Food & Drink | Key Peninsula News

Asparagus: Welcome to Spring and Let Us Aspire to Green Glory

My appreciation for asparagus took time to develop. I was a child of the 1950s, a time when vegetables were overcooked or canned. Hardly a winning combination for asparagus. Not to mention what … more

Sara Thompson, KP News | 5/1/24

Designed for efficiency, drive-thru customers pick up thousands of pounds of produce from Arends that she orders each week during harvest season.

Susan Arends: Bringing Fresh Produce to the Community

“I’m a Pisces,” said Susan Arends. “I go with the flow.” more

Sara Thompson, KP News | 11/2/23

Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks Was Easier Than I Thought

I am a cook who generally stays in her lane — keeping with the old tried and true recipes that have held me in good stead for decades, continue to work well, and have become second nature to … more

Barbara Van Bogart | 8/30/23

Make Your August Pesto For Life, Love and All Things Good

It’s August, and the blackberries are ripe. That pie in the oven is distracting you from the monthly newspaper. Gardens are ascending to the peak of their harvest season, and there are fresh … more

Dan Clouse | 8/2/23

Even Dolly Parton’s Coleslaw is Larger Than Life

Dolly Parton and I go way back. In the earlier 1970s, my siblings and cousins and I got ferried around a lot by one of our slightly older cousins in a sky blue Plymouth Valiant, the one … more

Katrina Herringbottom | 6/28/23

Simple Brownies and Other Chocolatey Things That Are Good to You but Not for You

Brownies. It’s hard to remember a time when the thought of biting into one didn’t make my mouth water. Personally, I like mine dense and fudgy. Nuts are nice, but totally optional. My mom … more

Sara Thompson | 5/31/23

You would be a happy rooster too, surrounded by all these chicks

Got Eggs? Bypass the Grocery Store and Buy from the Backyard

With things like supply chain issues, avian bird flu and inflation driving egg prices up, some Key Peninsula residents are fighting costs by going straight to the source. The idea of pet poultry … more

Eddie Macsalka, KP News | 4/27/23

Spring into Summer with Some Easy Appetizers and One Dessert

While the calendar tells us summer is still a little way off, it’s never too early to plan ahead for the warm days we know are surely coming. Thoughts of picnics, barbecues and spur of … more

Barbara Van Bogart | 4/27/23

Easter in a Dish: The Anatomy of a Recipe You Could Invent

Those of us who cook often find ideas for new recipes in a myriad of ways. Whether it is a classic food combination used in unusual ways, a fusion of two cultures or a mashup of family favorites … more

Ann-Marie Ugles and Evie Bothwell | 3/29/23

Dogs Mia and China Cat have learned to sit. The goats? Not so much.

‘Be Goatful for What You Have’ — A Deadheads’ Lakebay Goat-Milk Farm

For most people on the Key Peninsula, Himalayan blackberry bushes are a minor nuisance. For Farrell and Laurie Timlake, they were a major problem … more

Eddie Macsalka, KP News | 3/1/23

Romancing the Fork — A Meal You’ll Love Over and Over Again

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and the need to do something special for the person that adds light into your life can be overwhelming. You love them, and every year you feel like you must … more

Ann-Marie Ugles | 2/1/23

A Tale of Two Puddings — ‘It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Best of Desserts’

As fall slip-slides away, our culinary attention turns to winter and the upcoming holidays. While we regretfully say farewell to summer foods (until next year), heartier dishes now take center stage … more

Barbara Van Bogart | 10/27/22

What stroll through the vineyard is complete without wine?

Two Fox Winery Open for Business in Home

The former Trillium Creek Winery in Home has new owners. Tedra and Kyle Hett grew up in Kansas and moved to Tacoma in 2014. They met in the eighth grade and have been together for more than half … more

Sara Thompson, KP News | 7/27/22

Spring into Summer

It may be a while before your tomato plants flower and set fruit to grow and ripen for harvest. Until then, satisfy your craving for food that tastes clean, fresh and bright with this Greek-inspired … more

Lisa Bryan, KP News | 6/1/22

Simple Spring Party Food

The past two years of Covid isolation have left many of us out of practice when it comes to socializing and hosting guests. Like our weather at times, dark clouds, rain, sun breaks, maybe a rainbow, … more

Ann-Marie Ugles | 4/27/22

Ukrainian Comfort Food

Art is an extraordinary bridge capable of transcending cultural divides. Not everyone is a poet, a sculptor, a dancer or musician. Cooking, however, is a performance art practiced daily around the … more

Lisa Bryan, KP News | 3/31/22

Kim Daniel runs tubing from the spile to a collection bucket.

The Sweet Reward of Tapping into Bigleaf Maples

Nate Daniel, executive director of Great Peninsula Conservancy, considers himself a syrup hobbyist. His introduction to tapping maple trees came the year he worked at a University of Rhode … more

Lisa Bryan, KP News | 1/27/22

Homemade Sweet Chocolate Heart Lava Cake for Valentine's Day

A Trio of Treats for Valentine's Day

The origins of Valentine’s Day are murky, lost in the annals of history. One theory is it commemorated the anniversary of the death of Saint Valentine, somewhere around 270 AD. Another theory … more

Barbara Van Bogart | 1/27/22

Father’s Day Dinner — The Ultimate Chili Dog

Whenever we ask Dad what he wants for dinner on literally any occasion, the question is usually posed tongue-in-cheek because we know the answer. It’s never steak, salmon, or burgers, … more

Kamryn Minch, KP News | 5/26/21

About the Title

The title comes from Ecclesiasticus 44:1 in the Old Testament, part of the Apocrypha or “Books which are not regarded as equal to the holy scriptures, and yet are profitable and good to … more

10/29/20