The Chopping Block Cooking Blog

Too Many Tomatoes, Onions and Squash? Try a Tian

Another Summer is coming to a close and, if you live in the Midwest like me, your garden is probably exploding with veggies. But by this time, you’ve eaten a dozen BLT’s, you’ve canned so many ...

Your New Favorite Spring Soup

As far as holiday dinners go, I think my favorite is Easter dinner. It wasn’t always that way, though. Back in the day, when my sister bought her first house, Thanksgiving quickly became her ...

Don't Toss those Carrot Tops

Easter is just around the corner, and glazed carrots are always part of my holiday dinner. This year, I'm growing carrots in my garden from seed, so I was lucky enough to have a good batch of small ...

It's White Asparagus Season

I noticed some really good quality white asparagus while visiting Whole Foods the other day. It made me think about how abundant this vegetable is in this country compared to ten years ago.

Exploding Pies and Trying New Things

On an early autumn evening when I was about 12, my mom made one of my favorite dishes: fresh Peach Pie. She set it on the stove for us to enjoy after our family dinner. The glistening, sugary peach ...

Beautiful Beets

I think beets are the most beautiful vegetable. They’re so gnarly, dirty and dull looking from the outside, but then you cut them open and they surprise you with the most fabulous colors and designs. ...

Zucchini Mountain

Every year, my parents keep a garden, and every year, they are nearly overrun by zucchini plants. It’s a common gardening dilemma – zucchini grow so quickly and so easily that too large of a crop is ...

Discovering Napa

With that title, I am sure you are thinking that I am going to write about Napa Valley, a favorite wine region in northern California, and one of the loveliest places to visit. So sorry to disappoint ...

Charred Summer Salad

Q: How do you get more flavor from your vegetables if you’re not allowed to have a grill on your apartment balcony?

Last Meals across the World

I began a strict 28-day cleanse today. I can no longer indulge in anything that isn’t a fruit or vegetable. You heard me, NADA. It made me think about all of the wonderful foods I wanted to enjoy one ...