Stuffed Squash with Spinach and Quinoa

I made this yummy squash for dinner the other night, and thought it would be great to share the recipe for those of you hosting a vegetarian at Thanksgiving.

While there are usually enough sides at a Thanksgiving dinner to fill up even a hungry eater, it's nice to have something that looks like a centerpiece.

I used a 4-cup squash, but there's enough stuffing to fill one twice the size.

Also, I baked the squash while cooking the stuffing on the stove, then filled the cooked squash and served it. You could also stuff the raw squash and then cook it at 350°F for about an hour. Or you could use a slow cooker - a much-appreciated device when all the burners and ovens are full with other dishes. Put the raw stuffed squash in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours. Fashion a piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper into a sling and nestle the squash in it inside the slow cooker. This will make getting the cooked squash out of the slow cooker easier.

But don't save this recipe for Thanksgiving. It's great on any fall or winter evening. The quinoa and beans give it a high protein content, the spinach (or any other green you like) provides a nutrition boost, the rosemary and garlic boost the immune system. (Although you can omit the garlic if you don't like it.) Skip the feta if you're serving vegans.

Here's what I did.

Stuffed Squash with Spinach and Quinoa
1 winter squash
2/3 cup pinto beans (or 1 14 oz can of a bean of your choice)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup diced onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 oz raw spinach, thick stems discarded, washed and coarsely chopped
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp smoked chile flakes
2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup quinoa, rinsed first in boiling water then in cold water a couple of times
2-4 tbsp chopped black olives
1/2 cup crumbled feta (or more to taste)
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (or 2 tsp dried)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash the squash and pierce the top with a knife a few times. Bake about 40 minutes until it feels soft and a knife slides easily in near the stem.

Pressure cook the beans for 23 minutes until tender. (Or cook them for a couple of hours in a pot of water on the stove. Or drain the canned beans.)

Cook the onion and garlic in the oil until soft. Stir in the salt, paprika and chile flakes. Cook another minute. Add the stock and quinoa, bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer until quinoa is cooked, about 15-20 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted. Add the beans, olives, feta and rosemary. Stir to mix.

Cut the top off the squash and scoop out the seeds and any stringy guts. Spoon the stuffing into the squash, adjust the top jauntily, and serve.

Any extra stuffing can be served on the side. Sprinkle with extra feta if desired.

Serves 6

Autumn Supper

I planned supper in my head on the way home the other night: cooked white beans in the fridge, a small butternut squash in the cupboard, and a bunch of tiny turnips - greens detached but in a bag with them - in the fridge. That sounded like the makings of a good autumn supper.

I went outside to pick some thyme and rosemary, then started dinner.

I gently warmed some garlic in a covered skillet with butter while I peeled and diced the tiny squash. I added the squash to the pan with a splash of white wine, covered and let it braise until tender, about 20 minutes. I stirred it occasionally to make sure the squash wasn't sticking.

I put the beans in a covered pot with a little water over low heat. While they warmed, I puréed about 2 tbsp of rosemary, 1 tbsp of thyme, a small clove of garlic and a good glug of olive oil in the blender. I added a little water to thin the sauce, then poured it in with the beans. The piny aromas stimulated our appetites.

I turned to the turnips, which turned out to be watermelon radishes. You can see how I cooked them here.

It was a lovely dinner - a contrast of flavors and colors: orange, buttery squash; sharply aromatic beans; and peppery green and red radishes.

Penne with Broccoli, Mushrooms, Rosemary and Thyme

I ventured out between the rain showers the other day to pick some rosemary and thyme to add vigor to this simple pasta dish. The aroma of the fresh herbs elevated this easy supper to another level, yet it was still quick to prepare.

One of the pleasures of living in Southern California is the ability to grow herbs outside year round. While they may not be at their most fragrant after all this cold rain, they still add pungency and freshness to a meal.

The broccoli and mushrooms cook while the pasta boils, and the dish is ready in under half an hour.

There is no real sauce per se, so save a couple of ladlefuls of pasta cooking water to add at the end to loosen it up if necessary.

