Versatile persimmons

Our morning fruit has been extra colorful recently, with the addition of persimmons to the grapes and pears.

There are two kinds of persimmons - those that are good when firm, and others that need to be very mushy in order to taste good.

I prefer the firm ones, the fuyus. They are what I cut up for our bowls of fruit.

At Thanksgiving, I served persimmons in a colorful salad with pomegranate seeds, lime juice and jalapenos. It was pretty and zesty — a lively addition to the festivities.

Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad
1 lime
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 fuyu persimmons
seeds from half a pomegranate
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp oil
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
lettuce

Toss the jalapeno in the lime juice and let stand a couple of minutes. Cut out the stem end of the persimmons, and take a thin slice off the bottom. Quarter and thinly slice the persimmons, and add to the jalapeno. Peel half the pomegranate (see my blog post here for detailed instructions and pictures), and add the seeds to the bowl along with the pumpkin seeds, olive oil and cilantro. Turn well and let marinate at room temperature 30 minutes to 2 hours. Line a platter with lettuce and pile the salad on top.

Serves 4.

Spiced Lemon Quinoa

Quinoa is a high-protein grain that makes a quick main dish. The other night I served it with broiled eggplant, steamed broccoli, and baby turnips with their greens. It was a colorful meal full of good flavor.

I cooked the quinoa with Indian pilaf flavorings, and even went so far as to cook a couple of tablespoons of channa dal (yellow split peas) ahead of time to add to the authenticity of the dish. You can skip the dal if you like, but it adds a nice texture and variety.

Do not skip pouring boiling water over the uncooked quinoa. It removes the saponins, bitter chemicals that give quinoa its bad name. Without them, it's quite a tasty grain.

Spiced Lemon Quinoa
2 tbsp yellow split peas or channa dal
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 serrano chile, seeded and diced
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp salt
5 oz loosely packed spinach (6 cups)
1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp chopped cilantro (optional)

Cook split peas in boiling water until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and pat dry.

Put quinoa in a sieve and pour boiling water over it a couple of times to remove the saponins. Cook in 4 cups boiling water with 1/2 tsp salt until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat oil over medium heat. Add mustard seeds, cover the pan, and cook until they pop, 1 minute. Stir in cumin and cook until sizzling. Stir in split peas, chile, tumeric and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook, stirring often, until split peas start to turn golden brown. (If not using the split peas, cook until spices are fragrant.) Scrape into a bowl.

Add spinach to hot skillet, increase heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring, until wilted, just a few minutes. Drain any liquid. Stir in cooked quinoa, split pea mixture, and 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice. Toss to mix. Season with salt and more lemon juice to taste. Scatter cilantro on top and serve.

Serves 4

Thanksgiving Dinner Menu

This was our Thanksgiving day menu:

Halftime appetizer:
Pumpkin empanadas with cilantro-mint dipping sauce

Dinner:
Honey-baked ham (for Larry and Trace)
Homemade bread with honey butter
Green bean and mushroom casserole
Baked kabocha squash
Spicy brown rice with mushrooms and chipotles
Kohlrabi greens and roots with garlic
Beets with mint
Salad with persimmons and pomegranate seeds

Dessert:
Lemon pudding cake with cranberry syrup

Giving Thanks

We had a good Thanksgiving. Tracie visited, the right football team won, and the food was yummy.

As I sat looking at the bounty on the table, I thought of the farmers who grew the food we were eating:

Finley Farms: lettuce, leek

Jared: onions, kabocha squash, garlic

Givens Farms: purple kohlrabi (Tracie's favorite!), green beans

Jorge: pomegranates, limes

Mr. Ha: eggs, persimmons

South Central Farmers Cooperative: beets, cilantro

Spring Hill Dairy: smoked firehouse Mike cheddar

and our own magical garden which provided the pumpkin (self-seeded!), mint and lemons.

Thank you all! You made our Thanksgiving delicious.

Autumn Eggplant

I think fall is my favorite time at the farmers' market. The vegetables are so beautiful in their purples and reds and greens.

Last week I selected a shiny purple eggplant and rosy red non-heirloom tomatoes to add to large white lima beans for this delicious fall dinner.

The eggplant and tomatoes are roasted with garlic and served over white beans with a saffron pan sauce to make a Mediterranean stew with a wonderful flavor. I served it with crusty rolls to sop up the saffron-flavored broth, but if you are feeling less decadent brown rice would work well too.

Autumn Eggplant

1 eggplant (about 12 oz)
2lbs tomatoes
1/2 bulb garlic (bulb, not clove)
2 red jalapenos
1 tsp honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup dried lima beans or cannelini beans, cooked (or 1 can, drained)
pinch saffron

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Wash the eggplant and cut off and discard both ends. Cut the middle into quarters lengthwise, and then each quarter into 2 inch pieces. Cut the core out of the top of each tomato, then cut in halves or quarters depending on size.

Pull the garlic cloves apart, but don't peel them. The chiles will be added in whole just as seasoning, so wash them but don't cut them.

Put the eggplant, tomatoes, garlic cloves and chiles in a roasting pan. Drizzle with the honey and olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 1 1/2 hours, basting occasionally, and draining off any tomato liquid if too much accumulates. (The other night it was too hot to turn on the big oven, so I used the toaster oven. Because the vegetables couldn't spread out enough, they started off steaming in the tomato juices rather than roasting. Every 15 minutes or so I drained off tomato juice (saving it to add back in later) so the vegetables could roast more than steam.)

When the eggplant is very soft, remove the roasting pan from the oven. Remove and discard the chiles. Pick out the garlic cloves, crush them, and put the flesh back into the roasting pan, discarding the skin.

Make a layer of hot beans in the bottom of the serving dish. With a slotted spoon, put the vegetables on top.

Crumble the saffron between your fingers and add it to the hot tomato juice from the roasting pan (and whatever you've poured off during the cooking). Pour the sauce over the vegetables and serve warm.

Serves 4

Mmmm beets

I know, most people don't say mmmmm when they think of beets.

But they should. Because they are a gorgeous color and a nutritional powerhouse (anti-tumor, good for eyes, high in fiber, etc.)

Plus, they don't really taste of anything but the earth, so they are great foils for other flavors.

