Posts filed under 'herbs'
It’s really a shame about summer being so hot. All of this wonderful produce available–my refrigerator is bursting at the bolts with our CSA veggies–and no desire to cook! The thought of turning a gas burner on makes me wince, and I’d rather just pretend I don’t own an oven.
We’ve been getting particularly beautiful tomatoes from Red Fire Farm. I have a confession, though. I’m not a huge fan of raw tomatoes. I tend to eat around them. They get picked out of sandwiches halfway through and blatantly ignored in salads. I discovered that cooking them, even just slightly, makes a world of difference.
I LOVE slightly cooked tomatoes! They are the perfect sandwich filler.
And slightly cooked anything is good in this heat. This is a light, summery sandwich I made for lunch. It’s quick, easy, tasty, and takes advantage of the enormous amounts of summer tomatoes and basil we have at our disposal. I’ve spread the sourdough with Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese, which is really one of the best vegan cheese products out there.
Tomato Basil Sandwiches
Makes 1 Sammich
2-3 Roma Tomatoes, sliced lengthwise 1/4″ thick
1 Generous Pinch Salt
1 Tbs Olive Oil
1-2 Pinches Dried Italian Herbs
1 Splash Balsamic Vinegar
2 Slices Sourdough
Tofutti Cream Cheese
4-5 Basil Leaves
Black Pepper
Heat a skillet over medium heat with oil and herbs. Once hot, add tomatoes in one layer. Give the pan a little shake and flip the tomatoes about. Add salt. Once they are beginning to soften, but not falling apart, add a splash of balsamic vinegar while shaking the pan. Turn off heat. This process should only take a few minutes.
Spread your bread with tofutti, add chopped basil and pepper. Place tomatoes on top of that. Grill sandwich with a weight on top. If you’re not grilling, simply toast the bread first, then add tofutti and tomatoes. Enjoy! I’m going to go clean out my freezer so I can crawl inside it.
PS - I’m incredibly flattered to have been nominated in the 2007 VegNews Veggie Awards!! If you’re feeling so inclined, pop over and vote for me in the food blog category. Thanks!!
August 3rd, 2007
Every year Stewart and I eagerly await the arrival of baby squash. Picked before maturity, these little guys have a crunch and sweetness that is unparalleled in their adult counterparts. I like them best cooked quickly and simply - I’d hate for any dish to overshadow the delicate taste and texture we look forward too all year long. Here are two ideas for preparing them:
This is a garlic scape pesto with pan-seared balsamic squash. Yes. You read that right. Garlic scape. I ate something that came from the garlic plant! It’s a miracle!
Garlic scapes emerge from hardneck varieties of garlic. They are to the garlic bulb what chives are to the onion bulb. They have a definite garlic flavor, but instead of the harsh, almost acidic aftertaste of the bulb, you get a sweeter, greener flavor. They’re picked every June for two reasons - they’re tasty, and removing them drives more energy into the bulb for a better garlic harvest later.
There are many things you can do with garlic scapes. You can toss them into your tofu scramble, add them in your stir fries, mix them into mashed potatoes… but perhaps everyone’s favorite preparation is pesto. Many recipes call for raw scapes for making pesto, but given my garlic issues, I decided to saute them first to make sure they were as mild as possible before I ate them.
Garlic Scape Pesto
Serves Two
1/2 lb Fresh Garlic Scapes
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1 Large Pinch Salt
Black Pepper
1/3 Cup Pine Nuts (or other nut)
2 Tbs Oil
Lemon Juice, to taste
Chop the scapes into 1 inch long pieces. Add 2 tbs oil to a heated pan and add the scapes. Add salt, pepper, and pine nuts and saute for a few minutes over medium high heat until the scapes begin to soften and the nuts turn golden brown. Add immediately to the work bowl of a food processor and add remaining oil. Blend well until a smooth paste forms. Taste and add more salt or some lemon juice to brighten. This will coat 1/2 lb. of pasta.
Pan-Seared Balsamic Baby Squash
Makes 12 pieces
6 Fresh Summer Squash, 4-5″ long and 1″ in diameter
Olive Oil
1 Pinch Salt
Balsamic Vinegar
Gently wash and halve squash. Heat a small amount of oil, just enough to make your pan shiny, over high heat. When very hot, add squash cut side down. Press on each one to help sear. Sprinkle with salt. After several minutes (do not move squash), the squash should be golden brown on their cut side. When all squash are browned toss a bit to coat in remaining oil and salt in the pan (add a bit if needed). Splash with a small amount of vinegar (1/2 tsp or so, more if you like). It will bubble up and reduce, lightly coating the squash. Serve immediately.
And for good measure, remember that you don’t need a recipe or fancy garlic scapes to make these little squashes shine. Here I tossed similarly cooked squash with into pasta with sundried tomatoes and spinach wilted in a hot pan with some lemon juice. Add whatever italian herbs you have on hand, season with salt and balsamic vinegar, and you have an easy but delightful meal without much fuss.
June 25th, 2007
We’re back from Belize. I took about a hundred bajillion photos, some of which are currently on flickr if you’re interested.
The trip was wonderful, but the food was not! We did just fine, however, with the help of kind waiters and lots of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It’s good to be back in my own kitchen, even when I’m not the one cooking; tonight I had the extra special treat of eating one of my husband’s lovely meals. I really shouldn’t hog the kitchen so much. I always love what he makes!
