Watercress and Tomato Risotto

Posted by jimphelps on April 19, 2010 · Leave a Comment 

Spring watercress is wonderful green. It has a spinach like leaf with a very peppery stem. It turns very mellow in this risotto recipe. This is a quick recipe that uses pantry items like stock, onion and arborio rice along with fresh items from the market. The flavors are rich and mellow with the bright tang of tomato.

Category Easy, Fall, Featured Post, Featured Slides, Holidays, Not Meat, Spring, Winter

Trout with Lemon Tarragon Dressing

Posted by jimphelps on April 18, 2010 · Leave a Comment 

Grilled trout is marinated in a lemon, garlic and tarragon dressing.  This dish is great hot off the grill or chilled on a bed of greens and as light Summer salad.  Quick and easy to prepare with a just a few ingredients.  This recipe is a great reason to plant tarragon in your garden or … Continue reading →

Category Easy, Fall, Featured Post, Featured Slides, Meat, Spring, Summer

Frittata with Greens and Onions in Beef Stock

Posted by jimphelps on April 12, 2010 · Leave a Comment 

This recipe combines the richness of eggs with a rich beef stock.  It makes a wonderful main course or soup course.  The soup is finished with croutons, parsley and freshly grated parmesan cheese.  This is a great way to use leftovers and freezer items to make a meal.  I’ve served small portions as a soup … Continue reading →

Category Fall, Featured Post, Featured Slides, Holidays, Meat, Medium, Soup, Spring, Winter · Tagged with , ,

Bundled up cooking – fast and slow

Posted by jimphelps on April 4, 2010 · Leave a Comment 

Yesterday was gray and cool so I decided to get some cooking done in the morning.  I ended up cooking at both ends of the spectrum: long-and-slow and quick-and-simple. I pre-heated the oven to 425F to bake bones to make beef stock.  Stock-making is a religion with more liturgies than modern Christianity.  To French purists, … Continue reading →

Category Featured Slides, Words

Shrimp Tortillitas – quick Sunday lunch

Posted by jimphelps on March 28, 2010 · Leave a Comment 

Mark Bittman’s post, Simplicity from Spain – Tiny Seafood Pancakes, was where I first learned about tortillitas – a small Spanish pancake made with chickpea flour.  These are one of our favorite Sunday lunches.  We end up eating them, sitting at the island in the middle of our kitchen, warm from the pan. This recipe … Continue reading →

Category Easy, Featured Slides, Fuss-level, Meat, Recipes · Tagged with , ,

Cannellini Beans – a staple for all seasons

Posted by jimphelps on March 25, 2010 · 1 Comment 

While I wait for the market season to start, I’m filling in some basic recipes that I will build on as the year passes. Dried beans are a great staple to keep in the house.  I discovered that I could mail order many varieties (like cannellini beans) for much cheaper than I found them in town. … Continue reading →

Category Basics, Featured Slides, Medium, Not Meat, Recipes · Tagged with ,

Slideshow – Grilled Tomato Salsa on Salmon

Posted by jimphelps on March 21, 2010 · Leave a Comment 

Hated to see such an empty blog so I thought I would post some photos from the past year’s cooking. [nggallery id=2] Enjoy, Jim

Category Featured Slides, Photos · Tagged with , , ,

First of Spring

Posted by jimphelps on March 20, 2010 · Leave a Comment 

Today is the first day of Spring and we have an inch of new snow on the ground.  That doesn’t stop me thinking of the year ahead.  The soon-to-come fresh asparagus and frost-sweetened spinach are waiting for warm soil and Spring rain.  The Dane County Farmers’ Market will move outside in four more weeks and … Continue reading →

Category Featured Slides, Words · Tagged with ,