Penne with Broccoli, Mushrooms, Rosemary and Thyme
1 (10 oz) head broccoli
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 dried chili pepper, crushed into pieces
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
parmesan to serve (optional)
1/2 lb penne pasta

Cut the florets off the broccoli stems and set aside. Peel any tough skin off the broccoli stems and chop them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

Sauté the onion in the olive oil until it's browned around the edges. Add the chopped broccoli stems and stir for a minute. Add the mushrooms, salt, rosemary, thyme, chili pepper and sunflower seeds. Stir another minute or so. Add 1/4 cup water to the pan. Place the broccoli florets on top of the vegetables, cover the pan, reduce the heat and let it all steam, covered, 13-15 minutes until the stems are soft and the florets are cooked but still have some bite.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water, following the directions on the package. Drain, reserving some of the pasta water.

When the sauce is cooked, stir in the pasta along with a little pasta water if desired.

Serve sprinkled with parmesan if desired. (If you're not using parmesan, a little extra salt might be necessary.)

Serves 4

Fancy Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Oven-roasting transforms vegetables and blends disparate flavors in fabulous ways.

This recipe looks a little strange, but is really delicious. The dates and pecans add flavor and texture - it will even convert people who think they don't like Brussels sprouts.

The picture to the right is of the dish after being reheated as leftovers. I forgot to photograph it the first time out of the oven when it was much prettier. However, the reheated leftovers tasted really good too.

Brussels sprouts are members of the cabbage family, so they contain all the estrogen-balancing and colon-health nutrients that cabbage and kale do. They are also good sources of folate, Vitamins C and K, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. Plus they are adorable.

If you want to try Brussels sprouts but this recipe is too complex, click here to see my simple recipe for Brussels sprouts with lemon.

These tiny vegetables are delicious when prepared simply, but are strong enough to handle big flavors. They're definitely worth adding to the week's menu.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Squash with Dates and Pecans
10 oz Brussels sprouts
10 oz butternut squash or other winter squash
1/2 cup pecans
1/4 cup dates
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 large clove garlic
1/4 tsp dried chili flakes

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Cut any faded outer leaves off the Brussels sprouts and cut them in half through the stem end. Put them in a large bowl.

Peel the squash and dice it in 1/2 inch pieces. Add to the Brussels sprouts.

Chop the pecans. Take the pits out of the dates and cut them with scissors into bite-sized pieces. Add both to the bowl.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the chopped rosemary, salt, pepper, dijon, oil, vinegar, minced garlic, and chili flakes. Pour this over the vegetables and mix until well combined.

Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet and spread it out. Bake 40-45 minutes, stirring once or twice during the cooking.

Serves 4

Three Bean Stew

This is a fun winter stew using fresh green beans, dried Christmas limas (or other dried bean) and frozen edamame. We enjoyed the colorful combination as a meal in itself, and then as leftovers served over brown rice a couple of days later.

Three Bean Stew

2 1/2 oz green beans

1 1/4 cup frozen shelled edamame

1 tbsp olive oil

2/3 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

3" rosemary sprig

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 carrot, chopped

1/3 cup dried beans, cooked

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

2 tbsp unsalted butter

Trim green beans and cut into 2-inch lengths. Cook until tender. Drain. Cool in ice water and drain again. Set aside.

Cook edamame according to package directions. Drain, rinse under cold water, and set aside.

Warm olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, rosemary, salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add carrot and celery. Cook, stirring, until softened, another 3-5 minutes.

Add cooked beans and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add green beans and edamame. Cook a couple of minutes until heated through. Add the butter and stir gently until it is melted. Discard the bay leaf and rosemary.

Serve hot.

New Year's Good Luck

I have adopted the Southern tradition of eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day for good luck.

I'm willing to sign on for pretty much any tradition involving beans.

This year I cooked them with tomatoes, rosemary and thyme, tossed them with smoked cheddar cheese, and baked them in the oven.

Needless to say, they were delicious.

(The smoked cheese substitutes for the traditional bacon flavor in black-eyed peas. But you can leave it out if necessary, the dish will still be yummy.)

Black-eyed peas are one of the quicker legumes to cook. I usually don't even soak them, just let them simmer for an hour or so until they are tender. On New Year's Day, however, I did soak them in water to cover for 3-4 hours before cooking them. It shortened the cooking time a little, which was nice. Best of all, it reminded me that while 1 lb of dried black-eyed peas doesn't look like much, when they have expanded in the soaking water they make enough to feed an army. I cooked them in a large pot, and then baked them in a large casserole. Larry was a little taken aback at the size of the dinner.

Fortunately, they last well in the fridge. They will be my lunch for quite a few days to come.

And if black-eyed peas on New Year's are lucky, then more black-eyed peas must be even luckier!

Happy 2016 to you!

