Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup almonds, coarsely chopped
8 carrots, coarsely chopped (6 cups)
2 bay leaves
2 whole cloves
1–inch piece stick cinnamon
Juice of 4 oranges
1 cup heavy cream or coconut milk
Directions:
1. In a large pot melt the butter. Add the almonds, onions, carrots, and sauté until the carrots start to become tender. Add water to cover, the bay leaves, cloves, and cinnamon stick. Simmer, partially covered, for about 15 minutes, or until the carrots are soft.
2. Allow the carrot mixture to cool. Remove the bay leaves, cloves, and cinnamon stick.
3. Blend the carrot mixture with orange juice and cream in a blender. Dilute to a good consistency with more orange juice, if desired.
4. Chill thoroughly. Taste, season and serve garnished with a dash of thick cream or coconut milk.
Serves 6
By Julie Jordan from Cabbagetown Cafe
Ingredients:
½ cup honey (if your honey has crystallized, heat it until it is liquid)
2 cups fresh strawberries, stemmed
15-16 ounces ricotta cheese (about 2 cups)
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup heavy cream or coconut milk
Directions:
1. Measure all the ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth. Taste for seasoning – I like to add about 1 teaspoon lemon zest to this.
2. Pour into serving glasses and chill.
Serves 6
Thank you to Julie Jordan for this recipe, and the many others she has created over the years.
Ingredients:
3-4 apples, diced
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
1 cup raisins
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
½ cup butter
2/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons baking soda
Directions:
1. Put the chopped apples in a medium-size pot with 2 tablespoons water. Simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, or until the apples have become thick applesauce. Measure out 1½ cups and return it to the pot to keep it warm.
2. Mix together the flour and spices, raisins, and walnuts in a mixing bowl.
3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, mix in the honey then stir into the dry ingredients.
4. Stir the baking soda into the hot applesauce in the pot – be prepared, this will foam up in a spectacular fashion. Add to the batter in the bowl, mix thoroughly and pour into a well-buttered 9-inch square cake pan.
5. Bake in a preheated 325 degree F. oven for about 40 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Makes 1 9-inch square cake, serves 8
Ingredients:
2 bunches mustard greens, or 1 bunch chard and 1 bunch greens, coarse stems removed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
¼ cup rice
2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 cup chopped cilantro stems and leaves
Sea salt
Directions:
1. Wash the mustard greens, and chard if using. Chop, but don’t dry, them.
2. Heat oil in a wide, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion, rice, ginger, cumin, and paprika. Stir to coat with the oil. Cook for 2 minutes then add the cilantro and chopped greens. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Cover the pan and cook until the volume has reduced, 10-15 minutes.
3. Give everything a stir, then reduce the heat to low, re-cover, and cook slowly for 20 minutes – there should be ample liquid in the pot, but check once or twice to make sure there is no sticking on the bottom. If the pan seems dry, add a little water.
4. Cook until the greens are really tender, 25-30 minutes total. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
Sesame Garlic Sauce:
8 cloves garlic, chopped
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
½ cup peanut butter
4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
¼ cup rice vinegar, or juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup tamari or soy sauce
¼ teaspoon cayenne or less to taste
Lo Mein:
½ pound whole wheat spaghetti
1 head broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces (6 cups)
1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces (4 cups)
2 carrots, grated
¼ cup finely chopped chives or scallions
1 cup toasted almonds
Directions:
1. First prepare the sauce – whisk together the garlic, ginger, peanut butter, sesame oil, vinegar or lemon, tamari, and cayenne. Set aside.
2. Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions. Set aside.
3. To prepare the vegetables – steam or blanch the broccoli and cauliflower for about 5 minutes, until just tender. Heat the oil in a medium-size pan and sauté the cooked vegetables and grated carrots until well combined, about 1 minute.
4. In a large paste cooking pot, mix together the vegetables, scallions, cooked pasta, and sauce. Heat for about 3-4 minutes, until it’s piping hot. Taste for seasoning.
