I picked most of my corn last weekend. Since I don’t spray pesticides, I usually have a small worm chewing on the tip of the corn. That earworm is actually the larva hatched from an egg the adult moth lays in the silk of the corn. When the egg hatches, the young larva feeds on the silk and ultimately the corn.

While the worm may look gross, it’s not a big deal to cut off the damaged part of the corn and process as usual. In fact, I feel better about corn from my garden or purchased at the farmers’ markets because I know it’s healthier and I expect the worm. When buying pesticide-free corn, try to look under the silk and get the ones with less earworm damage.

I grilled some of the corn and cut the kernels from the cob. I’ve printed that recipe before, so go to my website and search on the word “corn” for grilling tips. I also grilled turkey chorizo links to go with the corn. The buttery, smoky sweetness of the grilled corn was amazing with the spicy taste of chorizo.

Roma tomatoes and cucumbers are doing well in the garden, so I collected some of those and found a handful of dill that the grasshoppers hadn’t demolished… yet. I made a citrus-dill marinade for tomatoes, cucumbers and red onions to go with the corn and chorizo.

Citrus and Dill Marinade
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 Tbsp. dill, chopped
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. cracked black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a pint-sized jar and give it a good shake. The marinade is then ready to be poured over tomatoes, cucumbers and red onion slices. Let the vegetables with marinade sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes before serving.

I topped mixed greens with the marinated vegetables and used the juice as the salad dressing. Adding a few crumbles of feta cheese on top of the salad and skipping the chorizo makes this meal vegetarian. Refrigerate leftover marinade and use it as salad dressing later in the week.

I didn’t sell at the farmers’ market last weekend because my 5-year-old nieces came to visit. We visited the garden daily and picked whatever was ready. We shelled the last of the English peas and we made butter from cream we purchased locally.

For dinner we had peas and squash with the homemade butter. There’s still a lot of squash so I’ll pickle some. Carrots and cauliflower may also be added to this recipe and it is great served with fish.

Sweet and Spicy Pickled Squash
3 lbs. squash (yellow and zucchini), sliced
2 cups onions, sliced
Pickling salt, for sprinkling (about 1⁄2 cup)
6 cups water
3 cups white vinegar
1 1⁄2 cup apple cider vinegar
3 cups sugar
2 Tbsp. mustard seeds
1⁄2 tsp. turmeric
4 cloves
1 large head garlic, skinned and roughly chopped
1 cup hot peppers (I use jalapenos that have turned red), sliced

Layer squash and onion in a large glass bowl, sprinkling the layers with salt and pour the water over all. Let soak for 2 hours. Drain the salt liquid from the vegetables and rinse well. Spread the vegetables out on clean towels and let dry while preparing pickling liquid.

Combine vinegars, sugar, mustard seeds, cloves, garlic and peppers in a pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add vegetables. Bring to a simmer and then remove from heat.

Fill sterile pint-sized jars with the mixture, making sure the liquid is 1⁄2-inch from the top. Wipe the rim with a clean towel and fit with a hot lid. Screw on the metal ring. Process the jars in a hot-water bath for 15 minutes.

Remove jars and let cool. Test the seals. Store the pickles for a least two weeks before serving. Refrigerate any jars that did not seal well.

We also picked scalloped or patty-pan squash. My favorite way to cook those is to slice them in 1⁄2-inch cross sections and marinate them for a few hours in balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and steak rub. Then place them on a hot grill just long enough to leave grill marks. Serve them on toasted buns with the usual hamburger fixings.

My twin five-year-old nieces came to stay with us for Easter. Yes, my sister and her husband were there too, but the twins usually steal the show. We stayed very busy with a tea party, making table decorations and checking on the chickens. We visited the coop two, sometimes three times a day – just in case there might be a new egg. We decorated eggs and we ate eggs. For dinner Friday night we made every kid’s favorite, tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Easter Sunday was quite a bustle of activity with getting ready for the family dinner, setting up tables and chairs, placing decorations, lots of cooking and then dressing up in our Easter best. The little girls looked like fairy princesses in their fluffy tutu dresses and hair bows. We had 30 guests for dinner with everyone bringing something to share. Afterward, the bunny made his delivery while the kids were distracted on the back porch with bubbles.

In the evening after everyone had gone home, the food was put away, dishes were washed up and furniture was back in place, my husband and I relaxed on the back porch. Actually we were so tired we couldn’t move. The quiet after a family get-together is certainly nice.

Leftovers are an added bonus after a big holiday dinner. Since they may last all week, some creativity will be required to keep supper interesting. However, that night we just had leftover tomato soup with egg salad on toast.

Tomato Soup
1 large onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. dried basil
1 6-oz. can of tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups stock
2 32-oz. cans whole tomatoes
2 cups cream
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, cook onions in olive oil seasoned with basil, salt and pepper. I prefer to cook them low and slow until they are a rich caramel color. It takes at least 20 minutes. Then add tomato paste and garlic, turn up the heat to medium-high and continue to cook about 5 more minutes. Add stock to deglaze the pan.

