Fava Beans, Herbs and Bacon

-Cook 1 pound of shelled favas in a deep pan of slightly salted water for 4-5 minutes.

-Cool them under running water, pop them out of their skins.

-Chop a bunch of herbs (cilantro, dill, basil or parsley).

-Put the chopped herbs in a bowl then add a little sea salt and some coarse ground pepper.

-Stir in 5-6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil to make a slushy dressing,

-Fry 6 slices bacon in a tad of olive oil until verging on crisp.

-Fold the skinned beans into the herb dressing and divide between the two plates, put a couple slices of bacon on each and tip any hot fat in the pan over the beans.

 

Farfalle with Golden Beets, Beet Greens and Pine Nuts

-Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat.

-Add 1/3 cup pine nuts and stir until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.

-Chop up 4 cloves of garlic.

-Add 2 TBS olive oil to the pan and then add the chopped garlic. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often.

-Chop up the tops from one bunch of golden beets into ½ inch strips.

-Scatter beet greens in pan, cover and cook until beet greens are tender, about 5 minutes then stir together.

-Boil a large pot of salted water.

-Peel 1 bunch of golden beets and cut each beet into 8 wedges.

-Add to the boiling water and cook for 10 minutes.

-Remove beets from water with a slotted spoon and set aside.

-Add 12 ounces farfalle (bow-tie pasta) to the boiling water and cook according to package directions.

-Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.

-Add the pasta back to the empty pot and stir in the beet greens and beets.

-Add pasta cooking liquid by ¼ cup until pasta is moistened.

-Season with sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper.

-Lightly stir in ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese and top with the toasted pine nuts.

Escarole with Prosciutto and Lemon

-Zest and juice 1 lemon. Set zest and juice aside.

-Heat 2 TBS butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

-Very thinly slice 2 cloves of garlic.

-Add garlic to the butter and cook, stirring often, until garlic is beginning to turn golden at edges, about 2 minutes.

-Slice up 1-2 ounces prosciutto into thin strips.

-Cut the ½ inch end off of 1 head of escarole.

-Then chop escarole into 1 inch thick strips. Wash and spin dry,

-Add prosciutto and cook until crisp, about 2 minutes.

-Add ½ tsp red pepper flakes; stir for 30 seconds, then add escarole.

-Cook, tossing escarole to coat in sauce, until wilted but not overcooked, 3-5 minutes.

-Season with sea salt and pepper.

-Using tongs, transfer escarole to a serving dish.

-Add 1 TBS butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice to taste to pan.

-Cook, whisking, until a sauce forms. Season with salt and pepper.

-Drizzle sauce over escarole.

Escarole Salad with Apples and Pecans

-Chop 1 head of escarole into bite sized pieces.

-Soak in ice water for 2-3 hours (add some ice cubes to the salad strainer).

-Then drain and spin dry. (Soaking removes the bitterness.)

-Toast ½ cup pecan halves in 1 tsp butter over medium low heat until brown.

-Core 1 apple and thinly slice.

-In a large bowl, whisk together the following:

2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

2 TBS white-wine vinegar

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 TBS water

-Season with sea salt and pepper.

-Add escarole, apple, and pecans.

-Toss, and serve immediately.

 

Escarole and Leek Pizza with Proscutto, Pine Nuts and Smoked Mozzarella

-Buy or make the dough for 1 large pizza.

-Roll it out so it fits a 9-inch pizza pan.

-Heat 3 TBS olive oil over medium heat.

-Add the following:

4 thinly sliced garlic cloves

1 head of chopped escarole

1 chopped leek

-Cook stirring constantly until escarole has just wilted.

-Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

-Wipe out the skillet and add another tsp of oil.

-Add 2 TBS pine nuts and heat until golden, about 4 min. 

-Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. 

-Brush the pizza dough with some oil.

-Spread the leek/escarole out on the dough and bake for 10 min. 

-Then sprinkle with the following:

2 ounces sliced proscutto

1 cup grated smoked mozzarella

-The toasted pine nuts.

