Whole Grain Soda Bread

In this chilly winter weather, simple meals of hot soup, bread and cheese provide warm comfort as well as nourishment.

I decided to heat up the kitchen with this quick soda bread in a skillet the other evening. It tasted even better than it looks, if that's possible, and lasted for a few days in the fridge as we reheated pieces of it to eat with our Bean and Kale Soup.

Soda breads are easy to stir together with flour, baking soda and buttermilk. Because I can't find organic buttermilk, I use regular milk with 1 tbsp of lemon juice poured into the measuring cup before I measure each cup of milk. It won't look like buttermilk, but it will have the same chemical reaction with the baking soda that causes the bread to rise nicely and have a light crumb.

I made this soda bread a little more complicated by using whole grains of millet and quinoa, along with rolled oats and both whole wheat and white flours.

I lightly sweetened the bread with Lyle's golden syrup - not organic but authentically British. Organic brown rice syrup would be an excellent substitute.

Whole Grain Soda Bread

¼ cup millet

¼ cup quinoa

1 cup rolled oats

2 ¼ cups buttermilk (made with lemon juice okay)

1 tbsp oil

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup white flour

1 tbsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

¼ cup sunflower seeds

4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces

3 tbsp golden syrup or brown rice syrup

Combine millet, quinoa, 1 cup rolled oats, 1 cup buttermilk and ½ cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat. Remove from heat and let sit until mixture is thick like porridge, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Whisk te whole wheat flour, white flour, salt, baking soda, and ¼ cup sunflower seeds in a large bowl. Work in the butter with your fingers until the largest pieces are pea-size. Make a well in the center and add the syrup, oat mixture, 1 ¼ cups buttermilk and 1 tbsp oil. Mix with a wooden spoon until dough is smooth, homogeneous, and still slightly sticky.

Form dough into a rough ball and place it in the skillet. Brush with a little more milk or buttermilk, and sprinkle a few rolled oats and sunflower seeds on top. Cut a large X into the top and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55-70 minutes. Let cool in pan.

Mushroom Oat Soup

This photograph does not do justice to this soup.

I love to switch up my grains. Last week I made mushroom barley soup with oat groats instead of barley. It was yummy.

Oats are fabulous healing foods. They are good for the heart, help lower cholesterol, and contain beta glucan — an excellent immune booster. And they aren't just for breakfast.

For this soup I used the whole groats - not the ones with husks on that are used for sprouting. They look a lot like barley, and add a similar silkiness to soups when cooked.

The parsnip adds an underlying richness to the soup. If you don't have one, just omit it. Or stir in a couple of teaspoons of tamari at the end to deepen the flavor.

You can use any combination of mushrooms that total approximately a pound. And if you're not able to go outside and pick a few sprigs of thyme and rosemary, you can use dried instead. Start with a sprinkle and let it cook a while before you decide whether to add more. They should enhance the flavor, not stand out too much.

Also, if you're using fabulous roasted vegetable stock, you'll only need a couple of cups in the large pot of soup. Use water for the rest of the liquid.

Mushroom Oat Soup
1/2 cup oat groats
1/2 oz dried porcini or shiitake mushrooms
3 medium leeks
3 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 lb oyster mushrooms
1/4 lb shiitake mushrooms
1/2 lb (or 6 oz) cremini mushrooms
6 cups vegetable stock
2 medium carrots
1 medium parsnip
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp minced thyme
1/2 tsp minced rosemary
2 tbsp minced parsley to serve

Put the oats in a bowl with water to cover by 2 inches and leave to soak 6 hours or overnight. Drain.

Put the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave until softened, about 20 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the liquid and slice them thinly. Reserve the liquid.

Cut the hairy root end off the leeks, then slice them in half lengthwise. Wash them thoroughly in cold water, making sure to rinse any dirt out from among the leaves. Thinly slice the white and pale green parts.

Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Slice the oyster, shiitake and cremini mushrooms thinly and add to the pot. Cook about 10 minutes until the mushrooms have released their liquid and it has evaporated.

Peel the carrots and parsnip and slice thinly crosswise.

Add the reserved mushroom liquid, drained oat groats, vegetable stock, carrots and parsnips to the pot. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, thyme and rosemary. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook until the oats are tender, about 35 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper and stir in the parsley. Serve hot.

