The mr. calls them the beached whales of the garden. One day you have these nice little green gems growing in the garden. You see them from a distance and think, “Oh look at those squash, those are  oh so lovely” and then you look away. Maybe you leave and let them grow for a day or two. Then when you come back to look, they have turned into  humongous squash that, in fact, look like giant green beached whales.

We have been eating a lot of those beached whale these past few weeks..

Take yesterday for example. I  made zucchini bread, zucchini relish, zucchini pickles and these here zucchini noodles. And that was before I went to the garden and picked 4 more. And today is farm share pick up which means I’ll be receiving at least another 8-12 squash. And did I mention that there are currently 6 large zucchini sitting on my table.

My new life motto as of lately is ….When life gives you zucchini.. just eat the shit out of them.

These noodles are by far, one of the easiest, and most delicious ways to use up a butt load of zucchini. And you can do it every day. I know people that eat pasta like 5 time a week so I don’t think it’s that weird to be eating zucchini noodles every night. The mr. well he is eating them like a champ. For a guy that really likes his pasta, he really likes when I make these noodle. And as he said last night, “who wouldn’t like a bowl of carb free noodles that taste amazing and you can eat as much as you want and not feel like car?”. My responses was,” maybe some asshole? I don’t know”

So yeah, zucchini noodles is where its at. 

The stuff. 2 big zucchinis, a large tomato, a few cloves of garlic, a lemon (or just some lemon juice) and a handful of fresh basil. Also grab a little olive oil and the and salt and pepper. 

Firstly, turn you squash into noodles. Do it anyway you like.. I used my mandolin slicer to cut “spaghetti” but you can use a julienne slicer, a noodle maker, or even a box grater. Once made, set noodles aside.

Now chop tomato into chunks and  mince garlic. Add to a large skillet with a drizzle of olive oil. Place on medium heat, mix around and cook for a few minutes unit  garlic becomes fragrant and the tomatoes are soften. 

Now add in the noodles.  Just toss right into the pan with the galic and tomatoes. Add a splash  of water, the juice of the lemon and salt and pepper. Keep heat on medium and mix noodles around until slightly soft (or cooked to you liking)

Once your happy with the doneness, remove from heat.

 Roughly chop or tear the basil into smallish pieces and toss into noodles.

And noodles be done. Now to eating.. and be sure to eat as much as you can, its only zucchini.

Have a good today!

-C

• 2 medium to large medium zucchinis 
• a handful of fresh basil
• 1 large tomato or 2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes 
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 1 lemon
• salt and pepper
• olive oil

Take zucchini and either with a veggie noodle maker, a juillene peeler, or madoline,  a box grater, or just some sweets knife skills, make the noodles and set aside. Mince garlic and chop the tomatoes into chunks add to a large skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and place on medium heat and cook until  the tomatoes are soft and the garlic is fragrant.Once that’s cooked, place the noodles into the skillet with about 1/4 cup water and the nice of the lemon. Season to taste  with salt and pepper. Mix noodles around and cook until slightly tender (cook longer for a more well done noodle) Remove from heat. Chop or rip up your basil and toss into the noodles and mix around.

And now it’s time.

Place in bowls and fill you mouth hole.

HEY Hey Hey… It’s Taco TUESDAY, which means that you are obligated as consumer of food to eat some tacos today!

So ok, I am not going to lie, these tacos were not actually made on a Tuesday (GASP) but were made in lu of pizza Friday (another GASP!!) 

But guess what? No one died. People were happy. Food was fantastic, and there was no mention of the pizza that was not.  So sure, taco tuesday is totally a thing around here, but  you know how “Nobady puts baby in a corner”..  well nobody buts tacos in a corner. We don’t let the day of the week depict when tacos are eaten cause we think tacos are for everyday!

And these tacos, well, I got down with these. Made with lentils, cause lentils are the best, and topped with a hearty scoop of super fresh, chunky veggie salsa…. Not much is better then that. Easy and fast with lots of pretty in every bite, these tacos are a great addition to any taco dinner rotation!

Now lets get taco-ing!!!

The stuff. First off, you are going to need some type of taco shell.. soft or hard or both , that is entirely up to you.( I made taco shells a little early in the day, but store bought is totally cool.) Also need lentils, water to cook the lentils, a jalapeño (optional), taco seasoning (pre blended or your own blend) and onion. Also needed is a gigantic tomato, some red cabbage, a few kale leaves, a lime, and salt and pepper.

To get this party started, chop up half the onion, the tomato, cabbage ,and kale and toss into a big bowl. Oh, and chop up the cilantro and toss that in as well.

Sprinkle with salt and add the juice of the lime. Mix oh mix and set aside to let all the flavors meld.

Now that the salsa is doing it’s thing, chop up the jalapeño and the other half of onion and toss into a big skillet and place on medium heat.

And when the bits start to brown like so…

Dump the lentils in to the pan with water.Bring it all  to a boil then turn heat down to low.. Add in the taco seasoning and sprinkle of salt and pepper and place some type of lid on ithe pan.

And simmered until cooked.

Note. Check the lentils every few minutes while they are cooking. If you think they seems to dry, add in another 1/2 cup of water.

Now it’s ssembly time! Lentils in shell, topped with a generous amount of  salsa. That’s it! Maybe some guacamole would be nice (I had an avocado saved for guac, but it was rotten on the inside.. I was super pissed) But with or without, these are some freak yeah yummy tacos! I served my next to a bed of some jasmine rice which was nice, but do what you want my friends. 

Happy Taco Tuesday! (or any taco day!)

-C

Makes about 8 -10 tacos

For the Lentil Filling

• 1 cup dried lentils
• 2 1/2 -3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning*
• 1/2 of an onion
• 1 jalapeño 

Fot the Garden Veggie Salsa

• 2 big tomatoes (or one gigantic tomato)
• 1/4 head of red(or green) cabbage (about 2 cups shredded)
• 1/2  of an onion
• 4-5 kale leaves
• 1 juicy lime (2 if they are not very juicy)
• a bunch of cilantro 
• salt and pepper

And don’t forget the taco shells!

*Note. You can use any type of taco seasoning that you like, store bought or home made. I make my own with cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and a little coriander. 

Dice the tomato and 1/2 the onion into small chunks and toss into a big bowl. Finely chop the cabbage an the kale into small shreds and toss that into the bowl. And chop up as much cilantro as you would like and that goes into the bowl as well. Spinkle with some salt and add in the juice of the lime.  Mix everything all around and set aside.

Once the salsa is made and sitting, chop the jalapeño and other half of onion and toss into a large skillet. Place on medium heat for a few minutes until the pepper and onion start to brown. Now dump in dried lentils and 2 1/2 cups of water. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil, them back down to low. Seaosn with salt, add in the taco seasoning, and stick a lid (or cover with something), and let simmer for about 20- 25 minutes or until the lentils have absorbed  all the water and are nice and soft. If you find the lentils are still hard and there is no liquid, , add in another 1/2 cup of water. 

Once the lentils are cooked to your liking, remove from heat and get assemble tacos. 

Scoops some lentil mixture into shells. Add on a big scoop of the fresh veggie salsa and eat with you face.

Guacamole, cheese, sour cream, or whatever are optional topping that you may consider adding but are definitely not necessary.  . 

Monday was kind of a suck until I made dinner. It was hot, I didn’t sleep well the night before, and I spent the morning calling the dentist over and over until someone picked up so I could get my butt in there to get my tooth fixed (sometime during eating on sunday I broke my back molar…. and that happened) . Whatever, I got the only appointment that they had available and was just happy that I was able to get in. So went about my morning, went to the gym, did my things then ran home, took a shower and headed to the appointment.  When I got there, I checked in, sat down, and waited..Then waited some more, then was called in to the room and then did some more waiting. But finally, the doctor came in and took two minutes to check the tooth (the doctors said I was as badass… couldn’t believe that I don’t do novocain) and left the dental assistant lady to fix it. And ok, I know that people have to practice their craft to learn, but I am pretty sure that I was one of the first solo tooth fixings that this lady has ever done. And that’s cool, but I was hungry and just wanted to get the f out there.(did I mention that it was lunch time?) So taking her sweet time (at least she did a good job) she got it done. But then I had to wait some more, in the chair, for the doctor to come back and check. Holy hell I was there for way to long.

Then I got home and rushed out.. grabbing a carrot on the way. But I was still hungry.. And that just sent me to a dark place for the rest of the day.

So when I finally got home, I immediately went to the fridge to get dinner started. While aggressively riffling through bags of veggies and greens, I stubbled upon a big bag of mustard greens that I got last week at the farm….SCORE.., this made me happy.

Sure, I could have just eaten them right there, fresh and all spicy like, but I if I waited this long to eat, I could wait a little longer and I figured I would share.. and mabye do a little some thing fancy, like toss them with some cooked up onions and sweet potato and that left over quiona that was also in the fridge. 

