Four Nights A Week

Adventures in Eating

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Amy’s Writing, Photography and Art can be found at amybisson.com

02 February 2026: Tuscan Pappa al Pomodoro

February 2, 2026
We visited Florence (Firenze) last March, and one of the highlights of that part of our trip was a food tour of Mercato Centrale, the Central Market. Our tour and tour guide was from Eating Europe (link here) and we highly recommend them. Also, visiting the Mercato on a weekday makes that experience a lot les crowded.

We were introduced to several foods never before tasted (looking at you Lampredotto) and came away with a deep appreciation for Tuscan cuisine. This soup was among my favorites for many reasons. Using tomatoes and bread seems quite simple, doesn’t it? Throughout Tuscany, and all of Italy and Sicily, bread was a valued commodity so none of it went to waste. Using up stale bread ends in a thick and warming soup is sheer genius.

This version comes from Serious Eats (link below) but one can find other variations in many Italian cookery books and websites.

Tuscan Pappa al Pomodoro

Ingredients:
- Extra version olive oil
- Red pepper flakes
- Garlic cloves
- Onion
- Whole canned plum tomatoes (I prefer San Marzanos)
- Fresh basil
- Rustic bread
- Vegetable stock
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22 January 2026: Vindaloo Style Potatoes

January 22, 2026
With all that is going on in the world, the one thing I feel I have some control over is what and how I eat. With that in mind, I recently acquired America’s Test Kitchen’s Anti-Inflammatory Cookbook and have been leaning in on including more whole grains, more vegetables, and a hopefully more healthy approach to eating in 2026.

We have been fans of Indian cuisine for quite a while and a good Vindaloo style dish will always find its way onto our weekly menu planning. Because we were both out of the house for evening commitments, I cut the garlic down this time – from 10 cloves (not a typo) to about 5. Our social circle can thank us later 🙂

Although there is a lot of cutting and a little peeling, one the prep is done, it’s a breeze to cook. The recipe can be found on page 142 of the Anti-Inflammatory Cookbook, available from your favorite independent bookseller. I’ve included the ingredient list below.

Vindaloo-Style Potatoes

Ingredients:
- Avocado oil
- Onions (we used the last of our Clark Farm CSA Share)
- Sweet potatoes
- Red potatoes
- Garlic cloves (also from our Clark Farm Share)
- Paprika
- Cumin
- Cardamom
- Cayenne
- Cloves (ground)
- Bay leaves
- Mustard Seeds
- Diced tomatoes
- Red wine vinegar
- Cilantro
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17 January 2026: Stir-Fried Tofu, Red Cabbage and Winter Squash

January 17, 2026
After several weeks of indulgent eating, my digestive system was more than ready for a return to our regularly scheduled meals. Our Winter Share at Clark Farms CSA has ended, but we still have some wonderful long-storage veggies with which to cook. This week, I used the last of the organic purple cabbage and winter squash along with some of the garlic from our share.

There are still openings for 2026 shares and you can learn more about Clark Farm’s CSA here. One of the most unique aspects of this CSA has been that shares are market-style; shareholders pick out the beautiful produce offered in the barn each week, and also are encouraged to take advantage of pick-your-own herbs and produce. For me, going to the farm each week has been a privilege. There is an immeasurable peaceful benefit to walking out into the fields each week, noticing the changes, picking crops at the source, and visiting the farm animals. In other words, learning how and where my food comes from.

Spoiler alert: the mental health break that results from the peace and quiet found in the rhythm of farm life, and away for the churn of the world, is sublime.

Clark Farm also has some winter offerings (self-serve) in the CSA barn throughout the winter months. If you are local and curious, check them out. The farm is Certified Real Organic, so you know you are getting great food grown locally.

This stir-fry comes from NYTimes contributor, Martha Rose Shulman, who I can always count on for delicious recipes. Today’s post includes a gift link to the recipe in the NYTimes, but the ingredients to have on hand are listed below.

