{"id":1856383,"date":"2023-02-27T09:45:02","date_gmt":"2023-02-27T15:45:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/?p=1856383"},"modified":"2024-02-13T08:59:01","modified_gmt":"2024-02-13T14:59:01","slug":"best-home-cooks-liz-harris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/best-home-cooks-liz-harris\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Home Cooks: Liz Harris"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Salem, New Hampshire, food blogger Liz Harris is ready for what she labels \u201corange food season.\u201d Right now, Liz\u2019s favorite harvest hue graces her soup pot in the form of fresh-picked butternut squash<\/a>, sweet potato<\/a>, carrot<\/a> and pumpkin<\/a> from her family\u2019s century-old farm. Liz is also all-in for apple picking,<\/a> pie making<\/a>, hiking to see foliage and even raking leaves. She loves the crisp shift of the seasons and the nostalgia surrounding it\u2014\u201cgrowing up in New England, I think you kind of have to!\u201d she laughs. \u201cThese were things I missed dearly when I lived on the West Coast.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Liz's Floating Kitchen<\/h2>\r\n

Back then, Liz was a scientist specializing in cancer biology. But in 2012 she made the tough decision to leave the research bench and pursue a career in food. From her teeny floating home\u2014she literally lived on a boat!\u2014 in Seattle, she started to share her recipes and photography on her website, Floating Kitchen<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cMy kitchen, and everything else, literally did float,\u201d she says, still wistful for the calm that came with waking up on the water. \u201cI loved taking the time each morning to have my coffee out on the dock\u2014that is, of course, when it wasn\u2019t raining!\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Returning Home to Her Family Farm<\/h2>\r\n

She has left the houseboat life behind but is still cooking up a storm\u2014now with produce from Donabedian Bros., her family\u2019s small farm and hydroponic greenhouse that has delivered fruits and vegetables to the Salem community since the early 1900s. \u201cIt\u2019s been in our family for more than 100 years. And I now work there one or two days a week as well.\u201d\r\n\u201cSeeing firsthand just how hard farmers work, and how deeply they care for their land and their crops or animals, has given me a lot of respect for the farming community,\u201d she says. \u201cThe demands of farming are great. We depend on these people every single day.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

She grew up watching the older generation of women in her family cook and learning their specialties\u2014like her Great-Aunt Dorothy\u2019s cookies or Great-Aunt Carrie\u2019s dinner rolls. Liz says, \u201cFood was always a major part of the conversation. And not just as we approached holidays or during family gatherings, but every day.\u201d<\/p>\r\n \r\n

Creamy Sweet Potato, Apple & Leek Soup with Parmesan Croutons<\/h2>\r\n\"Liz\r\n

\"You can whip up this soup in about 45 minutes, so it\u2019s very doable for a weeknight dinner,\" Liz says. \"I\u2019m also of the opinion that the leftovers are even better (the flavors from the spices and other aromatics become more pronounced over time), so I often save some for lunch the next day.\" And don't forget those crunchy, peppery Parmesan croutons! \u201cI firmly believe all soups should have a topping,\" Liz says. \"It really elevates even the most simple soup recipes<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Ingredients<\/b><\/h4>\r\n