Homemade Ready

Peaches are so ripe and juicy this time of the summer, I just can’t resist them. They are one of those fruits that I enthusiastically eat my fill of when they are in-season, and when the season is over, I leave the fresh ones alone until next year. None of those rock-hard peaches found in supermarkets in the dead of winter for me!  I also like to freeze and can a bunch of peaches in the summer, so that I can use them in cobblers and other recipes, as a reminder of warm, sunny days during those cold months of winter.  I don’t limit peaches to desserts only - they work well in savory dishes, too. One of my favorite ways to use them is on a homemade pizza. It may sound strange, but the combination of the sweet peach with the salty cheese and spicy sausage is just so good! It’s budget-friendly, too, using just a handful of simple ingredients and a homemade crust (of course you can just buy a crust, if that suits your needs better). The crust I use for this pizza is adapte...

Back when I first started cooking from scratch, it came as a revelation to me that I could make my own homemade ranch dressing from scratch (without even opening a packet of that well-known seasoning mix!) Before this realization, it had never actually occurred to me that this tasty concoction could be made using various combinations of simple ingredients like mayonnaise, buttermilk, milk, sour cream and/or yogurt. Add in some herbs and seasonings, and a little lemon juice or vinegar, and there you have it - ranch dressing! Over the years, I have played with the recipe, based on what I like, and also based on ingredients I typically have on hand. With my herb garden growing full-blast right now, I thought it would be a good time to whip up a batch. For this recipe, I used my batch of ranch dressing to dress a simple salad of lettuce, tomato, and turkey bacon, tossed with a few homemade croutons and a tiny bit of thinly sliced red onions. This salad is great for a light meal...

I've heard a rumor that some people don't adore the humble cabbage the way that I do, but I have a hard time believing it. So maybe it is not the most fragrant of vegetables while it's cooking, but the end result is magnificent - delicious, sweet and mellow. Take some of those crunchy cabbage leaves, cook them slowly until tender, and you will end up with some serious comfort food. Let's not forget, too, that cabbage is in season right now, and is a real bargain at the market.

I am a serious chili fanatic. Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall - the time is always right for chili. I am not a purist, however, because I do like to change-up my ingredients and play with seasonal flavors. This chili uses one of my favorite fall ingredients - sweet potatoes. I know that sweet potatoes are available year-round, but they are harvested and cured in the fall, and their sweet taste and orange color are just right for a hearty bowl of chili on an autumn evening.