Harmonized Cookery

Get Creative With One Ingredient

2012-02-08T14:51:00.000-05:00

In my last post, I explored how sweet potatoes can become healthy desserts. This delicious vegetable, which is rich in beta carotene to promote healthy skin and keen eyesight, also offers a wide array of anti-oxidant plant compounds that ease digestion and reduce intestinal inflammation.

When you purchase a few pounds of sweet potatoes, try to prepare a few different dishes with them. This practice will reveal how versatile one vegetable can be when combined with various spices and other ingredients. Savor this rooting, warming food as winter's coldest full moon wanes its way into spring.

Sweet Potato Spread

Chop one large sweet potato into ¼ inch cubes.

Place in stock pot, cover with water, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil.

Boil for 10 minutes or until cubes are tender when poked with a fork.

Drain water and place boiled sweet potatoes in food processor

Add:

¼ cup olive oil

½ teaspoon each: cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg, cardamom

2 teaspoons salt

You can also add 1 Tablespoon almond butter or ¼ cup fresh ground almonds if desired

Blend at highest speed for 2 minutes.

Serve and enjoy with oatmeal, on toast, or by itself as a snack.Garnish with chives if you like.

Sancocho de Habichuelas Rojas – Dominican Sweet and Sour Red Bean Stew

Soak 2 cups kidney beans in water overnight. Rinse, drain, and boil in 5 cups water until tender (about 35 minutes). You can also buy 1 can cooked kidney beans. I like Eden Organic salt-free brand.

While beans are cooking, prepare these vegetables:

1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced

2 medium sweet potatoes, skin on, rinsed and cubed

2 medium gold potatoes, skin on, rinsed and cubed

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ bunch fresh parsley, chopped

Set aside.

Coat the bottom of a soup pot with 4 Tablespoons vegetable oil (I like olive or sunflower).

Add onion, reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

When onion is translucent, add sweet potatoes and potatoes. Increase heat to high and sear the vegetables for 5 minutes, until their surfaces turn golden.

Reduce heat to low and add:

2 teaspoons salt

1 Tablespoon each: dried thyme and coriander powder

½ Tablespoon dried oregano

1 Tablespoon lemon or lime juice

1 can crushed tomatoes (I like Muir Glen) or 3 large whole tomatoes (when in season)

½ cup water

Mix well and simmer for ½ hour. Add garlic and parsley, simmer for 5 more minutes, and enjoy! Keeps in fridge for 5 days.

Simple, Healthy Dessert

2012-01-28T21:01:00.004-05:00

In the cold of winter, the soothing warmth of sweet vegetables eases my day. After sifting through seed packets and organizing the planting of peas, kale, cucumbers and winter squash for the upcoming spring, my neighbor and I remembered something: we want to try to grow sweet potatoes! Even in this cold Vermont climate, we have hope that a long-season tuber can flourish.

After such excitement, I started experimenting with the different ways to eat sweet potatoes. The first one is a fabulous dessert. Its rich flavor is astounding compared with the simplicity of its ingredients.

Try it out and stay tuned for more recipes such as: South American Sweet Potato Avocado Ceviche; Italian Sweet Potato Frittata; Indonesian Sweet Potato Coconut Tempeh; Sweet Potato Pesto Corn Biscuits; Dominican Kidney Bean Sweet Potato Stew

Chocolate Sweet Potato Bites

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Rinse a sweet potato, poke it a few times with a fork, and place it in a baking dish.

Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.

Turn off oven.

Cut sweet potato open lengthwise, but do not cut it all the way through so that you can close it back up.

Spoon 2-3 heaping spoonfuls of coconut oil into the center.

Sprinkle in: 2 teaspoons cinnamon powder; 1 teaspoon cardamom powder

Add a handful of chocolate chips (I like Sunspire grain-sweetened ones). If you prefer to avoid chocolate, choose unsweetened carob chips.

Close it up and return it to the oven for 5 minutes so that everything melts.

Take out the treat, slice it length-wise into slices approximately 2 inches wide.

Place little slices on a plate and enjoy! I think it's like chocolate pudding from heaven! Each slice will freeze well.

Bake pie for comfort and community

2012-01-15T17:24:00.005-05:00

The cold reminds me to keep warm, tend to my home, and remember to rest as the animals do. To honor this hibernation time, make space in your day to slow down and bake a pie.

When we cook, we gain the opportunity to connect with the ingredients that will nourish us. As we peel fruits and vegetables, knead dough, and smell spices, our senses awaken to the delight of the delicious food to come. Use your imagination!

By baking this pie, you create a whole meal, which is ready to be sliced and shared with friends and family. As we eat together, we remember the importance of community. Take time to sit down for dinner with others. Silently savor the flavors for a few moments. Talk about them together. Feel the support that can come from sharing food with companions. This connection can provide true nourishment.

Here's a simple pie crust recipe made with leftover grains.

Mix the following ingredients together:
2 cups whole grain spelt flour or rice flour
½ cup leftover brown rice, quinoa, millet or oatmeal
1 teaspoon salt

Make a well in the center of the bowl and add:
¼ cup water
¼ cup vegetable oil (I like organic sunflower oil)
1 egg
Incorporate all ingredients together and add a splash of water of needed. Dough needs to be firm enough that you can pick it up with your hands and shape it into a flat disc.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Grease a 9 inch cake or pie pan with vegetable oil.

Spread three quarters of the dough evenly into the bottom and along the sides of a 9 inch round pie or cake pan. Save one quarter to crumble over the top.

Pour filling into crust - see filling ideas below.

Use your fingers to spread the remaining dough over the top of the vegetables to make a crumble topping. It does not have to be perfect. Leave some air holes.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center tests clean.

Here are some ideas for fillings, both savory and sweet. You can include spices like thyme and garlic to strengthen immunity or ginger root and cinnamon to stimulate circulation.

>>Caramelized onions and collard greens

>>Roasted roots - try turnips, beets, and carrots

>>Steamed, pureed sweet potatoes with salt, pecans and 2 beaten eggs

>>Ground turkey cooked with braised kale, garlic, and thyme

>>Cooked pinto beans with cumin, corn and roasted butternut squash

>>Crimini mushrooms, celeriac and green cabbage sauteed in ghee

>>Coarsely chopped red apples tossed with cinnamon and maple syrup

To achieve a flaky crust, bake your pie at 425 degrees for the first 20 minutes and then lower oven temperature to 375 degrees for the next 20 to 30 minutes.

Questions? Contact me as you assemble your creation.

Enjoy!

Lymph-cleansing foods

2011-12-19T08:38:00.007-05:00

As winter sets in, it can be helpful to support healthy lymphatic function. Lymph is the colorless fluid containing white blood cells that bathes the tissues and releases toxins via the lymphatic system.

Lymphatic circulation enhances immunity by: draining waste associated with blood and cellular metabolism; reducing inflammation due to build-up in our connective tissues.

