can be cooked just like spinach and can be added to [...]
Salsa verde with roasted tomatillo and poblano peppers
Grilling and summer are traditionally linked, but I think fall is the best time to grill. The weather is cooler so standing next to a grill isn’t miserable, plus I have always equated the smell of smoke with autumn, maybe because of bonfires and the smell of burning leaves in the country. So, as soon [...]
Broccoli and rice casserole with chick peas and portabella mushrooms
Much of my experimental cooking comes from the fact that I hate to waste food. When I have too much of something I look for a recipe or come up with a recipe that utilizes what needs to be eaten. Saturday, my husband Chris announced, “We don’t have any more room in the fridge [...]
Stuffed baked zucchini with rice, orzo and cherry tomatoes
From peppers to kale, the garden is in full swing, but there are two things I can’t seem to eat enough of to keep up with the productions, zucchinis and cherry tomatoes. The image below is how my fridge feels right now. To top it off I am so busy that finding time to cook [...]
Carrot cupcakes or carrot muffins, either way they will delight
I know, I know, the cupcake is so 2010. Apparently, cupcakes are out and pies are in. Maybe the flaming cupcake and cupcake fondue are out, but take a classic, never-go-out-of-style food like carrot cake and make it into cupcakes, and you have something that will always be in. This recipe makes a yummy cupcake, [...]
Make your own roasted sweet corn
Every year, when Michigan corn is ready to harvest, we head to the farmer’s market and buy 3-4 dozen ears to roast and preserve. The first year we did this, we bought corn from a girl who would harvest corn on her family farm and then sell it at farmer’s markets to raise money for [...]
Roasted Corn Chowder
I’m beginning to see signs everywhere advertising “Michigan sweet corn sold here”. It’s a food that I can’t resist and have yet to meet anyone who doesn’t like fresh sweet corn. As Garrison Keillor said, “Sex is good, but not as good as fresh, sweet corn.” Several years ago, Chris and I decided to grow our [...]
Asian Kohl-Slaw
I’m not a big fan of cooking when it’s this hot, so I’m taking advantage of a few foods in my garden that I can eat without turning on the stove. The carrots are ready and so is the kohlrabi, so how about a kohl-slaw?! Two years ago my husband was given purple kohlrabi seeds, so [...]
Infuse a little summertime into your lemonade with black raspberry and lavender
There is nothing like summer in Michigan. As a Michigan transplant, from a place where you avoid going outside and run your air-conditioner for the entire summer, I can say I choose this. I love it, and I start day-dreaming about it in January. I may get a bit annoyed by the mosquitos, but I won’t [...]
Herbed Zucchini Tart with arugula and gruyère cheese
I grew up in a large family and both of my parents worked, sometimes more than one job, so meal-time was about convenience. I am a product of the quick and easy processed food generation of Tyson Chicken Breasts, frozen pot pies and succotash. I consumed a whole lot of frozen prepared foods and partially [...]
Grilling lettuce? What the — ?!
Grilling lettuce sounds pretty strange, I know. I thought the same thing until I tried it. There is something about grilling it that intensifies the flavors in the lettuce and takes lettuce from being just a bed or vehicle for other things to center stage. Now is the time to do it since lettuce, such [...]
Maple sugaring, pure and simple
Ever wonder how maple syrup is made? Well, I did. Luckily, just down the road from my house, is Hudson Mills Metropark and they have tours on the weekends in March to show you just how the process works. When I called to reserve a spot in one of the tours, I explained that I [...]