Ingredients:
½ cup water
1 small garlic clove
1 fresh pepper of choice, split into quarters (Hot is good!)
4 tomatoes, cut into chunks
Sea salt
1½ pounds summer squash
½ teaspoon lemon zest
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Directions:
1. Combine water, garlic, pepper, and tomatoes in a large skillet over low heat. Add a pinch of salt. Cover partially, bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cut the squash lengthwise into long strips about ½-inch thick. Cut the strip in half both ways, all the pieces will have skin on them.
3. Add the squash to the skillet and toss with tongs to coat. Cover partway and cook, tossing once or twice, until the squash is just tender, about 8 minutes.
4. Take out the squash with tongs and arrange on a serving dish. Turn the heat under the skillet to high and reduce juices to half. Stir in the lemon zest and spoon over the squash. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.
5. Sprinkle with a bit more salt if you want, and serve at room temperature.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
One 14-ounce package firm tofu, drained and cut into ½-inch cubes or crumbled
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, optional
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 scallions, thinly sliced green and white parts separated
5 ounces fresh spinach, chopped (about 5 packed cups)
1-2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup chopped tomatoes
½ cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
Directions:
1. Combine tofu, turmeric, ½ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt, and cayenne if using, in a medium bowl. Toss well to combine.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallion whites and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 1 minute. Add the tofu mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tofu is lightly browned and resembles scrambled eggs, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the spinach, lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon salt, and stir until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and scallion greens and stir until tomatoes are just heated through and begin to soften, about 1 minute.
4. Remove from heat, add the basil and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 bunch (small-medium) carrots, the tops and roots
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons rice
2 large leeks, white part only
2 thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
6 cups vegetable stock
Directions:
1. Pull or pluck any of the lacy carrot greens off their stems. You should have 2-3 cups, loosely packed. Wash the greens then chop finely. Grate the carrots.
2. Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the carrot greens and carrots, rice, leeks, thyme, and parsley. Cook for several minutes, turning everything a few times, then season with 1½ teaspoons salt and add the stock. Bring to a boil and simmer until the rice is cooked, 16-18 minutes.
3. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
½ cup wild rice
1 celery root (celeriac)
2 large leeks, white part only, washed and chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 celery rib, diced
1 cup thinly sliced potato
¼ cup chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
1 bay leaf
1 large sprig of thyme
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cups half-and-half or coconut milk
Directions:
1. Cover the wild rice with 5 cups water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil then lower the heat. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until tender.
2. Thickly cut away the celery root skins then quarter and chop the root into bite-size pieces. You should have about 3 cups.
3. Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the vegetables, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, and 1½ teaspoons salt. Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, then add the stock, turn to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Add the half-and half, or coconut milk, and simmer until the vegetables are tender. Taste for salt and season with pepper.
5. To give the soup a creamy background, puree 1 cup of the vegetables and return them to the pot. If the soup is too thick, thin it with some water or additional stock.
6. Divide the soup among 4-6 bowls and add a mound of wild rice to each. Garnish each bowl with parsley.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
1-2 cucumbers
1 small sweet pepper, any variety, finely diced
3 scallions, including the greens, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped dill
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1½ tablespoons rice vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:
1. Mix the herbs, vinegar, scallions and sweet pepper in a medium to large bowl.
2. Score the cucumbers with the tines of a fork or citrus zester. Cut them lengthwise into quarters, slice off the seeds, then chop the flesh into small pieces.
3. Toss with the remaining ingredients. Taste for salt and season with pepper. Adjust the level of acidity, if needed. Let stand for 30 minutes. Use within a day or two.
Makes about 3 cups
Ingredients:
4 red Hungarian peppers
1-2 large tomatoes, or 1½ pounds smaller ones
6 flat-leaf parsley sprigs
1 tablespoon marjoram, or 12 large basil leaves
1 plump garlic clove
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
12 Nicoise olives, pitted
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for the dish
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:
1. Roast the peppers until charred. Drop them into a bowl and cover. Set the peppers aside while you prepare everything else, then wipe off the skins, pull out the seeds, and core and cut into wide strips.
2. Score the ends of the tomatoes then drop them into a pot of boiling water for 10 seconds. Remove the skins, halve the tomatoes crosswise and gently squeeze out the seeds. Cut the walls into wide pieces. Reserve the cores for a soup or sauce.
3. Pluck the leaves from the parsley stems – you should have ½ cup. Chop them finely with the marjoram, or basil, and garlic, then put in a bowl with the capers, olives, and the olive oil. Season with ¾ teaspoon sea salt and some pepper.
4. Preheat oven to 459 degrees F. Lightly oil a small gratin dish. Add the tomatoes, peppers and sauce, and gently toss with your hands. Season with pepper.
5. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Let cool before serving.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
1 large head Romanesco
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, stems removed, leaves finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely copped tarragon
½ cup chopped Spanish green olives
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
2/3 cup olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Manchego cheese
Directions:
1. Cut the cauliflower into small florets; peel and dice the stems. Put parsley, tarragon, and olives in a bowl with the capers, oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and plenty of pepper.
2. Steam the Romanesco over salted boiling water until tender, about 5 minutes. Dump it into the bowl and toss well. Taste for salt and season with pepper. Serve with a little Manchego cheese grated or shaved over the top.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ cup pitted dates
1 head radicchio, cored and torn into bite size pieces
1 bunch arugula, stemmed and torn into bite-size pieces
3 ounces (1/2 cup) crumbled feta cheese
Directions:
1. Whisk together the lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl until well combined.
2. Halve dates lengthwise and thinly slice crosswise.
3. Toss together arugula, radicchio, feta, and dates in a large bowl, then toss with enough vinaigrette to coat.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
¾ pound celeriac (celery root), peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
¾ pound yellow or red potatoes, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
¾ pound sweet potatoes, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
¼ cup olive oil, divided
1 onion, diced
2 firm, sweet apples, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 2½ cups)
¼ cup roughly chopped fresh sage leaves or parsley
Directions:
1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Add the celeriac and simmer 3 minutes. Add all potatoes and simmer 2 minutes more. Drain well and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Let cool 15 minutes.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook onions until translucent and beginning to color, about 2 minutes.
3. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil, apples and vegetables, season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir to combine then press with a spatula into a single layer. Cook, undisturbed for 2 minutes. Stir, and repeat the process until vegetables are very tender and beginning to caramelize, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in sage or parsley, then season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste before serving.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 cups cold water
¾ cup French lentils
1 cup flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium celeriac (celery root), washed well, peeled, and cut into ½-inch pieces
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 small shallot, minced
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:
1. Bring water and lentils to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat and gently simmer, partially covered, until lentils are just tender, 27-30 minutes. Drain lentils and transfer to a medium bowl.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a medium high-sided skillet over medium heat. Cook celeriac, stirring occasionally until caramelized, 18-20 minutes.
3. Add celeriac to bowl with lentils. Stir in parsley, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, and remaining tablespoon olive oil. Let cool. Divide among 4 bowls.
Serves 4