Serves 8

This soup reheats well too.

Sunday Shopping

It was our last visit to the Hollywood Farmers Market in 2015. Fewer farmers were there, but we managed to pick up the vegetables we need to ring in the New Year right.

Here's what we came home with:

3 leeks, 1 small sweet potato, 2 onions, 2 small butternut squash, 1/4 lb oyster mushrooms, 1/4 lb shiitake mushrooms, 3 Bartlett pears, 4 cameo apples, 2 bunches of spinach, 1 dozen eggs, 1 bunch dill, 1 bunch radishes, 1 bunch cilantro, non-organic but locally grown ginger root.

And Russ sharpened a knife and garden shears while we shopped.

Solstice Celebrations

I really enjoyed our Solstice celebrations this year.

It's rained recently, so everything was feeling refreshed, but the weather over the longest night of the year was dry and cool.

On Solstice Eve, we lit a fire outside at twilight and ate homemade gingersnap cookies (representing the dark of the longest night) and drinking spiced coffee I heated in the fireplace. Then we went inside for a supper of hot soup - it was cold outside!

The next evening, we celebrated the turn from the longest night to lengthening days with a meal of black bean chili (for darkness) and sweet potato biscuits (representing the returning sun). Symbolic and delicious.

There are many ways to make sweet potato biscuits. I also make a kind with buttermilk and more sweet potato - they're a little denser. You can find the recipe here.

This year, I made these fluffy biscuits. Although I cooked a whole sweet potato, I didn't need it all so I diced the extra into a root vegetable soup.

I added some apple juice to add a little sweetness and moisture. Organic apple juice comes in large bottles, and since I don't actually drink apple juice, I never finish the whole bottle at once. Instead, I freeze the extra in small portions, ready to use in a recipe like this one.

These biscuits are great with chilis and soups. They also freeze well.

Sweet Potato Biscuits
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp butter
1/3 cup apple juice
1 cup cooked sweet potato, mashed well

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Whisk together the whole wheat flour, white flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or your fingers until the largest pieces are the size of small peas. Stir in the apple juice and mashed sweet potato to make a soft dough.

Turn the dough onto a floured board and knead in just enough extra flour that it's not sticky. Divide it into 16 parts. Shape into a ball and arrange on a greased cookie sheet. Pat them down a little to flatten them. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serve hot with butter.

Bean and Kale Soup

With actual cool, dark evenings, I'm enjoying serving hot soup for dinner.

A good soup that sticks to the ribs is also a great lunch after a morning of gardening, especially if the soup includes beans and greens.

Here's the soup I made last week. It lasted us many days, and continued to get better with age. I'll be making it often this winter.

As with all good soups, the ingredients can vary depending on what you have in the fridge. I used pinto beans because they're a great size on a soup spoon, but you can use whatever smallish beans you have on hand. Half the beans are puréed to give some body to the soup. This is not essential, but a nice touch.

Plus I had beet greens in the fridge so I stirred them in. Chard, spinach, turnip greens or even rutabaga greens would work just as well.

I defrosted some vegetable stock to use in the soup. You could use all water if needed, just make sure it totals 6 cups, and add a little extra salt or a spoonful of tamari to give some umami. If you don't have fresh herbs, use dried but cut down the amount by a third until you taste and see if you like it.

Bean and Kale Soup

1 cup pinto beans

¼ cup olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 small carrots, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

4 cups stemmed and shredded curly kale

1 potato, peeled and diced

2 ½ cups stock plus 3 ½ cups water

greens from 1 bunch of beets, chopped, about 2 cups

½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp minced rosemary leaves

1 tbsp minced parsley

1 tsp minced thyme

parmesan to serve (opt)

Soak beans for a couple of hours. Drain, cover with water and cook until tender, about 2 hours. Drain. Process half the beans in the food processor with a little water until puréed. Set aside the puréed beans and the whole beans separately.

Sauté onion, carrots and celery in olive oil until tender, about 5 minutes. Add kale, potato, puréed beans, stock and water. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Add beet greens, cherry tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, parsley and thyme. Season to taste. Simmer another hour until the greens are tender and the flavors are well blended. Add extra water if necessary. (This should be a thick soup.)