And thats what I did. And it was good. And the day didn’t seem so bad. (food always makes me better)

The stuff. Mustad greens oh lala. A small sweet potato and an onion (I used half of that big one). Cooked quinoa, garlic, salt and pepper, and a little olive oil. 

Dice up the sweet potato into little chunks and toss into a big skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Place skillet on medium heat and cook potato for a few minutes just to give it a little head start before adding the onions. When the potato starts to show a little browning, add in the onions and a splash or two of water. Stir around, stick a lid over it, and continue to cook until the onions are soft and the sweet potato is fork tender. 

When the stuff is cooked, mince up the garlic and stir that in and cook for a little longer.

And now toss on the mustard greens. (Don’t worry if they are overflowing from the skillet, they will cook down really fast). Add another splash of water and place the lid back on. Cook for a couple minutes and mix everything together.

Place cooked quinoa (hot or cold) into a bowl.

And dump the stuff right on top. If your into it, drizzle with a bit of balsamic vinegar. (I highly recommend)

And eat to be happy.

Hears to a better day then yesterday!

-C

• roughly 1/2 lb. of fresh mustard greens
• 1 small sweet onion or half a big onion
• 1 small sweet potato
• 3/4- 1 cup cooked quinoa*
• few cloves of garlic
• 1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar(optional)
• salt and pepper
• olive oil

Note- To cook quinoa, use1 part quinoa- 2 parts water. Place quinoa in pot with water, bring to boil, place on a lid, then turn to simmer for 15 minutes. After 15, turn heat off and let sit of a few more minutes then fluff with fork. Also, i f you don’t have quinoa, just use rice or faro or nothing, the greens are good their own.

Dice up sweet potato into small picese and stick in a large, lightly oiled skillet on medium heat. Toss on some salt and pepper and cook potato for a few minutes until they start to slightly brown. Slice up onion and toss that into the skillet with the sweet potato. Add in a splash of water and place a lid on the skillet, giving it a stir ever now and then. (Watch the stuff carefully, it cooked pretty fast.) Cook until both the sweet potatoes and onion are browned and soft. Now mince garlic and mix that it and let cook for a few minutes..

Now everything is cooked,  toss in the mustard greens. (It may seem like a lot, but its not) Hit with a splash of water, place a lid (it doesn’t have to be a snug fit) on top and cook for a few mites until greens are wilted.  Toss everything around to mix together. Take your quinoa and place in a bowl. Top with cooked stuff and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Eat right away and maybe save a little for later cause it very much good cold too!

 The mr. calls them the beached whales of the garden. One day you have these nice little green gems growing in the garden. You see them from a distance and think, “Oh look at those squash, those are  oh so lovely” and then you look away. Maybe you leave and let them grow for a day or two. Then when you come back to look, they have turned into  humongous squash that, in fact, look like giant green beached whales.

We have been eating a lot of those beached whale these past few weeks..

Take yesterday for example. I  made zucchini bread, zucchini relish, zucchini pickles and these here zucchini noodles. And that was before I went to the garden and picked 4 more. And today is farm share pick up which means I’ll be receiving at least another 8-12 squash. And did I mention that there are currently 6 large zucchini sitting on my table.

My new life motto as of lately is ….When life gives you zucchini.. just eat the shit out of them.

These noodles are by far, one of the easiest, and most delicious ways to use up a butt load of zucchini. And you can do it every day. I know people that eat pasta like 5 time a week so I don’t think it’s that weird to be eating zucchini noodles every night. The mr. well he is eating them like a champ. For a guy that really likes his pasta, he really likes when I make these noodle. And as he said last night, “who wouldn’t like a bowl of carb free noodles that taste amazing and you can eat as much as you want and not feel like car?”. My responses was,” maybe some asshole? I don’t know”

So yeah, zucchini noodles is where its at. 

The stuff. 2 big zucchinis, a large tomato, a few cloves of garlic, a lemon (or just some lemon juice) and a handful of fresh basil. Also grab a little olive oil and the and salt and pepper. 

Firstly, turn you squash into noodles. Do it anyway you like.. I used my mandolin slicer to cut “spaghetti” but you can use a julienne slicer, a noodle maker, or even a box grater. Once made, set noodles aside.

Now chop tomato into chunks and  mince garlic. Add to a large skillet with a drizzle of olive oil. Place on medium heat, mix around and cook for a few minutes unit  garlic becomes fragrant and the tomatoes are soften. 

Now add in the noodles.  Just toss right into the pan with the galic and tomatoes. Add a splash  of water, the juice of the lemon and salt and pepper. Keep heat on medium and mix noodles around until slightly soft (or cooked to you liking)

Once your happy with the doneness, remove from heat.

 Roughly chop or tear the basil into smallish pieces and toss into noodles.

And noodles be done. Now to eating.. and be sure to eat as much as you can, its only zucchini.

Have a good today!

-C

• 2 medium to large medium zucchinis 
• a handful of fresh basil
• 1 large tomato or 2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes 
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 1 lemon
• salt and pepper
• olive oil

Take zucchini and either with a veggie noodle maker, a juillene peeler, or madoline,  a box grater, or just some sweets knife skills, make the noodles and set aside. Mince garlic and chop the tomatoes into chunks add to a large skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and place on medium heat and cook until  the tomatoes are soft and the garlic is fragrant.Once that’s cooked, place the noodles into the skillet with about 1/4 cup water and the nice of the lemon. Season to taste  with salt and pepper. Mix noodles around and cook until slightly tender (cook longer for a more well done noodle) Remove from heat. Chop or rip up your basil and toss into the noodles and mix around.

And now it’s time.

Place in bowls and fill you mouth hole.

This is a conversation that I imagine will be taking place in the near future.

Me- “Why, Mr. President,, I hear that you think peas have no place in a frozen cocktail drink… but, excuse me if I am being to frank., but you would, in fact, be wrong.”

He would then reply

“Oh man, you are so right! Why don’t you come have dinner with me , Michelle and the kids. We (or the kitchen staff) can make these amazingly awesome slushies (virgin of course for the kids) and walk around the house.  Michelle will show you the gardens and I’ll show you all of my secrets hiding places.  And don’t worry about driving home, you can crash in one of the spare rooms.”

And then we are all best friends and I go to there house for BBQ’s and make them dinner. My mr. and Obama will play basketball and talk about beer and I will go to workout classes and garden with Michelle..

It’s totally going to happen…

But for real, this slushy drink, it is sooooo good!!! How can anything blueberry mint not be. And sure , peas might seem like a strange ingredient in drink, but trust me, they are not. Peas have such a nice lovely flavor that bring a little sweetness, a little creaminess, and a tiny bit of earthiness  to the slushy. And the booze, well that just makes it all the better. Plus, with it being the holiday weekend and pretty freaking hot (I know that the folks down south are melting) any and all drinks should be made in a slushy form. 

So no matter how you feel about peas in other stuff (guacamole is fantastic with or without) Don’t knock it until you try it!. That’s you too Mr. President!

Good time stuff. Frozen blueberries, frozen peas and a few shots of rum.* Fresh mint, lime juice and some plain bubbly water. 

* Note.Rum can be replaced with gin, vodka or any hard alcohol you think you might like… or no booze at all.

And here it goes…….Everything but the bubbly water goes into the blender.

Blend it all up until you get a thick icy slush. Add in a little splash of water if you need to to get it moving. Turn blender off when it’s slush.

Now add in the bubbly water and watch it fizz. Turn the blender back on for another few seconds, just until it’s mixed up and all drinkable slushy like. 

Pour into glasses, garnish with a mint leave, and serve with a bright colored straw.

There is no doubt that peas belong in this drink! Soooo F*ing good!!!!

Happy Friday and Happy 4th!

And don’t be stupid.  No sloppy drinking and playing with firecrackers. Fingers and faces don’t grow back!

-C

• 2 1/2 Cups frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 4-6 oz of white rum*
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 1/2 cups plain seltzer water or club soda 
• 5 large mint leaves plus a few for garnish if you please.
• 1-2 teaspoons liquid sweetener of you choosing (optional. I used none)

*Note. you can use any liquor or no liquor you want.

Place all ingredients besides the bubbly water into a blender and blend until combined and thick and slushy (add a splash of water to get thing moving if needed). Stop the blending, add in the bubbly water and turn blender back on for just long enough to mix everything all up.

Pour into glasses and garnish with a mint leaf and a pretty straw.

Keep away from children…unless its booze free, then go for it

       TGIF!!!! For reals, because Monday-Thurday were monster days. And now that its friday, I can dig a hole and hide in it until it’s at least 30 degrees with some sunshine. (I might never get to come out.)