Stir-Fried Tofu, Red Cabbage and Winter Squash

Ingredients:
- low sodium soy sauce
- rice wine vinegar
- sugar or honey
- sesame oil
- cornstarch
- firm tofu
- fresh ginger
- garlic
- butternut squash
- red cabbage
- rice, bulgar or buckwheat noodle to accompany
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06 January 2026: Mediterranean Shepherd’s Pie

January 6, 2026
In our family, we have shared kitchen duties, so full disclosure, this recipe was prepared by Adrien and engineered to use lots of our Clark Farm organic produce and their ground lamb. The recipe was so unlike the shepherd’s pie recipes that found their way into our school cafeterias and even quite different from what Adrien grew up with.

Dorie Greenspan‘s version, from Everyday Dorie (page 161), is filled with vegetables and some pretty non-traditional spices. Also true, those mile-high mashed potatoes are delicious. Carbs be damned, that’s the best part.

As needed, Dorie makes suggestions for altering the dish to your preference.

Mediterranean Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients (* from Clark Farm Carlisle CSA Share)
- Potatoes *
- Butter
- Milk
- Ground lamb, turkey or chicken *
- Hot or mild sausage meat (we used Andouille – if you dare)
- Onion *
- Garlic *
- Chicken broth
- Cumin
- Ground Sumac
- Za’atar
- Harissa paste or powder
- Crushed tomatoes
- Butternut squash * (we used a Honeynut)
- Baby kale or spinach
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04 January 2026: Roasted Salmon, Red Cabbage, and New Potatoes

January 4, 2026
I freely admit to making changes to recipes to reflect whatever we have in our pantry. This roasted salmon, one-pan dinner is no exception to that – we’ve received an abundance of potatoes from our Clark Farm Winter CSA Share, so in place of buying new, presumably red potatoes specifically for this recipe, I used actual new potatoes that are organic and fresh from the farm.

The red/purple cabbage was also part of our share and we’ve used it in several meals this past week. The cabbage, cooked alongside the potatoes and salmon, made this easy and fast to get on the table.

The original recipe can be found on Martha Stewart’s website and is readily available. One tweak I’d consider given that I likely used larger potatoes than those called for in the recipe: cut the potatoes in quarters so that they are more tender and cook more quickly.

Roasted Salmon, Red Cabbage, and New Potatoes

Ingredients
- red cabbage
- new potatoes
- skinless salmon filets (avoid farm raised)
- grainy mustard
- horseradish
- fresh lemon
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01 January 2026: Red Cabbage and Grapefruit Salad

January 1, 2026
Our Winter Share from Clark Farms Carlisle included a beautiful head of organic purple cabbage. Cabbages, especially the purple variety are great nutrient dense foods, excellent for reducing inflammation. After the past few weeks of holiday eating and indulging, this salad was a great way to incorporate some more, shall we say, nutrition-friendly foods into our meals.

This recipe comes from America’s Test Kitchen and is available to subscribers. I made a couple of adaptations: first I used shallots in place of red onions because I had them from an earlier CSA distribution and second, I left off the pepitas.

The grapefruit along with the shredded cabbage is a tasty way to re-set those eating habits. ATK also suggests green cabbage will work with these ingredients, but honestly, who can resist the beautiful color and sweeter flavor of purple cabbage? Not me.

Ingredients
- red grapefruit
- olive oil
- white wine vinegar
- honey
- cabbage
- red onion
- cilantro
- pepitas
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29 December 2025: Jamie Oliver’s Simple Celeraic

December 29, 2025
Part of our Clark Farm Winter Share this past week was the root vegetable, celeraic. I can say with a fair amount of accuracy that I’ve never cooked this vegetable before, and although there are times when I’ve walked past it in the produce section, I wouldn’t have had a clue what to do with it. Gnarly and oddly shaped, celeraic just wasn’t on my list of things to try.

However, when you get a celeraic knob in your CSA, you have a golden opportunity to try it out, and so I did. Deceptively easy to trim, the texture of cooked celeraic reminds me of a cross between potato and celery; the texture of a creamy potato and a hint of celery flavor. It’s pretty tasty on its own, but many cooks mash it or turn it into a thick delicious soup.

