Category Archives: Vegetarian

Lentil and Tuscan kale soup

This week I was in search of a recipe for collard greens, but it turns out what I really needed was a recipe for Tuscan kale. Whoops. I wish I had taken a photo of them to share with you all to see if you’d be able to tell the difference. I was in the middle of sauteeing the “collard greens”, and I thought they smelled like kale, and that’s when I had my epiphany.

I’m writing the recipe as I prepared it, but also added a link to the original. Maybe I’ll have to try it again next time I get collards.

Lentil and Tuscan kale soup
Source: allrecipes.com recipe for lentil and green collard soup)
Serves: 4

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium leek, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dry red lentils, rinsed and drained
4 cups water
1 bunch Tuscan kale, rinsed and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp ground cumin
Juice from 1 lemon

Directions
1. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Stir in onion, leek, pepper, garlic, and salt; cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in lentils, and cook for 1 minute.
2. Pour in water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 15 minutes.
3. While lentils are cooking, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in large saute pan over medium heat. Add kale, and cook until wilted. When the lentils are tender, stir in the kale and cumin; simmer for 10 more minutes.
4. Stir in lemon juice just before serving and enjoy!

Gazpacho attempt #1

When I first started this blog, I had a request for a gazpacho recipe. I decided to wait until the summer when I could use fresh-from-the-farm ingredients. The first thing I learned when looking for a recipe is that there are SO many recipes and variations out there. The other thing I learned is that making gazpacho is a messy process…be prepared to get your hands and kitchen dirty!

Mise en place

I decided to go with a recipe from epicurious because it seemed fairly straightforward and I had many of the ingredients on hand, as long as I ignored the colors of the vegetables in the original recipe…I used a yellow bell pepper instead of a red bell pepper and a white onion instead of a red onion. I also used a combination of red, orange, and yellow tomatoes, which made the soup come out an orange-y color.

Resting (step 2)

The original recipe had an extra straining step after it was pureed, but I skipped that part.

Fresh tomato gazpacho
Source: Bon Appetit, August 2001 via epicurious
Serves: 6

Ingredients
2 pounds large tomatoes, halved (on the equator)
1/2 pound country-style bread, crust removed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 cup chopped English hothouse cucumber
1 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup Sherry wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1 cup water

Directions
1. Working over bowl, gently squeeze tomato halves to release seeds and juices. Strain juices, pressing on solids to extract as much juice as possible (about 1/2 cup). Discard seeds. Chop tomatoes.
2. Transfer chopped tomatoes and tomato juices to large glass bowl. Add all remaining ingredients except the water. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
3. Working in batches, puree gazpacho with 1 cup water in blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Chill at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Serve cold and enjoy!

Orange-y gazpacho

Chocolate zucchini muffins

Be careful what you wish for…since I haven’t been getting zucchini in my CSA, my friend donated a zucchini from her garden to my mission (to make these chocolate zucchini muffins). However comma, this was no ordinary zucchini…she super-sized it, and I still have half of it left!

Foot-long zucchini

I’ve had this recipe for a few years, and it has become my secret weapon against zucchini. I’m a big fan of the spiciness from the nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom. I have made a few changes: decreased the sugar, substituted applesauce for half of the oil, and added chocolate chips. I also usually do a mix of white and whole-wheat flour. I ran out of paper liners making this batch and the muffins that did not have liners burned a bit, unfortunately.

A six-pack of muffins for my coworkers

Chocolate zucchini muffins
Source: allrecipes.com
Makes: 24 muffins

Ingredients
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two 12 cup muffin tins with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl beat the eggs. Beat in the sugar, applesauce, and oil. Add the cocoa, vanilla, zucchini, and stir well.
3. Stir in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmet, cloves, and cardamom. Mix until just moist (yup I don’t even like typing that word), then fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Pour batter into prepared muffin tins filling 2/3 of the way full. Bake at 325 degrees F for 15-17 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack. Store loosely covered.
5. Enjoy!

Kale chips

I think I discovered kale chips last summer, and it quickly became one of my favorite ways to eat kale. The “recipe” is pretty easy, but I’m going to share a few words of wisdom that I’ve learned along the way.

  1. Dry the kale before adding the oil.
  2. Adjust the oil depending on the size of the bunch. For a large bunch, I use 1 Tbsp per 1/2 bunch.
  3. Add the salt and pepper before cooking, otherwise it doesn’t stick very well.
  4. Keep an eye on them because burnt kale is less than awesome.
  5. Be prepared to eat them right away as they don’t keep that well. 
Getting ready to go in the oven

Kale chips
Serves: 2-3

Ingredients
1/2-1 bunch kale leaves (separated from stems)
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Wash and chop (or rip) kale leaves into bite-size pieces, then dry the leaves.
3. Toss chopped kale with olive oil and spread on baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until crispy and edges just start to turn brown.
5. Enjoy!

Corn salad

I was very excited to get corn in my CSA. I confess that I have an SSB (secret single behavior) in which I like to eat corn on the cob for dinner, but I also love making this salad. It is another great recipe that lends itself to whatever you might have in your vegetable bin. When I made it today, I didn’t have any onion, but I did add some chopped cucumber and tomato which also adds more color and texture.

I think the fresh basil is a key ingredient to making this salad so delicious. If you are making the salad ahead of time and refrigerating it, the basil will turn black so I’d definitely add it just before serving.

Beautiful corn

Corn salad
Source: The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, 1999
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients
5 ears of corn, shucked
1/2 cup red onion, diced small (1 small onion)
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons good olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, julienned

Directions
1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the corn for 3 minutes until the starchiness is just gone. Drain and immerse it in ice water to stop the cooking and to set the color. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob.
2. Toss the kernels in a large bowl with the red onions, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Just before serving, toss in the fresh basil. Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature.

