The Other Woman Cooks

I was a picky eater as a child. Turnip? Cauliflower? Parsnips? No way! Plain simple mashed potatoes were a favorite, especially Memere's. Always light, fluffy and very tasty – never pasty or clumpy. I loved Memere's potatoes. What I didn't know was she was feeding me turnip. Turnip-potato casserole comes from French-Canadian cuisine. Those fur traders had to survive harsh winters and found lots of ways to gussy up their boring winter provisions. I substitute cauliflower in the early fall when local veggies are plentiful and switch to the traditional turnip when the weather turns freezing. I'm a very lucky cook, a member of a true melting pot American household. French, Italian, Polish and a touch more of this and that -- the hardest part when it comes to whipping up family favorites is to decide which part of the family! WONDERFUL WHIPPERS 1 head cauliflower, chopped 4 parsnips - peeled and diced 2 medium white potatoes - peeled and cubed 1 tablespoon butter o...

With the tons of tomatoes, peas, pasta and beans my Italian grandmother's minestrone didn't actually taste very cabbagey. Then I married Farmer Paul. If you're part of a Polish family you can't escape cabbage. Sure I like golumpki, I would tell my husband's mother and aunts. But I unwrapped the cabbage rolls and ate the insides before discreetly tossing the actual cabbage part in the disposal. Sometime in my mid-twenties I decided to give the whole golumpki a try and found I didn't hate cabbage at all. And from then on it was cabbage heaven for me. These days I wait impatiently for our garden to produce. Golumpki, kapusta, cabbage pierogi are standard cooked cabbage fare. Shredded cabbage instead of lettuce on tacos, and summer slaw are two favorite ways to use raw cabbage. SUMMER SLAW 1 medium cabbage, chopped or coarsely grated 2 carrots, peeled and coursely grated 1/2 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons heavy cream 1 tablespoon sugar 2 table...

I looked at the caller ID. It was my husband's buddy, no doubt calling about their scheduled fishing marathon -- something the two guys do a couple of times each year. Instead, he dove into whether or not I liked zucchini. Just another desperate gardener looking to unload an abundance of squash. It so happens that we didn't bother growing zucchini this year and I do love both summer yellow squash and zucchini. So I said sure, but with the caveat that I only wanted small ones. No giant billy club zucchini, please. I could hear the disappointment in his voice but he agreed. When it comes to squash this time a year, you have to hold your ground. Summer squash can make anyone yell "uncle" -- it can also be a bit tiresome to find new ways to prepare squash. And grilled summer squash gets old fast. This recipe is pretty easy and adds quite a bit of kick to a veggie that at times, can come out a bit on the bland side. STUFFED SUMMER SQUASH 4 medium summer squash (y...

When we were a much younger family our backyard was so small that gardening was impossible. My late mom-in-law had plenty of yard but not as much energy to tackle the chores a good garden required. So we reached an accord. We would plant and care for her garden and we would all share in the bounty. It worked out pretty well for a long time. I learned how to cook veggies the way Babci did. And so did my husband -- who was used to having everything cooked for him but discovered that he enjoyed kitchen duty almost as much as gardening. His yellow beans and Babci's simple recipe for them are a favorite around our house. Sharing a garden was fun and challenging at the same time. I still miss her but the memories are sweet. When the tomatoes are ripe, I'll tell you about the tomato wars. And a good laugh will be had by all. BABCI'S BREADED YELLOW BEANS 2 cups. fresh yellow beans, trimmed, cleaned, cut in 2 inch pieces 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tables...

This is the time of year I really miss my garden. The only local grown signs up at our favorite grocers are for root veggies and a few wrinkly skinned apples. The last squash from our backyard fall harvest is long gone. There are no more homegrown veggies in my freezer. There are California and South America stickers all over the produce aisle. There is a way to flavor up those long distance cousins to our own local grown broccoli, green beans and asparagus. It doesn’t much matter if you stir fry, steam or microwave your veggies, whether they are purchased from the produce aisle or the frozen foods section. Add a pat of this yummy orange garlic butter to any plain cooked vegetables and you’ll add a flavor lift to get you through ‘til growing season. ORANGE GARLIC BUTTER 1 four ounce stick of salted butter or margarine 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley Leave butter out until soft and whip until fluffy. Fold in remaining ingredients...