-Bake for another 2-5 min.

-Garnish with chopped Kalamata olives and Parmesan.

Enchiladas in Tomatillo Salsa

To fill these enchiladas you can use any combination of ingredients you wish.

Some things we like in enchiladas are, whole black or pinto beans, shredded cheese (cheddar, goat cheese, or caso fresco work well), sautéed chicken strips, chopped fresh cilantro, sautéed summer squash rounds and black olives. Have any or all of these ingredients ready in bowls to stuff the tortillas with.

-Make the tomatillo salsa recipe.

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

-Heat a small pat of butter or oil in a large frying pan.

-Fry corn tortillas about 12 in all; 3 or 4 at a time until barely browned on both sides, adding more butter or oil to the pan as needed. (Don’t let the tortillas get crispy.)

-When finished frying all of tortillas, cover the bottom of a medium sized casserole dish with a small ladle of the tomatillo salsa.

-Hold a tortilla in your hand, add about ¼ cup filling and roll the tortilla up.

-Place it in the casserole dish, seam side down. Repeat until all of the tortillas are filled.

-Spoon the rest of the salsa over top of the filled tortillas, sprinkle with cheese and bake for about ½ hour until the top is lightly browned and the cheese is melted.

-Serve with fresh lime slices.


Tomatillo Salsa:

-Take the skins off of 1 pound of tomatillos.

-Put the whole tomatillos in a saucepan and cover with water.

-Halve 1 medium sized onion.

-Roughly chop one half and reserve the other half.

-Add the chopped half onion to the pan, along with the following:

3 whole cloves of garlic

2 whole jalapenos

-Boil until tender, about 7-10 minutes.

-Drain out all but about 1 cup of water and then put the tomatillos etc. in a blender.

-Roughly chop ½ a bunch of cilantro and add it to the blender with ½ tsp sea salt.

-Carefully begin blending the mixture, starting slow so that the hot liquid doesn’t splash you.

-Puree until mostly smooth, about 30 seconds, and then put the salsa in a bowl.

-Finely chop the remaining onion half and another ½ bunch of cilantro and stir in.

-Taste for salt.

Eggplant Sub Sandwiches

-Preheat your oven's broiler.

-Halve and slice 1-2 eggplants the long way into ¼ inch slices.

-Brush eggplant slices with olive oil, and place them on a baking sheet or broiling pan.

-Place the pan about 6 inches from the heat source.

-Cook under the broiler for 10 minutes, or until tender and toasted.

-Split 4 French rolls lengthwise and toast.

-In a cup or small bowl, stir together a scant ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil and 2 cloves of garlic put through a garlic press.

-Spoon this mixture onto the toasted bread.

-Cut up 2 tomatoes, pluck 20 basil leaves off the stem and crumble ½ cup feta cheese.

-Fill the rolls with eggplant slices, tomato, feta cheese and basil leaves.

-Serves 4.

Eggplant Bolognese

-Peel 2 medium eggplant or use 3 long thin eggplants (with out peeling them) and then chop into ½ inch pieces.

-Soak eggplant in icewater for 10 minuets, then pat dry with a kitchen towel.

-Finely chop the following:

1 onion

Some peppers (red, pimento or Shisito, you want about ½ cup chopped)

-In a Dutch oven or large pot with a lid, heat 6 TBS extra virgin olive oil or ghee over medium-high.

-Add eggplant; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes.

-Transfer to a bowl; set aside.

-Then add 1 pound ground beef to the pan, stirring and breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, 5-6 minutes.

-Remove meat from pan and add to the bowl with the eggplant.

-Add 2 more TBS olive oil to pan; reduce heat to medium.

-Add onion, pepper and garlic.

-Season with sea salt and pepper.

-Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened, 7 to 10 minutes.

-Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for pasta.

-Make a big X on the bottom of 1 pound of tomatoes.

-Place the tomatoes in a glass bowl, then cover with boiling water and let sit for 5 minutes.

