Green Salad with Fried Shallots

For the salad, use whatever small young greens (baby spinach, arugula, or watercress, for example) and other fresh goodies you find.

1/2 pound shallots
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil for frying
6 ounces mixed greens; about 6 cups loosely packed)
1/3 cup sprouts
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
sea salt to taste

Cut shallots into 1/8-inch-thick slices. In a heavy 10-inch skillet cook shallots in oil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, 15 to 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon transfer shallots to paper towels to drain and season with salt. Reserve 3 tablespoons oil for dressing salad and cool shallots to room temperature. Shallots may be fried 2 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

Just before serving, in a large bowl toss together greens, sprouts, reserved oil, vinegar, and sea salt. Sprinkle shallots over salad. Serves 6.

Tangy Herbed Onions

4 medium onions

Olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar (or less, to taste)

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Peel onions and cut a small slice from the top, leaving the root end whole. Cut each onion from the top into 8 wedges, taking care not to cut through the root end. Brush four sheets of aluminum foil with the olive oil.

Mix the remaining ingredients (except for the bread crumbs) and rub the mixture into each of the onions. Wrap each onion securely in its own foil wrapper. Bake at 350 degrees F for one hour or until tender. During the last 5 minutes of baking, open the foil and sprinkle with the bread crumbs.

Simple Onion Soup

6 or so medium onions

3 oz butter

Flour

Salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg to taste

2 eggs, beaten

Mince onions very finely. Put in a stewpan over a slow fire with 3 ounces of melted butter, dredge a little flour over them, and shake about until they are soft and lightly browned. Add a quart of boiling water, and season with salt and pepper and a grated nutmeg. Bring soup to boil.

Beat 2 eggs in your serving pot; after the soup has boiled up well, stir it into the beaten eggs and serve at once.

Buckwheat and Bow Ties with Browned Onions

2Tb olive oil

3 medium onions

1 cup kasha, preferably coarse

1 (14 1/2 oz) can vegetable broth

1/3 cup chopped parsley

1/2 pound bow-tie pasta

1 1/2 teaspoons butter

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

In a large past pot, heat the oil and onions over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are well browned, about 10 minutes.

Add the kasha and stir to coat. Pour in the vegetable broth and 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover by pressing wax paper over the water, then covering again with the pot lid. Cook until the grain is done, from 5 minutes for medium kasha, to 20 minutes for coarse. (It is fine if the kasha is a little undercooked, as it will continue to steam while the bow-tie pasta cooks.) Remove the kasha to a medium bowl, add the parsley, and fluff with a fork to separate the grains.

Rinse out the pot. Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a rapid boil. Add the bow ties and salt to taste. Cook until the pasta is tender but still firm, 8 to 12 minutes. Drain and return to the pot.

Add the butter and pepper and toss. Add the kasha. Warm over medium-high heat, stirring constantly while adding 1/4 cup water, until warm, 2-3 minutes. Serve at once.

Source: One-Pot Vegetarian Dishes

Onion Pie

Since we’ve been getting lots of onions in our shares, I thought I’d offer a few ways to bring this staple veggie center stage.

For onion topping:

1 1/2-2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1-2 tablespoon olive oil

2-3 large onions, cut lengthwise into 12 wedges

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3 oz coarsely grated Gruyère (3/4 cup)

For crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 oz coarsely grated Gruyère (1/2 cup)

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk

3/4 teaspoon dry mustard

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Make onion topping: Heat butter and oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook onion, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in thyme, salt, and pepper, then cool. Toss cheese with onion and spread in bottom of a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish glass pie plate.

Make crust: Blend flour, baking powder and soda, and salt in a food processor. Add cheese and pulse 3 or 4 times to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Whisk together buttermilk and dry mustard in a small bowl and add to processor, then pulse until liquid is incorporated and dough begins to clump (do not let it form a ball).

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and fold it over on itself several times to lightly knead. Form dough into a ball and let stand, covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature 10 minutes.

