Beet & Walnut Dip with Dill, Cilantro and Feta

This recipe is inspired by Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sam Tamimi. Use toasted bread to dip or dollop on hardboiled eggs or spread on a sandwich or in a wrap or eat it by the spoonful at the kitchen counter.

Yields about 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

About ½ lb cooked, trimmed beets (4-5 small-medium)

½ cup walnuts (toasted at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes or until toasty smelling and a shade darker)

1 teaspoon chopped fresh or dried thyme

2 teaspoons chopped fresh or dried sage

Dried hot pepper, to taste (cayenne, chili flakes . . . start with a few pinches)

Salt, to taste

1 stalk green garlic or 2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2 tablespoons plain yogurt or sour cream

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons lemon juice, more to taste

Garnish/topping:

1 scallion, thinly sliced

1/3 cup dill, chopped

1/2 cup cilantro leaves and stems, chopped

1/2 cup feta, crumbled

Salt, to taste

Olive oil and lemon juice for finishing

Bread or crackers or vegetables for dipping (or serve it as suggested in headnote)

1. Boil the beets until tender. Peel and roughly chop. Put (cooled) walnuts, garlic, sage, thyme and hot pepper in a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped. Add the beets, yogurt, syrup, salt and olive oil in a food processor and process until fairly smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add lemon juice and/or salt if it needs brightening.

2. Put puree in a bowl and top with green onions, herbs and crumbled feta. Sprinkle with a little more salt and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Cold Season Cocktails for a Long Winter

by Nick Townsend

Winter brings many familiar comforts: cozying up by a warm fire, rolling around in the snow, perhaps celebrating the solstice or another holiday. Whatever the occasion, it doesn’t hurt to have something delicious to sip while you’re celebrating the cold season. Below are three drinks—two alcoholic, one not—that are excellent on a long cold night, whether you’re alone or with a loved one. 

Mulled Pear Gin Fizz

Makes one drink

This complex and spicy drink is relatively straightforward once you prepare the mulling syrup, so it works well to do that part in advance. People’s sells mulling spice pre-mixed in bulk, but you could easily create your own mulling spice blend and simmer that in its place. This drink is also well suited to preparation for a group. Simply triple or quadruple the quantities and mix in a pitcher with plenty of ice. One recipe of the mulling syrup will make a little over five drinks. 

Ingredients

For the syrup:

• ½ cup of sugar (cane sugar, coconut sugar, agave, etc.)

• ½ cup of water

• 1-2 tablespoons bulk mulling spice

• 2-4 thin slices of fresh ginger 

For the drink (per serving):

• 1.5 oz gin

• 1.5 oz lemon juice

• 1.5 oz mulling spice syrup 

• Ice 

• 4 oz sparkling pear cider (sub sparkling apple cider if unavailable)

• ¼ of a D’Anjou or Bartlett pear, sliced thin

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan combine sugar and water over high heat and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce to a simmer and add the mulling spice and ginger. Simmer over low heat for five minutes, until the spice smells strongly infused into the syrup.

2. Strain out the spices and ginger and set aside to cool.

3. Combine the gin, lemon juice, syrup, and ice in a tall glass and stir for about one minute. Top up with the sparkling pear cider and give it another quick stir. Garnish with the pear slices and serve. 

Shoyu Maple Whiskey Sour

Makes one drink

This drink is equal parts cozy and bracing, thanks to a small amount of unpasteurized soy sauce. The hint of saltiness draws out flavor in both the whiskey and maple syrup. The bulk maple syrup and bulk soy sauce live right next to each other in the bulk section at People’s, so you can pick up both star ingredients for this cocktail in one go. Whiskey or bourbon would work excellent here, as would Meyer lemon juice if you have access to it. If the addition of the soy sauce scares you, you could simply omit it and end up with a standard sour, but it’s worth trying at least once. 

Ingredients

• 2 oz whiskey or bourbon

• 1.25 oz maple syrup

• 1.5 oz lemon juice

• ½ tsp Nama Shoyu 

• Ice

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake for about a minute until the mixture is frothy. Strain into a cup with more ice. 

Blood Orange Spritz

Makes one drink

This is a simple blueprint for a zero-proof drink that’s perfect for all seasons, but especially delicious in the winter when fresh citrus is at its peak. People’s boasts an impressive selection of mandarins, tangelos, pummelos, and other citruses that would be great here. As long as it’s something you’d enjoy snacking on, it would taste good in this drink. This recipe contains no alcohol, but you could add a shot of vodka or gin, or substitute the sparking water for a dry sparkling wine. 

Ingredients 

• 2 oz fresh squeezed blood orange juice (or use another citrus of your choice)

• .5 oz simple syrup (optional)

• 3-5 dashes orange or grapefruit bitter

• Sparkling water 

• Ice

• One ribbon or strip of lemon zest 

Instructions

1. Combine the juice, simple syrup if using, and the bitters in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake for 30-60 seconds.

2. Strain into a glass filled with ice. Top up with sparkling water or wine, garnish with the lemon zest, stir, and serve. 

Aloo Gobi (Indian Cauliflower & Potatoes)

by Katherine Deumling

Fragrant, light yet complex, this Indian dish is beloved far and wide and varies from cook to cook. Scale it up or down or vary the ratios as needed. Just be sure to use plenty of garlic and ginger.

