Bake with abandon!
Classic Rhubarb Pie I grew up with a scrappy patch of rhubarb in the back garden that survived the coldest, snowiest winters — despite neglect bordering on abuse. I assumed rhubarb was a hardy Canadian crop, bred for our climate. Not so. Rhubarb originated in …
Remember the colour wheel from Grade 6 art class where you learned that blue and orange were complementary colours and if you mixed them together you got icky khaki brown? Eventually, you or the evil genius in the next row figured out all the complementary …
Everything’s behind schedule. The spring bulbs, the roses, the fruit. And me. Especially me. While I chastise myself for tardiness, I’m actually pleased that Mother Nature is dragging her earth-encrusted feet. Here it is, almost July, and I’m harvesting armloads of rhubarb with leaves as …
Two years ago, almost to the day, I went maple syruping at a friend’s farm. (Click the link! Go on. Not only will you learn how it’s done, there’s a photo of a really handsome dog.) The sky was overcast but the air was damp. …
Cooking with seasonal foods can be a bit like getting dragged on stage for an improv act. Even though you’ve been told the basic premise you don’t really know what’s coming, you’ve little time to think, and your success requires saying “Yes!” to what’s handed to …
Don’t believe everything you read. When researching how to grow garlic, every source I read said garlic from seed was next to impossible or took years to mature. Bulbs were the way to go. So a year ago, out of curiosity, I left some scapes …
Right outside my kitchen porch, a graceless post stands cemented in the ground. Its thick, square bulk is so awkward it can’t be passed off as rustic. Ferns and periwinkle hide its base while a honeysuckle vine attempts to disguise the rest of its towering …
I know better than to go shopping without a list. I have at least three iPhone apps to help me compile them. Pads of paper cling to the fridge simply so I can jot down items as I deplete their inventory. Lists prevent wastage, overstocking …
As if Friday isn’t reason enough to celebrate. Today is the first anniversary of Lynn Ogryzlo’s The Ontario Table, and I’m one of her virtual guests. I’m pretty chuffed to be asked to take part. Not only do I enjoy a party, I like hanging out …