Sunday, May 31, 2009
Rhubarb, Strawberry, and Mango Compote
Yield: 6 servings
Also from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. If you want to stay local and seasonal, serve this dish without the mango. Serve chilled with cake, sweet biscuits, or topped with whipped cream.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds rhubarb, chopped small
1 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
grated zest and juice of 1 orange
1 pint strawberries, sliced in half or left whole if small
1 mango, peeled and cut into small pieces
Procedure:
Toss the rhubarb, sugar, cloves, and orange zest and juice, then put in a wide skillet or pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the rhubarb starts falling apart, transfer to a bowl and stir in the strawberries and mango. Toss gently, cover, and chill.
Variations: Add supremed oranges to the chilled compote, cook the rhubarb with 6 sliced kumquats, or add star anise in addition to the cloves.
Also from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. If you want to stay local and seasonal, serve this dish without the mango. Serve chilled with cake, sweet biscuits, or topped with whipped cream.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds rhubarb, chopped small
1 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
grated zest and juice of 1 orange
1 pint strawberries, sliced in half or left whole if small
1 mango, peeled and cut into small pieces
Procedure:
Toss the rhubarb, sugar, cloves, and orange zest and juice, then put in a wide skillet or pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the rhubarb starts falling apart, transfer to a bowl and stir in the strawberries and mango. Toss gently, cover, and chill.
Variations: Add supremed oranges to the chilled compote, cook the rhubarb with 6 sliced kumquats, or add star anise in addition to the cloves.
Rhubarb-Apple Crisp
Yield: 4-6 servings
This recipe is from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. It can also be made with a local honey and/or maple syrup substituted for the sugar.
CRISP TOPPING
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats or chopped nuts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Procedure:
Using your fingers, work the butter with the rest of the ingredients so that each piece is coated and you have a coarse, crumbly mixture.
RHUBARB-APPLE FILLING
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds apples, diced (about 4-5 apples)
2 pounds rhubarb, diced into 1-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch ground cloves
pinch of sea salt
Procedure:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Toss all ingredients together. Arrange the fruit in a 2-quart gratin dish and cover with the topping. Set the dish on a sheet pan to catch any drips and bake about 1 hour and 10 minutes until the fruit juices are bubbling and the topping is brown.
This recipe is from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. It can also be made with a local honey and/or maple syrup substituted for the sugar.
CRISP TOPPING
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats or chopped nuts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Procedure:
Using your fingers, work the butter with the rest of the ingredients so that each piece is coated and you have a coarse, crumbly mixture.
RHUBARB-APPLE FILLING
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds apples, diced (about 4-5 apples)
2 pounds rhubarb, diced into 1-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch ground cloves
pinch of sea salt
Procedure:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Toss all ingredients together. Arrange the fruit in a 2-quart gratin dish and cover with the topping. Set the dish on a sheet pan to catch any drips and bake about 1 hour and 10 minutes until the fruit juices are bubbling and the topping is brown.
Sweet Rhubarb Ice-Cream
Yield: 8-10 servings
We served this vegan ice-cream with strawberries and a phyllo crisp at an elegant dinner and it was a smashing hit! My culinary classmates Andre and Phil created the recipe using alternatives to refined white sugar. Of course, you can substitute sugar in if you want. Also, while it calls for a simple, home-made cashew milk, you can substitute other nutmilks from the store or try cream.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds rhubarb, chopped small
1 cup maple syrup
3 cups cashew milk*, chilled
1/2 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup rice syrup
optional: 1/4 cup beet juice for color
Procedure:
Cook rhubarb and maple syrup on low heat until the rhubarb is soft and mushy. Allow the mixture to cool, then whisk with cashew milk, vanilla, rice syrup, and beet juice. Chill before pouring into your ice-cream maker.
CASHEW MILK*
Yield: about 3 cups
Ingredients:
3 cups water
1 1/5 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight
Procedure:
Blend cashews and water until smooth. Just let your blender go! Strain it only if it's too gritty.
