Chances are you have had this experience: It’s the first truly warm day of the year—late March, let’s say—and you have just gotten back from an unseasonably balmy park walk or seashore picnic. You walk through the front door, take off your shoes, head to the kitchen to start preparing the night’s dinner, and happen upon a trail of slowly moving black specks on the counter.
Photograph by shutterstock.com/Joseph Calev
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Local Painting Companies Show the Green Way Forward
Minute Men Painters used low-VOC Land Ark finishes, made from beeswax and all-natural pine resins, on the interior beams and water-borne polyurethane on the interior doors and trim of this post-and-beam house in Acton, Maine. Painting with a Different Brush
Minute Men painted this charming sky-blue bedroom in a house built by Gray Contractors on Rye’s Jenness Beach. Painting with a Different Brush
For Sean Sturk, co-owner of Minute Men Painters, the decision to...
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A Perfect Move finds a niche helping clients cut waste
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, an estimated 37.1 million Americans move every year. And anyone who has ever had to transfer belongings from one place to another—be it across town or across the country—knows that the process often entails a lot of waste. From cardboard boxes to long-forgotten trinkets and heirlooms, no move is really complete without a trip or two to the landfill or a curb full of refuse.
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Google+ Share on Google+ Share on LinkedIn Buffer It! JoomShareBar For Newburyport and York cabinetmaker, crafting an enduring product is as green as it getsWritten by Jim Cavan, Green AllianceWith so many big box stores housing aisle upon aisle of composite cabinetry, seldom do you encounter a kitchen motif older than a decade. Like many other products, furniture and cabinetry are fast-becoming mere consumables, often disposed of without a second thought. The quintessential Yankee (and “green”) philosophy of making the most out of what you have, while creating something as beautiful...
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Google+ Share on Google+ Share on LinkedIn Buffer It! JoomShareBar Local Energy Purveyors Offer Alternative Home Heating OptionsWritten by Jim CavanWinter is almost here. Rest assured that your furnace will soon be running full tilt, and a refill probably isn’t much farther down the snowy road. Given the dread that many people on the Seacoast feel with the arrival of Old Man Winter, one cannot help but wonder if there is a better way to fill the tank—one that is efficient, clean and doesn’t require cutting big checks with every visit...
Photographed by Jim Stott
Cabbage—inexpensive, versatile, and always available—could be the cure for what ails you and at the same time a delicious and nutritious vegetable dish. Most folks enjoy an occasional side of coleslaw, a bit of sauerkraut on hot dogs, or a boiled dinner around St. Patrick’s Day, but eating this humble vegetable on a regular basis could improve your health.
Photographed by Jim Stott Salsa Verde
Salsa is a sauce, admittedly a very chunky, hearty sauce that doesn’t pour easily, but it is still a sauce! It’s also a sauce that, by most accounts, is the most popular condiment in the United States and perhaps in the world. Centuries before Columbus landed on the shores of the New World, tomato and pepper farming had spread from the land of the Incas to Central America and Mexico. The climate was perfect for growing lush crops of both, and blending these two veggies together was inevitable. Adding spices, onions, chilies, and herbs probably came from early beliefs that many of these commonly available ingredients are of real value in warding off fevers and other maladies. Plus, family recipes of salsa added lots of spark and variety to a diet based mainly on rice, beans, and corn.
Photographed by Jim Stott
All of us who could not envision a world without chocolate owe our gratitude to the Conquistadors who first brought this precious commodity back to Europe centuries ago. They were introduced to this most delectable treat by the Aztecs of Mexico who harvested the cacao, finely ground it, and brewed a beverage often flavored with chilies or cinnamon and sweetened with honey. This concoction, xocolatl, was typically served during important ceremonies and was thought to improve one’s stamina and help fight fatigue.
Photographed by Jim Stott
Casserole—the word brings up memories of home-cooked meals, savory scents, and stick-to-the-ribs satisfaction. So what exactly is a casserole and how did it get its name? Casserole comes from the French word casse, meaning a case, referring to a large deep dish that can be used both in the oven and then as a serving vessel. The word is also used for food cooked and served in such a vessel. Today, this cookware is usually called a casserole dish or casserole pan.