5. Sprinkle with almonds to serve.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 pounds spinach, rinsed well
Handful of fresh oregano
2 green garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
Olive oil to moisten
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Chopped scallions for topping
Directions:
1. Blanch the spinach in a pot of boiling water for about 1 minute. Remove immediately and rinse under cold water. Press out the excess moisture then chop.
2. Mix the oregano and garlic in a large bowl sprinkled with a splash of olive oil. Add the lemon juice and a splash more olive oil, if desired. Toss and taste for salt and freshly ground pepper.
3. Either turn the mixture into a heated skillet for a couple minutes, stirring, until heated through, or refrigerate until needed.
4. Top with chopped scallions to serve.
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 bunch of green garlic, trimmed, save the greens for a stock
1 bunch fresh thyme, about 12 sprigs, or 4 fresh sage leaves, or 3 fresh tarragon leaves, or 1 small bunch of fresh marjoram, or 1 large bunch parsley
1 quart chicken broth
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
4 slices stale, or lightly toasted, French bread, plus extra for passing around
Directions:
1. Tie the thyme or other herbs into a small bundle and put them into a 4-quart pot with the garlic. Pour in the stock, cover the pot, and bring the soup to a slow simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, until the garlic is very soft and can be crushed against the inside of the pot.
2. Strain through the fine disk of a food mill, or puree in a blender and push it through a medium-thresh strainer with the back of a soup ladle. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
3. Place a slice of stale bread in each bowl and pour the soup over it. You can top each bowl with a spoonful of olive oil. Pass toasted slices of French bread brushed with olive oil in a basket.
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 cups cooked long-grain jasmine or basmati rice with ½ teaspoon turmeric added to the cooking water
2½ tablespoons olive oil
4 cups ¼-inch slices of leeks including the tender leaves, about 2 medium leeks
1 large clove green garlic, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint leaves
1 tomato, cut into ¼-inch dice
A handful of dried currants plumped in warm water and drained
A handful of toasted pine nuts
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions:
1. While you are cooking the rice, heat ½ tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the leeks until barely tender, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic after 3 minutes.
2. In a salad bowl, use a fork to mix the warm leeks with the parsley, mint, tomato, currants, and pine nuts in that order. Add the rice and mix the same way with the fork, then blend in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the remaining ingredients. Taste for seasoning.
3. Serve at room temperature in pretty bowls, or heaped on top of romaine lettuce leaves.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
Sea salt to taste
1 medium (1 pound) trimmed and peeled celeriac, cut into 3/8-inch matchsticks
2 medium sweet red peppers, sliced into 3/8-inch strips
Dressing:
1 cup water
½ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup white vinegar
2½ tablespoons dry mustard
2½ tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:
1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the celery root and return to a boil, uncovered. Taste after about 3 minutes – the pieces should be tender on the outside and distinctly crisp on the inside. When ready, immediately lift out with a strainer and turn into a mixing bowl.
2. Drop the peppers into the boiling water and cook until just slightly softened, 3-4 minutes, altogether, then lift out and add to the celery root. Drain off any water in the bowl.
3. To make the dressing, in a nonreactive saucepan, combine the water, cider vinegar, white vinegar, dry mustard, and oil. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring. Pour over the celeriac and peppers, and stir to blend. Add salt and pepper and taste for seasoning, then cover the bowl and keep it in a cool place until the next day.
4. After sitting for a day, either serve it or turn the mixture into a jar, cover, and refrigerate for use at a later date.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds (kura goma) or use white seeds
4-5 medium carrots, about 1 pound, sliced into matchsticks
1 cup vegetable stock
Sea salt to taste
2 tablespoons any nut oil, mild olive oil, or Asian sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground white pepper to taste (optional)
Directions:
1. Toast the sesame seeds in a heavy skillet over low heat, shaking the skillet, just until they begin to pop – this is called parching. Turn the seeds into a bowl.
2. Spread the carrots in the heated skillet; add the stock and salt, cover and set over high heat. Don’t leave the kitchen, because in a few minutes the stock will be gone and the carrots will be tender with just a hint of crispness.
3. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of the oil, then the seeds, mixing thoroughly. Saute again just enough to heat the seeds, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the lemon juice, and taste for seasoning, adding salt and white pepper to taste.
Serves 5