A few things I will bring in my hole:

• food (lots of food and coffee, lots of coffee)
• a soft blanket and pillow
• a few books, preferably with pictures, on farming and gardening (think spring!)
• the entire series of the Fresh Prince of Bel-air and a device to watch it on
• toothpaste (I can use my finger to brush my teeth)

But before I leave for my hole in the ground, I made these little cake bites to get my people through the weekend. Sweet little lemony bites of rich dense cake dipped into bittersweet chocolate. (I am just so nice)  They have all the pleasure or cake without the need of a fork and are much easier to give away then a big slice of cake. Plus, they are fun to make. My little sister helped and did most of the chocolate dipping. Then she and another little used their mouths to clean up the chocolate mess. It was an afternoon of chocolate all over the kitchen fun day. 

So make some bites to have and to share. Or if you, like me, are digging a hole to hide in, make a batch of bites to bring with you. That’s the beauty of cake covered in a harden chocolate shell, they travel really well.Simple lemon cake stuff. Flour, baking powder and salt whisked together, Sugar and soft butter in a bowl. An egg, some vanilla, milk, and of course, the lemon. 

To make the batter, cream the soften butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Zest lemon(1 big or 2 small) into bowl with the juice of the lemon(s), the vanilla and the egg. Beat until combined. Now beat in the dry and then the milk. Keep beating for another minute until all mixed. Batter should be light and fluffy.

Batter goes into a greased and floured  9×13 baking sheet and stuck into a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes (You can use a 9×9 baking pan. Just bake fir another 10 minutes and you will end up with thicker bites). Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes and flip to remove cake from baking sheet. Cut cake into small pieces (I cut 4×6   to get 24 bites) and place bake into sheet and into freezer (I stuck mine outside, it was -2 degrees ) for at least 2 hours. 

Frozen bites ready for the chocolate coating… Bittersweet chocolate chips and a little bit of coconut oil. Melted together all nice and shiny smooth.Now dip and slather those bites in the melted chocolate. 

Oh what a lovely sister I have.. Look at her dunk….. like a boss!Fully coated and placed on a rack for the chocolate to harden. I  ended up sticking the rack in the freezer for 10 minutes…They harder really fast in there.

And now you have some it, bites of cake covered in chocolate. 1 bite, 2 bites…5 bites. Eat however many you want because its Friday and because there small little bites and just because you can.

Now if you need me, I’ll be in my hole. 

-C

Chocolate Lemon Cake Bite

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup  white sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) soft butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large or 2 small lemons
• 2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

Add butter  and sugar to a large bowl and beat on medium unit light and fluffy. Ass in vanilla egg, the zest of the lemon and the juice of the lemon. Beat to incorporate. Now beat in the dry and lastly the milk.

Grease and flour either a 9×9 pan or a 9×13 baking sheet. dump batter in and smooth out.  Stick in oven and bake for about 3o minutes or until a toothpick stuck into the middle comes out clean. Remove and let cool  for a few minutes on a  wire rack. Flip cake to remove from pan. Cut cake into bit sized pieces, 4×6 is a good size, and place back on baking sheet and stick into freezer for at least 2 hours.

When cake bites are as good as frozen, get the chocolate ready. Take the chocolate and the coconut oil and either melt in a double boiler or the microwave. Mix until smooth and make sure to full incorporate the oil. Now remove the cake bites from the freezer and dip each bite into chocolate, trying to full coat all sides. Stick onto a wire rack or a parchment lined pan to harden. They can be stuck back into the freezer to harden faster.

Once chocolate has harden, your good to go!

A couple of days ago, during a grocery store porous, I stumbles upon a produce item that I have not seen sold in stores before, Broccoli leaf. And I was kind of surprised  to see that they were selling bunches of the leaf,  organic,  at 2 bucks a bunch. I was very excited ! But wait.. You can eat broccoli leaves? Heck yes you can! Broccoli leaves  are fantastic. They taste kind of like broccoli, have a hearty texture like a collard, and can be used raw or cooked just like any other green. Its just one more super yummy green to add to your repertoire.  So when I bring home something that I find to be a good score, like a bunch of broccoli leaves, I feel like I have to share it with the mister. (I am so nice) And this dish was how I shared them…. Tossed into a bowl of garlic raging pasta. The stuff…. A bunch of broccoli leaves, lots of garlic, pasta, olive oil, salt and a lemon. Pretty simple right? Fist off, get your water boiling for the pasta. Once its ready, drop a pinch of salt into the water and stick pasta in for the amount of time recommend by pasta box people. While the pasta is boiling, mince up the garlic (I used my garlic press) into a skillet and add in the oil.  Stick on a burner on medium for a few minutes, stirring around to make sure the garlic doesn’t stick and burn.      Once you start to smell the garlic, turn heat onto low, chop up the broccoli leaves (stems and all)  and stir around until wilted and add in the juice of half a the lemon.When the pasta is cooked, remove a few tablespoons of starchy water and  strain the noodles. Add water and pasta right into the skillet with the other stuff.  Toss around, taste, season with salt and pepper.  Go ahead and add some chopped tomato and or parmesan cheese if you want.  And serve your amazingly amazing pasta.  And make sure that you are ok with really smelly garlic breath…Casue it’s going to happen. Keep it good! -C

Broccoli Leaf and Garlic Noodles

• 1 bunch fresh broccoli leaves (about 3 cups chopped)
• 2 servings of your favorite pasta (spaghetti, penne, vegan, gluten free…..)
• 8 or so fresh garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper
• lemon (optional)
• parmesan cheese (optional)

Start by bringing a pot of water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Add in pasta and cook per instructions on box. While pasta is cooking, mined garlic and add to a skillet with the oil. Place on a burner on medium heat and cook and stir until the garlic becomes fragrant. Chop the broccoli leaves (stems and all) into bit sized pieces and add to the garlic oil and toss around to wilt the leaves. Squeeze in some lemon juice. Once the pasta is done cooking, remove a few tablespoons of the starchy water and strain the pasta. Add the water and the noodles to the skillet, toss to evenly coat the pasta and call it down. Serve in a bowl or on a plate, topped with freshly chopped tomatoes and parmesan cheese if you so shall please and another little squeeze of lemon juice if you like. Watch your mouth.. it will be breathing out garlic like whoa. 

My contribution to last nights dinner at my sisters…. Freshy fresh veggies spring rolls.I had about 30 minutes between work and getting over to my sisters house to throw something together so it needed to be something fast, easy, and something I could make without going to the store. She was making the main course (some teriyaki situation and rice) so I was doing up the veggies.

I had just bought a package of spring roll wrappers…. Bingo! The perfect and logical choice. I grab the wrappers, a variety of veggies and after spending 12 of my 30 minutes trying to scrub the oil based paint off of my face and hands, I still managed to completely prepare, construct, and take pictures of these lovely tasty spring rolls. and get over to my sisters in time for dinner.

Impressed?  

Damn right!

The stuff. Carrot, beet, asparagus, red cabbage, and kohlrabi, which all (except asparagus, which I just cut into thirds) got cut into matchstick sized pieces with my mandoiln. Then there are the rice spring roll wrappers that we need to make the veggies into rolls. Also a bit of red wine vinegar to drizzle onto the veggies for a little extra zing. And lastly, soy, fresh ginger, and a couple cloves of garlic for a spicy salty dipping sauce.Start by having everything set out and ready to assemble. Fill a large shallow dish or baking sheet with really warm water. Working with one at a time,place a rice wrapper into water and let sit for about 10 seconds or until the paper starts to soften. Remove from water and place on a damp surface (just splash a little water on the counter) Take a little bit of everything and and place on the lower middle part of the paper. Fold in the sides first, then tuck and roll the wrapper as tightly as you can without ripping the wrapper.

Repeat until you have used up all you veggies.For the dipping sauce. Finely grate ginger and garlic and add to soy sauce. Stir… and it’s done.Freshy, pretty and fantastically delicious. And for real, took about 8 minutes to make. (I even had enough time to wash the dishes before we left!)

I am so awesome!

Hump Day Pow!!!!!

-C

Fresh Veggies Spring Rolls 

Makes 8-10 but can easily be increased or decreased to desired amount 

• 8-1o rice spring roll papers
• Splash of Red wine or rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy or tamari sauce
• 2 cloves of garlic
• teaspoon  freshly grated ginger
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 medium beet
• 1/4 head of purple cabbage
• 10 thin fresh asparagus
• 1 small kohlrabi

Note… I used the veggies that I had in the fridge at the moment. If you have a bunch of veggies but not these particular ones, use what you have. Pretty much all veggies taste good inside a spring roll!

Gather your veggies and prep by either using a mandolin, a grater, or some sick knife skills, and julienne, shred, or slice you veggies into thin match sticks. Once all the veggies are prepared, sprinkle a little vinegar over the top.

For the rolls…Grab a large shallow vessel  (a rimmed baking sheet works great) and add in warm water. Working  one at a time, place the wrapper into the water for about 10 seconds or until the wrapper starts to soften. Remove and spread onto a clean, damp work surface. Gather a bit of each veggie that you are adding and place towards the bottom  middle of the wrapper. Now fold the sides in over the pile of veggies. Then with the side closest to you, tuck and roll wrapper away from you, trying to keep it tight, but not to tight that it rips.. (Hopefully that makes since.) Place finished rolls onto a damp surface to keep from sticking and if not serving right away, drape with  a damp towel or paper towel to keep from drying out.

