Browsing Articles Written by

Cathy Thomas

Bombay Spread: One of the Best Appetizers on the Planet

Cooking, Melissa's, Produce, Recipes By July 31, 2022

After all these years, this is still one of my favorite appetizer spreads! Serve it with apple slices, crackers, or slices of baguette (toasted or fresh)! Six-Layer Bombay CheeseYield: about 30 servings8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated1/2 teaspoon curry powderGarnishes:1/2 cup mango chutney2 tablespoons unsweetened flaked coconut1/4 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped, see cook’s notes1…

Ginger-Rollups! Easy, Scrumptious Appetizers!

Uncategorized By July 21, 2022

LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED … Five minutes and you have starters that are as delicious as they are glamorous.  These beauties are lavash (bought at Trader Joe’s) spread with cream cheese and rolled around watercress (or arugula) and pickled ginger. EASY. Ginger Roll-UpsYield: 16 servingsOne (8-ounce) plus one (3-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature2 (9-by-12-inch) sheets of lavash, see…

Cauliflower “Steaks” Roasted Right and Paired with Italian Salsa Verde.

Cookbooks, Cooking, Melissa's, Produce, Recipes, Uncategorized By June 29, 2022

At our house, we call slabs of cauliflower “vegetarian steaks.” They are a welcome steam-roast treat to serve when the vegan branch of our family visits. I like the way the chefs at America’s Test Kitchen steam them in a scorching hot oven under a blanket of aluminum foil before roasting them to create lovely caramelization on the exteriors. A…

Strawberry Salad Finds Bliss with Pistachios and Feta

Cooking, Melissa's, Produce, Recipes, Uncategorized, Videos By April 10, 2022

Green salads have endless possibilities … Strawberries can be at their very best this time of year – juicy and sweet, with a luxurious texture. This romaine-based mix showcases the berries with Romaine lettuce, Feta cheese and salted nuts such as pistachios or almonds. The dressing is a simple vinaigrette spiked with honey and shallots. Fresh tarragon comes to the…

Celery Salad – Sparked With Bright Flavors

Uncategorized By March 17, 2022

Almost every night at my house, we have some type of salad. When the lettuce runs out, we turn to longer lasting vegetables to be the headliner. Celery is one of those choices. There are loads of theories about how to best store it. I trim the bottom and cut the bunch in half crosswise. After swishing the freed stalks…

Roasted Bok Choy – Potato-Chip-Crisp Leaves with Tender Bases – Top with Ginger Sauce

Cooking, Melissa's, Produce, Recipes, Uncategorized By February 3, 2022

High-heating roasting caramelizes bok choy, lending it an alluring sweet edge. It starts out with a gentle mustard-like flavor, but roasting tames much of that sharpness. The process creates texture contrast, transforming the tender leaves to a potato-chip crunchiness, the broad base to a moist succulence. It’s the best way to cook it. While the bok choy is in the…