Local Girl Makes Food

Join me for a cooking class on January 22nd

2012-01-05T16:57:00.001-08:00

Please join me for my next vegan cooking class at Aquarian Yoga Center in Montclair! Turning Inward: Nourishing Soups and Salads for Winter will teach you to nourish your body and spirit with delicious whole foods: warming soups, nutritious salads and homemade sprouts. I hope to see you there!

Sunday, January 22nd at 4pm. COST: $35. Please join us for a vegan cooking class, "Turning Inward," with Trish Sebben-Krupka. Registration is required! The class will feature: Making Your Own Sprouts, Sprouted Lentil and Winter Vegetable Soup, Sprouted Guacamole, Wild Mushroom and Root Vegetable Bisque, Warm Red Cabbage and Apple Salad, Roasted Fennel and Carrot Soup, and Beet Carpaccio. Registration fee includes class, recipes to take home, and dinner. Stay tuned for upcoming cooking workshops including: February 26th - "Vegan Cooking for Beauty and Vitality."

Vegan Cooking Class to Benefit Animal Rescue

2011-11-12T08:32:00.001-08:00

On Sunday, November 20th, we will offer our first vegan cooking class at Aquarian Yoga Center. Please join us at 2pm for a
KITCHARI WORKSHOP
Kitchari is a traditional Ayurvedic recipe used for cleansing and fasting. It is delicious, easy to digest and assimilate, and easy to make. Vegan chef Trish Sebben-Krupka will show you how easy it is to make kitchari, explain its health benefits, and teach you how to customize it for your health and body type. At the end of class, we’ll enjoy a delicious meal together. Kitchari is the perfect food to enjoy as your body transitions to winter, and a fantastic healing food for seasonal ailments.
This is a donation-based class.
All of Trish’s proceeds will be donated to St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Society. Please register in advance – email localgirmakesfood@gmail.com to reserve your space in this class.

Summer Squash

2011-07-15T08:55:00.001-07:00

We're entering Week Five of our CSA, and I have to admit that we're already experiencing a bit of summer squash fatigue. We've enjoyed romanesco zucchini, pattypan squash, traditional zucchini, yellow squash, cousa and yellow zucchini in a variety of ways: roasted, stuffed and sauteed, in lasagne, pasta sauces, casseroles, breakfast scrambles, and tacos. The freezer is filling up nicely, bringing me closer to my goal of enjoying several meals a week from the summer growing season throughout the winter.

During the early flush of zucchini love, I made zucchini tacos. Nothing could be simpler. For about four servings, I sauteed a large onion in some olive oil, then added six smallish zucchini, seeded and diced, along with salt, pepper, a little garlic and chile powder. I made a quick pico de gallo with the first tomatoes from the farm, and a jalapeno picked fresh from our front lawn, where jalapenos and cherry peppers grow among the wildflowers. I finished the dish with warm corn tortillas and some broccoli slaw, along with a squeeze of fresh lime and a few drops of hot sauce. Ten minutes of work, and lunch was complete.

I'll be on my way to the farm shortly, and I know more summer squash await. I reminded my husband last night that what seems tiresome to us right now will surely be appreciated on a cold December night, so this week I'll be freezing a casserole of onions, tomatoes, fresh herbs and summer squash topped with a light bechamel, and also plan to serve this simple salad of Lebanese zucchini (cousa) with hot peppers.

Roasted Cousa with Pepper Salad

Cousa is a Lebanese summer squash similar to zucchini. This fast and easy dish is a twist on a traditional Lebanese recipe, replacing fried squash with warm, roasted squash, topped with a zingy salad of peppers and scallions.

6 medium cousa, trimmed and sliced on the diagonal ½” thick
1 red bell pepper, seeded and julienne sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and julienne sliced
1 hot cherry pepper, seeded and julienne sliced OPTIONAL
½ bunch (about 4 oz.) fresh scallions, white and green parts, sliced on the diagonal
½ cup loosely packed, torn mint leaves
Juice of 1 lemon
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400°. Toss sliced cousa in a large bowl with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper. Place squash on rimmed baking sheets, and roast for 10-15 minutes, until squash is lightly colored but still firm. Arrange squash on a serving platter.

Meanwhile, toss peppers, scallions and mint with lemon juice and a tablespoon of olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top warm roasted cousa with pepper salad. Serve immediately.

Serves four to six

Spinach and Tomatoes - eat what's in season!

2011-07-12T10:43:00.000-07:00

Please check out my latest article for One Green Planet! Tomatoes and spinach are fresh and plentiful at your local market now...I hope you enjoy these delicious and easy to prepare recipes.

Read Lee Hall's interview with me in the Summer issue of ActionLine!

2011-06-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

I recently sat down for a chat with one of the people who inspires me most, Lee Hall of Friends of Animals. Click the link to read the interview.
http://www.friendsofanimals.org/actionline/summer-2011/Locavorism.php

New article available at One Green Planet!

2011-05-06T09:38:00.001-07:00

Stop by One Green Planet today to read and share my article...Artichoke Paella. This is the first of a monthly series that I will be writing. Thanks for checking it out!

Romesco Sauce

2011-04-20T15:15:00.000-07:00

It's official. I am obsessed with Romesco sauce. It's just so delicious - a toasty blend of almonds and savory ingredients - perfect as a dip for crudite, a sauce for roasted veggies, or a topping for a veggie burger. Make some and enjoy!

1 slice crusty country bread (such as panella)

olive oil for frying

1/2 cup blanched almonds, toasted

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

4 ripe plum tomatoes

1 tablespoon parlsey

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 red bell pepper, roasted and peeled

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Toast almonds in a hot oven, and set aside. Fry bread in a little olive oil, and set aside to cool. When almonds and bread have cooled, place them in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Pulse 5 or six times to combine. Add tomatoes, parsley, paprika, roasted bell pepper and apple cider vinegar. Turn the machine on and process to combine well. With the machine running, add olive oil. Taste and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Sauce can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 48 hours.

Vegetable Stock

2011-04-20T14:52:00.000-07:00

Did you know that those little boxes of vegetable stock at the supermarket are, like, $3 each? Or more? So that every time you want to make a pot of soup, someone is getting $6 of your hard-earned cash! And those stocks in a box or can DON'T EVEN TASTE GOOD! I suggest that you declare your freedom from nasty stock in a box. All you need is a freezer, a plastic bag or large container, a pot, water, and some herbs that you probably already have lying around anyway.

Here's what you need to do: Whenever you are chopping vegetables, save the scraps. I particularly try to save the scraps from onions, carrots and celery, as that will form the base of your stock. Save the skins from the onions, too, as they lend a nice golden color, like Grandma's chicken soup. You also want to save your parsley stems, as well as the scraps from any of the following "stock-friendly" veggies: tomatoes, mushroom stems, zucchini, red or yellow bell peppers (no green! yuck!), leeks, potato peels. Avoid the cruciferous vegetables - cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and the like - as well as asparagus, as they will lend a dominant and somewhat unpleasant flavor.

When your scrap bag is full, and you are doing other stuff around the house for a few hours, it's time to make stock. Aim for a ratio of one part onions, one part carrots and celery, and one part "other stuff". I usually throw in a fresh onion, as well as some fresh carrot and celery. I also like to add a splash of tamari, a bay leaf, a few branches of thyme, and a few peppercorns. If I have dried mushrooms in the house, either porcini or shiitake, I will include a small handful of those as well.

Now add your veggies to your biggest soup pot, fill it with water, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. At this point you can go do other stuff. Unlike animal-based stocks, you don't need to worry about standing around skimming it all day, as there won't be any impurities to remove. Your stock is done when you say it's done, usually after about three or four hours of simmering at a very low flame.

I like to cool the entire pot in a sink full of ice water, and then let the whole thing sit in the fridge overnight before straining. This is partly because I am lazy, and partly because I think it develops nice flavor that way. Once you've strained your cooled stock, pack it into freezer-safe quart-sized containers (such as glass jars -don't forget to leave an inch of head space at the top of the jar to prevent cracked glass and ruined stock!), and freeze what you won't be using within the next four days.

Voila - instant stock, nearly free, and you get to stick it to The Man when you stop buying all those $3 boxes of the nasty stuff.