Simplifying your diet and increasing your intake of whole grains, fruits and vegetables will support lymphatic renewal. Spices and vegetables that cleanse the lymphatic system include fennel, coriander, fenugreek, kombu or kelp seaweed (Laminaria family), burdock, turnips, mustard, and horseradish.

Turnip soup with fennel and coriander

Cover the bottom of a soup pot with olive oil and slowly heat the oil as you are chopping onions.

Chop off top and bottom of two onions. Peel skin and slice in half width-wise.

Place two halves flat on cutting board and slice each one into thin crescent moons. Follow the ridges of the onion when chopping.

When oil is hot, add onions, stir briefly with spatula, turn burner down to medium-low, and cover.

Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add:

2 teaspoons salt

2 Tablespoons coriander powder

1 Tablespoon fennel seeds

Simmer for 15 more minutes.

Meanwhile, chop 4 turnips into small chunks.

Add turnips and 1 Tablespoon whole ground brown mustard.

Add enough water to cover vegetables. Bring both to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook with the lid on until vegetables are soft.

With an immersion blender or in an upright blender, puree soup. Taste for salt.

Pour soup into bowls and enjoy! You can garnish with fresh-chopped scallions.

Millet Fenugreek Bread

Fenugreek, Trigonella foeniculum graecum, is actually a legume native to Egypt and the Horn of Africa. Its bitter and pungent taste lends itself to the gentle sweetness of millet to create a delicious bread that also helps clear lymphatic congestion.

Dry toast 2 Tablespoons fenugreek seeds in a skillet.

In a mixing bowl, combine:

3 cups millet, freshly ground in a spice/coffee bean grinder OR 3 cups millet flour (I like Bob’s Red Mill brand)

1 ½ teaspoons salt

Add fenugreek seeds.

Make a well in the center and add:

1 egg OR 2 Tablespoons ground flax seeds

¼ cup olive oil

1 cup water

Whisk these ingredients together briefly, then incorporate with dry ones and mix until you achieve dough-like consistency. Knead with your hands for a few minutes then set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Grease 1 large baking sheet with vegetable oil.

Flour a large cutting board. Divide dough into eight parts.

Shape each piece of dough into a 2-inch disc. Place on baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.

Enjoy with soup for dinner or with scrambled eggs for breakfast.

Horseradish Carrot Spread

Chop two large carrots into ¼ inch rounds.

Place in stock pot, cover with water, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil.

Boil for 10 minutes or until carrots are tender when poked with a fork.

Drain water and place boiled carrots in blender.

Add:

¼ cup olive oil

1 Tablespoon horseradish root (freshly chopped or preserved in vinegar)

2 teaspoons salt

Blend at highest speed for 2 minutes.

Enjoy as a spread or dip for steamed vegetables.

Nori Rolls

These seaweed-wrapped creations are excellent appetizers and serve as a fun group project.

Wash and peel 3 long pieces of fresh burdock root. You can substitute celery, scallions, turnips, zucchini or daikon radish.

Slice each root in half length-wise.

Cover the bottom of a skillet with 2 inches water. Bring to a boil, add burdock, and cover.

Simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes, or until burdock is tender.

Open a package of nori wrappers.

Distribute a thin layer of carrot spread over 3/4 of a wrapper. Place a piece of burdock inside and roll: start with the burdock at one end and finish with the part that has no spread. Wet this end so that it will stick to the roll.

Slice each roll in half and enjoy!

If you like, you can make a dipping sauce by mixing:

2 Tablespoons tahini, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, and a bit of salt in a bowl.

Recipes for Peaceful Holidays

2011-11-28T11:51:00.000-05:00

Simplify your diet and ground yourself by cooking food ahead to have ready for yourself and your loved ones when you come home.

Quinoa “Stuffing”
You will need:
1 Cup Quinoa, Cooked

1 Cup Celery, Finely Chopped (about 4 stalks)

1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley, Minced

2 Carrots, Finely Chopped

1 Teaspoon each Salt and Black Pepper

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 Tablespoon Apple cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 egg

1 Tablespoon stone-ground brown mustard

Directions

Prepare quinoa: rinse well through a fine-mesh strainer. Combine 1 cup quinoa with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, add salt and black pepper. Cook for 15 minutes or until the water is gone. Set aside.

As quinoa cooks, chop vegetables. Add olive oil to skillet. Add onions and sauté on medium heat for 10 minutes.

Add carrots and celery. Sauté for 5 more minutes.

Turn off heat. Add quinoa, minced parsley, and vinegar.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8x8 baking dish with olive oil.

Whisk egg, mustard and 1/4 cup water together.

Place quinoa in baking dish. Pour egg mixture over it and bake for 15 minutes.

White bean or turkey stew with root vegetables
You will need:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
4 stalks celery OR 1 small celeriac root, chopped
1 turnip, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 yellow potato, chopped
1/2 pound grass-fed ground turkey OR one 12 oz. can organic, salt-free canellini beans
1 teaspoon each: rosemary, thyme, black pepper
4 cups beef OR vegetable stock
sea salt to taste
In a soup pot, sauté onion and garlic 1-2 minutes on medium heat.

Add celeriac/celery, turnip, carrots and potato and continue cooking 2-3 minutes.

In a separate frying pan, heat a small amount of oil and sauté the beans or ground turkey until lightly browned. Season with spices and sea salt.

Add to the soup pot with stock and salt.

Bring to a boil.

Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Savory Pumpkin Oatmeal Soup
You will need:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large pumpkin OR 1 can pumpkin puree
1 large onion, loosely diced
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1-inch knob of fresh ginger, chopped
1 tsp. each: cinnamon, cumin, coriander
1/4 tsp. each: nutmeg, cloves, allspice
3 c. water or broth
1 Tablespoon tahini (roasted sesame butter)
1 cup rolled oats
Salt and pepper to taste

Chop pumpkin into 6-8 sections. Scoop out the seeds and set them aside.

Place in a soup pot with 3 inches water. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and steam until soft.

Run cold water over it. Peel off the skin. Set aside.

Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep sautee pan.

Add onion and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat until onion is clear and soft.

Add steamed pumpkin. Sauté for 7-8 minutes or until ingredients turn golden brown.

Reduce heat to low, add garlic, and cook 10 more minutes, until vegetables are a caramel color.

In a separate soup pot, add 1 Tbsp. oil, ginger, and the spices. Sauté for 5 minutes on medium heat, until the spices are fragrant.

Add broth/water and vegetables to soup pot. Add tahini. Add oats.

Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, partially covered, until the pumpkin is tender.

Meanwhile, rinse pumpkin seeds and toast in a skillet with olive oil, cumin and coriander. Set aside.

Puree soup with immersion blender or mash with a potato masher.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds and serve.

