Thayer in the Kitchen

This is a recipe for a vegetarian fruit and vegetable stew: Vegetarian Tsimmes Approximately 1 pound of dried fruit. I used a mixture of prunes, apricots, dried cranberries, figs and a few currants. It probably totals 3 cups. You can suit your own taste in choosing the fruit, although prunes are quite traditional. Chop the fruit coarsely. Soak the fruit in a mixture of brandy and warm water almost to cover the fruit. Its OK to skip the brandy and just use all water if you prefer. 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into diagonal chunks 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 3/4 pounds of onions, peeled and diced into large pieces (red or yellow are both fine) 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Pinch of cayenne Salt and pepper to taste the original recipe called for ground cloves, which I skipped because I don't like cloves juice from 1/2 lemon or about 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1-2 tablespoons butter Fill a large pot with water to cover the vegetables and salt well. Cook the v...

I found this recipe in Farmer John's Cookbook and adapted it slightly. I had never considered eating parsnips raw, but decided to give this salad a try. I took it to a potluck and asked the guests to try to guess what the vegetable was--it took them about 10 guesses. Parsnip & Apple Slaw with Creamy Parsley Dressing Dressing 1/2 sour cream 2 tablespoons minced onion (red or yellow) 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste ground pepper 3-4 medium parsnips, peeled and coarsely grated (a food processor is the easiest way to do this) 2 medium apples (unpeeled) cored and finely diced 1/4 cup dried cranberries 1/4 cup pine nuts or slivered almonds Combine the ingredients for the dressing and stir well. Mix in the parsnips, apples and cranberries. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Toast the nuts lightly, being careful not to burn them. When you're ready to serve the salad, taste to see if it needs an...

I wasn't allowed to put any weight at all on my left leg for 10 weeks which is a very long time. The work that the surgeon did was successful and now I'm starting to get around my condo with the aid of a walker. I've also started to do some cooking while hanging onto counters, etc. Last night I made a very simple supper but the salad was excellent and the pasta dish quite good as well. Apple Spinach Salad 4 cups baby spinach 1 medium apple, sliced (I also peeled mine because I don't like apple peels) 1/2 small red onion cut into thin wedges 2 tablespoon roughly chopped dried tart cherries 1/4 cup pecan pieces 1/2 cup blue cheese (about 2 ounces) or you could substitute feta Thyme-Dijon Vinaigrette 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard 1/4 teaspoon salt Put ingredients for dressing in jar and shake well. Use the amount you want on the salad. Adapted from a recipe from Hear...

In case any of my followers have noticed that there have been no new recipes for awhile, this is why. I fell in my kitchen on the night of Thursday, August 5 and broke my hip. I was taken to the hospital in an ambulance and had surgery the next day. After 6 days in the hospital I was transferred to a rehab center on the west side of Madison which is where I still am. The really hard part is that I can't put any weight at all on my left leg. It makes things very challenging. My husband has been taking most of our CSA vegetables to my daughter's since he's not a cook. I don't know when I'll be able to start cooking again, but I miss it and am really looking forward to getting back into my kitchen.

This is a very good recipe for green bean casserole on A Veggie Venture website, http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/ .  Alanna Kellog the author of A Veggie Venture has the following to say about the recipe, "'World's Best Green Bean Casserole'. What a lofty name! Still, I just might call this updated green bean casserole the World's Best Casserole, bar none." I am unable to post the recipe for you here since it makes the original author tense to have it copied from her site.  However, its worth going to her website to find it and try it. 

I'd like to say this dish is made with local foods--but its not. However, I will say its delicious and we loved it! Mango Salsa: 1 medium, ripe mango, peeled and diced 1 cup peeled and diced cucumber 2 green onions, sliced 1 medium tomato, diced 1 avocado, coarsely chopped 1 small jalapeño, seeded and finely minced 1 clove garlic, finely minced 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped mint 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice Sea salt Salmon: 1# wild-salmon fillet Sea salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoons olive oil 1. To make the mango salsa, combine the mango, cucumber, onions, tomato, avocado, jalapeño, garlic, mint, and lime juice in a medium bowl, stirring gently to combine. Add the salt, to taste. Cover and set aside. If not using the salsa right away, chill in the refrigerator. 2. Season the salmon fillets on both sides with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Sear the salmon on both sides until golden brown and flaky, about 3 minutes each s...

1# or however many beets you have, stems trimmed to 1# 1 tablespoon minced shallots 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice 1 teaspoon grated orange zest 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 bag of salad greens or torn lettuce Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap beets in foil and roast until tender. It will take 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool. Peel beets and cut in wedges. Whisk together dressing ingredients. Dress the salad greens with as much dressing as you like, top with the beets and drizzle with a bit more dressing.