local food – Amy Cotler

Trio of Spring Bruschette

May 15, 2014 Comments Off

Now that goodies are popping out of the ground in rapid succession, it’s time to lather toasted baguettes with everything local. So disobey your mom and play with your food. Fool with anything farm fresh, from goat cheese and sun-ripened berries in June to roasted butternut squash puree with fresh sage in October. I made […]

Beer Braised Brisket with Onion Sauce

April 10, 2014 Comments Off

In this issue (in order) Brisket Recipe for Passover (or whenever!) Alternatives to Brisket from Roving Butcher Jake Levin. Sustainable Meat Primer — the works My Grandma Rose didn’t like to cook much, but she made a mean holiday brisket that’s better than it sounds — foil wrapped and braised tender with a package of […]

Smashed Potatoes and Celery Root with Chive Butter

October 11, 2010 5 Comments

Knobby celery root doesn’t look like a vegetable to cuddle up to, which is why most Americans don’t cook it. But scratch its skin for an earthy aroma that’s celery-like with a distinctive edge. When classically paired with neutral potatoes, it elevates both vegetables, so that together they become something more than either alone. Serves about […]

Grilled Cheddar with Broccoli Rabe

June 7, 2010 4 Comments

This simple sandwich bites back, with its 3 get-up-and-go regional ingredients — aged cheddar, broccoli rabe and whole grain bread. The cheddar came from my trip, mentioned in last week’s post, to the Grafton Village Cheese Factory. I picked up the broccoli rabe at the Great Barrington Farmers Market, cooked it with pasta, then used […]

Winter Shiitake Stew with Polenta

January 26, 2010 Comments Off

Here in New England where it’s been gray or white, white white, my breezy old kitchen seems to shake in the winter wind, and the supply of local fare is dwindling. So it’s time to winter forage, throw a log on the fire, crank up the Billie Holiday, and cook up a warming mushroom stew. […]

Simple and Satisfying, A Local Food 50th

September 12, 2009 2 Comments

My pal Ruth has an affinity for birds, although I can’t seem to connect. And so her 50th birthday, a friendly potluck affair, counted a green parakeet, Boodle, and 25 hens as guests. Actually we looked over the porch at the hens, penned in what reminded my husband, Tommy, of a Hollywood prisoner of war […]