Stir in reserved whole beans. Warm through. Season to taste.

Serve topped with grated parmesan if desired.

Serves 8 - 10

Sunday Shopping

It was a beautiful morning at the Hollywood Farmers Market. Last night's rain had cleaned the streets, and the sun was shining even though the air was chilly.

Flora Bella had my favorite rutabagas again, and, in what I'm calling the Solstice Miracle, the Cafecito Organico stall had its espresso machine back. I was able to warm my hands on an Americano as we strolled the market. Truly a wonderful morning.

Here's a list of the organic produce we brought home with us:

8 valencia oranges, 2 heads of garlic, 5 large yellow onions, 1 large sweet potato (to make solstice sweet potato biscuits), 4 tiny leeks, 1 head broccoli, 1 small winter squash that looks like a red pumpkin, 6 small white potatoes, 3 bartlett pears, 3 sundowned apples, 3 cameo apples, 1 bunch of rutabagas with greens, 1 lb almonds from Yemetz farms, 18 page mandarins that Larry juiced to go with our Sunday brunch, 5 satsuma tangerines, 1 bunch celery, 1 bunch collard greens, 1 bunch parsley, 1 bunch cilantro, 1 green pepper, 2 dozen eggs, 3 small plain St. Benoit yogurts, 1 lb Cafecito Organic Mixteca coffee and 1 lb of their decaf blend.

Rutabagas in Garlic Butter

Flora Bella has the most beautiful rutabagas I've ever seen.They're small — about 3 inches long and an inch or so across — and come with their beautiful green leaves attached. When I saw them the other day, I snagged a bunch, and came home pondering what to do with them.

I love rutabagas for their flavor, but they are also a good source of minerals like calcium and magnesium, fiber, B vitamins (especially B6 — good for the nervous system) and beta-carotene. Of course, all vegetables are full of nutrients. The key is to eat a variety of them to get a good selection of the diverse nutrients we need to keep our bodies running smoothly. I recommend rutabagas as part of that diversity.

My favorite rutabaga recipe is Bashed Neeps, but I make that with large tough rutabagas. These seemed much too tender for that treatment.

While I pondered, I combined the rutabaga greens with some mustard greens for an excellent dish of sautéed greens. Rutabaga greens are soft and vaguely cabbage-y, I found.

Then inspiration struck with the rutabagas. I peeled them and chopped the one large one in half so they were roughly the same size. Then I cooked them in a pot of boiling water until they were tender, about 15 minutes. I drained them and set them aside until the last minute before I was serving dinner.

Then I melted some butter in a pan, mashed a peeled clove of garlic with a little salt on my chopping board and added it to the butter. When the garlic released its aroma, I added the rutabagas, stirred to make sure they were all buttery, and let them cook gently until they were warmed through.

I served them as a side dish with a meal of baked squash, sautéed greens and homemade veggie burgers. Larry said they were the best rutabagas ever, wonderfully tender and buttery.

I hope Flora Bella has more of these beauties next week, so I can serve up another batch of these delicious and healthy roots.

Eating the Decorations

This time last year we were munching our way through the winter squash I had bought as Thanksgiving decorations. This year, I was restrained in my squash purchasing, and instead decorated with flowers and nuts.

The bowl of nuts decorating the hall table were chestnuts from Ha's Apple Farm. I love chestnuts, and I planned that we would roast them in our outdoor fireplace after Thanksgiving dinner.

But we're not lighting our fireplace in this time of drought — the air is too dry as it is. So instead of roasting the chestnuts, I boiled them, and combined them with pumpkin in a stick-to-the-ribs soup. Delicious!

Boiled chestnuts were a revelation. They were moist and sweet — unlike the black-edged lumps I pull from the fire when I roast them — and I started dreaming of chestnut mousse and marrons glacés. But I regained my focus and added the chestnuts to this soup where they added a wonderful rich creaminess. Best pumpkin soup ever!

If you don't feel like boiling and peeling chestnuts, you can use a one-pound jar of whole, peeled nuts.

When buying pumpkin or winter squash for this soup, ask the farmer for a dry starchy one like hubbard or buttercup. Roasting the pumpkin gives the soup more flavor than those made with boiled pumpkin. Also, because I was using my homemade stock, I used 3 cups stock and 5 cups water. Vary the ratio depending on your stock.