Baked Black-Eyed Pea Casserole
1 lb dried black-eyed peas (about 2 cups)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
14oz can diced tomatoes
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 cup grated smoked cheddar or smoked jack
3/4 cup grated aged cheddar

Soak the peas in water to cover by 3 inches for a few hours. (The less time you soak them, the more minutes they'll need to cook.) Drain.

Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and fry until golden-brown. Add the can of tomatoes, then fill the can with water and add that too. Add the salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary and drained black-eyed peas.

Simmer, covered, until the beans are tender, 30-45 minutes. Stir occasionally. This is a dry dish, so there shouldn't be a lot of liquid in the pot, but add a little water if it looks like it needs it.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Remove the bean pot from the heat and stir in the smoked cheese.

Pour into a 7x13 casserole (or other 3 quart size) and sprinkle the cheddar on top.

Bake 35-40 minutes until the flavors are melded and the beans are piping hot.

Serves 8-10

Mushroom Oat Soup

This photograph does not do justice to this soup.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Peel the carrots and parsnip and slice thinly crosswise.

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

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

Serves 8

This soup reheats well too.

Bean and Kale Soup

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bean and Kale Soup

1 cup pinto beans

¼ cup olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 small carrots, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

4 cups stemmed and shredded curly kale

1 potato, peeled and diced

2 ½ cups stock plus 3 ½ cups water

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

½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp minced rosemary leaves

1 tbsp minced parsley

1 tsp minced thyme

parmesan to serve (opt)

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

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

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

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

Serve topped with grated parmesan if desired.

Serves 8 - 10

Potatoes with Rosemary and Sage

Eggs and potatoes are a Sunday staple around here. The eggs from the happy hens at Ha's Apple Farm are so delicious that even simply poached they taste better than any eggs we've eaten in restaurants.

Yesterday I served them with these Mediterranean-inspired herb-roasted potatoes. Whenever I eat these I remember that their pungent herbal flavor would be great for dinner too - with a crisp salad and an omelet, or a bean burger. Or even with a lentil stew.

The potatoes are flavored with rosemary, sage and bay - which, if you live in Southern California and have even a small patch of sun, you can grow. They are drought tolerant and can be snipped year-round for an extra pop of flavor in whatever you're cooking. Rosemary and sage can be overpowering, so a little goes a long way. (The plants grow in winter-y climates too - the sage will go dormant outside, but the rosemary and bay will need to be taken in as house plants before the first frost.)

Fresh eggs, freshly-squeezed orange juice, and potatoes aromatic with herbs from the garden: there is nothing like good simple food to start the day off right.

Potatoes with Rosemary and Sage
3/4 lb potatoes (2 medium)
1 heaping tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
1 bay leaf

Peel the potatoes and place in cold salted water for 15-20 minutes. This reduces the amount they will stick to the pan when you roast them.

Preheat toaster oven to 500°F.

Drain the potatoes and cut them in 3/4 inch cubes. Place on a baking dish and toss with the oil, garlic, rosemary, sage and bay leaf. Spread the potatoes in a single layer and bake 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Lower the heat to 375°F and cook until tender, about 10 minutes longer. Turn them occasionally while they cook.

Serve hot.

Serves 2

Bean Stew with Rosemary and Sage

This is the bean stew I served in a winter squash last week. I made enough that we ate it later in the week as well, spooned over rice.

I used a round yellowish bean the farmer I buy from calls barbecue beans. Navy beans or any other similar bean would do if you can't find barbecue beans. Adding lentils to a bean stew gives a good consistency, similar to the role ground meat or soy crumbles would play, but much healthier.

Yes, I put a whole head of garlic in the stew. But because it's roasted, you really can't tell. It adds a mellow richness to the dish. In flu season, it's good to eat lots of garlic. The rosemary and sage are also good anti-microbial herbs. I roasted the garlic in the toaster oven while the beans cooked. This is a dish which requires you to be home for a couple of hours, but that needs very little tending. The ingredients just roast and simmer away.

If you don't have fresh herbs, leave them out or use dried - about 1/4 of the amount.

Bean Stew with Rosemary and Sage
3/4 cup barbecue beans
3/4 cup brown lentils
1 head garlic
1 1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
3/4 tsp minced fresh sage
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3/4 cups diced carrots
1/2 tsp sage
1/4 tsp rosemary
14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp salt

Soak the beans overnight or for a few hours in plenty of cold water to cover. Drain, add to a pot of boiling water, and simmer gently until tender but not mushy. Check after an hour, and thereafter every 20 minutes or so. When they are cooked through, drain and set aside.