For this recipe, I turned to Jamie Oliver and a simple preparation of cubed celeraic sautéed in olive oil and thyme. That’s it. Cook time and suggestions for going beyond Jamie Oliver’s simple preparation are included on his website.

Jamie Oliver’s Simple Celeraic

Ingredients
- celeraic (aka celery root)
- olive oil
- thyme
- salt & pepper
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27 December 2025: Stuffed Delicata Squash

December 27, 2025
After indulging for the holidays this week, we have come to the conclusion that we need to take a beat with the rich foods. In fact, I recently became aware of a new America’s Test Kitchen book, The Complete Anti-Inflammatory Cookbook. This delicious offering comes from that book (page 163).

Substituting and eating more whole grains like bulgar along with balancing veggies and proteins, seems like a good fit for us. We grew up on Diet for a Small Planet, so using more balanced nutrition makes sense, not that we haven’t gone off on food tangents from time to time.

After a week filled with all the traditional food memories, this is a welcome break – and it allowed us to make use of some of the wonderful veggies from our Clark Farm Winter Share (for locals, sign-up for 2026 on their website) which is sadly drawing to a close next week. I’ll have a lot more to say about our experiences later, but for now, if you can, get your hands on this cookbook and nutrition guide, available through America’s Test Kitchen or from your favorite local independent bookstore.

Stuffed Delicata Squash

Ingredients:
- Delicata Squash
- Bulgar
- Mushrooms
- Onion
- Spinach
- Thyme
- Pecans
- Cheddar (or use plant based cheddar if making vegan)
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14 December 2025: Crispy Roast Potatoes

December 15, 2025
When I finally got a taste of freshly dug potatoes, I couldn’t believe how different they were. Over the last couple of weeks our Winter Share from Clark Farm Carlisle has included potatoes; potatoes are definitely on Adrien’s list of favorites and so I was off to find new ways to prepare them.

I’ve made French Fried potatoes – actually baked, so fake French fries? – and used potatoes in soups, but I needed a surefire way to roast them. Serious Eats, to the rescue.

While I have to admit I did not follow the recipe from Serious Eats to the letter, the core and the cooking techniques were there. For me, the technique is the key; no one wants to eat undercooked potatoes.

The addition of rosemary, a classic herb to pair with potatoes, along with garlic and olive oil made for a spectacular side. Note the use of baking soda in the parboiling step; that’s the key to success.

The Best Crispy Roast Potatoes Ever from Serious Eats

Ingredients
- baking soda
- potatoes (of course) – I didn’t peel mine
- oil or fat (I used olive oil)
- fresh herbs, like rosemary
- garlic
- pepper, salt
- fresh parsley to finish
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11 December 2025: Winter Squash with Chickpeas & Tahini Sauce

December 11, 2025
A cold winter day seems like a perfect time to enjoy baked stuff squash, which is exactly what we did here on a cold New England afternoon. We’ve received several new-to-me squash varieties in our Clark Farm Carlisle Winter CSA share, and this one, called Wintersweet, is a type of kabocha squash. The flesh is flaky, but nice and sweet, and the color is a beautiful yellow-orange.

Using Chefsbliss.com as a resource for recipes that stuff squash varieties, I found 30 – count ’em – 30 different ways to use all varieties of squash. While the squash pre-baked, the filling and tahini sauce are made. After ensuring that the squash are tender, stuff and pop them back in the oven to finish.

For this warming lunch, we also roasted caraflex cabbage and romanescu – two other delights from our CSA share. A healthy hot lunch using locally grown organic bounty is exactly what we needed dto combat the cold temperatures.

Stuffed Winter Squash with Chickpeas & Tahini Sauce

Ingredients
- winter squash
- chickpeas
- olive oil
- cumin
- smoked paprika
- tahini
- lemon juice
- garlic
- cilantro
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