When you see the figs, buy the figs. The luscious green ones are my favorite, but the purple ones...
The days are getting cooler and some heat in the kitchen is a welcome thing. It’s time for soups and stews, roasting vegetables, and baking bread. Can you wait for October to make pumpkin cookies?!

browse the recipes:
Slow Cooker Posole
Posole is a slow cooked stew/soup made with cooked hominy (the namesake of the dish), pork (but...
Tomato Leek Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons
This is a harvest-time soup for when you have so many tomatoes you don't know what to do with them...
Icelandic Cod with Cannellini Beans
This is my favorite way to cook fish at home...steamed with white beans. It's the best (and...
Tomato Conserva
Transform the late summer tomato harvest into a cooking condiment you will use throughout winter....
Rhubarb Crumb Cake
This crumb cake is the offspring of three good cakes—Stella Moss's Rhubarb Sheet, the Rhubarb...
Chicken Soup
Chicken Soup makes about 2 quarts of chicken broth for soup Phase 1 soup broth/stock2–4...
Classic Caesar Salad Dressing
I got obsessed with vegan Caesar salad this past week, but then my pal Alison reminded me that...
Braised Beef Soup with Chard and Spelt
I love this soup by Joshua McFadden for its varied textures. You braise the beef separately and...
Brothy Beans with Bacon
A little bit of bacon goes a long way with this pot of beans. Keep them brothy or reduce to barely...
Artichoke Nibbles
My Mom made a lot of recipes from Sunset magazine in the 1970's and these Artichoke Nibbles are...
One-Pot Creamy Mushroom Pasta
Here's just what you need for these snowy spring days—a warm and creamy mushroom pasta that only...
One Pot Rice and Beans
New York Times Cooking ran a one-pot meal feature and it inspired me to simplify our rice and bean...
Chicken Tortilla Soup with Tomatillo Salsa
I've adapted this recipe from the outstanding original from Romney Steele's cookbook, My Nepenthe:...
Farro or Spelt Berry Salad
This salad is very satisfying on its own, but sometimes I use it to justify salami for a...
Amy’s Perfect Pie Dough (the easy way)
I turned a few apples into filling and wanted to make hand pies, but I didn't want to deal with...
Farro with Chestnuts and Butternut Squash
Joyce Goldstein cooked with farro long before ancient grains became a thing. Hailing from the...
Beef Stew with Wine and Shallots (can be made with Bison or Elk)
Cold temps make me want to slow cook a big piece of meat, like this bison from North Bridger...
Butternut Squash and Hominy Enchiladas
Here at RIPE, I don't do food styling, I cook dinner. So, please imagine this mound of Tillamook...
Pumpkin Cookies
My daughter and I are crazy for a cakey pumpkin cookie that they make at The Daily here in...
Meatballs with Three Montana Meats
Something about this year got me to buy a smallish chest freezer (9 cu ft) and step up my support...
Minestrone, The Seasonal Italian Soup
The structure of this minestrone includes lentils, beans and some orecchiette pasta. I like using...
Fish Curry
Curry is not difficult to make, but I do recommend using the best coconut milk (Chaokoh), fish...
Green Tomato and Apple Chutney (Small Batch)
I picked a lot of green tomatoes this year. A snowstorm was forecast for the last weekend of...
Vegetable Soup (and Turkey Meatballs)
Wilted chard and once vibrant dragon tongue beans were giving me the guilties each morning as I...
Overnight Steel-Cut or Whole Grain Oats in the Slow Cooker
Cool autumn mornings call for something warm at breakfast, but there's still the same, never a...
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Receiving a weekly farm box from Gallatin Valley Botanical has shifted my starting point for meal...
Plum Jam
Small batch refrigerator jams give you the pleasure of jam making without all the fuss of canning....
Oven Roasted Tomatoes for Pasta or Polenta
You don't need to do much to a good tomato. A pinch of flaky salt (Maldon or Jacobsen are my...
Pearl Couscous with Seasonal Vegetables
Looking for dinner ideas that use that assortment of veggies in your CSA box? I found this to be...
Grilled Eggplant Gyros
To salt or not to salt the eggplant? That is the question. Short on time the last time I made...
Quinoa Black Bean Burgers
It's hard to find a decent veggie burger recipe, but Kathryne Taylor of the blog Cookie + Kate is...
Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Chipotle-Balsamic Dressing
I never dreamed I'd see the day when I would crave veggies, but Kathryne Taylor has changed my...
Black Bean Tortilla Soup
Yummy, feel-good dinner coming right up! Another great recipe from Kathryne Taylor of the whole...
Cashew Butternut Squash Soup
If you're familiar with vegan desserts and alternative milks, you know the surprising creamy...
Roasted Delicata Squash Rings
Squash fries anyone? Delicious as an appetizer or as part of "sheet pan dinner" which is when I...
Pot Roast (Beef or Bison)
Pot roast, daube, stew, even ragu, they're all very similar: meat seasoned and browned on...
Cornbread
This cornbread recipe, "California Cornbread", comes from my cooking school archives. I can still...
Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew with Collard Greens
Adapted from Cookie + Kate's "West African Peanut Soup", this stew is plant-based comfort food....
Wild Rice Salad with Kale and Cranberries
Make yourself this sweet and savory rice salad for dinner tonight and you'll get a bonus—delicious...
Thanksgiving 101—Recipe Roundup from RIPE
I put together this post to help you cook a great Thanksgiving dinner and remain in a happy state...
Dinner Ideas for Fall—Recipe Roundup from RIPE
My friend with twin babies is finally cooking again after a year of frozen meals and survival...