Here we have his recipe for gobi (cauliflower) matar (peas) masala (spicy). “Gobi matar masala” sounds better than “cauliflower peas spicy”, doesn’t it? You can also add aloo (potatoes) if you want, but it’s darn tasty with gobi as the main vegetable.
Gobi Matar Masala
Serves Three, more if you add potatoes
1 Cauliflower, chopped into bite-sized florets
1 Onion, chopped small
1/2 tsp Ginger Powder
1 tsp Powdered Cumin
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Coriander
1 tsp Chili Powder
2 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp Turmeric
4 tsp Olive Oil
1 Can Chopped Tomatoes
1/4 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Frozen Peas
Salt to taste
Fresh Cilantro
1 Lemon
Heat the oil in a large pot with a tight fitting lid. Add onion and saute until soft. Add dry spices and cook for 1 minute over medium high. Add cauliflower and tomatoes, toss to coat. Add water and bring to a simmer. Turn down heat to low and cover.
Simmer for 20-30 minutes until cauliflower is tender and liquid has reduced. Add salt to taste. Add peas, allow to defrost. Sprinkle with fresh squeezed lemon juice if desired. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with brown rice and/or bread. Roti or naan is nice!
May 3rd, 2007
I’m always looking for two things: tasty food that’s quick to prepare, and more ways to incorporate dark leafy greens into my diet. This little number does both. To eveyrone who doen’t like kale (but knows they should be eating it anyway!) this one is for you. You can’t really taste the kale in this, and blended up you don’t notice the texture, either. Try it out on all those kale-hating husbands you’ve told me about. I dare you!
Serving it on grilled bread is an extra treat. The grill marks add a nice smoky flavor that can’t be duplicated with a toaster. Don’t break out the grill pan unless you really want to; a toaster will do just fine. Even crackers are acceptable. Heck, eat it with a spoon!
Fresh herbs and cracked black pepper build more layers of flavor which, while aren’t necessary, are totally worthwhile. This is a lovely lunch, but change the bread to crostini rounds and you’ve got an elegant appetizer. What’s not to love about this Kale Delivery System?
Kale and Sundried Tomato Hummus
Makes approx. 1 1/2 cups
1 Can Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 Tbs Tahini
1/2 tsp Salt
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Sundried Tomatoes (about 5)
1 Small Head Kale, de-veined and steamed
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Fresh herbs (Optional, I used oregano)
Rinse chickpeas and place into food processor. Add salt, tahini, water, oil and blend until very smooth.
Remove and discard tough stems from kale with scissors. Steam until tender and bright green, shock under cool water, then squeeze as much water out as possible (see photo to the left). Break kale ball apart and place in processor with sundried tomatoes. Gently pulse until ingredients are well combined, but you can still see chunks of kale and tomatoes. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
For a light lunch, snack or appetizer, grill or toast some high quality bread and spread with hummus. Top with freshly cracked black pepper and fresh herbs of your choice, if available.
April 16th, 2007
It might snow here in Boston tomorrow, but my mind is set on spring. I bought some culinary lavender a few weeks back and finally decided to use it in some shortbread. This shortbread is super simple, but it has a secret: rosewater. It’ll be plenty good without it, but if you happen to have a bottle (or have an Indian grocer nearby), it adds a most delightful yet subtle floral note that complements the lavender well.
Here are two methods for rolling out your shortbread dough, one free form and the other uses miniature springform pans. You can use full size 8″ or 9″ pans, but I like the small rounds my 4.5″ pans produce. If you want to increase the lavender flavor, let the lavender sit in the powdered sugar for a day or two before making this recipe. If you measure it out this way beforhand, you can just dump it into your softened earth balance when you’re ready to make the recipe. If I were you, though, I’d make some extra lavender sugar while you’re at it to add to tea and other baked goods.
Lavender Shortbread
Makes Approximately six 4.5″ rounds
1 Cup Earth Balance, softened
1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
1-2 tsp Rosewater
1 1/2 Tbs Dried Culinary Lavender
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
Preheat oven to 325º F.
Cream earth balance, sugar, lavender, and rose water together in an electric mixer until very soft and fluffy. Mix in four by hand with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. If needed, use your hands to work the dough but do not overmix. The dough should be very soft but not overly sticky.
If making free form rounds: Divide dough in half, form into flat rounds, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Roll out dough on parchment paper into rounds that are 1/4″ thick. It doesn’t really matter how large they are in diameter, just make them all consistent so they they bake evenly. I recommend between 4″ and 8″. Place the parchment paper, dough and all, on cookie sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden around the edges. See the last photo for the last set of instructions.
If using springform pans:Divide dough between greased springform pans pans.
Pat down on the dough to evenly distribute it. Make sure it is no more than 1/4″ thick. To test for thickness, insert a butter knife into the dough vertically and remove - just like checking your oil in your car.
You do check your oil, don’t you?
You can further smooth your shortbread round by greasing the back of a spoon and pressing lightly on the dough. This is great for evening out the edges especially. Be gentle here, or you could accidently tear the dough. If you do, simply press it back together.
Carefully place plastic wrap over the surface of the dough (so no part is exposed to air) and refrigerate for at least an hour. Though dough should feel firm once fully chilled. Simply remove the plastic wrap and place directly in your preheated oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.
When the shortbread comes out of the oven, remove the rings if using pans, and lightly use a spatula or the back of a long knife to score the tops of the shortbread. Once the bread cools, it will become harder and crispier and will easily break along these lines. Allow to cool completely before serving.
This would be extra nice served with tea!
April 11th, 2007
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