We served this vegan ice-cream with strawberries and a phyllo crisp at an elegant dinner and it was a smashing hit! My culinary classmates Andre and Phil created the recipe using alternatives to refined white sugar. Of course, you can substitute sugar in if you want. Also, while it calls for a simple, home-made cashew milk, you can substitute other nutmilks from the store or try cream.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds rhubarb, chopped small
1 cup maple syrup
3 cups cashew milk*, chilled
1/2 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup rice syrup
optional: 1/4 cup beet juice for color
Procedure:
Cook rhubarb and maple syrup on low heat until the rhubarb is soft and mushy. Allow the mixture to cool, then whisk with cashew milk, vanilla, rice syrup, and beet juice. Chill before pouring into your ice-cream maker.
CASHEW MILK*
Yield: about 3 cups
Ingredients:
3 cups water
1 1/5 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight
Procedure:
Blend cashews and water until smooth. Just let your blender go! Strain it only if it's too gritty.
Delightfully Raw Kale Salad
Yield: 3-4 servings
We enjoyed this salad at a potluck in New York, and it was so good that we wanted to share it with you! It came from Judy LaBelle, President of the Glynwood Center where Dan completed a year-long internship in organic CSA farming.
Ingredients:
1 bunch of kale leaves
8 paper thin slices of red onion
¼ c olive oil
¼ c balsamic vinegar (white, if possible)
Pine nuts, toasted (if desired)
Salt and pepper to taste
Procedure:
Clean the kale leaves, remove the stems and cut in ¼ to ½ inch wide strips. Add the onion slices, olive oil and vinegar, and “massage” for a few seconds by hand. Let stand for at least 15 minutes and serve, topped with pine nuts if desired.
We enjoyed this salad at a potluck in New York, and it was so good that we wanted to share it with you! It came from Judy LaBelle, President of the Glynwood Center where Dan completed a year-long internship in organic CSA farming.
Ingredients:
1 bunch of kale leaves
8 paper thin slices of red onion
¼ c olive oil
¼ c balsamic vinegar (white, if possible)
Pine nuts, toasted (if desired)
Salt and pepper to taste
Procedure:
Clean the kale leaves, remove the stems and cut in ¼ to ½ inch wide strips. Add the onion slices, olive oil and vinegar, and “massage” for a few seconds by hand. Let stand for at least 15 minutes and serve, topped with pine nuts if desired.
Rhubarb Tea
Yield: 2 servings
Rhubarb tea, a refreshing pink, spring tea, has a fruity, tangy flavor. Traditionally this tea was used unsweetened to cure liver-related problems. It should be used in moderation, not for more than five consecutive days. This recipe was adapted from the New Whole Foods Encyclopedia by Rebecca Wood.
Ingredients:
1/2 stalk rhubarb, chopped
2 cups water
1 teaspoon mint, chamomile, or your favorite herb (optional)
Procedure:
Simmer rhubarb in the water in a non-reactive pot. (Avoid aluminum pots.) Remove from heat and add the optional herbs, allowing to steep for 5 additional minutes.
Rhubarb tea, a refreshing pink, spring tea, has a fruity, tangy flavor. Traditionally this tea was used unsweetened to cure liver-related problems. It should be used in moderation, not for more than five consecutive days. This recipe was adapted from the New Whole Foods Encyclopedia by Rebecca Wood.
Ingredients:
1/2 stalk rhubarb, chopped
2 cups water
1 teaspoon mint, chamomile, or your favorite herb (optional)
Procedure:
Simmer rhubarb in the water in a non-reactive pot. (Avoid aluminum pots.) Remove from heat and add the optional herbs, allowing to steep for 5 additional minutes.
Morel Information
We went morel hunting in May and found a small amount of the treasured mushrooms. Unfortunately, we have not found any others during subsequent hunts, but they were good while they lasted!
Health Benefits
Morels are said to reduce phlegm and inhibit the formation of and growth of tumors.
