Crispy Oven Fried Fennel, Roma Beans and Summer Squash with Garlic Aioli

-Preheat your oven to 425; adjust your oven rack so that it is just a notch or 2 away from the element on the bottom of the stove.

-Slice 1 fennel bulb lengthwise about ½ inch thick. Make sure all pieces are joined at the root. 

-Steam until partially tender, about 5-7 minutes, then remove. Sprinkle with sea salt.

-Take the tips and tails off of a large handful of Roma beans.

-Slice 1 large summer squash into ¼ inch thick rounds. Sprinkle slices with salt.

-Beat together 2 eggs (you might need 1 more).

-Fill a bowl with about ½ cup flour.

-Fill another bowl with a combination of ½ cup seasoned breadcrumbs and 1/3 cup powdered Parmesan cheese.

-Pour a good splash of olive oil onto a baking tray.

-Dip the fennel into the egg mixture and then into the bowl filled with flour.

-Dip the same piece back in the eggs, then into the breadcrumbs. Lay the fennel on the oiled baking tray as you finish dipping them.

-Do the same with the squash rounds and beans. 

-Cook until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes, flipping once or twice. Watch them pretty carefully as they can burn being so close to bottom of the oven.

-Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve hot with garlic aioli (optional).

Crispy Jacob’s Cattle Beans

-Carefully sort through 1 cup of Jacob’s Cattle beans.
 
-Rinse, then cover with several inches of water and soak for 6-12 hours.
 
-Drain the beans, discarding the water, then put them in a large pot and add water to cover by 2 inches.
 
-Chop 4 cloves of garlic and add to the beans.
 
-Bring the beans to a boil, then turn the heat to low and cook for 45-60 minutes until the beans are tender.
 
-Melt 3 TBS butter or olive oil in the widest skillet you have.
 
-Add the beans to the hot pan in a single layer, saving extra beans that don’t fit.
 
-Stir the beans, then brown on one side for 4 minutes, then turn and brown the other side, 4 minutes more.
 
-Finely chop up 1 bunch of kale and stir it into the beans.
 
-Add 1 tsp of sea salt, 3 cloves of finely chopped garlic and 3 TBS chopped cilantro.
 
-Cook until kale starts to wilt, remove from heat and drizzle with some good extra virgin olive oil or truffle oil.
 
-Serve with a wedge of lemon and some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
 
 

Crispy Italian Eggplant Sandwiches

This old Italian recipe may be one of the best we ever made!

-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and generously grease a baking tray with some extra virgin olive oil.

-Slice 2-3 eggplants into thin ¼ inch rounds.

-In a wide mouthed bowl mix together the following:

1 cup dry bread crumbs (herbed work well)

½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (the powdered kind)

A pinch of garlic powder

Some black pepper

-Put 1-2 eggs into another wide mouth bowl and beat well.

-Very thinly slice about ½ pound provolone or mozzarella (buying it pre-sliced works well).

-Add about ½ cup white flour to yet another wide mouth bowl.

Now to assemble the sandwiches…spread one side of an eggplant slice with some pesto if you have some.

-Add a piece of cheese and top with another eggplant slice.

-Dip the sandwich into the flour, then the egg (shaking off the excess) and then evenly coat on all sides with the breadcrumb mixture. (Your hands

will get goopy, rinse them once in awhile and keep at it-it’s so worth it!)

-Place the finished sandwich on the baking tray and repeat until all of the eggplant is used up.

-Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until soft and tender inside and very brown and crispy on the outside.

Crispy Eggplant Fritters with Smoked Mozzarella

-Preheat your oven to 350°F.

-Cut 2 eggplants crosswise into ½ inch-thick slices.

-Soak in ice water for 20 minutes.

-Brush 1 large baking sheets with oil.

-Pat eggplant dry; arrange in single layer on the baking sheet.

-Brush lightly with oil.

-Bake until eggplant is tender and dry, about 20-25 minutes.

-Cool slightly; chop coarsely.

-Cut 4 ounces of smoked mozzarella cheese into ½ inch cubes, you need about 20 total.

-Whisk together the following in a medium bowl:

1 egg

¾ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup panko breadcrumbs

1 TBS finely chopped fresh rosemary or parsley

¼ tsp pepper

¼ tsp sea salt

-Stir in chopped eggplant (mixture will be soft).

-Spread 1 cup panko breadcrumbs on plate.

-Whisk 1 egg

-Put ½ cup flour in another bowl.

-Press and shape eggplant mixture into 1¼ inch diameter balls.