For the soy ginger dipping sauce. Add grated ginger,  minced garlic, and soy into a bowl and mix together.  Serve with spring rolls. 

Eat one, two, or a plateful. It’s nice to share but not a necessity.

      And that’s how I know that this is a winner. As an awesome aunt, when I have any of my nieces or nephews,  I feel the need to make something special for dinner, something that the kiddos might not get very often, but also keep it on he healthy side. I have 2 littles for the night which gives me the perfect opportunity for a trash food recipe. You know trash food, things like boxed mac and cheese, beefaroni in a can, or, in this case, sloppy joes.

Sloppy yes, trashy, not so much. These are made with beans and bulgur. No meat.

And I figured it is nice enough out that I can make the kiddos some messy food and then just bring them out back and hose them off… I mean, why not right?

The stuff… We start with onion and green pepper, chopped into pieces. Black beans, bulgur, can crushed tomatoes. Chili powder, garlic powder, a bit o apple cider vinegar (which I forgot to picture) ,and some salt and pepper. Oh and cheese if you want… Plus a bun of some sort is necessary.      Toss the chopped onion and peppers into a deep skillet or pot with a drizzle of oil. Cook on medium heat until tender and toss in the spices. Give a stir. Add in the beans, bulgur, and tomato, a splash of vinegar. Stir it all up, cover, and let simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the bulgur has absorbed the liquid and is nice and tender.

If you are a bun toaster… toast while waiting. If not, just get the buns ready And Then dump a good heaping pile right onto a bun. Add some cheese, or not..and eat with wild abandonment,  making sure to get as much on your face as you get in you mouth. 

Fantastic Friday!! Live it up. 

-C

Black Bean and Bulgur Sloppy Joes 

• 2 cups or 1 can cooked black beans
• 1 16 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup bulgur
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 small onion
• 1 green pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder 
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• salt and pepper
• a splash of apple cider vinegar
• olive oil
• 4-6 burger or bulky buns
• cheese (optional)

Dice the onion and the pepper and toss with a drizzle of olive oil into a large skillet. Sauté on medium heat until veggies become tender. Add in the spices, stir in and let cook for a minutes, then add in the beans, the tomato,water and the bugler. Cover skillet and let simmer until bugler becomes soft.

When the slop is ready, either toasted or not, scoop a generous portions onto buns. If so inclined, add some cheese. 

Eat with hands… Sloppy is good.

 I’ll let you know now, I am a make and eat soup all year long person. I can think of few things better then sitting outside, basking in the sun, hopefully with a light wind, a book in hand, enjoying a nice big cup of some good homemade soup. (Doesn’t that sound so freaking lovely?) This soup right here is perfect for just that. Parsnips are the best, kind of like a big white sweet, yet starchy carrots. And cooked together with a little bit of light and lemony thyme, rich earthy turmeric and a couple more chopped veggie….. you got yourself a nice thick and fragrant bowl of happiness that fills you up without weighing you down. It’s food you can eat that fills you up, leaves you feeling cozy, yet still wanting to hop on a bike or lace up the running shoes.  Hearty without the feeling of all the heaviness.

A perfect soup for spring! (or summer, winter, or fall)

The stuff. Parsnips, carrots, onion and garlic. Thyme and turmeric, salt and pepper. the tinniest bit of oil and water (water not shown)Chop all the veggies and the garlic, drizzle a dutch oven or a pot with oil, toss in the veggies. Add the turmeric, the thyme, and 1/2 cup of water. Sweet sweating the veggies. Turn pot on medium and cook until the water completely cooks out. When the veggies start to brown and stick to the pot, deglaze with water. Give a good stir and keep cooking. Repeat the deglazing process until the veggies are super soft and ready to blend. (I did this 4 times.. it only took 10 minutes)Add enough water to cover the cooked veggies. And now blend the heck out of it.. Go as smooth or chunky as you want. I blended as smooth as I could get with this crappy immersion blender. (Blender on loan until I finally decide on, and buy a new one)And there you have it. Scoop into bowls, add lots of cracked black pepper, and go to town. I made enough to save a bowl for later…  it didn’t last for later. 

Soup so good. 

-C

Parsnip Thyme and Turmeric Soup 

• 4 large parsnips
• 2 carrots
• 1 whole onion
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons thyme
• 2 teaspoons turmeric 
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• water

Dice up the parsnips, carrots, garlic and onion and place into a large dutch oven or pot. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil,  sprinkle on the spices, salt and pepper and add about 1/2 cup of water. Turn heat on medium and start cooking down the veggies. Once the water evaporates and the veggies start to caramelize, deglaze pot with about a 1/2 cup of water. Give pot a stir, and continue to cook until water evaporates.  Repeat this 2-3 more times until the veggies are super soft and fragrant. 

When the  veggies are ready, add enough water to the pot to submerge the veggies. Bust out the immersion blender or dump into a blending device and blend until smooth (or the consistency that you want) Have a cup of water ready to thin out if needed. When blended, taste for salt and pepper, add more if you want, and cook on low heat until you are ready to serve.

Garnish with a lot of good cracked pepper

Eat from a vessel, use a spoon

Last week pineapples were on sale everywhere……So I bought 5. Don’t judge 

And I bet I am not the only one that got overly excited at $1.50 pineapple and bough themselves a few. We will just call ourselves opportunists.  Now we have plenty of pineapples and don’t have to pay  the $4 a piece prices. (Justification)  

But if you don’t have a pineapple laying around, you must go get one. (Maybe if your lucky, there might still be some sales going on) because you must make this salad. I am on a mission to make everyone I know eat it because, for lake of a better way to say it…….It will rock your world.

Dill and pineapple are a serious match made in heaven. Pineapple, with its sweet, tangy, citrusness  and dill with it’s super fresh earthiness. Mixed together with a few other helpers to create a fresh, clean, chunky, tangy, over the top, flavor. I could stop right there, but toss in a handful of lentils, some creamy avocado and a bed of kale…It’s like the best spring time, celebration on you tongue, happiness in you tummy, kind of salad.

A salad that will make you smile. (and maybe buy  5 pineapples) 

 Stuff for the goodness. We got the kale, some avocado because all salads should have avocado and some cooked lentils because, well, all salads should have lentils (or beans or nuts.. so you could totally something else) Then a few sprigs of fresh dill, a clove of garlic, red wine vinegar, salt and a bowl of chunked up pineapple. The pineapple, dill, garlic, red wine vinegar, a splash of water and a pinch of salt get blended in a blender or whatever blending device you use. Go as smooth or chunky as you like, I recommend going smooth, but leaving a little chunk, like half blended.

The prep is done, now compile.  Kale in bowl, top with lentils,. Toss on avocado chunks, and, last but not least, the blended pineapple dill mixture.So good……So so good.

Happy Friday!!

-C

So Good Pineapple Dill Kale Salad

Serves Two

• 3 cups washed and chopped Kale
• 1/2 a avocado, diced
• 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
• 1-2 springs fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
• Salt 
• 1/2 cup cooked lentils (or any bean or nut will do)

Note. No fresh dill? You can use dried, just sub in 1 teaspoon for the fresh and after blending with the pineapple, let sit a little longer to really let the flavors meld together. 

Place pineapple, dill, pinch of salt, vinegar and garlic into a blender or whatever you own that blends and blend stuff together, leaving it a little chunky. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.

Kale goes into a bowl and add the lentils and diced avocado. Pour the blended pineapple on. Toss around. 

Now eat.

Peas scream spring to me. The bright green color with that nice bright fresh taste….. kind of like a fresh spring day. Ah spring, so lovely, so nice, so hasn’t made its way here yet. So I guess I am left to eat my spring. And what better way to highlight those lovely spring tastes? A fantastic pesto my friends, and it can be made lickidy split.

Pesto is one of those things that I am constantly making, and not just the kind most people think of with basil and nuts, I pesto everything..peppers, greens, carrots, squash.  And yea, I used this post to make a pesto pasta dish, but pesto has so many other fantastic uses. Like as a sandwich or wrap spread or a dip for veggies and crackers. I have used it as a soup base, a pizza sauce, on roasted potatoes and marinated tofu with pestos. It can also be thinned down and used as a salad dressing. See, so many uses. 

And this pea pesto is no exception. It has such a great light, almost fruity, super bright taste. I mean, it’s peas so it taste just like peas but somehow even better. It really works in my mouth. I could eat a bowl of this stuff and be happy. 

Whatever you plan on using it for, make the pesto. You will be thanking me later. 

Pesto Stuff. We got the peas, garlic, lemon, oil, cheese if you please, and salt.  Take a handful of peas and set aside for later. Juice the lemon and take that and the rest of the stuff and stick in a food processor and puree until smooth. 

