Joy's Organic Kitchen

Nettle Noodles

2012-02-04T01:00:00.001-08:00

Nettles are full of minerals and essential nutrients. They are a boon for the hair, skin, and nails. They nourish the kidneys and adrenals, help balance blood sugar, and are generally a great healing herb.

Unfortunately, they also have stingers, little hairs that cause irritation and sometimes even a small blister when you touch them.

I avoid the stings and get the benefits of nettles by infusing the dried herb (1 oz of dried nettles in 1 quart boiling water, let sit overnight, strain and drink).

But the other day Flora Bella had fresh nettles at their stand. I could not resist buying a bunch.

My mother told me of picking and cooking wild nettles - she said they tasted like wet flannel. But I was not to be deterred. I changed the texture of the leaves - and removed flannel overtones - by puréeing them. But green mush is not appealing either. So I made it into noodles, using the nettles in place of the spinach in a standard spinach pasta recipe.

The result was beautiful green noodles. They did not taste of nettles, nor did they sting as we ate them. We could almost tell ourselves we were eating health food.

The secret to not getting stung by fresh nettles is to grasp them firmly. I got only one sting, and it faded by the next day.

And now I've conquered my fear of nettles, next time I see them I'll try them in soup - but I'll make sure to blanch and purée them first.

Nettle Noodles
1 cup nettle leaves
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp cold water
1 egg
1 cup flour

Cook the nettles in boiling water for 2 minutes until soft and tender. Drain and press out the water.

Purée them in the food processor. Add the olive oil and water and purée again. Add the egg and pulse it in a couple of times. Then add half the flour, process for a few seconds, then add the remaining flour and process until it forms a ball. (Sprinkle with a very little water if it won't come together. The liquid needed will depend on how well you drained your nettles.)

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead a few times. (You won't get stung.) Form a ball of the dough, cover it with an upside-down bowl, and let it stand 45 minutes.

Roll the dough into a large thin triangle, approximately 12x16 inches. Let it air-dry for an hour until the surface is not sticky.

Roll it up loosely like a jelly-roll, and slice it into 1/2 inch thick noodles. Unroll the noodles and cook in a big pot of boiling salted water until just cooked, about 3-4 minutes. Drain and serve with your favorite sauce, or with a little olive oil and grated parmesan.

Serves 2

Collard Greens

2012-02-01T01:00:00.000-08:00

Larry says collards are his favorite greens.

I think it's because they are soft and not as bitter as some other greens. Sautéed with a little garlic, they are a satisfying side dish.

We bought especially young and tender collard greens at the Hollywood Farmers Market on Sunday. I served them with leftover chili and cheese-y toast.

Cooked this way, the greens keep some of their shape and texture. You could use this same technique with any other tender green.

Collard Greens
1 bunch collard greens (about 3/4 lb)
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic

Wash the greens and cut off the very thick or woody stems. Roll a few leaves at a time like a cigar and slice them across in 1/4 inch strips (chiffonade).

Warm the olive oil over medium heat. Peel and coarsely chop the garlic, add it to the oil, and cook 30 seconds until lightly golden. Stir in the sliced collard greens, sprinkle with a little salt and a couple of tablespoons of water. Stir and cover. Let it cook for about 2 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Serves 2-3

How clean is clean?

2012-01-31T01:00:00.000-08:00

The Los Angeles Times ran an article yesterday about the cleanliness of the bags of pre-washed greens one buys at the supermarket.

Even though the greens are triple-washed, it does not mean they aren't contaminated with bacteria. Because the washing is done in such large batches, a small amount of bacteria-infected greens added to the mix can contaminate many bags of greens. The bacteria they're most worried about is e-coli, which comes from animal manure.

I don't buy pre-packaged greens, because I prefer to shop at the farmers market. I'm also growing lettuce and other greens in our garden. On the rare occasions that I do buy the bagged stuff, I rinse it in cold water before serving. There is debate as to whether water will wash off the bacteria, but it makes me feel better.

The companies that wash greens are investigating various chemicals to add to the washes to ensure that no bacteria remains. I think this is going about it in the wrong way.

Our body's main defense against bacteria and pathogens in our food is the acid in our stomach. When working optimally, it breaks down and destroys the protein shell of microbes, rendering them harmless. And the good bacteria in our intestines should take care of any residue. So keeping a healthy digestive system is really important.

The public health problem with the spread of bacteria on bagged greens comes because the farming and washing is done on such a large scale that it can harm many people.

I buy my lettuce and greens from local farmers who eat the produce they sell, and who feed it to their own children. I know they are practicing healthy farming techniques, and I trust them to provide me with safe food.

Smaller is better.

Tropical Granola

2012-01-29T01:00:00.000-08:00

It's been cold here in Southern California, so last week I decided we needed a taste of the tropics for breakfast.

I had found packages of dried organic mangos and pineapple at my local supermarket. I think the brand name is Made in Nature. I approached it with caution, because so often dried fruit is sweetened with sugar or corn syrup. Why, I don't know. Drying concentrates the natural sugars in fruit - they don't need any more.

But these are unsweetened, so I brought them home and decided to make tropical granola. The dried fruit is a little pricey, but it made a large amount of granola, and I have enough left for a second batch.

It's a good thing I made a lot, because Larry really likes this granola. (He says he likes all the granolas I make, but this one he's been eating regularly.)

Of course, as with any granola, you can vary the ingredients to suit your taste. I added currants for some tartness to offset all the sweet (and because I had some in the freezer). I used dates because they grow locally and I get organic ones from the Batista Family Ranch stand at the Hollywood Farmers Market. Raisins could take the place of both. I used raw wildflower honey from Martinez Apiaries (also at the Hollywood Farmers Market).

I cut the dried mango, pineapple and apricots with scissors - far easier than a knife - into irregular bite-sized pieces. I pitted the dates and cut them into rough eighths.

I think it's the toasted coconut that gives it that real tropical flavor. I recommend eating this granola as the sun rises over the palm trees in order to get the full effect.

Tropical Granola
6 cups rolled oats
1 cup sunflower seeds
2 cups oat bran
1 cup non-fat dry milk
1/2 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup unsweetened dessicated coconut
1/3 cup sesame seeds
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup canola oil
1 cup honey
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup currants
6 dates, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup dried pineapple, snipped
1/4 cup dried mango, snipped
1/2 cup dried apricots, snipped

In large bowl, stir together oats, sunflower seeds, oat bran, dry milk, almonds, walnuts, coconut, sesame seeds and cinnamon.

In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, honey, vanilla and almond extract.

Stir wet into dry until well moistened (hands work best).

Bake in a 250° oven for one hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheets 10 minutes, then stir in dried fruit.

Store in glass containers. Makes about 10 cups granola.

White Beans and Escarole

2012-01-25T01:00:00.000-08:00

Larry was out late the other night, so I was on my own for dinner.

I got home at 5 p.m. and decided I was in the mood for comfort food on this cold winter night.

First I poured 3/4 cup of large shiny white dried lima beans into a pot of boiling water. While they simmered, I rooted through the fridge for a good green to pair them with.

I decided upon the pale green escarole I had bought from Flora Bella farm at the Hollywood Farmers Market last week.

Escarole is a slightly bitter green. It's usually used in salads, but it was too cold for salad. I decided to try it cooked.

By about 6:30 the beans were tender, so I drained them, reserving a cup of the cooking liquid.

I sautéed some onion in olive oil until it was tender, and then added some minced garlic and red chiles. (This was comfort cooking, so I can't tell you exact amounts.) When they were fragrant I added the escarole which I had washed and chopped into one-inch pieces, stems and all.

I seasoned with salt and pepper, added the drained beans, and moistened it all with some bean liquid. I stirred it together, put the lid on, and let it cook until the escarole was softened but still had a little bite. I sprinkled on some balsamic vinegar, stirred again, and checked the seasoning.

I enjoyed a couple of bowls of this delicious stew, and had some leftover for lunch the next day.

The picture above is of the reheated leftovers. The escarole looked more vibrant when I ate it the first night, but I was not in the mood to take pictures. I just wanted to eat my nutritious and delicious dinner.

Commercial Salad Dressing

2012-01-23T01:00:00.000-08:00

Salad dressing is one of the easiest condiments to make. Shake oil, vinegar and a few seasonings together in a jar and you have a simple vinaigrette that will made lettuce sparkle.

I've posted a few recipes for salad dressings on this blog, including one with beer, a simple honey balsamic dressing, another with walnut oil. Search through the salad recipes for others including citrus, zesty garlic and more.

I recently read the ingredients on a commercial balsamic vinaigrette:

water
soybean oil
balsamic vinegar
white wine vinegar
sugar
salt
spice
maltodextrin
modified food starch
yeast extract
natural flavors (including soy lecithin)
whey
xanthan gum
natural flavor
less than 0.1% sodium benzoate added as a preservative
garlic
onion
caramel color
propylene glycol alginate

This is why I make my own dressings.

Lacinato Kale

2012-01-18T01:00:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite kales. It's also called dinosaur kale because of its velvety dimpled leaves. Apparently this is what dinosaur skin feels like. Other names are Tuscan kale, black kale, and cavolo nero. Cooked a long time, it becomes silky and smooth, like pesto.

I like it cooked in the Italian style. I chop it coarsely and then sauté it in a little olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper and red chile peppers.

I served it the other night with leftover mushroom risotto made into little cakes and fried until crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Very Italian. Very delicious.

I like the greens like this, a little leathery, good chewing, but not crisp. However, Larry said that he prefers his greens to be silky soft so he can swallow without chewing (and tasting) too much. If your family is the same way, blanch the greens for 2 minutes in boiling water, drain, then cook as below.

Lacinato Kale
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
red chile pepper flakes
1 bunch lacinato kale, washed and coarsely chopped
salt
pepper

Warm olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and a sprinkling of chile pepper flakes. Sauté until the onion is soft.

Add kale, along with the drops of water on its leaves. Stir well. Cover, lower the heat, and cook 5 minutes. Stir, cover, and keep cooking until the kale is softened but not mushy.

Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Serves 2-3

Dandelion Greens

2012-01-15T01:00:00.000-08:00

In this cool winter weather, the Hollywood Farmers Market is overflowing with greens - chard, collards, arugula, many varieties of kale. It's hard to limit my selections to just a week's supply. So many greens, so few meals to eat.

Dandelion greens are my latest favorite.

They are nutrition powerhouses - rich in iron, B vitamins, and many minerals. They improve digestion, lower cholesterol, support the liver, and are exceptionally good for nursing mothers.

They are bitter, however, which I do not like. To neutralize the bitterness I add an acid. (This works with all bitter greens.) In Italian cooking, the acid is usually balsamic vinegar or lemon juice. When I cooked dandelion greens the other day I used lime juice.

We enjoyed the greens as a side dish with a leek and mushroom risotto, and then I took the leftovers to work the next day for a great mid-morning energy boost.

Dandelion Greens
1 bunch dandelion greens
salt and pepper
1 lime

Wash the dandelion greens well and discard the lower part of the leaf which is mainly stem. Chop the leaves coarsely - don't bother removing the center rib. Put them in a large pot with a half-inch of water in the bottom. Cover, bring to the boil, and cook until they are the consistency you like - I like them quite soft.

Serve with salt and pepper and lime wedges on the side so each person can season to their taste.

Serves 2-3

Stuffed Baked Potatoes

2012-01-11T01:00:00.000-08:00

Every now and then, Trader Joe's carries organic russet potatoes. These are a real treat, because the organic potatoes at the farmers' market are the all-purpose kind, great for boiling and mashing but not for baking.

And there's nothing like a baked potato on a winter evening.

It is possible to bake Yukon gold and other all-purpose potatoes, but they don't bake up as fluffy as Idahos or russets.

The peel is an important part of a baked potato. First, it bakes up crunchy and delicious. (Do not wrap your potatoes in foil to bake. It makes the skin soft, and I'm pretty sure your body does not have an aluminum deficiency.) Second, a lot of the nutrients in potatoes, such as fiber and bioflavanoids, are in the skin.

A single baked potato provides nearly 12% of the daily recommended intake of fiber. A study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that potatoes have been wrongly classified as high on the glycemic index - they have more complex carbs than they were given credit for. And of course, even cooked they're a good source of Vitamin C.

Potatoes are the ultimate diet food - low in calorie, high in fiber, and wonderfully filling. The key is not to add too much butter.

The other day I made these delicious Broccoli Baked Potatoes. They have a little cheese and milk, but no butter. With a side of steamed vegetables, they made a hearty meal.

Broccoli Baked Potatoes
3 medium baking potatoes
1 large stalk broccoli
2 tbsp milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
pepper

Preheat oven to 425°.

Scrub the potatoes and make a shallow slit down the middle as if you were cutting the potato in half lengthwise.

Bake until they are done, approximately 45 minutes depending on the size. I put on an oven mitt and squeeze them to determine if they're cooked.

Peel the stem of the broccoli as needed, and then steam the whole stalk until tender. Chop the stem and florets finely.

Slice the baked potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the insides into a bowl, leaving 1/4" shell. Stir in the broccoli, milk, and half the cheese. Add pepper to taste. Mash together, then pile the filling back in the potato shells. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and put back in the oven for 10 minutes or so until they're hot.

Serves 2-3

Healthy Resolution

2012-01-07T01:00:00.000-08:00

One week into the new year, have you given up on your resolutions?

Are you ready for a new one?

From all the reading on health that I do, the one common denominator is that people who eat more vegetables are healthier.

It doesn't matter if the vegetables are raw, cooked, defrosted, organic, tossed in butter -- as long as they are vegetables.

So a great healthy resolution for this year is to make sure that half the food on your plate at each meal is vegetables. (You can use fruit instead of vegetables at breakfast if you like, but juice does not count.)

This does not have to be a lot of work. Keep some bags of mixed vegetables in the freezer and when you come home with take-out, or order delivery, throw the vegetables in the microwave or steamer. Toss them in butter or olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and you've got half your meal done. And you can feel good about it.

Don't worry if your family won't eat the vegetables. Do this for you.

Ideally you'd eat a variety of vegetables throughout the week - cooked greens, cabbage family, orange vegetables like carrots and squash, root vegetables -- but even if you just stick to broccoli and carrots, you'll go far.

Just remember, every time you eat, make half of what you put in your mouth vegetables.

It will be the healthiest habit you ever develop.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T01:00:00.000-08:00

I read somewhere that it's good luck to eat black-eyed peas on January 1st.

A New Year's tradition requiring beans - count me in.

Black-eyed peas cook quickly. I put them in water to soak in the morning, and then cooked them for 45 minutes at dinner time. I served them with brown rice for a vegetarian version of Hoppin' John (Mike's Firehouse Smoked Cheddar from Spring Hill Dairy provided the bacon-y flavor).

Side dishes were corn bread and collard greens. And what collard greens they were. Usually I serve them with peanut sauce, but last night I decided to riff off their cabbage-y connection and serve them with mustard sauce. Lip-smacking good.

The greens are cooked to break down the cell walls and make the nutrients more available to the body. Then they're turned in fat which helps the body absorb more of the antioxidants. So while butter and cream might not sound like health food, they actually help the body get maximum nutrition from the greens. And boy, do they make the greens go down easy. (As always, make sure you use organic dairy products.)

Collards in Mustard Sauce
1 bunch collards
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup minced onion
2 tbsp whipping cream
1 tbsp mustard

Wash the leaves and strip the stems from the leaves. Chop the stems in 3/4" lengths. Tear the leaves in halves or quarters.

Bring a pot of water to the boil. Throw in the stems and 1 tsp salt. Cook 3 minutes. Add the leaves and cook another 3-5 minutes until they're tender. Drain well and squeeze out the excess water.

Put the cooked greens on a chopping board and roughly chop them with a big knife.

Melt the butter in a skillet and sauté the onion until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped greens and toss to coat with the butter, separating the clumps of leaves as best as possible. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk together the cream and mustard. Pour over the greens, stir it in, and cook 3-4 minutes until the collards absorb most of the sauce.

Serve immediately.

Serves 2.

Salted Almonds

2011-12-31T01:00:00.000-08:00

We toasted absent friends on Christmas Day with glasses of sparkling white burgundy.

We enjoyed the wine so much that tonight we'll be welcoming in the New Year with it.

It's a dry crisp, yet slightly floral bubbly. Excellent accompaniments are creamy, fruity, and salty. At Christmas we had strawberries and St. André (a triple creme French cheese that should only be eaten in small amounts) and salted almonds. Tonight we'll show more restraint and just nibble on these delicious nuts.

(Almonds are an excellent source of healthy fats -- they actually help lower cholesterol. They're also a good source of heart-friendly magnesium and potassium, which will counter-balance some of the extra salt we're adding for flavor.)

These are similar to the tamari almonds available at health food stores, but the extra salt on the outside gives them an added flavor burst. I use whole almonds and don't bother to blanch them - the skins are extra fiber, and they look pretty. Because I use an egg white to glue the salt to the outside, I store the nuts in the fridge for a week or the freezer for longer. They're quick to pull out and warm whenever a salty snack is needed.

Salted Almonds
4 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp salt
10 grinds fresh pepper
1 egg white
12 oz bag almonds (scant 3 cups)

Whisk the first four ingredients together. Add the almonds and soak 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Drain into another bowl, reserving the liquid, and spread the nuts on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 250°F for 10 minutes. Stir. Drizzle the warm nuts with the reserved liquid and mix it in. Spread the nuts out again and continue baking until they're dry -- another 15 minutes or so -- turning halfway through.

Let cool before storing in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Reheat in a 200° toaster oven -- 3-4 minutes for refrigerated nuts, 6-7 for frozen -- and serve warm.

Makes 3 cups.

Baby Kohlrabi

2011-12-30T01:00:00.000-08:00

I was planning braised turnips for Christmas lunch, but when I walked past the South Central Farmers Cooperative stall at the Hollywood Farmers Market on Christmas Eve I saw baby kohlrabis. How could I resist?

Kohlrabi is a member of the cabbage family, and has edible greens and a delicious bulbous stem that grows above ground, looking like quite the alien plant.

Usually at the market the stalks and greens are 18-inches long or so. But the ones I saw Saturday were about nine inches from bulb to leaf top.

I snagged a bunch, and then pondered how to best showcase them on the Christmas lunch table. I decided to cook the greens as wilted greens, and then toss the cooked stems in garlic butter and serve them on top of the greens.

Best dish of the day!

Baby Kohlrabi
1 bunch baby kohlrabi
2 tsp olive oil
salt, pepper, chile flakes
1/2 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic

Wash the leaves and narrow stems of the kohlrabi. Chop them into 2" pieces and put them (with water still clinging to their leaves) in a pan where the olive oil is warming over medium-low heat. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and a few dried chile flakes. Toss well. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or so until they are tender, stirring occasionally.