Separately, simmer the lentils in plenty of water until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

At the same time, roast the garlic. Cut the top 1/3 off the head so the tops of the cloves are exposed. Put in a small casserole and sprinkle with the rosemary and sage, and pour the oil over top. Cover the casserole and bake in a 400°F oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook another 5-10 minutes. Remove from oven, lift the garlic out of the oil and set it aside to cool a little.

Warm the herbal garlicky oil in a large sauté pan. Add the onion and sauté gently 5 minutes until tender. Add the carrots and smaller amounts of sage and rosemary. Stir to coat with the flavored oil, then add the tomatoes with their liquid. Stir to combine.

Squeeze the flesh of the garlic cloves out from the skin. Add the flesh to the pot along with the cooked beans, cooked lentils, and the salt and pepper to taste.

Cook, covered, about 10 minutes, until all the flavors are melded and the stew is hot, adding water as necessary to keep it a good consistency.

Serve with brown rice, or in a bowl with crackers, or in a baked squash as in the picture here.

Serves 6

Roasted Root Vegetables

One of the side dishes at Christmas lunch was this pretty assortment of roasted roots.

Who needs table decorations when the food looks this good?

Usually I add potatoes to a casserole of roasted roots, but since we were eating those in the potato torte, I was able to focus on a variety of other vegetables.

I used a bunch of baby chiogga beets, a bunch of baby turnips, a bunch of baby rutabagas, a couple of daikon radish and some carrots.

I started by deciding which casserole dish I was going to bake them in, and then adding the veg as it was scrubbed and chopped. When the dish was full, I tipped the vegetables into a bowl and tossed them with olive oil, salt and pepper, 2 bay leaves, and a couple of sprigs of rosemary.

I cut each of the vegetables in different shapes so cautious eaters could tell what they were going to put in their mouths. The turnips and beets were so small I just cut them in half. The daikon was in log-like shapes, as were the carrots. And the baby rutabagas were so tiny I left them whole (although I did peel them because they were a little hairy).

I poured a little oil in the bottom of the casserole, added the roots and herbs, covered it, and let it sit on the counter until an hour before dinner. I baked it for 45 minutes or so at 350°F. I could have put the casserole in a hotter oven, but the potato torte was in there at 350°F. I find roots are very flexible in their cooking. They came out soft and luscious with wonderful flavor, and looked very pretty on the plate.

Thick Lentil Soup

On these chilly days, I automatically reach for the lentils.

Nothing is as warming as having a big pot of lentil soup in the fridge, ready to be re-heated in the middle of a busy day of gardening, or eaten in the evening by the fire with hot rolls and butter.

Best of all, lentils are a very good source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. They help your body lower cholesterol and keep your colon healthy. And like all legumes, they are good for the heart. They have significant quantities of folate which lowers homocysteine and magnesium which helps your veins and arteries relax.

This is the lentil soup we've been eating this week. It's actually more of a stew than a soup. You can serve it over brown rice, or add a little extra liquid and eat it as a thick soup.

Vary the recipe depending on what's in your fridge. I was going to add turnips, but they seem to have disappeared from the Hollywood Farmers Market. I fried up some cipollini onions, which add a sweet rich flavor, but regular onions would be fine too, or even the small white pearl onions. If you don't have fresh rosemary, use 1 tsp dried. Rosemary is good for the digestion, so it's a good herb to add to bean dishes if you don't eat them enough that your body is used to breaking them down.

Like all good soups, this one gets better with age. So make a big pot and enjoy it throughout the week, knowing that it is good for your body and soul.

Thick Lentil Soup
1 cup green lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped fine
4 carrots, diced
1 leek
4 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
28-oz can diced tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
8-9 cipollini onions
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp lemon juice

Put the lentils, onion, garlic, carrots, leek, potato, celery and rosemary in a large pot, and cover with a quart of water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 45-50 minutes until the lentils are tender.

Add the tomatoes with their juice, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Simmer gently.

Peel and halve the cipollini onions and fry in the vegetable oil until golden brown. Add to the pot.

Stir in lemon juice just before serving.

Serves 6-8

Arugula and Figs

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

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

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

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

Serves 2-3

Kamut Pilaf with Basil

Last week I served Larry kamut for the first time.

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

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

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

You can buy whole kamut at any health food store.

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

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

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

Serve sprinkled with a little extra basil.

