• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

cup fresh orange juice

1

teaspoon grated orange zest

5

tablespoons maple syrup

1

tablespoon brown sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Combine the carrots, thyme, and cinnamon in a baking dish.

3. Combine the butter, orange juice, orange zest, maple syrup, and brown sugar in a bowl and mix well. Pour the mixture over the carrots and bake until tender, stirring occasionally so that the carrots do not brown too much on one side, 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.

sautéed fresh corn with cilantro and scallions

SERVES 4 TO 6

The key to this dish is the fresh corn. Thawed frozen corn will work too, but there is something about the clean taste and pleasing texture of freshly husked corn that makes it worth waiting for corn to hit the market. I love this with Barbecue Baked Alaskan Salmon (page 167). The combination is an unbeatable way to celebrate the Fourth of July.

Melt the butter in a medium or large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the corn and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the cilantro and scallions and mix well and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

2

tablespoons unsalted butter

5

cups fresh corn kernels (about 6 ears of corn)

1/4

cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4

cup chopped scallions (white and green parts)

Salt and pepper to taste

* * *

did you know. . .

A variety of genetically modified corn that was approved for human consumption in 2006 caused signs of liver disease and kidney toxicity as well as hormonal changes in rats, according to a study performed by the Committee for Independent Research and Genetic Engineering at the University of Caen in France.

* * *

john pepper’s exotic green beans

SERVES 4 TO 6

I used to babysit for John Pepper’s two young children when I lived in Paris many years ago. One day I found a plastic container of these miraculous cooked green beans in the refrigerator. I tasted them and was blown away, and John was happy to share the recipe. The ingredients list is long, but these are the best green beans you’ll ever make.

Heat a medium sauté pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil, garlic, onion, and bay leaves and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the garlic and onion is lightly browned but not burned. Add the wine (if using) and cook until the liquid has evaporated. Add the paprika, cumin, coriander, and curry powder and mix well. Add the raisins and mix well again. Add the butter and green beans and stir until the butter has melted. Add the crème fraîche, almonds, and cilantro. Season with the salt and pepper.

1

tablespoon canola oil

2

garlic cloves, sliced

1/2

medium yellow or white onion, finely diced

3

bay leaves

1/3

cup white wine (optional)

1

teaspoon paprika

1

teaspoon ground cumin

1

teaspoon ground coriander

1/2

teaspoon curry powder

1

cup golden raisins, soaked for at least 2 hours or overnight, and drained

3

tablespoons unsalted butter

1

pound green beans, cooked until crisp-tender

1/2

cup crème fraîche or sour cream

1/4

cup sliced almonds

1/3

cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

* * *

did you know. . .

Twenty-six percent of the 548 green bean samples tested in 2004 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) contained 3 or more insecticide residues, and 14 samples contained 5 or more residues. Green beans had the highest Dietary Risk Index (DRI) score of any domestically grown vegetable tested in recent years by the USDA: 330. Residues of relatively high-risk organophosphate insecticides pushed up the DRI score for this crop. Imported green beans scored lower on the DRI: 93.

* * *

balsamic-broiled asparagus with shaved parmesan cheese

SERVES 4 TO 6

Asparagus stands tall and noble like a spire and is the first sign of spring. Rich in vitamin A and phosphorus, it has been deemed the “aristocrat of vegetables” by the people of Quebec. Although steaming asparagus is the most popular way to