Here I tossed them with lemon juice, mint and cilantro to make a sprightly side salad.

I steamed the beets instead of roasting them. Partially because I roasted beets when I was staying at my mum's house in July and she is still trying to clean the pan. Steaming is much less messy. Also, it's just too darned hot to turn on the toaster oven. But feel free to roast (recipe here) and then use the cooked beets in the dressing.

Beet Salad with Lemon and Herbs
1 lb beets
grated zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp diced red onion
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped mint leaves
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
3 tbsp olive oil

Trim the greens from the beets and use them in wilted greens. (The raw greens will last a couple of days in the fridge if you are not ready to cook them.)

Scrub the roots, and steam them until tender, 20-40 minutes depending on the size and age of the beets. Pierce a beet with a slender knife - you want it to be tender but not too soft.

Remove the beets from the steamer. When they are cool enough to handle, peel off their skins and cut off the thick stem end and the root end.

Cut the beets in bite-sized pieces.

Whisk together the remaining ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper. Turn the beets into the dressing, then taste a beet to check for seasoning.

Good at room temperature or chilled.

Serves 3-4.

Summer fruit

We have been loving our morning fruit.

Organic melons, peaches, plums and grapes.

Is there anything more beautiful to start the day with?

Labor Day Barbecue

We had an excellent Labor Day barbecue.

Larry grilled me a portobello (brushed with a combination of balsamic vinegar, olive oil and tamari), complete with grilled red onion to gild the lily. (He said his hamburger was good too.)

Plus he grilled corn.

We have done this in the past, where we grilled the corn in the husk. It makes sweet corn, almost steamed in its own greens. (You can read about it here.)

But last weekend, we took it to another level.

I pulled back the husks, cut off the caterpillar-eaten parts, and ripped out the silk. Then I pushed the husks back up over the kernels. I soaked them in water for 10 minutes, and then gave them to Larry to cook over a hot fire (he could put his hand 5 inches above the grill for 1-2 seconds), turning occasionally, for 10 minutes. He then removed the husks (silicon gloves helped) and put them back on the grill and cooked them, turning as needed, until they were browned and tender, about 5 minutes more.

Brushed with butter, seasoned with salt and pepper, these were great end-of-season corn. Flavorful, smoky, yum.

Cookbook bonanza

Last Sunday was a bonus at the Hollywood Farmers Market - cheap cookbook day.

I never know when this fundraising event for the Los Angeles Public Library is going to happen. I turn the corner and there are boxes of cookbooks - modern, old, pamphlets, you name it - going for the ridiculous price of $3 or less.

This is what I came home with for $18.50:

Mediterranean Cookery by Claudia Roden

China Moon Cookbook by Barbara Troop

Better Homes and Gardens Cooking with Whole Grains

The Harrods Book of Entertaining by Lady Macdonald of Macdonald (how could I resist?)

My New Mediterranean Cookbook by Jeannette Seaver

Fresh from the Market: Seasonal Cooking with Laurent Tourondel and Charlotte March

Crave - The Taste of Five Senses by Ludo Lefebvre

Healthy Potato Salad

Potato salads don't have to have mayonnaise.

In fact, the Italian and French way of tossing the warm potatoes in a vinaigrette makes a very flavorful salad. And it's healthy too.

I combined the potatoes with green pepper, broccoli and onion to make a colorful salad that hit the spot on a hot day.

Healthy Potato Salad
2-3 potatoes, cubed (enough to make 2 cups)
1/3 cup Italian salad dressing
1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped radishes
2 tbsp diced green pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill (optional)

Peel and cube the potatoes. Put them in cold salted water, bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 10 minute depending on the size of the pieces. Drain and toss with the salad dressing. Let it marinate in the fridge a couple of hours. (This is not essential, but it intensifies the flavor.)

Cut the broccoli in bite-sized pieces, and steam until tender. Add to the potatoes along with the remaining ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste, and a little more salad dressing if necessary.

Serves 4-5

Farmers

In her 1922 book One of Ours, about a midwestern farmer who enlists in WWI, Willa Cather writes:

The farmer raised and took to market things with an intrinsic value; wheat and corn as good as could be grown anywhere in the world, hogs and cattle that were the best of their kind. In return he got manufactured articles of poor quality; showy furniture that went to pieces, carpets and draperies that faded, clothes that made a handsome man look like a clown. Most of his money was paid out for machinery, – and that, too, went to pieces. A steam thrasher didn't last long; a horse outlived three automobiles.

Carrots with Lemon and Mint

This is a great salad that keeps well for a couple of days in the fridge. The key is to cut the carrots in matchsticks to keep their texture. This is more work than I usually like to do, but it's worth it.

Start by cutting the carrot crosswise into 1 1/2" lengths. Then cut it lengthwise in thirds or quarters (depending on the size of the carrot). Then stack a few of these slices and cut them lengthwise again in thirds or quarters. You should have matchstick-like carrots sticks. It's not worth obsessing about perfection, but it's fun practice for knife skills.

And as you enjoy this lemony minty salad you will forget the labor involved.

Carrots with Lemon and Mint
3 large carrots
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dijon
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp mint

Peel the carrots and cut as above. Blanch them in boiling water until just tender, about 30 seconds. Drain and place in ice water to stop cooking.

Combine the lemon juice and mustard. Slowly whisk in the olive oil so it emulsifies. Stir in the mint, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Toss the carrots with the dressing. Chill until ready to serve.

Serves 2-3.

Arugula and Figs

There was beautiful arugula at the farmers market on Sunday. I brought some home and paired it with sweet figs - our first harvest of the year - and salty parmesan for a fun and zesty salad.

Arugula and Figs
1 bunch arugula, heavy stems removed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 figs, quartered
a few shavings of parmesan
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves

Toss the arugula with the olive oil and lemon juice. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Pile the arugula on a platter, arrange the figs around the edges and sprinkle the parmesan shavings (made by running a vegetable peeler over a block of parmesan) and fresh rosemary over the top.

Serves 2-3

Simple Summer Supper

I came home from work pretty tired Saturday. Plus it was hot.

So a simple supper was in order.

I picked some basil and cherry tomatoes in the garden, and whipped up this simple pasta with pesto.

