Morning Fruit

Larry and I start each morning with a bowl of fresh seasonal organic fruit. It gives us vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and it tastes good.

At the moment we are eating blueberries from our garden and cantaloupe and strawberries from the farmers market.

Happiness in a bowl. What a great way to start the day.

Arugula and Zucchini Salad

We had corn risotto for dinner Sunday night.

Tomatoes and basil from our garden, organic corn from Finley Farms -- it was a great Sunday night meal. You can read the recipe here.

Risotto requires attention, but not as much as most recipes indicate. Besides stirring every few minutes and adding stock as necessary, it cooked itself while I prepared a salad.

Risotto is creamy and soft, and this particular one is sweet with corn and tomatoes, so I decided we needed a crunchy lively salad on the side. Arugula and zucchini with a little parmesan and olive oil made a great accompaniment.

This is another one of those incredibly simple recipes. The key is to use the right ingredients.

I bought young wild arugula from Kenter Family Farms. The tame arugula found in bags at the grocery store has barely more bite than spinach. Wild arugula is peppery. Young arugula has tender stems so the whole leaf is delicious and edible.

Finley Farms had tiny little zucchini -- 3 inches long and barely an inch in diameter. Sliced thin on my mandolin, they added a little crunch. Bigger zucchini would have needed to be salted, drained, then rinsed and dried, before being added to the salad.

For this simple recipe, it's worth hunting for the young wild arugula and baby zucchini.

Arugula and Zucchini Salad
1 1/2 oz arugula (2 large handfuls)
1 tsp olive oil, divided use
1 tbsp parmesan, divided use
5 oz zucchini

Wash and dry the arugula. Toss with 1/2 tsp olive oil and half the parmesan. Put on a platter.

Slice the zucchini thinly and place on the arugula. Drizzle with 1/2 tsp olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan.

Serves 2

Chickpea Salad with Soft-Boiled Eggs

When the weather is hot, it helps to have a zesty meal to tickle the tastebuds and spark the appetite.

The other night I made this simple chickpea, olive and radish salad and put an egg on top of each serving. The olives and radishes perked up the chickpeas, and the warm runny egg yolk turned it into comfort food.

It was a simple yet nourishing meal of protein, carbs and vegetables. Easy to digest, fun to eat -- it was a great summer dinner.

(I soaked the chickpeas in a large container of water in the fridge all day the day before, and then cooked them that evening. I drained them and stored them in the fridge overnight so they were ready when I needed them.)

Chickpea Salad with Soft-Boiled Eggs
1/3 cup dry chickpeas, cooked (or 1 14-oz can, drained)
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1/4 cup green olives, pitted and wedged
2 scallions, white and light green parts, chopped
2 eggs at room temperature

Put the cooked chickpeas in a bowl and lightly crush half of them with a potato masher. Whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil and pour it on the chickpeas. Add in the olives, radishes and scallions. Spoon half on each plate.

Add the eggs to a saucepan of boiling water, cover and boil over moderately high heat for 4 minutes. Drain and put in an ice water bath for 1 minute. Crack the shells, peel the eggs, and put one on each plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve.

Serves 2

Cookbooks

Yesterday the annual used-book sale returned to the Hollywood Farmers Market.

I never know when to expect it, but it's always fun to turn the corner and see boxes and boxes of books. Not that I need more cookbooks, but I'm sure we'll find space for more bookshelves.

I wasn't able to browse as long as usual because there were parking restrictions on Cahuenga Blvd. where we park our car. Towing was due to start at 9 a.m. so we shopped the market and ran.

These are the books I grabbed as we dashed by:

A Taste for All Seasons by Beverley Sutherland Smith (Australia 1975)
The Summertime Cookbook by Marian Burros and Lois Levine (1972)

I love reading cookbooks from the '70s - full of gelatin and fancy styling. I probably won't be trying a lot of these recipes, but I'll enjoy browsing through them. (Actually I just noticed a recipe for Persian Quinces in Smith's book. I'll have to try it when quinces arrive at the market this fall.)

Williams-Sonoma Hors d'Oeuvres and Appetizers (1992)
Williams-Sonoma Potatoes (1994)
Williams-Sonoma Healthy Side Dishes (1995)

Hmm, guess I was on a W-S roll.