Red Lentil Soup

2011-04-20T14:34:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, my friend Janet took me on a tour of the Middle Eastern markets of Paterson, NJ. After wandering around grocery stores, spice markets, bakeries that are also jewelry stores (!), and shops with gorgeous samovars, textiles and aisle after aisle of extremely impressive hookas, we stopped for lunch at a lovely Turkish restaurant. The waiter found my questions regarding ingredients somewhat amusing, and served me a big, beatiful salad and a bowl of utterly delicious lentil soup. The soup service was absolutely charming, with lemon slices, tiny bowls of crunchy croutons, dried crushed mint, and crushed red pepper, all ready for me to garnish it as I liked. Here is my version of the soup, spiced my way and open to your own interpretation.

To serve 6-8:

1/4 cup olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, finely diced
2 teaspoons coriander, toasted and ground
1 teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ras el hanout
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
8 cups light vegetable stock
2 cups red lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 cup short-grain rice (such as Arborio)
1/2 cup crushed, peeled tomatoes
juice of 1/2 lemon
white wine, to taste
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
water, as needed

Heat oil in a your favorite soup pot. Add onions, coriander, cumin, turmeric, ras el hanout, and crushed red pepper. Saute, stirring often, until onions are very soft. Add vegetable stock, lentils, rice and tomatoes. Cook over medium-low heat for about 25 minutes, or until rice and lentils are very soft. Add lemon juice and a splash of white wine. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. If the soup is too thick for your liking, thin it with a bit of water. If you want to be fancy, you can puree the soup in the blender or with an immersion blender, or you can just serve it the way it is.

Serve hot with little bowls of lemon slices, crushed dried mint, crushed red pepper, and toasted croutons or fried pita.

Falafel Burgers

2011-04-20T14:25:00.001-07:00

Yum - try this easy falafel burger for a quick weeknight dinner. Serve it on a whole wheat bun with lettuce, tomato and tahini, or on a warm pita with a salad of cucumbers, tomatoes and red onion sprinkled with lemon juice and ground sumac. And, yes, you do need all that olive oil. Trust me.

The following recipe will make 4-6 burgers.

1/4 cup olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 14.5 oz cans chick peas, drained and rinsed
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 cup fine dry bread crumbs
safflower or canola oil for frying

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a medium saute pan. Add onion and cumin. Saute, stirring often, until softened and golden. Add cinnamon, and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

In a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, puree chick peas with onion mixture and lemon juice. Stir bread crumbs in by hand. Taste and adjust seasonings. You might want a little more cinnamon.

Use an ice-cream scoop or your hands to form 4-6 equal patties, flattening with your hand to about 4 inches.

Heat 2-3 tablespoons canola or safflower oil in a non-stick skillet. Saute burgers in hot oil, turning once, about three minutes per side. Place in oven for 5-10 minutes, or until very hot.

Southwestern Veggie Skillet

2011-03-20T13:24:00.000-07:00

I love eating a huge breakfast from a cast-iron skillet. It reminds me of the Short Stop, a funky little train-car diner where we used to get all kinds of fattening, greasy and terrible-for-you foods when we were kids. Many of these foods were served directly in their own iron skillet, so you didn't miss out on a bit of that saturated fat. My version is actually quite good for you (although it's a little higher in fat than something I would eat on a daily basis, it's the good fat, so I suggest you loosen up, particularly if it's Sunday morning), especially when served with a side of Irish steel cut oats cooked with maple syrup, blueberries and strawberries. If I had a cute little diner of my own, I would cook this delicious skillet of breakfasty, potato-ey goodness while back-talking sassily to my customers, chewing gum and wearing a fabulous beehive hairdo with a pencil stuck in it and a paper hat, like Chrissie Hynde in the Brass in Pocket video. But you can feel free to just wear your pajamas.

3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

10 oz. fingerling potatoes, sliced into rounds

1 large onion, halved and sliced

6 oz. button mushrooms, thickly sliced

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 medium zucchini, seeded and diced

2 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts divided

1 cup diced tomato

1 avocado, diced

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
hot sauce

Heat your cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, and add potatoes. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add onions, mushrooms and smoked paprika, season with salt and freshly ground pepper, and cook 5 minutes more. Stir frequently, but not too frequently. You want everything to brown.

When it's all getting nice and brown and delicious-smelling, toss in your zucchini, the white parts of the scallions, and the tomatoes. Cook until the zucchini begins to turn golden brown, about 4 more minutes.

Remove from heat, and top with sliced avocado, green parts of the scallions and cilantro. Serve with lots of hot sauce.

Note: You can certainly fancy this simple recipe up in many ways. If you have a nice chile lying around, say a poblano or a jalapeno or whatever, chop that up and add it with the mushrooms and onion. If you wanted to throw some of that nice, melty tapioca cheese on top and run it under the broiler for a minute before adding the avocado, green onions and cilantro, I won't argue with you. Tofu sour cream and/or whatever kind of salsa you have lying around, like maybe some black bean salsa, would be nice. But sometimes simplicity is the thing, and you really don't need any of this stuff. And finally, if you are like my friend Danya, and you eat like a bad-ass paleo cave woman, then you can replace the fingerlings with some diced, blanched sweetpotato.

Irish Tea Biscuits

2011-03-16T18:47:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day is here, and that means soda bread of all kinds. These tea biscuits are quick and easy to make. This is definitely not a real Irish soda bread, which is traditionally made with flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk, and never fancied up with currants, caraway or buttery goodness of any kind. My Nana made a very traditional soda bread when we were kids, and although I still use her recipe at times, I've come to really like this moister, lighter version quite a bit, too.

Don't try to substitute for the soy milk - I made a batch with rice milk, which I prefer for non-cooked uses, such as cereal and tea, and it just doesn't sour the same way. You will also need to consider your flour - a high-protein flour will make a tough biscuit. Although I prefer King Arthur all-purpose flour for many recipes, I do keep Gold Medal unbleached all-purpose flour on hand for dumplings and the like, and it works very well here, too. If you wanted a whole wheat version, whole wheat pastry flour is a good substitute. Do not substitute regular whole wheat flour, unless you're planning a hockey game and need a puck.

Some people say that they hate caraway seeds, but those people are freaks. It's my opinion that people who don't like caraway seeds are using too many. A heaping teaspoon will perfume your biscuits with light caraway flavor, without punching you in the face while screaming CARAWAY! If you really and truly cannot stomach caraway seeds, then fine, I still disagree with you, but leave them out. And if you don't have any currants, I don't mind if you want to use raisins. I also don't mind if you want to soak those currants or raisins for an hour in a big splash of Irish whiskey and a little boiling water to get them nice and plump and boozy. Just drain them well before you mix them in.

Start souring the soy milk before you do anything else, to give it time to get nice and thick. Serve these biscuits to your old lady friends (and all of your other friends) with a nice, hot cup of tea, and they'll thank you, dearie.

Irish Tea Biscuits

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons soy milk (combined soy milk and vinegar will equal 1 1/4 cups)
3 cups low-protein all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick butter substitute (1/2 cup), well-chilled
1 heaping teaspoon caraway seeds
3/4 cup Zante currants

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix vinegar or lemon juice with soy milk. Allow to stand while you prepare remaining ingredients.

Grease a sheet pan or standard muffin tin.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Toss with a fork. Cut butter substitute into small pieces, and rub into the flour mixture using your hands, until it resembles coarse crumbs. (If you want to do this step in the food processor, partially freeze your butter substitute, and pulse into the flour mixture five or six times. Remove to a medium bowl to finish the recipe.)

Mix in the currants and caraway seeds. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and add the soured soy milk all at once. Using a rubber spatula, mix, turning the batter until the flour is just incorporated. Do not overmix!

Divide the dough into 12 even pieces. Work quickly, as you need to get these into the oven while the baking soda and soy buttermilk are reacting with one another. If using a sheet pan, lightly pat each piece into a circle. If using muffin tin, simply place dough in the wells of the muffin tin.

Bake for 14-15 minutes, until the biscuits are lightly golden brown.

Serve warm. With more buttery spread and maybe some homemade jam if you want to get really crazy.

Makes 12.

Stuffed Pattypan Squash

2010-10-15T09:12:00.000-07:00

I visited Farms View the other day after a brief hiatius from cooking (or eating) anything at all to find an amazing array of locally grown produce. My short break from the usual routine was unwelcome at first, but slowing down during this change of season has given me some time to think about what I'm cooking, why I'm cooking it, who I am cooking for, and what that says about me. More on that later.