(Click here for my favorite pesto recipe.)

I would have made a salad too, but it was hot, and I was tired. Does pesto count as a green vegetable?

Summer Fruit

 The Hollywood Farmers Market is piled with peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, pluots, grapes, melons in more varieties than I can name, and strawberries.

That's along with all the apples and citrus fruit that I now take for granted.

It's hard to limit my fruit shopping. We eat fruit once a day - for breakfast - so we don't need basketfuls. I rarely cook fruit - it's too darned hot to cook, and why waste all that nutrition? So I control myself as I walk through the market buying two of this and two of that, restraining myself to a small basket of strawberries, two - oops actually three - melons.

The stone fruits tend to be hard - flavorful but not completely ripe. I leave them on the counter for a few days until they are fragrant. I check them each every day, looking for mold, squeezing gently for ripeness. When they are really ripe, I either put them in our morning fruit, or refrigerate them until we need them.

Melons, however, can be bought completely ripe and ready to eat. Last Sunday morning we bought strawberries and cantaloupe at Finley Farms stall and ate them for brunch. They were so sweet they tasted like candy. The accompanying omelet was a good counter-balance with heat from a homegrown anaheim pepper and some salty cheese.

We had the remaining strawberries and melon for breakfast on Monday morning, Tuesday was grapefruit and last week's Santa Rosa plums - finally ripe and incredibly juicy. Then on to the nectarines and peaches, and the other cantaloupe we bought. We still have a white Japanese melon that Mr. Ha says is good to eat now but if we can wait a week or two until it is soft it will be unbelievably sweet. Let's see how long we can wait.

Summer fruit: there's nothing like it.

Vegetarian Niçoise Salad

On these hot summer days, I don't feel like cooking.

But with the right produce in the fridge, dinner can be a nutritious and easy meal.

The other night I made this salad with leftover Greek Bean Salad as the main protein source.

I piled torn-up lettuce on the plate and dressed it with a simple red wine vinaigrette. I then added cherry tomatoes, diced avocado, hard boiled egg, black olives, cucumber and green pepper for extra crunch.

I spooned the bean salad in the center, and sprinkled a little extra dried oregano on top for color.

Protein from the eggs, beans and cheese, lots of vitamins and minerals from the vegetables, and a short time in the kitchen.

That's my kind of summer meal.

Eat organic

I'm fortunate to be able to eat a wide variety of organic produce. It helps to live in southern California and shop at the Hollywood Farmers' Market.

I know that not everyone is as lucky as me, so here is the annual list of foods that are safe to eat even if they are not organic.

Every year the Environmental Working Group tests US-grown food for pesticide residue. Although we don't know what long-term use of pesticides does to the human nervous and endocrine system, there are standards as to what is too much to consume.

The first list, The Dirty Dozen, refers to foods that should never be eaten unless they are organic, because the pesticide residue is too high in the conventionally-grown kinds.

The second list is of foods which have a minimal level of pesticide residue when conventionally grown.

Notice that greens must be organically-grown. Don't let that stop you from eating greens. Instead ask your produce manager or favorite organic farmer to stock organic greens. They're available, they're delicious and they're healthy. And even at $2.50 a bunch, they're a better deal than a multi-vitamin.


Dirty Dozen: eat only if organic
apples
bell peppers
blueberries
celery
cucumbers
grapes
green beans
kale / greens
lettuce
nectarines - imported
peaches
potatoes
spinach
strawberries

Low Pesticide Residue: These 15 foods are lowest in pesticide residue, and are considered safe to eat even if not organic.
asparagus
avocado
cabbage
cantaloupe
corn (probably gmo if not organic)
eggplant
grapefruit
kiwi
mangoes
mushrooms
onions
peas
pineapples
sweet potatoes
watermelon

Greek Bean Salad

Larry and I take bean salads to work most days. With a green salad and maybe some carrot sticks and an apple, it's a great meal full of protein and nutrients to keep us going all afternoon.

The other day I made a salad with the large white lima beans grown in Lompoc that I buy at the Hollywood Farmers Market. I added feta, cherry tomatoes, and dried oregano for a Greek bean salad.

Tossing the warm beans with vinegar and salt and pepper gives them extra flavor. If you're using canned beans, just drain them and stir in the dressing along with the other ingredients.

(If you don't have large white limas, you can use cannelini beans or kidney beans.)

The textures in this dish are all soft, so serve it with a crunchy green salad, or add some crisp red pepper or celery to give extra interest.

Greek Bean Salad
1 cup white beans
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 red onion
4 oz feta
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tsp dried oregano
1-2 tbsp olive oil

Cover the beans with 2 inches of water in a large pot, bring to a boil, and simmer until tender. The length of cooking time depends on the age of your beans. The ones I buy cook in under 2 hours. If yours are really old, soak them in water overnight, drain, then cook in boiling water until tender.

Drain the beans and sprinkle with the vinegar and salt and pepper. Stir well and let sit until cool.

Slice the red onion. Dice the feta. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Toss all into the cool beans along with the oregano and olive oil.

Taste the bean salad and add vinegar, olive oil, or salt to taste.

Serves 4-6

Peach Salad

The peaches are extra good this year - so sweet and flavorful. We are enjoying them in our morning fruit, and the other day I added them to this salad.

It's a slight variation on a recipe from Jack Bishop's wonderful book A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen. He cooks vegetables with a flair, yet simply enough for everyday eating.

The dressing has a base of reduced orange juice, an excellent way to use less oil without making too tart a sauce. The sweet orange juice and peach balance well with the salty cashews.

It's a great salad to serve with a barbecue, or with a simple dinner of bread and cheese and corn on the cob.

Peach Salad
1/2 cup orange juice (from 1 orange)
2 tsp lime juice
2 tsp olive oil
4 cups butter lettuce
1 ripe peach
2 tbsp roasted, salted cashews

Heat orange juice in a small heavy pan over medium heat until it's syrupy, and reduced to a couple of tablespoons, about 15 minutes. Let cool a little, then whisk in the lime juice, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Toss lettuce with some of the dressing and spread on a plate. Arrange peaches on top and sprinkle with cashews. Sprinkle remaining dressing over top and serve.