Roll out dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap into a 10-inch round. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap and flip dough over onto onion. Peel off remaining plastic and tuck dough inside rim of pie plate.

Bake pie in middle of oven until crust is golden brown and firm to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool pie on a rack 2 minutes, then invert a platter over pie and flip pie onto platter. Serve warm.

Source: Gourmet, 2001

Celery Soup

2 potatoes, cubed

15 oz celery, cubed

1 onion, cubed

2 Tb butter

1 Tb curry powder

1 Tb ginger, cubed

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 chili pepper, seeded and minced

1 1/2 quarts broth

salt and pepper to taste

lemon juice

2 oz butter

Sauté the onion and potatoes in the butter, add the seasonings. Stir well; add celery and fill up with broth. Add salt and pepper and simmer for 30 minutes.

In a blender or food processor, puree all ingredients and season with lemon juice and mix in the butter. Serve with toast and a finely chopped green onion sprinkled on top of each serving.

Roasted Kale (Or chard, collards, etc.)

Preheat oven to 400. Wash and dry kale (or any greens on hand). Toss leaves, whole or torn in pieces, in a bowl with a tablespoon or two olive oil. Place in single layer on baking sheets and salt lightly with sea salt. Bake for 5-7 minutes (a little longer for kale, about 5 or 6 minutes for chard or other thinner greens). Greens should be crisp, not soggy or blackened. A delicious, crunchy snack!

Source: The Omnivore’s Dilemma

Roasted Chile-Spiced Edamame

14 ounces blanched shelled edamame

Cooking Spray

1 Tb red chile powder

1 tsp onion powder

¾ tsp sea salt

½ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp ground red pepper

Preheat oven to 350°.

Arrange edamame in a single layer on a baking sheet, and coat with cooking spray. Combine chile powder and remaining ingredients. Sprinkle over edamame; toss to coat. Bake edamame at 350° for 1 1/2 hours, stirring beans every 30 minutes.

Sesame Jasmine Rice with Soybeans

To boil the edamame just follow the instructions in the recipe above, but do not salt.

2 cups of water

1 ½ cups jasmine rice or long-grain white rice

1 pound boiled edamame, shelled (about 8 ounces)

1 Tb peanut oil

¾ tsp salt

1 ½ Tb sesame seeds, toasted

Combine water, rice soybeans, oil, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff rice with fork. Stir in sesame seeds; season with salt and pepper. Makes 6 servings.

Edamame

Sweet, delicious soybeans are packed with protein and fun to eat. Suck the beans into your mouth and provide a bowl for the empty pods.

About 1 pound of edamame

Coarse salt to taste

Fill a 5 quart kettle with water and bring to a boil. Have a bowl of ice and cold water ready. Cook edamame in boiling water until bright green, about 2 minutes, and transfer with a slotted spoon to ice water to stop cooking. Drain edamame well and trim stem ends for easier eating. Toss edamame with salt to taste.

Garlic Soup with Tomato

4 thin slices of peasant bread

3 medium tomatoes, cut into chunks

10 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 medium bell peppers (red, green, or yellow) cored, seeded, and cut into chunks

½ cup olive oil

2 tsp sea salt

Black pepper

Heat oven to 225 degrees. Lay the bread directly on the middle rack and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, just to dry it out.

In a food processor, pulse the tomatoes, half of the garlic, and the bell peppers until coarsely chopped.

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Scrape the vegetables into the pan. Cook stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining garlic, the salt, and 2 cups of water. Bring to boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with pepper.

Lay one slice of bread in the bottom of four soup bowls. Pour the soup over the bread. Let sit for 10 minutes. Serve. Makes 6 cups.

Garlic-Oregano Vinaigrette

Toss this dressing with the lettuce mix for a great starter. The vinaigrette can be stored for a week in the fridge, but bring to room temperature to serve.

