Author: Alison Boyd

Lunch, Vegetarian, Winter

Wonderful Polenta!

The bleak days of winter call for warm and comforting dishes. After the festive feasting, let’s take a leaf from our forebears’ book and embrace nourishing staples that store well over the winter and can be turned into inexpensive and filling meals.  The Italians gave us polenta, yellow flint corn that is coarsely ground and […]

carrot_sweet potato_soup
Breads, Soup, Winter

Spice Up Your Soup for a Fortifying Winter

In amongst the holiday feasting, I make space for simple suppers of salads and soups and bread. This vibrant sweet potato soup combines festive spices with creamy coconut milk and a touch of ginger, garlic, and turmeric to boost your immune system in the colder months. The oatmeal soda bread mixes up and bakes quickly […]

fruit cake
Cake, Dessert, Winter

A Perfect Cake for the Holidays

by Alison Boyd-Savage If you are looking for one great cake to carry you through the holidays, then look no further. Even if you are not a fan of fruit cake, you will love this wonderful recipe that bears no resemblance to the typical offerings you may be familiar with, which are so dense they […]

chickpea_pancakes1
Autumn, Featured, Vegetarian

Chickpeas to the Rescue

Lately I have been making vegetarian dishes a main part of my diet. With overconsumption of meat being a major driver of climate change, going meatless for at least some of your meals is an important choice we can make for a sustainable future.   Living here on the North Fork, we are blessed with […]

Paella Ingredients
Fish, Lunch

Spanish-Style Seafood Stew

Perfect for early fall, this Mediterranean-style fish stew is a combination of some of my favorite flavors and is perfect for a celebratory meal with friends or family. Succulent local squid, clams and monkfish, paired with shrimp and mussels, are simmered in a rich garlicky sauce of late-season tomatoes. The scarcity of this wonderful dish […]

A Corn and Onion Tart
Autumn, Lunch, Pies, Savory, Summer

A Late Summer’s Tart

There’s nothing more satisfying in late August and early September than a warm picnic that can be brought with you on excursions with friends to our myriad local beaches, parks and hiking trails, or simply to a cosy backyard where social distancing is still a comforting option. Savory tarts are a great base for experimenting […]

Squash Blossoms
Lunch, Savory, Summer

Fried Blossoms

If you grow zucchini, you know that they produce the most beautiful orange blossoms. What you may not know is that they are a wonderful delicacy. You can fry or bake them with a variety of delicious stuffing, from cheese to meat.  Fried is best, and I will stand over a pan of hot oil […]

Sea Scallops Asparagus
Fish, Spring

An Elegant Spring Dinner for Two

Unlike our native bay scallops, local Shinnecock sea scallops are plentiful and available year-round. They may not get all the love that is showered on our favorite seasonal bivalve, but they are less susceptible to the environmental conditions that sadly ruined the past two seasons’ bay scallop harvest.  Though we are hoping conditions in the […]

Lamb Tava
Featured, Spring

A Feast of Spring Rebirth

Spring is finally here after a very tough winter, and I am ready for the food on my plate to reflect this joyful season of rebirth.  Spinach is the first of the local greens to appear and is at its tender and vibrant best. Lamb, the most flavorful of meats, is associated with spring in […]

Shrimp, bulgar, cabbage
Featured, Fish, Lunch

Spicing Up Springtime

When socializing in restaurants and homes was curtailed last March, I soon realized that I would be mostly dining at home and would need to keep a supply of staples on hand for weeks of meals. To cut down on trips to the supermarket, I ordered ingredients online and stocked up on as much quality […]