The Jamie Oliver effect

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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