Drinking Chocolate and Breakfast Spice

2011-11-06T10:50:00.000-05:00

Santa Fe is a food destination, and its pioneers are constantly inventing delightful combinations based on traditional ingredients. While walking the sunny city streets, watching locust leaves turn golden and clouds roll off the snow-capped Sangre De Cristo mountains, I noticed a shop I have never visited before: Kakawa Chocolate House.

Guadalupe Church
in Santa Fe

Stepping inside was like walking through time into a colorful and richly scented landscape in Oaxaca, Mexico. Altars honoring ancestors covered the mantle above the adobe fire place; purple, turquoise and gold depictions of the Virgen de Guadalupe made from thin silver adorned the white stucco walls. Without a moment of hesitation, I stepped up to the counter and started sampling their chocolate "elixirs", from pre-Colombian blends to modern European ones. Needless to say, cacao's unique flavor transported me to a euphoric place.

Drinking chocolate is simple to prepare as long as you have the correct ingredients. For a simple version, you will need 85 to 100% bitter dark chocolate and sweetner. These chocolatiers use agave nectar. You can choose maple syrup or honey if you prefer.

Drinking Chocolate:
On medium heat, melt 1 ounce of darkest chocolate in a small pot with 6 ounces of water.
Once chocolate is melted, whisk it briefly. Add 3 Tablespoons sweetener and a pinch of salt.

Altar at Kakawa

Kakawa crafts combinations such as: red chile and rose; damiana and cacao nibs; caramel and nutmeg.

I can't help but think that this incredible drink would combine well with the sweet and spicy flavors of Northern New Mexico. I am proven correct when I take local ingredients to bake a chile cornmeal muffin. I visit the farmers market, where bakers are making delicious breakfast treats while signing up visitors for cooking classes. I gather some simple staples: roasted green chiles, mesquite honey from the hills above Dixon, New Mexico, and cornmeal from the nearby town of Chimayo. When combined and transformed through the oven's alchemy, these foods create a delicious breakfast or snack. Try them with drinking chocolate to warm your soul on a chilly winter day.

Green Chile Cornmeal Muffins

Dry ingredients:
1 cup coarsely ground cornmeal
1 cup flour (rice, spelt, or whole wheat)
1 teaspoon each: baking powder and baking soda
pinch salt

Wet ingredients:
1/4 cup peeled, seeded and chopped green chiles (look for Hatch Green Chiles in a can if you cannot find fresh ones)
1/4 cup local honey
1 egg (or 2 Tablespoons ground flax seeds for a vegan version)
1/4 cup milk (almond, goat or cow milk)
1/2 cup oil (sunflower or olive oil)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
Make a well in the center, add the wet ingredients, and whisk them briefly.
Incorporate dry into wet and mix until just barely blended.

Pour into greased muffin tins or a loaf pan.
Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, or until edges are golden.
Enjoy!

Take a deep breath and savor the scent of your food before you taste it. Imagine how you can taste with your sense of sight and smell before you sample a dish with your tongue. This practice will help refine your palate to choose your own personal flavor combinations.

Pinto Beans, Chicos and Roasted Chiles

2011-10-31T13:21:00.000-04:00

Fall in New Mexico offers a delicious harvest. In this arid climate, local people have been growing beans and corn for centuries. The abundant desert sun also allows chile peppers, sweet yellow, mild green, and spicy red, to grow bountifully. Every Saturday, vendors from the nineteen Northern New Mexican Pueblos come the the Santa Fe Farmers Market to sell their produce.

I had the opportunity to talk with a farmer who had just threshed his crop of pinto beans, sweet corn, and chiles. As I sifted my fingers through the bushel basket of beans, he shared his wisdom about ways to cook the pintos so that they grow soft and digestible while maintaining their shape.

Here is my interpretation of his recipe for cooked pinto beans:

Chiles with chicos (left)
and pintos (right)

In a stockpot, place 1 cup of beans in 5 cups of boiling water; boil for 2–3 minutes, cover and set aside overnight. The next day, most of the indigestible sugars will have dissolved into the soaking water. Drain, and then rinse the beans thoroughly before cooking. Cook fresh beans for 30 minutes or dry beans for 50 minutes, skimming off any foam that rises to the top.

"We cook these beans with chicos", he told me, while opening a bag of smoked sweet corn for me to smell. The aroma, earthy and rich, tantalized my senses. I listened to his stories about the importance of preserving corn so that it lasts for the whole winter. First he described making chicos, sweet corn kernels smoked in their husks and dried in the sun.

Then, he detailed the way to make posole, corn soaked in lime water and ash. This process, known as nixtamalization, is essential for producing whole grain dishes such as posole and hominy as well as masa harina, the corn flour from which tortillas and tamales are made.
Soaking the corn keeps it from sprouting while in storage. In addition to preserving the grain as foodstuff, this process also affords several significant nutritional advantages over untreated maize products. It converts B vitamins into a form that the body can easily absorb. It also makes amino acids and calcium more readily available.

Both forms of alchemy allow the corn to last for many months while creating a flavorful and digestible variation on this starchy vegetable.

Even though you may not be able to find chicos outside of New Mexico, posole is more readily available. When you have a winter day to spend at home, try this recipe for Posole Stew. It will take about 6 hours to cook and the final flavor is well worth the wait.

1 pound prepared posole corn, well-rinsed

1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 cups water

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin
5 cups water, approximately

3-6 dried red chile pods, rinsed and crumbled
2 tablespoons salt                     

Place posole and 10 cups water in large stewing pot. Bring mixture to a boil at high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer posole for 5 hours. Add the remaining ngredients to posole and simmer for 1 hour.

Whether cooking beans with chicos or posole, many New Mexicans add freshly roasted green and red chiles. Their spicy sweetness lends even more depth to these traditional foods.

Beyond being staple foods of the pueblos in Northern New Mexico, beans and corn are both food and seed. Every time we save a kernel of corn or a bean, we create the possibility for another crop to grow next year. Beyond their capacity to nourish us with a balance of protein and carbohydrates, these delicious seeds also feed the soil with their bio-available abundance of nitrogen, phosphorous and calcium.

No wonder each pueblo offers gratitude for beans and corn in its traditional dances and speaks of their meaning in their creation stories. Make time to cook and savor the simple richness of these foods for yourself.

Roasted Chiles

Roasting Chiles

Harvest Moon Recipes

2011-10-12T08:33:00.003-04:00

This full moon also known as harvest moon, the hunters' moon, blood moon, and moon of first frost. The last squashes and hardy greens are coming from the garden as crimson and gold leaves cover the beds, mulching the soil as they decay.Take time to cook simple, warm, and nourishing soups and whole grains. Choose as few ingredients as possible. Let them speak for themselves as you savor their simplicity with each bite.

