SPRING
Spring Beef Stew with Mushrooms, Peas, and Baby Potatoes
I've been craving beef stew, but not a heavy stick to your bones winter stew. I wanted something comforting but still light, fresh, and nourishing. As I imagined what would qualify as a spring beef stew a few flavors came to mind: fresh dill, mushrooms, leeks, bacon,...
Roasted Beet and Sweet Potato Salad with Quinoa and Balsamic
I'm all about the beets, 'bout the beets right now. Last week it was a recipe for Lemony Pasta with Beet Greens, Fennel Seed, and Aleppo Peppers. This week it's roasted beets in a quinoa salad with sweet potato, red onion, avocado, goat cheese and balsamic...
Lemony Pasta with Beet Greens, Fennel Seed, and Aleppo Peppers
Beets are a cool weather crop that I especially enjoy in early spring, when the farmers market is just getting going and fresh seasonal veggies are few. In the anticipation of spring, I celebrate any seasonal veggie I can get my hands on. Recently I picked up the...
Easy Everyday Vegetable Stir-Fry
We had a couple days of unbelievable sunshine and warmth here in Dublin this week (though today it has turned cloudy and cool). In true la belle vie style my husband made the last minute decision to take a vacation day and we skedaddled off to Portmarnock beach. It...
Delicious Detox Beetroot, Avocado and Wild Rice Salad
I don’t believe I ever saw a single beetroot growing up. Never even thought much about that strange dirt cloaked root until I grew up and planted a garden. I fell in love with beets after tasting my very first homegrown beet baby, pulled from the soil just minutes...
Celebrate the Season: Spring Pea, Spinach and Fennel Soup
June is the height of spring, when the garden really starts producing. You can see pink radish shoulders poking out of the soil, voluptuous bunches of salad greens and perfect pea pods dangling from delicate trellised vines. It's an exciting time for a gardener,...
Foolproof Fish: Salmon Cooked in a Parchment Paper Bag
Let’s talk about fish... First of all, fish is SO good for you Especially oily fish, like salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines, lake trout and tuna. These fishes are rich in omega-3 fatty acids—essential for your brain, your mental/emotional...
Green Spring Salad with Quinoa and Lemon
Happy May Day! Spring is in full bloom here in the Irish countryside—little lambs are bouncing across the fields, sedge warblers are singing their hearts out, and tiny yellow primroses are blooming at the edges of winding roads. The warm sunshine and longer...
Grandma Bercher’s Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon rolls are a Bercher family tradition. It all started with my great grandmother, Frances Bercher. Born Frances Schuster in Germany, she immigrated to America with her family in 1908 at 13 years of age. Eventually she married my great grandfather and settled...
Strawberry, Spinach, and Quinoa Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Happy May Day to you! Here in Ireland, spring has been slow to reveal herself. Though the weather has been unseasonably cool, I do see a bit more sunshine and the breeze feels a tad warmer with each passing day. I've been waiting for the morning frosts to depart so I...
Greetings From Ireland and a Recipe for Blueberry Parfait
Greetings from Ireland! We arrived in our new home town of Cavan yesterday and the sun has been shining the whole time (which I'm taking as a good sign). Cavan is in the north, just 15 minutes from Northern Ireland. It's marked by rolling green hillsides dotted with...
Celebrate Spring with Pasta Primavera
Happy first day of spring! I am so excited for warmer days, gardening, and eating tender spring vegetables. How about you? One dish I look forward to enjoying this time of year is Pasta Primavera, or "Spring Pasta." This dish is a celebration of all things green, open...
Irish Brown Soda Bread and a Big Announcement
Today I've got a recipe for Irish Brown Soda Bread to share with you, not just because St. Patrick's Day is fast approaching, but also in celebration of some big news! As the Irish say, Come here to me, wait till I tell you. You may have noticed things have been a bit...
Gravlax
Remember when I said I was having a Nordic moment in the kitchen, back in the beginning of June? Well, I guess that moment has turned into a full on obsession that led me to making my own gravlax. In case you missed it, check out my step-by-step gravlax tutorial on...
Shrimp Madras Curry with Raita
This week the husband and I celebrated our birthdays - mine on July 10th, and his on July 11th. The two birthdays meld into one big birthday, and it's great fun to share the festivities with my best friend. He was born and raised in Ireland, and each year I go on a...
Strawberry Tart
You may remember my resolution to celebrate each seasonal fruit this year with a tart? It all started in April with a recipe for Meyer Lemon Curd Tart. The purpose of the tart project is to slow my pace of life a bit, to savor each brief season and the tender fruits...
Tarragon Potato Salad with Smoked Salmon & Lemon Vinaigrette
I'm having a Nordic moment in the kitchen, inspired by the Scandinavian sensibility for fresh, brightly-flavored, seasonal ingredients- prepared simply. The food is light but nourishing, intended to stimulate the senses and energize the body. During springtime, I...
Spring Onion, Pea, and Chive Frittata with Goat Cheese
Frittata, the rustic Italian omelet, is a dish I make again and again during springtime. It's a simple, forgiving technique- much like a crustless quiche- open to endless variations. The method is to lightly sauté filling ingredients in a high-sided skillet, then...
Recipe for Mussels Cooked in Rosé
On September 30, 2008 I met Michelle Obama. Just before the November election, Mrs. Obama came to CU-Boulder with the purpose of rallying students to register to vote. It was an exciting time, before the recession had taken its toll on the American spirit. I could...
Braised Halibut and Artichokes
The sky is grey and a cool breeze whips through the tree branches. I watch from my apartment window as they wave back and forth, as if in slow motion, tender spring blossoms quivering. The rain pelts the window, “tap, tap, tap.” “Come in, “ I invite her. On Sunday I...
Clams in Fennel Broth
I know what you want right now in the heat of summer. You want something light, quick to cook, flavorful but simple. No problem! I find that my appetite can be stifled by the heat. The idea of stepping into my kitchen and sweating over a hot stove is not appealing....
Not Your Average Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp
I'm so excited about this recipe I can hardly stand it! Originally inspired by the the article, "Come Together" in the June issue of Whole Living magazine, I have gone down a different road. This week at La Domestique, I'm cooking with oats, which are essential to the...
Spring Crudités Platter with Aioli
Inspired by the "Poached Chicken Breast and Spring Vegetable Salad" in Martha Stewart's Cooking School, I set out to make my own spring crudités platter. This would be a lovely way to entertain alfresco in the garden for Saturday lunch. Sparkling wine pairs nicely...
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