The farmer’s market was full of shoppers, seedlings, flowers, cookies and even some vegetables.

The multicolored radishes from Kevin & Laura Channell of Your Farm in Fairlee, Vermont were irresistable. I’ve known about radish sandwiches for years, today was the day to try one.

This classic French sandwich is usually made with a baguette, unsalted butter and sliced radishes. I decided to use thinly sliced walnut sage bread from Umpleby’s. (Rosie can’t figure out why the bread board is on the grass in the garden. Luckily, she has the self control required of a food blogger’s dog.)

Hmmmm?

Back to the assembly details – after slicing the bread and radishes, I buttered the bread generously with unsalted, homemade butter, see Butter in the Kitchen post, arranged the radishes on top and enjoyed a delicate, delicious lunch in the garden with Rosie.

She enjoyed the crusty heel of the loaf of bread.

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Three gray, rainy, cold days in a row demand action.

A bowl of yogurt topped with warm plums would be delicious and pretty. Here’ how I did it. … read more

I wanted to share this email from my friend Lynda Graham-Barber. Lynda lives in the Northeast Kingdom and is a writer, painter, designer, decorator, cook, and friend to all living things.

Dear Carol,

Yesterday was on one of late spring’s most halcyon, forget-me-not-blue-sky days along the Canadian border and so I set out in search of the elusive wild leek. I knew they were deep in the woods, off the old logging road, lined with foam flower, just east of the sagging barbed-wire property line.

I knew because Donald, a neighboring farmer, once told me that over seventy years ago he stuffed his pockets with leeks from this very patch before heading to school. There he shared them with two young women. By the end of the day the trio reeked of the pungent leek; their classmates gave them an understandably wide berth.

Aha, one-half hour into the woods I spotted a patch of the smooth, elongated leaves just beyond a colony of fading Clintonia. Then a bigger cluster, then to the right on a sloping hill towered over by maples and ashes an entire hillside. Everywhere I looked leeks.

Gently I nudged one from its rich, leaf-littered home and took a crispy bite. Savoring the pungent garlicky flavor I made my way slowly across the Village of Leek as a black-throated green warbler trilled from on high.

The leek soup I made was easy and fun. And, of course, I took over a big bowl, sprinkled with crispy bacon, to Donald, who was kind enough to share the location with me. His secret is safe.

Here’s how I made it: … read more

Baby pictures taken in the garden are a sign that winter has gone.

Delicata Squash Twins

I couldn’t bring myself to cull one of these seedlings. I’ll let nature take its course, whatever that means.

Green Zebra Tomato

Small but feisty from Fat Rooster Farm.  I like to watch the plant grow, blossom and set tomatoes so I plant one tomato plant in my garden, but only one, because farmers do a much better job with them than I do.

Sugar Snap Peas

I planted peas because I need almost instant gratification and peas are an early crop.  I choose Sugar Snap Peas because I wanted to eat the pods rather than put them on the compost pile.

Radishes

How can anyone resist planting radishes?  Twenty five days from seed to salad …. a no  brainer!

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Cayenne pepper, chili pepper flakes, fresh jalapeno, canned chili in sambal, and assorted whole dried chilies are always in my pantry.

A Pantry Basic
I use cayenne pepper in everything from creamed spinach to chocolate sauce for ice cream. The handle of a teaspoon or the tip of a butter knife are what I use to measure out the tiny quantity necessary to give a boost without a burn. Aztecs combined chili and chocolate in hot chocolate. I wonder if it was called Hot, Hot Chocolate.

I add a pinch of chili pepper flakes to olive oil, garlic and onion at the start of a marinara sauce. Poblano chili in adobo sauce combined with sour cream is a great sauce for grilled chicken.Jalapeno peppers are usually the only fresh at my market. I find the habanero and Scotch bonnet peppers too hot for my palette.

Sambal, an Indonesian condiment I first tasted when we lived in Singapore, heats up my nearly daily lunch of Asian Noodle soup with bitter greens.

I store whole dried and Serrano chilies in a tin until needed for a mole sauce. Experiment with chilies. Start cautiously, the goal is to enhance flavor not to set any fires.

Capsaicin, the chemical in chili, has been shown to stimulate endorphin release. Using chili may not only zip up what you’re cooking but put a smile on your face as well.

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This time of year, it’s not easy to keep up with a healthy rhubarb patch.

In order to keep the plant producing, I need to harvest regularly and break off flower stalks as they appear.

Rather than making stewed or roasted rhubarb or a pie with today’s harvest, I decided to make rhubarb bread. It’s easy to make and lovely with a pot of hot tea in the evening or as light breakfast with a steamy cup of coffee.

Although I’ve posted a painting of an egg beater, all you need to make this cake is a large stirring spoon, a knife to cut the rhubarb and nuts, and a mixing bowl. Here’s how I made it:/donotprint] … read more