Peel the kohlrabi bulbs so no tough fibers remain. Chop them into bite-sized pieces and cook them briefly in boiling water until they are tender. Warm the butter and garlic in a sauté pan, and toss the kohlrabi in it until well coated.

Put the warm greens on a serving dish and pour the bulbs and garlic butter over top.

Serves 3-4.

Christmas Recap

2011-12-26T17:26:00.000-08:00

I'm listening to "One Happy Christmas" as I write this on Boxing Day (Day after Christmas to Americans), and I have to say, that's what we had.

The food happiness started on Christmas Eve with pasta, continued through Tracie and Kizzie's visit for Christmas lunch, and kept going through lunch today with leftovers.

Here's what we've been eating:

Christmas Eve
Pasta with Gorgonzola and Arugula
Homemade Baguette

Christmas Lunch
St. André cheese and strawberries, salted almonds
Stuffed Pumpkin
Brussels Sprouts
Mashed Potatoes
Brisket that Larry made
Kohlrabi greens and stems
Chocolate Truffle Tart
Port and Stilton

Boxing Day Lunch
Bubble and Squeak

The Christmas Eve baguette was made with a recipe from The Idiot's Guide to Artisan Baking. That's a whole other post.

I used penne for the pasta, and a 14oz can of diced tomatoes (drained) in place of the fresh tomatoes.

I cooked the stuffing for the pumpkin on Christmas Eve, and filled it Christmas morning after scooping out the seeds and guts. The stuffing was a delicious pilaf of cooked brown basmati rice, mushrooms and cashews sautéed in butter, onions cooked until they were dark brown, and pinquito beans. Unfortunately the pumpkin had very little flesh, and it stayed hard as it cooked (90 minutes at 350°). So we scooped out and enjoyed the filling. Next year my Mum will be here at Christmas -- she's the expert stuffed-pumpkin cook -- so hopefully we'll have a fully edible dish. (Although I have to say, serving rice pilaf in a pumpkin is a show-stopper. I got the gorgeous burnt orange color by brushing it with oil a half-hour into the cooking.)

We didn't eat dinner Christmas night - still full from a leisurely lunch.

I used the leftover mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts (in place of the raw potatoes and cabbage) in Boxing Day's bubble and squeak. Boy, I love leftovers.

Christmas Cookies

2011-12-24T01:00:00.000-08:00

Early in our marriage, Larry told me about Sand Tarts, the thin, pale, dense Christmas cookies he loved as a child. His mother didn't have the recipe, but I found one in my 1975 edition of the Joy of Cooking, and when Larry tasted them, he said they were exactly as he remembered.

So every Christmas since then, I have performed the labor of love that is making these cookies.

The dough is very stiff and has to be rolled to 1/16". Much un-seasonal language echoes from the kitchen as the dough sticks to the table and deformed snowmen have to be patted into shape on the cookie sheet before baking.

A couple of years ago I got smart and bought a roul-pat - a large silicon mat to roll the dough on. No more sticking. Less cussing. In fact I became a little cocky at how well I had mastered these cookies.

Until this year, when I accidentally used whole wheat flour instead of white.

It was not an attempt to add nutrition and fiber to a Christmas treat. I had bought a bag of organic pastry flour, not realizing it was whole wheat. The dough was a little darker than usual, but I thought it was because I used raw sugar instead of the white bleached kind. I put it in the fridge to chill, and then pulled out my flour canister to re-fill it from the new bag. That's when I noticed how white the flour in the bottom of the canister was. Oh no. I had messed with tradition.

And a very serious tradition it is. Larry loves these cookies with his morning coffee during the holiday season. He says that he considered having me sign a pre-nup that I would bake these every year. He doesn't need a Christmas present as long as he has sand tarts. He doesn't need the 12 Days of Christmas, just 12 Days of Sand Tarts.

So I baked only one cookie sheet-ful, and confessed the mistake to him as I put a few in his lunch bag. I told him if the whole wheat flour made them not good for Christmas, I'd freeze the rest of the dough for after the holidays, and make a new batch with white flour.

Larry tasted the cookies, and declared them delicious.

We made the remaining dough into cookies last night. I rolled and cut, Larry sugared and baked.

Maybe we've started a new holiday tradition.

Whole Wheat Sand Tarts
3/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cup raw organic sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp grated lemon rind
3 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 tsp salt
colored sugars to decorate (optional)

Beat the butter until soft. Gradually beat in the sugar and keep beating until it's creamy. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, vanilla and lemon rind.

Stir together the flour and salt, and gradually stir them into the butter mixture. You will probably have to knead the last of the flour in by hand. Form the dough into a log, wrap in wax paper and chill several hours. (At this stage you can keep it in the fridge for a couple of weeks, baking a few cookies as needed.)

Take the dough from the fridge and let it get a little soft. If your house is cool, this will a few hours. But you don't want the dough to be too soft or it becomes even harder to roll.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Roll the dough out very thin. Flour the table and rolling pin as needed. A silicon rolling pad really helps.

Cut the dough into shapes. Place on greased cookie sheets or sil-pats (re-usable silicon cookie sheet liners). Sprinkle with colored sugars if desired.

Bake 8 minutes. Halfway through the cooking time, rotate the cookie sheets back to front and switch the top one with the bottom one. This helps all the cookies bake evenly.

Makes about 70 cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutters.

(Adapted from The Joy of Cooking, 1975)

Brussels Sprouts

2011-12-21T01:00:00.000-08:00

I bought my Christmas Brussels sprouts early - I didn't want to risk the farmers running out, and they keep well in the crisper drawer in the fridge.

My favorite vegetables at childhood Christmas dinners were the Brussels sprouts, boiled then tossed with almonds that had been toasted in melted butter.

Long-time readers of this blog might remember Larry's childhood aversion to Brussels sprouts, indeed most vegetables. (You can read his post here.)

Fortunately, Larry's learned that even if he doesn't like a vegetable the first time around, after a few more test-runs he might actually start enjoying it. I think this is a really healthy attitude to food - after all, how many of us enjoyed our first sip of coffee or beer? Or the first puff of a cigarette? Yet we persevere, wanting to like these substances, and we learn to enjoy them.

If we all had the same tenacity in learning to like Brussels sprouts and leafy greens, we would be much healthier.

A common complaint with cooked Brussels sprouts is that they are mushy on the outside and hard on the inside. The key to cooking them evenly is to cut an x in the bottom of each stem before cooking. Steaming or boiling are both fine, just make sure to whisk them off the heat when a knife slides in to the center with just a little pressure.

In celebration of our Southern California lifestyle, this year's Brussels sprouts will be tossed with juice from a lemon freshly picked from our tree.

Brussels Sprouts with Lemon
1/2 lb Brussels sprouts
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper

Trim any yellowed-leaves from the Brussels sprouts and cut an x in the bottom of each. Steam over boiling water until barely tender, about 8 minutes depending on their size. You can leave them like this until just before you're ready to serve.

Melt the butter in a sauté pan large enough that the sprouts are in a single layer. Toss in sprouts and cook until warmed through. Add the lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss again before serving.

Serves 2-3

Radish Green Soup

2011-12-17T01:00:00.000-08:00

One of the great things about shopping at the farmers market is I can ask the farmers and their helpers how they cook their produce.

Some growers are one-note cooks. "Chop it up and stir it into rice," says one about pretty much everything he sells. "Toss it in olive oil and roast it in the oven," says another about his produce. Both great ideas, but they get a little boring after a while.

I keep asking though, because on occasion I get a gem of a recipe. Like this radish-top soup that I learned about at the Flora Bella stand.

I had selected a bunch of black radishes for their roots, which are turnip-sized with a radish-y zest more potent than the small red radishes but less eye-watering than horseradish. I like to peel them and add them to dishes of roasted root vegetables. As I was paying for them, I thought to ask if their leaves were edible too.

I never thought of eating radish leaves, but I've since learned that the leaves of all radishes, even the little red ones, are good eating. They are a little hairy, but cooking and puréeing them breaks them down to a smooth consistency.

When the woman working the stall gave me this soup recipe (her husband's favorite), I decided I needed a second bunch in order to make a decent amount. She dug through the pile for one with excellent leaves, and I came home to give it a try.

Larry was a little dubious when I put the green goop in his bowl, but he really enjoyed it. As did I. It's creamy and light, yet with a radishy tang. I didn't think it would be filling - no beans or potatoes - but it actually sticks to the ribs. And in smaller bowlfuls it could be an excellent appetizer soup. It would certainly intrigue your guests while giving them lots of nutrition.

You can make the soup with the tops of any radishes, including the red ones. If you don't have enough greens, you could pad it with mustard greens, chard or spinach.

And you can substitute olive oil for the butter to make this a creamy vegan soup.

Radish Green Soup
1 bulb fennel
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp butter
greens from 2 bunches of black radish (1 lb total greens)
2 cups vegetable stock

Cut the leaves and stems off the fennel and discard. Cut the bulb in half and cut off the tough bottom and core - discard these too. Chop the remaining segments into large pieces.

Warm the olive oil and butter in a saucepan and sauté the fennel, onion and garlic until softened.

Wash the radish greens and cut off the tough bottoms which are just stem. Chop the leaves and add to the pan along with the vegetable stock. Cook, covered, until the greens are very soft.

Purée in the blender.

Serve hot.

Serves 2-3.

Sautéed Parsnips

2011-12-14T01:00:00.000-08:00

This has been a great year for parsnips. We are getting bunches weekly from Finley Farms. Larry is starting to really like them, especially sautéed in butter as in this recipe. He also appreciates the vegetable stock I make - he says it greatly enhances his beef stew, and I'm sure that's because I put a parsnip in the stock pot.

The parsnips we've been getting are so fresh they still have the greens attached. I take them home for the compost, but we don't eat them, because I fear they might be poisonous like potato leaves are. Touching the leaves can cause skin irritation and sun sensitivity in some people, although fortunately not me. If you're buying your parsnips at the grocery store, it's unlikely you'll see the greens. And at the farmers market, the farmers will happily remove the greens for you if you are concerned.

Parsnips have similar nutritional values to potatoes, but they are higher in fiber and lower in calories. Of course, they don't taste like potatoes. They have an earthy sweetness that adds variety to any meal.

Plus they are dead easy to cook. Here is my latest quick and easy method.

Sautéed parsnips
1 1/2 lb parsnips (1 bunch)
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper

Peel and thinly slice the parsnip roots - less than a quarter inch is ideal.

Warm the butter over medium heat in a fry pan large enough to give the parsnips room to spread out. Add the parsnips and sauté, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 5-8 minutes.

If they're well-colored but not soft enough, lower the heat and cover the pan to let the roots steam for a couple of minutes until they're done. (Cook them to the same softness you would carrots.)

Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Serves 2-3

Comfort Food

2011-12-10T01:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I just want a bowl of delicious goodness.

That's when I turn to this simple yet soul-satisfying dish.

White beans cooked with garlic, steamed greens, and a drizzle of fruity olive oil. It's a wonderful combination of flavors and soothing textures.

If you haven't cooked dried beans before, this is the recipe to start with. If you're not sure how fresh your beans are, start it early in the day. Cook until the beans are soft, then turn off the heat and let them sit on the stove until you start the greens, about 15 minutes before you're ready to eat. Reheat and serve.

If you want to use canned beans, use 2 14-oz cans. Drain off the can juice and reheat them with some vegetable stock or water along with the seasonings. It won't be quite as delicious (or cheap) but it will be good.

For the greens, I was lucky enough to get rapini and lamb's quarters from the Flora Bella stand at the Hollywood Farmers Market. You can use spinach, dandelions, chard, turnip greens, beet greens, whatever you have. If you're not used to bitter greens like dandelion, add some sweet greens like chard and spinach to tone it down. (The bitter greens are excellent for the liver, so try to use some of them.)

In the past, I have only made this recipe when Larry was out of town. I believed he would not like it. But I was wrong. I cooked it last week when I was craving some good greens, and he said he really liked it. And he ate it as leftovers too, so I believe him.

Italian Greens and Beans
1 lb white beans
1 red chile, dried or fresh
3 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
1 lb greens (or 2 bunches)
olive oil

Sort the beans and discard any dirt or stones. Rinse them and put them in a large pot with the chile and bay leaves. Peel the garlic and throw it in too. Add boiling water from the kettle to cover by 2 inches. (Use cold tap water if you don't have enough boiling.) Bring to the boil and cook, covered, until the beans are tender. I used white lima beans from Lompoc, probably harvested this year, so they only took 90 minutes to cook. Yours might take up to 4 hours. Plan accordingly. And remember, it's better to cook them early and let them sit than it is to serve crunchy beans.

(Concerned about the gassy qualities of beans? The garlic helps eliminate them.)

Wash the greens well. (In this era of plastic mulch and drip irrigation, the greens might be clean. But if it's rained they can be quite muddy. Swish them in basins of cold water until no dirt is left in the bottom.) Put them in a large pot with an inch of boiling water in the bottom. Let them cook until the stems are tender, about 5 minutes. Drain them and chop into bite-sized pieces.

Taste the beans and add salt and pepper to enhance the flavor.

Using a slotted spoon, put some beans into a shallow soup bowl. Add a little of the bean juice. Spoon some greens on top. Drizzle with a little olive oil. And enjoy.

Serves 6. (But is great reheated the next day)

Mustard Greens

2011-12-07T01:00:00.001-08:00

Mustard greens have a zest that pairs well with creamy dishes. I served them at Thanksgiving with scalloped potatoes and barbecue beans, and they added color and texture, as well as health-promoting nutrients.

Mustard greens are cruciferous vegetables, so they have the same health benefits as broccoli and cabbage. They are high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, which makes them a great cancer preventative. Plus they're an excellent source of folic acid.

Usually I buy purple mustard greens, but I could only find the green curly kind at the market. They turned out great in this incredibly simple recipe.

Wilted Mustard Greens
1 bunch green or purple mustard greens
1 small clove garlic
3/4 tbsp butter
salt and pepper

Wash the greens, discarding any yellow leaves and chopping the brown bottom off the stems. Cook the greens in boiling salted water until they are wilted and the stems are tender, 5-8 minutes. Put them into cold water to stop the cooking, then drain them and squeeze out the extra moisture. Coarsely chop the leaves. At this point, you can set them aside at cool room temperature for a few hours before finishing the recipe.

Melt butter in sauté pan over moderately low heat. Peel and chop the garlic and cook it in the butter about 2 minutes until it is softened. Add the greens, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Serves 3-4

Ginger Green Tea

2011-12-03T01:00:00.000-08:00

I've started making ginger green tea my morning drink.

I've heard for years about the health benefits of green tea - it's high in antioxidants that fight cancer, keep your heart and arteries healthy, balance blood sugar, and boost brain power. But I find it hard to enjoy. It's a little bland and tannic for my tastes.

But adding ginger both mellows it and gives it a zing. Ginger also has a lot of health benefits - it's good for the digestion, boosts the immune system, fights certain cancers, and is anti-inflammatory. In fact, green tea and ginger are a very healthy way to start the day.

This recipe is what I've been doing. It's warm, wet and a little tingly. The ginger masks the bitterness of the green tea. I like it mild, but you can add more ginger if you prefer, or simmer the ginger longer.

It's essential not to have the water boiling when you add the green tea or it will taste bitter. Experts say the water for brewing green tea should be at 180-190°F. I figure as long as it's not bubbling, it's close enough.

The timing is approximate too - I brew the tea while puttering around making our breakfast fruit and our lunches.

I get organic green tea leaves at Chado, a few blocks from my office in Old Pasadena. You could substitute a green tea teabag if that's what you have.

I admit to feeling virtuous while sipping this tea. The fact it tastes good is an added bonus.

Ginger Green Tea
3 nickel-sized slices of fresh ginger root
1 tsp green tea (or 1 teabag)

Peel the brown skin off the ginger and put the slices in a small pot with 1 1/4 cups cold water. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn the heat down and let the ginger simmer 3 minutes. Uncover and take off the heat. When it's stopped bubbling, add the green tea. Cover and let steep 3 minutes. Strain into a mug and serve.

Serves 1

Scalloped Potatoes

2011-11-30T01:00:00.001-08:00

Scalloped potatoes are not health food. However, they are incredibly easy to make, and always get rave reviews.

When Tracie came up for Thanksgiving, she told me she had never eaten scalloped potatoes that were not from a box.

You can imagine the horror on my face at the thought of boxed scalloped potatoes. That's not food. That's chemicals and processing.

So I was happy to introduce her to the real thing. Which she loved.

I was almost embarrassed to tell her how easy it was to make.

So if you're planning to serve scalloped potatoes to your family, serve the real thing, made with real potatoes and hormone-free dairy products. And serve a bunch of greens on the side to counteract the whipping cream and cheese. Everyone will love you for it.

A note on the cheese: At Thanksgiving I used a mixture of aged gruyere, smoked cheddar and jack because that's what I had in the fridge. Plain swiss or cheddar are good too, and sometimes a little blue cheese in the mix is nice.

Scalloped Potatoes
6 baking potatoes
butter for greasing dish
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups grated cheese

Preheat oven to 375°.

Peel and thinly slice potatoes and layer them in a greased 1 1/2 quart cassserole or gratin dish.

Stir together milk, cream and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Carefully pour over potatoes.

Sprinkle cheese evenly on top.

Place the dish on a baking sheet in case it bubbles over. Bake 1 hour 30 minutes until potatoes are tender and top is nicely browned. (Cover with foil part way through if necessary to keep the potatoes from getting too brown.)

Serves 6-8

Post-Thanksgiving Shopping

2011-11-28T01:00:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving dinner produces great leftovers, so we went to the Hollywood Farmers Market Sunday morning expecting only to buy some greens and fruit.

It started well at the Finley Farms stand with malabar spinach and snap peas. But they also had parsnips and Canadian-sized rutabagas - how could I resist? I spent years being deprived of parsnips and rutabagas because I couldn't find them organically-grown. So now I'm like an addict - snatching up organic ones whenever I see them in order to get my fix. We'll eat them mashed, sautéed, roasted, cooked in soup and baked in spice cake - and then I'll prowl the market in search of more.

Flora Bella had black radishes and smaller rutabagas, so I bought them too.

And Tutti Frutti had red peppers and poblanos - perfect for roasting and freezing.

Yes, our fridge is now tightly packed, but the roots will store well if we don't manage to eat them all this week. And with the evenings drawing in, dinners of root vegetables are just the thing to nourish body and soul.

