FUN FINGER FOOD: BBQ Chicken Satays; Herb and Lemon Buttered Popcorn; Heirloom Tomato Brushetta; Sweet Pea and Crab Crostini

It’s a sad truth of NYC life is that hardly anyone just drops by, at least not without a phone call, email, g-chat, or text. It’d be nice if people did, but friends live all over the city, and I can’t imagine many of them winding up outside my door unannounced.

Yet somehow knowing that I have the ingredients to create an impromptu cocktail munchie (and an impromptu cocktail) should a friend buzz up unexpectedly makes me…

SEAFOOD PASTAS: Spicy Tomato Stew with Spaghetti; Shrimp Angel Hair; Egg Pasta with Saffron, Shrimp, and Peas; Mediterranean Catfish Spaghetti; Sardine Linguine with Sundried Tomatoes and Olives

If I was six and you asked me what I wanted for dinner, I would probably tell you that I wanted Linguine with Clam Sauce–hold the clams. (I liked the briny flavor but not the chewy texture.)

Weird, I know, But all kids are weird, right? Or so I hear.

Anyway, me as an adorable young kid with nearly white eyebrows and blond curls and a…

VEGGIE WRAPS AND SANDWICHES: Spicy Crunchy Hummus Wrap; Grilled Swiss and Roasted Fennel Sandwich; Roasted Eggplant Sandwiches with White Bean Spread and Chive Pesto

In Cambridge, Massachusetts, there is a restaurant called Veggie Planet. It’s a hippie place of the best kind. The specialities are vegetarian pizzas with funny names like Dinner for Henry, toppings like goat cheese and roasted squash arranged on a chewy whole wheat crust. In the evenings, folk musicians hold concerts.

When I was in college, I was always searching for satisfying meals, since nothing from the dining halls ever left me…

GOOD GRAIN MEALS: Quinoa with Roasted Tomatoes, Avocado, and Pesto; Chipotle Barley Salad with Corn, Zucchini, and Radishes; Cous Cous with Blue Cheese and Pears; Vegetarian Fried Rice with Shiitakes and Cashews

Just dropping in to share the kind of recipe you, too, might make if you found yourself on a Thursday with a reasonably well stocked pantry, a lot of kale (or other greens you picked up at the farmers’ market back on Saturday), and two sweet Italian sausages that you bought from the very same farmers’ market for way too many dollars and…

SPRING DRINKING: Gin and Gingers; Iced Chai Tea Latte; Lemonade, Spiked or Sober

As any northerner worth her flannel will tell you, iced tea should not be sweet. Below the Mason-Dixon line (and in Morocco) Southern types apparently drink tea so sugary you’d think it was mixed for a hummingbird. Up here, we relish black tea that borders on bitter and register utter dismay anytime we find out that a restaurant serves its house iced tea laced with sweetener.

Expert in coconut cake and shrimp and grits, perhaps the Southerners could school…

Thank you for sharing your amazing local-made dishes with us as part of the Full Circle Home Giveaway! I can’t wait to try my hand at your creations: carrot pancakes, ramp pizza, and quinoa chili.

The lucky reader taking home a whole bunch of green cleaning goodies…Nicolette!

Here’s what Nicolette had to say:

I love making a dessert with fruits from the farmers market, like a pound cake with fresh strawberries.

Stay tuned for great local produce recipes (especially now that summer is on its way), and more opportunities to win great products!

–Cara, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOK

MORE PANCAKES: Pumpkin Pancakes; Root Vegetable Pancakes; Sweet Almond Pancakes with Fresh Raspberries; Apple Pancakes; Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Raspberry Sauce

My family has never been much for Mother’s Day. In the past, we’ve sometimes let my mom get away with claiming that “every day is Mother’s Day” and not having a particular lunch or brunch or dinner to celebrate. But as my grandmother has gotten older, we’ve conceded the win to the [Hallmark] holiday. I like the change, since getting together means the chance to see my grandma, my aunt, and my cousin. And…