-Run the tomatoes under cool water and carefully peel.

-Chop the tomatoes then add to the meat.

-Add the following to the sauce:

1 TBS dried oregano

The eggplant/meat

-Season with sea salt and pepper.

-Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low.

-Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thick and eggplant is tender, about 25 minutes.

-Meanwhile, cook 1 pound linguine until al dente, according to package instructions.

-Drain; serve topped with sauce and some shaved Parmesan cheese if desired.

Edamame and Corn Salad

-Take the pods off of 1 bunch of edamame.

-Then shell the pods, this may take awhile.

-Finely chop 1-2 leeks.

-Chop 1 green or 3 yellow peppers into a small dice.

-Take the kernels off of 3-4 ears of sweet corn.

-Sauté the shelled edamame and chopped leeks in 1 TBS olive oil for a minute or two.

-Add the chopped pepper and the corn and sauté until vegetables are just tender, about 5-7 minutes.

-Stir in 2 cloves or garlic put through a garlic press and remove from heat.

-Spoon vegetable mixture into a bowl.

-Chop up ½ a bunch of cilantro.

-Stir in chopped cilantro, ½ tsp salt and some freshly ground black pepper.

-Finely chop 1-2 jalapeno peppers and give a good stir.

-Top with ½ cup crumbled feta cheese and chill until ready to serve.

 

Easy Stacked Eggplant or Summer Squash Parmigiano

You could also make this recipe with summer squash or a mix of both.

-Cut 2 eggplants into ¼ inch slices (you want to end up with 18 slices).

-Pour 2-3 TBS olive oil on to a large baking sheet and rub it on each eggplant slice to lightly coat both sides.

-Cook the eggplant in the oven for 15-20 minutes or so until the eggplant is lightly browned.

-Take the skins off of 3-4 tomatoes by cutting a big X on the bottom of each tomato and soaking it in boiling water for 5 minutes. Then peel from the bottom up.

-Blend the tomatoes with a pinch of oregano and 2 cloves of garlic until smooth.

-Thinly slice 4 ounces of mozzarella and then break each slice into 2 inch size pieces (you want to end up with 12 pieces).

-Place 6 slices of eggplant on a nonstick baking sheet and top each slice with a tsp of the tomato sauce spread in a thin layer.

-Place a piece of mozzarella in the center of each slice and then top with another eggplant slice.

-Repeat with the tomato sauce and the cheese, again covering with another slice of eggplant.

-Top with the remaining sauce.

-Let the stacks rest for 30 minutes before cooking.

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake the eggplant 20 minutes.

-Remove from oven and sprinkle with each stack with some grated Parmesan cheese.

-Let the stacks rest 3 minutes before serving.

Easy Stacked Eggplant and Ronde de Nice Parmigiano

-Preheat oven to 425.

-Cut 2 eggplants and 2 large Ronde de Nice squash into ¼ inch slices.

-Pour 2-3 TBS olive oil on to a large baking sheet and dip each eggplant or squash slice to lightly coat both sides.

-Cook the vegetables in the oven for 15 minutes or so until the eggplant is lightly browned.

-Take the skins off of 4-5 tomatoes by cutting a big X on the bottom of each tomato and soaking it in boiling water for 5 minutes. Then peel from the bottom up.

-Blend the tomatoes with a pinch of oregano and 2 cloves of garlic until smooth.

-Thinly slice 6 ounces of mozzarella and then break each slice into 2 inch size pieces (you want to end up with 12 pieces).

-Place 6 slices of eggplant on a nonstick baking sheet and top each slice with a tsp of the tomato sauce spread in a thin layer.

-Place a piece of mozzarella in the center of each slice and then top with a squash slice.

-Repeat with the tomato sauce and the cheese, covering with another slice of eggplant.

-Top with the remaining sauce.

-Let the stacks rest for 30 minutes before cooking.

-Preheat oven to 425 degrees again. Bake the stacks for 20-25 minutes.

-Remove from oven and sprinkle with each stack with some grated Parmesan cheese.