Here's what we came home with:

1 bag malabar spinach
1 bunch red russian kale
1 bunch purple mustard greens
1 small bag snap peas
2 red peppers
8 poblanos
2 onions
3 sweet potatoes
9 small potatoes
1 celeriac
1 giant rutabaga
1 bunch small rutabagas
2 bunches parsnips
2 bunches black radish
2 bulbs fennel
4 apples
6 oz blueberries
4 pomegranates
6 grapefruit
6 small jars of St. Benoit yogurt
1 lb Oaxaca coffee from Cafecito Organico

Thanksgiving Recap

2011-11-26T01:00:00.000-08:00

I hope you had a good Thanksgiving.

Ours was peaceful and full of food (two Thanksgiving dinners, remember?), with a little gardening thrown in for good measure.

These are a few things I learned along the way:

• St. André cheese with strawberries - excellent!
• Mashed potatoes and creamed corn are a match made in heaven, even when the creamed corn is a little salty.
• Fresh herbs make white beans delectable.
• Scalloped potatoes are the easiest way to get rave reviews.
• It's hard to screw up white bread rolls.
• The pressure cooker is great for root vegetables.
• Pink Lady apples make excellent applesauce.
• Pie takes practice - once a year is not cutting it (see last year's Thanksgiving recap).

Thanksgiving Dinner

2011-11-24T01:00:00.001-08:00

Our Thanksgiving is a little complicated this year.

Our niece Tracie will be serving dinners at an Orange County mission, so we've invited her to have Thanksgiving with us on Friday.

Being a Canadian, I thought that left my Thursday free. I planned to dig in the garden while listening to NPR. Lynne Rosetto-Kasper's Turkey Confidential is my favorite cooking show of the year.

But I was wrong.

The Thursday Thanksgiving dinner tradition is too strong to ignore, so Larry and I will have a special dinner that day too.

Three people, two Thanksgiving dinners -- it seems a little extreme to me, but isn't that what this holiday is all about?

Here are the menus I have planned:

Thursday:
Pork something in the slow cooker (Larry's cooking and eating this)
Acorn squash with White Beans and Herbs
Brussels sprouts
Mashed potatoes
Creamed corn

Friday:
Tracie always arrives hungry, so I'll set out appetizers of salted almonds, St. André cheese, strawberries and sparkling wine
Honey-baked ham
Orange-bourbon baked beans
Scalloped potatoes
Pressure-cooked root vegetables
Mustard greens
Applesauce
Rolls
Apple-pear-cranberry pie with whipped cream and butterscotch sauce for dessert (not that we'll have room, but it will be good for breakfast on Saturday)

I hope you have a delicious and happy Thanksgiving!

Autumn Stew

2011-11-23T01:00:00.001-08:00

If you're uncertain what to serve the vegetarians at Thanksgiving dinner, consider this lovely wild rice and squash dish that is both autumnal and protein-rich. Everyone will eat it as a side, and the vegetarians will thank you for a satisfying meal.

The vegetables can be prepped ahead, and the stew stirred together on the stove while the turkey rests.

We ate it for dinner Monday night. I pre-cooked the beans and wild rice, and diced the squash. It all sat on the counter until 30 minutes before dinner, when I stirred it together for an easy and excellent meal.

The stew is really good with parmesan shavings on it, but don't do that unless you know there are no vegans at your table (vegans don't eat eggs or dairy products). Instead, serve the parmesan on the side so people can help themselves.

Autumn Stew
1/3 cup dry lima or cannellini beans (or 1 can, drained)
3/4 cup wild rice
1/2 oz dried mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
8 oz mushrooms, halved or quartered
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp fresh thyme (or 1 1/2 tsp dried)
3 cups vegetable broth
1 lb butternut squash
1 tsp salt
4 large chard leaves
parmesan

Cook the beans in plenty of boiling water until tender. This will take 2-3 hours depending on the freshness of the beans. Make sure they're cooked all the way through before you drain them.

Cook the wild rice in plenty of salted boiling water until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and stringy flesh. Peel off the skin, and dice the squash in 1/2 to 3/4 inch pieces.

Cover the dried mushrooms with 1 cup boiling water and let steep 10 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the soaking liquid, make sure they have no grit on them, and chop them coarsely. Strain any grit from the soaking liquid and keep it separate.

Warm olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté onion, mushrooms, pepper and thyme, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes until lightly browned.

Add the broth, cooked wild rice, cooked beans, squash and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until the squash is tender when pierced with a thin knife, 12-15 minutes.

Add mushrooms and their soaking liquid.

Rinse the chard leaves and chop them, including their stems. Add to the pot, cover, and let cook until stems are tender, about 10 minutes. Season to taste.

Serve with parmesan shavings.

Serves 6 as a main course, more as a side dish.

Peeling Pomegranates

2011-11-19T01:00:00.001-08:00

I really like the sweet-tart crunch of pomegranate seeds. I sprinkle them on our breakfast fruit, add them to salads, and use them as a garnish on anything that needs a little color.

The whole pomegranates last a couple of weeks in the fridge. The seeds will last a few days in a covered container.

Organic pomegranates are easy to find at this time of year. I was even given some from a friend's tree. Here is how I prepared them:

The challenge of a pomegranate is the red juice that sprays from the seeds with the slightest provocation. I've found the key to containing it is to do all the prep work under water. It doesn't alter the taste of the seeds, and it keeps my hands and clothes clean.

I first score the skin of the pomegranate with a paring knife, dividing it into quadrants.

Then I pull at the white pith, dividing the pomegranate into large pieces. The jewel-like seeds nestle in clusters and are easily pried free.

It takes a little patience, but with practice you'll be able to do this in under 5 minutes.

The small pieces of pith float on the surface. I skim them off with a small strainer, then drain the water off the seeds.

The result: a bowl of crunchy juicy seeds that will add flavor and color to any dish. Even better, they're full of heart-healthy, cholesterol-lowering, cancer-fighting nutrients. Enjoy them often during their short season.

Stir-fried Spaghetti Squash

2011-11-16T01:00:00.000-08:00

Usually I serve spaghetti squash with a chunky tomato sauce - playing on its spaghetti-like appearance.

However, the squash does not have the taste or texture of pasta, as Larry points out to me regularly. Thinking about it, I realized it's more like Asian cellophane noodles, with a bit of a crunch to it. So the other day I stir-fried it with ginger, garlic and sesame. It was a revelation - who knew that spaghetti squash was the perfect foil for a stir-fry?

I even enjoyed the leftovers cold as a salad the next day.

I used red pepper and asparagus, but you could use whatever vegetables you prefer. Snow peas, spring onions, pea shoots, green beans - all would be good. And whatever you choose, this is a filling yet low-calorie dish. Perfect as we head into the holiday season.

(Spaghetti squash is an oval, yellow winter squash. Choose one that is firm and heavy.)

Stir-fried Spaghetti Squash
1 spaghetti squash (2 1/2 to 3 1/2 lbs)
2 tsp sesame seeds
3/4 lb asparagus
1 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp minced gingerroot
1 cup thinly sliced red pepper
2 tbsp roasted sesame oil

Preheat oven to 350°F. Rinse the squash and place it in the oven. Let it bake 45 minutes or so until it feels tender when you squeeze it.

Let the squash cool a little, then cut it in half lengthwise and discard the seeds and slimy pulp. The firmer part of the squash will separate into spaghetti-like strands. Scrape them with a fork into a large bowl and set aside.

Toast the sesame seeds in a heavy pan on the stove until fragrant, about one minute.

Cut asparagus into bite-sized pieces and steam until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes.

Stir-fry olive oil, ginger and garlic in a large hot skillet until sizzling, under a minute. Add asparagus, squash strands and red pepper. Stir gently, lightly tossing the squash, until it's hot, about 5 minutes. Toss with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour into a serving bowl and drizzle with the roasted sesame oil and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

Serves 6

Egg Salad Sandwich

2011-11-12T01:00:00.000-08:00

For too long, eggs have had a bad rap. People wrongly believed they were too high in fat and dietary cholesterol to be part of a healthy diet.

Fortunately people are now realizing that eggs are a healthy food.

Of course, it depends on the eggs you eat. We eat eggs from chickens that live in an apple orchard: eating bugs, scratching in the dirt, nibbling on weeds, eating a little grain to supplement their diet. I bet these are really healthy eggs. Most so-called free-range or organic eggs are from chickens whose diet is mainly soy and corn. Not as natural, but at least they're not eating ground-up chicken feathers like factory-farmed chickens do.

Anyway, no matter what kind of egg you can find, eat the whole thing. The yolks are the richest source of choline known. Choline is essential for brain health, and for brain and memory development in the fetus (attention pregnant and nursing moms).

Eggs are also anti-inflammatory, and they have compounds that break homocysteine down so they're good for the heart too.

To set the cholesterol myth to rest, a recent study in northern Mexico found that eating eggs can actually improve cholesterol levels, even when combined with a high intake of fatty foods like hydrogenated oils.

This egg salad sandwich is not traditional - it includes fresh herbs and mushrooms - but it is scrumptious. I served it on homemade white bread because it's nice to have squishy bread to hold the sandwich together. But feel free to use nutritious whole grain bread instead.

I adapted the recipe from Season to Taste, an accomplished book on herbs and spices in American cooking that Jeannette Ferrary and Louise Fiszer wrote in 1988. I've dipped into it regularly over the years, and always learn something new and get a good recipe. (Rosemary garlic bread - mmm!)

Egg Salad Sandwich
1 tbsp butter
1 spring onion, chopped
1/4 lb mushrooms, chopped
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp fresh marjoram leaves, chopped (or 1/4 tsp dried)
2 eggs, hardboiled and shelled
2 tbsp mayonnaise
red onion rings
baby spinach or butter lettuce
4 slices bread

Sauté onion and mushrooms in butter in a small skillet for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice and stir in marjoram. Allow to cool slightly.

Chop eggs coarsely. Combine with mushrooms and mayonnaise. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spread the egg mixture on two slices of bread. Top with red onion rings and spinach leaves. Top with other two slices of bread.

Makes 2 sandwiches.

Eggplant with Peanut Sauce

2011-11-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

Our eggplants have been challenged this year -- possums kept digging the plants up and looking underneath for grubs. You can only replant an eggplant so many times before it gives up.

But the Japanese eggplant is finally producing, so I picked a couple for dinner the other day. I grilled them and served them with peanut sauce because I wanted Larry to really enjoy our home-grown produce. Eggplant is not his favorite food, but I'm pretty sure peanut butter is in his top ten.

There are as many variations of peanut sauce as there are people. The basics are a little salt and a little sour added to the peanut butter. Some people add sweet too, but you've probably already discerned my anti-sugar bias.

I've previously posted a peanut sauce with yogurt and orange juice, which is really good.

The one I served the other night was flavored with soy sauce and lime juice, which nicely complemented the grilled eggplant.

Japanese eggplants are the slender kind. If you have the heftier Italian kind, slice it crosswise in 1/2" rounds.

We ate baked sweet potato fries and Indian cabbage with the eggplant, making an unusual but enjoyable meal.

Grilled Eggplant with Peanut Sauce
2 slender Japanese eggplants
olive oil
1 tsp roasted sesame oil
1 garlic clove, minced
dash red pepper flakes
2 heaping tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
1 tsp tamari soy sauce
1 tsp lime juice
1-2 tbsp water

Cut the caps off the eggplants and discard. Slice the eggplants in half lengthwise, and smear a little olive oil on the cut sides. Grill in a cast iron grill pan on the stove (or directly on the barbecue grill) until soft.

In a small pan, heat the sesame oil, garlic and red pepper flakes for about a minute. With a fork or a whisk, stir in the peanut butter, soy sauce and lime juice. Add enough water to make a thickish sauce. Keep warm until the eggplants are cooked.

Put a dollop of sauce on each eggplant half and serve.

Serves 2

Sunday Morning Shopping

2011-11-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

It was a cold wet morning at the Hollywood Farmers Market. We warmed our hands with a cup of coffee from Cafecito Organico and my shopping list disintegrated in the rain.

This is what we came home with:

1 bunch turnips
1 bunch parsnips
1 bunch rutabagas
7 potatoes
1 ginger root
1 large bunch broccoli
1 cabbage
1 bag malabar spinach
1 red sails lettuce
1 bunch purple mustard greens
1 bunch asparagus
1 leek
4 mushrooms
9 grapefruit
2 persimmons
2 pineapple guavas
2 plums
3 apples
6-oz box blueberries
12-oz bag shelled pistachios
4 small jars of St. Benoit yogurt: 2 meyer lemon, 1 plum, 1 honey
4 oz feta

Vegetable Sides Day Seven

2011-11-06T01:00:00.000-07:00

Last night was cabbage and potato night.

To spice it up a little, I added Spanish paprika to the cabbage and rutabagas to the potatoes. They complimented the freezer bean stew nicely.

You can find the potatoes and rutabagas recipe in my post on bashed neeps. It is the lightest, most delicious mashed potatoes you'll ever taste. And no cream or milk. Just a little butter added to the mashed roots.

The cabbage was a simple sauté with sherry and smoked paprika for flavor. Good flavors for a cool fall evening.

Sautéed Cabbage Paprika
1 1/2 lbs cabbage (1 small), sliced thin
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp sherry
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 to 1 tsp Spanish smoked paprika

Warm the butter and sherry in a skillet over medium-high heat, along with 1/3 cup water. Add cabbage, onion, salt and pepper. Stir and cover. Let cook 10 minutes on medium heat until the cabbage is tender. Stir in paprika to taste.

Serves 4

Rutabagas from Flora Bella Farm

Vegetable Sides Day Six

2011-11-05T01:00:00.000-07:00

Last night we had corn on the cob, probably the last of the season. It was great while it lasted.

I also cooked broccoli and cauliflower the way I did on Sunday.

It's important to eat cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower etc.) at least once a week because they support healthy estrogen pathways (meaning fewer hormonal cancers) and they are the best food out there for the colon.

I chopped the broccoli stems a little smaller, and cooked them with the cauliflower for a couple of minutes before adding the broccoli florets. I find cauliflower florets take longer to cook than broccoli florets.

I served them all plain, with salt and pepper and butter on the side. Click here to read my post on the health benefits of butter.

As a side note, I tried turning the potato gratin leftovers into mashed potatoes. Not really successful. The crusty parts of the gratin wouldn't mash, so it was lumpy. Next time I need to mess with leftover gratin, I will turn it into potato soup. That would have been excellent.

Vegetable Sides Day Five

2011-11-04T01:00:00.001-07:00

Last night we had Italian beans in tomato sauce for dinner.

(I pulled them from the freezer after I got home from work, and then I headed into the garden to enjoy the waning daylight.)

When I came in from digging and pruning and feeding, I quickly made two Italian-style vegetable dishes to go with the beans. The first was chard and yellow peppers sautéed with onions, garlic and chile peppers. The second was zucchini with red onion, garlic and chile peppers.

(Health benefits: zucchini is full of anti-oxidants, cholesterol-lowerers, cancer-preventatives, and prostate helpers. Chard is good for blood pressure and blood sugar.)

Add the dried red chile peppers to your taste, or omit them completely. They add a warmth and zest to the meal, but are not essential.

The flavors of each dish are similar, but the textures are different enough that they are a pleasant contrast.

Chard with Yellow Peppers
1 bunch chard
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic
sprinkle red chiles
1/2 yellow pepper, slivered

Chop the brown bits off the chard stems and discard any wilted leaves. Wash well. Then slice the stems from the leaves and chop the stems in 1/2" pieces. Chop the leaves in 1" ribbons.

Warm the olive oil in a deep pan. Add the onion and sauté until softened. Add the garlic, chiles, yellow pepper and chard stems, sprinkle with salt, and stir another two minutes or so until the stems are tender. Stir in the leaves with the water from washing them still clinging to the leaves, and sprinkle with salt. Stir, then cover the pot and let cook five minutes. Stir again, cover and cook until tender.

Spicy Zucchini
2 zucchini
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 clove garlic, minced
sprinkle red chiles

Top and tail the zucchini, and slice in 1/4 inch rounds. Warm the olive oil. Add the onion and cook a couple of minutes until softened. Add the garlic and chiles and cook one minute. Stir in the zucchini, sprinkle with salt, cover and cook 5 minutes. Stir again. Cover and cook until tender, another 4-5 minutes.

Vegetable Sides Day Four

2011-11-03T01:00:00.000-07:00

Last night Larry and I went to our favorite bistro for dinner.

I had a side salad, and Larry's dish came with four steamed carrot spears and two brussels sprouts.

The upside of eating out: I don't have to cook.

The downside of eating out: Not enough vegetables.

Vegetable Sides Day Three

2011-11-02T01:00:00.000-07:00

Tonight as sides we had a creamy potato-celeriac gratin and some spicy mustard greens to balance the richness.

Celeriac is a brown lumpy hairy root from a kind of celery that looks like the regular kind, but the stalks are more fibrous and better suited to the stock pot than the lunch box. I bought it at Finley Farms with the stalks attached. You will most likely find it without the stems at the grocery store. It tastes similar to celery, but earthier.

Don't bother trying to scrub it. Just pare off all the hairy and brown parts, down to the white part within. I sliced it thinly and put a layer of it in the center of a potato gratin. It was delicious. If you have a potato gratin recipe you like, I recommend you do the same thing. The celeriac has a similar texture to the potato, and adds a savory flavor. I would share my recipe with you, but I added too much liquid so it was too saucy. We had to spoon the potatoes and celeriac out of the sauce. They tasted good, so I'll mash the leftovers into a creamy dish later in the week.

Celeriac is a good source of the soluble fiber that helps lower cholesterol. Mustard greens are high in antioxidants and are powerful anti-inflammatories.

I wanted the mustard greens to hold their zip so I cooked them quickly with garlic and chiles. I cut out the stems, washed the leaves, and cut them in 1" ribbons. I put a scant tablespoon of olive oil in a warm pan, and when it rippled I added a cup of chopped onion. When it had softened, I stirred in a chopped clove of garlic and a sprinkling of crushed chiles. After a minute or so I added the mustard greens and a splash of water, stirred well, and covered the pot. I stirred after 5 minutes, and kept cooking, covered, until slightly browned, less than 10 minutes total.

With two interesting side dishes like this, the main dish becomes the side note.

Vegetable Sides Day Two

2011-11-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

Tonight we had chili for dinner, so I thought root vegetables and snap peas would complete the meal nicely.

Snap peas are quick to prepare. Unlike shelling peas, you eat the whole thing. The only prep is to top and tail them with a paring knife, and pull off the string down one side. Then I rinse them and cook them quickly (about 5 minutes depending on the size) in a covered pot with an inch of boiling water in the bottom. I eat my snap peas plain so I can enjoy the sweetness and the slight crunch, but I put butter and salt and pepper on the table in case Larry wants seasoning.