Serves 4

Green Omelet

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

Roasted Root Vegetables

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

White Beans with Rosemary and Thyme

If you have room for just 3 plants on your Southern California patio, choose rosemary, thyme and bay. They grow well in pots, are drought tolerant (their flavor is more intense when they are mildly stressed), and make a big flavor pop in whatever you're cooking. They require a few hours of sun a day to thrive. The bay will try to be a tree. Trim it to the size you like.

I ventured into the rain last night to pick these herbs to serve with the big white lima beans from Lompoc that I buy at the Hollywood Farmers Market. I cooked the beans with bay, garlic, leek and carrots, and then stirred in a pesto of rosemary and thyme at the end. Wow. Served with acorn squash, it made a wonderful fall dinner.

For a quicker version, use 2 cans of cannelini beans. Drain them well and add to 2 cups simmering vegetable broth. Cook until they are warmed through, stir in the pesto, and dinner is served. You can speed up the roasting of the squash by cutting it into wedges, tossing it in olive oil, and roasting it for 20 minutes until tender. Or serve steamed vegetables or greens as a quick side dish.

White Beans with Rosemary and Thyme
1 1/2 cups dried white beans
6 cloves garlic, peeled - divided use
1 carrot, cut in 1" lengths
greens from 1 leek, washed well, (save the rest of the leek for another recipe) or 1/2 onion cut into large pieces
1 bay leaf
4 tsp rosemary leaves, stripped from the stems
1 tbsp thyme leaves, stripped from the stems
1/4 cup olive oil

Soak the beans overnight. (Or do the quick soak method. Cook beans 10 minutes in boiling water. Let stand one hour. Drain and proceed.)

Combine the beans with 3 cloves garlic, carrot, leek greens and bay leaf. Cover with 2 inches of water, bring to the boil, and cook until tender, about 45 minutes, adding some salt and pepper in the last 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 2 cups of the cooking broth. Discard the vegetables. (All their flavor will be in the broth.)

In a mini-chop or blender, mince the rosemary, thyme and remaining 3 cloves garlic. Add the olive oil and purée. (It will look more like salad dressing than regular pesto.) Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Combine the pesto, beans and reserved cooking broth. Warm over moderate heat. Serve in the squash halves.

Baked Acorn Squash
Preheat oven to 450°. Put the whole squash in the oven and cook 30-45 minutes (depending on the size of the squash) until a knife slides in easily. Let the squash cool until you can handle it. Cut it in half and scoop out the seeds. Serve the halves, or cut it into wedges for smaller servings.

Serves 4.

Easy Brunch

Larry and I turned 20lbs of tomatoes into our winter supply of salsa on Sunday. Our niece Tracie came to help, and I fortified us all with a simple brunch before the chopping and stirring started.

At the Hollywood Farmers Market that morning, I found wonderful arugula at Flora Bella -- young and tender with a bite. I combined it with potatoes, zucchini and eggs for a simple frittata. I cooked and served it in a cast-iron frying pan -- no fancy flipping of frittatas here. Leftover corn and snap peas rounded out the meal.

Fresh rosemary is wonderful with potatoes. I have many bushes, including a potted one outside the kitchen window, and one that cascades over a retaining wall. Rosemary has many health benefits: it increases circulation to the brain, enhancing focus and memory, and possibly helping to prevent Alzheimer's; it stimulates the gall bladder and helps digestion, including the breakdown of saturated fats; it protects the DNA against certain kinds of damage; and its anti-bacterial properties help prevent yeast and bladder infections.

This recipe makes a thin frittata. If you prefer a thicker one, use a smaller frying pan. It will take a little longer to cook. If you can't find arugula, use spinach instead. Frittatas taste good hot, at room temperature, or cold. We enjoyed the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Frittata of Potatoes, Zucchini and Arugula
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 medium)
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
3 cups arugula, thick stems removed, coarsely chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
6 eggs
1/2 cup grated cheddar

Heat olive oil in 12" cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add potatoes and toss to coat with oil. Cook until lightly browned and nearly soft, stirring occasionally to separate slices. (Lower heat a little if they stick too much.) Add zucchini and rosemary and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring as needed, for 2-3 minutes until zucchini and potatoes are tender. Lower heat to medium and add arugula and garlic. Cook, turning with tongs, about a minute until garlic is fragrant and arugula is wilted.

Turn heat to low, and distribute the vegetables evenly in the pan. Whisk eggs and season with a scant 1/4 tsp salt and a few grinds of pepper. Pour eggs over vegetables. Let cook 5 minutes or so until the bottom and sides have set and the top is still slightly runny.

