If you scroll through the Sweets section on The Runaway Spoon, you may notice a host of very simple pie recipes. Because I think pie is a perfect dessert, for the cook and the consumer. The variety of wonderful things that can be packed into a pie crust is extraordinary. And with little effort, you have a comforting treat that is sure to please. Once you master a simple pie … [Read more...] about Blackberry Sugar Pie
Fruit and Vegetables
Crispy Picnic Slaw
Years ago, during my event planning days, I helped a client plan a lovely riverside party, with a good old-fashioned fish fry. This client was very particular. About everything. But particularly about slaw. He insisted on vinegar-based slaw, not mayonnaise dressed. The caterer took copious notes on his slaw pronouncements and produced what I (and everyone else who ate it) … [Read more...] about Crispy Picnic Slaw
Cherry Bounce
Cherry season is beginning, or at least fresh cherries are showing up in the markets here. We don’t grow cherries locally, so when I start to see them at the grocery, I buy them up. I love cherries, so I try to make the season last as long as possible. I bake with the beauties, make preserves, and frankly, just leave a basket on the counter and eat them throughout the day. … [Read more...] about Cherry Bounce
Vichysquash: Cold Crookneck and Buttermilk Soup
Vichysquash, or Squashyssoise? Yep, this all started because of the name. I saw a recipe for Vichysquash years ago, and loved the silly name, but it called for canned creamed soup, which has never appealed to me. The idea stuck though, and when I see the glut of yellow crookneck squash piling up at the farmers market, I always think of this soup. I’ve tinkered … [Read more...] about Vichysquash: Cold Crookneck and Buttermilk Soup
Baked Ricotta and Goat Cheese with Candied Tomatoes
If you are like me, you open magazines and cookbooks and admire the beautiful photography. The casually laid tables bursting with delicious dishes, the beautiful vessels holding each delicacy, simplicity and refinement, but with the decadence of good food. And you think - I can do that. I can casually invite a few friends round, act like it’s no big deal, then present an … [Read more...] about Baked Ricotta and Goat Cheese with Candied Tomatoes
