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Category Archives: Food

Fried apple pies

Thursday, July 8, 2021

I already had decided that, if the squirrels left me any apples this year, then instead of making a big apple pie that I’d have to eat all by myself, I’d make fried apple pies, with a vow to eat no more than one a day. The squirrels did leave me some apples, I did […]

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Squash and cucumber Kung Pao

Wednesday, July 7, 2021

I think of cucumbers as a vegetable to be eaten raw. But a little Googling reveals that many people use cucumbers in stir fries. Because I’m rich with summer cucumbers from the garden, stir-frying cucumbers had to be tried. To make Kung Pao dishes too often would risk getting tired of it, and I wouldn’t […]

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Squash puppies

Monday, July 5, 2021

Squash puppies with pesto While eating squash fritters a few days ago and thinking about other things to do with squash, the idea of squash puppies occurred to my wicked mind. For all I knew, I was the first to think of such a thing as squash puppies. But a little Googling showed that I […]

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Squash fritters

Thursday, July 1, 2021

When squash is in high season (and it is), squash in every way imaginable is on the table. Squash fritters sound like a lot of fuss, but actually they’re quick and easy. Coarsely grate the squash (and some onion) in a box grater. Add egg, flour, and seasonings. Drop the mixture into a skillet with […]

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Blue Ridge Parkway eateries

Thursday, July 1, 2021

Clouds from a summer squall move eastward above a Doughton Park trail head. In the Blue Ridge foothills, elevation about 1000 feet, the high temperature yesterday was about 91F. Sixty miles away in the Blue Ridge Highlands, elevation about 3,500 feet, the high was about 75F, with a constant cool breeze and rain showers. I […]

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Runaway squash and cucumbers

Monday, June 21, 2021

I had the good sense this year to plant a sparse garden for easier maintenance. Even so, when the garden kicks in, you can’t turn your back on it even for a day. I had skipped a day of harvesting, and this morning I picked five pounds of squash and cucumbers from four squash plants […]

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Pasta is a piece of cake

Wednesday, June 9, 2021

Homemade tagliatelle with basil-parsley pesto. The basil, parsley, and lettuce came from my garden. The pesto was made with a mortar and pestle. When I posted last week about working on my Italian cooking (“A summer project: Italian cooking,” June 2), I was not thinking about pasta — honest. I was thinking about how to […]

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A summer project: Italian cooking

Wednesday, June 2, 2021

A friend who lives in the south of France asked me yesterday in email what plans I have for summer. I couldn’t think of a thing, other than trying not to hide too much indoors in a bug-free, air-conditioned house. Then I remembered one thing: That, with the riches I hope to get from the […]

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Peace of mind, and the weather

Sunday, May 23, 2021

The basil in the garden is just getting started. This pesto was made from the last of the winter basil, which I grew in the kitchen windows. More about the mortar and pestle below. Living in the woods as I do — reasonably secure, healthy, and retired — my stress level isn’t very high. I […]

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The joy of dieting

Sunday, May 16, 2021

A diet-day main meal of scallops and roasted cauliflower in a creamy tomato sauce. Painless. To say that I’m an experienced dieter sounds like I’m making a joke. That’s because it reveals that, when I lose weight, I gain it back. That’s true. I do gain it back. But as long as one’s weight oscillates […]

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