Oh my, so green, so good.  I first made it without cheese and  scooped a little out for me. It was perfect. Like the most brilliant bright pea flavor ever. It made me happy. After I added in the cheese, the mister said it tasted even better…. so cheese or not, it’s going to be good!The pesto is made, and it only took about 2 seconds, now boil up the pasta.  If you were a thinker, you could start the pasta and make the pesto while its boiling. (I wasn’t being a thinker) I used bow ties cause they are super cute, but use whatever pasta you’re feeling. Shells or the ones that look like little brains would be good options.

Once the pasta is cooked, strain, reserving about 1/4 cup of the water. Add that bit of water back to the pot, add in the pesto, give a stir and dump pasta back into the pot. Toss in a handful of peas, maybe sprinkle some cheese and give it a good crack of some pepper.

Into a bowl and served with a fork to eat it with.  A super green fresh springy meal of happiness. And all under 15 minutes in the kitchen.

Oh you want to thank me for this…

Hey, not a problem….not a problem at all.

-C

Spring Pea Pesto and Bow Ties

Makes enough pesto to coat a pound of cooked pasta and have some left over for sandwiches or to spread on crackers.

• 1 lb. fresh or frozen peas (thawed if frozen)
• 1 lemon
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 2 ish tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/4 cup parmesan, really or vegan (optional)
• salt
• 1 lb (an average box) of bow tie pasta (use any whole wheat, vegan, gluten free variety)

Place peas, (remove a handful and set aside to toss into the pasta) garlic, the juice of the lemon, olive oil and the parmesan (if you are using) into a food processor. Blend until smooth. Taste and salt as needed.

Pasta… Boil per instructions on box. Strain pastas but save about a 1/4 cup of starchy water. Toss pasta, starchy water and pesto together, adding in the handful or more of the whole peas. Sprinkle with more parmesan and or cracked pepper ,if wanted, and serve in big bowls. 

Use a fork. Eat, smile and be happy. 

     I have never in my life seen, let alone received, a kohlrabi as big as the one I picked up from my farm share last week. It was, no joke, bigger then my head. (completely nuts)  If I didn’t know the farm and the farmers of my CSA, I would have to question whether or not it was grown in radioactive sludge…(kind of like the dandelions in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movie from the 90’s)

What is a kohlrabi you ask? It’s kind of a cross between a turnip and a cabbage that is usually the size of a baseball. It can be eaten raw (I like chunks dipped in mustard) or cooked. (roasted chunks dipped in mustard)  It pairs well with sweet stuff like apples and honey, or in any savory stuff. Its one of my favorite vegetables (I say that about them all!)

So now that you know about kohlrabi (if you didn’t already) its time to get yourself some and make this soup. Because for real,  I am not kidding when I say that this is one of the best soups that I have ever made.  You really must try it. And do it soon because hopefully in the next few weeks the soup weather will turn into fresh pea weather and we might not want soup as much (I eat soup all year long)

A gigantic kohlrabi cut in half ( I only used one of the halts) A whole yellow onion and 2 large carrots. I also added in 4 cloves or garlic

Peel the kohlrabis tough skin off and chop up into chunks. Chop the carrot, garlic and onion as well .

   All of those chopped veggies get thrown into a pot with two cups of water and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cover and place on medium heat for about 20-25 minutes. (give a stir ever now and then) Keep cooking until the veggies are fork tender. 

Once the chunks are all cooked up, its time for the  immersion blender. (or into a regular blender) Add in at least 3 cups of water, but more to thin out to your desired consistency and let it rip. Stop blending once the soup is nice and creamy. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Leave on low heat to bring back to a good soup  eating temperature.

 Now the soup is done.. and you can eat it just as it is, but you should really add in the asparagus. It is just so f*ing good. Just grab a few spears, dice them nice and small, and throw into the soup pot. Let it cook for another 5 minutes and wa la.. Soup is done. Ladle into bowls and if you want a little fancy presentation, add a swirl of mustard (it’s so good) and a whole cooked asparagus spear.

And eat one of the greatest soups ever!

Happy Day Wednesday!

-C

Creamy Kohlrabi Soup with Asparagus

• 3-4 kohlrabi (or 4 cups chopped Kohlrabi)
• 2 large carrots
• 1 large onion
• 4 or more cloves of garlic
• Salt and Pepper
• 4-6 spears of Asparagus (extra if you want to garnish)
• Yellow Mustard (optional)

Peel outer layer of kohlrabis. Roughly chop the onion, carrot, kohlrabi and garlic and stick it all into large dutch oven or stock pot. Add water until veggies are half submerged . Add a good sprinkle of salt and pepper and place on burner on medium heat and cover. Check ever 5 or so minutes and give the pot a good stir. After about 25 minutes, all the veggies should be very tender and almost fall apart when stuck with a fork. With an immersion blender or regular blender, blend till smooth, adding water until soup is at your desired constancy. Return soup to medium heat. Small dice asparagus and add to pot. (I added 2 extra whole pieces and fished them put once cooked for garnish.) Keep on heat for another 5-10 minutes until asparagus is cooked. 

Scoop into bowl and squirt top with yellow mustard and top with a spear of cooked asparagus.

Eat with a spoon and lick bowl clean.

Yay Tuesday! Which means its lentil day in my house. Ok not really, because everyday is lentil day in my house. Why? Because they are pretty much the best.  And with the addition of lots of garlic and lemon…..whoa nelly!!! Eat your heart out.But for serious, not only are these little bits of happy legumes oh so tasty, they also are a nutritional whomper.  So much protein, iron and zinc, magnesium and a bunch of other good stuff. Low in calorie and fat. Shelf stable, cheap, and fast and easy to cook. They are fantastic in soups, sauces, casseroles and salads. Eat them warm, cold, plain or covered in mustard. There possibilities with these little guys are endless. If you do not have lentils in your pantry right now, you are crazy. Make it  priority to get some. Do it today, and make these fantastically yummy lentils for dinner. Trust, you won’t be sorry.

Lentils, water (not shown but I think you know what it looks like) lemon, garlic, and some salt and pepper. Cabbage and kale to make it that much better.

Add a cup of lentils to a pot with minced or pressed garlic, the zest of the lemon and the juice of half the lemon. (save the other half to squeeze on top later) Add in 2 1/4 cups water , a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Place a lid on pot and turn heat down to low. Let cook for about 15 – 20 minutes or until lentils are just about done.

Now top the almost done lentils with  the cabbage and the kale. Add a splash of water and a pinch of salt  and replace lid. Keep pot on simmer for another 5-8 minutes until the veggies are wilted.  This gives you a slightly cooked, but still nice and crisp veggie. If you like you veggies a bit more soft, just add them into the lentils a little earlier or don’t even cook them at all. It’s whatever you want.

After a few minutes take the lid off and…aahh. Smells like cozy lemony garlicy happiness. 

 A big steaming bowl of everything that is good. Serve with an extra wedge of lemon to squeeze on top!

Tuesday Ah HA!

Make your day AWESOME!!!

• 1 cup dry lentils
• 2 1/4 cups water
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 1 lemon (juice and zest)
• Salt and pepper
• some shredded cabbage
• a few kale leaves

Add water, lentils, the zest and juice of 1 lemon and about a teaspoon of salt and pepper to a pot. Mince garlic and add that in too.  Bring to a boil then place a lid on it and turn down to simmer. After about 15 minutes, give lentils a stir. At this point the lentils should be a al denta, but just about done.( If you notice the lentils seem dry, just add a bit more water) Layer on the cabbage and kale, adding in a splashof water. Replace lid and let simmer of another 5-8 , or until lentils are cooked and the veggies are you cooked to your liking. 

     Spicy, crispy cauliflower… um yes please.  I really like cauliflower. The mister loves it, or at least likes it better than any other vegetable. So when he asked for spicy cauliflower, well yea I am going to make it because I am so nice and really, could I say no to a veggie request? (I might have said no if it involved deep frying) Also, I found fresh cauliflower on sale! ($2.25) I don’t usually cook fresh cauliflower, but  I figured at that price, it wouldn’t be bad to cook a head. (If I am cooking cauliflower, which I do a lot, I just use frozen….casue it be waaaay cheaper) 

Fresh, cheap and requested veggies….those are must makes. And the mister was happy with I handed him the plate of oh so lovely looking crispy crunchy loveliness. (I kind of like to make him happy…sometimes)

The stuff. Cauliflower, chopped and broken into pieces. Corn meal mixed with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder, and because I made this for the mister, parmesan cheese. And in the green bowl, srirsachi and a little oil. The cauliflower gets a coat of the hot sauce and then tossed around in the corn meal mixture. Handling as little as possible, place coated pieces on a lightly oiled baking sheet and stick those suckers in the oven for about a half hour, taking them out and flipping half way.And take them out of the oven when pieces tuned golden brown, stik them on a plate, and serve immediately.

