Ingredients:
4 large leeks, white and pale green parts, quartered lengthwise
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ cup dry white wine
¼ cup vegetable stock
2 tablespoons heavy cream or coconut milk
1 medium tart apple, unpeeled, cored, halved, and thinly sliced
¾ cup packed, shredded Gruyere cheese
Directions:
1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Set a large bowl of ice water nearby.
2. Rinse the leeks well under cold running water, spreading layers to release any grit. Blanch them in the boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain them and add to the ice water. Drain again and squeeze dry between paper towels.
3. Combine the butter and olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter melts, add the leeks and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Saute, turning occasionally with tongs, until the leeks begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and stock, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, and simmer gently until very tender, about 5 minutes. Add the cream, up the heat slightly, and let bubble until thickened, about 4 minutes.
4. Tuck the apple slices among the leeks. Sprinkle with the Gruyere cheese. Broil until the cheese melts and turns golden brown, 2-4 minutes, watching carefully. Serve hot.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 large parsnips, peeled
2 medium Bosc pears
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or ½ teaspoon dried, plus 1-2 sprigs for garnish (optional)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Cut parsnips in half crosswise at the point where the thicker top becomes narrow and skinny. If the tails are especially thin, toss them on a baking sheet as is. Otherwise, halve them lengthwise. Slice the thicker parts in half, quarters, or eighths, depending on their width. You are aiming for all the pieces to be relatively uniform. Stand the pears up and slice them in half from top to bottom, leaving the stem intact. Now stand each half up and slice vertically again creating 4, thick, flat slices of pear (not quarters). Add to the parsnips on the baking sheet.
3. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with the thyme, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper. Rub seasonings in with your fingers and spread pieces out so they do not touch.
4. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and caramelized, turning once with a spatula. Garnish with whole thyme sprigs if so desired.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4-6 medium turnips, topped, peeled, ¾-inch dice
6-8 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled (optional), ¾-inch dice
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons butter
½ – ¾ cup buttermilk, to taste
Snipped fresh chives for garnish
Directions:
1. Add turnips and potatoes to a large saucepan. Cover with cold water, add 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil.
2. Boil over medium heat until the vegetables are completely soft, 10-15 minutes, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Drain.
3. Use a ricer or potato masher to mash the vegetables. Whisk in the butter and ½ cup of the buttermilk over low heat until the butter melts and the puree is very hot. Add more buttermilk to taste. Season with 1¾ teaspoons salt and ¾ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste, and sprinkle with the chives. Serve immediately.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
1 large onion, halved and sliced
6 diagonally cut slices of bread of choice
Broccoli Almond Pesto (click here for recipe)
12 small tomato slices
1½ cups shredded cheese of choice
6 poached eggs
Directions:
1. Heat oil or butter in a large skillet. Add the onions and cook for 15 minutes to soften, over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
2. Lightly toast bread and spread with pesto. Top with tomato slices and cheese; broil until cheese is melted.
3. Place on 6 serving plates and top each with an egg.
Serves 6
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