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By CAROLYN BROWN

A new vegan food festival is about to take root in the Pioneer Valley.

Claire Frierson of Northampton made this Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake for her daughter Julia’s birthday.

In honor of this weekend’s Asparagus Festival, this week’s winner is Sabine Merz of Northampton, who made “cannelloni with some excellent asparagus” from Plainville Farm in Hadley, with “her trusted assistant, Yoshi.”

Behold “Eatsizza,” Northampton resident Blanche Cybele Derby’s take on pizza: “I start with a base of lightly toasted bread, spread with a pesto made from goutweed and lemon balm greens. I top this with ramps, lightly cooked morels, asparagus, ostrich ferns, a little cheese and then bake until everything is heated through.”

Portrait of the artist as a caprese salad, submitted by Lesléa Newman of Holyoke.

Jane Szelewicki of Hadley went asparagus picking for the first time and this was the bounty she collected.

Doug Gnepp of South Hadley said this is the first bread that his grandson, Max Gnepp, has made from scratch. “He loves to cook.”

Joan Schaffer of Florence said “This Moroccan spiced fish is a treasured Sephardic appetizer served during Passover.” She added that “All credit goes to my dear friend, Veronica Darmen, for the recipe and her guidance.”

This cake was baked by Rebecca Phelps of Hatfield and her grandson, Alessandro Phelps, of Amherst. Not only do they enjoy baking together, “We also both like Taylor Swift a lot,” Rebecca Phelps said. “We made this cake to honor her [song] ‘Blank Space’ and used pomegranate seeds for the blood.”

Peggy Sanders of Northampton wrote to us with the good news: “Artichokes from California are here! Simmer them, melt butter. Celebrate Spring.”

By SAMUEL GELINAS

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Accusing his Republican colleagues in Congress of being “too scared to stand up to their leadership,” namely, President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern is co-sponsoring a new bill designed to block “backdoor” cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP.)

Jennifer Kellogg of Whately made this apple buttermilk cake for her parents’ combined birthday celebration. “It was a great way to use up the fall apples that had been sitting in my refrigerator.”

Joe Lavallee of Hatfield said his wife, Mary Jane, is a great cook (“she made this puff pastry quiche with feta, spinach, shallots, sundried tomatoes, and nutmeg and Parmesan cheese”), and it is also her birthday week so he wanted to surprise her with this winning photo.

Easthampton newcomer Julie Slavet made this roasted cauliflower, feta, onion and date salad. “The Valley’s fresh vegetables and cheeses really inspire creativity,” Slavet said, adding that “the food here seems almost as welcoming as the people we’ve met in our first month.”

Suzanne Symanski of Hatfield says her family loves a corned beef and cabbage one pot meal around Saint Patrick’s Day. “It’s easy to prepare and delicious served with a nice rye bread. Great leftovers, too.”

By EMILEE KLEIN

GRANBY — While volunteering at a tiny snack pantry for Granby Junior Senior High School students in 2017, Judy DeLong noticed a student wearing a sweatshirt with a wet, wrinkled and frayed collar.

Patricia Myerson of Leeds brought these fried pierogi with sour cream to an Academy Award watch party in honor of the film “Porcelain War,” which was nominated for Best Documentary. Myerson noted that she served them “in blue and yellow dishes for Ukraine.”

Holly Ghazey’s daughter, Thalia Ghazey-Bates, made this Orange Upside-Down Cake for her birthday. “The Cara Cara and blood oranges slicked with a thin shiny layer of orange marmalade look like little suns on a gloomy February day,” Ghazey said.

This photo from Emmy Clausing exudes cozy winter vibes. It’s Clausing’s version of Pasta Fazool, “an Italian pasta, beans, sausage, and greens dish that makes a hearty winter dinner main course.”

Josh Rosenblatt of Easthampton sent in this “baked French toast with local maple syrup and organic blueberries,” made with “homemade bread, orange zest and a dash of orange liqueur.” Sounds perfect for a snowy morning! 

I feel healthier just looking at this colorful salad sent in by Karen A. Smyers of Easthampton. Karen said the salad was made with chickpeas, purple sweet potatoes, red onion, carrots, celery, and purple carrots.