In our last CSA basket for the season (sad sniffle) we had some beautiful delicata squash. And I wanted to celebrate them with a hearty stuffing that was as pretty as they were. I decided that couscous would be a natural with the squash, but instead of cooking it in chicken broth I thought it might be fun to go another way.

In this case, a sweet and spicy vegan stuffing sounded perfect. And instead of using broth or water I decided to use ginger lemon tea. When you think about it, it just makes sense. Couscous loves lemon and lemon loves ginger. Together, they would provide the basis for both the sweet and the spicy elements - which I augmented with plump dried cranberries and chili flakes.

This is a healthy side dish that was simple to make and would be perfect for Thanksgiving, especially if you have vegetarians or vegans on the guest list.

I really believe that parsley is an under-utilized ingredient. I love the stuff. One of my odd little dating/dining embarrassments would be the fact that I wouldn't eat the parsley on my plate when I was out with a guy. I was concerned that my parsley love might be considered a little strange. So, I would just hope that he would have to run to the bathroom so that I could eat that gorgeous little “garnish” when my date's back was turned.

Mmmm. Parsley.

And because I scored a huge bouquet of it at the farmers market this weekend, I've been living the dream. Then when Jedd said that he was craving pizza this weekend (and volunteered to make the dough). I had an idea for a topping. He liked the idea and promptly made a batch of pizza dough and shaped them into little balls – perfect for individual-sized pies.

Then I got to work grilling the pizzas with a spicy oil combination and I tossed together tomatoes, parsley and peppers to create a hugely flavorful gremolata.

You can make the dough (Jedd used the recipe in our well-loved copy of the New Basics Cookbook) or you can use store bought. Making it from scratch isn't difficult at all, but if your in a pinch for time I don't think using store bought will be the end of the world. Once you have the dough the rest of the recipe will take you less than 15 minutes of preparation, which makes it perfect for a work or school night.

Jedd and I have been married for almost 17 years and he's never asked me to make anything for dinner. We come up with ideas together, or I come up with ideas, but he's never said: “Hey, I would love chicken tonight.”

And last week he came home with a bag of beautiful local apples from an orchard that we've been using very sparingly, because they're such a treat.

Then on his way out the door for work yesterday Jedd said: “Apple beer bread would be really good for dinner, wouldn't it?”

I agreed. And because the sort-of-request was as rare as the perfect apples, I made apple beer bread. But I threw in some leeks, parsley and chives for a little bit more of a savory contrast and some cheddar – because as Vermonters we're contractually obliged to crave apples along with a sharp cheddar cheese.

Oh, pretty cabbage. You intrigue me with your purple, white and green leaves,

and when I cover you in vinaigrette, oh, how your pieces gleam.

You're peppery and hearty, and you make my brain all smarty.

But in this spicy salad your crunch reigns supreme.

When I woke up this morning, if you had asked me if I was going to write a little ode to cabbage I probably wouldn't have believed you. I mean cabbage isn't exactly the most interesting thing in the crisper, is it?

However after throwing this beautiful and spicy salad together this afternoon, I'm officially swooning over this member of the cruciferous family.