Rice and Spice: 100 Vegetarian One-Dish Dinners by Robin Robertson (2000)

I already have her vegetarian book Fresh from the Slow Cooker, which is excellent, so I have high hopes for this one.

Alfred Portale's 12 Seasons Cookbook by Alfred Portale with Andrew Friedman (2000)

I really enjoy seasonal cookbooks with beautiful photos of fruits and vegetables. I'll ignore the animal parts.

This is a whole lot of entertainment for $8!

Food for the Week

The sun was already warming up as we shopped at the Hollywood Farmers Market early this morning.

August heat makes good eating. Here's what we brought home with us:

4 ears organic corn
15 oranges (for Sunday morning orange juice)
7 red peppers (I hope to roast and freeze some)
3 onions
1 dozen eggs
2 melons (cantaloupe and papaya I think)
wild arugula
cherry tomatoes (some sungold and some heirloom)
watercress
1 quart and 5 cups of plain St. Benoit yogurt
green beans
lettuce
4 cremini mushrooms
1 fennel bulb
2 mountain-grown peaches
4 Castleman plums
goat cheese
2 Haas avocados

Corn and Tomato Salad

One of my favorite summer dishes is corn and tomato salad.

Don't bother making this in winter. Frozen corn and bland tomatoes will not make a great dish.

But now, with fresh organic corn and heirloom tomatoes, this is summer in a bowl.

Corn and Tomato Salad
2 ears corn
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 large tomato
1/4 cup crumbled feta
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano

Husk the corn and cook it in boiling salted water 5 minutes until tender. Drain and cool.

Whisk together olive oil and vinegar. Add diced tomato, feta and oregano. Cut kernels from corn cobs and add to the bowl. Stir gently to combine. Season to taste.

Serves 2-3

Jalapenos

My jalapeño pepper plant is quite abundant this year.

I love being able to go out in the garden and pick a few peppers to throw in a stir-fry or a bean dish.

When they ripen to red, they have a sweetness to go along with the heat. I guess it's similar to the difference between red peppers and green peppers. The heat of a pepper is an indicator of its antioxidant level - the hotter, the healthier.

Jalapeños ripen in summer and fall, so I always make sure to freeze a few for use in winter, spring and early summer. I pick them, rinse them, dry them, and then pack them in double freezer bags.

When I need a jalapeno for a winter bean dish, I will pull one out of the bag and let it defrost a while on the counter. Then I'll cut off the stem and dice the pepper. It will have lost some of its heat, but not all of it, especially if I leave the seeds in. The flesh will be soft, so it won't add crunch to fresh salsas, but it will be great in winter stews.

Olive oil

Mark Twain in Life on the Mississippi (1860s) writes of cottonseed oil being produced on the banks of the Mississippi, shipped to Italy, and re-imported as olive oil.

"It is claimed that (cottonseed oil) can, by proper manipulation, be made to resemble and perform the office of any and all oils, and be produced at a cheaper rate than the cheapest of the originals. Sagacious people shipped it to Italy, doctored it, labeled it, and brought it back as olive oil. This trade grew to be so formidable that Italy was forced to put a prohibitory impost upon it to keep it from working serious injury to her oil industry."

Fortunately, nowadays organic certification ensures that olive oil is made from olives.

Simple Summer Vegetables

Larry decided to barbecue last week. He cooked potatoes in the coals, and grilled a steak for him and a portobello mushroom for me. (See his mushroom technique here.)

I was in charge of the vegetables, and it was a wonderfully simple job on this summer day.

I picked a tomato from the garden, sliced it thinly, drizzled it with olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, and scattered fresh basil on top.

I lightly steamed some green beans and tossed them with a vinaigrette of 1 tbsp olive oil to 2 tsp red wine vinegar. I sprinkled a few chopped scallions on top.

And I grilled some zucchini on my grill pan. I could have waited and shared Larry's barbecue, but I was putting all these together a couple of hours before dinner, and it was easier to use the stove.

I sliced the zucchini in half across, and then in lengthwise in slices. I brushed them with olive oil and grilled them 4-5 minutes until tender, then flipped them for a couple more minutes. Then I sprinkled them with salt and pepper and squeezed on a little lemon juice.