½ cup olive oil

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup white wine vinegar

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ tsp dried oregano, crumbled

1 tsp salt

½ tsp dried mustard

pepper

Combine all ingrediants in a jar. Shake well. Makes 1 ½ cups.

Roasted Garlic

Try this spread on French bread. It’s also great mixed into mashed potatoes!

.

4 large heads of garlic

¼ cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut top ¼ inch off heads of garlic to expose cloves. Place garlic in small baking dish. Add oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; too to coat. Turn garlic cut side up. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until skins are golden brown and cloves are tender, about 55 minutes. Cool. Squeeze garlic cloves from skins. Makes about 1 1/3 cups.

Spicy Tofu with Eggplants and Peppers

1 lb firm tofu

1 large eggplant, peeled and chopped

Course salt

1 Tb olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 scallions, white part only, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

one 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled and chopped (To roast, broil or bake at high temp for 5-8 minutes)

1 yellow bell pepper, roasted, peeled and chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, cored, seeded, and minced

2 tsp whole mustard seeds, toasted

1/4 cup torn fresh basil

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 Tb curry powder

1 Tb tomato paste

1 Tb fresh lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the tofu in a pie plate. Cover with several sheets of paper towel, and put a heavy pot on top. Set aside for at least an hour. When it has been pressed, discard the liquid and cut the tofu into small (1/2 inch cubes).

Line a colander with paper towels and place the eggplant inside. Sprinkle with salt and toss gently. Set aside for 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, scallions, garlic, and ginger. Lower the heat to medium and sauté until soft, about 8 minutes. Rinse the eggplant lightly, just enough to get the salt off the surface, and pat it dry with fresh paper towels. Add to the skillet along with the bell peppers, jalapeno pepper, mustard seeds, basil, cilantro, cumin, coriander, turmeric, curry powder, tomato paste, lemon juice, and pressed tofu. Sauté, stirring often, until the eggplant is cooked through, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Roasted Eggplant Puree with Oil and Lemon

This creamy spread makes a great picnic meal with a good loaf of bread, or can be served alongside other Mediterranean appetizers.

2-3 large eggplants

1/2 cup or more extra-virgin olive oil

Juice from 2 lemons, strained

Salt and black pepper to taste

Roast the eggplants until the skins are completely blackened and charred and the inside flesh becomes creamy like custard. This is best accomplished by laying them directly onto coals. Alternately it can be done in the broiler or directly over a gas flame. (I baked mine in the oven on high heat.) Patience is the secret to really creamy eggplant, so be sure not to undercook them. Turn every five minutes or so to ensure even cooking.

Fill a bowl with as much olive oil as your conscience can handle (over a cup is not too much). When the eggplants are ready, let them cool a little bit, then peel away the charred skin and scoop out the buttery pulp with a spoon. Add the pulp to the oil and whisk it with a fork. This mixture will form an emulsion. If it doesn’t, it means the eggplants needed more time. (I’ve also pureed the mixture in a food processor or blender.)

Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

Source: Greenmarket Recipe Series, Tim Wilcox

Oven Baked Leeks and Fennel Pancakes

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

2 large leeks, white part only, washed and thinly sliced

1 fennel bulb, without leafy fronds, chopped

3 Tb water

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup sour cream (reduced fat okay)

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 Tb minced fresh chives

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the leeks and fennel. Reduce the heat to medium and sauté, stirring often, until the vegetables soften, about 7 minute. As they start to stick, add the water and stir well to keep the vegetables from burning. Add more water if necessary, and continue to sauté until the leeks and fennel are soft enough to puree. Remove them from the heat and let them cool for 10 minutes. Heat the oven to 375.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat together the egg, sour cream, and flour to form a smooth paste.

Puree the leek and fennel mixture either by transferring it to a food processor or blender and processing in short pulses until smooth and thick or by running an immersion blender inside the skillet to achieve the same effect.

Stir the leek-fennel puree, cheddar cheese, and chives into the flour mixture until smooth, making a batter the consistency of a milk shake.