Serves 2

Organic corn

Finley Farms had organic corn on the cob on Sunday - the first of the season. We grabbed some to eat for dinner that night, boiled and served with butter and a little salt and pepper. Yum.

I only buy organic corn. Non-organic corn (or no-spray corn) can be grown from genetically-modified corn kernels. I don't know what genetic-modification will do to my body or to the earth, but I don't trust it. Also, I don't want to give a dime to the multi-nationals who create gmos.

Eating only organic corn means most of the year we eat it frozen. And then for a couple of months we enjoy it fresh off the cob.

Shoppers often rip open the top of ears of corn to check for complete ears and insect damage. I don't bother. I figure most organic corn has insect damage - because it's not sprayed with poisons that kill insects. And the kernels might be a little erratic from faulty pollination - because it's grown in a field not devised in a factory. I prefer my food to look real.

Which is a good thing, because we brought a caterpillar home with the corn. You can just see it hiding in its little hole in the front cob on the left.

It's a harmless little thing, as long as it's not eating my corn. I threw it over the fence to the neighbor's chickens. You can also just put it in the trash or kill it and add it to the compost.

You can see the top ends of the corn where the silk tassels emerge looked pretty unsightly. It's caterpillar damage. Not harmful. I just cut the end off the cobs and serve the beauties you see below.
In fact, until I showed Larry these pictures, he did not know that the corn we brought home had a little editing done before I served it to him, delicious and sweet and beautiful.

So remember, organic corn can be ugly. But cut off the ugly part and you have something truly delicious, and you can feel good about where your food dollar is going.

Avocado and Strawberry Salad

It was too hot to cook the other night, so I rooted around in the fridge. Strawberries and butter lettuce from Finley Farm, avocado from Jorge --  that's the making of a great hot-weather supper.

I used equal quantities of oil and vinegar because I wanted a tart dressing to off-set the incredibly sweet berries. The goat cheese toasts mellowed the tartness and gave a rich earthiness that matched well with the toasted almonds.

Best of all, it went together in a flash

Avocado and Strawberry Salad
lettuce for 2 people
1 ripe avocado
1 cup strawberries
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup almonds
2 oz goat cheese
crushed peppercorns
6 slices baguette


Wash the lettuce and tear into bite-sized pieces. Peel and dice avocado. Remove the stem from the strawberries and halve them. Toss lettuce, avocado and strawberries together.

Toast the almonds in a dry frypan on the stove. When they smell toasted, remove from heat and chop coarsely.

Lightly toast the baguette slices in the toaster oven or under the broiler. Turn the slices over. Cut the goat cheese into 6 and pat it into rounds. Roll the edges of the rounds into the crushed peppercorns (this is messy, but worth it.) Put the goat cheese on the baguettes and warm in the toaster oven.

Combine the oil and vinegar. Season with a little salt and pepper and toss with the salad.

Arrange on a serving plate, sprinkle the almonds over top, and arrange the goat cheese toasts around the edges.

Serves 2

Stewed Summer Beans

We came back from our trip to find our green beans had been prolific. They were not tender young beans, but long tough ones.

So I stewed them in tomatoes and basil to bring out their sweetness, served them with cheese-y toast, and we had a feast.

Old recipes for tough green beans usually contain added sugar, but if you caramelize the onion a little, and add enough dried basil (which I find is sweeter than fresh), the dish is sweet enough.

(I write this as if it was a solid recipe. It's not. It's something for you to riff off, depending on how many beans you have, how tough your beans are, etc. If your tomatoes are producing, use fresh instead of canned. It's hard to mess this recipe up.)

Stewed Summer Beans
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb green beans
14-oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper to taste

Warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

Trim the green beans, and cut into 1 inch lengths. Add to the pan, along with the can of tomatoes. Add a splash of water if necessary. Stir in the basil. Cover and cook until the beans are tender, stirring occasionally, and adding more water if necessary to prevent scorching. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 2-3.

Montreal Cheese

Larry and I spent the last couple of weeks visiting my mum in Montreal.

Montreal in the summer is all about sitting outside, preferably with un bon café or a cold drink, watching the world go by.

We sat outside on great terrasses - McAuslan's pub on the Lachine Canal, Brûlerie St. Denis on rue St. Denis, Winston Churchill's on Crescent St., The Black Lion Pub on the Lakeshore, Juliette et Chocolat on Laurier.

Possibly the best terrasse was my mum's patio, where we watched the fireflies dart around the garden in the twilight. (We don't have fireflies in L.A., so this was a real treat.)

The hot humid weather made simple meals attractive, and some of the best meals we ate started at the fromagerie Atwater in the Atwater Farmers Market.

It was one of our first stops after we landed, and we picked up enough cheese for a few days.

I walked up to the cheese counter and announced that I was visiting with my husband - un Américain - and I wanted him to experience the bon goût du fromage québécois. My French is rusty, but the young man behind the counter was up for the challenge.

He suggested a sampling of Quebec cheeses, starting with the mild and moving to the more flavorful. He selected his favorite mild cheese, came around the counter, and gave us each a piece. Mum was off wandering the store, but he tracked her down to give her cheese. What a good guy. She stayed next to the counter after that.

He described each of the cheeses in French and again in English to accommodate Larry. (As the visit wound on, there was less French and more English. He knew his audience.) We bought a little of each of the four cheeses he recommended: Pied-de-Vent, a raw cow's milk cheese from the Magdalene Islands in the St. Lawrence River;  Louis d'Or 24 mois, a washed-rind raw organic cow's milk cheese from Ste. Elizabeth de Warwick,  Cheddar Brittania (Larry's favorite - a good sharp cheddar, $42.99 a kilo, but we only bought $2.59 worth), and Victor & Berthold, a semi-soft cheese with a washed rind from Notre Dame de Lourdes.

Cheese, baguette, salade verte. Lunches don't get much better than that.

Zucchini and Carrot Salad

Zucchini and basil are thriving now. Why not combine them in this easy summer salad?

Basil protects chromosomes from radiation damage and protects the whole body from unwanted bacteria. We should probably eat it daily in the summer.

Zucchini helps lower cholesterol, and has beneficial fiber that protects against forms of cancer. Walnuts are good for the cardiovascular system. Carrots are great for the eyes.