Pumpkin Paprika Soup

1 two-pound cooking pumpkin or Kabocha squash to yield 3 cups roasted pumpkin OR two cans of pumpkin purée

4 Tablespoons coconut oil OR butter

2 medium yellow onions, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth

¼ cup cream OR ½ can coconut milk

To make pumpkin purée, cut a Kabocha squash or pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds* (an ice cream scoop works well), and place face down on a greased baking sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees until soft, about 45 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes then scoop out the flesh.

Freeze whatever you don't use for future use.

*You can save the seeds, rinse them, coat them in salt, olive oil, cumin and coriander and toast them on a cookie sheet for 15 minutes. They are a delicious snack or a lovely soup garnish.

Meanwhile, chop vegetables for the soup.

When pumpkin/squash is ready, melt butter or coconut oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes.

Add all spices and stir briefly.

Add pumpkin purée. Add broth and water.

Mix well with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Working in batches, transfer soup to a blender or a food processor. Blend until smooth. Return the soup to the pot.

If you have an immersion blender, you can blend directly into the soup pot.

With soup on low heat, slowly add the cream or coconut milk, stirring to incorporate. Add salt to taste.

Serve with biscuits or cornbread.

Pumpkin: high in Vitamin A and fiber, this sweet, satisfying winter vegetable has a high carotenoid content, which lends an orange color and provides zinc to strengthen immunity and lutein to stave off free radicals that contribute to macular degeneration.

Kasha Biscuits

¾ cup cooked kasha (buckwheat groats)

¼ cup coconut oil OR butter
¼ cup ground flax seeds

¼ cup ground sunflower seeds
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon each: baking powder, baking soda, salt

Place ½ cup dry kasha (buckwheat groats) and 1 ½ cups water in a stock pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until kasha begins to thicken.

Stir vigorously until grain reaches porridge-like consistency. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Grind flax seeds then sunflower seeds in a spice/espresso bean grinder until they reach a flour-like consistency.

Place in a mixing bowl and add the coconut oil OR butter, cut into chunks.

Add spices, salt, baking powder and baking soda and mix well. Incorporate the cooled kasha and then the lemon juice.

Drop mix in heaping spoonfuls on a greased glad baking dish.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges have turned dark brown.

Kasha: also known as roasted buckwheat groats, this gluten-free whole grain contains all essential amino acids (eight proteins that the body cannot manufacture), provides a complete protein source, and soothes the nervous system.

Millet Cauliflower Casserole

Pour 1 cup millet into a cooking pot with 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and add 1 teaspoon each: turmeric, cumin, coriander, salt.

Cook with the lid askew, for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop one large yellow onion into crescents.

Coat the bottom of a deep skillet with olive oil, heat the oil, and add the onions. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and saute for 10 minutes, or until onions are translucent.

Rinse and chop 1 head cauliflower into bite-sized pieces.

Push onions to the edges of the skillet and add cauliflower.

Splash 2 Tablespoons lemon juice or white wine over the cauliflower, cover, and sauté for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally and add a splash of water if vegetables are sticking to the skillet.

Once cauliflower is browned, incorporate with onions, turn off the burner and set aside.

Tend to your millet. Stir it as though you were cooking oatmeal. Add 3 Tablespoons olive oil.

Cook on low heat and stir occasionally until millet reaches thick consistency. Cook it long enough so that the grains break down but the mixture maintains a batter-like consistency. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Grease a 9x9 square glass baking dish. Assemble the casserole by starting and ending with a layer of millet. Alternate layers of millet and vegetables.

Bake for 20 minutes, until top has started to brown. Enjoy with grilled tempeh, chicken, or white beans and a bowl of soup.

Millet: gluten-free whole grain, rich in B vitamins and iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus; ideal for blood glucose control and weight management.

Warming Fall Foods

2011-10-02T14:50:00.003-04:00

Celebrate the creative order of autumn. This season offers an opportunity to simplify our busy lives, strengthen our bodies with warming foods, and tap into the creative flow that arises from grounding and centering ourselves.

Try to take three deep breaths, in and out, before you eat a meal. Let go. Embrace the present moment. I try to remind myself that 'I am here, nourishing my whole being'.

Fall foods are sweet, earthy, and cooked longer. Focus on soups, roasted root vegetables, rice, and your favorite fats such as butter, olive oil, sunflower oil and coconut oil.

Try these recipes to strengthen your body and warm your spirit. Both recipes include immune boosting herbs.

Spiced Tea - based on a chai recipe

Tea Spices

Spice measurements can be approximated.

1/2 gallon water

12 whole cloves

20 cardamom pods

20 black peppercorns

4 cinnamon sticks

6 inches fresh ginger root, chopped
pinch salt

Astragalus root slices

2 Tablespoons astragalus root

4 reishi mushroom slices

Boil spices in water for 10-15 minutes. You can save some of this tea in the freezer if you like.

If you are ready to serve it, add 1/3 cup milk (cow, almond, or rice) and raw honey to taste. For a caffeinated version, add 2-3 Tablespoons black tea or 4 tea bags (try English Breakfast). Enjoy!

Chicken Stock

Place leftover bones and skin from a chicken into a large stock pot and cover with cold water.

Coarsely chop and add vegetables: 2-3 stalks celery, 1-2 onions, 2-3 carrots. Add 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

You can also add 2 inches fresh ginger root to make a warming, spicy stock.

Reishi mushrooms

Feel free to add 2 Tablespoons each astragalus root and reishi mushroom slices to enhance the immune boosting properties of the stock.

Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to bring the stock to barely a simmer. Simmer, partially covered, for 2 hours or so.

Remove the bones and strain the stock.

Save the vegetables, puree them in a blender with olive oil and artichoke hearts, and eat as a spread on bread.

You can store the stock in the refrigerator for 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Use the stock to cook rice, kale, or make soup.

Another Recipe from Sage Mountain

2011-09-19T08:24:00.000-04:00

As Autumn Equinox approaches, I have the privilege of spending days at Sage Mountain Herbal Retreat Center to cook for herbalism students.

Last night's meal culminated in a spontaneous dessert creation. A student brought a beautiful winter squash from her garden to share with everyone. We cooked it into a squash custard. The simple richness of its fall flavors delighted everyone! Give it a try.

Squash Custard

Choose pumpkin or butternut squash.

Chop it, scoop out the seeds and save some if you would like to plant them next spring.

Place chopped pieces, skin on, in a metal steamer. Fill the bottom of the steamer with water, bring to a boil, reduce to low, and steam for 15 minutes or until squash is soft.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease a 9-inch round or square glass baking pan with oil.

Once squash is soft, remove from steamer and rinse quickly in cold water.

Remove outer skin, and place in a bowl.

Use about 3 cups of cooked squash and add:

1 can whole fat organic coconut milk

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon each: cinnamon, cardamom, allspice

1/4 teaspoon each: nutmeg, cloves

pinch salt

Mash everything together with a potato masher until all is well incorporated.

