On Your Table: A hearty taste of spring, Asparagus soup

By Cathy Branciaroli, Food Correspondent, The Times : It’s spring and asparagus leek chowder is on the menu for weekday supper. Steamed, sautéed, roasted or grilled — asparagus takes on differently delicious qualities depending on how you cook it. Roasting and grilling turns asparagus almost sweet. Steamed, it retains the heart of its natural flavor.  Please, please don’t boil these lovely...

On Your Table: Nothing beats fresh and local

By Cathy Branciaroli, Food Correspondent, The Times Early spring greens such as Swiss chard and kale are plentiful at local farmers markets right now All the lovely recent weather got you jazzed up for some outdoor food shopping?  A farmers market near you can’t be beat for fresh produce and chatting with food artisans.  They are open now and can be found all over Chester County with hours that...

On Your Table: Zucchini is fresh, local and tasty

By Cathy Branciaroli, Food Correspondent, The Times Zucchini come in all shapes and sizes. Try stuffing one of these globe varieties with rice and vegetables for a new take on summer taste. There’s no shortage of locally-grown zucchini this time of year, whether from home gardens or farmers markets, and while zucchini is available at the grocery year-round, it tastes best in season. Guess what...

On Your Table: Spring greens are on the scene

Your local framers market is filled with fresh local veggies By Cathy Branciaroli, Food Correspondent, The Times Green hues of spring vegetables make for bright, light salads Photo courtesy of Once Upon a Chef. Spring, now that it finally appears to be here, is the season to lighten up after cooking comforting, hearty dishes all winter long.  And, with Earth Day just upon us, budding trees remind...

On Your Table: Spring means tasty local Asparagus

April to June is the best season for fresh local crop By Cathy Branciaroli,  Food Correspondent, The Times An easy and light dish is Asparagus quiche which can be made with many spring ingredients Asparagus is one of those spring treasures that we patiently wait for all year long. Once it’s finally in season, we want to treat it simply, letting the fresh flavor of this vegetable shine through....