Salads, Dressings, and Marinades

Confetti Bowl with Eclectic Garden Pesto

June 21, 2015

When Mike and Kelly bought their house 3 summers ago, the only noteworthy feature in the yard was a low growing weeping red Japanese maple. Except for a few unremarkable shrubs, the yard was  pretty much empty except for the grass over uneven ground. Since then, they have applied their vision and talents to transforming […]

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Turning the Tables, Part Two (And an African Stew Turned Salad)

June 12, 2015

Sometimes when it seems like everything in life is completely up in the air, the best thing to do is gather round a table with those who help us stay grounded. I’ve always loved the phrase “gather round” because it so succinctly captures of being surrounded by a loving essence and holding it in the […]

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Of Whales and Old Women: It’s No Fluke (and Confetti Coleslaw)

March 11, 2015

My meals have become so simple that I hardly think of them as something worthy of blogging about. Mostly I live on combinations of the four plant-based food groups: vegetables, fruits, grains, and beans–tossed with a little seasoning, sauce or dressing– into a bowl. The longer I do this, the less I feel like developing […]

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Vegan Versions: PB2, Cranberry-Fruit Sauce and Other Tasty Odds and Ends

January 7, 2015

Since I moved about a mile or more northeast, the shortest distance to a grocery store puts me at a market that has surprised me with its abundance of great organic produce and a section called “Huckleberries” within it that duplicates much of what I can get at the co-op. On icy days or second […]

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Pineapple Basil Garlic Scape Pesto

July 13, 2014

I’m sharing a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share this year from the organic farm at Washington State University with two friends of mine.  I’m so glad they asked to include me, because it’s meant I’ve had more local fresh produce during the move than I otherwise would have, since planting an extensive garden at either […]

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Vegan Versions: Apple Dill Vinaigrette (Oil Free)

June 28, 2014

  The day Mike and Kelly arrived to help me move, I could have been packing more of my stuff. But I was so overwhelmed instead I fell back on what relaxes me and helps me center: I went into the kitchen and made something up. I knew we would have to have good vegan […]

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Vegan Strategies: Last Minute Chopped Salad with Sprouted Quinoa

April 14, 2014

Life is full of contradictions. How can a house that’s been a residence for 117 years be the only one on the block not zoned as a residence? How can a salad you can make at the last minute have an ingredient it takes about two days to make? I will tell you how. What […]

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Shake and Serve Italian Style Potato Salad: A Family Tradition

September 13, 2013

I know Summer’s about to screech to a halt, but up here we’ve had a stint of what my Dad used to call “State Fair weather”—hot, dry and dusty. Many gardens and farmer’s markets are full of nightshades, so I thought it would be a good time to introduce you to this easy potato salad […]

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Vegan Versions: Off-Beat Baba Ganoush

August 12, 2013

Something about orange food must put the devil in me. Remember, if you’re getting to be old as the hills, like I am, when Orange Julius burst on the scene and its slogan was “a devilishly good drink”? Well, that’s what I always think about adding something orange to a perfectly good recipe. And that […]

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Slow Cooker “Roasted” Beets and Orange Dressing with Sage and Mustard

July 22, 2013

I didn’t come up with this method for cooking beets, but I just have to spread the word. It’s easier than anything, and it means that I can still have the sweet taste of roasted beets in salads without having to use my oven on a hot summer day. There’s plenty of places on the […]

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