Now is the season to visit your local farm. With only two more weeks left for my CSA share, I'm already becoming nostalgic for produce I won't see again until next season. I was happy to see that they are still picking Pattypan squash, a cute and stuffable summer squash that transitions nicely to the autumn table. Get them while you can. This recipe will freeze well, and is especially good when served with a sauce of mushrooms and white wine.

Eat the foods that make you healthy and happy. Enjoy the bounty of late summer and early fall vegetables. Can and freeze. Cook. Share. Consider your food choices, for they determine our future, and eat what you have created with joy and gratitude.

Stuffed Pattypan Squash

Little pattypan squash are stuffed with an herb-kissed savory bread crumb and vegetable mixture and baked in the oven for a gorgeous vegetarian entrée. Serve with a big, fresh salad, good bread, and something fruity for dessert.

8 small pattypan squash
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups day-old wheat bread, chopped into rough crumbs
12 pitted kalamata olives, finely chopped
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
Extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup loosely packed Italian parsley leaves
6 fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon each fresh marjoram and thyme
½ teaspoon fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
½ cup dry white wine

Preheat oven to 400°. Cut tops off of squash, then use a melon-baller or metal spoon to scoop out the insides, leaving a ¼” shell. Place shells in a baking pan that will accommodate them snugly, and season with salt, pepper and about a teaspoon of olive oil. Finely chop the flesh that you have removed from the inside of the squash, and set aside.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add about two tablespoons of olive oil, and then the chopped onion. Season with a pinch of kosher salt, and sauté, stirring frequently, until onion is a light golden color. Add garlic and reserved, chopped squash, and continue to stir frequently until all are soft and fragrant, about three more minutes. Add bread crumbs, pine nuts and fresh herbs, and stir to combine, tossing over the heat for another minute. Remove from heat and add a little more olive oil to moisten if necessary (or vegetable stock, if you’re watching your fat intake).

Lightly spoon filling into squash shells, making sure not to pack it too tightly. Pour wine into bottom of baking dish, then cover tightly with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and turn the oven to broil to brown the top of the filling (about 2 minutes under the broiler).

This dish can be served hot, warm or at room temperature.

Serves four as an entrée, or eight as an appetizer.

Peaches at The Edible Garden

2010-08-13T18:22:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, August 14th, I will help the New York Botanical Garden celebrate the peach harvest with cooking demonstrations at 1:00 and 3:00pm. This summer and fall, The Edible Garden brings you locally grown, seasonal food with cooking demonstrations every day. Featuring four spectacular kitchen gardens, The Edible Garden will teach you how to grow the best food at home. All proceeds of The Edible Garden benefit the Children’s Gardening program.

It's going to be a beautiful day, so join me in the Conservatory Kitchen and see what's cooking!

For more information and tickets please visit http://www.nybg.org/eg.

Inspiration on a budget at the Edible Garden

2010-07-12T19:59:00.000-07:00

This past Wednesday, I had the pleasure of visiting the New York Botanical Garden to shop the Greenmarket, give an educational cooking demonstration, and write a blog post about the experience for Plant Talk (check Plant Talk this Thursday to read more about my visit and find a recipe for Roasted Gold Ball Squash with Panzanella). Greenmarket, the popular
farmers’ market program of GrowNYC, provides affordable, locally grown produce and fresh, nutritious baked goods from New York’s Hudson Valley region and beyond. Greenmarket
is a highlight of The Edible Garden, The New York Botanical Garden’s celebration of growing and preparing good food, which runs from June 19 through October 17.

I took with me a pantry of items that would be easily found in a home kitchen – salt and pepper, olive oil, hot sauce, and vinegar. Armed with a budget of $25, my friend and co-worker Adriana Pecunia and I wandered through the market, discussing options, smelling and tasting, and generally wanting to buy everything in sight. My $25 was quickly converted into a big bag of produce, and we headed over to the Conservatory Kitchen, where I showed an afternoon crowd of Garden visitors how to prepare quick, easy, healthy meals on a budget.

This light and healthy soup features the best of summer’s vegetables, is quick and simple to make, and yields a nice, big, budget-friendly batch.

I’ll be back at The Edible Garden this Saturday, July 17th, for demonstrations and tastings in the Conservatory Kitchen at 1 and 3pm, as I help the Garden celebrate locally grown, seasonal food with a focus on summer squash. All proceeds from the Edible Garden benefit the Children’s Gardening programs.

Summer Vegetable Soup

2 medium red onions, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
3 ribs celery, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, stemmed and chopped
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 pound small white potatoes, well-scrubbed, ¼” dice
8 cups water or vegetable stock
½ pound flat romano green beans, sliced
2 medium zucchini, seeded, ¼” dice
6 ears corn, shucked
1 cup purslane leaves
¼ cup each loosely packed parsley and cilantro, chopped
Vinegar or lemon juice

Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and a pinch of salt, and sauté for about five minutes, until the onions are softened (do not brown). Add carrots and celery, and sauté for another minute or two. Add potatoes and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 10-15minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

Add green beans and zucchini, and cook for another five minutes. Meanwhile, hold each ear of corn over a large board or a shallow bowl. Use a sharp knife to remove the corn kernels, then run the flat side of the knife down each cob to remove the creamy part of the kernel that’s left behind. (If you have plenty of time, do this in advance, and then simmer the corn cobs in your vegetable stock for maximum fresh corn flavor.)

Add the corn and purslane to the soup, and simmer for two or three more minutes. Remove from the heat, add parsley and cilantro, and season to taste with salt, freshly ground pepper, a dash of vinegar or lemon juice, and a dash of hot sauce.

Allow the soup to rest for 10 minutes. While it’s resting, make some croutons: cube half of a small baguette, and toss with a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Spread on a baking sheet and cook in a 400° oven until browned and toasty. Toss with finely chopped fresh herbs – thyme, parsley, cilantro and dill are all good choices.

Serve hot, garnished with warm croutons.

Serves four, with leftovers for lunch.

Pictured: Shopping the stalls during last year's Greenmarket trip. Photo by Michelle Longo.

The Edible Garden

2010-06-17T11:10:00.000-07:00

Join me this summer center stage at the Conservatory Kitchen for The Edible Garden on July 17th and August 14th at The New York Botanical Garden. I will be helping the Garden celebrate locally grown, seasonal food in a delightful cooking demonstration. On July 17th, I'll be presenting recipes featuring summer squash, and on August 14th, we'll explore different ways to use peaches.

Set against the backdrop of the landmark Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, the Conservatory Kitchen features celebrity chefs sharing their expertise and inspiring visitors to get cooking! While at the Garden, visitors can enjoy plenty of samples at the Tasting Terrace, booksignings, home gardening demonstrations, guided tours, family activities in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden and the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, and Café Scientifique, featuring talks with some of the Garden’s scientists.

Demonstrations are free with your admission to the Garden. Last year, we made a day of it, taking an amazing tram tour around the Garden (our driver made it informative and fun, and the breeze made it divine after a day at the stove), and stopping at the Family Garden so that the Muffin could run around and have a bit of fun. We capped the day with a trip to Arthur Avenue, the Bronx's "Little Italy", for shopping in the Italian markets, followed by a huge and delicious dinner. I can't wait to return this summer!

The Shirley Temple Black

2010-06-01T11:42:00.001-07:00

Faced with a glut of strawberries from a local farm last weekend (I lost control of my senses and purchased four quarts for the two of us), and in dire need of a cocktail, I popped out into the garden for some mint and came up with this delicious drink. My husband commented that it tasted like an adult version of a mutual childhood favorite, the Shirley Temple.

I searched for a recipe for the "Shirley Temple Black", and discovered two recipes, neither of them very natural or yummy sounding, so I'm co-opting the name. Here's the drink. It's pink and bubbly, without being too sugary-sweet. I think Shirley the grown-up would approve.

Makes one cocktail:

1 oz. gin
2 teaspoons simple syrup
4 ripe, delicious strawberries
3 or 4 mint leaves
club soda and ice

Muddle gin, strawberries, mint and simple syrup in a highball glass. Fill glass with ice, top with club soda, and stir. Sit in the garden and enjoy!

It's finally spring!