Yes, this is a healthy salad. But it actually tastes good too. It's a great accompaniment to a sandwich or bean burger. Combined with a green salad it makes a nice light meal when appetites are suffering from the heat. I adapted it from Season to Taste by Jeannette Ferrary and Louise Fiszer. I hope you enjoy it.

Zucchini and Carrot Salad
1 zucchini
1 carrot
2 tbsp basil, packed
2 tbsp walnuts
2 tsp capers
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp dijon
salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor (or on a grater if you prefer) shred the zucchini and carrot. Turn out into a bowl.

Shred the basil. Toast the walnuts lightly in a heavy frypan for 4-5 minutes until they are fragrant. Chop them coarsely. Add the basil and walnuts to the bowl, along with the drained capers.

Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and dijon. Season to taste. Pour over the salad and toss well.

Serves 2

Cheese and Tomato Sandwich

Our tomato plants are doing great this year.

The other day we celebrated with our first cheese and tomato sandwich of the season.

I defrosted a loaf of Hawaiian bread to commemorate the event.

I'm not sure I would go out of my way to eat coconut and tomato together, but the hazelnuts in the bread were great with the cheese, and the whole sandwich was pretty darned good, especially with the fresh basil - the extra touch that took it over the top.

Veggie Burgers on the Grill

Usually when Larry barbecues a burger, he grills a portobello mushroom for me.

Today will be no exception.

It will be a noisy day in our neighborhood - fireworks, M80s, firecrackers and other loud bangs will start before 10 a.m. and go on until after midnight.

With all that sound stress, we need an easy meal which we can eat while manning the fire hoses. So we'll have our traditional barbecue dinner of burger / mushroom, potato salad, green salad and black beans. (You can read about a previous holiday barbecue and get my excellent black bean recipe here.)

On Memorial Day weekend, however, Larry stretched his grilling prowess and barbecued a homemade veggie burger for me. Usually I fry these on the stove or bake them in the oven because they tend to fall apart.

But it was the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, a relaxing day, and Larry said he was up for the challenge.

(On Memorial Day Monday, we had Tracie over for a Mediterranean-inspired cookout. You can read about it here.)

I sat quietly (and, I like to think, supportively) reading the Sunday papers while Larry grilled the burgers. I did not hear a lot of cussing, which I took as a good sign. But he did have to keep squishing the burger together in order to stop pieces falling off into the fire.

It looked a little messy open-faced on the bun, but it tasted great. I've put the 3 other burgers into the freezer for another day when Larry is up for a barbecue challenge.

Mushroom Carrot Burger
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
3 cups mushrooms
3 large carrots
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups whole wheat bread crumbs
3 oz feta
3 tbsp chopped fresh basil
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Chop the onion and garlic in the food processor - they need to be very fine. Empty them into a bowl and chop the mushrooms. Put the mushrooms in another bowl and grate the carrots.

Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil until soft but not brown, 3-5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook another 5 minutes. Drain off any accumulated liquid, but don't squeeze the mushrooms dry.

Place the grated carrots and breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Crumble in the feta. Add the mushroom mixture, basil and thyme. Stir well and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the eggs.

Shape the mixture into 4 burgers the size of hamburger buns. They will look huge. It's okay.

Brush the grill rack with olive oil, and cook the burgers over medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes, turning often, until they are golden.

Alternatively, you can bake them in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes, or fry them in a little oil on the stove.

The burgers can be frozen uncooked. Thaw before cooking.

Makes 4 large burgers.

Kamut Pilaf with Basil

Last week I served Larry kamut for the first time.

He thought the dish was good, but was a little uncertain about the kamut itself.

You see, although kamut looks like brown rice, it has more of the munchy pop of wheat kernels. Which makes sense, since kamut is an ancient form of wheat.

Once you get used to the texture, it's a great substitute for brown rice in any pilaf. And it is a highly nutritious grain, containing more protein, vitamins and minerals than wheat.

You can buy whole kamut at any health food store.

This is a fresh-tasting recipe to try it with.

Kamut Pilaf with Basil
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, diced in 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup whole kamut
2" sprig rosemary
3 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Sauté onions, carrots and garlic in olive oil until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in kamut and rosemary sprig. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until kamut is tender and stock is absorbed, 40-60 minutes. Stir in green onions and basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve sprinkled with a little extra basil.

Serves 4

Scalloped Potatoes and Kale

I am always looking for new ways to serve kale.

Kale is one of those foods that is exceptionally healthy. It is an anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, heart-healthy, cholesterol-lowering power food. Cooked or raw.

In this recipe, I serve it cooked with potatoes, to make a family-friendly meal that your body will love.

I used the curly green kale because I wanted some texture. I added some lacinato kale which cooks very soft, because I didn't want too much texture. Balance is all, especially with greens. This would work with mustard greens or chard or collard greens - experiment. If you're brave you could try hiding dandelion greens in here. But add something softer like kale or chard so there isn't too much bite.

And as you're enjoying this delicious meal, think of how you are boosting all the cells in your body with powerful nutrients.

Scalloped Potatoes and Kale
1 1/2 lb potatoes
1 lb kale
1 cup basil
2 cloves garlic
3/4 cup grated cheddar
1 1/4 cups milk

Wash and stem the kale and slice it coarsely into ribbons. Wash and chop the basil and garlic.

Place the kale in a covered saucepan with the water still sticking to its leaves and a sprinkling of salt, and cook over medium heat until it has wilted down a bit, about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure it's not burning on the bottom.

Peel the potatoes and slice them thin. Arrange half in a shallow 2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Stir the basil and garlic into the greens, and pile them onto the potatoes. Press down if necessary.

Arrange the remaining potato slices on top of the greens. Then distribute the grated cheddar over the potatoes.

Carefully pour the milk over the cheese. It will filter down into the potatoes and greens.

Bake at 425°F for about 50 minutes until the potatoes are tender when you poke a knife in. Cover for the last few minutes if they're getting too dark. Let the gratin sit for 10 minutes when you take it out of the oven to let any juices settle in.

Serves 4-6.

Fava Bean Risotto

We grew our own fava beans this year.

In the garden I corralled them in a cage of stakes and string and they pretty much took care of themselves.

