I am such a lucky guy, because my neighbor gave me a nice bag of Fuyu persimmons! And I picked up a container of chickpea miso, all in the same week. I saw this as a cosmic directive to whip up this Spinach Persimmon Salad; a Japanese-inspired salad that will blend well with the traditional holiday table. Unlike their counterpart, the Hachiya persimmon, the Fuyu can be enjoyed in various stages of ripeness, making them a great addition to your holiday salad! You can easily tell them apart because Fuyus are shaped more like a tomato, while Hachiya persimmons are acorn–shaped. If you try to eat a Hachiya before it gets completely soft, you will be left with a mouthful of astringent icky. This recipe uses firm, crunchy-yet ripe Fuyu persimmons as the star ingredient.
Whole Roasted Butternut Squash with Tomatillo-Pepita Sauce & Pomegranate
My friend in Grand Junction Colorado gave me a few of her butternut squash when I was on a recent trip to her state. In addition to that, we had our own harvest of butternut squash here in Los Angeles. So, what to do with all that squash? Well, there is the typical soup, ravioli filling, and I even enchiladas. Or you can just do whole roasted butternut squash in a couple easy steps. This recipe could change the way you look at your butternut squash. So, move that butternut squash from being a table centerpiece to being your main course for dinner, or at least a side dish. It can also make a great Thanksgiving vegan entree, that in my opinion is way better, and less processed than Tofurkey or other vegan turkey substitutes. Because it isn’t meant to be anything like turkey. It just celebrates the squash, and makes it the star of the day. You can use this idea with any whole squash: delicata, pumpkin, you name it.Enjoy trying this out and let me know how you liked it in the comments.
Sunflower-Basil Hummus Soup
Have you ever wondered what your hummus would taste like heated with the pita chips crumbled on top? No? Okay, well maybe you aren’t as weird as I am. But now that I have you thinking about it, I’ll bet you’re curious, aren’t you? Well, here is a recipe for hummus soup that may help you satisfy that curiosity, and any appetite! The chickpeas and sunflower seed butter give this some nice, nutritious calorie density, making it a great cool evening dinner or lunch.
Stuffed Kabocha Squash with Buckwheat, Pistachios, Pears & Pomegranate
It’s October 1st, and therefore it is not too early to get the autumn flavors and smells going in the kitchen! Hell, if Macy’s can put out Christmas merchandise, then I can make a stuffed kabocha squash for dinner, okay?
There is a vendor at the Farmers Market who always has a humble variety of melons and squash, and this week some awesome looking kabocha squash appeared on their table. So I snatched a couple up and here is what I came up with.
Linguine with Cashew Cheese Sauce, Sage, Butternut Squash & Peas
This month my kid got married, and we got our first real feeling of autumn outside. My son’s wedding plays a part in today’s post. I decided to prepare the food for the wedding, and give it a personalized touch for the special occasion. The bride and groom wanted a vegan menu, with vegan macaroni and cheese being their favorite. The cashew cheese sauce for the mac and cheese came out so yummy I have been thinking about it all week.
Then, it dawned on me that this sauce with a couple modifications could make a great autumn pasta with butternut squash, sage and peas. And, that’s how my first post of autumn came about! This sauce is easy to make, packed with plant based protein and healthy fats. The crispy sage garnish makes a nice garnish and crunchy finish to this comforting, cool weather dish.
Radish Tops & Beet Greens Tacos
Don’t throw away your radish tops! Sometimes I get a bunch of radishes or beets with a really healthy, abundant supply of greens attached to the top. For some asinine reason, we have been hard-wired in our culture to throw those greens out. But they are full of both macro and micro nutrients and phyto-chemicals; and if done right, can be made into the star ingredient of a variety of dishes. In this particular case, I made my radish tops and beet greens into nutrient-dense, vegan tacos. You don’t need to wait to get a healthy head or radish tops to try this though. Just about any kind of root vegetable greens or other leafy greens will work just as well as the radish tops. Enjoy!
Green Beans with Lemon, Tarragon & Chia Seeds
This green beans with lemon recipe is another one of those super simple, “too tasty and easy to be true” dishes for an easy lunch or dinner side dish. Sometimes demonstrating that you can grab one vegetable from your garden or the Farmers Market, and easily turn it into a fairly complete meal or tide-over, is the best way I can use my blog space! The chia seeds provide extra complete protein and healthy fats to this, making it a decent light meal. And you can always add more chia seeds to suit your own nutritional preference and taste. So enjoy this one and let me know in the comments all the different ways you did! I used some rattlesnake beans from my garden for this recipe.
Grilled Figs in Lettuce Cups with Caramelized Onion & Chèvre
It’s that time of the year again! The onslaught of ripening figs is happening faster than we can keep up with. Here is a really easy way to enjoy some grilled figs, and gobble them down without making a huge production out of it. Enjoy!
Stuffed Ronde de Nice Squash with Tuscan Kale & Cannellini Bean Salad
Each year I like to try a different kind of squash in the food garden. And I am extremely pleased that ronde de nice squash made its way onto my list this year! It has the consistency of a summer squash like zucchini, yet it is hearty, with a soft center and tender seeds that can be eaten, similar to a winter squash. And it’s spherical shape lends itself to awesome stuffing potential! So it’s extremely versatile. This healthy vegan recipe for stuffed ronde de nice squash is a great summertime meal, as a warm-ish dinner entree or cold salad, or even at brunch.
Tomato & Watercress Salad with Basil Cashew Cheese
I found some flowering watercress at the Farmers market this week, so I decided to make it the star of the blog post! There isn’t much to say about watercress except how simple it is to enjoy it as a stand alone ingredient, or mixed into all kinds of stuff. I pulled some tomatoes and basil from the garden and came up with this simple salad that will add some delicious color and quality nutrition to any summer table. You can make your own cheese fairly quickly, or look for an artisan vegan cheesemaker like Blöde Kuh, or use your favorite fresh cheese that you think would go great with garden tomatoes and watercress.