Uses
Morels can be prepared in many ways including roasting, sauteing, marinating, and broiling. One of the favorite modes of preparation includes sauteing in lots of butter.
Dandelion Information
The word dandelion is derived from its Middle Latin name, dent leo, which means tooth of the lion. The wild dandelion's leaves are deeply notched. Its scientific name, Taraxacum, is from the Greek taraxos (disorder) and akos (remedy) which alludes to its abilities to correct a multitude of disorders. We grow a cultivated variety which has more tender and less bitter leaves than the wild plant.
Health Benefits
A cup of dandelion greens provides nearly a day's requirement of vitamin A and a third of the daily vitamin C requirement. It is an excellent source of calcium, potassium, B6, and iron, among other things. It stimulates liver function, reduces swelling and inflammation, and improves digestion. Its antiviral properties have been used to treat AIDs and herpes, and it is also used to treat jaundice, cirrhosis, edema due to high blood pressure, gout, eczema, premenstrual bloating, and acne.
Uses for the Greens (roots are edible too, though)
Health Benefits
A cup of dandelion greens provides nearly a day's requirement of vitamin A and a third of the daily vitamin C requirement. It is an excellent source of calcium, potassium, B6, and iron, among other things. It stimulates liver function, reduces swelling and inflammation, and improves digestion. Its antiviral properties have been used to treat AIDs and herpes, and it is also used to treat jaundice, cirrhosis, edema due to high blood pressure, gout, eczema, premenstrual bloating, and acne.
Uses for the Greens (roots are edible too, though)
- Raw in salads, sometimes mixed with other greens depending on its bitterness
- On sandwiches
- Cooked briefly in salted boiling water or steamed
- Sauteed with garlic/onion
- As a tea
Kale with Pine Nuts, Raisins, and Sundried Tomatoes
This is my all-time favorite way to eat kale! The recipe was adapted from a Broccoli Rabe recipe in a Sicilian cooking class that I took, and it can be used with other greens such as escarole, dandelion, or even chard. I usually don't have pine nuts around, so I substitute almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, or nothing at all.
Ingredients:
1 bunch kale, washed, de-stemmed, and roughly chopped
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic
pinch of nutmeg
5 sundried tomatoes, soaked in hot water until soft and cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons raisins
1 tablespoon pine nuts
salt and pepper to taste
Procedure:
1. Bring enough water to cover the kale to boil in a pot. Add pinch of salt and kale. Cook until the kale is dark green and tender (a few minutes), drain.
2. In a medium pan, saute garlic in olive oil until golden, add nutmeg, kale, sundried tomatoes, and raisins.
3. Add nuts and season with salt and pepper.
Ingredients:
1 bunch kale, washed, de-stemmed, and roughly chopped
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic
pinch of nutmeg
5 sundried tomatoes, soaked in hot water until soft and cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons raisins
1 tablespoon pine nuts
salt and pepper to taste
Procedure:
1. Bring enough water to cover the kale to boil in a pot. Add pinch of salt and kale. Cook until the kale is dark green and tender (a few minutes), drain.
2. In a medium pan, saute garlic in olive oil until golden, add nutmeg, kale, sundried tomatoes, and raisins.
3. Add nuts and season with salt and pepper.
Garlic Scape Info
In the center of the photo, the garlic scape is the curly stalk of the garlic plant. Harvested young, the stalk is a tender, curly capsule of mild garlic flavor.(Sorry about the crooked image...the photo is stubbornly sideways.)
Health Benefits
Garlic is antibacterial, anticarcinogenic, antifungal and has many healing properties.
Uses
Since the garlic scape has a more mild flavor than the garlic bulb, it is often used raw or just slightly cooked. Ideas include:
- adding them raw to salads
- mincing and using as a garnish
- using them in place of garlic in soups, dips, salad dressings
- served alone or in combo with other foods, grilled, sauteed, roasted
- in pesto
- can be substituted in recipes for onions or garlic
Classic Viniagrette
Use this recipe to improvise upon.
