I love the smell of parsnips in the afternoon

It smells like victory. At the end of the season last fall, I dug up about two dozen well-formed parsnips, almost six pounds worth. Also the usual tomato, eggplant, and chile pepper. This was the biggest surprise, as I had never had any luck before growing carrots or parsnips. But last winter, I had enough […]

Hopping John on New Year’s Day

I first encountered black-eye peas years and years ago, when a housemate introduced us to the custom of eating Hopping John, or black-eye peas with ham hocks and rice, on New Year’s Day. Aside from the inherent virtue of such a simple dish, I was amazed at how good beans can taste. I’m still amazed […]