Voila!

Artichoke and pea gratin

My friend Eric was visiting Boston earlier in the month (from DC) and it was so great to see him, and it reminded me of this recipe that he shared with me.

Artichoke and pea gratin
Source: Eric Shipley
Serves: 4-6, I’m guessing

Ingredients
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1¼  cup low-fat milk
9 ounces frozen artichoke hearts (thawed)
1 cup peas (fresh or frozen [thawed])
½ tsp salt
½ tsp lemon zest
Parmesan or Gruyere cheese

Directions 
1. Whisk butter and flour in an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat…make roux.
2. Add your milk, whisk together till boiling.
3. Stir in your remaining ingredients…minus the cheese.
4. Top with grated parmesan or gruyere and broil till golden.

Pesto

My coworker makes the best pesto, and she used to keep me fully stocked…until I graduated and started making it myself. Of course I still use her recipe. I love to mix pesto with ricotta for pizza, with eggs, and when sauteeing vegetables.

Basil doesn’t do well in the fridge, so if I am not going to use it right away, I put the stems in a glass of water and leave it on the counter.

Love basil

Pesto
Source: Cynthia Brown

Ingredients
4 cups basil
4 cloves garlic
4 Tbsp pignoli (pine nuts)
1 cup olive oil
Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. She likes using a blender, but be forewarned that the next batch of fruity frozen drinks might have a slight hint of basil and garlic!
2. Freeze or add Parmesan cheese to taste and enjoy! If freezing, do not add the cheese until you are ready to use it.

Ready to blend!



Summer squash and white bean sauté

I have a confession to make…I don’t really like zucchini or summer squash. I would definitely not choose either of them to take with me to a desert island. But as part of a CSA, you don’t always get what you want, so over the years I have learned to tolerate them both. Usually I try to hide zucchini in bread or muffins, but today I tried to highlight them using this recipe. I also added about 1/2 of my kohlrabi (chopped) and some of the fresh dill I got last week. Plus I got to use my fabulous new pots (thanks to everyone who supported my Williams-Sonoma habit in the form of GCs).

Summer squash and white bean sauté
Source: Adapted from Key Ingredient
Serves: A lot

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
1-2 garlic scapes, chopped
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 medium yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 15-ounce can cannellini or great northern beans, rinsed
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 Tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1-2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill (optional)
1/3 cup finely shredded Romano cheese (or Parmesan)

Directions
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic scapes and cook, stirring, until they start to soften, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini, summer squash, oregano, and pepper and stir to combine.
2. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook, stirring once, until the vegetables are tender-crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Stir in beans, tomatoes and vinegar; increase heat to medium and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in dill and Romano cheese!
4. Enjoy!

Step 1…sauté
The finished product

Since I have a feeling this is only just the beginning of my zucchini management, I will definitely be on the lookout for more recipes if anyone has any they’d like to share. I will also definitely post my chocolate zucchini muffin recipe…so stay tuned!

Kohlrabi slaw

I needed to find something tasty to do with the purple kohlrabi I got in week 1 of my CSA share. If you don’t know what kohlrabi is, check it out on good ol’ wikipedia. They can be purple or green on the outside, but are white on the inside. I think they taste a bit like radish or cabbage, but with the texture of a turnip.

A few years ago a coworker gave me a recipe for coleslaw with poppy seed dressing, and I decided to adapt it for my kohlrabi. It’s really good with cabbage too!

Kohlrabi slaw
Source: Coworker
Serves: 2-3

Ingredients
1/2 Tablespoon canola oil
1 carrot, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 kohlrabi, peeled and shredded
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
1. Heat 1/2 Tablespoon of oil on medium high. Add carrot and onion and saute until starting to soften.
2. Add kohlrabi, cider vinegar, sugar, poppy seeds, and salt. Saute for another minute or so. Can be served warm or cold.
3. Enjoy!


Delish!



Kale salad

My CSA partner was kind enough to give me all of the kale this week so I decided to make this kale salad. I found this recipe in Runner’s World magazine circa 2009, courtesy of Chef Dan Barber. And yes, I’ve been to Dan Barber’s restaurant in NYC (Blue Hill), and yes, it is amazing.

The original recipe calls for raw Tuscan kale, but since I usually get “regular” kale, I use that instead and saute it a bit. It also calls for dried currants, but I usually substitute dried cranberries (this week I used dried blueberries). I also often use pecans instead of pine nuts.

I discovered kale chips last year, so that has probably become my favorite thing to do with kale. That makes this recipe my second favorite kale recipe…so I hope you enjoy it!

Kale salad
Source: adapted from Runner’s World, December 2009
Serves: 2-4

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons dried cranberries (or currants)
6 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar, divided
1/2 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 Tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bunch kale, center ribs and stems removed, leaves chopped
2 Tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted (or other nut)
Parmesan cheese shavings

Directions
1. Place the cranberries (or currants) in a small bowl; add five Tablespoons of the balsamic vinegar. Let them soak for at least one hour or up to overnight. Drain the cranberries (or currants). (I don’t usually do this if I’m using cranberries).
2. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in pan and lightly saute kale until wilted. (This step not needed if using raw Tuscan kale).
3. Whisk the remaining 1 Tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and 1 teaspoon of olive oil, and rice vinegar, honey, and salt in a large bowl.
4. Add the kale, cranberries, and pine nuts; toss to coat. Let marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature, tossing occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese shavings over salad.
5. Enjoy!

Sauteed kale

The finished salad