2010-05-28T10:13:00.000-07:00

I could not have been more excited to walk into Farms View last week, ready to buy the very first produce of the season - strawberries, arugula and scallions. With produce that's truly fresh from the field, you really don't need to do much to it, so I made this simple risotto that uses farro, an ancient European grain, instead of rice. Farro is rich in fiber, vitamin B and protein, and is a perfect addition to any diet. Combined with legumes, it provides complete protein for the vegetarian diet, so consider serving a lentil salad along with this dish for perfect nutrition. It's also utterly delicious and much more forgiving than rice when making a risotto. Served with strawberries sprinkled with a little sugar for dessert, it was a plate of spring, and just what was needed!

1 cup farro, well rinsed
water to generously cover
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large bunch scallions, sliced, white and light green parts separated from dark green parts
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups well-flavored vegetable stock, kept at a simmer
1 large bunch arugula, thinly sliced
Freshly ground pepper and more olive oil to garnish

Bring water, farro and 1 tsp. salt to a boil, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain well and set aside.

Heat a large sauce pan over medium-high heat, and add white and light green parts of scallions (reserve dark green slices for later!). Saute for 2 or 3 minutes with a pinch of salt, then add farro and white wine. Cook, stirring constantly, until wine has evaporated. Working 1/2 cup at a time, add the hot stock. stirring frequently. With the last 1/2 cup of stock, add the scallion greens and the sliced arugula. When most of the stock is absorbed, remove from heat, and season to taste with salt, freshly ground pepper and a little more good olive oil.

This dish is lovely as it is, and makes a perfect light lunch or first course. Those who eat dairy could, of course, stir in a little butter and grated parmigiano at the end, but this risotto is so light and fresh, you may find you don't need it.

Apple Crisp

2009-10-13T18:19:00.000-07:00

This is the final recipe from last week's Community Green dinner. Served with a scoop of vegan ice cream, it's heaven on a plate. Go out of your way to seek out fantastic apples for this recipe. New Jersey grows over 30 varieties, so you shouldn't have a problem doing so. My favorite variety, the Winesap, has been grown in New Jersey since the 1700s. When I have time to get out of the area and visit my favorite orchard in New Paltz, I make this with a combination of Ida Red and Northern Spy apples, and nothing tastes better. Experiment and find your own favorite - see my note below for suggested varieties.

Ingredients:
For apple filling:
3 lbs. mixed seasonal apples*, peeled, cored and sliced
Juice of ½ lemon
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour

For crisp topping:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 ¼ cups brown sugar
2 ¼ cup rolled oats
3 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
12 oz. Earth Balance butter substitute, well-chilled

Prepare apple filling: Toss peeled, cored and sliced apples with lemon juice, brown sugar and flour. Set aside.

Prepare crisp topping:
Combine flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon and sea salt in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Add the Earth Balance all at once in small pieces. Rub mixture together with your hands until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Place apple filling in a well-greased 9x11” baking dish. Top with crisp topping. Bake at 325 degrees for about 35-40 minutes, until filling is bubbly and crisp topping is golden.

Serve warm with ice cream.

*Suggested apple varieties: A mixture of any of the following: Winesap, Stayman, Ida Red, Northern Spy, Empire, Jonagold, Jonathan.

Roasted Beet Carpaccio with Toasted Walnuts, Microgreens and Lemon Vinaigrette

2009-10-12T17:30:00.001-07:00

Here is another fancy little number from our Community Green dinner. This one looks simply ravishing on the plate, and, in my humble little opinion, blows the raw beef version right out of the water. If you want to go nuts with it, a little shaved fennel would not be amiss here in place of or in addition to the microgreens. Most of your time will be spent slicing the beets, so if you're making this for a crowd, set aside a little extra time. For a family supper, you can skip this step and just use your knife, but I recommend trying it my way if you have the time. Sometimes beauty is worth the price.

Serves Eight.
Beet Carpaccio:
4 large beets
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup shelled walnuts
1 cup microgreens

Lemon Vinaigrette:
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 shallot, finely minced
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup finest-quality extra virgin olive oil

Scrub beets but do not peel. Remove the very top and bottom of each beet. Place in a double thickness of aluminum foil, top with olive oil, and wrap tightly. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, until tender when pricked with a fork but not soft. Set aside to cool.

While beets are roasting, chop walnuts and roast for 10 minutes in the oven with the beets. Set aside to cool.

Prepare lemon vinaigrette: Combine lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, shallot, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Whisk in olive oil, drop by drop, using all. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary. You want a very bright, acidic flavor to counter the sweetness of the beets and the toasty flavor of the almonds. Set aside.

When beets are cool enough to handle, peel carefully, then slice very thinly using a mandoline slicer. Aim for slices thin enough to see through. Unless you want pink fingers for a few days, you may wish to wear gloves.

To plate: Toss microgreens with a teaspoon of dressing. Lay beets down center of plate, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with toasted walnuts. Top with microgreens, and drizzle each plate with a little dressing.

Celery Root and Potato Soup with Chestnut Foam and Parsley Croutons

2009-10-12T17:10:00.000-07:00

This recipe continues those served at last weekend's Community Green dinner. I meant to get them up sooner, but with Mom (and our beloved family dog Chloe) here recovering from surgery (just Mom, not our Dear Chloe), I haven't had a minute to breathe, let alone write! Now that she's doing great and I've packed her off to her own home, I can get back to business.

This is a grand special occasion soup, although none of the components take very long to prepare. You can make the stock and soup in advance, and prepare the chestnut foam up to the point where it comes out of the blender. Then just finish your foam, reheat the soup, and make the croutons. It would make a lovely first course for Thanksgiving, and is the perfect cool-weather weekend supper with some good bread, a salad, and a fresh fruit dessert.

You will need a whip with CO2 chargers to make the foam. If you don't have one, you can skip the foam and it will be simpler but still quite yummy, but if you are up to the investment, it's a great little product that will also make all kinds of cool dessert items.

Serves six to eight as a first course, or four heartier portions .
For Light Vegetable Stock:
8 cups water
3 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 ribs celery, sliced
3 shallots, halved, skin left on
Peels from 4 Yukon Gold potatoes
1 bouquet garni: 1 bay leaf, 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, 8 black peppercorns, 1 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley

For Soup:
¼ cup olive oil
2 cups sliced leeks, white and light green parts only
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 large celery root (celeriac), peeled and diced
4 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
8 cups light vegetable stock 1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
½ cup dry white wine
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh lemon juice, to taste
Cayenne pepper hot sauce, to taste

For Chestnut Foam:
1 cup peeled, roasted chestnuts
1 cup light vegetable stock
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
A pinch of cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon agar agar

For Parsley Croutons:
2 cups crusty French bread, cut into ½” cubes
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons Earth Balance spread, melted
½ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Prepare vegetable stock: Add all ingredients to a medium sauce pan. Simmer for about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare soup and foam ingredients and Parsley Croutons.

Prepare Chestnut Foam:
Roast, peel and chop chestnuts (make an “x” in the bottom of each chestnut with a sharp knife. Roast at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes, or until peels begin to come away. Bottled unsweetened chestnuts may be substituted if necessary.) Combine chestnuts and 1 cup vegetable stock. Simmer for 25 minutes. Puree mixture in a blender on high setting. Strain with a fine mesh strainer, and return to sauce pan. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Heat to a boil, add agar agar, and whisk to combine thoroughly. Chill mixture completely. Set aside in refrigerator. When ready to serve soup, add to a whip fitted with a CO2 charger to make foam.

Prepare soup:
Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat; add leeks and a pinch of sea salt. Cook leeks for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute more. Add celery root, potatoes, vegetable stock and remaining salt. Simmer for 25 minutes, or until ingredients are soft. Run soup through a food mill into a large bowl. Wipe sauce pan clean and return to the pot. Add almond milk, white wine and a liberal grinding of fresh pepper. Simmer for five minutes. Taste, and adjust acidity and flavor with fresh lemon juice and hot sauce. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Prepare Parsley Croutons:
Combine all ingredients. Spread on a heavy sheet pan and bake at 400 degrees, stirring frequently, until golden and crispy. Keep warm.

To serve soup:

Plate each individual portion. Top with chestnut foam and parsley croutons. Serve immediately.

Vanilla-Ginger Chip Ice Cream

2009-10-06T16:52:00.001-07:00

This ice cream, based on Priscilla Feral's Vanilla Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream from The Best of Vegan Cooking, is simply delicious. I made a few small changes to the recipe, but the technique remains the same - soy creamer is sweetened with agave nectar, flavored, thickened with cornstarch, and enriched with coconut milk. If you haven't tried vegan ice cream, or if you have only tasted the commercially prepared stuff, this luscious frozen treat will make a believer out of you.