Drop the batter, 2 Tb at a time, onto a nonstick baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each pancake. Bake until the bottom is golden brown and the top has set, about 15 minutes.

Remove the pancakes with a spatula and serve them hot.

Source: The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook

Creamy Rice with Potatoes and Leeks

1 Tb extra virgin olive oil

1 large leek, white part only, washed and sliced

2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

2 tsp balsamic vinegar or dry white wine

1 cup aborio or short-grain rice

2 1/2-3 cups water

1/4 cup grated Asiago, Fontina, or Parmesan cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the leek. Reduce the heat to medium and sauté, stirring often, until the leak is soft and limp, about 7 minutes. Add the potatoes and stir well. Add the balsamic vinegar or wine and the rice, and stir again to mix. Pour in the 2 1/2 cups of the water. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. (If the liquid is absorbed before the rice has cooked—that is, if the rice is still firm in the center—add 1/2 cup more water.) Remove the rice from the heat and stir in the cheese. Replace the cover and let the rice sit 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve right away.

Cream of Celeriac and Leek Soup

3 leeks

1 1/2 lbs whole celeriac

1 potato

3 Tbl butter

4-5 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

light cream (optional)

salt & freshly ground pepper

Wash leeks and slice enough of the white and light green parts to make 2 cups. Peel and chop celeriac into 1/2 inch cubes, enough to make 3-4 cups; place in acidulated (lemon) water. Peel and coarsely chop potato; add to celeriac in water.

Melt butter in soup pot, stir in leeks, and cook until wilted. Drain celeriac and potatoes; stir into leeks. Add 4 cups of broth. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until vegetabes are tender, 20-25 minutes. Pass through a sieve or puree in food processor or blender. If very thick, thin with optional light cream and additional broth. Season with salt and pepper to tast. Makes 8 cups.

Source: From Asparagus to Zuccini

Sweet Corn Gelato

This one is for the adventurous – the recipe comes from Mario Batali’s restaurant, Otto.

2 ears sweet corn

1 quart milk

½ cup heavy cream

1 ½ cups sugar

8 egg yolks

1 tsp salt

Slice the kernels off the cobs, and break the cobs into 3-4 pieces. Place the pieces and the kernels in a heavy bottomed saucepan with the milk and bring to a simmer. Remove the pan from heat, and steep for 30 minutes.

Remove the cob pieces, and use a blender to break up the milk-kernel mixture. Pass the mixture through a coarse sieve, reserving the milk, and discard the corn.

Bring the milk, the heavy cream and ½ the sugar to a simmer in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

Whisk the remaining sugar, the egg yolks and the salt in a metal bowl. Slowly add some of the hot milk to the yolks, whisking constantly to slowly warm the eggs. Add the tempered yolks to the saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Cook until the mixture thickens slightly.

Remove the pan from the heat, and strain the custard into a bowl. Chill immediately by placing the bowl in a slightly larger bowl filled with ice, stirring quickly to promote fast, even cooling.

Store the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, then process it an ice-cream maker.

Serves 6 (makes approx. 5 cups).

Berry Cobbler

6 cups of blackberries, or other berries

1 cup sugar

1 Tb quick-cooking tapioca

1 Tb butter, cut into pieces

1 ½ cups flour

½ cup sugar

2 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ cup butter, cut into pieces

½ cup buttermilk

1 Tb whipping cream

2 Tb sugar

Sweetened whipped cream

Vanilla ice cream

Combine berries, sugar, and tapioca in a medium bowl; let stand 15 minutes or until tapioca softens. Spoon berry mixture into a buttered 11-X17-inch baking dish, and dot with 1 tablespoon of butter. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes until berries are hot.

Combine flour and next 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Cut ½ cup butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until crumbly; add buttermilk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Gather dough into a ball. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead 5 or 6 times. Pat or roll dough into a rectangle to fit the baking dish.

Carefully place pastry over hot berries. Brush top of pastry with whipping cream, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Serve with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired. Serves 8.