Recipes

Ingredients:

Salad:
1 cup adzuki beans, soaked overnight
1½ cups almonds
6 tablespoons tamari
2 pounds green beans, trimmed
½ cup thinly sliced green onions
¾ cup cilantro or parsley leaves, chopped

Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons white miso
½ cup brown rice vinegar
4 teaspoons umeboshi plum vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons grated ginger, plus juice
2 tablespoons tamari

Directions:

1. Drain the adzuki beans and put in a pot with enough water to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer for about 20-40 minutes, or until tender, not mushy. Drain and set aside in a large bowl to cool.

2. Whisk together the miso, vinegars, garlic, ginger, and tamari in a bowl. Drizzle in the oil and whisk to emulsify. Taste and adjust flavor if necessary. It should have a strong flavor. Add vinaigrette to the adzuki beans.

3. Place almonds in a small pan. Stir over medium heat until almonds are lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Add the tamari and stir until it evaporates and coats the almonds, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate and cool. Slice the almonds and set aside.

4. Cook the green beans in a large pot of boiling water until just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove and place in a cold water bath. Drain well and pat dry. Dice small, about the size of the adzuki beans. Add to the bowl with the adzuki beans. Toss in the scallions and cilantro, reserving some for garnish.

5. Add the sliced almonds to the adzuki beans. Garnish with the extra scallions and cilantro. Serve.

Serves 12

Ingredients:
¼ cup quinoa, washed and strained, and rinsed twice
½ cup parsley, roughly chopped
½ cup basil, roughly chopped
1 small cucumber, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Combine the quinoa and 1½ cups water in a 2-quart saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer 10-12 minutes, until all the water is absorbed. Drain and run under cold water, drain again.
2. Toss in the remaining ingredients and serve.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
7 tablespoons butter, divided, plus extra for preparing ramekins
6 large eggs, separated
1¾ cups milk
2 medium leeks, cut in half, cleaned, and thinly sliced
1/3 cup flour of choice, plus more for dusting ramekins
2¼ teaspoons dry mustard
2 cups grated dry hard goat cheese, goat cheddar, or other
¾ teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter 12-15 4 oz ramekins and dust with some flour and grated cheese. Set aside on a baking sheet.
2. Whisk together the milk and egg yolks in a bowl and set aside.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy medium saucepan on medium heat. Saute the leeks with a pinch of salt until tender. Set aside leeks in a bowl and return the saucepan to the heat. Add the remaining butter to the pan and allow to melt. Turn off heat.
4. Add the flour and mustard to the pot with the melted butter and whisk until a smooth paste forms. Return to the heat and whisk for 1 minute.
5. Whisk the egg and milk mixture into the flour mixture, a little at a time to temper the eggs. Cook, until the sauce thickens, whisking constantly, for about 2 minutes. Add the remaining cheese, leeks, salt and pepper. Stir until the cheese melts.
6. Beat egg whites in a medium bowl until stiff, but not dry, then fold into the warm cheese mixture in pan. Spoon souffle batter into ramekins.
7. Bake soufflés until puffed and golden, about 12-14 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 12

Ingredients:
4-8 sweet peppers, depending on size
1¼ pounds Dry-farmed tomatoes
6 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
12 large basil leaves or more
1 large clove garlic
2 tablespoons capers
12 olives of choice, pitted
3 tablespoons olive oil plus more for the dish
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Roast the peppers on a baking sheet in a 400 degree oven until charred, about 20-25 minutes, turning a few times while they are roasting. They should have a nice char on them. Remove from the baking sheet with tongs and drop them in a bowl, cover and set aside while you prepare everything else. Then wipe off the blackened skin, pull out the seeds, and core and cut into thin strips.
2. Score the ends of the tomatoes then drop them into boiling water for 10 seconds. Remove the skins, halve them crosswise, and gently squeeze out the seeds if desired. Cut the walls into wide pieces. Reserve the cores for soup or sauce.
3. Pluck the leaves off the parsley stems. You should have about ½ cup. Chop them finely with the basil and garlic, then put into a bowl with the capers, olives, and olive oil. Season with ¾ teaspoon salt and some pepper.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a small gratin or baking 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:

Roasted Tomato Sauce:
2 large dry-farmed tomatoes, or more if not large
medium high heat fat (Grape seed oil or coconut oil)
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 handful of mixed herbs, especially basil
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Green Beans with Mushrooms:
1½ pounds green beans, ends trimmed
1 tablespoon stock for sautéing
2 medium shallots, minced
18 ounces mushrooms of your choice, sliced
½ cup dry white wine
1½ tablespoons fresh Italian parsley
1½ teaspoons minced fresh tarragon

Directions:

Roasted Tomato Sauce:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large casserole dish or roasting pan, pour enough oil to coat the bottom. Spread onion, garlic, herbs, and tomatoes in the pan and season with salt and pepper.
2. Bake, uncovered for 1½ hours. For better results, and if you have time, cook the tomatoes at 275 degrees for 3 hours or roast whole for 4-5 hours.