In a separate bowl, whisk 4 eggs.

Add eggs to squash mixture, mix together, and pour into baking dish.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, or until custard has set.

Yum! Serve as is or topped with toasted pine nuts or pecans.

You can also use this as a pie filling. Just be sure to bake your pie crust half-way before adding custard mix.

Learning at the Farmers Market

2011-09-14T18:18:00.000-04:00

Take a look at the latest article about Farmers Markets in Vermont. I am inspired by our local market's efforts to weave local food and education!

Easy Canning Technique

2011-09-13T08:04:00.000-04:00

Are you tired of pressure canning? Make your life easy with this technique, which has served me well for 5 years. It only works for "hot pack" foods, which are the ones I cook on the stove before canning. I use this technique for jam, applesauce, and tomato sauce.

Give it a try!

While jam/sauce is cooking, sterilize jars and lids by placing them in the sink, pouring boiling water over them, and draining them on a clean dish towel.

Separate oven racks so that a jar fits in between them and line the racks with cookie sheets.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Ladle hot jam/sauce into hot jars. Make sure you leave 5 cm of head space from the top of the jar.

Remove air bubbles and adjust head space as needed.

Wipe any jam off of jar rims and put lids on jars.

Screw bands down until tight.

Turn off the oven. Place jars in oven and leave them in for 6 hours or so.

Test jars by pressing on the top to make sure that the lid is firm.

Repeat the oven canning process for any lids that are not firm.

Label jars with name and date, place on pantry shelves.

Transition Into Fall with Spelt Squash Gnocchi

2011-09-11T14:55:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the September full moon, a poignant transition time between late summer and fall. Garden vegetables grow sweeter during cool nights, somehow knowing that this is their last chance to flourish. Savor autumn's balance between abundance and surrender. It will bring harmony to the winter months ahead. My father and I recently re-created a recipe for gnocchi, traditional northern Italian dumplings, in a way that bridges the transition between late summer and fall. We combined potatoes from the early harvest with the first winter squash to create a dish where summer meets fall. Enjoy!

Spelt Gnocchi with Winter Squash and Potatoes

Choose 4 medium potatoes with dry flesh and 1/2 small butternut squash.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Roast the squash inside its skin in a baking dish with 1/2 cup of water for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in water until soft.

When the squash flesh is tender, remove it from the oven, scoop out the seeds, and then scoop out the flesh. Discard the seeds and skin and set the flesh aside.

Cut the potatoes into chunks and pass them through a vegetable mill.

Pass the squash through the mill as well.

Add just enough spelt flour to give the dough consistency, about 1 1/2 cups. It needs to be supple without being too sticky.

Roll the dough into inch-thick ropes.

Cut the rope into small chunks.

Roll each chunk off the edge of a fork to create grooves on one side and a hole in the other side.

As you are shaping the gnocchi, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Add the gnocchi in small batches and remove them from the boiling water with a slotted spoon when they rise to the top. Place them in a deep baking dish and keep them in a 250 degree oven to stay warm if desired.

When all the gnocchi are cooked, spoon pesto over them, serve and savor this delicious time of year.

Pesto

In a food processor, mix:

½ cup olive oil

2 Tablespoons almonds, sunflower seeds or pine nuts

2 teaspoons salt

½ Tablespoon lemon juice

Parmesan cheese to taste – about 2 Tablespoons (if desired)

Blend at highest speed for 2 minutes.

Turn the off processor, add enough basil to fill the bowl, and blend at lowest speed, stopping occasionally to tamp basil down into blades and add more as needed.

While blending, mixture may become too thick with basil leaves. If so, pour additional olive oil in a small stream through the opening of the food processor while it is blending.

Taste for salt and enjoy!

If you are making a large batch, place in small mason jars, label and freeze for winter use.

Mindful Cooking and Eating

2011-08-28T09:24:00.000-04:00

When I am cooking, I try to breathe, sway back and forth, and feel the weight in my feet. It helps to simply whisper to myself, “I am cooking”. This reminder helps me notice what is happening and let go of thoughts about past and future.

I am conscious that making food requires energy: the meals I prepare absorb that energy and return it to those who eat them. In turn, I appreciate what’s on my plate much more when I am putting down my fork between bites, breathing, and savoring the flavors of a dish.

To put the techniques of mindful cooking and eating into practice, join me for a hands-on workshop series at the Ayurvedic Center.

Here are the details:

Mindful Cooking and Eating - Thursdays (Sept. 22nd, 29th & Oct. 6th)

5:30 - 7:30 pm at the Ayurvedic Center of Vermont in Williston

$48 per class includes: hands-on cooking, health benefits of foods, shared meal, and discussion

Drop in or register for all classes by September 1st and pay $129

To pre-register contact 802-872-8898 or ayurvedavt@comcast.net

Mindful eating can help people to both maintain healthy eating habits and cultivate greater connection with sources of nourishment. When I am paying attention to what I eat and how I feel while I eat it, I am less likely to over-eat and more likely to purchase ingredients that were not sprayed with pesticides or processed with solvents.

Experiment with reading, either silently or out loud, of these contemplations on food before you eat.

**This food is the gift of the whole universe: the earth, the sky, numerous living beings, and much hard, loving work.

**May I eat with mindfulness and gratitude.

**I accept this food so that I may nurture others, strengthen my community, and nourish the ideal of serving all beings.

adapted from savorthebook.com

Menu Planning for Freshness

2011-08-21T08:29:00.000-04:00

Research reflects that fresh foods are often less expensive than processed ones. So, let's consider how we might gain access to these foods and set aside time to prepare them.

>>Once a week, schedule 1/2 hour for yourself to browse through cookbooks and blog posts, choose seven dinner recipes, and make a menu plan. If you would like a menu plan worksheet, email me at lisamase@gmail.com

>>Once a week, spend an hour shopping for the items in your seven dinners. Purchase extra quantities so that you can make leftovers for the next day.

>>Set aside time to cook. Two hours weekly, when spent effectively, can yield most meal prep for the seven days ahead. When you are cooking, revise your notion of breakfast and lunch. You can have quinoa, rice, or oats for breakfast with fruits and nuts. You can have pasta for lunch with hard-boiled eggs and salad. Make spice blends that are ready to add to simple grains, proteins and vegetables.

>>Savor your food with friends and family!

Below, we are making spice blends for easy use. This one, which I call Mediterranean Mix, contains rosemary, lavender, basil, thyme, marjoram, and oregano.

Considering the Energy of Food

2011-08-19T08:22:00.000-04:00

Food is life. As author Barbara Kingsolver writes in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, “all living takes dying”. She would know. Her book chronicles one year of her family’s life spent eating food raised either on their farm or within a 50 mile radius of it. From growing and preserving vegetables to raising and slaughtering poultry, the Kingsolvers did their best to re-connect with their sources of nourishment.