I served this ice cream at this past Saturday's vegan dinner fundraiser for Community Green, with a warm apple crisp (recipe to follow). Although I love to introduce vegan and vegetarian cuisine to those who have never tried it before, cooking for a group of environmentalists, animal rights activists, and other like-minded people energizes and inspires me. Sometimes it's fun to skip the "why" of fabulous vegan cuisine, and and just teach delicious food and advanced techniques to people who don't need to be convinced. Thanks to all who came to eat and learn, and for those who didn't, try the recipes at home and join us next time!

You will need an ice cream maker. I used a Cuisinart, which does a fine job, but any kind will do - just make sure your mixture is well-chilled before you begin churning to ensure a smooth and creamy consistency.

Gather:
2 cups French Vanilla soy creamer
1 vanilla bean
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
1 cup light coconut milk
1/2 cup organic candied ginger bits

In a medium sauce pan, heat soy creamer and salt over medium-high heat. Cut vanilla bean in half and scrape the pulp into the pan as well. Reserve vanilla bean pod for another use. Whisk mixture frequently, and bring to a boil.

Mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water; whisk until smooth.

Add cornstarch mixture and agave nectar to sauce pan and reduce heat to medium. Whisk constantly until slightly thickened, about four minutes. Stir in coconut milk.

Make an ice bath: Fill a large bowl with ice and a little cold water. Transfer ice cream mixture to a slightly smaller bowl. Set bowl in the ice bath to cool the mixture rapidly, stirring frequently. When it has cooled, transfer ice cream bowl to refrigerator and chill until very cold, about another hour.

Process in an ice cream machine (mine took about 25 minutes), adding ginger chips during the last five minutes of churning. Transfer to a container and freeze.

Nummy Apple Oatmeal

2009-09-21T10:44:00.001-07:00

When The Muffin likes something, it is declared to be "nummy". If it's really good, it's "nummy nummy", but that is reserved for such delicacies as fries dipped in copious amounts of ketchup, or muffins (natch). During our morning visit today, I stirred up a big batch of apple and cinnamon oatmeal to celebrate the start of autumn. The apples came in our CSA share this week, and are a little bit tart and very delicious, a wonderful counterpoint to creamy oatmeal. Since The Muffin liked it, I hope you will, too.

I make a big batch of this oatmeal, and freeze it in little containers. Popped into a lunch bag and reheated in the microwave, it's a nutritious and fiber-rich breakfast. Cinnamon provides anti-inflammatory properties, and a touch of fortified organic soy or rice milk rounds it out with protein.

Heat four cups of water, and one cup of organic soy or rice milk. While you wait for it to come up to a simmer, peel and chop one or two apples. When the water/milk mixture is simmering, add one cup each of rolled oats and steel-cut Irish oats, the apple chunks, a teaspoon of cinnamon (more if you are as crazy for cinnamon as I am), and about 1/4 cup of organic sugar or agave nectar. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 20-30 minutes. Eat all you like, and freeze the rest (The Ball Mason Jar company makes a great freezer container that holds about a half cup and doesn't spill in your lunch bag - great for pesto, sauces and oatmeal!). If you like, you can pour over a little more milk, a drizzle of agave nectar or honey, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Trust me, you'll think it's nummy, too.

Spinach Soup

2009-08-05T10:23:00.000-07:00

We’re officially nine days away from our move, and I feel as though I am living in a forest of cardboard. I’m having trouble remembering what and when we’ve eaten, which is very unlike me. I observed to a friend the other day that our meals have begun to resemble those eaten in college days, with random soup from the freezer poured over rice, or a sad veggie burger heated up in the microwave.

Most of my cookware has been bubble-wrapped and packed, but I still have a soup pot at the ready, and I am determined that the next week will include good food that is good for us.

Craving antioxidants, clean flavors and some low-fat goodness, I pulled this recipe out of my archive this morning to make for tonight’s dinner. This spinach soup is velvety, nutritious, and lovely served hot or cold. Garnish it simply with minced chives, or make it special with a tiny dollop of tofu sour cream stirred together with finely minced parsley and tarragon and a drop of lemon juice. This makes a beautiful and simple passed hors d’oeuvre when served in a demitasse or sake cup, and is highly restorative when eaten by the large bowlful.

Spinach Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 yukon gold potato, peeled and finely chopped
4 cups light vegetable stock
½ cup Italian parsley, leaves only, packed
1 ½ lbs. fresh spinach, tough ribs removed
Lemon juice, hot sauce, salt and pepper

Wash parsley and spinach well in several changes of cold water. Drain, roughly chop spinach, and set both aside.

In a large sauce pan over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add the onion, garlic and carrot, and sauté until soft and translucent. Add vegetable stock and potato, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

Add spinach and parsley to pot, and return to a boil. Turn off heat, cover, and allow to stand for five minutes. Puree the soup, either using an immersion blender, or in batches in your blender (do be careful when using the blender – fill no more than halfway, remove the center piece of the lid, and top with a heavy towel. You don’t want a hot soup explosion!).

Taste soup, and adjust seasoning with a bit of lemon juice and hot sauce. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. If you are looking for perfect texture, you may wish to run the soup through a chinois or a fine mesh strainer at this point.

Serve immediately, or, to serve chilled, pour into a bowl set in an ice bath, stir until cool, and refrigerate until cold.

Serves 4-6.

French Green Beans at Richfield Farms

2009-07-28T09:23:00.000-07:00

I stopped into Richfield Farms this morning, not really needing anything, but with a feeling that something good was waiting for me. I was right! The French green beans (haricots verts if you’re feeling fancy) are in. They were the highlight of the local growing season for me last year, and I served them constantly during the few weeks that they were available.

These are not just any string bean. They are tender, flavorful and organically grown. I am heading into the kitchen right this very minute to pop them into the steam oven, and then toss them with sliced shallots, good olive oil, a little vinegar, and some sweet and delicious tomatoes, also grown at the farm.

Richfield Farms is truly my favorite farm, and one of the only things I am going to miss about living in our Clifton neighborhood. Luckily, it will still be an easy drive from our new house, so I’ll continue to visit frequently. They have everything you need for your garden, including organic supplies and advice, awesome locally grown produce, really nice people, and some of the friendliest dogs you will ever meet, including a tireless border collie who would really, really, really like you to throw a stick for him to fetch. I love this place. I hope you will, too.

Preserves from the Edible Garden

2009-07-27T11:11:00.001-07:00

This summer has been particularly enjoyable thanks to the opportunity to participate in The Edible Garden at the New York Botanical Garden. This Wednesday, July 29th, check out my blog post on Plant Talk, detailing my recent visit to the Garden’s Greenmarket, with a recipe for a deliciously different spiced tomato pickle.

I spent a gorgeous July morning at the Greenmarket, eating, talking to farmers, and visiting with some of the delightful people responsible for the Edible Garden exhibit. As I headed back from my trip, the river sparkled a beautiful blue-green, the usual New York City traffic was nowhere to be found, and I had some time to imagine the possibilities for the produce chilling in its refrigerated bag on the car seat beside me.

This preserve is one of those “one time only” products, born of late-night creativity and a little bit of the “why not?” sensibility that I feel is necessary for wonderful cooking. It features late-season blueberries, early-season Empire apples, and a memento of a happy family vacation from many years ago, an aged Barbardos rum with hints of vanilla, nutmeg, smoke and sunshine. I chose to add blackberries and a bit of organic applesauce because of their high pectin content – I wanted a good “jell”, but didn’t want to add powdered pectin to this beautiful, organic work of culinary art. Tasting as I went along, I decided that a little balsamic vinegar would not be amiss. I finished with a tiny grating of fresh nutmeg and just a pinch of cinnamon.

This recipe made three 12 oz. jars of finished preserves, plus a small bowlful that I put into the fridge so everyone could taste it. It’s amazing on toast, spread on pound cake, or perhaps just eaten from a spoon while standing in front of the refrigerator.

I’ll be back at the Edible Garden one more time this summer, on Saturday, August 8th. Our topic will be Home Canning, and I’ll be showing you how to preserve the bounty of your garden or local farmers’ market. I hope to see you there!