Pumpkin Chestnut Soup
4 lbs pumpkin or dry squash like Hubbard or Buttercup
1 1/2 cups chestnuts
4 tbsp unsalted butter or olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
8 cups vegetable stock (or stock and water mixed)
3 1/2 lbs potatoes

Preheat oven to 400°F. Carefully cut the pumpkins in half and scoop out the seeds. Brush the cut surfaces with olive oil and place cut-side down on a cookie sheet. Bake 30-40 minutes until flesh is soft and slightly caramelized. Let cool enough to handle. Then scoop the flesh from the skins and cut it into chunks. Discard the skins.

Meanwhile, put the chestnuts in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil. Let simmer 5 minutes, then take the pan off the heat and let cool a little. One by one, remove a chestnut from the pot, hold it in a kitchen towel, and remove both the thick outer peel and the thin brown inner skin with a small sharp knife. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add onion. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the stock, cooked pumpkin, potatoes and chestnuts. Simmer over medium heat 45 minutes until vegetables are tender.

Purée the soup with a stick blender. Or let it cool and purée carefully in a blender. Add more stock if the soup is too thick (but it's delicious when it's thick). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 8-10

Root Vegetable Pie

When the chilly winter evenings draw in, I feel the need to turn on the oven and cook something hearty for dinner.

The other night I combined roots and lentils in this simple casserole with a pie-crust top. It's a one-dish supper, although a side of sautéed greens would add extra color to the plate.

This is one of those meals everyone will love. If you can't find parsnips, use rutabagas or turnips or celeriac — whatever root vegetables you have. You can't go wrong with root vegetable pie.

Root Vegetable Pie
2 tbsp olive oil
2 potatoes, peeled and diced into bite-size pieces
2 parsnips, peeled and diced
2 carrots, sliced
2 medium onions, peeled and diced
3/4 cup frozen peas, defrosted
1 cup red lentils, picked over and rinsed
14oz can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp nutmeg
pastry for 1-crust pie
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Sauté potatoes, parsnips, carrots and onions in olive oil for 5 minutes until soft. Add peas. Cover and cook on low for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in lentils, tomatoes with their juice, bay leaves, salt, cumin and nutmeg. Cover and cook 10 minutes until soft, adding 1/2 cup water partway through so it stays moist. A little extra liquid is better than it being too dry.

Pour into a 2 quart shallow casserole. Dampen the rim of the dish. Roll the pastry out 2" wider than the dish. Cut a 1" strip off the outer edge of the pastry circle and line the rim of the dish with it. Dampen this with water and then put the pastry lid on top and seal well. Trim the edges and flute if desired. Cut small holes in the top to vent steam. Brush with the beaten egg.

Bake 45 minutes until golden.

Serves 8

Reheats well as leftovers.

Sunday Shopping

It was chilly at the Hollywood Farmers Market this morning, and there seemed to be fewer shoppers. Most people were probably waiting until the day warmed up to venture out for vegetables.

There were lots of spaghetti squash at the market, but I did not buy any. Nor any of the spectacular pale green pumpkin-like squashes, or the giant yellow banana squashes. I limited myself to a small butternut and a small acorn squash. Somehow our bags got heavy despite my restraint.

I stopped at the rice and beans stand on the way out of the market. It's in the re-sale section, meaning the sellers are not the producers. This stand sells organic grains and legumes from across North America, and I noticed they had flageolets - tiny pale-green beans with incomparable flavor. I bought a small bagful.

We also bought some non-organic peanuts in the shell to share with our friendly squirrel. And three organic membrillo quinces from Mud Creek Ranch which I'll make into spiced preserves to serve as part of the cheese plate during the holiday season.

Here's what we came home with:

1 small butternut squash, 9 potatoes, 12oz shelled pistachios, dill, 1 small acorn squash, 1 small sweet potato, green beans, 1 bunch golden beets with tops, curly kale, 2 red pears, 6 sundowner apples, 1 bunch carrots, 3 braeburn apples, 4 satsuma tangerines, 18 valencia oranges, 3 membrillo quinces, 2 kenny grapefruit which are supposed to taste like oranges, 1 dozen eggs, peanuts in the shell, 1 bunch parsnips, 1 red butter lettuce, 1 green butter crunch lettuce, small bag of flageolets

Pomegranate Relish

Since I decided to serve cranberries in a salad instead of a sauce, I was left with the need for a relish to go with the ham. I decided slightly sweet and minty would fit the bill, and served up this accompaniment of pomegranate seeds tossed with fresh mint. The slight crunch of the pomegranate seeds was a nice contrast to the Goat Cheese and Spinach Phyllo Extravaganza as well.

