Escarole: A traditional Italian autumn green
(Photo — Yvona Fast)
The days are getting shorter. The trees stand tall, pointing their dark bare branches at the leaden gray sky. Even the tamaracks are beginning to shed their showy golden needles. Our fall garden still has some roots and winter greens. Among these is escarole, an Italian classic from the endive family that is part of the larger Asteraceae group, which also includes asters and daisies. Because this hardy green lasts late into the growing season, likes cool temperatures and thrives in a wide range of moist, well-drained soils, it does well in our region. In fact, a little rain during harvest time brings out its best qualities. In warmer climates, escarole is used as a winter vegetable. This broad-leafed green is not as bitter as other endive varieties. It looks a little like butterhead lettuce, but lacks the velvety softness and instead has fleshy leaves with jagged, pointy edges. Their tough texture and slight bitterness can be somewhat daunting.
» Full StoryAutumn: time for piping hot soup!
It’s autumn. Frost is on the pumpkin, the days are crisp and cold, and darkness comes ever earlier. Chilly autumn winds call us to get out the fleeces and woolens of our winter wardrobe.
» Full StoryCooking with apples
The nights are frosty, the mornings cold, and most of the leaves are off the trees, carpeting the ground I walk on. In the midst of fall, we are still swamped with this seasons’ bountiful crop of apples.
» Full StoryNorth Country Kitchen: Quick and easy autumn meals
It’s October. Autumn is in full swing. Days grow chillier and shorter. The busy summer season is over, and the frenzy of holiday preparations is yet to com.
» Full StoryNorth Country Kitchen: When life gives you apples, make applesauce!
It’s fall, and our wild apple tree behind the garden has given us an overabundance of fruit. They’re soft and small, but they’re great cooked up into apple sauce or apple butte.
» Full StoryQuick, easy harvest meals
It’s September. The kids have returned to school, and the days are noticeably shorter as well as colder. Geese flying overhead and flaming fall foliage remind us that winter is surely on its wa.
» Full Story


