The earth is coming alive. Beneath the oak leaves that I pile on my garden plot every fall, I am beginning to see the first sprouts of green. Garlic is […]
THE KIDS COOK
Summer Tuna, Packed in Oil, Comes to the Table for a Smorgasbord
Deconstructed and rebranded, a Niçoise salad becomes a favorite
There’s a funny thing about kids and food combinations. At our house, olives are good, and bread is good. But olive bread might as well be poison. Why? I have […]
THE KIDS COOK
Acorn Flour-Thickened Beef Stew
A dinner that starts with gathering nuts outdoors
Last fall, I taught a foraging class for Wellfleet Elementary School students. We gathered once a week, after school, rain or shine, and headed out into the woods with no […]
THE KIDS COOK
Chili With Cornbread
A dinner that plays up the pleasure of beans (and butter!)
Here is something I am reminded of by the small cooks in my house: we all need more comfort food. Kids do not make obligatory salads. They follow their pleasure […]
THE KIDS COOK
Black Bean Tacos
A dinner that trades a few fractions for a lot of flavor
In September, my two girls, ages six and nine, became responsible for dinner once a week. We’re home schooling, and a little kitchen responsibility seemed like a good way to […]
BACKYARD PANTRY
Wild Cherry Cough Syrup
Collect native black cherry bark now for a homemade winter cold remedy
Earlier this summer, I discovered a wild cherry tree growing off my back porch. I noticed one variety, then a second, and learned from a friend and Cape Cod National […]
KITCHEN TABLE
Excursion Bars
A treat to fuel everyday adventures
These are the bars I’ve been making. They’re from what was supposed to be the May “travel” issue of Bon Appétit — an issue they seem to have hastily renamed “Recipes […]
SIGNS OF SPRING
Farmers Markets Open, Gingerly
A push for online ordering, but SNAP customers must pay in person
This season, the Wellfleet Farmers Market is going to be one of those places where life’s new rules seem weirdest. The place to go to get your hands-on local produce […]
SOIL BUILDERS
Salt Hay, Biochar, and Other Secrets
Healthy soil is less about fertilizer, more about microbes
Outer Cape gardeners can get restless counting the days until they can safely set out their tomato seedlings. But seasoned local growers have some advice on what to do right […]
KITCHEN TABLE
Homemade Cream of Tomato Soup
With a grilled cheese sandwich, it’s the comfiest
If soup is comfort food, cream of tomato must be the comfiest. Grilled cheese with tomato soup has been the number one requested meal at our house for the last […]
MENTAL HEALTH
Professionals Tell Parents, ‘Learn to Let Go’
Families and caregivers need to prepare for a marathon, not a sprint
Four weeks into school closures, parents and kids are struggling with disrupted routines, financial stress, and health concerns, and there are no easy answers. “We are all in uncharted territory,” […]
KITCHEN TABLE
Nettles Make a Silky Spring Soup
Wild things to make hearts sing
The nettles are up! I’ve never been so grateful to see a wild green. Nettles sting, yes. But they’re free and prolific. And right now, they’re tall enough to harvest. […]
KITCHEN TABLE
Red Lentils With Bright Flavors
Reach into the pantry for a comforting supper
We’re hunkered down, working through one big shopping binge and the supplies in our pantry. We’re eating simple meals, but we’re still trying to keep them interesting. This red lentil, […]
FARM AND GARDEN
Sal Del Deo’s Garden and Its Bountiful Memories
It’s a piece of the Old World in Provincetown
Salvatore Del Deo sits in his kitchen on a snowy December afternoon, holding a jar of dried beans. “My favorites of all the favorites,” he says, holding them up to […]
TECHNOLOGY
Kids’ Anxiety and Smartphone Use Are ‘Skyrocketing’
Screen time rules are needed for children (and adults, too)
Sixty-nine percent of kids have their own smartphones by age 12, up from 41 percent in 2015. And on average, 8-to-12-year-olds in the U.S. consume just under five hours’ worth […]