-Press 1 piece of the smoked mozzarella into center of each ball, making sure eggplant mixture covers cheese.

-Dip balls, 1 at a time, into the egg then the flour. Then dip in egg again and roll in breadcrumbs to coat.

-Pour enough oil into large skillet to reach depth of ¼ inch; heat over medium-high heat.

-Working in batches, add balls to skillet; sauté until browned, turning often, about 4 minutes.

-Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.

-Sprinkle with sea salt and serve hot.

Crispy Eggplant Batons

-Cut 1-2 eggplants into ½ inch slabs,

-Cut each slab in half (except the end pieces) and then slice into ½ inch wide strips.

-Soak the eggplant in ice water to cover, with a plate over top to submerge the strips for 20 minutes

-Dry the strips well with a clean kitchen towel or two.

-Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

-In a large bowl, toss the eggplant with 4 TBS extra virgin olive oil until well coated.

-Then sprinkle ¼ cup rice flour over the bowl and toss well.

-Put 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil on a large baking sheet.

-Shake the excess rice flour off the eggplant and place them on the baking sheet.

-Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Crispy Eggplant

The secret to eggplant is to soak it in ice water for 15-20 minutes before cooking with it. Drain, pat it dry and use, you've soaked all the bitterness out of it and it is now sweet and yummy!

-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Generously oil a baking tray with some extra virgin olive oil.

-Cut 2 long thin eggplants into rounds about 1/4 inch thick.

-Crack 1 egg into a small wide mouthed bowl and beat well.

-Put the following into another wide mouthed bowl and mix well.

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

A pinch of garlic powder

A pinch of sea salt

-Thoroughly dredge each eggplant slice in the egg, shaking off any excess, then dredge it in the cheese mixture.

-Place them on the oiled baking tray.

-Cook for about 20 minutes until tender and very brown.

-There is a magical point at which the inside of the eggplant seems to melt and the outside of the eggplant is very crispy, find this point!

Crispy Daikon Cakes

-Grate 1 daikon radish so that you end up with 2 cups of radish.

-Place the daikon in a large bow and sprinkle with 1 tsp sea salt.

-Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.

-Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

-Drain daikon well.

-Finely mince 1 clove of garlic and finely chop ½ an onion.

-Stir in the following to the drained radish:

1 egg

½ cup Panko bread crumbs

¼ tsp black pepper

½ tsp paprika

½-1 tsp chili garlic sauce (such as Sriracha)

The chopped garlic and onion

-Mix well, then form into 8, small round patties.

-Melt 1.5 TBS coconut oil on a baking sheet.

-Put the daikon cakes on the baking sheet.

-Bake for 10-12 minutes per side, flipping the cakes once.

-Serve hot with dipping sauce of choice.

Crispy Chickpeas and Lacinato Kale

-Preheat oven to 400.

-Combine the following in a small baking dish or roasting pan:

1 can drained chickpeas

4 to 6 cloves of crushed fresh garlic

2 bay leaves

¼ cup olive oil

-Roast for 45 minutes, stirring a few times. Some of the chickpeas will be a little crispy. Others will just be tender.

-Meanwhile, prepare the kale:

Chop up 1 bunch of kale, discarding the last 1-inch of the stems.

-Sauté another couple of cloves of garlic in some extra virgin olive oil, then add the kale and cook for about 2 minutes.

-Set aside the wilted kale until the chickpeas are roasted.

-Then mix it all up, toss in a handful of raisins, some red pepper flakes and sea salt.

Crispy Cannellini Beans with Roasted Delicata Squash and Kale

-Carefully sort through ½ pound of dried cannellini beans (don’t use old beans as they will take forever to cook).

-Rinse, then cover with several inches of water and soak for 8-15 hours.

-Drain the soaked beans, discarding the water.

-Add 2 times the fresh water as you have beans.

-Finely chop 4 cloves of garlic and add to the beans.

-Bring the beans to a boil, then turn the heat to low and cook for 40 minutes.

-Add 1/2 tsp sea salt and cook until the beans are tender, being careful not to overcook them.

-Drain beans and set aside.

-Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.

-Cut 1 delicata squash in half the long way, then de-seed it and cut it into ½ inch chunks.

-Toss the squash with 1 TBS olive oil and then roast in the oven for 30 minutes.

-Melt 3 TBS butter or olive oil in the widest skillet you have.

-Add the beans to the hot pan in a single layer, saving extra beans that don’t fit.

-Stir to coat the beans evenly, then let them sit until long enough to brown on one side, about 3-4 minutes, then turn and brown the other side, about 3-4 minutes more.