I had beautiful baby beets and turnips in the fridge. We had eaten the greens last week, so just the roots remained. The four beets were about 2" in diameter. I scrubbed them well, cut off the top and tail, and pared off any rough parts of skin. I could have peeled them, but I think the fiber in the skin is good for us. I then cut each beet into eighths.

The 10 turnips were quite tiny. I prepped them like the beets, cutting them into 1/2 to 3/4 inch pieces.

I tossed the beets and turnips separately in about a 1/2 tsp olive oil - enough to coat them - and sprinkled on some salt and pepper. I put them in a covered casserole and baked them at 400°F for 20 minutes, until they were tender when I poked them with a slender knife. Add extra salt and pepper to taste.

They were great side dishes to the chili, and I have a small container of leftovers that I will eat for lunch tomorrow. I love vegetables.

Vegetable Sides Day One

2011-10-31T01:00:00.000-07:00

Sunday nights are pretty casual at our house.

I call my mum in Montreal before dinner. Then we sit by the fire and eat a simple meal, usually a stew from the slow cooker.

Last night Larry ate brisket he had cooked in the slow cooker (grass-fed organic beef from the farmer near the Hollywood Blvd. end of the Hollywood Farmers Market) and I ate leftovers. I love leftovers. I put wilted greens (made with collards and beet greens) in the bottom of a small casserole and layered barbecue beans over them. I covered the casserole and reheated it in the oven -- excellent.

We had mashed potatoes too -- apparently potatoes are necessary with brisket.

As the side dish, I cooked broccoli and carrots using a technique I learned years ago when I was eating macrobiotic. Put an inch of water in the bottom of a pan, bring it to a boil, then add the vegetables and let them cook, covered, until done. The heavier vegetables go in the bottom and the lightest on top where they will just steam. When they're cooked, you drain off the small amount of water.

I cut the broccoli florets into large pieces. Then I chopped the tough bottom inch off the broccoli stem, and peeled the remainder down to the tender green part. I cut this in half lengthwise and then into 2-3" lengths. I cut the carrots in 1/2" thick rounds.

I brought an inch of water to boil in a deep pan. I added a little salt and then put the broccoli stems and carrots in to cook, covered, for about 5 minutes. When they were tender on the outside but still tough on the inside (I poked with a slender knife to find out), I added the broccoli florets, covered the pan, and cooked until all was tender. I drained off the water and put the vegetables in a bowl to serve.

Years ago when I first fed Larry broccoli, he asked for lemon pepper to season it. I didn't know what lemon pepper was. Now I put a jar on the table, but he says that farmers market broccoli does not require lemon pepper. It tastes really good all by itself.

A week of vegetables

2011-10-30T18:37:00.001-07:00

Many vegetarians do not eat enough vegetables. I know that sounds weird, but it's easier to fill up on beans and rice than it is to buy and cook vegetables.

Yet study after study shows the correlation between good health and large vegetable intake.

So I try to serve vegetables as side dishes -- the traditional meal of meat and 2 veg except with a vegetarian entree in place of the meat.

I think variety is important, so I buy as wide a selection of vegetables each week as I can. Shopping at the Hollywood Farmers Market makes this easy.

This week I bought corn on the cob, celeriac, carrots, spaghetti squash, chard, mustard greens, sugar snap peas, potatoes, rutabagas and cauliflower. (This is in addition to the salad fixings.)

We had broccoli, beets, turnips, cabbage, celery and zucchini in the fridge, and a sweet potato in the pantry.

This week, I plan to post daily about our side-dish vegetables.

The rules are: onions and white potatoes don't count. Only one of the two vegetables can be starchy. And I'll aim for a pretty color combination.

Let's see how well I do.

Sweet Potato Fries

2011-10-29T01:00:00.000-07:00

Want something orange to serve at dinner on Halloween? I recommend these sweet potato fries. Baked in the oven until they are slightly blackened, they are colorful and just a little sweet.

When I cooked them last week, Larry (not a sweet potato fan) said they were delicious.

Of course, they're also really healthy. Sweet potatoes are rich in beta carotene and other antioxidants. They contain compounds which help reduce the risk of heavy metal residues in the body. And, despite their sweetness, they actually improve blood sugar regulation.

A sweet Halloween treat that tastes good and is good for you - what could be better?

Sweet Potato Fries
2 sweet potatoes
olive oil
salt

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Peel the sweet potatoes and slice them lengthwise in 1/4" pieces. Then cut each piece lengthwise into 1/4" french fry shapes.

Toss them in about a teaspoon of olive oil - easiest to do with your hands. Make sure all the slices have oil on them. Then sprinkle them with a little salt.

Put them on a lightly-oiled rimmed baking sheet, and bake 15 minutes. Flip the fries and cook another 15 minutes.

Sprinkle hot fries with salt if desired.

Serves 2.

Fall Vegetable Stew in Coconut Milk

2011-10-26T01:00:00.000-07:00

The harvest markets are abundant with corn, peppers, zucchini and herbs. I combine them with tofu and coconut milk to make this creamy, delectable stew.

If you can't find fresh organic corn, the frozen kind works fine. Vary the hot pepper to suit your taste - the coconut milk mellows out the flavor considerably. This is a slightly Thai-influenced dish, so use Thai basil if you can find it. If not, the more common Italian kind works fine.

Serve the stew over brown rice for wonderful fall comfort food. It's also great as is, served in a bowl as a combination soup / stew.

Fall Vegetable Stew in Coconut Milk
1 tbsp vegetable oil
14-oz firm tofu
2 small zucchini, diced
4 large ears of corn or 2 cups frozen
1 jalapeno pepper
1 heaping tbsp cilantro (optional)
1 bunch scallions
1 heaping tbsp fresh basil
3/4 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp soy sauce

Drain the tofu and dice into 3/4 inch cubes. Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise, and then into 1/2 inch half-moons.

Warm the oil over medium-high heat and sauté the tofu and zucchini 10 minutes, sprinkling with 1/4 tsp salt and shaking the pan occasionally, until the tofu is a little browned.

Cut the kernels off the corn cobs, or defrost the frozen corn. Seed the jalapeno and mince it finely with the cilantro and basil. Slice the scallions into 1/2 inch lengths, including the firm greens. Add all to the pen. Pour in coconut milk and rinse out the cup measure with 1/3 cup water and stir into pan. (Freeze or refrigerate the remaining coconut milk in the can for later use.)

Stir in soy sauce, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper to taste. Cook 5 minutes until the corn is heated through.

Serves 4-5

Orange juice

2011-10-22T01:00:00.002-07:00

I was raving to Jorge about his oranges the other day and how much we enjoy the juice with Sunday brunch. I stop at his stand (across from McGrath, next to the dried beans from Lompoc) every week to load up on grapefruits, oranges, and whatever else he has in season: pomelos, tangelos, limes, blood oranges - all flavorful and organic.

Jorge told me he went to a local restaurant where they used to serve fresh orange juice but the other day they gave him the pre-packaged stuff. The waitress insisted it was fresh juice, but then went into the kitchen and discovered the carton. She said Jorge was the only customer who'd tasted the difference.

Well of course he noticed - he's a citrus afficionado.

But I'm not surprised other people don't. Our niece Tracie swore that her Florida Naturals o.j. tasted just like fresh juice, until she tasted Uncle Larry's fresh-squeezed version.

But the manufacturers of mass-produced orange juice work hard to make their denatured juice taste as real as possible.

First they remove the oxygen so the juice will last for up to a year. Because this process removes the flavor as well, they then add packets of orange flavoring to make it taste like juice again.

According to Food Renegade, these flavorings don't appear on the label because technically they are derived from orange essence and orange oil. However, the food scientists take a natural product like orange oil, break it down into its constituent chemicals, and then use just one or two of these chemicals to create the flavor or aroma they want.

"The packs added to juice earmarked for the North American market tend to contain high amounts of ethyl butyrate, a chemical in the fragrance of fresh squeezed orange juice that, juice companies have discovered, Americans favor. Mexicans and Brazilians have a different palate. Flavor packs fabricated for juice geared to these markets therefore highlight different chemicals."

This shouldn't surprise anyone who enjoys a certain brand of o.j. and expects it to always taste the same. Nature is not consistent. Sometimes the juice Larry makes is tarter, sometimes more full-bodied, sometimes very sweet. If you find a food that always tastes the same, suspect some chemical trickery.

Are these chemicals harmful? I don't know. But I do know they're not food.

Grated Beet Salad

2011-10-19T01:00:00.000-07:00

I'm reading a lovely cookbook called Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce. It's put out by Melissa's, a distributor of specialty fruits and vegetables. You've probably seen their produce at Whole Foods and higher-end supermarkets.

This is the second cookbook Cathy Thomas has written for them, and it's a gem. Each of the more than 50 types of fruit and vegetables merits a section describing how to store and prepare it, a few quick serving suggestions, and a couple more complete recipes.

I made a quick beet salad for dinner Monday night which Larry said was possibly the best beets he'd ever had. So I had to share the recipe with you.

I served the salad with a Spanish tortilla (potato omelet) and some wilted greens. It was a colorful, healthy and delicious meal.

Grated Beet Salad
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp dijon
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
3 medium beets
1 tbsp minced fresh basil leaves

Whisk together the first 4 ingredients and salt and pepper.

Peel the beets and cut off the tops and bottoms. Slice them to fit the feed tube of your food processor. Use the shredding disk to grate them.

Add the grated beets to the dressing. Toss in the basil and stir to combine.

Serves 3-4

Eggplant and Potato Hotpot

2011-10-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

I love eggplant. Larry is less keen. But when I combine it with potatoes and tomatoes, it makes a stew that even he enjoys.

This is a dish of complex flavors from the chickpeas cooked in a tangy broth to the roasted vegetables seasoned with coriander and lime juice. I think it would convert anyone to loving eggplant.

The chickpeas need to be soaked overnight (or all day) on a cool countertop or in the fridge. Most of the gassy qualities will be rinsed away in the soaking water, and the tumeric added to the cooking water will help make the chickpeas very digestible.

I've adapted the recipe from one by Yamuna Devi in her 1992 book Yamuna's Table.

I used a slotted spoon to remove the vegetables from the juice and served them with sides of steamed green beans and corn on the cob - it made a great fall meal.

If you like, you can leave the vegetables in the flavorful juice and serve them with rice or barley to soak up the deliciousness.

Eggplant and Potato Hotpot
1/2 tbsp mustard seeds
1/2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 lb tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chickpeas, soaked overnight in water and drained
5 cups water
1/2 tsp ground tumeric
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 1/2 lbs eggplant
1 1/2 lbs potatoes
olive oil
1/2 tbsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice

Place the mustard seeds in a heavy pan over medium heat. Cover and cook until the seeds start to pop. Add the ginger, tomatoes, drained chickpeas, water, tumeric and cilantro. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the chickpeas are tender.

Meanwhile, roast the vegetables. Preheat the oven to 375°. Cut the eggplant and potatoes into 1" pieces and toss in a small amount of olive oil. Spread onto two lightly-oiled cookie sheets. Sprinkle with ground coriander and bake about 45 minutes until crisp and golden brown.

Sprinkle the lime juice over the hot vegetables, then add them to the chickpeas. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and barely simmer for 10-15 minutes.

With a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables and chickpeas from the broth and place in a serving bowl.

Serves 8

Bad risotto

2011-10-12T01:00:00.000-07:00

I have had two bad risottos recently, both in restaurants. One had too much lemon oil added at the end, and the other was missing the finishing touch of truffle oil that would have given it flavor.

Even if the chefs had been skilled in adding their flavored oils, the risottos still would have been one-dimensional. Risotto, like most complex dishes, requires layers of flavor cooked into the food. The rice is first turned in olive oil, butter and wine, then cooked gently in a well-flavored stock. A few vegetables can be added for color and texture. I sometimes grate some parmesan or lemon rind over at the end, but that's an extra layer, not a required flavoring.

Vary the flavors in this simple technique to make Asparagus Risotto or Corn Risotto - two of my favorites.

I think the trouble with both restaurant risottos was the lack of flavor in the vegetable broth. Few restaurant chefs know how to make a good vegetable stock - the essential basis for an excellent vegetarian risotto. Instead they rely on flavoring oils and end up with at best a one-dimensional flavor, at worse something inedible.

The best vegetable stocks are made by roasting the vegetables before boiling them - just as you would roast bones when making a meat stock. Add to this some dried mushrooms, and a little soy sauce to get that umami, and you have a great stock, suitable for the best risottos, soups and stews.

I love this stock from Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Robin Robertson, an excellent source for stews and soups that are ready and waiting when you get home from work.

Once the vegetables are roasted, the stock bubbles away without me. When it's done, I store it in 2-cup containers in the freezer, ready to make delicious meals.

The parsnips add another dimension to the stock, and I make many batches during parsnip season. However, it's a good stock even without them.

With a few containers of this great stock in the freezer, you will be ready to make delicious soups and stews to warm your evenings in the winter months ahead.

Roasted 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 above 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.

My Top Five

2011-10-08T01:00:00.000-07:00

As Joy’s carnivorous husband, I am often asked how I put up with all that healthy vegetarian food coming out of our kitchen. (It’s my kitchen, too!)

Here are the top five reasons, in no particular order, based on our last 15 years together.

1. Onions (and garlic) sautéing in olive oil. This seems to be step one in a lot of her dishes, and I’m often greeted with this wonderful aroma when walking in the door. My brain knows what it is, but nevertheless my mouth always does a little fist pump and then asks “what’s cooking”, because I know I’ll love it. It’s a no-brainer.

2. Feta Cheese. My momma never feta me this when I was a kid. Now, I find that I love virtually ever dish, hot or cold, that has it. We get it from the Greek stand at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market.

3. Asparagus Risotto. I never knew what risotto was until I was in my thirties, believe it or not. But I sure do now. Having had it in restaurants, I can tell you that Joy’s vegetable stock is the secret to a good risotto.

4. Tomatoes and Basil. Like with the onions, this is a smell that will immediately conjure all the best sensory memories of marinara sauce, pizza, or pasta with pesto. We can pick both from our garden, and I love the smell of the fresh picked herbs as it intertwines with the more subtle tomato scent.

5. Potatoes. To me, this is the perennial comfort food. Joy can make curry or roasted root vegetables or exotic soups, and if I know my old friend Mister Potato is in there, I know I’m going to be happy.

Penne with Spinach and Feta

2011-10-05T01:00:00.000-07:00

We worked hard in the garden Sunday, planting the winter vegetable garden, painting the fence, generally enjoying the fall day.

All the fresh air and sunshine gave us healthy appetites, so I whipped up this hearty pasta for dinner.

Boy was it good. The warmth of the chiles, the sweetness of the cherry tomatoes, and the healthy glow from the spinach made it a great ending to a busy day.

Penne with Spinach and Feta
1 bunch spinach
6 oz penne (1/2 packet)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot or 2 spring onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 to 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup cherry tomatoes
2 oz feta, diced

Wash the spinach, discarding any big stems. Put it in a large pot with the water still on its leaves. Cover and cook over medium heat until wilted but still green, about 5 minutes. Drain and chop the spinach.

Cook the pasta according to packet directions. Drain.

Warm the olive oil in the same pot, and sauté shallot, garlic, and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes 1-2 minutes to soften a little. Halve the cherry tomatoes and add to the pot along with the pasta and spinach. Stir well and cook about 2 minutes until heated through.

Turn off the heat. Stir in feta and let it sit, covered, 1-2 minutes to soften the cheese.

Serves 3-4

Fresh Peach Coffee Cake

2011-10-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

The Breakfast Bread Pudding went down well at brunch. It was tasty and easy enough to eat that it did not distract from the football game.

Our niece likes to drink mimosas while watching Sunday morning football games, so I decided we would need more carbs at half time to soak up the alcohol. (Redskins fans are long-suffering, and I was uncertain how many mimosas would be needed to dull the pain if the game was a blow-out for the bad guys.)

I served this coffee cake warm from the oven with a dollop of whipped cream - yum. It is light-textured yet dense - good with a cup of coffee if mimosas aren't your thing.

It's quick and easy to make. I combined the flour and butter in the food processor and then refrigerated it while we were at the farmers market. When we got home, I stirred in the remaining ingredients and put it in the oven.

I topped it with fresh peaches and blueberries. Plums, nectarines or apples would be good too. There is not enough fruit to make this health food, but I made it with all organic ingredients, no chemicals or trans fats. Just good honest food. And a welcome treat in our lunches for the rest of the week.

Fresh Peach Coffee Cake
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp grated orange peel (from one organic orange)
1/4 cup butter, diced in 1" squares
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 large peaches
1/2 cup blueberries

Streusel topping:
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Peel the peaches, either by using a regular potato peeler if the peaches are firm enough, or by cutting an x in the skin and immersing the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds, then into a cold water bath until cool enough to handle -- then peel off the skin with your fingers. Cut the peaches in half, remove the pits, and cut the flesh into 1/2-inch thick slices.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and orange peel in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles cornmeal. Tip mixture into a large bowl. (If you don't want to use a food processor, put the ingredients in a large bowl and cut with a pastry blender or two knives until it reaches cornmeal texture.)

In another bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Stir in milk and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the egg mixture. Stir until just moistened. (Don't do this in the food processor - it will overbeat the batter.)

Spoon batter into a well-greased 7 x 11-inch baking pan. Arrange the fruit on top and press it in lightly.

Make the streusel topping by combining the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl. Use your fingers to work in the butter until well-mixed. Scatter over fruit.

Bake for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes, then cut into squares and serve warm, with a dollop of whipped cream if desired.

Makes 8-12 servings.

Breakfast Bread Pudding

2011-09-28T01:00:00.000-07:00

We invited our niece Tracie to watch a Redskins game with us a couple of weeks ago. It was an East coast game which started at 10 a.m. our time. Since we get back from the farmers' market at 9 a.m., I decided to make a brunch dish that could be prepared the night before and just warmed up to be ready for the start of the game.

This Breakfast Bread Pudding fit the bill. I let the melange of bread and sautéed vegetables, smothered in eggs and cheese, sit in the fridge overnight so the bread absorbed the egg and milk, and then I popped it in the oven when we got home from the market.

Served with a plate of fresh fruit, it was a simple all-in-one breakfast casserole. I got the idea from The Big Book of Breakfast by Maryana Vollstedt - a great source for frittatas and muffins, as well as the meat-based breakfasts some enjoy.

I used an Italian loaf, cutting it into 1-inch cubes and using enough to make a double layer of tossed cubes in the baking dish. Don't worry about layers - just toss the bread in until you can't see the bottom of the dish.

