Green Bean Salad with Cilantro and Soy-Glazed Almonds

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-Place ¼ cup whole almonds in small nonstick skillet.

-Stir over medium heat until almonds are lightly toasted, about 5 minutes.

-Increase heat to medium-high.

-Add 2 tsp soy sauce and stir until soy sauce evaporates and coats almonds, about 1 minute.

-Transfer to plate and cool. Chop almonds and set aside.

-Trim the tips from 1 pound green beans and them cut into 1-inch pieces.

-Cookin a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 4 minutes.

-Drain. Rinse beans under ice-cold water. Pat dry.

-In a large bowl, whisk together the following:

2 TBS rice vinegar

1 tsp extra virgin oil

2 large garlic cloves put through a press

1 TBS minced peeled fresh ginger

1 more tsp soy sauce

-Add beans and toss to coat.

-Sprinkle 1/3 cup fresh chopped cilantro leaves and almonds over salad and serve.

Green Bean and Hazelnut Salad

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-Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in middle.

-Toast ¼ cup hazelnuts in a small baking pan 15 to 20 minutes.

-Cool to warm, than rub off any loose skins in a kitchen towel. Coarsely chop nuts.

-Cook 1 pound beans in a 6-quart pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes.

-Run under very cold water and pat dry.

-In a large bowl, whisk together the following:

2 tsp grainy mustard

1½ tsp Balsamic vinegar

1/8 tsp sea salt

-Then whisk in:

4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp hazelnut oil

-Add the beans and the hazelnuts and toss well.

-Season with salt and pepper.

Greek Salad with Orzo and Black Eyed Peas

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-Cook ¾ cup orzo according to package instructions.

-Drain in a sieve and then rinse under cold water until cool. Drain well.

-Peel 2 cucumbers, than cut them in half the long way and seed.

-Chop each half into 4 pieces the long way, then chop into small chunks.

-Place in a strainer, add a large pinch of salt and toss, letting the cucumbers drain over the sink until you need them.

-Rinse and drain 1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas.

-In a large bowl, toss black-eyed peas with the following:

2 diced tomatoes or ½ basket of Sungold cherry tomatoes

2 TBS red-wine or Balsamic vinegar

1 TBS extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper

-Marinate, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes.

-Rinse the cucumbers well and then set aside and let drip dry a little.

-In a large bowl, toss together the cooked orzo and drained cucumbers.

-Add in the following and stir well:

2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup pitted and slivered Kalamata olives

3 cloves of chopped garlic

1 tsp lemon zest

2 TBS fresh lemon juice

A pinch of dried oregano

1/4 sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper

-Serve the 2 salads layered on top of each other with some crumbled feta cheese.

Greek Salad

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-In a large salad bowl combine the following:

2 cucumbers or lemon cucumbers (peeled and de-seeded)

2-3 tomatoes

Half a pint of Sungold cherry tomatoes.

1/3 cup pitted and chopped Kalmata olives

-Gently toss and add the following:

2 TSP freshly squeezed lemon juice (or 2 TBS Balsamic vinegar)

2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

½ tsp dried oregano

1 clove finely minced garlic

Sea salt

-Toss again and then top with 6 oz crumbled sheep's milk feta cheese.

Golden Crusted Brussels Sprouts

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From Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Cooking.

-Snap the Brussels sprouts off of the stem.

-Trim the ends of the sprouts a little if they need it.

-Cut each sprout in half.

-Heat 1 TBS of olive oil in a large skillet.

-Place the sprouts in the pan, flat side down.

-Sprinkle with a couple of pinches of salt, cover and cook for 5 minutes.

-Once they are just tender, uncover and turn up the heat and cook until deep brown and caramelized.

-Toss them once or twice to get them brown all over.

-Season with more salt, a few grind of pepper and a dusting of grated cheese-smoked gouda, Parmesan or Sharp white cheddar would be nice.

 

Golden Cabbage Wedges

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Serves 2 to 4 depending on size of cabbage and appetite of people.

-Preheat the oven to 400°F.