A bit of spice, a bit of crispy , a lot a yum.  Serve with some crunchy veggies, maybe a squeeze of lemon and definitely some type of avocado situation.

A beer would be lovely too!

Have a fantastic weekend! 

-C

Spicy Crispy baked Cauliflower

• 1 head cauliflower, chopped or broken into florets
• 1/2 cup corn meal
• 3-4 tablespoon sriracha or your favorite hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil
• salt and pepper
• Any seasonings you might like (garlic or onion powder, parmesan cheese, national yeast…. whatever floats your boat)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees 

In a bowl, mix together sriracha and oil. In a separate  bowl, mix salt, pepper, any seasonings you might like, and corn meal.  Take cauliflower and toss in sauce to coat. Remove from sauce and toss around in cornmeal mixture till fully coated, but try not to hand too much so the coating doesn’t come off. Place pieces on a lightly oiled baking sheet and stick into oven. Bake for about 15 minutes, remove and flip pieces. Back into the oven for another 15-20 minutes (depending on you crispy preference) Remove when golden brown (or darker if you like) and serve immediately.

Cucumber, celery, and carrots are great accompaniments.. also a little mashed avocado or guacamole is much appreciated.

I love summer!

All day, everyday, there is something new and delicious to pick and eat. I have my CSA with the Interval Community Farm, which is in full swing, so I am picking up thousands of pounds of fresh produce every week. (maybe not quite that much, but so so much) Plus our lovely  garden is starting to reward up with the prettiest veggies as well. I have so much fresh produce that I find myself mindless eating just to make more room in the fridge.(not to mention that my counters are also covered and I have a laundry basket full of yellow squash and zucchini on the table). I guess its getting about time to do a little canning and pickling… but until then, I will just have to solider on and keep on eating!

So this salad is completely inspired by the ever exploding contents of my fridge (and table, and counters).  Fresh zucchini, corn,and peaches roasted and tossed together with fresh tomato, creamy avocado, and herbs into one big bowl.. It’s like eating summer… And it fantastic. 

The stuff. Zucchini, corn, tomato, peach, and avocado. A lemon (not shown..it rolled under the couch and I couldn’t find it for a little while) and salt and pepper. Also not shown is the bunch of fresh cilantro that I added at the last minute

 I initially wanted to grill this stuff, but I didn’t feel like starting the charcoal and getting that all situated, so I just used the oven. So if you want, use the grill. 

Cut zucchini into long wedges and cut the peaches into a few large slices. Place on a lightly oiled pan or baking sheet, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and stick into the oven at 425 degrees. Toss you corn  into the oven too.. but I just stuck that on the oven rack.

While the stuff is roasting in the oven, chop the tomato into mouth sized chunks, and mash the avocado with the juice of the lemon( I finally found it) and a pitch or more of salt. Add enough water to make it slightly runny.

Afer about 15 minutes, the stuff in the oven should be done. You want the corn slightly charred and the peach and zucchini to be soft, but not mushy. Remove from oven and stick everything on a plate or baking sheet and let cool for a few minutes, or until cool enough to handle it.

And now cut the corn from the cob and dice the zucchini and peaches into chunks.

Toss it all into a bowl, give it a mix and smother with the avocado dressing.

And lastly, dice up and add a big ass handful of some freshly chopped herb.. (Cilantro is great, but basil is also just as nice) and toss that on top too!

So much color, so much tasty. This is all summer!

Happy Friday

BYE!

-C

Makes a meal for 1 or a side for 2

• 1 ripe peaches
• 1 medium zucchini 
• 1 ear of corn 
•  l medium tomato
• 1 avocado
• juice of 1 lemon
• salt and pepper
• bunch of fresh cilantro or basil 

Note..If i had the time to light up the charcoal to grill, I would have. So Feel free to cook the corn, zucchini and peach on the grill if you so do please.

Slice peach into 4 equal chunks and zucchini into 4-5 wedges. Place in a lightly oiled skillet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stick  the pan and the corn, husk removed, into oven at 425 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, or until the corn is charred and the zucchini and peach is  browning and slightly tender. While this is going on, dice up the tomato into chunks and smash the avocadoin a jar until smoothish with the juice of the lemon, salt and pepper, and enough water to thin it out so that its kind of pasty. (make it any consistency you like)

When veggies are done cooking, remove from oven and place  on the counter or a plate and let sit until its cool enough to handle. When cooled off, dice the peach and zucchini into chunks and remove corn from the cob. Toss together with the tomato, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, dump the mixed lemony avocado all over  and top wit a heavy handful of some freshly chopped herb.

Serve warm or cold. Can be eaten with a fork or spoon.

I made a pie dough a little while ago with the intention of making a cherry pie…but I ate all the cherries . (I do that a lot… eat all of something that I was intending to use for something else)

And then I think about that saying.. The road to hell is paved in good intentions.

.Well I guess I am going to hell.

So no cherries, but I have a crap load of summer squash (and it’s only the beginning) and a few peaches that are in need of some eating. And what’s that, a container of ricotta in the fridge from lasagna a couple weeks back…. Meant to be and not in hell yet!

Sure, I could have made one single crust galette, sweet or savory, and thrown it to the masses for consumption, but I figured that I might as well just hit two birds with one stone. A dinner and a dessert, all at once, and call it a victory in time management and putting a dent in the pile of squash on the table. (don’t be fooled, I love excess amounts of squash.. It’s like the printer paper of the veggie world.. can be used for everything!) And bonus, only one set of dishes! I mean come on, this is so good, easy and just really pretty. I know, I know….. so smart.

Anyway, here, take a look, get inspired and make some pretty dinsert (dinner and dessert) galettes. 

The stuff. For the base, we need one single crust pie dough (that’s going to be for two smaller galettes) and some ricotta cheese.  The savory galette has summer squash, salt, pepper, lemon ( the zest) and a couple tomatoes.  The sweet needs honey, a peach, and a few strawberries. 

And if you want, change up your toppings. Pretty much any fruit or veggie combo would work. And spice up the ricotta if you wan. Garlic, fresh thyme, cinnamon… whatever will make you happy.

First things first. Roll ourt dough. You could cut the dough in half and roll two separate disks, but I just rolled out one big rectangle shape.

And onto the baking sheet and into the fridge to rest.

While the dough is chillin, take half of the ricotta and whip it up  with some honey and thinly slice up your fruit.

Take the other half of the ricotta and add a bit os lemon zest, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and mix that up. And thinly slice up the squashes and dice up the tomatoes.

Two crusts(or one cut in half. Smear the honey ricotta on one side, savory on the other, leaving a boarder so you can fold the dough over.

Now pile the fruits on the honey ricotta, veggies on the savory,  and fold the uncheesed part of the crust over. just enough to keep everything from falling out. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the veggies.

Stick into  a preheated oven and bake until the crust is cooked all nice and golden brown and crispy. 

While the galettes are baking, toss the chunks of tomatoes into a skillet with a splash of oil, salt and pepper and stick it into the oven too. Just bake until the tomatoes are nice and soft. You can stick in the oven right away and let the tomatoes cool, or towards the end of the bake time so that you can eat them warm… these tomatoes are good hot or cold.

all baked up, removed from the oven, looking oh so pretty.

Pile the roasted tomatoes onto the savory tart. And if you got it, a bit of chopped freshy fresh basil

And drizzle a little bit more honey on the sweet.

And serve… Is it savory first or do you go sweet?

How about a pice of both. Dnner and dessert.. all on one plate!

Happy Tuesday!

Ba Bye!

-C

-Makes 2 small or one large galettes 

• a single pie crust (recipe here.. or use whatever dough you like)
• 1 cup of ricotta cheese

For the savory

• 2 cups thinly sliced green and yellow summer squash*
• 2 roma tomatoes
• salt and pepper
• teaspoon lemon zest
• a few fresh basil leaves
• olive oil

For the Sweet

• 2-3 tablesppons honey
• 1 peach thinly sliced*
• 3-4 strawberries thibky sliced*

*Note. Feeling like blueberry apricot or maybe potatoes and peas? Swap out any fruit and veggie (and spice) combination you want. The possibilities are endless! And if you want to do just one big galette, go for it. 

Roll out pie dough in either 2 separate disks or one large rectange cut in half and.place on baking sheet and stick in fridge. While dough is resting, divide the ricotta into separate bowls. Add the salt, pepper and lemon zest to one, and the honey to the other. Using a fork, whip them up.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

When the oven is preheated, grab the crust from fridge and smear the ricotta fillings evenly on the middle of each crust, leaving about an inch and a half boarder. Layer on the toppings, (sweet on honey, savory on lemon pepper.. or whatever floats your boat) and fold  border over the edges of the filling. Place in oven and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the crusts are nice and crispy and golden brown.