Plus it lasted a few days in the fridge - good with all the leftovers. It's colors are so festive I'll probably serve it again at Christmas.

Pomegranate Relish
1 tsp minced shallot
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup chopped mint
salt and pepper

I combined everything in a small bowl and served it. Yum.

Makes about 1/2 cup of fresh sweet-tart relish.

Orange and Cranberry Salad

I've never really warmed to cranberry sauce. My mother used to cook cranberries with orange zest and a little cardamom and they sat on the table and were returned to the kitchen untouched (at least by me). I didn't like the texture of the cooked berries. Of course, the stories of jellied cranberry sauce being slid out of the can and presented on a plate weird me out even more.

So I struggle to serve cranberries at Thanksgiving.

This year, however, I served them in a salad, and they were great. This is not the jello salad of the '70s with cranberries, tinned mandarin orange slices and miniature marshmallows. This is a healthy yet delicious updated version. No jello (not vegetarian) required.

 I combined chopped cranberries with crisp celery and sweet juicy oranges and served them on a bed of greens. The oranges provided sweetness without jammy-ness, and the lightly-sweetened cranberries were pleasantly tart but not overpowering. The salad provided a nice contrast to the creamed corn and scalloped potatoes.

I added a few home-grown arugula and nasturtium leaves to the butter lettuce for a little variety. Salad mix would be fine too. The mint adds a really nice perk, but if you don't have any, the salad will still be good. Also, olive oil can substitute for the walnut oil if needed.

Orange and Cranberry Salad
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen cranberries
2 oranges
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
2 tbsp chopped red onion
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp grated ginger root
butter lettuce
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves
1 tbsp walnut oil

Pulse cranberries in food processor 5 times to coarsely chop. Transfer to a bowl.

Cut the tops and bottoms from the oranges. Cut the peel and white pith from them, then hold them over the bowl and cut the sections from the membranes, letting juice and fruit fall into the bowl. Stir in celery, onion, sugar, lemon juice and ginger root. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour, or up to 2 days.

Toss lettuce and mint leaves with oil. Place on a serving platter. Top with the cranberry mixture.

Serves 4

Vegetable Stock

As the days cool off, I look forward to easy dinners of homemade soup.

The key to a good easy soup is an excellent stock. This provides a base flavor that combines with additional vegetables, grains and beans to make a delicious meal.

My favorite vegetable stock contains parsnips, which fortunately Finley Farm has been supplying me with this fall. The other day I cooked up a batch in my slow cooker. I could make it on the stove too, but the aroma of it cooking throughout the day is heavenly, and I can leave it to simmer without worrying about it boiling over or burning on the bottom.

I don't know how a single parsnip makes such a difference to 8 cups of stock, but it surely does. Although this stock is good without the parsnip, when I can get one I use it.

Vegetables ready to go in the oven

Traditional meat stocks are made with the animal carcass - the waste that would not be eaten. Vegetable stocks are made with vegetables you could eat instead of cooking into stock. By the time the stock is cooked, all the flavor and goodness is out of the vegetables and they are only good for the compost pile. This might seem a waste of good vegetables, but the stock is worth it. And potatoes, carrots and onions are inexpensive.

The only expense in the stock is the dried mushrooms – another necessary addition to get the excellent umami of a good stock. When I buy fresh shiitakes at the market, I dry the stems on a rack in the kitchen and then store them in a jar until I'm ready to make stock.

This recipe makes a strong flavorful vegetable stock. When I'm making soup, I use half stock and half water. There's no point using too much of a good thing. However, if you're making a soup that is mainly broth, use the stock at full strength and then taste it to see if it needs diluting.

This is not a fat-free stock. The olive oil is essential for the roasting that caramelizes and flavors the vegetables, and also to give it a yummy stick-to-the ribs deliciousness.