-The beans should be golden brown and a bit crunchy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside.

-Chop up 1 bunch of kale and add to the beans.

-Finely chop 3 cloves of garlic and add to the beans.

-Add a big pinch of sea salt.

-Cook until kale starts to wilt, then stir in roasted delicata squash.

-Remove from heat and season with more salt and pepper.

-Drizzle with some good extra virgin olive oil or truffle oil.

-Serve with the following:

 A wedge of lemon

Some freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Crisp Rosemary and Garlic Flatbread

-Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with a heavy baking sheet on a rack in the middle of the oven.

-Stir together the following:

1¾ cup unbleached white flour

3 TBS chopped rosemary

2 cloves finely chopped garlic

1 tsp baking powder

¾ tsp sea salt

-Make a well in the center and add ½ cup water and 1/3 cup olive oil and gradually stir into the flour with a wooden spoon until a dough forms.

-Knead the dough gently on a work surface 4 or 5 times.

-Divide dough into 3 pieces, keeping remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap.

-Roll out dough 1 piece at a time on a sheet of parchment paper, into a 10-inch circle; dough should be thin, but a rustic shape is okay.

-Lightly brush top with additional olive oil and then press a few rosemary leaves on top.

-Sprinkle with sea salt.

-Slide rounds, still on parchment paper onto preheated baking sheet.

-Bake until golden brown in spots, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool.

-Repeat with remaining rounds and fresh parchment paper.

-Break the flatbread into pieces before serving.

Crisp Korean Style Vegetable Crepes

From How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman. This is one of those recipes that can accommodate almost any vegetable.

-Mix the following:

1 cup rice flour

1 cup white flour

2 lightly beaten eggs

1 TBS olive oil or ghee

1½ cups water

mix until it forms a smooth batter.

-Let the batter rest while you grate/chop up the vegetables.

-Grate 3-4 carrots and/or 1 turnip and/or some bok choy.

-Chop up a handful of snow peas into thin slivers.

-When you are ready to prepare the crepes, stir in the vegetables.

-Put 1 clove of fresh garlic through a garlic press or finely mince it.

-Add to the batter along with 4 TBS finely chopped fresh herbs (dill, mint, basil and/or cilantro).

-Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.

-When hot coat the bottom with 1 TBS olive oil or ghee, then ladle in a quarter of the batter and spread it out evenly.

-Turn the heat down to medium and cook until the bottom is browned, about 5 minutes, then flip and cook for another 5.

-Repeat with each crepe.

-Remove the pancakes as they are done and then cut them into small triangles and serve with soy dipping sauce.

Soy dipping sauce

Whisk together the following in a small bowl:

¼ cup soy sauce

2 TBS honey

2 tsp minced fresh ginger

2 cloves finely minced garlic

½ tsp sesame oil

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

-Just before serving stir in 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds.

Criques de Gramat, Potato Cakes from France’s Lot Valley

We thought this recipe sounded so good that we had to run home and make these divine cakes. This truly may be the best potato recipe ever, especially if you love crispy!

-Coarsely grate 2 pounds of potatoes.

-Put them into a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much moisture as you can.

-Put the potatoes in a large mixing bowl and add the following…

-2/3 cup Gruyere cheese

2 finely chopped garlic cloves

½ cup diced ham or bacon

2 TBS finely chopped rosemary or sage

2 large eggs

¼ cup white flour or 1/8 cup rice flour

¼ tsp sea salt

-Mix well.

-Take a small handful of the mixture and shape into a cake about 2 inches wide and ½ inch thick

-Make 6 cakes and put them on a plate.

-Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

-Put another 2 TBS of the fat you are using on another baking sheet and pop it in the oven until it melts.

-You are going to brown each cake then finish them in the oven.

-Heat 2-4 TBS ghee in a large frying pan and then cook 4-6 cakes at a time over medium heat, browning both sides.

-When all cakes are browned, pop them in the oven and cook for about 15-20 minutes, flipping half way through the cooking process.

-The outside of the cake should be golden and crisp and the inside should be meltingly soft.

Creamy Vegan Celery Root

-Peel 1 celery root then cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

-Heat 2 TBS coconut oil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan.

-Add the celeriac and sauté for about 3 minutes.

-Cover the pan and lower the heat to medium-low, cook for 10 minutes.

-Then add the following:

3⁄4 cup chicken stock

3⁄4 cup full-fat coconut milk

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

2 garlic cloves, minced

-Season to taste with sea salt and pepper.