While those are baking, dice up the tomatoes and toss into a oven safe skillet with a little drizzle of oil and sprinkle of salt. Stick that into the oven for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are nice and soft. You can do this right away, or towards the end of the bake time of the galettes… roasted tomatoes are great warm or cold.

When the galettes are done baking, remove from oven and let sit for at least 5 minutes before serving. Top the savory galette with the roasted tomatoes and chopped fresh basil. Drizzle a little more honey on the one with the fruit .

Serve one, then the other, or both at the same time!

Eats good hot, warm, or cold. Utensils not required

There is corn everywhere!!

This past weekend, the mr and I were out and about in the sticks of Vermont and got an eyeful of this very familiar sight of corn fields forever. It’s just part of the landscape.. Blue sky, big lush mountains, little rives and big fields of corn. It is ever so lovely… and so telling. Tall high corn fields just means  two things. 1.We will be eating lots of corn, and, 2. the summer is winding down. So soon we will be talking apples and root veggies, but until then, we will just eat the corn and revel in what I consider one of the best and most beautiful times of the year here in Vermont.

And after seeing all the corn (and we have been getting a bunch in the farmshare) I realized that I need to step up my corn game.

What better why to fancy up some corn then to fancy up the stuff people like to smother on it…. butter. 

Whenever I think about butter, I think about my sister, the one that, as a little kid, used  sneak to the kitchen and eat whole sticks of butter. This (to me) just seemed like a pretty gross option for a snack, but you know, whatever floats your boat I guess.

Bur after making making this coconut butter, I can see the draw, for I would sure love to eat the entire contents of a jar of this butter. (I have been eating a spoonful here and there)

Lime cilantro coconut butter.. Its my new thing…corn or not.

The stuff. We have some lovely, super fresh from the farm, corn on the cob. Then for the coconut butter we have , unsweetended coconut flakes, a lime, som ecilantro and salt.

Dump coconut flakes into a food processor. Turn to on and let it go.

After about 7 minutes… you coconut will start to clump together and look like this. And maybe you are like, “this shit isn’t going to happen”.. well be patent. Scrap the coconut off the sides and keep the processor going.. scraping down the sides whenever you need to. 

And eventually, after another 8-10 minutes,  it will turn into this.. a nice creamy buttery butter. 

Now add in the zest of the lime, the lime juice, a pinch of salt,  and cilantro into the butter. Turn processor back on until combined.

And you got yourself some freak yeah cilantro lime coconut butter… ready to smother your corn with. 

This amount is good for 6-8 corn cobs… Any extra is excitlent on any veggies, bread, cake, or spoon.

And stick that butter in a jar.

I dare you not to eat a spoonful right now. (I licked the bowl down clean)

 So I hope I am not being presumptuous when I think that you know how to cook corn. Or maybe you have a specific way you like to cook your corn. But just in case,  husk corn and stick either in a pot and boil until cooked,(about 8-10 minutes)  or like me, char on the grill, or under the broiler. 

So cook some corn….And smother it with the butter.

And there you have it, some freak yeah amazing lime cilantro coconut butter smothered on some corn.

So good…..so good.

Have a great day!

-C

• 1 1/2 cups dried unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 lime
• 1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro (about a 1/4 cup chopped)
• salt
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil (optional)
• freshly cooked corn on the cob 

Note. Any extra butter is good on anything and everyhitng!!!

Place coconut into a food prosser and turn to on. Prosse until coconut start to stick to sides. Stop, scrap down bowl, then conuitne to process. Repet this until the coconut has turned into a creamy buttery goodness.  

Add the juice, the zest, a pinch of salt, and the cilantro to the butter. Pulse until combined. If you want to add in a little coconut oil here to make it a little smoother, go for it. 

Scoop into a jar. When your corn is hot and ready, smother butter all over.

And eat. There swill be stuff stuck in your teeth..Don’t worry about it. Think of it as a snack for later.

The past week was freaking gross hot, like sweaty, smelly, I want to live in the Costco walk in freezer hot. But today, well today was the most lovely day. A cool dry 70 with a nice breeze and sunshine. Then around dinnertime, a little bit of rain, followed by a rainbow. It was the most fantastic perfect weather.This is why I love living in Vermont. We get weather.

.Last night, dinner was all about trying to make some more room in the fridge for the farm share pick up tonight and to make something that I didn’t have to really watch. (the mr and I were moving the beehive to the roof of the house so I wanted to make something that I could leave on the stove and not have to babysit (just stir every now and then). With the weather being so freaking amazing, with a cool crispness in the air,  I was craving something a little more on the warm and comfy side. And what do you know, the stuff I had left in the fridge (there is still a basket of zucchini on the table) was what was needed for a big pot of stewed summer ratatouille with lentils. It was everthing that I ever could need and want for a meal. Full of the best veggies and lentils, easy to make, nothing fancy to do. Just stick stuff into a pot and cook until done. 

Cooler, light long sleeve, kind of weather.  Enough rain where I didn’t have to water the garden, the most perfect pot of the best ratatouille shared with the mr. and a feeling of accomplishment and excitement (bees on the roof!).

The perfect night.

The stuff. Zucchini, yellow summer squash, eggplant, onion, tomatoes and lentils. And we have some fresh basil, fresh oregano, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and some salt and pepper.

To get this party started, chop up the onion and toss it into a big heavy pot with a little  olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Stick on the stove on medium heat.

While the onions are cooking,  mince up the garlic and chop up all the other veggie into medium sized chunks. 

When the onions start to become translucent and smell fantastic, add in all the veggies and garlic. Give it a big stir and place back on the stove to cook for a few minutes to let the veggies release some of their liquid. 

Then add in the lentils along with a equal amount of water and top with a lid.

After about 30 minutes, the lentils should be near done and the veggies tender, the tomatoes pretty much dissolved. Now chop up the basil and oregano and toss it in along with a few swigs of the balsamic vinegar. Give it a stir and keep on cooking for another 10ish more minutes or until the lentils are nice and tender.

Scoop onto bowl then into mouth. If you like, finish off with a bit more fresh basil or,ike the mr, top with parmesan cheese.

Have a fantastic day! So close to the weekend!!

-C

Makes 2-3 big servings (if serving with pastas or rice, its more like 4-5 servings)

• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 medium yellow summer squash
• i medium onion
• 1 small eggplant
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 1 cup dried lentils
• 1/2  cup water
• 3 medium to large tomatoes
• handful fresh basil leaves
• a few glugs of balsamic vinegar
• couple sprigs of fresh oregano
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Drizzle a little olive oil into a large pot. Dice up the onion and place on medium heat and cook for a few minutes. Mince up the garlic and chop up the remaining veggies into medium sized pieces. Once the onion is cooke a bit and strting to smell oh so nice, toss the veggies and garlic into the pot. Mix, sprinkle with salt and pepper and place a lid on it. Cook for a few minutes to draw out a bit of liquid from the veggies. Now add in the lentils and the water. Stick the lid back on and let cook for about 30 minutes on medium low heat or until the lentils are starting to soften.

When the lentils are mostly soft, but still have a bit of biet, dice the fresh herbs and toss into pot with a few swings of balsamic vinegar.  Stir and cook  for another 8-10 minutes or until the lentils are full cooked.

Remove from heat and ladle into bowls..

Serve with rice, pasta, bread, a big old pile of fresh greens, or just as it is.

Eats fantastic right aways, or cold late at night standing in front of the fridge..

And now the cucumbers are growing shit crazy.

Every time I open the fridge, at least one (if not a few) come falling out from all the places that I have managed to squeeze them in. (the egg tray in the door is not a safe place for cucumbers) This is a slight problem, but a problem that I kind of like having.

This past weekend I had planned on doing a bunch of pickling and canning. Like a whole day of music blasting, dancing around the kitchen in a cute little apron with wooden spoon in hand, (pretending its a microphone) canning all sorts of fruits and veggies that a piling up in massive amounts for the winter months. 

That didn’t happen, and I still have a million cucumbers and not a whole heck of a lot of time this week to inact my canning day day dream.

My simple solution. Cut um up, stick in a bowl with a some fresh dill, a lithe vinegar and leave them on the counter…..  And watch as they disappear. It’s crazy. I find if you leave a bowl of cut up anything on the counter, anyone that walks by will stop and eat a few pieces (if not the whole bowl) It’s a scientific fact (no not really, but maybe)

As for my blissful canning day. It will be happening soon. But until then, this is the way to go with those all those cucks. (this works fantastic will zucchinis too!)

The stuff. Cucumbers, onion, fresh dill, salt, pepper, and red wine vinegar.

Slice up the cucumber and onion and toss into a bowl. Spinkle with salt, pepper, and lots of fresh chopped up dill. Splash in the vinegar and toss it all around.

Let it sit on the counter for at least 2 minutes, but the longer they sit, the more pickley they taste.

And eat.  Leave on the counter until they are all gone..which won’t take too long.

Enjoy the Tuesday!