In the kitchen, however, they are more complicated. First they have to be removed from their pods, and then the hard skins over the individual beans (peas?) slipped off. It's even more work than shelling peas.

But the flavor is lovely - so spring-like. The other day I picked a few beans and turned them into this lovely spring-like risotto.

Fava beans are great in risotto because they keep their color, and you don't need a lot of them to make a good impact.

(I suggest 1-2 lbs in this recipe, which I know is vague but it depends on how big the beans are inside the pod and what percentage of bean to rice you like. If you blanch more fava beans than you want to add to your risotto, refrigerate them overnight and then warm them in a little butter in a skillet. Add a little chopped mint and you have a simple side dish.)

I use my basic risotto recipe, and stir the blanched fava beans in at the end to warm through. If you don't have fava beans, you can use 3/4 cup of defrosted baby limas or peas instead.

As in all risottos, it's important to use a well-flavored vegetable stock. You can find my favorite here.

Leftover risotto can be formed into burgers, dredged in bread crumbs and gently fried in a little olive oil. It's almost better than the original dish, so it's always worth making more risotto than you will need.

Fava Bean Risotto
1-2 lbs fava beans in their pods
1 small onion or shallot, finely diced
1/2 tbsp butter
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup white wine
4-5 cups vegetable stock
salt and pepper
parmesan (optional)
mint for garnish

Pop the fava beans out of their pods. Blanch the beans (peas?) in boiling water for 1 minute, then drain and plunge into ice water. When they are cool, peel the thick outer white layer off each bean, revealing the bright green inside. This is the part that will go in the risotto.

Heat the stock in a covered pot on the back burner. Keep it at a simmer while you're cooking the rice.

Melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook gently until it's translucent.

Stir in the arborio rice, letting it toast slightly but not brown. Stir in a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

Add the white wine and cook, stirring, until it is evaporated.

Add 1 1/2 cups of the hot stock. Stir. Let it cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is evaporated. Add more stock as needed until the rice is tender. If you run out of stock, use hot water from the kettle. The rice should be toothsome and quite liquid-y. Not like ordinary rice. More soupy, but not too watery. Experiment until you like it.

When the rice is almost perfect, stir in the bright green fava beans. Season with a little more salt and pepper to taste if needed.

Serve in shallow bowls, garnished with shredded mint leaves.

Pass parmesan on the side.

Serves 2-3

Beets - roots and greens

At this time of year when spring beets with their fresh greens are at the market, I like to cook them separately, then reunite them in this colorful dish that is flavorful without being too "beet-y".

When you get beets and their greens home from the market, cut the tops off and store them separately. Otherwise the roots will draw the liquid out of the greens and they will wilt.

Stored in the fridge, they will last a few days until you are ready to cook them.

This is a very simple recipe, suitable for these long spring evenings when you'd rather be out in the garden than in the kitchen.

And it's highly nutritious. Beets are full of iron and other minerals, they are good for the colon, the gall bladder, the kidneys, the eyes and heart -- well, actually they're good for the whole body.

(But then so are all vegetables. It makes for repetitive reading, but a true diversity of eating. We eat different vegetables every day, and still I look longingly at the varieties I have to leave behind at the market stalls.)

Anyway, beets are great. I hope you enjoy this colorful dish.

(If your beets don't have enough greens to make a decent dish - greens do shrink to practically nothing when they're cooked - then add any other green you like. Chard, spinach, kale, mustard greens, collard greens - they'd all be great in this dish.)

Beets - roots and greens
1 bunch beets with greens
1 tsp olive oil
1 shallot, diced
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
olive oil and salt and pepper to taste

Cut the greens from the beets.

Scrub the roots, place them in a covered casserole, and bake at 350°F until tender, 25-60 minutes depending on their size. Let cool until you can handle them, then peel and dice, and toss with a little olive oil and salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, wash the greens well. Cut the stems at the base of the leaves, and then chop the stems into small pieces. Chop the leaves coarsely.

Warm the shallot in the olive oil. Add the beet stems and let cook a couple of minutes until soft. Stir in the greens along with any water remaining on their leaves. (If they're completely dry, add a tablespoon of water.) Stir well, then cover the pot. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the greens are completely soft. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.

Spread the greens on a serving plate. Pile the roots in the middle.

Let each diner add olive oil or balsamic vinegar to taste.

Serves 2-3 depending on the size of the beets.

Pasta with Arugula

Flora Bella Farms had the most beautiful young arugula last week, and I knew exactly what to do with it.

I picked up a 6oz container of crimini mushrooms (the brown ones that turn into portabellos if they get big), and a 5oz container of crumbled gorgonzola, picked a couple of tomatoes from the garden, and made a meal which I think comes pretty darned close to heaven.

(My body does too. Arugula is a cruciferous vegetable, so it has the cancer-fighting properties of broccoli. It's high in minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. And in this dish the arugula is lightly cooked in a little olive oil, which helps the body absorb the nutrients. Healthy and heavenly. Aren't vegetables great?)

The kick of the arugula comes through in this dish, but is tamed by the richness of the mushrooms and cheese. A few grindings of pepper, and you have a vigorous pasta dish that is not for the faint of heart. But boy, it's hard to stop at one serving.

Pasta with Arugula and Gorgonzola
8 oz penne
2 tbsp olive oil
6 oz mushrooms
2 tomatoes, diced
1 bunch arugula
5 oz crumbled gorgonzola
freshly-ground pepper

Cook the penne according to the directions on the packet. (You are using organic pasta, right?)

Warm the olive oil in a large skillet. Wipe the mushrooms clean and cut them in quarters or sixths depending on the size. Add to the skillet and cook about 5 minutes. Wash the arugula, discarding any yellowed leaves. Cut off the long stems at the bottom if they are tough. Chop the leaves coarsely (no need to rip out the stems if they're soft).

Add the tomatoes and arugula to the skillet, turn in the olive oil and let cook a couple of minutes until the arugula is wilted. Tip into a serving bowl. Stir in the gorgonzola.

Drain the pasta and add to the bowl. The tomatoes and mushrooms should have released enough juice that it is a moist dish, but add some of the pasta cooking water if needed.

Season with lots of pepper.

Toss well and serve hot.