When you've made the stock, strain it and freeze it in 2-cup containers. Then you'll be ready to make delicious soups at a moment's notice.

After roasting

Vegetable Stock
1 large onion
2 large carrots
1 large potato
1 large parsnip (optional)
1 stalk celery
3 garlic cloves
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
4 dried shiitake or porcini
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp tamari
7 cups water

Preheat oven to 450°F. 

Remove the papery peel from the onion and slice it thickly. Scrub the carrots and potatoes and cut in 1" chunks. Peel the parsnip and cut in 1" chunks. Chop the celery in 1" lengths. Place the garlic cloves, unpeeled, on your cutting board and crush with the side of your big knife. 

Place the vegetables in a lightly oiled baking pan. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until lightly browned, turning once, about 30 minutes total.

Meanwhile, soak the dried mushrooms in 1 cup water until softened. Remove them from the water and check for dirt or grit. Pour the soaking water through a coffee filter, straining out any grit. Reserve mushrooms and soaking water.

Put the roasted vegetables in a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add mushrooms and soaking water, bay leaves, peppercorns, tamari, 1 tsp salt, and water. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Let cool slightly, then strain through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl. Press the vegetables against the side of the sieve with a wooden spoon to get the most liquid possible. Discard the vegetables. The stock will be a rich golden color. Either use it right away, refrigerate it for a few days, or freeze for longer storage.

Makes about 8 cups.

Liquid gold

Sunday Shopping

Shopping in Hollywood on a Sunday morning is rarely boring. Today, the north stretch of the market had been shrunk because the LAPD were investigating a hit-and-run that had occurred in the wee hours of the morning. I don't know if it was because the stalls had to be squeezed closer together to fit in to the limited space, but we managed to finish our shopping and be back on the road by 8:05 a.m.

Best of all, we came home with parsnips from Finley Farms and rutabagas from Flora Bella.

Here's a list of the organic produce we'll be eating this week:

1 kabocha squash, 1 red sails lettuce, 1 bunch of mustard greens, 4 shallots, 1 small red pumpkin, 11 potatoes, 2 red onions, 3 onions, feta, 1 bunch celery, 1 red butter lettuce, 3 small St. Benoit yogurt, 3 sundowner apples, 3 cameo apples, 3 bartlett pears, 1 green pepper, 1 bunch parsnips, 1 bunch tiny rutabagas, 1 dozen eggs.

Green Beans with Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette

I love green beans. Lightly cooked and served on the side, they add a welcome green simplicity to any meal.

At Thanksgiving, however, nothing is plain, so I dressed them up with a simple mustardy vinaigrette. Mustard goes well with ham, I figured, so it was a good match.

I confess that I do not steam my green beans. I throw them in a pot of boiling water for 8 minutes, then drain them. Served like this, they are delicious. A pat of butter and a little salt and pepper gilds the lily.

Of course, if you have really young fresh beans, like the ones I hope to be harvesting this winter, steam them for a mere 3-5 minutes to keep their tender taste. The organic green beans I've been buying at the Hollywood Farmers Market are more mature and benefit from a good boil.

Green beans in vinaigrette make a nice room temperature side, and can also be chopped up and added to cooked rice or salads. Leftover lemon mustard dressing is also good on green salads or bean salads, or poured over any cooked vegetable.

On Thanksgiving, I strolled through the garden picking a lemon and some tarragon to garnish the beans. If you don't have fresh tarragon, use any herb you like  – dried is fine, just use 1/4 tsp to start and then add more to taste.

Green Beans with Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette
1 lb green beans, ends trimmed
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp minced red onion
1 clove garlic, minced (opt)
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
3/4 tsp salt
pepper

Cook beans. Either steam until tender, or cook in boiling water about 8 minutes until tender. Drain, refresh in cold water, and pat dry. Arrange on a platter.

Make the vinaigrette by whisking together the remaining ingredients.

Pour the vinaigrette over the beans, and serve.

Serves 4

Roast Pumpkin and Cipolline Onions

I wanted to serve pumpkin at Thanksgiving, but not in a pie, and not stuffed like usual. So I chose a small pumpkin with minimal ridges, and peeled and diced it, roasted it, and served it as a side dish.