-Stir well and cover, then bring to a boil.

-Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, until the celeriac is nice and tender, stirring once or twice in-between.

-Transfer the celeriac and liquid into a food processor and purée until smooth.

Creamy Rainbow Chard

Everybody seems to like this old-fashioned favorite!

-Heat the following together:

1/4 cup cream

1 clove of finely chopped garlic

-Until fine bubbles form on the surface and then set it aside.

-Wash a bunch of rainbow chard.

-Chop it up stems and all and cook it over medium heat in a saucepan until it wilts, adding a few drops of water if necessary.

-Squeeze out excess moisture with the back of a spoon and chop the chard finely.

-Melt 3 TBS butter in a skillet. 

-Add the chard and cook until the pan is dry. 

-Pour the cream into the pan and simmer until it thickens slightly. 

-Season with some freshly ground nutmeg, sea salt and black pepper.

Creamy Potato Parsnip Puree

-Peel 1 pound of parsnips and cut into 1-inch pieces. 

-Peel 2 pounds of potatoes and cut into 2-inch pieces

-Cover parsnips and potatoes with cold water by 1 inch in a large pot, add 1 tsp sea salt and bring to a boil.

-Reduce heat and simmer vegetables, partially covered until very tender but not falling apart, 30 to 40 minutes.

-Meanwhile, bring the following to a simmer over low heat:

½ cup of cream

½  cup unsalted butter

½  tsp pepper

½ teaspoon sea salt

-Drain vegetables in a colander then place back in pot and mash. 

-Mix in cream mixture, stirring well to combine.

-Serve hot.

Creamy Green Beans

-Wash 1 pound of green beans.

-Take a handful of beans, than tap one end of the handful gently on the counter to align them.

-Slice off the first ¼ inch of the beans and than turn and tap the other side until those ends line up.

-Cut those ends off too, than cut the beans into 1½ inch lengths.

-Place 1-2 inches of water under the basket of a steamer in a pot with a tightly fitting lid.

-Steam the beans for about 5-6 minutes until they are just tender.

-Drain the water off then add ¼ cup of cream cheese and stir until well mixed.

-Sprinkle with sea salt (the fancier the better) and serve warm.

Creamy Braised Parsnips with Sage

-Peel 1 pound parsnips and cut them into small dice.

-In a large straight-sided skillet, heat 1 TBS ghee or butter over medium-high.

-Add parsnips and saute until lightly browned, 5-7 minutes.

-Add the following:

1.5 cups chicken broth

2 tsp fresh sage, finely chopped

-Bring to a simmer then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until tender, 8-12 minutes.

-Uncover, increase heat to high, and cook until liquid is reduced by half.

-Stir in 2 TBS heavy cream and season with sea salt and fresh pepper.

Cream of Parsnip Soup with Ginger

-In medium saucepan combine the following:

1 leek, chopped

2 parsnips, peeled and cubed

1 cup water

-Simmer covered, for 15-20 minutes or until parsnips are tender.

-Puree in blender or food processor and set aside.

-In the same saucepan, melt 2 TBS butter over medium heat.

-Then stir in 2 TBS flour and cook for 1 minute.

-Stir in 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock and cook, stirring, until mixture comes to boil and thickens.

-Add pureed parsnip mixture along with the following:

1½ tsp fresh ginger

¾ cup milk

Sea salt and fresh pepper to taste

-Stir to mix well and heat through.

Cream of Celery Soup

-Chop the following into large pieces:

1 head celery (reserve the leaves)

2 large potatoes

1 medium onion or shallot

-Combine the celery, potato and onion.

-Add 1 stick of unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

-Cook, stirring, until onion is tender, 8-10 minutes.

-Add 3 cups chicken broth; simmer until potatoes are tender, 8-10 minutes.

-Carefully purée in a blender and strain.

-Stir in ½ cup heavy cream.

-Serve soup topped any or all of the following:

Celery leaves

Chopped parsley

Maldon sea salt

A drizzle of good olive oil

Cream of Celery Leek Soup

-Heat 3 TBS butter in a large (4-quart) saucepan over medium heat.

-Chop up the following into rough dice:

1 bunch celery (reserve leaves for garnish)

1 leek

1 medium potato

-Add celery, onion, and potato; season with salt.

-Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, 8 to 10 minutes.

-Add 6 cups water or broth to saucepan; bring to a boil.

-Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes.

-Working in batches, puree soup until smooth.

-Return soup to pan; stir in 1 TBS fresh lemon juice and season with salt.

-Serve, garnished with celery leaves.