-Cut 1 head cabbage into halves, then quarters, then eighths. There is no need to remove the core.

-Place the cabbage wedges on the prepared baking sheet.

-Drizzle with 1-2 TBS extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with Celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

-Insert in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the bottom layers are golden brown in places.

Golden Beets and Carrots tossed with Garlic, Toasted Walnuts and Chevre

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-Cut the tops off of 1 bunch of golden beets.

-Steam the beets whole for 20-25 minutes.

-Peel 1 bunch of carrots then cut into 2-inch pieces.

-Add the carrots to the beets and steam for another 10 minutes until both the beets and carrots are soft.

-Drain off the water, and slip the beet skins under running water.

-Cut each beet into 6 large wedge shaped pieces.

-Chop 1/4 cup of walnuts or pecans.

-Place in a skillet lightly toast in a skillet for a few minutes, being careful not to burn them. Set aside.

-Melt about 1-2 TBS of butter in a large sauté pan.

-Squeeze 2 cloves of garlic through a press and add to the pan.

-Sauté for about 1-2 minutes and then add the beet and carrot pieces.

-Toss gently and cook for about 2 minutes more.

-Remove from heat and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt.

-Add a few TBS of crumbled chevre goat cheese and the toasted nuts.

-Serve warm.

 

Golden Beet and Carrot Soup

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-Peel and cube 1 bunch of golden beets.

-Wash and then dice up 4-5 carrots.  

-Chop up 1 onion or 1 leek. 

-Mince up 4 TBS of fresh ginger

-Finely grate 1 TBS of lemon peel.

-Melt 2 TBS butter with 2 TBS olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

-Add the beets, carrots and onions/leeks to the butter along with the ginger and the lemon peel. 

-Cover and cook 15 minutes.

-Add 4 cups of broth and bring to a boil.

-Cover, reduce heat and simmer until beets are very tender, about ½ hour.

-Remove from heat and let stand 20 minutes. 

-Puree soup in blender until smooth.

-Return to pot, add 1 TBS fresh lemon juice and thin with more broth if desired. 

-Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

 

 

Goat Cheese with Olives, Lemon and Thyme

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-In a small saucepan, heat ½ cup assorted olives, 3 fresh thyme sprigs, 3 TBS extra-virgin olive oil, ½ tsp grated lemon zest and ¼ tsp black pepper over low heat until fragrant (do not simmer).
-Cool to room temperature.
-Cut 1 log of chevre style goat cheese into ½ inch rounds.  
-Spoon the olive mixture over the cheese and serve.

Glazed Garlicky Green Beans

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This recipes works well for both Roma and green beans.

-Wash, trim and cut 3/4 pound of beans into 3-inch lengths.

-To make the stir-fry sauce add the following together in a small bowl:

¼ cup soy sauce

3 TBS sake

1½ TBS sugar

½ cup water

-Stir to dissolve sugar.

-Set aside.

-Heat 1½ TBS ghee or extra virgin olive oil in a wok until very hot.

-Add 4 cloves of finely chopped garlic and stir-fry over high for about 15 seconds.

-Add beans and stir-fry over high heat for about 1 minute.

-Add sauce mixture and heat until boiling.

-Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes.

-Uncover, increase heat to high and cook stirring occasionally until sauce is reduced to a glaze and beans are just tender.

-Serve hot or at room temperature or even cold the next day.

 

Ginger, Watermelon Radish and Carrot Salad

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-In a large bowl, whisk together theh following:

2 TBS minced fresh ginger

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

2 tsp olive oil

1 TBS rice wine vinegar

1 TBS soy sauce

-Grate 1 bunch of carrots and 1 watermelon radish.

-Toss the vegetables in the bowl with the vinaigrette and season to taste with sea salt and pepper.

-Serve cold or at room temperature.

 

Ginger Broccolini

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-Wash 1 bunch of broccolini.

-Cut off about ½ inch of the bottom and peel off any tough skin.

-Cut each stem in half.

-Boil a large pot of salted water. Add the broccolini and cook uncovered until crisp-tender, 3 minutes, then drain.