I combined them all into a salad platter with the zest and texture to complement the main course.

Healthy Eggs

Eggs are a perfect food.

Protein, healthy fats, essential brain nutrients -- all in one easy-to-cook package.

If you're looking for eggs at a farmers' market, check out the organic apple farmers. Some of them keep chickens in their orchards to eat the bugs and keep the weeds down -- these are the best eggs you can find.

It's natural for chickens to eat insects and small plants. When I was visiting my brother this summer, his chickens followed as I scoured the garden for big disgusting slugs to feed them. My neighbor's free-range chickens peck in the dirt for insects and seedlings.

Unfortunately, most eggs are produced by chickens who are fed a solid diet of corn. (Unless the eggs are certified organic, the corn is most likely genetically modified.)

When cows and chickens eat corn, they develop inflammation in their tissues. Then humans eat the meat and in turn develop more inflammatory diseases. This is a reason grass-fed beef is considered healthier than corn-fed -- the meat produces less inflammation in people who eat it.

I feel the same must be true for eggs. Maybe eggs have received a bad rap because they are produced by chickens whose diet is full of corn so their eggs are deficient in the healthy fats our bodies need.

When our niece Tracie visited the Hollywood Farmers Market with us a few weeks ago, I impressed upon her the need to buy eggs from an organic apple stall. She balked at the price ($7 a dozen) but went for it. I assured her she would see and taste the difference.

However, she recently told me she noticed no difference between these organic eggs laid by chickens who eat insects and seedlings and the eggs from her grocery store.

I was stunned -- I knew she had a good palate. And then I inquired further.

It turns out she cooks her morning egg and then puts it on whole-grain toast and layers it with pesto - a whole production. No wonder she couldn't discern the delicate flavor of the egg.

It reminds me again why I like to buy whole natural food -- it is much less work to make something taste exceptional.

On weekday mornings, I boil us each an egg. We shell them, dip them in salt and pepper, and enjoy. No need for extra seasonings or cover-ups. Just wonderful egg color and flavor.

Plus I know they are the healthiest food we could eat for breakfast.

Simple hard-boiled eggs
Cover eggs with cold water. If the eggs are very fresh, add 2 tsp salt. This helps the air pocket form between the shell and the egg so they peel more easily. Bring to the boil, covered, over medium heat. When you hear them rattling, turn off the heat and let sit 10 minutes. Drain the eggs and put them in an ice water bath to cool. Peel and enjoy.

Dandelion Rice

Larry was away for a couple of days, so I decided to cook myself some dandelion greens.

Recipes always recommend buying young small dandelion greens, but those never seem to be available at the farmers market. Instead I come home with a big bunch of foot-long bitter greens.

But I was determined to make these taste good, because bitter greens are really good for the body. In part, this is because the bitterness stimulates the taste buds, increasing the production of saliva and digestive enzymes. This means the body does a great job of breaking down the food and absorbing nutrients from it, and quickly eliminates what it does not need.

Dandelion greens in particular are high in vitamins A and C, as well as iron and calcium. They're also  a good liver support. The liver is a major detoxification organ, so we need to keep it healthy as our bodies try to thrive in the polluted environment we live in.

Unfortunately, I am one of those overly-sensitive people who does not like bitter. I find celery and green peppers bitter, so you can imagine how I pucker with a dandelion green.

But I was not to be deterred.

I added a counter-balance of sweetness with a sautéed red onion and some balsamic vinegar. And I added blandness with a couple of cups of leftover cooked brown rice.

It actually turned out really well. I think Larry might have enjoyed it.

Dandelion Rice
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, peeled and chopped
1 bunch dandelion greens, tough stems discarded, washed well and chopped
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 cups cooked brown rice
olive oil
1 tomato (optional)

Sauté the onion in olive oil until soft and golden. Add the greens and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then stir well, making sure to get all the greens coated in the oil and salt - this helps break them down so the body can better digest the nutrients.

When the greens are soft, stir in the balsamic vinegar and the brown rice.

You could probably eat it now, but I was using cold leftover rice and I wanted to warm it through. I spooned it into a casserole dish, sliced a tomato on top, and drizzled with olive oil and a last sprinkling of salt and pepper.

