Growing Bolder Community

My neighbor Richard Scammell is a wonderful cook. Cooking is Richard's hobby, but when it comes to food preparation, Richard is a highly skilled and well-educated professional. (He's even traveled to Europe to take cooking classes.)Richard and I share a love of creative, healthful cooking. When I asked him for ideas that I could share with readers, he sent this simple recipe for Sugo alla...

One of my neighbors, Richard Scammell, is a wonderful cook. Even though Richard does not cook for a living, I consider him a chef. Cooking is Richard's hobby, but when it comes to food preparation, Richard is a highly skilled and well-educated professional. (He's even traveled to Europe to take cooking classes.)Richard and I share a love of creative, healthful cooking. When I asked him for ideas...

I grew up on a small, 100-acre farm in Iowa. To make ends meet for our family of seven, my father sometimes worked in nearby Illinois as a tool and die maker. He’d commute to his job on Sunday night and return the following weekend. In the summertime when school was out, my younger sister and I would sometimes travel with my father to his urban home to escape hot and boring days on the farm. (We...

Pasta with vegetables and a bit of cheese is always a winning combination. This dish combines garlic, tomatoes and artichoke hearts with feta cheese to create a delightful combination of flavors and textures. Add a fresh spinach salad and hearty bread for a satisfying meal. Tomato and Herbed Feta PastaMakes 4 servings8 ounces linguine1 tablespoon olive oil1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic1...

My earliest recollections of eating asparagus date back to my childhood. Each spring, our family (who farmed near Rowley, Iowa) would drive to Waterloo, a trip of about 40 miles each way, to get asparagus. During the ride, I remember my parents discussing how the sandy soil around Waterloo produced the wonderful asparagus that they were eager to eat. (I was six years old, so their enthusiasm was...