Ingredients:
1 part vinegar
2-3 parts oil
salt
Procedure:
Combine the vinegar and seasonings by whisking or blending. Taste for flavor, then add oil to reach the desired composition.
Ingredients:
1 part vinegar
2-3 parts oil
salt
Procedure:
Combine the vinegar and seasonings by whisking or blending. Taste for flavor, then add oil to reach the desired composition.
- Consider using different vinegars: cider vinegar, red or white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, lemon or lime juice, sherry vinegar, rice vinegar, or umeboshi vinegar.
- Consider different oils: extra virgin olive oil, walnut oil, flax seed oil, sesame oil, or hazelnut oil, to name a few.
- Other popular additions include: garlic, mustard, honey, yogurt or cream, black pepper, fresh herbs, horseradish, avocado, blue cheese, spices, etc.
Creamy Green Dressing
Yield: About 2 1/2 cups
This recipe was adapted from a Moosewood Cookbook. It is an easy favorite.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons lemon juice or your favorite vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
5 spinach leaves
3 tablespoons of mixed fresh herbs or 1 teaspoon dried herbs (parsley, basil, marjoram, mint, dill, oregano...)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove
1 cup oil
1 cup buttermilk or yogurt or sour cream
Procedure:
Blend all ingredients except the buttermilk until smooth. Add buttermilk and blend briefly until combined.
This recipe was adapted from a Moosewood Cookbook. It is an easy favorite.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons lemon juice or your favorite vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
5 spinach leaves
3 tablespoons of mixed fresh herbs or 1 teaspoon dried herbs (parsley, basil, marjoram, mint, dill, oregano...)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove
1 cup oil
1 cup buttermilk or yogurt or sour cream
Procedure:
Blend all ingredients except the buttermilk until smooth. Add buttermilk and blend briefly until combined.
Citrus and Scallion Viniagrette
Yield: About 3/4 cup
While this fresh salad dressing is delicious, it can be changed in an infinite number of ways to suit your tastes, or the ingredients in your pantry!
Ingredients:
Zest of one organic orange
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice or your favorite vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2 scallions, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon honey
1 sprig mint (optional)
Procedure:
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.
While this fresh salad dressing is delicious, it can be changed in an infinite number of ways to suit your tastes, or the ingredients in your pantry!
Ingredients:
Zest of one organic orange
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice or your favorite vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2 scallions, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon honey
1 sprig mint (optional)
Procedure:
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Resources
Food Facts
Most of the nutritional information included in this blog was gathered from
Most of the nutritional information included in this blog was gathered from
- The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray ND
- The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia by Rebecca Wood
Wilted Dandelion Green Salad
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
1 large bunch of dandelion greens, washed, roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Procedure:
Saute garlic in oil until golden. Add vinegar and hazelnuts. Pour hot vinaigrette over greens, toss, and add salt and pepper.
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
1 large bunch of dandelion greens, washed, roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Procedure:
Saute garlic in oil until golden. Add vinegar and hazelnuts. Pour hot vinaigrette over greens, toss, and add salt and pepper.
Garlic Scape Pesto
Yield: About 2 1/2 cupsClassic pesto is pounded in a mortar with a pestle, but until I own these fine kitchen tools, I've been throwing all the ingredients in a blender and giving it a whirl. To give the pesto a hand made look, I added minced spinach. The recipe could also be made in a food processor. It is remarkably easy and quick to make, and very forgiving. Feel free to play around with the proportions!
Ingredients:
1 cup garlic scapes, roughly chopped (about 15 scapes)
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
1/2 cup walnuts (or pine nuts, almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds, etc)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
optional: 1 cup spinach leaves, minced (or other greens such as parsley, arugula, basil, etc)
salt and pepper to taste, about 1/2 teaspoon salt
Procedure:
Combine scapes, cheese, and nuts to food processor, blendor, or mortar. Process while slowly adding the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in minced greens.
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