I did the peeling and dicing the night before, then stored the cubes in a bag in the fridge overnight.

The next day, I picked some fresh herbs from the garden, peeled a few cipolline onions, and tossed it all together on a roasting pan in the toaster oven for about 45 minutes.

I then just plated it and served it as a side. But when I've served this pumpkin dish previously, I've tossed it into leafy greens with a walnut vinaigrette and toasted walnuts for a good main dish salad. The roasted pumpkin is also good stirred into hot rice or quinoa.

Roasting diced pumpkin is a simple way to add a good dose of antioxidants and fiber to a meal. The key is to buy a smooth pumpkin that is easy to peel. Then this dish takes care of itself.

For the cipolline, I cut off the root end and peeled off the dark skin and cut out most of the stem end. But I didn't obsess with the peeling. They were delicious.

Roast Pumpkin and Cipolline Onions
2 1/2 lbs pumpkin, peeled, 1/2 inch dice
10 cipolline onions, peeled and halved
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
pepper
leaves from a few stems of thyme
a few sprigs of rosemary, coarsely chopped, and more to garnish

Toss all the ingredients together. Roast at 375°F for 45 minutes until tender and browned.

Serves 4-6

Goat Cheese and Spinach Phyllo Extravaganza

I'm not sure what to call the delicious vegetarian entrée I served at Thanksgiving. Layers of phyllo pastry top and bottom, a filling of spinach, goat cheese and mushrooms - all baked free form on a cookie sheet. I think Extravaganza is the only word for it.

I'm not really good with phyllo - to make it good and crispy requires a lot of melted butter, and I find myself going with the minimum. It's still delicious, even if the layers of dough don't hold together as well as they could.

Like lasagna, once all the parts are assembled, it's a quick dish to prepare. The longest part is cleaning the spinach and mushrooms. Working with whole food takes more time, but it's worth it for the great taste.

This dish is great leftovers - fortunately because it makes enough for 8-12 people. I've been enjoying it cold for lunch - the crust is not as crisp, but the flavor is great.

Here's the recipe in case you want to serve your own Extravaganza!

Goat Cheese and Spinach Phyllo Extravaganza
1 packet whole wheat phyllo (16-18 sheets)
2 tbsp olive oil, divided use
1/2 red onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced, divided use
3/4 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup white wine
2 bunches spinach, washed and heavy stems removed
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, marjoram and thyme
1 lb ricotta
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp grated parmesan
1/4 cup melted butter (or more)
1/3 cup pistachios, coarsely chopped
1/4 lb goat cheese, crumbled

Take phyllo out of freezer to thaw in its box.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion, 1/4 tsp salt and a little pepper. Sauté about 5 minutes until onion begins to soften and release its moisture. Add half the garlic and cook another 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Heat another tbsp in the unwashed skillet. Sear mushrooms over high heat with 1/4 tsp salt and a little pepper. Cook about 7 minutes until golden-brown. Add remaining garlic and sauté another minute. Add wine to deglaze pan and cook until pan is nearly dry again. Add the mushrooms to the bowl of onions.

Again, don't wash the skillet. Add the spinach, 1/2 tsp salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook over high heat, letting the spinach wilt. Then drain well and let cool a little. Squeeze out the moisture - it should be damp but not wet. Coarsely chop and add to onions. Stir in the fresh herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a separate bowl, combine ricotta, eggs, 1/2 tsp salt, a few grinds of pepper, and the parmesan. Mix thoroughly.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Unfold phyllo and cover with a damp towel.

Grease a 9x13 inch baking sheet. Lay a piece of phyllo on it, brush lightly with butter, and sprinkle with a few pistachios. Continue with 8-9 more sheets, brushing butter and sprinkling nuts, using about half of each.

Spread the ricotta mix on the phyllo, almost to the edges. Spoon the spinach mixture on top. Sprinkle the goat cheese over all.

Layer on the last sheets, brushing each lightly with butter and scattering with nuts. Brush the top layer thoroughly with butter.

Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Cut off excess dough at edges if necessary. Cut the Extravaganza into 8 squares, but don't separate them. This makes it easier to serve.

Bake at 375°F for 35-40 minutes until golden brown. Cut each square into triangles or rectangles, and serve.

Serves 8-12