Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic
2 cups very small broccoli florets
¾ cups packed basil leaves
½ cup Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Drop garlic into a food processor with the motor running to chop. Add the broccoli, basil, almonds, cheese, and salt and pulse until finely chopped.
2. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil and process until well mixed, scraping down the sides as needed. Season with pepper to taste. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator until ready to use. (Pesto is best served within 1 day of making.)
Makes about 1½ cups
Ingredients:
2 cups water
¼ pound slab bacon, rind removed, cut into ¼-inch cubes (optional)
1 medium-size carrot, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced
1 medium turnip, peeled, and cut into ¼-inch cubes
2 leeks, white part only, washed and thinly sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium potato, cut into ¼-inch cubes
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup unsalted butter (optional)
French bread
Directions:
1. If using bacon – bring the 2 cups water to a boil and cook the bacon pieces in it for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander then cook the bacon in a 4-quart pot over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until it renders its fat and barely starts to crisp.
2. If not using bacon – add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a 4-quart pot along with the vegetables, stirring every 3-4 minutes for about 15 minutes. If using bacon – stir in the vegetables and stir every 3-4 minutes, for about 15 minutes. Continue cooking until they soften slightly and start to smell good.
3. Add the broth and simmer until the vegetables have softened thoroughly. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Serve this soup in hot bowl. Put a tablespoon of butter on each serving (optional) and pass around a basket of crusty French bread at the table.
Serves 8
Ingredients:
1 bunch parsnips, or carrots, scrubbed, tops cut off
1 large red onion, peeled, halved, and sliced
about 6 cloves garlic, peeled
2-4 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
2-3 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons pickling spices
Sea salt and Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Mix the parsnips and onions in a large baking dish with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. You can add more or less to your liking. Make sure they are well coated. Mix in the pickling spices and garlic cloves, tossing to distribute the spices evenly. Season with salt and pepper, and lay them out flat in the baking dish.
3. Roast uncovered if you like them tender-crisp. Cover them with aluminum foil if you want them to be very tender. Bake them for about 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally while they are cooking. Test with a knife for tenderness.
4. Remove from the pan and serve them on a platter scattered with the roasted garlic cloves that can be squished open onto the parsnips for a little kick, if desired.
Serves 4
This is a delicious garnish for roasted vegetables, tofu or tempeh, meats, or eggs.
Ingredients:
¼ cup olive oil
2 cups finely chopped fresh parsley
3 cloves garlic, mashed
1 tablespoon dried breadcrumbs
½ cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup dry white wine
¼ cup vegetable stock or water
1 teaspoon sweetener
½ teaspoon sea salt
Directions:
1. Heat oil in a small saucepan and sauté parsley and garlic until parsley is well softened. Stir in breadcrumbs and cook 2 minutes. Add all of the other ingredients and simmer on very low for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Serve at room temperature.
Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients:
2 large bunches of broccoli, or about 3 pounds
½ cup olive oil
8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
toasted slices of French bread
Finely grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Cut the florets off the broccoli and again into smaller pieces, so that they are about 1-inch in diameter. Cut off and discard the bottom of the stems. Peel the remaining stems and slice them as thinly as you can.
2. Combine all the ingredients except for the salt, pepper, bread, and cheese in a 4-quart pot. Bring the soup to a simmer, cover it, and turn the heat down low enough to keep a slow simmer. Simmer for 1 hour.
3. Stir the soup with a spoon to break up the broccoli and season it with salt and pepper.
4. Serve with slices of bread at the table and pass around the cheese. It is nice to make garlic bread and put a slice in the center of each bowl before pouring the soup over.
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:
Sauce:
½ cup mint leaves
1½ cups loosely packed basil leaves
4 lemons, zested and juiced
1 cup olive oil
Cauliflower Couscous:
1 medium head cauliflower, stalks and stems discarded
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ large red onion, finely diced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
1/8 cup fresh mint, thinly sliced
¼ cup pistachios, toasted and chopped
Directions:
Sauce:
1. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a blender. Puree until smooth and set aside. Taste and adjust flavors if necessary.
Cauliflower Couscous:
1. To prepare the cauliflower, place the florets in a food processor and pulse to a “grainy” consistency.
2. Add the olive oil to a wide pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Add ¼ of the sauce to the cauliflower and cook another 10 minutes. Add enough sauce to coat and mix well, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Transfer to a platter and garnish with the herbs and pistachios.
