This tart can work as a starter or the main course. You could even work it into a dessert, and serve it with an ice cream or sorbet. The recipe is flexible owing to the fact that you can cut the pastry bases to any size you wish. Use a cookie cutter to form many small ones for a party, or just roll out a whole sheet of puff pastry and make one large one for a family style meal. This recipe is four 4 individual ones around 4 inches across.
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The mild heat and earthy funk of radishes is contrasted with flavors usually associated with sweets. The radish reminds me of turnips, and I love to glaze turnips, so that is how this came about. Be sure not to overcook the radishes in the water or you wind up with too much “funk”, and mush to boot.
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There are many different methods for making basil infused oil, but I find this one works really well. It produces a deeply colored and flavored oil that will last in the refrigerator for 3-5 days before the flavor begins to drop off. It can be frozen for a month or two without much loss of flavor, but be sure to wrap it closely once frozen. Use this as a garnish, or as a flavoring. Try smearing a little across a plate when you want a subtle basil aroma and flavor, or add drops onto dishes for small intense burst of basil flavor. Although the recipe calls for olive oil, save the intense Tuscan Extra Virgin oils for something else, or the basil will be overwhelmed.
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One of the traditional renditions of pasta with pesto is a Genovese iteration that includes filet beans and tiny potatoes. Here is a de-constructed version of that dish, minus the pasta. Using Sangre potatoes here will make for a very colorful dish, but other types of waxy potatoes would work as well.
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I was fishing for recipes at our family reunion and my auntie gave me this easy soup recipe. She says it is a big hit with her household. Instead of using canned beans, try it with your braised cranberry shelling beans or other white beans.
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At this time last week I was in a Bavarian-themed tourist town called Leavenworth, on the eastern side of the Cascades in Washington State. I was there as a speaker for a session at the second International Organic Fruit Symposium.
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This dressing is good for when you have strong elements in a salad and you want a foil for them, such as spinach salads or salads with beans or green beans like the Provence Inspired salad which has spinach and filet beans. Use a mild honey, and even though it says “honey” in the title, I cut the honey with agave syrup.
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I’m a big fan of coleslaw, and this is one of the best I’ve tasted. My friend Elaine’s passion is her art, and she’d much rather be in the studio with her clay than in the kitchen. This means she prefers streamlined cooking, but she also likes things that taste good. This is an example. She took the original recipe and cut back the mayo and sugar so the slaw is lighter. I think if you had a dictionary with definitions you could taste, this would be what you’d find for “coleslaw, with mayonnaise dressing”. Essential, flavorful, it exalts cabbage.
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INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch carrots, peeled and cut “roll cut” (cut at 45° angle, then roll carrot a quarter-turn and cut again) ¼ small white onion, minced ½ tablespoon sugar ½ bunch cilantro, stems separated from leaves, reserved 1 clove garlic, peeled and crackedContinue reading »
Steve’s off at an organic fruit growers’ conference in Leavenworth, Washington this week, so I’m holding down the fort and hoping to get through the week with no major emergencies (like the broken mainline irrigation pipe last week).
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INGREDIENTS:
2 ounces pancetta, cut into inch long pieces or ¼ inch dice if you can get sliced to order 1 head cauliflower, separated into florets, florets sliced in half ¼ cup + 1/3rd cup orange juice 1 red onion 2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise across the widthContinue reading »
Here’s a riff on Pommes Boulangère, the classic French potato dish named for the fact that it was cooked in the bread baker’s oven after all the bread was done and the ovens were cooling. Desiree potatoes are called for in the recipe, but really any waxy potato will do such as Yukon Golds, Yellow Finns, Romanze, Sangre, etc. I think adding the chard brightens the dish and the potatoes can mellow the earthiness sometimes found in chard. This is another dish for your Ben-Riner or mandolin.
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I love mint, so this was a natural progression. I think pistachios are better than pinenuts with mint, and almonds work well also. You could use either one, but I like the mixture. I prefer to use a mortar and pestle for my pesto, both for flavor/texture, and because it is hard to do smaller batches in a food processor. Both methods are given , but I hope you will try the mortar and pestle method.
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A variation on the theme of summer squash and mint, this came about on the fly with some of the leftover pesto I had used with halibut the night before. This pesto is great with fish, on sandwiches, and with chicken, and makes a nice pasta, especially with shrimp and lemon added in.
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Onions are usually relegated to supporting roles in cooking, and I am always trying to find ways to make them the “star”. The inspiration for this came from a Silver Spoon cookbook, and this recipe definitely does that. Like onions in recipes, this dish could go with most anything. It is a little sweet, a little savory, without being “oniony”. The onion shows various shades of purple, and the shape of the wedges lend themselves to nice arrangements on the plate. If you like onions in the least, try this dish. It doesn’t hurt that it is quite easy. The hardest part is peeling the onions. Be sure to use a sharp knife for this. This dish is popular with kids.
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The uncut turnips reminded me of eggs, the fluffy kale the nest. Sweet maple syrup with the slightly sharp turnips and the tart vinegar with the earthy kale and turnip greens (if you get them) combine to make a complex sweet and sour dish of humble origins. Try playing with the vinegars and sweeteners for variations to match other dishes in the meal.
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Turnips are a root vegetable commonly associated with potatoes or beets, but their closest relatives are radishes and arugula, which are also members of the mustard family. They are packed with Vitamin C.
We offer purple-top turnips and Tokyo turnips.
Purple top turnips are a larger variety.
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This recipe was recommended by one of our members as an easy way to make delicious turnips. It is adapted from her ayurvedic cookbook. It is to be served with rice or other grains.
INGREDIENTS:
2 tsp oil 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds 1 small onion 1 tsp minced garlic 8 cups turnips peeled and cubed 1/4 cup water 1/2 tsp turmeric 1 tsp sea salt cayenne pepper to taste 1 tsp maple syrupMETHOD:
Heat oil in a large pot on medium high. Add cumin seeds and let sizzle for 30 seconds. Add onions and saute for 4-5 minutes until golden. Add garlic and ginger and saute for one minute. Add turnips, water, turmeric, salt and cayenne. Toss to mix. Reduce heat to medium. Cover with lid and cook for 30-40 minutes until turnips are soft. Add more liquid if needed. Add maple syrup and mash. Season to taste.
