Lentil Kufte
His aunt brought out a platter full of small golden patties, which I soon learned were lentil kufte. With the glorious sweet and deep notes of brown onion contrasting against the earthy lentils with a bit of fresh herbs, they soon became one of my favorite side dishes and is especially easy to feed guests because it’s eaten at room temperature.
Mushroom Ragou with Poached Duck Egg
There are few dishes I look forward to eating each year more than this one. The grounded richness of the mushrooms is like hot lava running through my veins, warming my core from the inside out even on the most bone-chilling of days.
Chilled Sun Gold Tomato Soup with Lots of Summer Stuff
This soup is simple yet special. It is as cooling as it is colorful. The garnish is as delicious makes the soup as delicious as it looks.
Chipotle Onion Soup
It’s the comfort of a long cooked soup but comes together in a fraction of the time. It’s sweet, buttery, smokey, and a little spicy.
New Mexican Frito Pie
Frito Pie is the ultimate comfort food. The crunch of the chips, the spice of the chile, gooey cheese, and freshness of raw vegetables is pretty hard to beat.
Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Yogurt
The cauliflower has a boldness from the sugars caramelizing during the roasting process that’s combined with the complexity of browned onions and sits on a yogurt tahini sauce that is slightly tart, slightly deep, and a bit fruity that makes for a perfect side dish.
Pumpkin Breakfast Pudding
It’s as cooling as it is warm with the deep yet bright notes of cardamom which is accentuated by the complexity of buckwheat honey. The pumpkin brings a freshness and cottage cheese keeps it light with acidity while bringing a creamy texture.
Spiced Pear and Ricotta Salad
This salad has it all – the sweetness of fried pears are balanced by bitter and spicy greens and mellowed by creamy ricotta. The deep flavors are brightened by a fall spiced vinaigrette, and wrapped up in the crunch of roasted sunflower seeds.
Tomato, Cucumber, and Onion Salad
A salad can’t get much more refreshing or more summery than tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions topped with olive oil and vinegar. It’s flashy and classy. It belongs equally at a potluck picnic or on a fine dinner table.
Cucumber Chips
If you like dill pickle potato chips, you’ll love these little bites of crunchy delight. They’re tangy, a little bit spicy, and oh so crunchy!
Roasted Butternut Squash and Peanut Salad
This salad has almost everything I love in food, the deep notes of caramel in the squash, the brightness of fresh herbs, the grounding peanuts, and the fruity tanginess of pomegranate molasses.
Dandelion Fritters
The cornmeal gives the most delightful crunch while the petals give you a nice chew. If you’re hesitant to try them, please do, they’re delicious. The fritters remind me of fried fish but with the most delicate of herb flavors.
Beet and Burrata Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette
It’s fabulously fresh with a citrusy vinaigrette. It’s sassy with crunchy broiled grapefruit that brings tartness but sweet with yellow beets to cut the sour. Burrata brings a creaminess to the salad, yet remains light, and pistachios compliment all of the components.
Pomegranate and Cranberry Salad with Spiced Orange Vinaigrette
It’s light and feisty with spicy greens, mandarins, pomegranate, cranberries, and pecans. The salad is perfect to pair with a rich holiday meal or to use leftover Thanksgiving ingredients to create a filling salad. The beauty of this salad is almost anything goes and the point is to have a delicious dish while cleaning out your fridge.
Charred Carrots with Apple Brown-Butter Vinaigrette
Charring carrots brings on a marvelous complex of sweet and deep that is brightened yet grounded with apples, lemon, and browned butter.
Cabbage with Onions Two Ways
Cabbage and onions are simply buttery bliss or you can take them one step further and turn them into fritters. Either way you’ll wish you knew this recipe a long time ago.
Stuffed Apples
Stuffed Apples is hardly a name for such a delectable dessert that boasts the freshness of fall apples paired with the warm fall flavors of nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and mace in one of the best custards you’ve ever had that is tied together with a crisp meringue.
Halloween Salad: Cabbage, Carrot, Raisin, Pecan Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
The perfect Halloween festive salad that is as tasty as it is colorful. It’s bold, sweet, salty, and has texture for days. The dressing brings the perfect amount of zing that balances the sweeter components.
Cucumber and Peanut Salad with Tahini Dressing
Cooling cucumbers give you all the freshness you want on a hot day and peanuts and tahini bring you an earthiness to keep you satisfied.