Serves 4 in theory.

Snaps and carrots

The snap peas have been so delicious this year!

It's almost a shame to cook them, because they taste so good raw. But combined with cooked carrots, they make a fast and colorful side dish that complements any meal.

The snap peas need to be rinsed before cooking. Then I trim off the pointy tip of each end, pulling at the string that runs down one or both sides of the pod.

I slice the carrots in thick rounds, and cook them in a little boiling water until they are almost tender. Then I put the snap peas on top of the carrots, cover the pot, and let them steam for a couple of minutes until they're bright and tender-crisp.

I drain it all and put it in a serving dish. We add butter or salt and pepper to taste at the table.

Sometimes the simplest things are the best.

Almost healthy comfort food

I came home from work the other day wanting comfort food.

But we had a cabbage in the fridge - an ace food for preventing colon cancer and balancing hormones. How could I turn health food into comfort food?

Well, I cooked it and stirred it into pasta with tomato sauce and baked it in the oven. Like baked ziti but with cabbage added. And to make it healthier, I used organic brown rice pasta spirals.

While it tasted and looked like comfort food, I felt good knowing that we were getting the health-protective nutrients of cabbage.

If your family is reluctant to eat cabbage, this is a great way to sneak it into their diets.

Pasta Cabbage Casserole
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion
1 1/2 lbs green cabbage
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
14-oz can tomato sauce
1/2 lb brown rice spirals
4 oz cheddar, sliced thin

Peel and quarter the onion, then slice thinly. Sauté in olive oil over medium-low heat until soft, about 5 minutes.

Wedge the cabbage and slice it thinly. Discard the hard core.

Stir cabbage into onion, cover and cook about 10 minutes until the cabbage is soft. Stir occasionally. Stir in tomato sauce and red wine vinegar. Cook another 10 minutes, covered partially, until cabbage is very tender.

Meanwhile, prepare the pasta according to the directions on the package. Cook until still slightly chewy - it will continue to cook in the oven. Drain the pasta and add it to the cabbage. Season with lots of salt and pepper to taste.

Grease a shallow 7x12 casserole. Pour in the cabbage mixture. Place thin slices of cheddar over the top. Cover the casserole and bake 15 minutes. Uncover and bake another few minutes to toast the cheese. Serve immediately.

Serves 6. Makes great leftovers.

Memorial Day Cookout

We invited Tracie to join us for a cookout on Memorial Day. I wrestled the barbecue away from Larry and instead of the traditional burgers, beans and potato salad, I served up a Mediterranean-inspired lunch.

I grilled tomatoes, garlic, zucchini, onions, peppers, fennel, asparagus, mushrooms - everything I could get my hands on.

And I am proud to say that unlike most barbecued vegetables, these were not burned on the outside and raw on the inside.

Instead, they were delectably juicy and smoky.

The key to barbecuing vegetables is to boost their fat content with marinades and basting sauces. It's the fat in meat that makes it cook so well. (Compare the shoe-leather quality of  extra-lean hamburger to the juiciness of fattier meat.)

Because vegetables are naturally fat-free, they need a little help.

Also, because some vegetables are crunchy, I parboiled them ahead of time and then marinated them so they would cook quickly over high heat. (I measure heat by holding my hand 5 inches over the coals. If I can keep it there 4-6 seconds, it's medium heat. 2-3 seconds is hot - the best for getting grill marks and smokiness.)

In my experience, barbecuing does not stick to a rigid timetable. So I planned a leisurely meal with non-barbecue appetizers to sustain us while the vegetables cooked to perfection. A raw vegetable platter, some good organic mixed olives, and a piece of rosemary-olive oil infused asiago cheese eased the hunger pangs, which grew more intense as the aroma of roasting garlic wafted through the air.

The main course was grilled vegetables served as they came off the grill, a roasted tomato and white bean salad, a green salad with citrus dressing, and a fresh foccaccia (way too easy to make, could become addictive).

Everyone groaned when I brought out dessert - strawberry shortcake complete with fresh blueberries from our garden. It was great for breakfast the next day.

Here's what I barbecued and how. The basic marinade is olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. It should be oily but also tangy. Toss the vegetables in and leave for a couple of hours before cooking so they soak up some oil and flavor.

Garlic: I sprinkled a head of garlic with olive oil, then wrapped it in foil and tucked it among the flames for 15-20 minutes. When it was squishy when I squeezed it with the tongs, I passed it to Trace to peel. Hot and messy. But wow, it was great in a salad of white beans and barbecued tomatoes.

Asparagus: blanched for 3 minutes in boiling water, then plunged into ice water. Tossed in the marinade and refrigerated for a couple of hours. Barbecued for 2 minutes over high heat.

Fennel: blanched until tender, about 10 minutes, then plunged into ice water and drained. Marinated a couple of hours. Barbecued 8-10 minutes on high until soft.

Zucchini: Cut lengthwise into 2-3 pieces each. Marinated a couple of hours. Cooked 10-12 minutes on medium or high.

Portobello mushrooms: cleaned and stemmed (so they balance better on the barbecue). Marinated in a mixture of balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and a little dry sherry stirred into a base of olive oil. Let stand one hour before cooking. Basted while cooking 10-12 minutes on medium-high. I sliced these into wedges before serving.

Onion: Sliced crosswise in thick rings. Brushed with leftover marinade while cooking 8-10 minutes over high heat.

Tomatoes: Placed whole on the coals. Cooked about 10 minutes with the cover on. Let cool a little before peeling. They were very mushy, which was fine because I put them in a white bean salad along with the mushy roasted garlic and some fresh basil.

Peppers: Cut in half and removed cores and seeds. Brushed with marinade and cooked 6-8 minutes on high. Cut in wedges to serve.

Hazelnut Coconut Bread

This is the first bread I've made from The Breads of France, and it is a winner.

The author, Bernard Clayton, Jr., says it sells at Fauchon, the Paris food emporium, under the name of Pain Hawaiien (Hawaiian bread). Instead of macadamia nuts, the French use hazelnuts, which go surprisingly well with coconut.

The recipe made 4 small loaves. I couldn't find small enough pans, so I used the cardboard loaf pans usually used for baking loaf cakes as gifts. Unfortunately the cardboard is not very thick, and the pans burned and turned black in the oven. Fortunately the bread was not damaged, just a little dark on the bottom.