Blueberry and Empire Apple Preserves

2 pints blueberries, carefully washed and picked over
3 Empire apples, peeled and finely chopped
4 oz. blackberries
2 cups sugar
¼ cup aged Barbados rum
Juice of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
¾ cup prepared applesauce
A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
A pinch of cinnamon
Bottled lemon juice, about 1 tablespoon per jar

Place blueberries, apples, blackberries, sugar, rum, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and applesauce in a heavy, non-reactive pot. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for 35 minutes. Add cinnamon and nutmeg, and cook for about 10 minutes more. You will know it’s done because it will be thick and delicious, and it will look like preserves. This recipe is high in natural pectin thanks to the apples, applesauce and blackberries, so it will jell a bit more upon standing.

Ladle into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 “ headspace. Top each jar with enough bottled lemon juice to leave ¼” headspace, about 1 tablespoon. Place lids on jars, and screw bands to “fingertip tightness”. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

This preserve will keep in a cool, dark cupboard for up to a year. Any leftover jam that doesn’t make it into a jar will keep, well-covered, in your refrigerator for 2 weeks.

Survival Food

2009-07-23T10:01:00.000-07:00

My mother has but two rules for a quick "comfort food" supper. It must be hot, and it must be brown. To this, I add that it must be nutritious, and should include a vegetable of some sort.

My sister and I were discussing food yesterday morning, as usual, while The Muffin ran wild playing with my grandfather (nothing is cuter, but I digress) - specifically, what to do with all of the chard in her CSA share. As I am in the middle of packing my entire life to move to a new home and have zero motivation left by the time I realize that we're starving and must eat NOW, I suggested lentils and rice, which is the official fast food of my household.

Lentils and rice can be made in many ways, with as few or as many ingredients as you like. My husband will eat it every day. It takes less than 45 minutes to cook, and will taste good no matter what you do to it. It is beyond inexpensive, and packed with nutrients, fiber and all kinds of other good things (particularly rich in B vitamins and iron, so my fellow veggies need to eat this once a week). Feel free to add more or less olive oil, fancy it up with carrots and celery, throw in cumin or chile flakes or oregano or fresh parsley, chervil, tarragon - whatever, really, and it will be good. And hot. And brown. Sometimes, that's all you need.

Lentils and Rice:

Make some rice. Or buy some from your local Chinese restaurant. Brown rice, white rice. It's all good. My sister, more virtuous than I, was planning to use quinoa, but went with Chinese food brown rice at the last minute. We had basmati.

Gather the following:
1/2 lb. lentils
olive oil
1 small onion
1 big, fat clove of garlic (more if you like)
a bay leaf
a branch or two of thyme (optional but yummy)
a splash of white wine, sherry or vermouth
4 cups vegetable stock (The kind in a box is fine. I won't tell.)
a bunch of chard. or spinach. or whatever greens you have lying about.
a little balsamic vinegar and lemon juice

Rinse and pick over lentils. Chop onion and garlic. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Saute onion with a little pinch of salt until it softens; add garlic and saute another minute or two. Add lentils, stir, then add a splash of white wine or sherry. Add the vegetable stock all at once with thyme and bay leaf, and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, slice chard into a thin chiffonade. Add chard to lentils, season with salt and pepper and a splash of balsamic vinegar, and cook until lentils are done (they will take 30-40 minutes from start to finish). Taste and adjust seasoning with lemon juice and more salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot over rice.

"These are the last of the North Jersey blueberries."

2009-07-05T11:17:00.000-07:00

I hated hearing those words today at Richfield Farms (on Van Houten Ave in Clifton - go there and check it out!), where I purchased six quarts of the berries in question, as well at the earliest of their field-grown organic tomatoes, a cabbage, some sweet onions, and (confession) two quarts of California strawberries that I could not resist. The strawberry season was cut short before I could even begin to enjoy it, and now blueberries? If you love blueberries, I suggest that you go get some. Now.

I decided to drive to Richfield today, since my back was a bit achey from carrying The Muffin around all evening (the word of the day was "up!", and woe to she who does not immediately comply) and a long and solitary walk in the mid-day sun was not terribly appealing. I also wanted to stop by Ploch's Farm.

I can never find Ploch's Farm on the first try. You Clifton natives can draw me as many maps as you like, or use very small words while trying to explain it to me, but the way Grove Street and Broad Street twist around, merge and whatever else is happening there will never, ever make sense to me. The inevitable detour did allow for some really dramatic car-singing, though, and I was having a very good time with The Cure (embarassing but true; I really do need to get an ipod adapter for my car) until I pulled up at Plochs.

No one was there! The sign reading "fresh fruits and vegetables since 1867" was behind a closed gate. I did see a few veggies in a field, and I hope they're just closed for the holiday weekend. Their website is up and running, so I will try again during the week.

I'm going to spend this afternoon freezing and baking with blueberries, making big batches of vegetable soup for us and the grandparents, and hoping that the rest of our local crops fare better than the spring crop.

Note: South Jersey blueberries are still available at Richfield, Farms View, and other local farms!

Come see me at The Edible Garden!

2009-07-02T12:31:00.000-07:00

This summer, stay local. The Edible Garden is the New York Botanical Garden’s summer-long celebration of growing and eating fresh, locally grown food. Learn to grow and prepare delicious garden produce, meet celebrity chefs and gardeners, and spend time with family and friends exploring our many summer exhibits all within the garden’s spectacular 250-acre landscape, just minutes from Manhattan, the boroughs, Bergen County and Westchester.

I’ll be appearing at the Edible Garden twice this summer, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. I had the pleasure of attending the opening of the exhibit last weekend. The gardens could not be lovelier. I particularly enjoyed our tour of the Family Garden, where education programs teach New York City children to grow, eat and enjoy their veggies, and families tend plots together. The staff is amazing and knowledgeable, and the setting is perfect for strolling, contemplating, and enjoying nature in all of its splendor.

On July 11th at 3pm, come to the Conservatory Kitchen for Summer Salads from the Grill. Using the freshest local produce, I’ll be demonstrating Roasted Tomato Gazpacho, Grilled Corn and Black-Eyed Pea Salad (featured in The Best of Vegan Cooking), and a fabulous Grilled Panzanella.

On August 8th, I’ll return to the Conservatory Kitchen at 1pm and 3pm for Home Canning. We’ll discuss methods for preserving the bounty of your garden or local farmers’ market, and I’ll show you how to make tomato sauce and fruit preserves.

For more information and discounted tickets, visit www.nybg.org/promo. Choose: Friends Ticket Buy 1 Adult get 1 half price, and enter code: EGDIG09.

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

2009-06-11T15:23:00.000-07:00

Will the sun ever come out? I am beginning to think not, but fresh produce and herbs have provided a ray of sunshine in an otherwise dreary season. My sister was washing and storing her CSA share this past week while I sat at her kitchen table playing with my niece, The Muffin, when she asked, "What am I going to do with all this cilantro?". Here's what I did. Thanks, Krissi, for sharing the bounty with me.

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

Juice of three limes
1 small shallot, finely minced
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
A dash of green chile hot sauce
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Whisk all ingredients together, or shake them in a jar. We enjoyed this with a well-chilled salad of freshly picked lettuce, radishes, carrots and avocado.

April, and soup.

2009-05-07T14:01:00.000-07:00

Is April the cruelest month? I can never remember. It seemed so this year, though, with never-ending grey skies and rain, the unexpected and untimely death of a dear old friend, Gram’s continued slow decline, and a work schedule that just doesn’t quit.

Of course, this all shall pass, and wonderful things are on the horizon. The sun even came out for an hour today, and plans are in the works for a vegan dinner to benefit Community Green (last year’s was an amazing experience, so save the date for June 27th), as well as summertime cooking demonstrations at the New York Botanical Garden.

Of course, the most thrilling news this spring was the publication of The Best of Vegan Cooking. I was honored to be invited to contribute to this book, and am so pleased that the proceeds benefit Friends of Animals. My heartfelt thanks to Priscilla Feral and Lee Hall for involving me in this project, and inspiring me to be a better chef and a better human being. Read an interview with Priscilla about the book here.

Now, let’s talk about what I’ve been cooking. Pressed for time and, quite honestly, feeling a bit down, the watchword in our kitchen at home has been comfort, and I’ve tried to make do with as few ingredients as possible. Although it is officially spring, winter foods are still in abundance, and none of the local markets have opened yet. Soup dominates my home menus year round, and soup it has been, on a near-daily basis. Here are two.

A definite favorite has been sweetpotato and kale soup, inspired by several sweetpotatoes that sat forlornly next to Rebecca’s high chair in my sister’s kitchen until I forced her to make this yummy and fortifying concoction.