Spicy Squash Soup (or any Winter Squash like Carnival, Butternut, Kabocha, Red Kuri)
Collecting colorful winter squash and cooking up a batch of soup without having to go to...
Black Pepper Ranch
Black pepper and buttermilk make a great dip, drizzle, or dressing—think of it as ranch dressing...
Apple Pie
My copy of Joy of Cooking has lived with me as a newlywed, new mother, widow, and through a move...
Spinach Salad with Avocado and Filet Mignon
My daughter and I often turn to "steak as condiment rather than main course" when the boys want...
Spicy Purple Slaw
You're on your way to making a slaw when you thinly slice any sturdy vegetable. For dressing, you...
Salmon Patties
The Kvichak Fish Company is a family business, Montana people who head up to Alaska for the summer...
Baked Tofu with Orange Sesame Marinade
I never thought I'd get excited about tofu for dinner, but things have changed. Three...
Sweet Potato Noodles with Stir-Fried Veggies and Tofu
Have you tried sweet potato noodles? They cook in five minutes and taste great with stir fried...
Slow Cooker Carnitas
"It's like bacon!" exclaimed my 11 year old. He tolerates my creations of squash and beans and...
Molasses Crinkles
Call me crazy, but I'm a fan of blackstrap molasses. When I encounter a recipe that...
Naan
Bread. It makes everyone happier. And flatbreads like naan and pita do all their rising in an...
Pipikaula (Hawaiian Beef Jerky)
My friend, Mary Ann, is almost Hawaiian, even though she is a haole and lives in the snow when...
Corn Tortillas
When I plan a hands-on cooking class, I'm on the hunt for something Fun, something to get my...
Spinach Lasagna
Simple cooking relies on the best tasting, best quality ingredients. For lasagna, that means...
Shrimp with Thai Chiles & Ginger
Back in the 1995, I took my first cooking class at Draeger's. I snuck out of work at 5:30,...
Celery Root Mashed Potatoes
What's even better than mashed potatoes? Celery root mashed potatoes! When I first tasted Chef...
Chicken and Lentil Tagine
Shake up chicken dinner by using some different seasonings—fenugreek and turmeric in this Moroccan...
Black Bean Chili
What did Julia Child order when she went to Cafe Beaujolais in Mendocino CA? This chili! No...
Pasta with Sausage, White Beans, and Greens
White beans and greens is a classic Italian combination, something for which you really don't need...
How to Cook Beans
These giant white beans are Royal Coronas from Rancho Gordo. Serve them simply with olive oil and...
Lentil Soup and Parmesan Croutons
I saw the original recipe for this lentil soup (and Parmesan Croutons!) in Remedy...
Mushrooms & Polenta
When I first saw the photo of the New York Times "Fresh and Wild Mushroom Stew", I could...
Winter Squash Enchiladas
Jumbled together in bins at the market, you'll find all kinds of winter squash: Delicata,...
Winter Squash, Chorizo, and Kale Frittata
Snow and 20° is forecast for tonight, so I threw a piece of fabric over what's left of our garden....
French Onion Soup Gratinée
French onion soup isn't difficult to make, but it does take some time. You're looking at 45...
Slow Cooker Beef Ragu
Last weekend I spent some time with Donna Hay The New Classics and tried the slow-cooked beef...
Stir-Fry Chicken with Braising Greens
"Braising greens" is a culinary term that refers to any mix of sturdy greens that taste best with...
Cocoa Buckwheat Granola
Chocolate for breakfast. Sure you can! Maximize nutrition with this cocoa buckwheat granola,...
Farro
Farro is an ancient variety of wheat, usually sold and prepared with its whole grain intact,...
Yogurt-Marinated Chicken Skewers (aka Chicken Shawarma)
This spicy yogurt marinade takes chicken dinner to the next level. Skewer and either grill, broil,...
Crispy Garbanzos
Crispy garbanzos are something you can make at home, the key is to let the beans air dry for 30...
Palak Paneer (Spinach with Cheese)
This creamy spinach with cubes of paneer is a favorite of mine and it's so nice to learn how to...
Chia Seed Pudding
Stir a few tablespoons of chia seeds into unsweetened almond milk, wait a bit, and you have...
Cream Scones
You can stop collecting scone and shortcake recipes, this is the only one you need. I'm giving it...
Brown Sugar Mustard Glaze for Ham
Beeler's produces my favorite bacon and, come to find out, little 2–3 pound spiral cut hams—how...
Kabocha Soup with Green Garlic
The garlic bulb you know and love reveals itself in the spring garden as "green garlic" or "spring...
Yellow Chicken Pilaf
Here's a rice version of "Yellow Chicken", a family favorite of ours since the day care years with...
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
I made these at CSC last night and we preferred a less sweet version that put the sugar in the...
Potato Gratin
Make this the next time you bake a ham or throw a nice piece of meat on the grill. Potatoes and...
Pumpkin Bread
Elise Bauer from Simply Recipes makes the best pumpkin bread. I like her recipe because the...
Your House Granola
Make your own house granola. It's a delicious topping for your morning yogurt and a great way to...
Thai Pork Lettuce Wraps
Monday night, 6pm. Everybody hungry. Thawed package of ground pork in the fridge—mostly because...
Pumpkin Apple Muffins (or Pumpkin Apple Bread)
I can't leave the month of November without a posting to satisfy Ann, who requested a pumpkin...
Baker’s Clay; Make it Yourself Play Dough
Not a food, but some fun in the kitchen none the less! Make this quick play dough, get out the...
Perfect Pie Crust, Whole Wheat
Here is a perfectly simple, perfectly delicious pie crust. Know this and get to work on the...