Category: Column Alison Steele

By Alison Steele  I want to share a recipe from one of my greatest friends, Maya. Born in Russia the same year I was, and living in Virginia with her family for as long as I’ve been living in California with mine. We met in the summer in downtown Staunton when she was 8 months pregnant and running a booth… Read More

By Alison Steele We know that Spring has truly arrived when the elements align and that first warm egg is discovered in the lay box. What a surprise! What a treasure! What a delight! On a small backwoods farm, it would’ve been cradled and admired before being whirled into a pudding or fluffed into a pie for all to share.… Read More

By Alison Steele Often linked with Europe, the potato is actually native to the New World. Captured by the Spanish from the Incas, potatoes were shipped back to be grown in royal gardens in order to increase acceptance of this strange new food. Stolen by peasants to try in home plots, it soon became a staple in French, British, and… Read More

By Alison Steele When I peek into the pantry, I try to imagine ways to use the stockpiles of dried fruits, jams, chutneys, and other delicacies preserved from summer’s bounty. The dried fruits seem to disappear first as they need no enticing off the pantry shelves. These little works of art require no fork or plate and instantly satiate the… Read More

By Alison Steele After a month of rich, sweet and savory holiday cooking, our ovens (and bodies!) may be needing a break. Introducing a daily herbal infusion in place of an afternoon bake is an easy way to bring our bodies back into balance. January is the month when the bright green of most tea herbs are peeking out from… Read More

Recipes from a Mountain Garden By Alison Steele I adore simple syrups. Strawberry rhubarb, lemon balm, feijoa, and now quince are some of my favorites, adding sweet, tart, and herbal flavor celebrations to the palate in the form of food or drink! Easy and versatile, use them to sweeten lemonade and iced tea in the summer, hot herbal teas in… Read More

By Alison Steele Baking season has officially arrived, along with the first ripe figs in the garden. I have resisted most temptation to buy figs at the farmers market knowing that these two heirloom trees produce enough fruit for vinegars, jams, cakes, salads, teas, puddings, pizzas, and brandy for the coming winter.   Not only are they loaded with minerals and… Read More

By Alison Steele Moving into fall with afternoon warmth still lingering, the magic of Okra Stew is captured entirely on the stovetop. Layering the flavors of the garden in one pot along with poultry or pork, and ladling it over a steaming bowl of rice is what I think of as comfort food. I’ve chosen to celebrate the vegetables in… Read More

By Alison Steele Returning to our mountain garden after two months away is quite magical. Pumpkins hang from the vine, towering sunflowers guard entranceways, ripe tomatoes and peppers peek out from under the weeds. There are, however, always a few casualties. Our peach tree had split straight down the middle despite my efforts to twist off what seemed like a… Read More