Vegetables

Swiss chard is our favorite green vegetable around here, partly because we grow it. I've tried and failed to grow spinach, and we don't particularly care for beet greens or collard greens. But we all really love chard. What a surprise when we found out you don't...

I think sauerkraut is delicious right out of the bottle or can. Makes my mouth water to think about it. There's certainly nothing wrong in serving it either heated or cold right out of the package. It goes great with Polish Sausage, Bratwurst, or hot dogs. Most people...

One of the favorite ways to fix vegetables at my house is also very simple. Roasting them in the oven smells great, looks great, and tastes even better. This photo shows some veggies from the other night ready to go into the oven. As it happens, they are all from our...

We use this recipe for most of our hard-shelled squash, like Butternut and Acorn. One of the tricks to this kind of squash cutting it. So I keep a rubber mallet in one of the kitchen drawers. That's right, a rubber mallet. Instead of sawing your way through a hard...

Long grain white rice is a great accompaniment to many dishes, such as the Pork Cashew dish shown here. You can make rice on the stovetop, in a microwave, or in a rice cooker. I usually use a rice cooker because it's foolproof; it calls for 1 1/2 cups of water for...

Ratatouille (rat-ta-too-ee) is a classic French vegetable casserole that uses eggplant as one of its ingredients. My first taste of it, however, wasn't in France, or even in a French restaurant. Chuck's Steakhouse, one of the pioneering Southern California / Hawaiian...

This has got to be the best thing you can do with leftover mashed potatoes. It just takes a few minutes, and can turn any breakfast (or dinner) into a treat. Of course you don't have to use leftovers. But for me, if I'm going to have them for breakfast, leftovers...

Mashed potatoes can be the most delicious side dish, or can be a starchy, mushy, tasteless mess. Let's use this foolproof method to make some that everyone will rave about, whether you add gravy or not. I use good old Russets mainly, although Yukon Gold work well and...

Boiled potatoes go great with lots of dishes, and are delicious and easy to prepare. They go especially well with entrées like sausage and corned beef. All you do is peel the potatoes and cut them into bite-sized chunks. Cover them with lightly salted water in a...

We call our baked potato recipe "Streeterville" baked potatoes, and probably only those of you in Chicago will know where Streeterville is. For the rest of you, Streeterville is a section of town near Navy Pier, where many years ago a local character named Streeter...

The key to this recipe is to partially cook the potatoes before browning them in the skillet. This not only saves time, but it also gets the inside cooked without overcooking the inside. You want the outside crisp and golden and the inside tender, but not dried out. I...

These potatoes are very tasty, good-looking, and very easy to make. For small red potatoes, you'll need three or four per person. After washing them cut the potatoes in half, if they're small, or into chunks if they are larger. Put them in a Pyrex bowl with a 1/4 inch...

This is a French method of frying the most delicious, crisp, and tender potatoes you'll find. I used small red potatoes for this recipe, but you can use regular spuds cut any way you like: French fry size, steak fry size, wedges, or chunks. The oil and potatoes are...

These delicious, crunchy, and spicy onion rings are always a big hit. Use large brown or yellow onions for the best rings. Peel the onions, and slice them in thick 3/8-1/2" slices. Separate the rings and immerse them in a big bowl of ice water for an hour, if you have...

Many people make it a policy to eat blackeye peas on New Year's Day for good luck. We do, too. But let's face it, I don't think blackeye peas by themselves are very good, even when seasoned with ham and Tabasco. Many people just serve blackeye peas over rice. But this...

Green beans can be fresh or frozen, or even canned. If they are from a can, they are already cooked, and just need warming. Frozen beans are ready to cook, but fresh beans will need the ends trimmed off. The new varieties don't require removing the string any more, so...

Here's an alternate to the modern barely-cooked vegetables you are used to getting in restaurants. This is old fashioned comfort food, which will add a pleasing satisfaction to almost any meal. It's best to start with fresh string beans. Wash them and pick over them...

This is a great cabbage recipe, and is good with many dishes. Of course, it is the classic accompaniment to German food. In the photo above, I'm serving it with Schnitzel (and it can be either veal or chicken) and German Potato Salad. For five or six servings you only...

Home made French fries are not only delicious, but making them at home gives you the chance to do them your way. For example, you can peel the potatoes, or leave the peel on. After they are done you can season them with salt, or seasoned salt, or pepper, paprika,...

OK, here's real County Fair Food. And man, is it good! Ranks right up there with the Deep Fried Spam and Twinkies. These potatoes are a little bit of trouble to get set up for, but it's worth it. Serve 'em with burgers, steak, or just by themselves. If you want, you...

What's better for a summer barbeque than corn on the cob? And of course, frozen corn on the cob is available year-round in the market. Here's how to get the best flavor from each. The photo shows grilled corn out at the barbeque. Some of the ears have just been taken...

These tiny cabbages are not only good but good for you. But a lot of people don't know how to cook them, don't like the smell or taste, and never eat them. That's a shame, because properly cooked and flavored even kids like them. Give it a try. When you pick out the...

Especially on New Year's Day I get requests for blackeye peas from folks who want good luck for the coming year. And every year I try to make them taste good, and don't succeed very well. So I usually recommend making hoppin' john instead. But hoppin' john, as...