In the words of Cab Calloway, “Everybody eats when they come to my house.” As I mentioned when sharing my cover story in last week’s blog post, I’ve joined one of our local newspapers, the Flathead Beacon, as a food columnist. My first Twice as Tasty column was published this week under a headline from Mr. Hi-De-Ho’s swinging song. You can find it in this week’s print edition or read it online here.
Read more about my new food column
Tag: garden-to-table
Winding Down Year 4
Twice as Tasty will officially turn 4 next June, but the approaching end of 2019 has me reflecting on the past year and pondering the directions to take the blog and Twice as Tasty Live in the year to come. It seems that this past year was all about settling in: The blog has found its rhythm, and the models I’ve developed for workshops and other live events keep them running smoothly. (Read on, and you’ll see what I mean.) Things are running so smoothly that I’m tossing around ideas that will put more on the 2020 table. (Skip down the page to read about the year to come.)
Read more about what to expect in 2020
Filling Salads
Salads dominate my harvest menu. They’re so versatile: chop up some ingredients, toss them with a bit of dressing, and your fresh, one-dish meal is ready to eat. I start making homegrown salads as soon as spring greens show true leaves and don’t stop until the ground freezes.
Most salads fit the “no recipe required” category. Once you find your preferred ratios, even the dressing can be made on the spot with whatever’s at hand. If you follow @twiceastastyblog on Instagram you’ll find plenty of my daily salads. But I still get enough requests for ingredients and proportions that you’ll find a couple dozen salad and dressing recipes on the blog and can even gather your friends for a workshop. Some of these recipes are traditional, like panzanella, sunomono, and the two American classics in this week’s post. But as you’ll learn, all of these salads can be adapted based on what’s in season and what you have on hand.
Learn to make Three-Bean Salad and Taco Salad
Flavors of Fall
Of all the growing months, September holds the garden’s greatest bounty. I’ll harvest the widest variety of produce over the next few weeks, some of it from plants that are in their prime but much of it from those that are yielding their final offerings. In my garden, many plants will release preservable quantities this month, including nightshades, cucumbers, squash, and if a frost hits before the month’s end, apples. Plums and pears will be the only new arrivals, but they’ll all be ready at once.
Even though I spend plenty of hours in September putting up homegrown food, much of the garden will offer portions suitable for fresh meals. Broccoli and even asparagus are still putting out a handful or two of new shoots at a time. Corn and snap beans just passed their peak but will continue to give up enough for immediate use. Cherry tomato and basil plants will keep reminding me of summer even as the days shorten and cool. So I’m taking a break from sharing canning recipes this month to pass on some of my favorite ways to savor the flavors of fall.
Read more about the flavors of fall
Twice as Tasty 