Photographed by Jim Stott Blueberry Lemon Sorbet
These days, we find so many frozen treats in markets and small shops that it is sometimes hard to choose our favorite! Gelato and frozen yogurt shops seem to spring up overnight on every street corner. We go for good old-fashioned American ice cream, but then again…
Photographed by Jim Stott
Mushrooms—most of us have strong feelings about this simple form of fungi found in almost every corner of the world.
Photographed by Jim Stott
In New England, early settlers boiled seafood shells for soup and used less appealing bits of chicken and beef for broth that became a staple of their diet. To the soup, they added vegetables from their root cellars. Root vegetables fed families throughout the long Northern winters.
Photographed by Jim Stott
Getting two people to agree on the best way to roast a chicken is almost impossible, but there is no doubt that it is just about everyone’s favorite “go-to” meal during the winter months. Here Jim and I offer two of our best chicken dishes to take the chill off our New England winter weather. We probably have consumed hundreds of chickens on the way to finding out what the perfect roaster is; it is one of our all-time favorite meals. It does not matter if it is just the two of us on a cold winter night or if we have “important” guests. Somehow the combination of oven-roasted chicken and vegetables, along with mashed garlic potatoes always works. The second recipe for a warm and hearty chicken stew is the dish for a snowy Sunday.
Photographed by Jim Stott
Banana Brioche, Chocolate Caramel, Coconut Praline, Brandy Apple, Butterscotch Raisin—the list of tempting bread pudding recipes trending today is endless. Yes, this usually humble American dish has taken on new life in recent years. Bread pudding probably originated in Europe in the eleventh century when folks left no waste and used leftover bread crusts to make a custardy treat. Still thought of as a family dessert dish made with leftovers (nothing wrong with that!), it has become the quintessential comfort food, now proudly listed on menus both as a dessert and in savory fashion as a main dish. We have to say it has been and remains one of our favorites!
Photographed by Jim Stott
Brussels sprouts, once voted the most hated vegetable in England, have come into their own as nutritious and versatile side dishes. They also make delicious garnishes, appetizers, and healthy additions to soups and stews. We’ve eaten them locally as an appetizer served warm from a roasting pan with a maple-based sauce and Gorgonzola cheese; at home, we roast them with salt, pepper, and other root veggies including sweet potatoes: both preparations are delicious!
Photographed by Jim Stott
Lemons are one of the most versatile fruits used in cooking and an essential staple in our kitchen. Indeed, nothing brings sunshine indoors more than the big white ironstone bowl filled to the brim with fresh lemons on our kitchen counter. From cocktail garnishes to desserts, lemons can be used - and usually are at our house - in recipes for any meal, at any time of day. Lemon juice is in the recipe for our top-selling Maine wild blueberry jam and, blended with parsley, it is one of our favorite scents in our line of dishwashing detergents. Something about the aroma makes us think of cleanliness, freshness, and brightness.
Many folks on the Seacoast crown the holidays with a fabulous feast shared with family and friends. For us, the incredibly busy time of fourth quarter in the retail world comes to a screeching halt. We can finally take a breath, sit back, and enjoy all that is really important about the holidays . . . sharing time with the people you care about.
Photographed by Jim Stott
Little did we know when starting to investigate the humble radish that this healthy little vegetable comes in so many varieties and stars in so many wonderful recipes. The name radish comes from the Latin word for “root” and is a plant in the same family as horseradish and turnip. With a mild peppery flavor and distinctive crunch, radishes are a great spring garden plant. They are easy and quick to grow, and they thrive in almost any season, in any climate. Because radishes do not require a lot of space or attention, you can grow them in containers or in a traditional garden bed. Either way, expect a harvest about one month after sowing the seeds—ideal for those of us who love instant gratification!
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Doug's Homemade Grilled Pizza
Ingredients
1 cup warm water
1 package dry yeast
2½ tablespoons olive oil
2½ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
Pinch of black pepper
Directions
Make the pizza dough
1. Place yeast in a mixing bowl; add the yeast and let stand for 10 minutes until foaming.
2. Add all ingredients into a food processor and pulse them until mixed.
3. Dust countertop lightly with flour. Turn out dough onto the counter and...