I am also making lots of roasted tomato and chile soup, born of necessity and made from whatever I had in the pantry. It’s a little spicy, a lot delicious, and easily made by anyone. Yes, anyone. Recipes follow.

Sweetpotato and Kale soup:
Peel and dice two large sweetpotatoes (yes, it really is one word. Look it up.). Chop a large bunch of kale and a few cloves of garlic (I like two or three, you might like as many as six or seven. It’s your choice.). Open a can of cannelini beans and a box of organic vegetable stock (4 cups if you’re using fresh).
Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a large sauce pan. Sauté garlic briefly, then add kale and a pinch of salt. Cook kale over medium heat for two or three minutes, then add vegetable stock, sweetpotatoes, and about a teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Simmer until sweetpotatoes are tender. Drain and rinse beans, add to soup and heat through. Season with salt, pepper, and a little hot sauce and fresh lemon juice. Serve with hot bread. Eaten from a big bowl, on the couch in your pajamas or at the kitchen table, it is nourishment for body and soul.

Roasted Tomato and Chile soup:
I love Muir Glen tomatoes, especially once I have run out of my homegrown, canned tomatoes (this happened in February, so Muir Glen is really getting my business this year). The Fire Roasted variety add great flavor to soups and chili.
Go get yourself a big can (28 oz.) of Fire Roasted Tomatoes, and a little can of diced green chiles (a pantry staple, surely you have some!). Chop a large yellow onion and a clove of garlic. You will also need 4 cups of vegetable stock.
Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Sauté onions with a little salt until soft but not browned, about 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for one minute more. Add chiles, tomatoes and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer for half an hour. Taste and adjust with freshly ground pepper, lemon juice, hot sauce and a little agave nectar if you feel it needs sweetness. Serve hot in a great big mug. If you want to get crazy, garnish with sliced scallions, chopped avocado, or tortilla chips.

Here’s hoping that May will bring flowers (and fewer showers!), hope, happiness and good food to all.

Whole Wheat Linguine with Cauliflower and Tomato Sauce

2009-03-27T13:35:00.000-07:00

This is a hearty, satisfying and almost meaty-textured dish. It's inexpensive, incredibly nutritious, and full of fiber.

Cauliflower is a true "superfood" - rich in folate (for cell growth and replication, especially important for women of child-bearing age), selenium (for immune system support), and allicin (for heart health). Cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli and brussels sprouts have been shown to prevent certain cancers.

Tomatoes are also fantastic for your body - one serving provides almost half of your RDA of Vitamin C, as well as lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. They are also rich in Vitamin A, iron and potassium.

Toss together a crisp green salad loaded with fresh raw vegetables to serve with your pasta, and you'll have an incredibly healthy, cholesterol-reducing dinner on the table in about 20 minutes!

You will need:
1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
1 pound whole wheat linguine
2 1/2 cups tomato sauce
olive oil
fresh (or slightly stale) bread crumbs, tossed with olive oil and toasted in a hot oven
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. (Whole wheat pastas vary wildly in cooking times. I am a fan of DiCecco, as well as BioNaturae brand whole wheat pastas.)

Meanwhile, steam cauliflower florets until tender. Remove from steamer and chop finely. Heat cauliflower in a large sauce pan with tomato sauce.

Stir chopped parsley into bread crumbs and set aside.

Save a little pasta cooking water, then drain well. Add pasta to the tomato sauce and cauliflower mixture, and toss over medium heat for a minute or two. If it seems dry, add a little of the pasta cooking water. Turn off the heat, and drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil. Season to taste with salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper.

Serve in heated bowls, garnished with parsley-bread crumb mixture.

Depending on your appetite, this dish will serve four to six.

Tomorrow: focaccia pizza.

The Tomato Sauce Manifesto

2009-03-26T13:34:00.000-07:00

It seems to me that for many years, our mainstream culture has shunned foods that are simple and economical in favor of that which is “gourmet”. Lately, though, economic necessity has brought cheap eating to the forefront of our consciousness, and I, for one, could not be happier.
I was talking to my childhood BFF Denise the other night. She had decided to write down recipes for things she cooks without really thinking about it, and we had a lively discussion of tomato sauce and its many variables.
For me, there is nothing more versatile and inexpensive than a large pot of tomato sauce, which can be turned into many different, nutritious meals. As children, we ate “macaroni” several times a week. Served with a salad, it was a nutritious way to feed three kids with enormous appetites without spending a fortune on groceries. We will focus this week on making a good sauce, and using it in a variety of ways.
First, though, let’s clarify a few things for all you Tony Soprano wannabes out there. First, there is no such thing as one true and correct Italian tomato sauce. Italian cuisine has many tomato sauces, each tailored to the ingredients it will be served with, the region it is prepared in, and the whims of the cook. Second, “marinara” is strictly an Italian-American invention. If you visit Italy and ask for pasta with marinara, you will likely get a strange look and a plate full of pasta with seafood in it. Finally, and I am going to apologize to my fellow Belleville, New Jersey natives here, “gravy” is brown, and it’s made from meat drippings. There is a tendency among the children of southern Italian immigrants to the Newark and Brooklyn areas during the 20th century to use the term “gravy” to refer to tomato sauce cooked with meat, but, again, it’s not Italian, and it certainly isn’t gravy.
It is also interesting to note here that my grandfather Angelo, born in the northern mountains of the Veneto, never tasted tomato sauce until he emigrated to Newark in the 1930s. For him, real Italian food was polenta, cheese, and plenty of fresh vegetables, preferably fresh from the garden. It was his landlady Mrs. Nisovoccia, as well as my grandmother Josephine, a fantastic Italian-American cook who was born in Newark to parents who emigrated from Emilia Romagna, who introduced him to the food that, in our part of New Jersey, is considered “real” Italian food.
With my rantings about what is correct out of the way, we will proceed to the recipe for our basic sauce. We will be making “sugo”, a long-cooked tomato sauce that provides excellent flavor even when using canned tomatoes. Of course, if you have put up your own jars of tomatoes and still have them at this time of year (we don’t, as I used my last jar to brighten a dark and miserable February day), all the better.
This recipe will yield about seven pints of sauce, enough for six or seven meals. It freezes well, and can be used in a variety of ways, which we will explore over the next few days.
Gather the following:
4 28 oz. cans of tomatoes, preferably your own, or a San Marzano variety (make sure the jar says D.O.P, a designation that indicates real Italian San Marzano tomatoes), or Redpack, a very decent-tasting canned tomato from California
1 small onion, minced very fine (I mean it, no big chunks!)
2 ribs of celery (don’t use the tough outer ribs for this, or they won’t disappear into your sauce), minced very fine
1 carrot, minced very fine
3 cloves of garlic, run through a garlic press, minced very fine, or, if you really want to get into the spirit of the thing, sliced very thinly with a razor blade (We do this once a year, during a garlic slicing contest at our annual “Goodfellas” dinner and movie screening that becomes dangerously competitive. ).
¼ cup of good extra-virgin olive oil (if you say “EVOO”, I’ll have to slap you around, so don’t).
A pinch each of dried oregano and dried marjoram. Just a pinch. Please. You want to taste the tomatoes here.
½ cup dry white wine
Pepper, to taste.
A handful of fresh basil, torn into smaller pieces.
In a large, heavy-bottomed stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat for a minute or two. Add the onions, and immediately salt them. Adding salt right away will ensure that the onions release their liquid and break down in the sauce. There is nothing worse than biting into a piece of onion that still has some crunch to it. Both of my parents were guilty of this sin (as well as the sin of using too many herbs). It’s one of the reasons I learned to cook when I was very young – self-defense.
Stir the onions constantly, until they begin to lose their color and become soft and opaque. Do not let them brown. Add the carrots and celery, and immediately add a little more salt. Cook for about five minutes, then increase the heat to medium-high and add the garlic with a little more salt. Stir for about another minute, and add your tomatoes all at once. It’s up to you whether you use whole or crushed, or how much you break them up (my husband likes a very smooth tomato sauce, so I usually run the tomatoes through a food mill). Bring to a boil, add the dried herbs and reduce the heat to low. Cook for an hour or two, stirring frequently, until the vegetables in the sauce have broken down completely and the whole house smells like Sunday morning at Grandma’s.
I like to skim any foamy orange “scum” that rises to the top of the sauce occasionally, being careful to leave behind the delicious onion and garlic flavored olive oil immediately below.
Add the wine, a little fresh pepper, and a handful of torn basil leaves, and cook for another five minutes or so. Take it off the heat, and finish with another drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, as you want to taste it in the finished sauce.
Notice that I’m not specifying a quantity of salt. Canned tomatoes contain varying amounts of sodium, and you need to taste and let your palate be your guide.
Cool your sauce, and pack whatever will not be used within the next day or so into freezer-suitable pint and quart containers.
For dinner, have spaghetti! (Or, if Denise is here, have linguine, since it’s her favorite.) Cook your pasta, and heat your sauce (I like about 2 cups for a pound of pasta, although varying shapes use varying amounts of sauce, so use your judgment) in a large sauce pan. When your pasta is cooked but still al dente (firm to the bite) save a cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain it quickly. Add your pasta to the bubbling sauce and toss for a minute or two. If it looks dry, add a little of the pasta cooking water that you saved (you did save it, right?). This method, called ripassatura, ensures that the pasta absorbs some of the sauce. Remember, you don’t want to drown your pasta in sauce. The sauce is a condiment to the pasta, not the whole dish.
Remove from the heat, drizzle with a little more extra-virgin olive oil and grind a little fresh pepper. If you like, toss in a little more torn basil. Serve immediately in heated bowls, with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, or, if your diet is pure vegan, fresh bread crumbs that you have tossed with a little extra-virgin olive oil and toasted in the oven until crunchy.
Tomorrow: Six pints of sauce to go. We’ll be making whole wheat pasta with cauliflower and tomato sauce.

