Pantry Collective

This dish is unbelievable. It is so simple and easy to prepare that it seems like it can’t possibly be as delicious as it is, but if you aren’t craving seconds when your first bowl is empty, well, I guess we have very different tastes. I can’t get enough of this dish - it’s light, but filling, sweet and savory, and meat-free since we’re trying to eat a little less meat in this house.

The second time I made it, I did it a bit differently than what is shown in the photos. I used whole wheat linguine and walnuts instead of almonds, and I cut the brussels sprouts into quarters instead of halves. All worthwhile changes, for sure, although the first version was delicious as well. You can decide for yourself - just MAKE this. Try it, even if you wince at the thought of brussels sprouts. Believe me, if you put a maple vinaigrette on something, it immediately tastes a million times better than you think it might.

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Our CSA share came with a lovely head of Napa Cabbage and some beautiful green onions last week, and I knew I could make a delicious Asian-inspired salad with just a few more ingredients. The salad was delicious - crunchy, sweet and sour, and fresh tasting. It paired beautifully with the sesame tilapia, which is a really simple recipe that cooks up in no time and tastes amazing.

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As soon as cherries became reasonably priced we started buying them in large 2lb bags from the produce market. At first we just ate them out of the bag, pitting the cherries with our teeth and spitting the pits into a separate bowl along with the stems. And they were delicious! Fresh cherries are such a treat.

Eventually, though, I wanted to make something with these lovely cherries. I don’t own a cherry pitter and I didn’t feel like spending $14 on a tool I might use once a year, so I wound up pitting all the cherries in this recipe by hand, with the tube portion of a turkey baster and a plastic bag to protect my hand from cherry juice stains. It was a lot of work, I won’t lie - but the end result was very yummy. This dish can be eaten for dessert, certainly, but it also works as a sweet morning treat, almost like a coffee cake. It’s pretty decadent, so you’ll want to share with some friends. Or, maybe not! I won’t judge you. :)

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