Cooking keeps me gardening.
Gardening keeps me cooking.
I’ve been cooking just a little longer than I’ve been gardening. It was experimenting in the kitchen as a very young adult that first led me to the idea of having my own garden and growing my own fresh ingredients – even if it meant ‘claiming’ the hellstrip that bordered the massive parking lot in front of our 500 square foot apartment.
I’ve got more room now, but I keep my vegetable garden small and efficient, growing plants that make the most sense, and using foodscaping techniques to grow edible plants in ornamental ways elsewhere in my garden.
I also forage for many ingredients in the surrounding woods, incorporating wild mushrooms, wild greens and berries into many dishes. One of my very favorite evenings in the world is entertaining friends over adventurous food with flavors from both my cultivated and my wild gardens. I only wish I had the time to do it every weekend of the year. #Goals.
This year, inspired by the many ornamental tropical plants I grow and eat (also known rather cheekily as ‘Friends with Benefits’ in my new book Tropical Plants and How To Love Them), I decided to make a place for these recipes on the website, and for the many others I have come up with over the years to enjoy the abundance of a growing season. The recipes are mine unless noted, thoroughly used and tested, and fall into two categories: Tropical Tastes and Temperate Tastes. Click on either collage to take you to a list of recipes.

We’ll start with the four tropically-inspired recipes mentioned in the book and go on from there. Slowly. In between garden projects and good meals. If you subscribe to the site, I’ll let you know when there’s a new one. Enjoy!
Newest recipes…..
Banana-Wrapped Chicken Chipotle Tamales
Many people might be surprised that, apart from being a fabulous ornamental statement in the garden, banana leaves are extremely handy in the kitchen. [...]
Taro & Sweet Potato Chips
These crispy, unusual chips pair as well with a gourmet burger as they do with a main course salad. Rough skinned and uber-starchy Taro [...]
Jamee’s Frozen Hibiscus Gimlet
There is no one I trust more with mixology than my friend Jamee Robinson. So, when I wanted something red, refreshing, and ever so [...]
Crispy Mioga Tempura
In late summer, the purple-yellow buds of hardy Japanese ginger appear at soil level and can be hidden from all but the knowledgeable forager. [...]