-Heat 3 TBS extra virgin olive oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate high heat until hot but not smoking.

-Add 2 TBS minced ginger and 2 cloves chopped garlic, stirring for 15 seconds.

-Add broccolini and ½ tsp sea salt and sauté until just tender, about 2 minutes.

Garlic Scape Pesto

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-Wash 4 or 5 scapes, then cut 2 inches off of the very end of the flower bud.

-Chop the scapes into pieces, then add to a blender container.

-Puree with ½ cup extra virgin olive oil in a blender until smooth.

-Then add 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese and 1 TBS fresh lemon juice.

-Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.

-Serve on bread, crackers, or toss with pasta.

 

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

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-Chop 1.5 pounds of unpeeled potatoes into 1-inch chunks.

-Crush 2-3 cloves of garlic with the back of a chef’s knife.

-Take the skins off.

-Add the potatoes and garlic to a medium sized saucepan and cover with water.

-Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until very tender, about 20 minutes.

-Drain, and then return the potatoes to the pan.

-Mash well.

Heat together the following in a small sauce pan over medium heat:

1 cup whole milk

4-6 TBS good butter

1/2 tsp sea salt

Some freshly ground black pepper

-Add the hot liquid then stir well to incorporate everything.

-Taste for salt and serve warm.

 

Garlic Braised Bok Choy

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-Separate the leaves from 1 bunch of bok choy.

-Cut the stems into thin strips and roughly chop the leaves, keeping them separate.

-Heat 2 TBS roasted peanut oil in a large skillet.

-Add the bok choy stalks and stir-fry over medium high heat for 2 minutes.

-Add 6 cloves of finely chopped fresh garlic and stir-fry 2 minutes longer.

-Add the bok choy greens, 1-cup chicken or vegetable stock and salt to taste.

-Cover, reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes.

-Remove the cover and raise the heat again, simmering briskly until the excess liquid has evaporated, about 3-4 minutes.

Garlic and Rutabaga Mashed Potatoes

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-Cut up 1 pound of potatoes into 1-inch chunks.

-Peel about ½ a rutabaga (you want about 2 cups) and cut into 1-inch chunks.

-Unpeel 3-5 cloves of garlic, leaving them whole.

-Add all of the above to a medium sized saucepan and cover with water.

-Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until very tender, about 20-25 minutes.

-Drain, and then return the vegetables to the pan.

-Mash a few times, then add ½ cup half and half, a pinch of salt and some pepper.

 

Garlic Aioli

-Put 2 cloves of garlic into a blender.

-Blend until well chopped.

-Add the following:

1 egg

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

A pinch of sea salt

-Blend on high 15 seconds.

-Add another ¾ cup olive oil in a light steady stream until all is incorporated.

-Then add the following:

3 TBS fresh lemon juice

A pinch of sugar

-Blend until well incorporated.

-Store in the fridge for up 1 week.

 

 

 

 

Frizzled Leeks

-Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

-Cut 2-3 leeks in half the long way leaving most of the greens and clean them thoroughly under running water.

-Slice the leeks lengthwise into long thin strips (not rounds).

-Heat 2 TBS olive oil in a large skillet and fry the leeks for 5 minutes over medium high heat, stirring frequently.

-Transfer the leeks to a baking pan, spread them out and bake for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes until done.

-Watch them closely so they don’t burn, but they should get very crispy.

-Sprinkle with salt and let cool.

-Serve the leeks as a side or crumbled on to salad or soup, they taste a lot like onion rings.

 

 

Fried Sweet Peppers With Balsamic Vinegar

This easy side dish is delicious served along with roasted meats or sausages.

-Wash and dry 4-5 sweet peppers, then remove the seeds, stems and membranes.

-Cut the peppers into 1 inch strips.

-Heat 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil in a large heavy bottomed skillet and add the peppers, stirring well to coat.

-Cook the peppers over medium heat until they begin to soften and brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes.

-Add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook another minute or two until fragrant.

-Add 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Mix well.

-Cook another 3 to 4 minutes until the peppers have absorbed all of the vinegar.