Vermonters may be familiar with this ‘localvore’ concept, which establishes community networks for growing and eating more local food. Both this movement and Transition Town, a grassroots effort to address climate change and provide alternatives to dwindling oil supplies, raise awareness about the need to shift the way we use energy. From the fossil fuel, wood, coal and natural gas that power our technology to the beans, grains, meats and vegetables that allow us to live, society needs resources in order to produce more of them.


Local chanterelle mushrooms

Yet, the current food manufacturing system consumes more than it produces. As Michael Pollan argues in his recent book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, large-scale food production has grown beyond its capacity to sustain itself. With so many options many are left feeling confused about what to eat. As Pollan explains, “what’s at stake in our eating choices is not only our own and our children’s health, but the health of the environment that sustains life on earth”.

By learning about the impact that our food choices have on the people and places which provide that nourishment, we may begin to notice how food access, or lack thereof, affects our communities and our health. Food Works is a Vermont organization that supports “local food systems by connecting area farmers to under-served populations”. Their ‘Farm to Table’ program delivers local produce to dozens of meal sites, including nursing homes, hospitals, and mental health programs, to serve those who are “nutritionally at risk”.

When a factory produces our food and ships it to the supermarket for us, we forget where it came from and how to use the strength of our bodies to raise it, cook it, and savor it. The more food we buy, the more money we must earn in order to purchase it. How can you divest yourself from this cycle?

Try these ways to reduce energy consumption when acquiring food.

Plant a garden. Visit Nofavt.org to find farmers or community gardens with public plots.

Source local food through Vermontagriculture. com. Find farmers markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms and purchase or trade work for local produce, grains, meats, cheeses, and more.

Help your neighbors! Meet those whose gardens grow abundantly and work with them in exchange for vegetables.

Preserve food. See the previous post on this blog for easy recipes to preserve greens.

Get involved. Volunteer with the Foodbank’s Gleaning Program and collect excess farm produce for donation to those who could not otherwise access it.

Preserving the Harvest

2011-08-15T15:02:00.001-04:00

This is the time of year to envision ways we can set aside food for the winter. If you have space in your freezer, consider preserving some of the green abundance of summer so that you do not buy as much from distant lands during the colder months.

Here are some simple recipes to try. You can do this while you are cooking a meal once or twice a week.

Lacinata Kale

Blanching Greens (kale, collards, chard, turnip greens or spinach):

Put on a big pot of water to boil.
Rinse kale.
Tear into 2 inch strips or manageable sizes.
Place the cut kale in boiling water and boil for 3 minutes.
Take kale out of pot with tongs, and place in a colander.
Rinse hot kale with cold water.
Drain any excess water off greens.
Place into freezer bags, labeled with date and type of greens.
Press any excess air out of bag and freeze.

Baked Kale Chips (kale, collards, chard, turnip greens or spinach):

About 1 bunch (6 ounces) of greens
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 300°F.
Rinse and dry the greens and remove the stems.
Cut into large pieces, toss with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Arrange leaves in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until crisp. Place baking sheet on a rack to cool.
Store in plastic bags in the fridge...if they last!

Berry Season Is Here!

2011-07-30T22:24:00.001-04:00

The new moon is here, welcoming the first harvest, the chilly nights that herald fall, and an opportunity to plant a second round of beets, kale, and carrots for the autumn harvest.

Remember that this is berry season! Berries are rich in antioxidants, which neutralize free radical damage to human cells and tissues, thereby helping to prevent cataracts, glaucoma, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, peptic ulcers, heart disease and cancer. The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry recently published a study demonstrating that a serving of blueberries offers 38% more cardio-protective antioxidants than a glass of red wine.

If you would like to pick some blueberries to freeze or jam for the winter, now is the time to visit your local pick-your-own berry operation. Owl's Head Blueberry Farm in Richmond, Vermont, boasts live music once a week for pickers. Families and friends scrutinize bushes for the ripest berries while listening to live performances, from bluegrass banjo and harmonica to Irish bagpipes and flute.

Adam's Berrry Farm in Burlington,Vermont is part of a 24-member farm collective, The Intervale Food Hub, which cultivates once-abandoned land near the Winooski River and offers shares of fruit, vegetables, meat and eggs for purchase from May through October. Berries nourish damaged land: in partnership with a compost operation that creates fertile dirt with the help of chickens, Adam's Berry Farm has been able to restore soil nutrients at the Intervale so that crops can flourish.

In fact, the Deerfield Valley in southern Vermont hosts an entire festival in honor of these delectable treats. I am honored to announce that my food article on this very subject just got published in a fine dining journal online.

Here is the link:
http://www.finedininglovers.com/contents/articles/blueberries_in_vermont.aspx

I encourage you to try some of the recipes I added to the article, which include:
>>Grilled salmon with wild rice and blueberry compote
>>Easy (and sugar-free) blueberry jam
>>Blueberry Maple Crumble

Enjoy!

Cooking Food Fresh From Market

2011-07-25T08:31:00.000-04:00

My thanks to all who participated in the cooking demo at Montpelier Farmers Market.

Come back for more recipes and samples:

August 6th @10am - Zucchini

August 13th @10am - Tomatoes

Please try the recipes below. Summer is a time to experience ease and freedom. In this spirit, remember to improvise and substitute other vegetables and spices as you feel inspired. You can use the guideline that whatever is in season right now probably tastes good together!

Frittata with a potato crust

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add salt.

Chop 2 large red or russet potatoes into cubes.

Throw them into boiling water and cook until they are soft enough to poke through with a fork.

Drain and rinse potatoes.

Place them in a bowl and mash them with:

¼ cup olive oil

Two generous handfuls of these fresh herbs, minced: lavender, rosemary, and thyme

Chop 1 bunch scallions into rounds.

Heat olive oil in a skillet and add onions.

Turn down the heat to medium low. Add salt, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add salt and black pepper.

Add a bunch of dark leafy greens (chard, collards, or kale) and simmer for 10 more minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease a pie plate with olive oil and press potato mixture into bottom of pie plate to make a crust.

Place cooked scallions and greens on top of potatoes.

In a bowl, beat 6 eggs, salt, pepper, and a splash each of water and lemon juice.

Add a generous handful of fresh minced flat-leaf parsley.

Pour egg mixture over the top of the greens and bake for 40 minutes.

Serve with sautéed zucchini or summer squash.

Healing Properties*:

Eggs: each one contains 6 grams of protein, 9 essential amino acids, and only 1.5 grams of saturated fat; rich in lutein, which helps prevent macular degeneration and cataracts; improve human lipid profile, thereby balancing cholesterol; contain naturally occurring vitamin D

Eggs poached in beet greens

Take a bunch of beet greens, rinse them, and place them in a deep skillet with an inch of water at the bottom.

Bring to a boil, covered, and reduce to simmer.