Leftovers were great for lunch the next day - either reheated or at room temperature. Serve with a little salsa to give it more kick if you are so inclined.

Breakfast Bread Pudding
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 cup chopped mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
pepper
3-4 drops tabasco
1/2 loaf bread
softened butter
1 1/2 cups grated cheese (I used a combination of cheddar and swiss)

Sauté onion, bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms and garlic in butter until tender, 6-7 minutes.

Slice the end off the bread and discard. Butter the cut end of the loaf, then slice of an inch and dice it into 1" cubes. Put the cubes in the greased 9"round or 8"x11" baking dish. Repeat until you can't see the bottom of the dish.

Scatter the cooked vegetables over the bread. Spread half the cheese over top.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, pepper and tabasco. Pour over the bread, making sure it is completely covered with the mixture. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Let the casserole come to room temperature while you preheat the oven to 350°F. Then bake it, uncovered, until set - about 45-50 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6

Quick Dinner

2011-09-24T01:00:00.000-07:00

The other night I prepared a quick dinner of rice and greens. The secret to the speed was the wise use of leftovers.

I keep cooked rice in the freezer for meals like this. The greens were leftovers I found in the fridge. Stirred together, they made a filling main dish.

Before I went to work, I moved the cooked rice from the freezer to the fridge to defrost. I had leftover white rice from Thai takeout, but I could have used brown rice, or any other cooked grain. The greens were leftover lacinato kale that I had cooked a couple of days earlier as an omelet filling. Any cooked green would have been fine.

At dinner time, I sautéed a chopped onion in a little olive oil in a large skillet. When it was soft, I stirred in the rice, added a little water, and let it cook, covered, until the rice was warmed through. Then I stirred in a lightly-beaten egg, some leftover greens and a little grated cheese. I covered it again and let it warm through and then seasoned with salt and pepper. I served it with steamed green beans and leftover curried kidney beans for a great meal.

Black Bean and Yellow Rice Salad

2011-09-21T01:00:00.000-07:00

Larry and I went to a potluck barbecue on Sunday.

I tend not to take vegetables to grill on a communal barbecue - I know that meat juice is going to fly.

So I took this colorful salad - a nutritious combination of rice and beans that looks like a party.

It's good warm or at room temperature, and there's no mayonnaise in it to go bad if it sits outside on a picnic table for a few hours. I made it with white rice so the yellow color would be more obvious, but when I make it just for us I use healthier brown rice.

Best of all, it gets stirred together and cooked in the rice cooker. Easy and fast. If you don't have a rice cooker, cook it in a pot on the stove, but keep an eye on it so it doesn't scorch on the bottom when all the water is absorbed.

Black Bean and Yellow Rice Salad
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
1 bay leaf
15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (or 1/3 cup dry beans, cooked)
1 green pepper, cored, seeded and chopped (or 2 stalks celery, diced)
15 cherry tomatoes, halved

Dressing
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onion in olive oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, tumeric, cumin, salt, pepper and rice. Cook, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes. Transfer to rice cooker. Add 1 3/4 cups water and bay leaf. Cook until done.

Put the rice into a large bowl and remove the bay leaf. Add the black beans, bell pepper and tomatoes. Gently toss. Add the dressing ingredients and adjust seasonings as needed.

Serves 6-8

Green Omelet

2011-09-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

Spinach is a common omelet filling. Last night I used lacinato kale instead for an exceptionally healthy dinner. I served the omelet with stovetop beets and carrots, and stewed green beans and tomatoes from our garden.

I'm a fan of the complete food that is an egg. All that guff about them raising cholesterol was debunked years ago. Very little dietary cholesterol gets passed into the blood. Stress, sugar and trans fats are worse for your blood fat numbers than eggs.

Eggs are a good source of nutrients. One egg contains 6 grams of protein and some healthful unsaturated fats. Eggs are also a good source of choline (which has been linked with preserving memory) and lutein and zeaxanthin (good for the eyes).Eggs are also a good source of Vitamin D.

Surprisingly, there's only been one large study that looked at the impact of egg consumption on heart disease, and it found no connection between the two.

I'm lucky enough to be able to buy eggs laid by true free-range chickens - they live in an orchard eating bugs. I'm sure their eggs are healthier than those of factory-farmed, corn-fed chickens. Or worse, chickens being fed ground-up chicken feathers in their diet.

But if you can get good eggs, enjoy them.

I cooked the kale especially for the omelets, but I could have used leftover cooked greens instead. One bunch made enough for four omelets, so I stored the extra in the fridge to stir into cooked rice later this week.

I'm not an omelet expert, so if you have a way that works for you, use it. Or follow my instructions and remember that the worst thing that can happen is you'll wind up with scrambled eggs with the filling stirred in. How bad is that?

Omelet with a Filling of Lacinato Kale
1 bunch lacinato (dinosaur) kale
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup diced onion
1/2 inch sprig fresh rosemary
dried chile flakes
1 small clove garlic, thinly sliced
salt to taste

Remove the stems from the kale and discard. Blanch the leaves in boiling salted water for 3 minutes until bright green. Drain and chop coarsely.

Heat oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Add the onion, rosemary and a sprinkling of chile flakes. Cook 2 minutes then add garlic and a sprinkling of salt. When the onion is translucent and starting to color, add the kale. Cook over medium-low heat, covered, for 30-40 minutes, stirring often. The kale will turn a deep almost black color, become soft, and then almost a little crisp. If it starts to brown, add a little hot water from the kettle and scrape the browned bits off the bottom. They'll add to the flavor. Sprinkle with salt. Set aside.

Omelet
2 eggs
1 tbsp butter
cooked greens
1 tbsp diced mild cheese
1 tbsp diced tomato
salt and pepper to taste

Warm butter in an 8- or 9-inch omelet pan over medium heat. Lightly beat eggs with 1 tbsp water and a little salt and pepper. When the butter stops sizzling in the pan, pour in the eggs. Let the eggs sit until the bottom dries a little, then lift up an edge with a thin metal spatula and let the runny egg flow underneath. Keep going for a couple of minutes until the top is almost dry. Place the filling ingredients on one half: 1/4 of the greens, 1 tbsp diced cheese, 1 tbsp diced tomato. Fold the other half over the filling, and carefully slide the omelet onto a plate. Serves 1

Late Summer Black Bean Salad

2011-09-10T01:00:00.000-07:00

This is a wonderful time of year at the farmers market: corn on the cob, all colors of peppers, vine-ripened tomatoes.

I like to combine them in this colorful black bean salad. It's a great dinner on a warm evening, and fast to make if you use canned beans. (I cook dried beans the night before so it's easy to put together at dinner time.)

Add hot peppers or some salsa if you'd like a spicier salad. (Sweating is cooling!) Serve the beans with a green salad for a meal that is filling but not too heavy.

I don't cook the corn in this recipe. I get sweet organic corn at the Hollywood Farmers Market from Finley Farms. It tastes great raw, although I do cook it for corn on the cob.

Taste your corn by removing the husk and slicking off a kernel. It should taste fresh, sweet and grassy. If it's flavorless, cook it in boiling water for a couple of minutes after removing it from the cob. I slice the raw corn off the cob by lying the ear on its side and cutting off a few rows with my big knife, then rotating the ear a little and doing a few more.

(If you can't find organic fresh corn, use the frozen kind. Cook it a couple of minutes before adding to the salad.)

This bean salad will last a few days in the fridge, so save some to take to work for lunch the next day. It's like having late summer in your lunch bag.

Summer Black Bean Salad
2 cups dry black beans, cooked (or 3 14-oz cans)
1/2 red onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
2 green onions, white and some green, sliced thinly on diagonal
2 cups corn kernels (from about 3 ears)
1/ 2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
2 cups small cherry tomatoes, halved or whole
salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
juice from 1 lime (2-3 tbsp)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Cook dry beans in a large pot of boiling water until they are tender but still retain their shape. Drain well.

If using canned beans, drain and rinse well.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour over the beans. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.

Serves 6-8

Frozen Bananas

2011-09-08T01:00:00.000-07:00

I like to buy organic bananas even though they don't grow locally. I feel good about supporting chemical-free agriculture in tropical countries.

I don't buy non-organic bananas because I choose not to support agriculture that poisons the workers. Conventional bananas are grown with pesticides categorized by the World Health Organization in the first and second most dangerous categories. Typical banana plantations in Central America apply 30 kilograms of pesticides per hectare each year. That is 10 times more than the amount used in intensive agriculture in developed nations.

Fortunately, organic bananas are becoming easier to find at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. Even my local grocery store carries them pretty regularly.

Since they tend to go brown faster than we can eat them, I throw the extras in a zip-loc bag in the freezer and get ready to enjoy my favorite frozen treat.

On hot days like today, I pull a banana from the freezer, peel it, slice it, and enjoy a treat that is better than ice cream. And healthier too.

Bananas are a good source of fructooligosaccharide, a compound that nourishes probiotic (good) bacteria in the colon. These beneficial bacteria produce enzymes that increase digestive ability and protect against unhealthy bacterial infections. Similar to eating yogurt or taking probiotic pills.

Frozen bananas might also make you happy. They're a good source of tryptophan, an amino acid converted by your body into the mood-booster serotonin.

Frozen Banana
1 ripe banana

Put the banana with peel in a bag in the freezer. Let it freeze at least a few hours until it is solid, but you can leave it there for up to 6 months.

Take the banana from the freezer just before you want to eat it. Let it sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes until the peel has defrosted enough for you to remove it.

Peel then slice the banana. Eat while it's still hard. If it defrosts too much it gets mushy - great for banana bread, but not so good for dessert.

Serves 1.

Hibiscus-Lime Iced Tea

2011-09-03T01:00:00.000-07:00

September can be the hottest month here in Southern California, and this hibiscus-lime iced tea is the drink I turn to when plain water just isn't cutting it.

I don't buy bottled drinks because they are made with tap water and chemicals in the guise of flavorings. Making tea at home keeps it real. I use filtered water and natural foods.

I get jamaica flowers from my local Mexican supermarket, but well-stocked grocery stores and health food stores will have them too. You'll recognize the taste from Celestial Seasonings' Red Zinger tea. Although jamaica is in the same family as the hibiscus that grows in our garden, they are not interchangeable. The jamaica flowers we drink are picked from a tropical vine that grows in India, Africa and Mexico.

While I usually eschew the use of sugar, in this drink it's essential. The sugar syrup gives the tea a satisfying feel in the mouth, especially if you're used to bottled iced tea. Plus it gives me the energy boost I need to get back to work in the garden.

Add enough sugar syrup so the tea tastes good to you. The extra syrup will last a few weeks in the fridge to be added to your next batch of tea. I think the iced tea will last at least a week in the fridge, but it's never spent more than 3 days in ours.

Hibiscus-Lime Iced Tea
1 cup sugar
zest of 4 limes, removed in strips
3/4 cup dried hibiscus (jamaica) flowers - 1/2 a 2oz packet

Combine the sugar and lime zest with 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep 30 minutes. Strain into a measuring cup.

In a large saucepan, combine the hibiscus flowers and 8 cups cold water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep 20 minutes at room temperature. Then refrigerate until chilled.

Strain the hibiscus water into a large pitcher. Stir in 1/2 cup of lime syrup, or more to taste. Serve in tall glasses over ice.

Summer Sandwich and Salad

2011-08-31T01:00:00.000-07:00

Is there anything better than a home-grown tomato and basil sandwich?

That was our dinner the other night, along with a salad of mixed greens. If you want to push your tomato sandwich over the top, use basil mayonnaise on the bread. Yum.

To add to the summery-ness of the salad, I used beer in the salad dressing. No, it doesn't taste like beer, but it has a complex sweetness which goes well with the tomato sandwich.

The salad recipe is from McAuslan Brewing, a Montreal microbrewery. The salad dressing calls for St. Ambroise pale ale, but that's hard to find in LA so I used Newcastle instead. Just don't use a lager - it will be all bubbles and no flavor.

For cheese I used Cashel Blue from Ireland -- a soft buttery blue with a salty bite.

Unusual? Yes. And surprisingly delicious. It might become your go-to summer salad.

McAuslan Salad
1 tbsp mustard
1/4 cup pale ale
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tbsp honey
mixed greens
blue cheese

Combine mustard, ale and vinegar. Whisk in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk in honey and taste again.

This will make 1 1/4 cups dressing. It keeps well in the fridge.

Toss some mixed greens with a little dressing. Put on individual plates and dot each serving with 1 tbsp crumbled blue cheese.

Hummus

2011-08-27T01:00:00.000-07:00

In this heat, I do not feel like cooking. Or eating much. But a dinner of Greek salad with pita and homemade hummus is zesty enough to tempt the appetite, and there's no need to heat up the kitchen.

Hummus is great on pita, or as a dip with vegetables, or layered in a sandwich. Dilute it with olive oil or yogurt for a thick salad dressing that's also good spooned over cooked vegetables or rice.

Not only does it taste good, but it's good for you. Chickpeas contain a special type of fiber that is extremely beneficial to the cells that line the colon. They also contain antioxidants, minerals, protein and other nutrients. Whole books have been written on the health benefits of garlic, but suffice to say that it is anti-inflammatory, good for those blood numbers your doctor worries about, and helps protect against cancer.

I cook dry chickpeas the day before, drain them and refrigerate them overnight. You can use canned beans if you prefer.

I like my hummus garlicky. Use fewer cloves if that's not your thing. Also, make the hummus exactly the way you like it by adding extra lemon juice or salt or olive oil before serving.

Leftover hummus will last a week in the fridge, if you hide it.

Hummus
2/3 cup dry chickpeas, cooked (or 1 can, drained)
1/4 cup tahini
6 cloves garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp salt

Put all the ingredients in the food processor. Process until smooth - it will take a couple of minutes, be patient and let it take the time it needs to get smooth.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Portabello Mushroom Burgers

2011-08-24T01:00:00.001-07:00

Portabello mushrooms make a meaty, flavorful vegetarian "burger." The mushrooms are usually grilled whole and served on a bun with various toppings. (At a Montreal bistro last week, my mother was served a "burger" composed of three grilled mushrooms stacked on top of each other.)

The mushrooms in this recipe, however, are not whole. Instead they are diced and stirred into grated cheese, bound with eggs and oatmeal, and lightly fried until crisp and golden on the outside.

Even Larry, not a big fan of the mushroom, really enjoyed these burgers. I think they're the best ever.

But don't try cooking them on the barbecue - they will annoy you by crumbling through the grill.

Mushroom Burgers
1 1/2 cups portabello mushrooms in rough 1/3-inch cubes (about 5 oz total)
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup scottish oatmeal
8 oz jarlsberg cheese
salt and pepper
1-2 tbsp vegetable oil

Combine mushrooms, eggs, oatmeal, cheese and salt and pepper. Shape by hand into four burgers. At this point I am sure they will not hold together. But they do.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add burgers and cook 3-4 minutes per side until golden.

Serves 4

(The cooked burgers last a couple of days in the fridge. They taste even better reheated.)

Tofu Teriyaki

2011-08-20T01:00:00.001-07:00

If you invite a vegan to dinner, this is a great meal to serve. The brown rice and greens make it healthy, and the teriyaki sauce makes it yummy. Your friends and family will think you ordered out, until they taste the food and realize how good it really is.

The teriyaki sauce is complex -- a little sweet, a little salty, with good depth of flavor. It transforms the tofu, and there'll be enough to pour over the rice as well.

You can find brown rice syrup, mirin and tamari at any health food store. The brown rice syrup gives the sauce its sheen and a slight sweetness. Mirin is a rice wine that is cheap and lasts for years in the cupboard. Tamari is a wheat-free soy sauce with less sodium than most national brands.

Start the meal prep by putting brown rice on to cook - a rice cooker makes this easy because you can set it and forget it.

While the tofu is pressing, wash and coarsely chop the greens (removing any tough stems) and make the teriyaki sauce.

Start the tofu cooking, then the greens. I used kale, but any green you like will do. For one bunch of greens, sauté 1/2 onion in a little olive oil until soft. Add 1 clove minced garlic and a sprinkling of chili flakes if desired. Add the damp chopped greens and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir well, then cover and let cook for 5-8 minutes before stirring again. Cook until they are the consistency you like. Add extra water if they start to stick on the bottom. They will be ready at the same time as the tofu, but if one is finished first, cover and keep it off the heat until all is ready to serve together.

This is a simple meal that looks fancy and tastes great. Give it a try!

Tofu Teriyaki
1 lb firm organic tofu
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1/4 cup tamari (soy sauce)
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup apple juice
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Place the tofu on a shallow plate. Put a second plate on top of the tofu with a jar of beans or other heavy weight on top. Press for at least 15 minutes. Drain off the excess water.

In a small bowl, whisk together the brown rice syrup, tamari, mirin, apple juice and toasted sesame oil.

Cut the tofu into roughly 3/4 inch slices. Cut each slice into triangles. Pat dry.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large frypan. Add the tofu and cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Add the sauce and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is syrupy and coats the tofu, about 15 minutes.

Serves 4

Zucchini casserole

2011-08-17T01:00:00.000-07:00

Back in the '80s my mother bought Frances Moore Lappé's groundbreaking book, Diet for a Small Planet, and its companion volume Recipes for a Small Planet. As a new vegetarian, I used Recipes so much its pages started falling out.

The books were innovative in the way they addressed the concerns of protein in the vegetarian diet. Lappé showed how grains, beans, seeds, nuts and dairy products can be combined to create large amounts of complete protein.

The recipes in these books are heavy on the dairy. As I learned more about the protein and complete nutrition in vegetables, and eased away from the regular eating of dairy products, the books drifted to the back of the bookcase.

However, I pulled Recipes out the other day when I bought some St. Benoit yogurt at the Hollywood Farmers Market, and was inspired to make this creamy and delicious casserole for the first time in years. St. Benoit yogurt is made from the rich milk of organic Jersey cows in Sonoma county. It makes a wonderful topping for this brown rice and zucchini dish. You can use thick Greek-style yogurt or whole-milk yogurt if you can't find some made from the milk of happy Jersey cows.

Zucchini Casserole
1 1/2 cups raw brown rice
4 cups (4 small) zucchini, in 1-inch dice
2 cups yogurt
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup grated cheddar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives or scallions
1/3 cup toasted sesame seeds
bread crumbs
butter

Cook the rice in 3 cups of boiling water with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp paprika until tender. Drain if necessary (it probably won't be).

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine the yogurt, toasted sesame oil, cheddar and salt in a small saucepan. Warm over low heat until the cheese melts. Remove from stove and stir in the beaten egg and chives. Make sure the sauce is not so hot that it curdles the egg. (That's an esthetic issue -- it will taste good either way.)