-Let the stacks rest 3 minutes before serving.

Easy Peanut Sauce with Sautéed Greens

Serve over or sautéed bok choy, turnip or beet greens, kale or chard.

To make the peanut sauce, put 3 heaping TBS of unsweetened peanut butter into a small saucepan over medium heat.

-Add 1 tsp red or green Thai curry or chili paste.

-Open a can of coconut milk and add a splash to the peanut butter/chili mixture. Stir over low hear until incorporated.

-Then add half of the can of coconut milk, 1 clove of chopped garlic, 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp rice wine vinegar and stir until smooth.

-Serve this sauce over top of the cooked greens.

 

To make the greens, heat 2 TBS olive oil or ghee in a large pan. 

-Add 1 bunch chopped greens.

-When the greens are wilted, about 5-7 minutes, taste for salt and add a tiny pinch of red pepper flakes.

Easy Tomato Sauce

-Take the skins off of 6-8 tomatoes by cutting a big X on the bottom of each tomato and submerging them in boiling water for 5 minutes.

-Peel each tomato from the bottom up, then chop them into chunks.

-Heat 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil in a medium saucepan.

-Put 2 cloves of garlic through a press, then add to the hot oil, stirring for 1 minute.

-Add the tomatoes.

-Finely chop up ¼ bunch of fresh parsley or a large handful of basil and then add it to the tomatoes.

-Season with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and some red pepper flakes if desired.

-Serve with pasta (Linguini? Orchetta?) and some good quality grated Parmesan cheese.

 

 

Easy Arugula Salad

Arugula tends to bruise or wilt very easily, hence this simple vinegar free preparation keeps the leaves tender and nutty. It is best to eat arugula within a day or two of receiving it.

-Leaving the rubber band on, swish 1-2 bunches of arugula gently in cold water. 

-Shake the bunch dry and then chop the arugula into I inch segments, discarding the stems and rubber band.

-Spin the leaves dry in a salad spinner and place in a serving bowl.

-Press 1 garlic clove through a garlic press.

-Stir into 2 TBS olive oil.

-Gently toss the arugula with the garlic oil along with a pinch of sea salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper.

-Serve with slices of fresh lemon along side what ever is for dinner.

Deborah Madison’s Cream of Broccoli Soup

-In a soup pot, heat ¼ cup water or stock and 1 TBS unsalted butter until the butter is melted.

-Add 3 cloves of chopped garlic.

-Cook covered, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.

-When tender, stir in the following:

4½ cups stock

1½ cups white wine

1 large head of broccoli (Cut into florets and with the stem peeled and diced)

-Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

-Puree in small batches and return to the soup pot.

-Stir in the following:

½ cup heavy cream or half-and-half.

3 TBS butter

1/8 tsp ground white pepper

½ tsp sea salt

-Serve warm.

 

 

Dandelion Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

-Cut 1 bunch dandelion greens into 1inch lengths and transfer to a large bowl. 
-Cook 5 slices of bacon in a large heavy skillet until golden and crisp, then transfer to a cutting board, reserving fat in skillet. Finely chop bacon. 
-Whisk together 2 TBS of onions, 1½ TBS cider vinegar, ¼ tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper in a small bowl. 
-Then whisk in 3 tablespoons hot bacon fat. 
-Toss greens with enough warm dressing to coat and sprinkle with bacon.  Serve immediately.

Dandelion Greens with Hot Olive Oil Dressing

-Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking.
-Then add 3 cloves fresh garlic thinly sliced lengthwise and 1/3 cup sliced almonds, stirring frequently, until golden, about 2 minutes. 
-Add½ cup golden raisins and cook, stirring, until garlic is golden and raisins are plumped, about 1 minute. 
-Remove from heat and add 2 TBS Sherry vinegar, ½ tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper, stirring until combined. 
-Cut 1 bunch of dandelion greens into 1 inch pieces and place in a salad bowl.
-Pour hot dressing over top, tossing with tongs to coat.