Add salt and black pepper.

Crack four eggs on top of the beet greens. Place lid on skillet and angle it to leave enough of an opening for steam to escape.

Beets: eat greens & roots!

Slowly poach the eggs on low heat for 5-6 minutes for soft yolks (8-9 minutes for hard yolks).

Meanwhile, chop a handful of each of these fresh herbs if you have them: mint, basil, parsley, cilantro.

Add fresh herbs on top of poaching eggs and steam briefly.

Remove each egg from the skillet with a slotted spatula and place on plates.

Serve with toast or grains and a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice.

Healing Properties*:

Beet greens and swiss chard: balance blood sugar, help pancreatic cells to regenerate; contain phytonutrient anti-oxidants that reduce inflammation; high in calcium and Vit K to support bone health

Basil: eases stomach cramps and reduces flatulence; cools sensations of summer heat

Scrambled egg salad with summer squash and new carrots

Wash, rinse, and chop 2 large summer squash and 6-7 new carrots into ½ inch crescents.

Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add vegetables, salt, and pepper.

Sauté on medium heat for 3 minutes or until squash begins to soften.

Meanwhile, crack 6 eggs into a mixing bowl. Add:

Flowering Summer Squash Plant

Salt and pepper

A few sprigs each of chopped fresh sage, rosemary, lavender, lemon balm

2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

4 Tablespoons olive oil

Whisk together and pour into skillet with carrots and squash. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring with a spatula, until eggs have hardened.

Serve with freshly baked corn bread or over pasta.

Healing Properties*:

Apple cider vinegar: contains enzymes that stimulate gastric secretions and improve digestion by balancing either an under-acidic or an overly acidic stomach condition

Carrots: rich in anti-oxidants to support heart health and vision; strengthen digestion and nutrient absorption in large intestine

Lemon Balm: anti-viral, soothes indigestion related to nervous tension, aromatic, anti-spasmodic and soothing to nervous system

Hard-Boiled Egg Sauce

Place a dozen eggs in a stock pot. Cover with water, bring to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat, drain hot water, and rinse with cold water until they are cool enough to handle.

Peel eggs and place in a blender.

Add to blender:

¼ cup olive oil

2 teaspoons salt

½ Tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon powdered cumin

½ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon dried oregano OR 1 generous handful freshly chopped oregano

1 Tablespoon dried parsley OR 1 generous handful freshly chopped parsley

A handful of freshly chopped scallions or chives (if you have them)

Blend at highest speed for 2 minutes.

Serve with grains or as garnish for simple soups.

Healing Properties*:

Parsley: contains volatile oils and flavonoids that may inhibit lung tumor development, help protect the skin, and aid in the digestion of fats.

*'Healing Properties' source information:

Mateljan, George. Foundation Archives. www.whfoods.org

Onstad, Dianne. Whole Foods Companion. Chelsea Green, 2004.

Plants for a Future. www.pfaf.org

Recipes from Sage Mountain

2011-07-11T19:38:00.001-04:00

I had the honor of cooking for an herbal learning program at Sage Mountain Herbal Retreat Center (www.sagemt.com) this weekend. A few showy lady slippers are still in bloom and the gardens abound with pink malva, purple clary sage, shy violets and fragrant lemon balm. I included all these edible flowers in our salads!

Basmati Brown Rice with roasted beets, peas, mint and basil

Rinse ½ cup basmati brown rice.

Pour into a cooking pot with 1 ½ cups water.

Bring to a boil; then reduce to simmer.

Add 1 teaspoon salt and 2 Tablespoons olive oil.

Simmer, covered, on low heat for 45 minutes.

Peas!

Meanwhile, chop 3 beets into bite-sized chunks.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place beets in a glass baking dish, coat with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and roast for 30 minutes.

As beets and rice are cooking, mince 2 large handfuls fresh basil and 1 small handful fresh mint.

When the rice is 5 minutes or less from completion, add:

>>minced herbs

>>½ cup peas (either shelled ones or whole snap peas)

When rice is cooked, add roasted beets and a splash of lemon juice. Mix everything together, taste for salt, and enjoy!

White Bean Soup with Zucchini and Garlic Scapes

Choose cannellini (white kidney) or Vermont yellow-eye beans.

To soak dry beans, place ½ cup in a large bowl and cover with 1 inch water. Soak for 8 hours or overnight.

Pour beans through strainer and allow to drain.

Rinse with water until liquid runs clear through strainer.

Pour into a stock pot with 3 cups water.

Cover pot and turn heat on high.

Bring to a boil, watching carefully to make sure that beans do not boil over.

Once the pot has come to a boil, remove lid and reduce to medium heat.

Cannellini beans

Foam will form on top of the water. Use a spoon to skim off the foam. Repeat this step periodically as you notice more foam. Cook beans 1 hour or until tender. Strain and rinse once more.

If using canned beans, choose ones with no salt added (I like Eden Organics). Strain and rinse before proceeding.

While beans are cooking, heat olive oil in a skillet. Add:

>>2 cups fresh garlic scapes

>>2 large zucchini, chopped into crescents

>>1/2 Tablespoon each: salt and black pepper

Pour 1/3 cup white wine over the vegetables and sear them on high heat.

Then cover and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

If you have fresh culinary herbs, mince and add the following:

>>6 sprigs thyme

>>2 sprigs lavender flowers

>>6 sprigs marjoram

>>6 sprigs rosemary

>>5 sprigs savory

If using dried herbs, add 2 teaspoons each except lavender, which only required 1/2 teaspoon.

Add 4-5 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook soup for 1/2 hour or more if you wish.

When beans are tender, drain them and add them to the soup pot.

Basil Parsley Pesto

Genovese basil

In blender, mix:

3 T olive oil

¼ cup sunflower seeds

2 teaspoons salt

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Add:

Fresh flat-leaf parsley (½ bunch)

Fresh basil (1 bunch)

Blend at highest speed for 2 minutes.

Enjoy with vegetable fritters, rice dishes,

or flat breads.

Rosewater Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix these dry ingredients in a bowl:

>>1 ½ cups rice flour or spelt flour

>>1 Tablespoon each: cinnamon and cardamom

>>Pinch salt

Make a well in the center of the flours and spices and add:

>>5 Tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

>>1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

>>¼ cup coconut oil, softened at room temperature

>>¼ cup maple syrup

>>4 Tablespoons honey

>>2 Tablespoons rosewater (in wellness section of most health food stores)

Rosa canina

Mix wet and dry ingredients together.

Oil a cookie sheet and drop dough onto it in spoonfuls.

Slide cookie sheet into oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove, flatten each cookie gently with the back of a fork, and bake for 10 more minutes.

Sweetener-Free Treats

2011-06-21T10:24:00.003-04:00

Happy Solstice.

The longest day helps us stretch our capacity for growth and try new things. During our Sugar Blues workshop last night, students requested recipes for treats that are gently sweet and do not include any processed sweeteners.

