Anyone who has raised a garden or grew up in a family that had one knows that nothing beats fresh veggies. The same be true of fruit. Picking an apple off a tree or raspberries from the canes and then eating them are one of life’s true pleasures. Now I know that not everyone can be as lucky as we …
It’s not too late to pick some rhubarb for your next dessert or to freeze some to get you through the long winter. I’ve been doing a little of both the past couple of weeks. I’ve vacuum sealed and frozen several 4-cup bags of the “pie plant” as it has come to be known in the U.S. as well as …
The thought of homemade pie conjures up warm memories of good times past for many people who grew up on farms or in the small towns that dot a map of the Plains and Midwest. During the summer, I could usually count on finding a pie, often rhubarb, on the counter at our house or Grandma and Grandpa Menard’s almost every …
Most cooks have a handful of go-to recipes — the ones that you know will be a hit with whomever you are serving. I don’t have to think too hard to come up with mine, which include a couple of main courses, a sandwich, an appetizer and a dessert. My baked pheasant with wild rice dressing probably tops the list, followed closely by my …
What’s the most popular pie in America? It just depends on whose survey you’re viewing and where it’s being conducted. But in the majority of surveys, apple pie rules. The folks at NPR in 2012 named apple pie as the favorite of those they surveyed. And in a 2008 survey by Crisco and the American Pie Council, nearly one out of …
It seems people who love rhubarb just can’t get enough recipes that feature the pie plant. That’s especially so if you grew up eating tasty rhubarb desserts straight out of your mother’s oven. I was reminded of that today by Becky Leguee Siani, whose older brother, Rory, was a good childhood friend of mine, and her sister, Eileen, a grade school classmate, …
The Minnesota strawberry season is just around the corner, so dig out the recipes. But you have to enjoy them as soon as they appear; they don’t last long. Strawberries have such a delicate flavor that they are best eaten right when picked. Some people use a bit of sugar and drizzle cream for that old favorite. A fresh strawberry pie …
No Midwest garden would be complete without a rhubarb patch. Add to that a nice bed of strawberries, and you have the makings for some wonderful desserts. We are fortunate enough to have both. A stand of rhubarb was growing next to the garage when Therese bought our house about 25 years ago. And four years ago, I bought a bunch …