Four Nights A Week

Adventures in Eating

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

14 February 2026: Sur La Table’s Chocolate Panna Cotta

February 15, 2026
We’ve participated in some great online cooking classes with Sur La Table. This one, Date Night: Italian Eatery, appears periodically. As is our habit, we cook at home for Valentine’s Day, and this recipe collection was a great special treat: Spaghetti alla Carbonara (with option to make your own pasta), Shaved Fennel & Pear Salad with Bitter Greens and Pecorino, and Chocolate Panna Cotta.

The classes are generally $39 (a few are 2-day sessions) in which I’ve learned some great techniques for juggling multiple dishes. We usually download the recipe packet and prep everything ahead so that we can focus on the chef’s instructions during the cook along. At the end of 2 hours, there’s a marvelous meal to share.

This recipe yields 8 4-ounce servings which will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.

Chocolate Panna Cotta – Sur La Table Chef

Ingredient List
- whole milk
- powdered gelatin
- heavy whipping cream
- vanilla bean paste
- granulated sugar
- salt
- semi-sweet chocolate
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12 February 2026: Beans in Tomato-Basil Sauce

February 12, 2026
If it’s Wednesday, we’re going to make a bean entree. I was introduced to Simpli Organic dry beans by the talented Amanda Leahy, the CSA Manager at Clark Farm Carlisle, and wow! What a difference the brand of dry beans can make! Also, once moving toward more local and organic suppliers meant I had access to a whole new range of beans.

This variety, Gigante beans, are an extra large, white colored and kidney shaped bean often used in Greek cuisine. They are wonderfully creamy in texture and very mild tasting.

Today’s recipe for Gigante Beans in Tomato Basil sauce originated on the Simpli website (the brand of beans I used for this recipe). I adapted it to retain the general idea of the dish, but used what I had on hand. You should too.

One change I made was necessitated by the first instruction: I usually cook beans from scratch in my Instant Pot, and that has the advantage of allowing me to be a little more last minute (soak or no-soak works) as well as pre-cooking quantities for later use. My current favorite method comes from Simply Recipes (Emma Christiansen) and you can find it here – “How to Make Fast, No-Soak Beans in the Instant Pot.” Game-changer.

Gigante Beans in Tomato Basil Sauce based on a recipe found on Simpli

Ingredients
- SIMPLI regenerative organic certified gigante beans
- SIMPLI EVOO (I used my usual pantry brand)
- SIMPLI Peruvian Pink Salt (I used Himalyan)
- Matriak Tomato Basil Sauce (I used Mutti brand)
- Basil (for topping)
- Parmesan (for topping
Method
1. Cook the gigante beans according to your preferred method until they are tender and creamy (I used the method mentioned in the headnote)
2. Warm up the tomato basil sauce in a separate pan.
3. Combine tomato sauce and gigante beans
4. Garnish with torn fresh basil and a sprinkle of parmesan
5. Serve with olive oil and salt
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10 February 2026: Goan-Style Chili-fry with Beef, Tomatoes, and Potatoes

February 10, 2026
When I handed this off to Adrien to cook this past week, he remarked that it must be a recipe developed by Christopher Kimball because the beef begins browning without stirring or turning for several minutes.

Yup, he nailed it.

The recipe is representative of the southwest coast of India. The spices – cinnamon, turmeric, and pepper – make it a flavorful and yet unusual stir-fry. No need to make rice as the added potatoes make this a complete meal in one pan.

The recipe developed by Calvin Cox, is available with a 177 Milk Street subscription, and I’ve included the ingredient list below:

Goan-Style Chili-Fry with Beef, Tomatoes, and Potatoes
- Cinnamon, turmeric, salt and pepper
- Beef sirloin
- Yukon gold potatoes
- Grapeseed or neutral oil
- Onion
- Cherry or grape tomatoes
- Fresno or serrano chili
- Garlic
- Cider vinegar
- Cilantro
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05 February 2026: Arroz Congri (Cuban Rice and Black Beans)

February 5, 2026
This recipe comes from Gina Homolka at Skinny Taste, and in addition to being low-calorie, it fits Frances Moore Lappe’s idea of a perfect protein. If you’ve not read Diet For A Small Planet, this might be an ideal time to do so. The idea of complementary foods that include plant-centric meals certainly is an attraction.

This has been a goal of mine, renewed this year: eat more beans! The recipe for Arroz Congri makes that resolution easy. Although I prefer the taste and texture of black beans cooked from their dried state, using pre-cooked (ie canned) black beans allows dinner on the table in 35 minutes. The recipe is freely available (linked below) and I’ve included the ingredients to have on hand.

Arroz Congri

Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Green bell pepper
- Red bell pepper
- Onion
- Garlic
- Long-grain rice
- 15 oz can of black beans
- Cumin, Bay leaf, Oregano, Salt, Pepper
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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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