It’s the little things
by Anne Gray

We are told to look at the big picture. Think big. Sometimes we need to think small. Small gestures of kindness. Small changes. Small gardens – and more of them. And sometimes, small things in our kitchens can have a large impact on the people we love and feed.

Of foraging and feasting

by Anne Gray
I have had lots of thoughts about Japanese knotweed, but eating it has not been one of them. Not until I started reading The Forager’s Dinner. For years, author and professional forager Shawn Dawson has been providing foraged plants and mushrooms to fine restaurants in St. John’s, N.L., and to innumerable local food enthusiasts at the St. John’s Farmers’ Market. He has recently put his knowledge in print in this easy to read, fun to peruse volume of information, ideas, recipes, and more.

Spring is in the air
Spring is in the kitchen

by Anne Gray

It’s not a warm day, but the sun is bright. That gives me hope. It’s time to pull out my old seed packets and start germinating. Starting now will have baby greens in my sunny window long before I can hack through the frost outdoors. Chives pop up early, so does the mint.

One potato, two potato
by Anne Gray

Potatoes have been in the news in Atlantic Canada recently. But not good news. Fresh table potatoes from Prince Edward Island are restricted from export to the United States because potato wart was found on two fields on the Island. Potato wart does not impact the nutritional value or make the potatoes less edible.

Quick – it's November

The days are rapidly growing shorter. My daylight hours are precious, and there is always more to do than there are hours. Quick breads are handy for these hard-pressed days. And they make perfect gifts whether as a thank you to a friend or neighbour, or to test this month in advance for planning holiday gifts, all-too-soon, next month.

In a pickle, again

It’s that time of year, once again, when the bounty of the season’s fruit and vegetable harvest moves from abundant to overwhelming despite the most voracious of eaters doing their part to keep things in check

Earth, wind, and fire

September rolls in, bright days and cool evenings. Time for a little fire in the woodstove, backyard fire pit, or fireplace. Unless you are having dinner at the big tables at The Inn at Bay Fortune, Prince Edward Island, where chef Michael Smith and his team have had a dozen fires blazing, smouldering, and softly poking along since daybreak in preparation for the evening’s FireWorks Feast.

It’s so easy being green

Summertime, and the living is easy, and green. This is a particularly good growing season; gardens, raised beds, potted plants, and farmers’ markets are lush with fresh vegetables, fruits, and berries of all types. Make the best of it. Eat fresh as much as you can, maybe even can what you can. But most of all, enjoy the bounty!

Time to celebrate

It’s June once again, believe it or not. A time for celebrating the return of milder temperatures along with sweet local strawberries and fresh greens – wild and cultivated.

A little spring in your step, a little spring in your belly

So, May Day, Cinco de Mayo, Victoria Day, National Patriots’ Day, maybe an Atlantic Bubble day. Who knows? It’s May and I think that’s a good reason to celebrate. Sweet blossoms and green everywhere, lots of choices for fresh spring food.

Springtime for hailstones and cabbages
My apologies to Mel Brooks, but it is April. My mind goes to dark places throughout this dismal/beautiful/cold/sunny/sleet-filled/rainy month. Green is showing through the matted brown of last year’s grass and leaves. Spring flowers and hardy herbs are poking up. Greenhouses are filled onto bursting with plants to feed our body and our soul. Enjoy it, whistle a happy tune, and dodge the potholes.

Make space for the next growing season

We have recipes this issue for multi-course meals from your freezer, larder, or cold room. Most of them use meats, vegetables, or fruit that you may have raised or purchased for your winter consumption. There are of course a few things you probably didn’t grow yourself, but are usually on-hand, or mostly available from local sources.

Warm up from the inside

Vegetables with cream. That got my attention. These recipes will go in my winter dinner rotation. Perfect for a warm-up meal after shovelling snow, cross-country skiing, or making snowmen. And a bowl of good beef soup delights me any time of year. Topped off with gingerbread. I plan to make both lemon and ginger sauces for a family taste-test.

Food for the dark days

It’s the week for my annual cookbook clear-out, time when I set aside some favourites and take deep sigh-breaths while I check others, then add some of them to the go-pile. But every book, magazine, and scrap of paper must be perused before going because each one had something that drew me to bring it home in the first place.