The Wood-Fired Blog
Red Kuri Squash-Brown Butter Puree
Jan 07, 2013Here’s a quick, easy recipe that’s a perfect addition to any festive holiday meal spread. Feel free to substitute pretty much any winter squash you can get your hands on – butternut, acorn, buttercup, hubbard, sweet dumpling, pumpkin. They’re all complemented wonderfully by the nutty flavor of brown butter. The only variety I would avoid is spaghetti; the texture just won’t be what you’re looking for here. Read More
Stuffed Peppers With Feta, Pecans and Cherry Tomatoes
Oct 08, 2012Our dry, hot summer here in the Midwest produced a bumper crop of peppers of all shapes and sizes. You couldn’t swing Wilbur Scoville around at my farmers market without knocking over an overflowing bin of banana peppers or scattering a pile melrose peppers across the grass. This recipe is a simple late-summer side dish I concocted to make use of the bounty. I used round of Hungary peppers here,... Read More
Curried Cauliflower With Chickpeas and Golden Raisins
Aug 14, 2012This dish is actually one of my wife’s specialties. As a cook, I work in the evenings and thus miss out on dinner at a normal time, so it is a comforting feeling when I walk in the door and can tell just by the aroma of curry in the air that my late-night meal on the couch is going to be delicious and satisfying. I’ve done a little tweaking... Read More
Roasted Beets With Greek Yogurt and Almonds
Jun 28, 2012Don’t let the short ingredient list fool you – this easy recipe packs a ton of flavor. This is a wonderful way to prepare beets when the weather is warm; light and refreshing, this dish would be the perfect start to a simple summertime meal. I use red beets here, but feel free to substitute any that you find – golden or chioggia beets would be delicious as well. Read More
Roasted Asparagus With Romesco Sauce
May 11, 2012This is the last time I’ll say it: Hurray for spring! Without a doubt, asparagus is one of the finest gifts spring has to offer, made all the more sweet by the relatively short time we have with it each year. I know, I know, your supermarket has asparagus all the time. Do me a favor – don’t eat it when it’s not springtime. Asparagus is just one of those... Read More
Roasted Mushrooms With Green Garlic
May 03, 2012Here’s another recipe to celebrate a couple of spring’s here-now-gone-tomorrow offerings. If there’s one thing to complain about spring’s bounty, it’s that nothing sticks around for very long. Oh well – enjoy it while it lasts. This recipe will make it even easier, because it will take you about 2 seconds to make – three ingredients, and that’s it. If you can find them, use morel mushrooms, spring’s fungal grand... Read More
Roasted Artichokes With Capers, Chevre and Herbed Breadcrumbs
Apr 23, 2012Ah, spring. Yes, it’s getting warmer. Yes, the days are getting longer. But what I really get excited about is all the amazing produce spring brings with it. Finally gorging on asparagus, peas, morel mushrooms, green garlic, ramps, spring onions, rhubarb and more after a long winter of root vegetables here in the Midwest is a joy that never grows old. This recipe is an ode to another springtime favorite,... Read More
Spicy Roasted Fennel With Basil and Pumpkin Seeds
Apr 10, 2012Let us all now take a moment to appreciate the humble but supremely versatile fennel plant. Its bulb can be shaved and eaten raw, or cooked in pretty much whatever manner you see fit. Its fronds are used as an herb, its seeds as a spice. Beat that, other vegetables. I like the combination of fennel and spicy flavors, so that’s what we have here, along with basil, whose anise... Read More
Kohlrabi Gratin
Mar 26, 2012Kohlrabi is a delicious vegetable that is woefully underused here in the United States. A member of the cabbage family, kohlrabi has a sweet, mild flavor that is hard to pin down, but if I had to try I’d say it’s like a cross between broccoli, rutabaga and potato. When I reread that description, it doesn’t sound very good, but please don’t let it scare you away. Give kohlrabi a... Read More