Roasted Cauliflower with Walnuts

2009-01-28T16:55:00.000-08:00

Let me first say, yum! You need to eat this!

Many vegetarians don't get enough Omega-3 fatty acids, and tend to rely on pre-packaged convenience foods when strapped for time and ideas on a weeknight. And I don't know many people, veg or otherwise, who eat what I would consider to be an adequate amount of fiber. Add the cancer-fighting benefits of cruciferous vegetables, and you have a nutritional powerhouse on your plate.

This simple dish is good for your heart, perfect for those following an anti-inflammatory diet, and easy to throw together for a weeknight dinner. It's also very savory, filling, and just plain delicious. I served it with lentil stew (from the freezer) and brown rice, for a "30 minute meal" without all the fat, hot dogs and stupid catch-phrases.

This will serve four as a side dish if you have a reasonable appetite. The two of us ate all of it, and after dinner, I scurried back into the kitchen to scrape what was left from the sheet pan onto a spoon.

1 small head cauliflower, cored and roughly chopped into florets
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss all ingredients on a large sheet pan, and roast for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower begins to brown and is cooked the way you like it. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Linguine with Mushrooms

2009-01-19T10:17:00.001-08:00

I guess I should preface this by saying that one could make this dish much more decadent, if that were necessary. Feel free to squander all of your dried porcini, truffle oil or whatever else you have lying about if you must. But there are times when it's not in the cards to spend $25 or two hours on a plate of pasta with mushrooms. Sometimes you just need dinner, now.

I think many people labor under the delusion that everything a chef makes is going to be luxe, full of expensive ingredients and hours of work. I, for one, don't believe that gluttony makes me a good citizen of this planet, and so on most days, we eat very simply, but very well. Next time you are pressed for time and beaten down by the universe, try this quick and easy dinner. Served with a salad (I love arugula, which, believe it or not, we found a winter crop of in the back of the garden last week!) and a glass of red wine, or eaten directly from the pan while standing over the stove, it is delicous, cheap and comforting - three things I think we could all use right about now.

Gather the following:

1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in:
1 cup very hot vegetable stock (water will do as well)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 oz. baby bella or white button mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced or run through a garlic press
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley
salt and pepper

1 lb. linguine, cooked al dente

While your dried mushrooms are soaking, slice the fresh mushrooms, chop your parsley, and put a large pot of water on to boil for your pasta. Have ready a large saute pan that will accommodate your mushrooms as well as all of the pasta.

Heat the saute pan over medium-high to high heat (it really depends on your stove), then begin adding the fresh mushrooms, a handful at a time. This is the one part of the recipe that you want to take your time with - if you add all of the mushrooms at once, they will steam rather than saute, and you will not develop any flavor. Add a little extra olive oil if you need to. Once the mushrooms are becoming nice and brown and sizzly, add the garlic and saute for another minute or two. Drain your porcini mushrooms, reserving the liquid, and chop. Add them to the pan, too. Deglaze with 1/4 cup dry white wine, and cook until the liquid evaporates. Add the reserved stock that you soaked the mushrooms in, as well as the parsley, and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Reduce the heat to low.

By now, your pasta water should be boiling. Salt it generously, and cook your pasta until done, but a litte firm to the bite. Reserve about 1/2 cup of cooking liquid from the pasta. Now drain the pasta, turn your saute pan heat to high, and add all at once to the mushroom mixture. Toss well for about a minute. If it looks dry, add a little of the pasta water and toss again. Remove from heat and toss with a little more olive oil and freshly ground pepper.

If you do the cheese thing, here's where you'll want to add a little freshly grated Parmigiano. If you do the vegan thing, add some fresh bread crumbs tossed with olive oil and toasted in a 400 degree oven. If you're fancying it up for a dinner party, increase the amount of dried porcini to a full ounce, drizzle a few drops of truffle oil over the finished product, make a batch of fresh fettucine instead of using dried pasta, or seek out some fresh wild mushrooms.

New Year's Eve...Black-Eyed Pea Soup

2008-12-31T11:00:00.000-08:00

This recipe, born of "leftovers" and necessity last New Year's Day, will be published in the upcoming Friends of Animals cookbook. Everyone loves it. Eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day is a Southern tradition believed to bring good luck throughout the year.

This savory, slightly spicy soup is incredibly nutritious, and will please even a die-hard meat eater (just ask Aunt Ronnie, who loves it so much she very nearly slapped the hell out of me while extolling its virtues!). I like to make ours with tomatoes and hot sauce that I've canned over the summer, for a little local flavor during the garden-less winter months.

May 2009 bring you luck, great happiness and delicious things to eat!

Black-Eyed Pea and Winter Greens Soup
8 oz. black-eyed peas
Bouquet garni:
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh thyme
½ teaspoon whole peppercorns
2 quarts light vegetable stock
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 cups leeks, thinly sliced, white and light green parts only
1 cup carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 cup celery, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 cup roasted, peeled and chopped red, orange or yellow bell pepper
3 cloves garlic, peeled, finely chopped; divided
½ teaspoon each:
chili powder
smoked paprika
marjoram leaves
oregano
cajun seasoning
¼ cup dry white wine
2 cups peeled, diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon hot sauce, or to taste
4 cups greens, a mix of collards, chard, beet greens, well-washed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Soak black-eyed peas in fresh, cold water to cover for eight hours, or use the “quick soak” method: bring beans and water to cover to a boil, cook 10 minutes, remove from heat and soak for one hour. Drain and rinse beans.

Place beans in a large stockpot with bouquet garni and vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer; cook for 45 minutes, or until beans are almost tender. Salt lightly after 30 minutes. (Note: beans cook with many variables, including how long you soaked them and how long they've been stored - taste to know if they are done.)

Meanwhile, heat 1½ tablespoons olive oil in a medium sauté pan. Add leeks, carrots, celery, peppers and 2 cloves garlic. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add spices; cook an additional 5 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper. Deglaze pan with white wine and set aside.

When beans are nearly cooked, add vegetable mixture, tomatoes and hot sauce to stock pot, along with enough water to cover bean and vegetable mixture. Season with a little salt. Continue to simmer as you prepare the greens.

Wipe sauté pan clean, and heat remaining 1½ tablespoons olive oil. Add remaining clove of garlic, and sauté lightly for about 1 minute – do not allow garlic to brown! Add greens all at once with another pinch of salt, and cook over medium-high heat until greens are softened and release liquid. Using tongs, remove greens and add to soup. Discard liquid in pan.

Simmer soup for an additional 15 minutes, or until all ingredients are cooked through. Add lemon juice and parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary – salt, pepper, hot sauce, or a little more lemon juice.

This soup tastes best when it has rested overnight in your refrigerator, doubles or triples easily to feed a crowd, and freezes wonderfully…Enjoy!

Serves 6
Recipe courtesy of Trish Sebben-Krupka, 2008