Stir the cooked rice and sesame seeds together. Spread on the bottom of a 7 x 11 shallow baking dish. Spread the zucchini cubes on top. Pour the yogurt sauce over, then top with a layer of bread crumbs and dot generously with butter.

Bake 25 minutes until the crumbs are browned and the squash is tender but still firm.

Good news on franken-foods

2011-08-13T01:00:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we humans are still considering genetically-modified organisms as a food source.

But the Big Agra lobby is very big, and puts a lot of pressure on money-grubbing politicians to do the wrong thing. (What can you expect with a political system where millions of dollars are needed to run a campaign? But I digress.)

Larry wrote about the pervasiveness of Big Agra after watching Food Inc. last March.

(In the US, the only way to be sure of not eating gmos - genetically modified organisms - is to buy organic or to check for a label like the one in the picture above on a bottle of canola oil. Or on the bag of soy flour lower left. Canola, soy and corn are the most genetically-modified foods, so always read labels for them.)

However, I have good news. In July, genetically-modified food took a large step backwards when the US refrained from opposing the gmo labelling guidance document in the Codex. Now any country who wants to require genetically-modified foods to be labelled as such is free to do so.

(The Codex alimentarius is a project of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization. They are codifying worldwide food practices. I first heard of them 20 years ago when they were attacking the vendors of herbs like echinacea, saying their products were not patented like drugs are, and therefore were less effective. Say the word Codex in parts of Canada and to various natural health practitioners and they will growl at you.)

But since the Codex will govern most of the world food production, a line in it saying countries can demand that genetically-modified organisms be labelled as such is a great step forward.

Note that the US did not vote for this excellent rule. They abstained from fighting it. Big Agra (I'm talking about you Monsanto and perennial NPR supporter Archer Daniels Midland) can live to fight another day.

The only way you can be sure the food you eat is not genetically modified is to buy organic. For a non-gmo shoppers guide, click here.

For more information on the Codex deal, click here.

Why do I care about genetic modificiation? As a vegetarian, I don't want to eat fish genes in my tomatoes (yes, they've tried that). Plus, nature has been doing great for thousands of years without us. The only benefits I can see of genetic engineering is it makes square tomatoes which ship more easily and it creates corn that is not killed by Roundup so farmers can spray more pesticides on my food.

With my food dollars I vote no on gmo. I hope you do too.

Chopped Italian Salad

2011-08-10T01:00:00.001-07:00

This is a great marinated salad in the Italian style. Although it contains many antipasto ingredients, I serve it as a meal by itself, maybe with some good bread to sop up the dressing.

The protein comes from garbanzo beans (chickpeas). Toasting gives them a nutty flavor, and they act as croutons in the salad. They're not crunchy, but they have a density that makes a nice contrast to the tangy vegetables. Plus they have the added benefit of detoxifying your body of any sulfites in the wine you're drinking. They contain molybdenum, a trace mineral that detoxes sulfites, as well as plenty of insulin-balancing fiber and protein. Isn't it great that health food can taste so good?

Chopped Italian Salad
1 15-oz can garbanzo beans
1 6 1/2 oz jar marinated artichokes
3-4 tbsp olive oil
2 large stalks celery, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 small red onion, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch dice
8 kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
2-3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
pepper
4 cups romaine leaves torn into bite-sized pieces, chilled and crisped

Rinse garbanzo beans and blot dry with a kitchen towel. Drain artichokes, reserving liquid, and cut them into 1/4 inch thick slices.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in skillet over high heat. Add garbanzo beans and cook, shaking pan often, until browned, about 7 minutes. (Add more oil if necessary.) In a 2-quart bowl, combine garbanzo beans, artichokes and their liquid, 2 tbsp olive oil, celery, onion, bell pepper, olives, 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Toss until well mixed. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Let rest at room temperature up to 4 hours.

Toss vegetables again. Add romaine and mix well. Taste. If desired, add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, and 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar and toss again until well mixed. (I often leave out this second round of dressing because I find the salad tangy enough without.) Mound salad on platter and serve.

4 very large servings.

High-Protein Granola

2011-08-06T01:00:00.000-07:00

This is my current favorite granola. The protein from the soy flour keeps me going all morning. And Larry says it tastes like a granola bar - I understand that's a compliment.

The recipe is from a '70s hippie commune called The Farm. I have a few old cookbooks from intentional communities in the '60s and '70s. They are full of earnest recipes by people trying to live the good, earth-friendly, socially-responsible, self-sufficient life. And while vegetarian tastes have evolved in the past 50 years, this granola has stood the test of time.

High-Protein Granola
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup bran
1 cup sunflower seeds
3/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup organic soy flour
1 cup brown sugar dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla

Stir everything together in a large bowl.

Pour onto two cookie sheets and cook in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes until golden. Turn the granola a few times with a spatula so it browns but doesn't burn.

Let cool a little, but don't let it get cold or it will stick to the cookie sheets. Store in an airtight container.

3/4 cup of granola and 1/2 cup soymilk provides 15 gm of complete protein.

Grilled Veggie Sandwich

2011-08-03T01:00:00.000-07:00

The other night I pulled out my grill pan and whipped up these delicious sandwiches for dinner.

Who says great sandwiches have to have meat?

I used a soft whole wheat bread, because it helps to hold the sandwiches together if you can squeeze it. Save the dense breads for another use.

Wild arugula from our garden added zestiness. Milder greens will be less flavorful, so use more of them, and season with extra pepper or even a little hot sauce.

The basil mayonnaise is great on tomato sandwiches too. It lasts a week or so in the fridge.

Grilled Veggie Sandwich
1/2 cup mayonnaise (or nayonnaise for a vegan sandwich)
1 tbsp minced basil
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 small zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices.
4 slices bread
1 cup arugula or baby spinach
6 thin slices tomato
1/2 cup red onion sliced 1/4 inch thick
salt and pepper

Combine mayonnaise, basil and lemon zest. Set aside.

Brush zucchini and onion with oil and grill over high heat until tender, 3-5 minutes per side. Brush with more oil as needed.

To assemble sandwich, spread 1 tbsp mayonnaise on 2 slices bread. Top 1 slice bread with 1/2 cup arugula, 3 tomato slices and 1/4 cup onion. Season with salt and pepper. Top with zucchini and second bread slice. Repeat for second sandwich.

Makes 2 sandwiches.

Red Peppers

2011-07-30T01:00:00.000-07:00

I rarely eat red peppers in July. Local ones don't show up at the market until August, and I prefer to eat locally-grown produce.

But last week our local independent supermarket had organic red peppers imported from Mexico, and I picked up a packet. I like to support local business, but since I won't buy non-organic or processed food, my choices are often limited. This local store, however, is doing its best to cater to people like me as well as to normal people.

I took the peppers home, and because they were imported I washed them more thoroughly than I do the produce I buy from local farmers.

My local farmers eat the food they grow. If it were bacterially compromised, they would suffer the same effects I would. So they're careful with their food.

Produce shipped long distances and stored in large warehouses along the way has very little accountability - that's where the problems come in, I think. Give me small farms and local farmers any day.

Except, I wanted to support my local independent grocery store.

The peppers were organic, so I was not worried about systemic pesticides. I washed the outsides with dishwashing liquid. I use Planet, a coconut-based cleaner. (Did you know most dishwashing liquids are made from petroleum? Kind of weirds me out to be putting a fork in my mouth after it's been washed in petroleum.)

The dishwashing liquid is a good veggie wash for external pesticide residue, but I was most concerned with the dust of the road and the germs of the many hands that had touched my well-travelled peppers.

Satisfied they were clean, I cooked them up for my grilled vegetable salad. They were excellent. And I was happy to have supported my local independent grocery store, as well as the organic farmers in Mexico whose workers are not being poisoned by the chemicals used in conventional agriculture.

Grilled Vegetable Salad

2011-07-27T01:00:00.000-07:00

This is a full-meal salad that is quickly made on the barbecue or a grill pan.

It can also be an accompaniment to a barbecue meal, in which case the orange juice in the salad dressing will counteract the negative effects of eating grilled meat.

As you know, oranges are a great source of Vitamin C, the primary water-soluble antioxidant in the body. Vitamin C protects against free radicals in the watery environment both inside and outside of cells. This is especially useful in the digestive tract where there is a high turnover rate of cells - Vitamin C intake is linked to a decreased risk of colon cancer. It also prevents cholesterol from oxidizing.

Of course, I don't eat barbecued meat, so I enjoy this salad for its taste, not its health benefits.

Grilled Vegetable Salad
1 bunch fresh asparagus
1 red pepper, cut in quarters
4 tbsp olive oil, divided use
4 slices baguette
1/4 cup orange juice (from 1 orange)
2 tbsp thyme leaves
2 tsp mustard
green leaf lettuce

Grill the asparagus (click here for instructions). When it's done, remove from grill.

Toss the red pepper in 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Grill, turning occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Brush bread with remaining olive oil and grill until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side.

Set everything aside to cool while you prepare the dressing. Whisk together orange juice, thyme, mustard, and 2 tbsp olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cut asparagus and red peppers into bite-sized pieces. Toss with enough dressing to lightly coat. Arrange lettuce on a serving plate and place tossed vegetables on top. Serve with toasted baguette and the extra dressing on the side.

Serves 2-3.

Grilled Asparagus

2011-07-23T01:00:00.000-07:00

When I lived in Montreal, local asparagus was a sign that summer had finally arrived.

Here in LA, asparagus is available for many months of the year, and it's easy to get blasé about it. But the other day I cooked a bunch on my cast-iron stovetop grill, and discovered new dimensions of flavor in this healthy vegetable.

There are many reasons to eat asparagus. It is high in potassium (known for reducing abdominal fat) and glutathione (a powerful antioxidant). It's a good source of folate, an anti-inflammatory vitamin that provides important protection against cancer and birth defects. It's one of the best sources of the bone-building vitamin K. And it's a detoxifier that is traditionally used to prevent and treat urinary tract infections and kidney stones.

This recipe works on the barbecue too. I learned the trick in The Big Book of Backyard Cooking by Betty Rosbottom. This is not a vegetarian book, but there are lots of good things in it around the edges, like this great way of cooking asparagus.

Grilled Asparagus
1 bunch asparagus
2 tbsp olive oil

Chop the ends off the asparagus spears, and rinse under running water.

Fill a bowl with 4 cups water and the 2 tbsp olive oil. Soak the asparagus in it for 5 minutes.

Warm the grill pan to medium heat. (If using a barbecue, oil the grill rack and place it 4-5 inches over a hot fire.)

Drain the asparagus, toss it with a little salt and pepper, and place it in a single layer in the grill pan or on the barbecue. (It will spatter a little.) Grill, turning occasionally with tongs, until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Walnut and Sage Tapenade

2011-07-20T01:00:00.000-07:00

On these warm summer evenings, salads make a great dinner. But sometimes the plate of raw vegetables needs a little something extra.

This non-traditional tapenade is a yummy way to boost the protein content of a meal. I especially like it spread on slices of baguette. It's also good on raw vegetables - try it on cauliflower. And if you feel like cooking, toss it with pasta. It lasts in the fridge for days, and can be frozen.

I first created this recipe when our niece Tracie brought a vegan friend to lunch. I wanted a simple make-ahead appetizer. It needed to be without dairy products, and hummus was not an option because I was serving beans for the main course.

Then I remembered a walnut-sage pesto I had served on spaghetti. I adapted it into this spread and it was the hit of the party.

The tapenade is oily, which is why it's good smeared on bread. But don't feel guilty about the fat content because walnuts are a heart-friendly food. They actually reduce cholesterol, and are a good source of tocotrienols - antioxidants in the Vitamin E family. Walnuts have been found to improve blood flow after a high-fat meal.

I buy walnuts from Rancho La Vina in the Santa Rita Hills. They have been farming walnuts organically since the 1800s, and they have a stand at the Hollywood Farmers Market.

The fresh sage adds a nice undertone, but leave it out if you can't find it. I use Baleine coarse sea salt which has a clean flavor but is not overly expensive.

Walnut and Sage Tapenade
1 cup walnuts
1 large clove garlic
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage (3-4 leaves)
1 tsp coarse salt
1/3 cup olive oil

Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet 5 minutes until they are fragrant.

In a food processor, combine the garlic, sage and coarse salt. Pulse a few times. Add the walnuts and process until chopped fine.

While the processor is running, add the olive oil in a slow stream until the tapenade reaches a spreading consistency. You might not need all the oil.

(If you're using it as a pasta sauce, add extra oil so it is more of a sauce.)

Spoon the tapenade into a bowl and add extra salt, pepper and sage to taste.

Makes about 3/4 cup.

Reducing pesticide exposure

2011-07-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

I make a point of eating organically-grown food because it is better for me, the farmworkers and the planet.

However, I realize not everyone is fortunate enough to have a great farmers market nearby, or a family who is willing to eat seasonally.

Since it is always better to eat non-organic produce than to avoid fruits and vegetables, I present here a list of produce which is safe to eat even if not organic.

The list is compiled by the Environmental Working Group, which tests fresh U.S.-grown produce for levels of pesticide residue.

You can find their full report here. They mention that if you choose your daily 5 servings of vegetables from the Clean Fifteen list instead of the Dirty Dozen, you will reduce your pesticide intake by 92 per cent. That's worth doing.

New on the toxic list from last year: spinach, blueberries, potatoes and collard greens. Make sure to find those in the organic section of your supermarket. Grapefruit, mushrooms and cantaloupe are new on the safe to eat even if conventionally-grown list.

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

Clean Fifteen - safe to eat even if not organic
onions
sweet corn
pineapples
avocado
asparagus
peas
mangoes
eggplant
cantaloupe
kiwi
cabbage
watermelon
sweet potatoes
grapefruit
mushrooms

Braised Turnips

2011-07-13T01:00:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for a simple way to add fiber to a meal, choose turnips.

Turnips are an excellent source of Vitamin C, folic acid, fiber, and some trace minerals. They have less calories than a potato, but can replace them to fill out a meal.

This is a quick way to cook them while keeping their nutrients intact. They will have a rich buttery flavor softening the slight turnip acerbity. I think they're even better this way than roasted.

Braised Turnips
9 oz turnips (three small)
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup water

Peel turnips and cut in 1 inch chunks.

Melt butter in a heavy pot. Add the turnips and stir until well-coated with the butter. Add water and a light sprinkling of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, until the turnips are almost tender, about 10 minutes. Remove lid and let any remaining water boil off before serving.

Serves 2-3

Gorgonzola and Arugula Pasta

2011-07-09T01:00:00.001-07:00

I planted some wild arugula a few years ago, and now it seeds itself around the garden in a most agreeable way. I picked some the other day to make this delicious pasta.

The dish is lively on the palate and quick to make, making it a good choice on these warm summer evenings when you don't feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen.

Gorgonzola and Arugula Pasta
1/2 lb pasta, whatever shape you like
1 generous tbsp olive oil
3 oz crimini mushrooms, quartered
2 small tomatoes, diced
1 bunch arugula, about 2 inches across at the stems, or a 2oz bag
1/4 lb gorgonzola, cut into large dice, about 3/4 cup
pepper

Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente.

Warm olive oil and sauté mushrooms 5 minutes. Wash the arugula and cut it into 2-inch pieces. Add the tomatoes and arugula to the pan and sauté until the arugula is wilted, about 2 minutes. Pour into a large pasta bowl and stir in the gorgonzola.

Drain pasta well and add to bowl. Season with plenty of pepper. Taste before adding salt - the amount needed will depend on the saltiness of the gorgonzola.

Toss well and serve.

Serves 2-3

Baked Chard with Feta

2011-07-06T01:00:00.000-07:00

I had a great day working in the garden, and did not feel like cooking dinner. So I picked some Swiss chard on my way into the house and stirred together this one-dish meal. I cooked it in the toaster oven so I didn't have to heat up the kitchen. It has protein from the chickpeas and vegetables from the chard, so no sides were necessary.

Even though it's a simple casserole, it would be a good one to serve to guests, or anyone reluctant to eat greens. Larry said it smelled like pizza while it was cooking.

If you don't have chard, you could use spinach or another tender green. If your dill is more vigorous than mine, add a couple of tablespoons along with the chickpeas.

I used a can of chickpeas (this was lazy cooking, remember?) but you could use 1/3 cup dry chickpeas, cooked until tender but not falling apart.

Good feta is crucial to this dish. I have not found satisfactory organic feta, so I buy mine from the Aliki's Greek Taverna stand at the Hollywood Farmers Market. How poisoned can Greek feta be, I ask myself? Feta is usually made from sheep's milk, not high on the factory-farmed, hormone-added, antibiotic-inflicted list.

So use good feta and fresh greens, and you will relish this one-dish meal.

Swiss Chard with Feta and Chickpeas
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup diced white onion
1 1/2 to 2 lbs chard
1 clove garlic, minced
14-oz can chickpeas, drained
3 oz feta, diced

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Wash chard, remove heavy stems. Chop about 1 cup of these stems into 1/2 inch dice, discard the rest.

Sauté onion and diced chard stems in olive oil until tender. Add chard leaves, toss well, cover and let cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Drain, squeeze out liquid with the back of a wooden spoon, and chop coarsely.

Toss the chard with 1 tbsp olive oil, garlic and chickpeas. Season to taste with salt and pepper, but remember the feta will add saltiness.

Spoon the chard mixture into a 6x8 inch pyrex casserole. Scatter feta on top and push into the greens. Bake 15-20 minutes until sizzling hot and aromatic. Serve immediately.

Serves 2-3

Blackberry Crumble

2011-07-02T01:00:00.002-07:00

As July starts, our blackberry season comes to an end.

We have had a wonderful harvest this year - more than we could eat in our morning fruit. So I made a crumble, combining the blackberries (which might be olallieberries) with our own blueberries.

Crumbles are far easier to make than pies. A crumbly topping is spread over fresh berries and then baked. It's good with whipped cream or ice cream, or even plain for breakfast.

This crumble has a thick top crust, which I like against the juiciness of the berries. If you prefer more fruit than crust, use less of the topping.

This would be fine made with frozen berries. Defrost them first and pour off some of the juice from the blackberries. Or use mixed berries. With crumbles the possibilities are endless.

We ate our home-grown berry crumble warm with Julie's organic vanilla ice cream on the side. A true summer treat.

Berry Crumble
1 1/4 lbs berries
4 oz butter, softened
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Put the berries in a 6-cup casserole. Sprinkle with a little sugar.

Cut the flour into the butter until it resembles crumbs. Stir in the oats, sugar and spices.

Spread the flour mixture over the berries.