Sprinkle with cheese and run under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until the top is set and the cheese is melted.

Cut into wedges and serve, or let sit at room temperature for a couple of hours. Refrigerate for longer storage.

Serves 4.

Simple Salad Dressings

Larry and I enjoyed the first lettuce from our garden on Sunday, tossed with Stilton and walnuts, dressed with red wine vinegar and olive oil.

It was simple. It was great.

I encourage you to discard the commercial salad dressings in your fridge (read the ingredients - not food) and instead make your own with pantry staples.

Commercial salad dressings are made to travel and store well, so they contain emulsifiers, preservatives and unhealthy oils. If you are using non-fat or low-fat salad dressing, check out the sugar content. Sugar almost always replaces fat in prepared foods.

Many nutrients are better absorbed with fat, so instead of avoiding oils, choose healthy ones. Any shelf-stable vegetable oil is bad for you. It is hydrogenated, meaning the fat molecule is hooked to a hydrogen molecule to keep it from going rancid. Unfortunately, this means the fat molecule cannot attach to a protein molecule in your body to create new cells. It just sits inertly on your hips. (These oils can also contain those dreaded trans-fats.) Don’t put hydrogenated vegetable oils in your mouth.

Buy cold-pressed organic oils at the health food store. Refrigerate them after opening. You can use nut oils and seed oils in your salad dressing. You can also use olive oil, which is naturally shelf-stable and has no trans-fats. Just remember it solidifies in the fridge, so your salad dressing will too. Give it ten minutes or so to warm up at room temperature before using.

I use organic canola oil, formerly known as rapeseed (you can see why they changed the name - a lot is grown in Canada, hence can-ola). Only get canola that is organically grown, otherwise it’s probably genetically modified.

The basic formula for salad dressing is one part vinegar to three parts oil. Vary the oils and vinegar depending on your mood, alter the proportion depending on your taste (and the seasonings you use).

The recipes below will last for weeks in a jar in the fridge. Delegate a family member to be the dressing chef. Anyone who can pour, measure and shake can do it.

Vinaigrette
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/8 tsp black pepper
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil or canola oil

Combine the spices and vinegar in a jar and shake well. Add oil and shake until well combined. Makes about 1 cup.

Honey Balsamic Dressing
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp whole grain mustard
2 tsp honey
10 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Stir mustard and honey into vinegar until dissolved. Whisk in oil. Season to taste. Makes about 3/4 cup. This is a mild dressing that almost everyone enjoys. Add more vinegar if you want more bite.


Lemon Rosemary Dressing
1 sprig rosemary
1 small clove garlic
lemon rind 1” x 1/2”
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice

Shake together. Store in fridge for up to a week. Makes about 1 cup. This is also good over steamed vegetables or in a bean salad.

The Sad Lack of Rutabagas

A downside of living in Southern California is the sad lack of rutabagas.

A rutabaga is a root vegetable which looks rather like a pale-orange elongated turnip. Like most roots it is a good source of minerals, especially potassium, and has traces of all essential vitamins, including a large amount of beta carotene.

Because rutabagas store well, they are traditional winter fare, and can be found in the root vegetable section of supermarkets in northern climes. (I seem to remember a small campaign to name the rutabaga the national vegetable of Canada.)

They are a delicious addition to a roasted vegetable dish of beets, turnips, carrots, parsnips and potatoes. (Peel and chop the vegetables. Toss in a little olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper. Roast, covered, at 450° until fork-tender.)

The Scots call them neeps, and Bashed Neeps are in my family lore. I don’t remember eating any, but I’ve never forgotten the name.

Only twice this winter have I found organic rutabagas at the Hollywood Farmers Market, but what rutabagas they were: small and fresh, with the greens still attached. The first bunch I roasted as above. Delicious!

But with the second bunch in hand, I came across Bert Greene’s recipe for Bashed Neeps in his vegetable primer Greene on Greens.

It is the best rutabaga recipe ever, almost like orange mashed potatoes but with an ethereal lightness.

I share it with you in the hopes that you will find some neeps to bash.

Bashed Neeps
1 lb rutabagas, peeled and cut into cubes
1/2 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1-2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper

Cook the rutabagas in boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Add the potatoes. Cook until both vegetables are cooked, about 15 minutes longer. Drain.

Mash with the butter until smooth. (Use a regular potato masher.) Add the nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.

Should serve 4 but probably won’t.