Here are some recipes to explore. Let them offer you an opportunity to be creative! For added sweetness, top off any one of these treats with a spoonful of maple syrup or raw honey.

Sweet Carrot Bread

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8 or 9 inch loaf pan with vegetable oil.

Soak ¼ cup raisins in boiling water.

Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir together.

2 cups flour: barley & spelt – wheat-free; millet & quinoa – gluten-free

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon each: cinnamon, ginger and garam masala

In another bowl, combine the wet ingredients and stir until thoroughly blended.

3 Tablespoons tahini (roasted sesame seed spread)

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

¼ cup raisins, soaked in boiling water for 15 minutes and drained

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 ½ cups freshly grated carrots

Generous handful of fresh chopped thyme

Pour in the wet mixture into the dry and stir together vigorously until combined.

Pour batter into greased pan and bake for 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center tests clean.

Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour into bowl and mix well:

1 ½ cups flour (rice or spelt, whichever you prefer)

1 Tablespoon each: cinnamon, cardamom, ginger

Pinch salt

For added sweetness, use 1 teaspoon licorice root powder (available at herbal apothecaries such as Green Mountain Medicinals in Montpelier)

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and mix together:

1 egg OR 2 Tablespoons ground flax seeds

1 Tablespoon vanilla

¼ cup melted coconut oil

Incorporate wet and dry ingredients.

For variety, add one of the following:

>¼ cup chocolate chips (choose semi-sweet or grain-sweetened)

>2 spoonfuls raspberry jam (fruit-juice sweetened is available)

>2 spoonfuls almond butter

>1 inch fresh chopped ginger root & 1 teaspoon clove powder

>¼ cup raisins (first soak for 5 minutes in hot water & drain)

Grease a cookie sheet with oil and drop dough in spoonfuls.

Flatten each cookie with the back of the spoon.

Slide cookie sheet into oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Fruit Crumble

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8x8 glass baking dish.

In a bowl, mix together:

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1 cup other fruit (if you like) choose one: peaches, plums, apples

3 teaspoons cinnamon

Pinch salt

Pour into the baking dish and re-use the same bowl to make crumble topping.

In spice/coffee grinder, grind to make freshly milled flour:

½ cup rolled oats – look for local oats in the bulk section

Add ground oats to bowl and combine with:

1 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon each: cinnamon, cardamom, ginger

Pinch salt

Make a well in the center of the mixture and add:

¼ cup olive oil or melted coconut oil

3 Tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

1 Tablespoons vanilla extract

Mix wet ingredients together in center and then incorporate dry ingredients until all are just barely combined.

Using your hands, crumble this topping over the fruit.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes. Cool and enjoy!

Fudgy Brownies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8 or 9 inch baking pan with oil.

Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir together.

1 ½ cups freshly ground rolled oats (use a food processor or coffee grinder)

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Pinch salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Make a well in the center, combine the wet ingredients and stir until thoroughly blended. Incorporate dry into wet and stir until just blended.

1 egg OR 2 Tablespoons ground flax seeds

¼ cup melted coconut oil

1 cup boiled and mashed sweet potatoes

1 teaspoon vanilla

For added sweetness, use 1 teaspoon licorice root powder (available at herbal apothecaries such as Green Mountain Medicinals in Montpelier)

Pour batter into greased pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center tests clean.

Favorite Pizza Toppings

2011-06-12T08:24:00.002-04:00

www.woodbellypizza.com

Summer is a time to celebrate! We did so at the Village Gathering yesterday. Despite the rain, everyone enjoyed their time together sharing perma-culture skills at Twin Pond Retreat in Brookfield, Vermont (www.twinpondretreat.com). This seminal event kicks off the third annual Village Building Convergence in Central Vermont. For details visit www.vbc-vt.org

Saturday's workshops culminated in a feast featuring pizzas cooked on WoodBelly Pizza's mobile wood-fired oven. We made some amazing creations. Thanks for your team work.

Here are some pizza concoctions that everyone loved:

Black Locust Flowers (Robinia Pseudoacacia)

Buckwheat Rice Crust with Cheddar Cheese, Morel Mushrooms and Walnuts
Wheat Crust with Black Locust Flowers, Dandelion Greens, Spinach and Pesto
Corn Crust with Olives, Tomatoes, Zucchini and Sausage

It's true! You can eat Black Locust Flowers. They smell like jasmine, taste like vanilla, and they are blooming in gragrant glory right now. Enjoy!

Pizza Bianca (no tomatoes) with rucola (arugula)

I grew up swimming in the Adriatic Sea and buying Pizza Bianca with garlic, ricotta and arugula from beach vendors.

Use your imagination. What is your favorite pizza combination?

Summer Black Bean and Lime Soup

2011-06-01T15:12:00.005-04:00

Black Bean and Lime Soup

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

3 cups cooked black beans - Soak overnight, rinse, bring to a boil with 8 cups water. Cook for 30 minutes or until tender, skimming off any foam that rises to the top. Rinse and incorporate as directed below.

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp cumin
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup sliced carrots
2 cloves garlic
4 cups vegetable stock or water
½ Tbsp chipotle powder

½ Tbsp coriander powder
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp lime juice

Fresh lime

Fresh cilantro

Heat olive oil in a nonstick or heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add whole cumin and brown it. Take caution not to burn it.

Add chopped onions, carrots, garlic, coriander and chipotle powder.

Cook slowly until browned.

Puree the beans with 4 cups stock in a blender or food processor.

Add the vegetable mixture, ¼ cup lime juice, and salt to taste.

Either leave the vegetables chunky or process once more until smooth.
If the soup is too thick, thin it with more stock.

Garnish each serving with a slice of lime and a sprinkling of finely chopped fresh cilantro.

Serve with corn tortillas, rice, or try this cornbread recipe.

Corn Bread

Dry ingredients:

1 cup corn meal (I like the Early Riser Cornmeal from Butterworks Farm in Vermont)

½ cup freshly ground rolled oats

¼ cup freshly ground millet (or oats if you prefer)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients:

Capful apple cider vinegar

¼ cup vegetable oil (I like olive or sunflower oil)

½ cup milk (cow, almond or rice)

1 egg OR ¼ cup applesauce OR 2 spoonfuls nut/seed butter

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8 inch pan with vegetable oil.

In a spice grinder, grind first the oats and then the millet into flour-like consistency and place in a mixing bowl This may take a few rounds of grinding.

Add the rest of the dry ingredients and stir together.

In another bowl, combine the wet ingredients and stir until thoroughly blended.

Pour in the wet mixture into the dry and stir together vigorously until thoroughly combined.

Pour batter into greased pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center tests clean.

For variety, you can add fresh basil and corn kernels in the summer, steamed winter squash in the fall/winter, or rosemary and lemon in the spring.