Bake until golden brown on top, and some of the juices are bubbling through, about 30 minutes.

Let cool a little before eating - the fruit will be very hot.

Serves 6. Leftovers are great for breakfast.

Summer Salad

2011-06-29T01:00:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite cookbooks is A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen by Jack Bishop. He has a gentle way with vegetables, making them tasty enough for his children to enjoy, yet allowing their flavors to come through.

His peach and lettuce salad tastes of summer and is great eaten outside with a dinner cooked on the barbecue.

It's also very healthy. A reduction of fresh orange juice replaces most of the oil in the dressing and enhances the flavor of the peaches. This recipe doubles easily.

Sometimes I use pumpkin seeds, and sometimes cashews. I like them both with the peaches, but last week I opted for the buttery crunch of cashews to enhance the soft crunch of the tender lettuce from Finley Farms.

Peach and Lettuce Salad
2 tbsp cashews
1/2 cup fresh orange juice (from 1 orange)
2 tsp lime juice
2 tsp olive oil
4 cups lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
1 peach, halved, pitted and diced

Put orange juice in a small saucepan and cook until syrupy and reduced to about 1 tbsp, about 10 minutes. Let cool.

Toast cashews in a dry skillet until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Whisk lime juice and olive oil into orange juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine lettuce, peaches and cashews in a salad bowl. Toss with the dressing just before serving.

Serves 3-4

Dry-farmed apricots

2011-06-27T01:00:00.000-07:00

If you find dry-farmed apricots, snap them up.

Dry-farmed apricots are grown with minimal additional water, generally just the winter rains. So as the fruit is ripening, the flavor and sweetness get concentrated in the tissues. They actually taste of apricots, rather than the overly-plump and flavorless apricots that are commonly available.

I found some of these wonderful apricots at the Flora Bella stand at the Hollywood Farmers Market yesterday, and we ate them for breakfast with some sweet strawberries from Finley Farms.

Wow.

The Jamie Oliver effect

2011-06-25T01:00:00.001-07:00

I wrote a few months back about Jamie Oliver's adventures with the Los Angeles Unified School District.

He came to LA to try to get better food in the schools' cafeterias, but was hitting roadblocks with the administration. In frustration, he staged an event where he poured 57 tons of sand from a dump truck onto a school bus to show how much sugar LAUSD students drink in flavored milk each week. (See here for Larry's re-creation of the event.)

Yes, LAUSD students consume 57 tons of sugar in flavored milk alone each week. Mind blowing.

The LAUSD ignored him.

But then a new superintendent was hired. One of John Deasy's first acts was to join Jamie Oliver on Jimmy Kimmel Live and announce his proposal to get flavored milk out of the schools.

In mid-June, the Board of Education voted on a new dairy contract which calls for no flavored milk.

The Los Angeles Times reports that this is just the beginning. Other unhealthy foods like corn dogs are being eliminated too, and more vegetarian options will be available. LAUSD is hoping to be the national leader in healthy food reform in schools.

Thank you Jamie!

Romantic Risotto

2011-06-22T01:00:00.000-07:00

We took a spring trip to Paris. Then we watched Woody Allen's love letter to the city, Midnight in Paris. I was having Paris withdrawal, so last Friday night I decided we would have a romantic dinner under the stars on our fireside patio.

I planned to make Larry's favorite risotto. It's more work than most recipes I cook, but the flavor is worth it. And cooking risotto together, standing by the stove and stirring, with a glass of wine in hand, is a lovely way to start an evening.

But northeast LA is not Paris.

As Larry was preparing the asparagus purée that flavors the risotto, I looked out the window and saw black oily smoke. I rushed to the street and saw that a van down the block had caught fire. We joined the neighbors lined up on the street to watch. Two fire engines. Eight police cars. The obligatory police helicopter circling overhead.

It wasn't a hostage situation, but it was definitely a two-hour stand-off of some sort. We wandered in and out, cooked a little, turned off the stove and went out to check on the action, cooked some more. I learned that risotto is much more tolerant of abuse than I realized.

With the helicopter continuing to circle, we decided not to eat outside. We sat at the dinette, enjoying our risotto, but distracted by the noise and commotion. As we put down our forks, the helicopter went away, the police tape was taken down, and the neighborhood returned to normal, except for the burned out van and the scorch marks on the house it was parked in front of.

This is a good meal even without the show.

Risotto with Asparagus
1/2 lb asparagus
1 small potato, peeled and chopped
2 cups vegetable stock, approx.
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 small clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tbsp butter
parmesan

Snap ends off asparagus. Cut off the tips and set aside. Chop the stems in 1-inch pieces.

Place the potato and stems into a saucepan, add 1 cup of water and a pinch of salt, and cook until tender, 10-15 minutes. Purée in blender.

Place the reserved tips in a saucepan, add 1 cup water and a pinch of salt, bring to a boil and cook 2-3 minutes. Drain and set aside for garnish.

Heat vegetable stock until barely simmering, keep covered.

Heat oil in a heavy saucepan. Add onion and cook gently until translucent. Stir in the garlic. Add the rice and cook, stirring, about 5 minutes. Add the wine. Allow nearly all of it to evaporate, then begin adding the asparagus purée about 1/4 at a time, adding more as the liquid in the pan evaporates. When you've added all the asparagus purée, start adding the stock a ladleful at a time. Cook, stirring regularly but not continually, until the risotto is plump and offers a little resistance to the bite. The risotto should be very moist. You might not need all the stock.

Stir in the butter and serve at once, garnished with the reserved asparagus tips and parmesan cheese on the side.

Serves 2-3

The Value of Land

2011-05-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

In William Faulkner's The Hamlet, the boy Labove takes a job grading and building a football field in order to pay for his schooling at the University:

“He didn’t know then what a football field was and he did not care. To him it was merely an opportunity to earn so much additional money each day and he did not even stop his shovel when he would speculate now and then with cold sardonicism on the sort of game the preparation of ground for which demanded a good deal more care and expense both than the preparing of that same ground to raise a paying crop on; indeed to have warranted that much time and money for a crop, a man would have had to raise gold at least.”

Lemon Apricot Scones

2011-04-21T01:00:00.000-07:00

I've always read that in baking one needs to be precise with the proportion of liquid to dry ingredients in order to get good results. Well I threw caution to the wind recently and substituted drained yogurt for the sour cream in a scone recipe, and it was a very successful experiment.

I pass the recipe on to you with the caution that not all yogurts are the same. I used a mellita coffee cone filter with a paper lining and drained for 20 minutes. I probably could have used thick Greek yogurt and skipped the draining, but I can't find that organically made. And I won't use non-fat sour cream - too many additives.

The yogurt, lemon and apricots combine to give a tart tanginess that raises the scones above the average.

Make sure to get un-sulfured apricots. They will be brown not orange. The sulfites used to preserve the orange color in the drying process are not food, plus some people are allergic to them. Better to use the natural kind. Apricots are high in iron, and contain good fiber in the form of pectins and cellulose. Snip them into small pieces with scissors.

Raisins are rich in calcium, fiber and antioxidants, making them the perfect sweet snack. I buy organic flame raisins from the Burkart stall at the Hollywood Farmers Market. They dry their own grapes to make the wine-iest most luscious raisins you can imagine. The downside is most of the raisins still have the stems attached, so you need to pick through them. Time consuming, but oh so worth the flavor.

This recipe makes a dozen scones. I froze half of them, and they defrosted really well.

I gilded the lily with a lemon icing. It's optional, but adds an extra sweet tangy kick.

Enjoy these scones at room temperature or slightly warm.

Lemon Apricot Scones
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups yogurt
1 egg
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel (divided use)
1 cup snipped dried apricots
2/3 cup raisins
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tsp lemon juice

Set the yogurt to drain in a coffee filter. When it's the consistency of sour cream, scoop out 1 cup for the recipe. Discard any extra, or save for another use.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two forks or your fingers until it reaches the consistency of bread crumbs.

Separately, whisk together drained yogurt, egg, sugar and 1 tsp lemon peel. Stir this into crumbs until just moistened. Mix in apricots and raisins.

Drop dough by 1/4 cup scoops onto the cookie sheet. Bake 20-22 minutes until scones are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool on a rack.

Optional glaze: Combine powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp peel. Stir in enough lemon juice to make a consistency to drizzle over the scones.

Makes 13 scones.

Split Pea Soup

2011-04-13T01:00:00.000-07:00

Split peas make a wonderful smooth base for a vegetable soup. It's like a luscious cream soup with no dairy products.

I vary the vegetables depending on what I have on hand, but I think this is my favorite version. Turnips and dill are great together, and they really enliven the split peas.

They also add to the health benefits. Turnips are a good source of the insoluble fiber which helps prevent atherosclerosis. Dill is being studied for its effects on cholesterol and blood sugar. Split peas are rich in protein, fiber, and liver-supportive trace minerals.

The flavor of this soup improves as it sits, so I cooked it Sunday morning and then reheated it before dinner - adding extra water to make it soup-y. That's another bonus - because this soup thickens as it cools, you have to add water every time you heat it, increasing the number of servings you get from it. Split peas are inexpensive anyway, so this soup is a real budget stretcher as well as a yummy dinner.

Split Pea Soup
1 1/2 cups dried split peas, rinsed
6 cups water
2 onions, cut in large chunks (about 2 cups)
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1 large tbsp chopped fresh dill or 1 tsp dried
1 lb (about 3 medium) potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large carrot, diced
1/4 lb turnips (2 medium), peeled and diced
1 cup frozen corn kernels
salt and pepper and extra dill

Bring split peas and water to a boil in a large pot. Reduce the heat and skim off any foam that rises to the top. (This foam is why you should never cook split peas in a pressure cooker - the foam can block the vent.) You don't have to be obsessive about skimming - the foam isn't harmful, it's more an aesthetic thing.

Add the onions, garlic and dill. Simmer for one hour.

Remove from heat. Let it cool a little and then purée in batches in the blender until silky smooth. Return to a clean pot and add the potatoes, carrot, turnips, corn and 1 tsp salt. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 1 hour. The soup is very thick and will stick on the bottom, so use a low heat and a heavy-bottomed pot, and keep an eye on it.

Season with salt, pepper and more dill to taste.

Serves 6

Real bread

2011-04-09T01:00:00.000-07:00

It's hard to find real bread in grocery stores.

This is not a new problem, as shown by this excerpt from Up In The Old Hotel, a collection of New Yorker articles by Joseph Mitchell. Mr. Flood is talking about the bread made by Mrs. Palumbo in 1944:

Mr. Flood grunted, "Whatever to hell it's called," he said, "it's good. Mrs. Palumbo knows what she's doing. She don't take ads in the papers to tell big black lies about her vitamins, she don't have a radio program rooting and tooting about her enriched bread, she don't wrap in cellophane, she don't even have a telephone. She just goes ahead and bakes the way her great-great-grandaddy baked. Consequently, by God, lo and behold, her bread is fit to eat. I'm not against vitamins, whatever to hell they are, but God took care of that matter away back there in the hitherto -- God and nature, and not some big scientist or other. Years back, bread was the staff of life. It looked good, it smelled good, it tasted good, and it had all the vitamins a man could stand. Then the bakers fiddled and fooled and improved their methods and got things down to such a fine point that a loaf of bread didn't have any more nourishment than a brickbat. Now they're putting the vitamins back in by scientific means -- the way God did it don't suit them; it ain't complicated enough -- and they've got the brass to get on the radio and brag about it; they should hide their heads in shame."

Urban Goat Herding

2011-04-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

Every year at tax time, Joy and I do an additional calculation on our household energy usage. With the rising price of gas, we felt it was time to become more sustainable at home, and get more serious about urban farming.

So we got a goat. Her name is Lucretia. She is a Nubian goat, a breed that has the best milk, according to the American Dairy Goat Association.

Even though people break municipal chicken laws all the time in our L.A. neighborhood of El Sereno, we wanted to be legal, so we had to learn how to apply for a city permit. In doing our research, we learned about the Goat Justice League in Seattle, where they pioneered the modern urban goat advocacy movement.

Since Joy was busy churning butter most days, I took on the job of learning how to milk Lucretia. Believe it or not, there was an iPAD app for that, which was very helpful until Lucretia chewed my iPAD, and I began to reconsider this lifestyle choice.

On behalf of Joy’s Organic Kitchen, I’d like to wish you a very happy April 1st.

Buy Land for Food

2011-03-27T01:00:00.000-07:00

Without farmland, we have no food.

Smart investors are starting to realize this, according to an article in the LA Times, and are buying up land not for housing development, but for growing food.

This is a refreshing concept in a society which counts new housing starts (i.e. houses built on farmland) as an economic indicator.

Finally someone is realizing that there is money in food production. Money in the land. Money in farming.

If your mutual funds are tanking, maybe it's time to invest in something valuable: land for food.

Chipotle Sauce

2011-03-23T01:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes a simple condiment transforms a sandwich into a fabulous taste experience.

This chipotle sauce is in that category.

I used it in grilled cheese sandwiches recently, and they went from humdrum to out-of-this-world. I smeared the sauce on the bread, layered in cheese, red onion, and cilantro, and cooked the sandwiches in butter in a cast iron frypan until they were golden and the cheese was soft. Simple and delicious.

The sauce is also good stirred into stews or soups to add a spicy smoky tomato flavor. It will last at least a week in the fridge. I've frozen a little for longer storage.

Chipotles are smoked jalapeños. Look for them canned in adobo sauce at your local grocery store. Once you open the can, transfer them to a jar and they'll last for months in your fridge. I keep one jar of the whole chipotles in adobo, and another that I've puréed -- it's quite firey and I use it sparingly in anything that needs a kick.

The tomato paste in this recipe tames the heat but leaves the flavor intact, and the molasses deepens the smokiness like good barbecue.

Chipotle Sauce
chipotles in adobo
6oz can tomato paste
1/2 tbsp molasses

Purée the chipotles in adobo in a blender or mini food processor. Measure out 3 tbsp. (Store the remainder in a jar in the fridge for months.)

Add the tomato paste and molasses to the 3tbsp puréed chipotles. Stir well to combine.

Makes about 3/4 cup.

Pickled Okra Update

2011-03-20T01:00:00.000-07:00

You might remember that when we went back East in September I tasted pickled okra for the first time and actually liked it. My previous okra experiences had been of the slimy kind. But when it's pickled, okra is crisp and tasty.

When I got back to Los Angeles, I looked for it in my local grocery stores, but couldn't find it. I feared I was going to have to make my own pickles this summer.

But I have good news.

My local supermarket (Fresco Community Market in the shopping center at Avenue 60 and Monterey Rd. in northeast LA) is now carrying Talk o' Texas hot pickled okra.

I diced some up and added it to my lunch time bean salad. Yum. Not as spicy as pickled jalapeños, but more flavor than regular pickles. Okra has many benefits for the digestive system, so it's a good addition to a meal.

And now I don't have to make my own.

Oatmeal

2011-03-04T01:00:00.000-08:00

On these cool winter mornings, I think there is no better breakfast than oatmeal.

There are many good reasons to eat oats. They lower cholesterol; heal ulcers; and restore thyroid, pancreas and reproductive gland function. They contain many trace minerals including silicon, a mineral which helps the body excrete aluminum and lowers levels of this toxic metal in the brain, liver, bones, spleen and kidneys.

Yes, we should all eat oats every day. And they're so quick to make, there's no reason not to.

I find the best oats for porridge are Bob's Red Mill organic Scottish Oatmeal. Any health food store that carries the Bob's Red Mill line will be able to order them for you -- and remember to get the organic ones. Studies have found that organically-grown foods have more minerals than non-organic, and that's what we want the oats for.

A key to my oatmeal technique is the use of a spurtle. This is the traditional Scottish oatmeal-stirring stick -- recreated by Lee Valley Tools. It's like a wooden spoon without the spoon end, and it makes great lump-free oatmeal.

A wooden spoon can be used instead.

Then pour the oatmeal into your bowl, add a touch of real maple syrup and a splash of organic milk, and settle in for a feast.

Oatmeal
1/3 cup Bob's Red Mill organic Scottish Oatmeal
1 cup boiling water
dash salt

Bring the water to a rolling boil in a small saucepan. Sprinkle in a little salt, turn down the heat, and sprinkle in the oats, stirring all the while. When all the oats are in, let them cook, stirring regularly, until they are the consistency you like, about 5 minutes.

Serves one.

Bubble and Squeak

2011-03-02T01:00:00.000-08:00

There's something about mashed potatoes that soothes the soul on these cool winter days.

When I was a child, my mother would combine leftover mashed potatoes with cooked cabbage to make Bubble and Squeak, a traditional English dish made with leftovers from Sunday dinner. It gets its name from the sound it makes while cooking -- listen closely.

I made it the other night and served it with a mess of cooked mustard greens for a healthy meal that tasted like comfort food.

Cabbage is a true health food. People who eat it regularly have a lower incidence of colon cancer. It is rich in fiber which makes it good for constipation and colon health. It's also a good detoxifier, purifying the blood and removing toxins like free radicals and uric acid. It's rich in iodine so it helps the brain, nervous system and endocrine glands work well.

I try to eat cabbage or other members of the brassica family (broccoli, cauliflower) a couple of times a week. And this dish makes it easy.

Bubble and Squeak
1 lb potatoes
1/2 lb cabbage
1-2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper

Peel and chop the potatoes. Put in a pot of cold salted water, bring to a boil, and cook until tender. Drain and mash.

Slice the cabbage thinly and cut the ribbons in 1" lengths. Add to a pot with an inch of water boiling in the bottom, cover and cook until tender. Drain.

Combine the cabbage and mashed potato, salt to taste, and add liberal amounts of fresh black pepper.

Heat a cast iron frypan over medium heat. Add the butter and when it has melted add the potato mixture. Squish it together into a cake and then let it cook until it is crispy on the bottom, 5-8 minutes. Then flip the cake - I usually do this in pieces and then push it back together again. Or make it into two cakes, as in the picture, to make the flipping easier. Cook until crispy on the bottom, another 5 minutes or so. Serve with mustard or rooster sauce.

Serves 2-3

Variation: stir a tablespoon of mustard into the cabbage and potatoes before frying it.

57 Pounds of Sugar

2011-02-27T01:00:00.000-08:00

Jamie Oliver is in Los Angeles this winter trying to improve the eating habits of local schoolchildren.

The LA Unified School District won't have anything to do with him, but he's still attracting attention.

He recently staged a demonstration where he poured 57 tons of sand into a school bus to illustrate the 57 pounds of sugar LA schoolchildren consume each week in flavored milk.

That's right -- in flavored milk.

Wow.

That's not counting the candies and cookies and other sweets they eat.

