Arugula? Rocket? For some months, I've kept my eye out since Anne's Food so often writes about the remarkable salads it yields. And then, there it was, a great big basketful at the Green Market in St Louis' Central West End. Gorgeous! I dressed it simply, just good olive oil and lemon juice, since the toppings were so full of flavor. NEXT TIME Sliced peaches (sadly, the last ones of a wonderful year for the local Eckert's peaches ) were the star topping, pairing beautifully with the peppery bite of the arugula and radish sprouts and the creaminess of the feta. The Concord grapes? They were delicious on their own but didn't add much to the combination except color. (Isn't that one a pretty salad?!) FROM THE ARCHIVES The Recipe Box has a growing collection of mostly simple green salads . ARUGULA with PEACHES, CONCORD GRAPES & FETA Hands-on time: 10 minutes Time to table: 10 minutes Serves 4 Weight Watchers 1 point per serving NetCarb 4 per serving Arugu

During September, cities along the Missouri River are celebrating the 200th anniversary of the 1806 completion of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, building momentum for the signature event right here on the St Louis Riverfront September 20 - 24. In honor of the upcoming events, this week's Kitchen Parade column features buffalo ragout, a recipe from a fascinating cookbook, the Food Journal of Lewis and Clark by culinary historian Mary Gunderson. [I had the pleasure of meeting Mary last month. So did Mark Tafoya so visit the Remarkable Palate to hear his podcast interview with Mary, including how in heavens one develops modern-day recipes from 200-year old experiences.] The Food Journal is a gem, historybook and cookbook both in one. So is the buffalo stew, lean meat paired with turnips and blueberries. Cook a pot, close your eyes ... you just might feel the wind on your back, the sun on your brow ... the ache in your back and the blisters on your feet. Ah, the food ... an

A summery adapt-as-you-like salad, soft white and almost-creamy beans paired with sweet-tart cherry or grape tomatoes, a great side dish with grilled meats. ~recipe & photo updated 2014~ ~ more recently updated recipes ~ 2006: This is one of those summery adapt-as-you-like salads, easy, delicious and a perfect side. I've adapted mine from Simply Recipes . Twas good! 2014: I a-d-o-r-e re-visiting recipes from awhile back, ones not made in a long time but still memorable. Beans and tomatoes are a classic combination, add some warm oil infused with garlic, rosemary and parmesan. Heaven? You bet. COMPLIMENTS! "... it was SO yummy!! my boyfriend, the meat eater, even loved it!" ~ Randi RECIPE for CHERRY TOMATO & WHITE BEAN SALAD Hands-on time: 25 minutes Time to table: 35 minutes Serves 8 GARLIC-ROSEMARY OIL 1/4 cup olive oil 1 fresh rosemary sprig, about 3 inches 3 cloves garlic, peeled and flattened with flat of a knife GARLIC-PARMESAN SALAD DRESSI

A simple way to cook the sweet little pattypan squash, along with their delicate squash blossoms, so often found at farmers markets this time of year. Karen from FamilyStyle Food and I went market hopping on Saturday. (For St. Louisans, we hit two relative newcomers to St. Louis-area farmers markets, the Green Market in the Central West End and the Clayton Farmers Market.) Neither stop overwhelmed even if each yielded treasures and it was great fun, sharing the excitement of Missouri's late-summer bounty with a fellow foodie. My favorite find was teeny-weeny patty pan squash, way too small for Stuffed Pattypan Squash . Most still had their blossoms! Talk about not understanding the anatomy of a vegetable ... wait, I mean, a FRUIT, which summer squash technically are, botanically speaking. (What are summer squash? That's the group that includes zucchini / courgette, yellow crooknecks and pattypan. Winter squash, in contrast, are acorn squash, Hubbarb squash, butternut squash,

Cute little pattypan squash, stuffed with a mixture of egg and feta cheese. Pattypan (patty pan?, no, it's one word, pattypan) squash are just too cute for words! And too precious for anything except stuffing! I followed the recipe and technique from Feta-Stuffed Zucchini whose inspiration came from my foodie pal Catherine at Albion Cooks who lightened a recipe originating from a Moosewood cookbook. I stuffed them in advance and then, starting from room temperature, just popped into the oven about 30 minutes before serving. They were a BIG hit at an all-around great patio supper. STUFFED PATTYPAN SQUASH Hands-on time: 30 minutes Time to table: 45 - 60 minutes Serves 4 4 pattypan squash 1 tablespoon butter 1 large shallot, minced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 egg 1 1/2 tablespoon flour 2 ounces feta, crumbled Pimenton (Spanish paprika) Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease an ovenproof dish. With a small knife, cut a thin slice from the stem (narrower) end of each squash, then a circl

The Traveler's Lunchbox has started a real food craze: Five Foods to Eat Before You Die, food bloggers planning, reflecting and forcing themselves, as tough as it might be, to a list of just five. Fascinating, the lists collected here . The food, of course. But more interesting are the perspectives, both aspirational travel-planning and hopeful last-meal lists. Mine, certainly falls onto the last-meal table, but the list came easily, no exchanges, no questions. Mom's bread: Heavy, dense and slightly grain-sweet. With butter, please. Nana's peroghies: Blueberry, please. (The recipe just happens to be online .) Gramma's blueberry pancakes: In bear shapes, please, just like Gramma made them on Sunday mornings before church. My sister's shortbread: made with a deft touch that produces cakes as light as air, with just the right crumb. With tea, please. My Finnish sister's strawberry whipped cream cake: traditional Scandinavian cakes, layers of sponge cake

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers ... if your garden or market is overflowing with bell peppers, this week's Kitchen Parade column features two side salads / vegetables, that make good use of the seasonal abundance. Both are easy-easy and very good! These are perfect contributions to potlucks and outdoor suppers. Oh my, look! There's just such a La Festa al Fresco happening at Cream Puffs in Venice! Looks like a good party! So I'm going, what about you?! Tag: la festa al fresco (c) Copyright 2006 Kitchen Parade