Nothing says Spring like fresh green garlic at the farmer’s market. I grabbed a bunch the other day, and before I could put it into my bag this idea to make fresh raw almond cheese with green garlic popped into my head. This is a fresh, quick cheese that slightly resembles the consistency of a ricotta, and offers a nice, nutritious, dairy-free creaminess. The green garlic made it heavenly. You can use it on a sandwich with vine tomatoes, as an hors d’oeuvre filling or topping- as pictured, or try it in layers of lasagna. Enjoy!
Root Vegetable Stacks with Wild Mushroom Ragout
These root vegetable stacks are a great example of what you can prepare with just a few ingredients, and at those times when you have nothing planned for dinner. Thinking of what to make for dinner always sits in the back of my mind throughout the day, no matter what else is going on. The other day I was experiencing a busy and challenging day. I knew I needed to go grocery shopping but didn’t have the time. So I resigned to the idea that I would just work with whatever I had in the kitchen when I got home. By the time it was over, I was reminded that sometimes breaking the pattern of relying on regular grocery staples is just the ticket I need to get the creative culinary juices flowing. What is the point of this story? When you are charged with preparing dinner and all you have on hand is a yam, a beet, and some mushrooms, take a pause, make like you are in a cottage in Provence, and romance some garden herbs and that jar of Dijon mustard sitting in the back of the fridge! In most cases, simpler is actually a lot better. Embrace what you have, make it the star, and you will never go wrong!
Read MorePortobello Bacon-Wrapped Figs with Vegan Yogurt
Shiitake bacon is a thing. But honestly, Portobello bacon is way better– because portobellos are larger, meatier, and therefore able to stand up to the bacon-making and fig-wrapping process. This recipe is super simple, quick, and a great way to enjoy all those figs that are starting to ripen in your yard, or starting to pop up at the market. Read More
Spinach Persimmon Salad with Chickpea Miso Dressing
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.
Pasta with Dandelion Greens, Sweet Potato Leaves, Garlic & Pistachio
Dandelion greens are one of my favorite edible weeds, and they love being wilted into garlic butter with pasta. I decided to add some sweet potato leaves, mostly because they pop up and kind of go crazy in my garden every year, but also because they add a bit of sweet, more delicate green flavor to offset the dandelion. If you eat dairy, feel free to use grass fed butter of ghee for your cooking fat, and substitute real parmesan for the pistachio parmesan. Having said that, the pistachio parmesan is a lot more nutritious, delivering healthy fats, complete protein, and fiber; and it adds a comforting earthiness to the dish.
Roman Slow Cooker Artichokes
Every year the artichoke root system in our garden pops out an abundance of fresh artichokes. For the first few years this is really fun and rewarding, but after a while, one yearns for some new ideas and ways to gobble up all those artichokes, without adding a lot of prep time. This recipe for slow cooker artichokes is super easy, with just about 15 minutes or less of prep time. Then you just set the cooker, get on with your day, and return to a crock pot full of tender, moist artichokes loaded with flavor.
Vegan Grilled Gouda & Portobello Sandwich
I couldn’t decide whether throwing together a list of somewhat obscure plant based stabilizers and coconut milk would appeal to any readers. But if you know how awesome it is to find a vegan cheese that is easy to make, and has a really wonderful MELT, you can understand why I had to finally break down and share this. Factor in the current chilly wet weather we have been having, and well, there you go!
The cheese recipe is a slight adaptation from a quick cheese recipe found on one of my favorite plant- based living blogs. The obscure ingredients can be found at a mom and pop health market, Sprouts, or Whole Foods.
Fig & Shiitake Bacon Bites
Here is a fun and extremely easy variation on the bacon-wrapped fig. Actually, I wanted to see if I could wrap a fig in a shiitake bacon, but the bacon pieces aren’t quite big or flexible enough. Next time I will try making a portobello bacon. In the meantime, this is what I ended up with, and to my delight, it came out very tasty. Try this as a snack, or a vegan and Paleo-friendly summer hors d’oeuvre, if you go with the vegan cheese, or I would imagine that goat cheese would be equally amazing. You can google shiitake bacon recipes and experiment, or just use the one I came up with here. Making shiitake bacon is much easier than it sounds if you use this quick method.
Cashew Mozzarella-Stuffed Paquillo Peppers
Have you ever passed the tapioca starch at the grocery store and wondered what in the world people use it for? Well, as it turns out, it can lend a key hand at making an awesome, meltable vegan cheese that can be made on the stovetop, literally in minutes. The cheese sort of resembles burrata, and has a great stretchy consistency, thanks to the tapioca starch. Tapioca comes from cassava root, so it is basically nothing more than a clean, plant-based stabilizer. I put it to the test with some paquillo peppers, and came up with this healthful version of the ubiquitous jalapeño popper. You can use paquillos, baby bells, jalapeños, or other stuff-able small chile, just make sure you are ready for whatever heat comes with whatever chile you choose. For example, a habanero would be adorable, but so hot you might not enjoy the cheese part. Have fun!
Spaghetti with Calabrese Broccoli, Green Garlic & Nasturtium Blossoms
We all know broccoli is good for us. But one has to admit that the same “commercial” broccoli that we are relentlessly exposed to can get a little tiring. That is why I always get a little excited whenever I see less ubiquitous varieties of broccoli at the market. The particular calabrese in this recipe was small and tender, making it a great, quickly seared pasta stir fry. In retrospect, I wish I had taken a photo of it at the market, but the finished dish gives you a good sense of the anatomy of this broccoli. The green garlic adds a spring time garlic kick, and the nasturtium adds a slight peppery essence, for an uncomplicated, light springtime meal. By the way, if you are wondering where to find nasturtiums, they grow like crazy everywhere, so just tap into your “inner hunter-gatherer” and you should be okay. You might even have some growing in your own yard! Read More