-C

• 2-3 medium to large cucumbers
• 1 medium  sweet onion
• a bunch of fresh dill
• salt and pepper (fresh cracked is best)
• red wine vinegar

Slice cucumber and onion into thin slices. and stick in a big bowl. Sprinkle with salt. pepper, chopped up dill. Pour on a few glugs of vinegar. Toss around, taste and adjust seasoning if needed and let sit on the counter for a few minute… or as long as you want*.

Eat all day long or until they are gone.

IF there are still cucumbers left over after 2 hours and you are worried about leaving food out all day  (I don’t worry, but that’s me), stick in the fridge until you ar ready to eat them.

Monday was kind of a suck until I made dinner. It was hot, I didn’t sleep well the night before, and I spent the morning calling the dentist over and over until someone picked up so I could get my butt in there to get my tooth fixed (sometime during eating on sunday I broke my back molar…. and that happened) . Whatever, I got the only appointment that they had available and was just happy that I was able to get in. So went about my morning, went to the gym, did my things then ran home, took a shower and headed to the appointment.  When I got there, I checked in, sat down, and waited..Then waited some more, then was called in to the room and then did some more waiting. But finally, the doctor came in and took two minutes to check the tooth (the doctors said I was as badass… couldn’t believe that I don’t do novocain) and left the dental assistant lady to fix it. And ok, I know that people have to practice their craft to learn, but I am pretty sure that I was one of the first solo tooth fixings that this lady has ever done. And that’s cool, but I was hungry and just wanted to get the f out there.(did I mention that it was lunch time?) So taking her sweet time (at least she did a good job) she got it done. But then I had to wait some more, in the chair, for the doctor to come back and check. Holy hell I was there for way to long.

Then I got home and rushed out.. grabbing a carrot on the way. But I was still hungry.. And that just sent me to a dark place for the rest of the day.

So when I finally got home, I immediately went to the fridge to get dinner started. While aggressively riffling through bags of veggies and greens, I stubbled upon a big bag of mustard greens that I got last week at the farm….SCORE.., this made me happy.

Sure, I could have just eaten them right there, fresh and all spicy like, but I if I waited this long to eat, I could wait a little longer and I figured I would share.. and mabye do a little some thing fancy, like toss them with some cooked up onions and sweet potato and that left over quiona that was also in the fridge. 

And thats what I did. And it was good. And the day didn’t seem so bad. (food always makes me better)

The stuff. Mustad greens oh lala. A small sweet potato and an onion (I used half of that big one). Cooked quinoa, garlic, salt and pepper, and a little olive oil. 

Dice up the sweet potato into little chunks and toss into a big skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Place skillet on medium heat and cook potato for a few minutes just to give it a little head start before adding the onions. When the potato starts to show a little browning, add in the onions and a splash or two of water. Stir around, stick a lid over it, and continue to cook until the onions are soft and the sweet potato is fork tender. 

When the stuff is cooked, mince up the garlic and stir that in and cook for a little longer.

And now toss on the mustard greens. (Don’t worry if they are overflowing from the skillet, they will cook down really fast). Add another splash of water and place the lid back on. Cook for a couple minutes and mix everything together.

Place cooked quinoa (hot or cold) into a bowl.

And dump the stuff right on top. If your into it, drizzle with a bit of balsamic vinegar. (I highly recommend)

And eat to be happy.

Hears to a better day then yesterday!

-C

• roughly 1/2 lb. of fresh mustard greens
• 1 small sweet onion or half a big onion
• 1 small sweet potato
• 3/4- 1 cup cooked quinoa*
• few cloves of garlic
• 1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar(optional)
• salt and pepper
• olive oil

Note- To cook quinoa, use1 part quinoa- 2 parts water. Place quinoa in pot with water, bring to boil, place on a lid, then turn to simmer for 15 minutes. After 15, turn heat off and let sit of a few more minutes then fluff with fork. Also, i f you don’t have quinoa, just use rice or faro or nothing, the greens are good their own.

Dice up sweet potato into small picese and stick in a large, lightly oiled skillet on medium heat. Toss on some salt and pepper and cook potato for a few minutes until they start to slightly brown. Slice up onion and toss that into the skillet with the sweet potato. Add in a splash of water and place a lid on the skillet, giving it a stir ever now and then. (Watch the stuff carefully, it cooked pretty fast.) Cook until both the sweet potatoes and onion are browned and soft. Now mince garlic and mix that it and let cook for a few minutes..

Now everything is cooked,  toss in the mustard greens. (It may seem like a lot, but its not) Hit with a splash of water, place a lid (it doesn’t have to be a snug fit) on top and cook for a few mites until greens are wilted.  Toss everything around to mix together. Take your quinoa and place in a bowl. Top with cooked stuff and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Eat right away and maybe save a little for later cause it very much good cold too!

I was informed yesterday that if I was going to make tortilla chips, that I better make some sweet ass dips to go with them.  I kind of agree… tortilla chips need dip… or better yet, two dips. Queso and guacamole. It’s what needed to be done, and so I did it.

Guacamole is amazing… anything avocado is amazing…this guacamole is amazing. White bean guacamole is amazing. And not that we really care, but this guac is half the fat then straight up guacamole.  Plus it’s packed full of protein making it a kind of super duper, must eat all of it, kind of dip.  And sweet potato anything will make me happy.  Making queso dip with sweet potato and cauliflower is probably one of my best food combos so far. (after eating a butt load, I felt like I was a genius and made an amazing discovery) Again, not that we need it to be, but this is also a fat-free, vegan, gluten-free, super healthy, packed full of B12,  fiber and nutrients, dip for all kind of dip.…. just another reason why you cannot feel bad when you finish off half a batch before you get a chance to stick it in a serving bowl. (I might have done that)

 Here is what you need for a good time:

−These tortilla chips ….Check.

−Some  Chopped Veggies (I want the veggies)…..Check

−Cauliflower Sweet Potato Queso.…Check.

−White Bean Guacamole…Check. 

You are now ready for it. It being this party, that party, the Super Bowl, or a Wednesday afternoon.  

To the left we have the makings for the cauliflower sweet potato queso.. Steamed cauliflower, a baked sweet potato, nutritional yeast, garlic, and chopped up red onion, red bell pepper and jalapeño. To make all you need to do it take the chopped peppers, onion, and garlic and sauté for a few minutes just to slightly soften and bring out flavors. While that’s going on, take the steamed cauliflower and sweet potato(skin off..but eat it, or save it for soup or feed it to the dog) and puree together with a blender or food processor. Add in nutritional yeast, about a tablespoon or two of hot water and, salt and pepper to taste. Blend for about 5 minutes until super creamy smooth. Add in sautéed stuff and pulse just enough to incorporated the veggies but not complete blend in.  Stick in a bowl.

To the right we have white bean guacamole stuff.  Two cups (or one can) rinsed white beans, one ripe avocado, a lime, a few cloves of garlic,(I also added a bit of garlic powered…I like my garlic) and some chopped up red onion and tomato.  Place beans, garlic, avocado and lime juice in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add salt to taste and toss in the chopped tomato and onion. Blend for sec to mix that in…Stick in a bowl 

Perfect…

To think that both of these dips took about 10 minutes total to make. (I had pre baked the cauliflower and sweet potato)  And for real, I would spend much more time if I had too because both of these dips are so freaking good, I definitely will be making these on the regular.

So there , dips for those sweet ass chips or whatever you want to dip or them spread them on. 

And he guys…It’s FRIDAY! Have a fantastic day!

-C

White Bean Guacamole 

• 2 cups white beans (or 1 can) rinsed and drained
• 1 ripe avocado
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 lime
• 1/4  small red onion
• 1 small tomato
• 1-2 teaspoons salt

Finley chop onion and tomato. Set aside. Place the beans, avocado, garlic, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt and the juice from one lime into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add a splash of water if needed to help keep things moving. Taste and add more salt if needed. When smooth, add  the onion and tomato and pulse a few times to mix in. Scoop into a serving dish and finish with a squeeze of lime and a bit of chopped onion and tomato. 

Cauliflower Sweet Potato Queso

• 1 1/2 cups pre cooked steamed or roasted cauliflower
• 1 medium pre baked sweet potato
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1-2 tablespoons hot water
• 1/2 a small red pepper
• 1/4 small red onion
• 1 jalapeño
• 3 cloves garlic
• salt and pepper

Finely dice the red pepper, jalapeño, onion and garlic and sauté in a skillet for a few minutes until slightly soften and fragrant. Take the pre-cooked cauliflower, sweet potato (skin removed), and nutritional yeast and place in a blender or food processor. Blend for about 5 minutes until creamy and smooth. Add in a tablespoon  of water  to keep things moving. When completely smooth, add in sautéed veggies and pulse a few times to combine. Scoop into a serving dish. If your feeling it,  top with scallions and cracked pepper.

Serve dips with chips, veggies or anything you want. Also make great spreads for sandwiches and crackers too!