The Dorothy Project: Spanish rice pilaf with zucchini and tomatoes.

As I’ve been browsing through my grandmother Dorothy’s “Kitchen Klips” recipe file, I’ve smiled as I discovered recipes that are very familiar to me. That’s because I sent them to her. Back in the 90s, Grandma published a cookbook, and she included many recipes from family and friends in addition to her own favorites. I sent her this recipe for Spanish Rice Pilaf with Zucchini and Tomatoes — it didn’t make the cut for her book, but Rob and I make it all. the. time. It’s the perfect summer-to-fall transitional dish. Get the recipe on writes4food.com!

‘Lost and found’ zucchini casserole.

When you’re going through a collection of vintage recipes, it’s fun to imagine what prompted the person who assembled the collection to include a particular recipe. This recipe for a simple, one-bowl zucchini casserole just seems so much like my grandmother: it’s good, and not at all fussy. Here’s the next installment in The Dorothy Project: Lost and Found Zucchini Casserole, which she clipped from Gourmet magazine in the 1980s. Get the recipe on writes4food.com.

Couscous salad with apples and feta.

I made up this recipe after we had a similar salad at a delightful little bar/cafe in Lucca, Tuscany. Couscous is the ideal base for any kind of salad—and this one has a lovely range of flavors and textures: crisp, sweet apple, salty Feta, briny olive, crunchy almonds. It’s kinda perfect, actually. Get the recipe for Couscous Salad with Apple and Feta over on writes4food.com!

Easy skillet pita bread.

One of my favorite things to make for dinner on a warm evening is practically no-cook: some homemade hummus or tabbouleh, a fresh tomato salad, some meats and cheeses, and a few homemade pita breads. Pita’s a great starter bread — easy to make and quick to cook on the grill or in a cast-iron skillet. Get my homemade pita bread recipe on writes4food.com.

Orzo pasta salad with seasonal vegetables.

Ever been to a potluck or cookout and had quote-unquote pasta salad? You know what I mean: mushy corkscrew pasta, raw vegetables and icky bottled Italian dressing. Gross. *This* pasta salad is not *that* pasta salad. This Orzo Pasta Salad with Seasonal Vegetables recipe starts with the right kind of pasta, homemade dressing, and crisp-tender seasonal veg. Perfection. Hack it with different vegetables all year round. Get the recipe on writes4food.com!

Winter caprese salad with beets and chard pesto.

Caprese salad? In winter? Usually, it’s a nonstarter to order a caprese, that traditional salad of perfectly ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil, at any time but the height of summer. But yeah, winter caprese salad: this one with roasted beets, moss and chard pesto. It totally works! Get the recipe on writes4food.com!

Buttery root vegetable mash.

Winter squash and root vegetables are abundant in local farmers’ markets even during cold months. (Not like we’re exactly having typically cold winter weather right now.) Sauté these babies in lots of butter, simmer them in vegetable stock and fork them into a chunky mash that’s perfect as a side to grilled steak or roast chicken. Get the recipe on writes4food.com!

Video: Easy roasted vegetables.

Here you go: your last-minute, super-easy Thanksgiving side dish, and healthy to boot!

Summer vegetable gratin.

This Summer Vegetable Casserole recipe is the perfect summer-to-fall transition dish, to make while summer produce is still abundant and the weather cools off enough to where you’re OK with the idea of using the oven to make dinner. We love it as a main dish with a sliced tomato salad, but it’s also a great side for grilled chicken or steak. Get the recipe on writes4food.com!

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recipes and wisdom from a Midwestern kitchen

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