I covered the dish and baked it in the toaster oven at 350°F for 20 minutes until it was warm.

Serves 4-6

A Melon a Day

It is hard for me to resist all the beautiful organic melons as I stroll the Hollywood Farmers Market on Sunday mornings.

Cantaloupes, watermelons, persian melons, crenshaw melons - and melons whose names I don't remember - all so sweet and juicy and refreshing.

They're also very healthy. Melons have varying amounts of carotenoids to promote eye health and bone growth, Vitamin C, and nutrients that improve immune function, reduce blood pressure, and fight inflammation.

Plus they develop our muscles as we haul bags of them to our car.

Stone fruit

The plums, nectarines and peaches are just beautiful this year. I gathered a few at the market, along with some ripening avocados.

They make a beautiful still life in the kitchen.

I make sure to check through them each day for ripeness. Ripe fruit is either eaten immediately or goes in the fridge until we're ready for it.

Checking them every day ensures that I catch any softening fruit before it starts to go off.

And it gives me an opportunity to arrange a different work of art every day.

Padron Chiles

Finley Farms has been selling small thin-skinned green peppers called Padron chiles. I bought a few to try.

They're a mild pepper with just a little spicy flavor. When lightly charred and salted they make an excellent pre-dinner snack.

And I figure they're pretty healthy.

I simply heated my cast iron fry pan, and dry roasted the chiles until they were brown in places. Then I sprinkled them with salt, placed them in a bowl, and put them on the table.

We ate all but the stem and the clumps of seeds.

If you see Padron chiles, pick them up and try this simple snack.

Charred Zucchini and Onion Salad

Cooking vegetables in a cast iron frypan without oil is similar to barbecuing. The vegetables char and blacken and develop great flavor.

I usually use this technique when making Mexican food - it adds a smokey flavor to tomatillo salsa and enchilada sauce.

This recipe, however, is more Italian in nature, using basil, thyme and balsamic vinegar to season the blackened zucchini and onions.

It's from Peter Berley's interesting book The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen. It's a little too heavy on the seitan and tempeh for me, but has some good ideas like this one.

(There's nothing wrong with seitan and tempeh, but they are usually used to imitate meat. I don't like meat so I'm not interested in trying to replicate it.)

I cut the zucchini in 1-inch rounds. It looked a little weird, but I was happy with the chunkiness of the finished product. You could cut the slices lengthwise instead if you prefer.

Charred Zucchini and Onion Salad

3/4 lb green or yellow zucchini

1 large red onion

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp chopped basil

1 small clove garlic, chopped fine

1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped fine

pinch of red pepper flakes

salt to taste

Cut the zucchini in 1-inch slices and the onion into 1/2 inch rings. Heat a cast iron fry pan over high heat until very hot (water should sizzle when a few drops are tossed on it). Lower the heat to medium and place the zucchini and onion on it. Cook for 6-10 minutes per side, turning each piece when it is brown in spots and beginning to char. Don't let it get too black.

The vegetables need to be in a single layer, so do a few batches if you have too much for your pan.

When cooked on both sides, put the pieces in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, basil, garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes. Whisk well. Pour over the hot vegetables and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and let marinate at least 10 minutes. Toss again and salt to taste before serving.

Serves 2-3

Mint is good in place of the basil. The salad lasts well in the fridge for a couple of days.

Sunday breakfast

After an early morning trip to the Hollywood Farmers Market this morning, we were
ready for a big breakfast.

We buy all our produce for the week at the market, and today that included many melons. It was a heavy load that we hauled back to the car.

So omelets and fried potatoes were in order.

I picked a tomato, a jalapeno and some basil from our garden to stuff the omelet, along with a few slices of avocado. The potatoes were parboiled, then sautéed in butter and olive oil with a little salt, pepper and Mexican seasoning.

Afterwards we felt re-energized to go out and work in our garden.

Summer Tomatoes

We returned home to find our tomatoes flourishing.

Here you can see one behind an eggplant, a poblano and some basil,  all of which are also thriving.

Is there anything as delicious as the first tomato of summer, drizzled with olive oil, scattered with basil, and seasoned with a little salt and pepper?

It's good to be home.