Add the canned whole tomatoes with their juice. Increase the heat and bring to a low boil. Then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pull out the immersion blender and process until smooth.

Just before serving, stir in cream and adjust seasonings. Garnish with chopped fresh basil or chives, grated Parmesan cheese or one of those chopped boiled eggs.

The incredible edible egg has been on my mind this week. It started when one of my sweet little chickens laid an egg easily twice the size of the other chickens’. I shared photos on Facebook and it appears that the egg has its admirers. My chickens are pasture-raised and that diet creates wonderful orange-yellow yolks. We enjoy eating eggs in a variety of dishes, but one of the most simple is egg salad.
Easy Egg Salad on Toast
6 large eggs
1-2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 stalks celery, washed and chopped
handful of chives, chopped
mixture of lettuce and greens
wheat bread, toasted
For the fail-proof boiled egg – place eggs in a pan and cover with cool water. Bring to a boil and immediately cover and remove from heat. Wait 8-10 minutes while the eggs continue to cook. I get perfectly boiled eggs every time.

Chop the eggs, mix with mayonnaise or yogurt, salt and pepper, chopped celery and chives and a splash of lemon. Serve on toasted wheat or whole grain bread with fresh lettuce or other greens.
Sometimes I add a tablespoon of pickle relish or capers instead of the lemon juice.
A stratta is another great way to use eggs. In fact, it’s a terrific way to use leftovers too. A stratta is a layered dish made with egg, bread and cheese. It can contain meat and vegetables or fruit.
Meat and Vegetable Stratta
Cooking spray
12 eggs
2-1/2 cups whole milk
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. herbs – like paprika, dried thyme, oregano, etc.
1 tsp. salt
1 loaf or 7-8 cups bread, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound cooked meat – like beef, ham, chicken, etc., chopped
1 cup cooked vegetables, chopped
8 ozs. cheese, shredded
Prepare a 9×13″ baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard, herbs and salt.

Place half the bread in the bottom of a baking dish. Top with half each of the meat, vegetables and cheese. Repeat with a second layer of the remaining bread, meat, vegetables and cheese, pressing down as necessary to fit in the baking pan.

Pour the egg mixture over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight so the bread can soak up the egg mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Let stratta come to room temperature for 15 minutes. Bake uncovered until puffed and lightly golden brown, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

It’s fun to try different ingredient combinations. I like the following: ham, broccoli, Swiss and thyme; sausage, spinach, provalone and ground fennel; ground beef, onions and green peppers, cheddar and oregano.

Last week, my husband and I attended Grape Camp in Fredericksburg and took a few extra days to visit several vineyards and wineries. The food was fabulous, the wine was wonderful and the landscape – very similar to Tuscany – was lovely. The trip inspired me to do Thanksgiving a little differently this year. I intend to serve Mediterranean foods with good Texas wine.

The meal will begin with antipasto (that’s Italian meaning “before the meal”) and is served as a starter or an entrée. The dish usually consists of cured meats, cheeses, fruits or vegetables and olives or pickled peppers. The preparation can be as simple as slicing the meats and cheeses, cutting up an apple, laying down a cluster of grapes and pouring drained olives from a jar. It can also be made more complex by adding roasted and marinated vegetables. Luckily most of the preparation can be done a day in advance and the platter will be served cool or at room temperature.

When it comes to cured meats, you can’t go wrong with a good hard salami. Slice the salami into pieces that can be eaten in one or two bites. Proscuitto, a dry-cured ham, is another excellent choice. It should be thinly sliced and can be purchased that way at most delis. I usually roll the slices into small cylinders for a nice presentation. Small bites of mozzarella cheese wrapped in proscuitto are tasty too.

We are very blessed to have an abundant choice of cheeses and you can’t choose poorly if you serve what you like. I like to serve two cheeses and one of them is usually smoked Gouda. Then depending on the crowd, I serve either a cave-aged gruyere, a soft goat cheese rolled in fresh herbs, or a hunk of tangy blue cheese.

Generally the fruits are served raw – usually grapes and apples – making sure that they are in bite-sized pieces. However, I prefer to grill most of the vegetables. I consider what is in season, but usually serve a few grilled asparagus spears lightly dressed with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Roasted artichoke hearts, mushrooms and squash are also wonderful choices.

Chopped tomatoes, onions and garlic marinated in balsamic vinegar and olive oil with capers and basil leaves adds bright freshness to the platter. I have also made an olive tapenade by chopping black, green and kalamata olives and mixed with garlic, capers, lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil. Those are the more complex options, but you can always just open a jar of stuffed olives or peperoncini.

Antipasto will be a great start for Thanksgiving dinner. Although I have chosen non-standard Thanksgiving fare, I know my folks won’t be disappointed. We will be thankful for our great country, our ability to gather in peace, love for each other and the Lord’s bounty.