Have you made your New Year’s resolution to waste less food in 2019? In that case, why wait? I’ll bet you’ve got plenty of Christmas leftovers in the fridge, just like I do. I’m making ham and cheese swirls to accompany our New Year’s drinks with our leftover ham!
Apples and pears
You know that saying “it’s like comparing apples and oranges”? Meaning, “you can’t compare these two things because they are obviously totally different!” I have always found that a poorly formulated saying. I compare apples and oranges frequently– every time I get the question “what kind of juice would you like?” for example. “It’s like comparing apples and shoelaces” would be more like it. But here’s the thing– Dutch people have made this saying EVEN WORSE! In Dutch the saying is “it’s like comparing apples and pears,” which is absolutely ridiculous because apples and pears are pretty much interchangeable. Just to prove my point, here are three recipes in which you can use apples OR pears one-to-one with no modifications needed.
PEAR: Elegant vanilla-pear tart
APPLE: Apples with caramel dip
APPLE: Dutch-style apple turnovers (appelflappen)
Chill in the air
This week we’re still enjoying warm and sunny days but a chill creeps in as evening approaches. Maybe that’s why I have been in the mood for Autumn foods. The sage, rosemary, and thyme in my garden have been there all summer, but something feels right about using these herbs just now. I am tempted to indulge in wild yin-yang philosophising, but really I just think these herbs are at their best in the kind of warm, creamy, hearty dishes I crave as the nights grow cool.
SAGE: Fried sage leaves
FETA CHEESE: Roasted feta with honey
ROSEMARY: Rosemary roasted potatoes
Cucumber time!
In Dutch, cucumber time is a way of referring to the hot, lazy days of summer, when the kids are on holiday and the pace of business slows down a tick. I’m not sure the figurative cucumber time has arrived, but the literal cucumber time is upon us! I harvested the first cucumber this morning and, from the looks of it, cucumbers 2-5 will follow post haste. These three cucumber recipes will get heavy use in the coming days and weeks!
CUCUMBER: Green smoothie
CUCUMBER Sweet and sour cucumber salad
OREGANO: Quick Italian dressing
Fire up the grill
This weekend was our first real barbecue weather and we made the most of it! A generous platter of meat makes the Sunday barbecue festive but we always seem to over-do it. Not to worry– there’s no need to toss anything out! Yesterday’s steaks or sausages may not taste great on their own, but these three recipes make quick weeknight meals from the weekend’s grilled meats.
STEAK: Teriyaki noodles with beef
SAUSAGE: Creamy pasta with sausage and peppers
BACON: Chicken bacon ranch salad