Green Beans:

While the tomatoes are roasting, prep all the ingredients for the green beans and mushrooms. Start to cook the green beans and mushrooms when the tomatoes have about 30 minutes more to cook.

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch the green beans for a minute or so and remove directly to a bowl of ice water. Drain.
2. Place the green beans on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the same oven as the tomatoes until just tender, 10-15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, add a little stock to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot, sauté 1 minute. Add the mushrooms. Sauté until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Cover and cook until mushrooms are very tender, about 3 more minutes.
4. Add wine, cook uncovered until liquids are absorbed, about 2 minutes. Stir in basil and tarragon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve: Toss the green beans with the mushrooms. Pour the tomato sauce on top and sprinkle with some fresh herbs.

Serves 12

Ingredients:
2 Dry-farmed tomatoes, halved
3 summer squash, trimmed and halved lengthwise
1 medium sweet onion, quartered
1 carrot, or two, depending on size, cut crosswise into 4-inch pieces
8 green beans, trimmed and cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon dried ground fennel seed
½ teaspoon dried thyme
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Pita Chips for Serving

Optional:
1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1½ tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese or crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

1. Arrange an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a rimmed baking sheet wit a little oil. Arrange the tomatoes, squash, onion, and carrots cut-side up in a single layer. Add the beans and garlic. Sprinkle generously with olive oil.
2. Bake without stirring for 20-30 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork-tender. Put half the vegetables in a food processor. Pulse until they are coarsely chopped, some vegetables will be pureed, and others in pieces. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the contents into a medium bowl. Repeat with the remaining vegetables. Add the vinegar, juice, fennel seed, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. If desired add the red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
3. Transfer to a serving bowl. Top with the cheese. Serve with pita chips.

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:

Herbed Butter:
½ cup butter or ghee (clarified butter) at room temperature
1 teaspoon minced chives
2 teaspoons minced thyme
1½ teaspoons minced sage
1 teaspoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Braised Celery:
3 tablespoons herbed butter
2 medium yellow onions, sliced into half moons
2 bunches celery, bottoms removed, cut each stalk into 1-inch diagonal slices, reserve some of the leaves and finely chop
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups vegetable stock

Directions:

Herbed Butter:

1. In a small bowl, mix the softened butter or ghee with prepared herbs, shallot, and lemon juice. Spoon mixture onto a sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Shape into a log, about 4-inches long. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use. Keeps about 1 week in frig. And about 1 month in the freezer wrapped securely in parchment and plastic wrap.

Braised Celery:

1. Heat the herbed butter in a large, deep pan on medium heat then add the onions and celery pieces. Make sure they are as much in a single layer as possible. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for a minute and add the vegetable stock and cover.
2. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat down to a simmer. Braise the celery for 30 minutes, until soft.
3. Remove the lid and reduce any liquid that is left in the pan – the onions and celery should caramelize a little.
4. When finished, taste for seasoning and place on a serving dish. Sprinkle with reserved celery leaves and a dab more herbed butter.

Serves 12

Ingredients:
1½ teaspoons olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
3 ounces, green beans, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 summer squash, trimmed and cut into ½-inch slices
1 medium garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons red Thai curry paste
¾ cup coconut milk
8 ounces firm tofu, cut into ¾-inch cubes (optional)
2 cups cauliflower florets, coarsely chopped
About ¾ cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil on medium-high heat. Add the onion and green beans. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 3 minutes. Add the squash and garlic and cook for 1 minute.
2. In a small bowl, combine the curry paste and 2 tablespoons of the coconut milk; stir until well combined. Add the curry paste to the vegetable mixture, along with the rest of the coconut milk. Bring to a simmer; reduce the heat to medium. Add the tofu and cauliflower. Simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender-crisp and tofu is heated through, about 3 minutes, reducing the heat if it is bubbling too vigorously. Add enough broth to make a thick, but somewhat soup-like consistency. Stir and season with salt. If desired, top each serving with a little chopped fresh cilantro.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 large head cauliflower or large bunch of broccoli
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, stems removed, leaves finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped tarragon or basil
½ cup chopped green olives
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
1/3 cup olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Manchego cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Cut the cauliflower or broccoli into small florets; peel and dice the stems. Put the parsley, tarragon, and olives in a bowl with the capers, oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and plenty of pepper.

2. Steam the cauliflower or broccoli over salted boiling water until crisp- tender, about 5 minutes. Put the cauliflower or broccoli in the bowl of dressing and toss well. Taste for salt and season with pepper. Serve a little Manchego cheese grated over the top if desired.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1½ pounds carrots, shredded
8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium ripe tomato, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed and thinly sliced
½-1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced
juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon fish sauce, nam pla (optional)
½ teaspoon light brown or palm sugar
½ cup unsalted peanuts, chopped

Directions:

1. Combine the carrots, string beans, and sliced tomato in a larger bowl. Add the minced garlic and toss to combine.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together minced jalapeno, lime juice, fish sauce (if using), and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Top with the carrot mixture and let stand 15 minutes to develop flavor.
3. Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top of the salad just before serving.

Serves 4-6