It's a fine-crumb bread, and the coconut and hazelnuts give it a munchy texture. It goes well with cheddar, and makes great toast.

Clayton is a proponent of freezing fresh bread. He says even if you bake a loaf early in the week to eat on the weekend, you should freeze it and then defrost it the day you intend to eat it.

I'm not sure my bread palate is that refined, but we'll definitely be eating this bread out of the freezer in a few weeks.

Roast Potatoes with Fennel

Plain roast potatoes are wonderful. But the other night I thought I would dress them up a bit.

The main course was chard with chickpeas and feta, so I added more Mediterranean flavors to the meal by roasting the potatoes with fennel and then stirring in black olives and basil.

I buy fennel at the Hollywood Farmers Market. It's a small bulb with 2 feet of stalk and leaf fronds. Only the bulb is edible. And that needs to have the outer layer or two peeled off, and then the center core cut out. So one fennel bulb does not bring a lot of food. But even that small amount makes a huge flavor pop.

Roast Potatoes with Fennel
2 tbsp olive oil
10 oz potatoes
2 small fennel bulbs
1/2 tsp salt
pepper
6 kalamata olives
2 tbsp fresh basil

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Scrub potatoes and cut into 1/2 inch wedges. Place on oiled baking sheet in a single layer.

Discard stems of fennel. Cut bulbs in half lengthwise and cut out the tough triangular core at the base of each half. Cut the bulb into 1/2 inch wide wedges. Arrange among the potatoes.

Sprinkle the vegetables with salt and pepper. Drizzle the olive oil over top. Roast 30-40 minutes until they are golden and are tender when pierced with a knife.

Transfer to a serving bowl.

Pit and sliver the olives. Stir them into the potatoes. Season with more salt and pepper if necessary. Sprinkle chopped basil over top.

Serves 2-3

Chard and Feta Bake

Our chard is growing vigorously. I picked a couple of pounds the other day to make this excellent casserole.

The cheese and chickpeas provide protein. Chard is chock-full of vitamins and minerals, and is receiving attention for its balancing effects on blood sugar levels. So this is a very healthy one-dish dinner.

Chard and Feta Bake
2 lbs chard
2 tbsp olive oil, divided use
1 stem green garlic or 1 clove regular, sliced
2 spring onions, sliced
1/4 cup basil, coarsely chopped
1 can chickpeas, drained (or 1/3 cup dry, cooked)
4 oz feta, diced

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Strip the chard stems from the leaves. Cut the stems in 1 inch or smaller pieces. Coarsely chop the leaves.

Warm 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pot. Add the stems, garlic and onion and sauté until the stems are tender. Stir in the chard leaves and basil, cover and let cook until all is soft.

Drain the greens, squeezing out some of the excess water. Toss them with 2 tbsp olive oil, chickpeas, and salt and pepper to taste.

Oil a shallow 2-quart casserole. Spoon in the greens. Sprinkle the feta over top, pushing it into the greens.

Bake 15-20 minutes until sizzling hot. Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6. Great as leftovers too.

Black Bean and Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

Sweet potatoes go really well with citrus and tropical flavors. This shouldn't be surprising since they originate in central and south America.

This salad, which I adapted from Sensational Salads by Barbara Scott Goodman, tastes bright and looks colorful.

The roasted sweet potatoes have a similar texture to the cooked black beans. The red onion gives crunch and bite. And the citrus dressing gives a fruity tang.

Even Larry, who tries to discourage my sweet potato experiments, enjoyed this salad in his lunch box.

Black Bean and Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
2 cups dried black beans
1 onion
1 carrot
1 stalk celery
3 sweet potatoes, about 1 1/2 lbs
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 red onion, diced

Dressing:
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup orange juice (from one juicy orange)
2 tbsp lime juice (one juicy lime)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
pepper

Cover beans by about 2 inches with cold water. Soak overnight or 6-8 hours. (If you don't have time to soak them, they will take longer to cook.)

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them lengthwise into 3 or 4 pieces. Cut each piece in half lengthwise and then across in 1/2 inch pieces. Toss them in olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. Bake at 350°F, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Set aside to cool.

Drain the beans and put them in a large pot with 6 cups of water. Chop the onion, carrot and celery in large chunks and add to the pot. They are just there to flavor the cooking water, and will be discarded once the beans are cooked. Bring to a boil and simmer 45-50 minutes until the beans are tender but not mushy. Drain the beans and discard the onion, carrot and celery.

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, orange and lime juice, cumin and chili powder. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stir in the warm beans. Let stand at room temperature until cool, then add the sweet potatoes and red onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and extra lime juice if more tang is needed.

This salad stores well and travels well. Makes 8-10 servings.

Collard Greens

There are many excellent greens, so this is a hard statement to make, but collard greens might be my favorites.

They combine the nutritional qualities of cabbage (anti-cancer, good estrogen pathways, excellent for colons) with the ease of preparation of all leafy greens.

And they have a wonderful texture when cooked. They hold their shape yet become soft, unlike spinach and chard and mustard greens which dissolve into green mush.

Larry likes collards because they are sweeter than other greens. (It's subtle, but give it a try and see what you think.)

We grew collard greens in our winter garden, but I let them flower because white-crowned sparrows enjoy nibbling their yellow flowers, and I wanted the sparrows occupied so they would not nibble my alyssum and other flowers. It was a partially successful experiment.

So I buy our collard greens at the Hollywood Farmers Market. This is the simple way I cooked collard greens the other night. I served them with leftover rice and zucchini. It was a filling and healthy meal.

Collard Greens
1 bunch collards (3/4 lb)
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp water
salt and pepper

Wash the collard greens and tear out and discard any woody stems.

Cut the leaves in this way: stack a few leaves, roll them into long cylinders, then cut crosswise into 1/4 to 1/2 inch strips.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over high heat. Sauté the garlic 30 seconds until lightly browned. Add the collard greens, stirring constantly. If there are too many for your pan, cover the lid and let them cook down a little before adding more. Pour the water over top, cover, and cook 2 more minutes. They will be tender but will still hold their shape.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately.

Serves 2-3