Maria's Farm Country Kitchen

July 09, 2010 • in Food & Recipes

Overcoming Cooking Fears (with Extreme Simplicity)

I don’t fear much anymore about food. But I remember all the different phases of fear I’ve been through during my lifetime of gardening, entertaining, feeding a family, and just plain cooking. The first phase was a fear of somehow …

A Visit to my Kitchen: Ed Orem from Grower’s First

Today Ed Orem is stopping by my kitchen, to talk about his personal journey from being a sugar junky to an organic freak. Ed “Organic Freak” Orem is the data manager at Grower’s First, an organization that helps farmers and …

Kutztown Folk Festival Fever!

It calls itself the longest-running folklife festival in America, and I can believe it. I’ve been going to the Kutztown Folk Festival since I was a small kid. This past weekend I took friends from Belgium to see it, and …

A National Look at School Lunches, Part 2

By guest blogger Ed Bruske from The Slow Cook. Click here for A National Look at School Lunches, Part 1. At the Berkeley central kitchen—a facility as big as a basketball court that makes meals for some 2,350 kids in …

Ziti Wars – Part 2: My Recipe for Ziti

Any good Italian wife had better make ziti once in a while. And any good Italian-family summer potluck includes at least one giant vat of ziti. The Italians are experts at making delicious, easy food that doesn’t break the bank, …

A Visit to My Kitchen: Maya Rodale

I have a very special guest in my kitchen today—my daughter Maya! Well, she’s usually in my kitchen quite a lot; she’s got the inside scoop on the truth of what really goes on in the real Maria’s Farm Country …

Ziti Wars, Part 1: Organic vs. Chemical—Which Is Better and Cheaper?

A few weeks ago I made ziti for dinner. It’s an Italian staple for many reasons; it’s cheap, it’s easy, and it’s delicious. I made it with organic whole wheat pasta and smoked mozzarella, and my whole family devoured it. …