5. You will have some sauce left that will keep in the refrigerator for about 1 week.
Serves 6
If you want to make this soup more substantial and hearty, add cooked white cannellini, borlotti, or navy beans. You can also add leftover cooked rice.
Ingredients:
1 large bunch chard, stems removed
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 medium-size onions, finely chopped
2 fresh hot chilies, such as jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, marjoram, or oregano
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
4 medium-size tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or 2 cups canned, chopped and drained
½ cup finely chopped parsley leaves
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
slices of French or Italian bread, lightly toasted
olive oil
Grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Shred the chard by removing the stems and rolling up each leaf into small a sausage shape, then slicing rolls as thinly as possible, 1/8-1/4 inch thick is a good width. You should have 4 packed cups of chard.
2. Combine the garlic, onions, chilies, and olive oil in a 4-quart pot. Stir over medium heat for 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent, but don’t brown. Add the thyme and cook for 2 minutes more.
3. Add the broth and tomatoes and bring to a slow simmer. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, add the chard and simmer 10 minutes more.
4. Add the parsley to the simmering soup a minute or two before serving. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Chopped basil leaves with 1 tablespoon of olive oil whisked in make a lovely garnish, or simply pass the olive oil, drizzle it over the served soup and pass the grated cheese.
Makes 8 servings
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
I large celeriac, about 1 pound, peeled with a sharp paring knife and coarsely chopped
1 medium-size waxy potato, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth, milk, or water
1 bouquet garni (recipe below)
¾ cup heavy cream
small croutons (recipe below)
herb butter (recipe below)
Directions:
1. Combine the celeriac, potato, onion, broth and bouquet garni in a 4-quart pot. Bring to a slow simmer and cover the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes, until the potato and celeriac are easy to crush against the sides of the pot with a spoon.
2. Strain the soup through a food mill or puree it in the blender or food processor and strain it through a regular kitchen strainer.
3. Add the heavy cream. If you want the soup a finer texture, strain again through a fine- mesh strainer. Season with salt and pepper and serve with croutons and herb butter.
4. Celeriac soup is delicious cold, but you may want to thin it slightly – it thickens as it chills.
Herb Butter
1. Combine 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (or other herb) with 1 stick of unsalted butter by hand with a wooden spoon, in an electric mixer using the paddle, or a food processor.
2. Place the butter along 1 side of 1 foot of wax paper. Using a rubber spatula to shape the butter into a cylinder about 6 inches long, then roll the wax paper.
3. Twist the wax paper in opposing directions until the butter comes together in a tight cylinder. You can keep butter like this for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. If you want to freeze it, wrap it, wax paper and all, with aluminum foil.
Small Croutons
1. Cut 4 slices of bread of choice into ½-inch cubes. Melt a stick of unsalted butter, or warm ½ cup olive oil in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Toss the bread cubes in the butter or olive oil until crisp and golden brown.
2. Or, you can bake them in a 375 degree oven on a baking sheet until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Check once to shake around, making sure they are cooking evenly. Drain on paper towels.
Bouquet Garni
For fresh: Tie together with a string – 10 fresh thyme sprigs, 1 large bunch parsley, and 1 bay leaf.
For dried: Add to a cheesecloth packet – 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves, 1 bunch parsley, including stems, coarsely chopped, and 1 bay leaf.
Ingredients:
Pickled Almonds and Shallots:
¼ cup each: cider vinegar and water
1 teaspoon each: sweetener and pickling spice
½ cup whole almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
½ cup thinly sliced shallots
Salad:
1 cup vegetable broth
½ cup quinoa
4 cups sliced kale, stems removed
2/3 cusp golden raisins
Dressing:
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon sweetener
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 clove garlic, minced
Directions:
1. Bring water and vinegar to a simmer in a small saucepan. Add sweetener and spices and stir well to combine. Stir in almonds and shallots and chill for at least 2 hours. (May be made several days ahead.)
2. Bring broth and quinoa to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes or until all liquid has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork, then let cool slightly.
3. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, sweetener, sea salt, and garlic in a medium bowl. Stir in the quinoa, then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours; stir in the kale and raisins.
4. Transfer to 4 salad bowls or plates and top with the pickled almond mixture.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1½ pounds broccoli or cauliflower crowns, cut into florets
1 small fresh red chili pepper, such as Fresno, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Toss broccoli or cauliflower, oil, chili pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Spread mixture evenly on a large, parchment paper lined baking sheet.
3. Roast, stirring once, until tender, 15-20 minutes.
Serves 4