There are 28 grams of sugar in 8oz of flavored milk, the same as in a can of non-diet soda.

Kids are drinking sugar masked as health food.

(The photo above is Larry's re-creation of the event. He used a toy school bus.)

Healthy Quesadillas

2011-02-23T01:00:00.000-08:00

Broccoli stems don't often make it into the steamer at our house. Usually, broccoli is a side dish, and I use the florets attached to the long thin stems, but the thicker trunk is too much bother to deal with and gets put back in the fridge.

On Saturday night I pulled it out, cooked it up with some spinach, and added it to quesadillas. What a great way to hide broccoli!

Remember, we need to eat the cabbage family (including broccoli) regularly in order to make healthy use of our body's estrogen. These quesadillas have the health benefits of broccoli without the taste.

My broccoli stems were not tough and woody, so I didn't have to peel them. When they were almost soft I added the spinach and let it all cook down. Finely chopped, the greens made a nice filling in the quesadillas along with sautéed mushrooms and tangy feta and cheddar.

Mexican oregano is different to the Mediterranean kind - it is from a different plant, and the dried flowers are used, not the leaves. Use whichever is in your pantry. You can also use any greens in place of the spinach - leftover cooked greens would make this a speedy supper dish.

Spinach and Mushroom Quesadillas
3/4 cup broccoli stems, peeled if necessary, and cut in 3/4" pieces
5 oz malabar or baby spinach
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 small clove garlic, chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 tsp dried Mexican oregano
1/4 cup crumbled feta
1/2 cup grated cheddar
4 flour tortillas

Bring an inch of water to boil in a large pot and add the broccoli. Cover and cook until almost tender. Put the washed spinach on top, cover, and cook until very tender. Drain and let cool a little, then squeeze out as much water as possible and chop finely.

Melt 1/2 tbsp butter in a small skillet. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes.

Warm the olive oil in a large pot. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeño and oregano and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli/spinach mixture and cook, stirring often, until the mixture is hot and any liquid has evaporated, 3-4 minutes. Salt to taste. Let cool a little, then add the feta and cheddar.

Top two of the tortillas with the greens and then the mushrooms. Top with the other two tortillas and press lightly with your hands.

Warm 1/2 tbsp butter in a large skillet and add one of the quesadillas, cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes, then flip and cook the other side. Repeat with the second quesadilla. Cut into quarters and serve.

Serves 2

Thirteen dollars

2011-02-18T01:00:00.000-08:00

What can you buy for $13?

At the Finley Farms stall at the Hollywood Farmers Market last week, I bought 2 romaine lettuces, collard greens, cilantro, a bulb of fennel with leaves attached, a bag of malabar spinach, and a bunch of dandelion greens.

The amount of bio-available nutrition in this pile of organic greens cannot fit into a bottle of vitamin pills. And if it could, it would cost far more than $13.

Food. Good for you, good for your wallet.

Tasty Tofu

2011-02-16T01:00:00.001-08:00

Yes, it's true. I served tofu to Larry on Valentine's Day.

Tofu is a heart-friendly food -- it lowers bad (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides, reduces the tendency of platelets to form clots, and possibly raises good (HDL) cholesterol. People with heart disease should eat it regularly.

But that's not why I served it.

I wanted to try a recipe for ginger asparagus risotto and I felt it needed something on the side besides vegetables. Tofu with a soy-ginger marinade fit the bill - adding protein and an extra burst of flavor and texture. Larry was surprised when I said I was serving tofu with risotto, but he was up for the challenge, and even had second helpings. (It really was good.)

When I buy tofu or any other soy product, I make sure it is organic, otherwise it's probably genetically modified. (Trader Joe's carries organic tofu.) It's amazing what soy protein isolate (not food) finds its way into, so read labels. Tofu is food, like orange juice is food. It has some of the goodness, but not the benefits of the pulp. Soy protein isolate is too far away from the whole food for my liking.

While Larry stirred the risotto, I cooked the tofu in a grill pan, basting it with soy, garlic and ginger. This is a fast recipe, because no marinating is required. The soy sauce sinks into the tofu a little bit, and the ginger and garlic toast on the outside of it. The tofu stays soft, and develops a tang.

I reheated the leftovers the next day for lunch - as a sandwich between toasted pieces of sourdough bread. I haven't tried fried tofu sandwiches on Larry yet - maybe next Valentines' Day.

Ginger-Soy Basted Tofu
1 lb firm organic tofu
1/4 cup organic tamari
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger root
1-2 tsp oil

Cut the tofu crosswise into 1/2" slices.

Combine the tamari, garlic and ginger root.

Warm a fry pan or grill pan over medium heat. Add the oil. When hot, add the tofu and cook, basting with marinade, 5 minutes on each side.

Eat warm.

Serves 3-4

Wheat Berries and Red Quinoa

2011-02-14T01:00:00.000-08:00

The other day I passed on the brown rice in favor of this wheat berry and quinoa medley.

The wheat berries hold their shape and make a little pop in the mouth, and the quinoa boosts the protein content. It doesn't photograph well, but it tastes good, and is a great centerpiece to a meal of roasted vegetables and greens.

I rinsed the bitter saponins off the quinoa by pouring boiling water over it before cooking. If you've tried quinoa before and haven't liked it, try doing this. It makes a big difference.

I found the organic red quinoa at Trader Joe's. You can find wheat berries at any health food store. Make sure to get organic ones - most non-organic wheat has been genetically modified.

I used 2 cups of vegetable stock from my freezer and about 3 cups water. The stock enhances the flavors of the grains - if you use plain water season it with salt and pepper while the grains are cooking.

I stored the leftovers in the fridge and reheated them on the stove, adding a little water as needed, to make a healthy side to many dinners during the week.

Wheat Berries and Quinoa
1 2/3 cups wheat berries
1 large onion, finely chopped
2-5 cups vegetable stock
3/4 cup red quinoa

Rinse wheat berries and combine in large saucepan with onion, 2 cups stock and 2 cups water (or 4 cups stock), and 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer over moderately low heat until the wheat berries are tender but chewy, about 1 hour. Remove from the heat.

Put the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer. Pour boiling water over it, then cold water. Drain and put in a medium saucepan with 1 1/2 cups water and 1/4 tsp salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until the quinoa is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir, cover, and let stand 5 minutes.

Add the quinoa to the wheat berries. If it seems dry, add an extra 1/4 - 1/2 cup water or stock. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Serves 8

Eat More Vegetables

2011-02-09T01:00:00.001-08:00

When the updated U.S. Dietary Guidelines were released recently, I rejoiced in one line: Make your plate half full of fruits and vegetables.

I think that's great advice. I've been suggesting it, and trying to follow it, for years. (Although I think fruit is less important than vegetables.)

The single-most health-promoting thing we can do is eat vegetables. They are full of nutrients and fiber, relatively low in calories, and even with added salt and butter are far healthier than any processed food from a supermarket or take-out joint.

You would think that as a vegetarian it is easy for me to follow this guideline, but it's remarkably challenging. Grains and beans are so satisfying that it's easy to eat more of them and less of the vegetables.

I was thinking of this last night as I ate a bowl of lentil soup. It was full of turnips and carrots, but was it half vegetable? I don't think so. But boy it was good. Since my lunchtime plate was almost all vegetables, and I had a big bowl of fruit at breakfast, I decided the day balanced out.

I really like the fresh taste of turnips - a little sweet, a little crisp, a little cabbagey. They have half the calories of an equal amount of potatoes, but are just as satisfying. They are a good source of Vitamin C, many B vitamins, and minerals such as potassium and magnesium.

This recipe works with old or young turnips. The combination of butter and olive oil gives a rich silkiness, but use just olive oil if you prefer. I pulled a batch of vegetable stock from the freezer. Soon it will be time to make some more, because a good vegetable stock is the secret to delicious soups.

Turnip, Carrot and Lentil Soup
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup carrot in 1/3" dice (2 medium)
1 1/2 cups turnips in 1/3" dice (2-3 medium)
3/4 cup green lentils
3-5 cups vegetable stock

Sauté onion in butter and olive oil over medium heat until lightly browned. Add carrots and turnips, and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.

Wash and drain lentils. Add to pot along with vegetable stock and stir well. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, until lentils are cooked, about 25 minutes. Add more water or stock as needed to keep a soupy consistency.

Serves 2-3 as a main course

Mustard Greens

2011-02-07T01:00:00.000-08:00

When I was in Montreal in December, I ventured into my mother's snowy garden to pick the last mustard greens of the year. I sautéed them with garlic and red chiles and served them as a spicy side to a dish of potatoes.

Here in my LA garden, the mustard greens are not quite big enough to harvest, so I've been buying them from South Central Farmers Cooperative at the Hollywood Farmers Market. There are so many greens available in the winter months, it's hard to choose, but mustard greens might be my favorite.

Last week, I stirred up another batch and served them with wheat berries and quinoa - they added robust flavor to a healthy meal.

Mustard Greens
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp dried red chile flakes
1 bunch mustard greens

Heat a scant 2 tbsp olive oil, garlic and chile flakes in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Wash the mustard greens and chop them coarsely. Add to the skillet along with the water still clinging to the leaves. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Then lower the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted and softened, about 5 minutes more.

Serves 2-3

Garlicky Broccoli and Butternut Squash

2011-02-02T01:00:00.000-08:00

How do you make vegetables taste great? Roast them with garlic and sprinkle them with cheese, of course.

This dish will entice the fussiest eaters. The aroma will draw them to the kitchen like moths to a flame.

And it's not that much cheese. You can still feel good about it.

The recipe is from Crescent Dragonwagon, an inspired vegetarian cook.

Garlicky Broccoli and Butternut Squash
2 lbs butternut squash
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
4 cups large broccoli florets
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
pepper
1/2 cup parmesan

Peel squash and chop into 1-inch pieces. Toss in 1 tbsp olive oil and roast in 350°F oven until tender, about 20 minutes.

Heat 1 tbsp oil and red pepper flakes in heavey skillet until aromatic. Add broccoli, salt and pepper to taste and stir-fry 3-4 minutes. Increase heat to high, pour in 1/3 cup of water, cover and steam 3-4 minutes until the broccoli is bright green and tender, but not soft.

Scatter broccoli and garlic over squash in baking dish. Stir well. Sprinkle with parmesan and bake 15 minutes until cheese melts.

Serves 4-6

Roasted Parsnips

2011-01-30T01:00:00.000-08:00

Roasting brings out the sweetness of root vegetables, and parsnips are no exception. The sweet earthiness of this dish is enhanced with a sprinkling of fresh sage.

You could cut carrots the same way and roast them with the parsnips for a more colorful side dish if you like. And if you don't have any fresh sage, leave it out. The roasted vegetables will still be full of flavor.

Finley Farms at the Hollywood Farmers Market has had wonderful tender parsnips this year. Most recipes tell you to remove the parsnip's tough core, but up to 1 1/4 inches in diameter they don't have one.

Traditionally parsnips are served with roast meats, but I served them the other day with sautéed mustard greens and a hearty dish of wheat berries.

The parsnips roasted in the toaster oven while I made the greens and grains on the stove. It was a simple meal for a cool winter night.

Roasted Parsnips
1/2 lb parsnips, about 7-8 small ones
6 fresh sage leaves, chopped (optional)
3/4 tbsp olive oil
sprinkling of salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450°F. Peel parsnips and cut in half crosswise. Cut the skinny end in half and the wider end in quarters. If you have parsnips over 1 1/4 inch in diameter, cut out the tough core and discard. Then cut the parsnips crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces.

Toss parsnips with sage, oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to a shallow baking pan, spreading in one layer. Roast until the parsnips are tender and lightly browned, turning occasionally, 15-20 minutes.

Serves 2-3

Love them Rutabagas!

2011-01-26T01:00:00.000-08:00

Finley Farms has had excellent rutabagas this year - starting with small tender ones in the fall, and progressing to the large ones I remember from Canadian winters.

I was raving about their rutabagas last Sunday at the Hollywood Farmers Market, when they asked me what I did with them. Well, I said, last week I roasted them, over the holidays I mashed them, and this week I will cook them in soup.

If I sound like a rutabaga addict, it's because I am. There's nothing like these yellow turnip-like roots (called swedes by the Brits and neeps by the Scots).

I adapted this soup from Anne Bianchi's book Zuppa! Soups from the Italian Countryside. This is a lovely book on the traditional cooking of the impoverished landscape of northern Tuscany. It's a land where you eat whatever is available. I'm looking forward to trying the rice and dandelion soup next week. (Both McGrath and Finley farms have had great dandelion greens recently.)

Autumn Vegetable Soup
3/4 cup dried beans (I used pinquitos, you could use any smallish bean)
6 leaves fresh sage, chopped
1 red onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, sliced in half
1 bunch (7 oz) dinosaur kale
1 (12 oz) rutabaga
1 tsp salt
12 oz butternut squash
1 fennel bulb
pepper to taste

Soak the beans overnight (or all day) in water to cover by 2 inches. Drain. Place in a soup pot with the sage, onion and garlic. Add fresh water to cover by 2 inches, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, covered, 1 hour, adding more water if necessary.

Wash and chop the kale, stems included. Peel the rutabaga and chop in 1/2 inch pieces. Add to the beans along with the salt and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring often.

Peel the squash and cut in 1/2 inch chunks. Remove the stalks and fronds from the fennel. Halve the bulb lengthwise and cut out the tough core and base. Slice the remaining sections in half lengthwise and then slice across. Add squash and fennel to pot and cook, covered, another 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 6

Spinach Salad

2011-01-23T01:00:00.000-08:00

It's easy to get run down at this time of year and succumb to the colds and flus that are so prevalent. The keys to staying healthy are plenty of rest, good exercise, and great food.

This spinach salad is an example of great food - full of vitamin C and antioxidants to help your body stay strong, and tasty as well. The toasted sesame seeds add a nutty flavor and a little calcium to the orange juice dressing.

I made it with malabar spinach from Finley Farms. Bagged baby spinach would work too.

It's a little unusual to put pieces of orange in a salad, but try it. The textures and flavors go well together. Larry was surprised at how much he liked it.

Spinach and Orange Salad
3 tbsp sesame seeds
3 cups fresh spinach
1/2 red pepper, chopped
2 tbsp chopped red onion
1 orange
1 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tsp orange juice
3 tsp water

Toast sesame seeds in a small heavy frypan until they are aromatic. Grind them in a spice grinder or small blender.

Meanwhile, wash the spinach well, dry it, and tear it into bite-size pieces.

Cut the orange in half. Juice one half for the dressing. With a small knife, slice the peel off the other half, and cut the flesh into chunks. Don't peel off all the membranes because they are full of bioflavanoids that make the other vitamins more effective.

Combine the spinach, pepper, onion and orange chunks.

Whisk together the ground sesame seeds, orange juice, rice vinegar and water. Toss with the vegetables.

Serves 2

Roasted Root Vegetables

2011-01-19T01:00:00.001-08:00

Something magical happens to a root vegetable when you dice it, toss it in olive oil, and bake it in the oven. It gets tender and buttery - nothing like the tough gnarly thing you brought home from the market.

I like to use a variety of root vegetables in a casserole - each provides different nutrients, textures and colors. I can make a meal on this dish alone.

The ingredients vary depending on what is at the market. The recipe below is one I used last week, but vary it depending on what you like. I use roughly 1/3 potatoes and 2/3 other roots, by weight. I scrub all the roots well, and remove any hairs or nubbly parts. I always peel celeriac (celery root) and rutabagas. I sometimes peel parsnips, turnips and sweet potatoes. I never peel beets - way too messy.

Cut the vegetables in similar sizes - 3/4 inch is a good standard. Sweet potatoes cook more quickly than the others, so either cut them a little larger, or enjoy them a little soft.

What roots should you use? Start with potatoes and carrots, and add a few others. Try roots you don't think you like - you'll be amazed at the difference in flavor and texture when they're roasted.

You can use thyme or bay leaves (fresh or dried) in place of the rosemary. Sometimes I add peeled shallots or chunks of onion. Peeled garlic cloves are a good addition, as are cubes of peeled butternut squash.

This casserole is also wonderful re-warmed the next day - either as breakfast hash with a fried egg, or reheated in the oven as a side. Sometimes I make a quick root vegetable soup by puréeing them with some vegetable stock and reheating gently on the stove.

Roasted root vegetables - you'll wonder how you ever lived without them.

Roasted Root Vegetables
3/4 lb potatoes
1 celeriac (celery root)
1 sweet potato
2-3 beets
2-3 turnips
2 parsnips
1 rutabaga
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

Scrub all the roots well. With a sharp knife, remove the peel and all nubbly parts from the celeriac - you'll probably remove about 1/4 inch of peel in total. Peel the rutabaga, and the sweet potatoes, parsnips and turnips if you like. Trim the ends off the beets and remove any hairs from the stem end. Chop all the vegetables in roughly 3/4 inch dice.

Toss them in a large bowl with the olive oil, a good seasoning of salt and fresh pepper, and the rosemary. Pour into a casserole, cover, and bake at 375°F for 45-60 minutes until they are tender.

Serves 4-6

Dining in Rehoboth

2011-01-16T01:00:00.000-08:00

East Coast Trip Part 10

Our final leg of the trip was a couple of nights at Rehoboth Beach on the Delaware Shore.

Larry grew up vacationing a little further south at Fenwick Island. I like Rehoboth because it has sand dunes and a long beach, a walkable boardwalk, and great food.

There was a little Italian store, Touch of Italy Bake Shop, where if we had been self-catering I would have gone wild on Italian pastas, dried mushrooms and canned tomatoes. As it was, I restrained myself to a little cheese and a few cookies.

We walked to the Dogfish Head brewpub (motto: Off-Centered Ales for Off-Centered People). We had enjoyed reading about the passion of owner Sam Calagione in the New Yorker in 2008. I forget what we drank there, but it was really good. They also distil spirits, and we toured the distillery. We later saw them featured on the Discovery Channel making Chicha, an Incan beer that requires the grain to be chewed before brewing. Prepare to be disgusted if you watch the short clip on the Brew Masters website.

We happened to be in Rehoboth when the farmers market was open, and I enjoyed looking at the local produce, even though I had no need to buy any.

Finally, we celebrated our anniversary at my favorite Rehoboth restaurant, Planet X Café. I had an excellent mushroom risotto (the secret was the truffle oil drizzled on at the last minute) and a glass of organic wine while we enjoyed the over-the-top conversations of the people around us. (On a previous trip I had swooned over the stacked eggplant dish - I might try to recreate it next summer.)

After a last sunrise over the Atlantic, we headed for Washington Dulles and our flight home to LA. It had been a good trip.