Serves 4-6

• 2 tablespoons oil

• 1 tablespoon minced, fresh ginger

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 large potatoes (about 1 lb), diced

• 2 teaspoons garam masala

• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder

• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 medium cauliflower, including core and leaves if attached, cut into bite-sized pieces

• 2 cups fresh or canned, diced tomatoes

• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves and stems, finely chopped

• Naan or rice for serving 

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook stirring often for just a minute or two until just starting to color. Add the potatoes, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder and salt and mix well. Cook for another couple of minutes until the spices are fragrant. Add the cauliflower and tomatoes and incorporate well. Cover the skillet and bring to a simmer and then turn down to medium and simmer for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender but not mushy. Stir in the cilantro, taste and adjust with salt if needed. Serve warm with Naan or rice.

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Braised Fennel with Tomatoes, Garlic, & Capers

by Katherine Deumling

This is richly flavored and quick to make. Enjoy it with a few salads for a light dinner or alongside any grain dish.

Serves 4

• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 medium-sized fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut top to bottom into 1/2-inch planks

• Salt

• 1/2 onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons capers, well rinsed and chopped up a bit

• 2 tablespoons white wine or cider vinegar

• 3/4  cup chopped tomatoes, fresh, roasted or canned (roasted will impart the richest flavor but all are good)

• Chopped fennel fronds for garnish, optional

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot add the fennel slices in a single layer – you may have to do this in batches, as all slices likely won’t fit into one pan in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and cook, covered, keeping the heat fairly high, for about 3-5 minutes until nicely browned. Flip and cook for another couple of minutes until the other side is browned as well. Remove from the pan and set aside and finish cooking the remainder of the fennel.

Once cooked, add all the fennel back to the pan, then add the garlic, capers, onions, vinegar and cook, uncovered, stirring often for about 3 more minutes. Add the tomatoes and turn the heat up a bit more. Cook, for another 3-5 minutes until the tomatoes have reduced and have nicely glazed the fennel. Taste, adjust seasoning, garnish with chopped fennel fronds and serve hot or warm.

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Sautéed Radishes & Spring Greens with Spicy Tahini Sauce

by Katherine Deumling

This version includes mustard and turnip greens, radishes and a couple Hakurei turnips.

Radishes are delicious sautéed, braised, or roasted. If they’re a little on the spicy side raw, giving them a quick cook is a good way to sweeten and mellow them out. This dish involves nothing more than sautéing the radishes and greens (radish tops, mustard greens, turnip or beet greens, mizuna) in a little olive oil. A little salt and possibly a squeeze of lemon juice or dash of vinegar is all you need.

Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 bunch radishes, trimmed and halved or quartered if large. Reserve greens if fresh and lively looking and roughly chop

• 1 bunch mustard greens (or turnip greens, etc. see headnote), washed and chopped

• Salt, to taste

• Olive oil to finish and possibly squeeze of lemon or splash of vinegar but taste first

 Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add radishes and few pinches salt and sauté, stirring often for 2-3 minutes. Add greens and stir into the radishes, cover the pan and cook for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally, making sure things aren’t sticking/burning. If the greens are giving off a lot of liquid uncover the to let some of it evaporate. Sauté until everything is just tender. Taste and adjust with salt and/or a little lemon juice or vinegar. Drizzle with a little more olive oil and serve.

Spicy Tahini Sauce

• 1-2 tablespoons chili paste such as gochujang (fermented Korean chili paste) or sambal oelek or whatever you have–use less if your chili paste/sauce is very hot.

• 3 tablespoons tahini

• Juice of 1 lime or small lemon or 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

• 2 tablespoons water, more as needed to get proper consistency

• Salt, to taste

Combine all ingredients and you have a sauce!

Soba Noodles with Garlicky Spinach & Miso

by Katherine Deumling

This comes together quickly and is good with any very tender green like young mustard greens, or beet greens. You can also use substitute other kinds of noodles. The miso here is key and gives the dish its complexity. You can add tofu or toasted nuts to make it even more robust.

Serves 4 

• 8 ounces soba noodles

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

• 1 tablespoon oil

• 3 stalks green garlic or 2 medium to large cloves garlic, minced

• 2 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced and divided

• 1 large bunch spinach about 2/3 lb, well washed, roots removed and chopped, including stems

• 1 tablespoon white miso

• 1 tablespoon butter, softened (or oil, to make it vegan)

• A few pinches cayenne or other dried, hot pepper

• Juice of half a lemon

Cook the soba noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water and drain well and put in a serving dish. Toss with soy sauce and sesame oil.

In a small bowl thoroughly mix together the miso and butter and set aside.

Heat the oil in large skillet over medium heat and add the garlic and white parts of the scallions. Cook gently for a few minutes, then add the spinach, cover and steam for a just a minute until wilted. Stir in the miso/butter, the hot pepper and a couple of good squeezes of lemon juice.

Add the spinach to the noodles along with the reserved scallion greens. Toss well, taste and adjust seasoning with more soy sauce, sesame oil, lemon, as needed.

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White Bean & Kale Soup

by Katherine Deumling

This classic combination comes together quickly with either canned or home-cooked beans. You can substitute chard, mustard greens or any leafy greens for the kale.

 Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 1 leek (optional), sliced lengthwise and cut into ¼ inch half-moons

• 2 carrots, diced

• 1 stalk celery, diced (optional)

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 3 cups cooked or canned white beans (drain if canned but keep cooking liquid if home-cooked)

• 1 bunch kale, washed, tough stem ends removed and chopped

• 5-6 cups liquid–any combination of bean-cooking liquid if using home-cooked beans, vegetable stock, and/or water

• Freshly ground pepper

• Olive oil to finish

• For serving: grated Parmesan or toasted bread crumbs/croutons (optional)

 Heat oil in soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, leeks and celery (if using) and garlic and saute for about 7-8 minutes and beginning to brown.  Add beans and liquid and bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add kale and cook until greens are tender to your liking, 5-10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a bit of Parmesan and toasty bread crumbs if you’re feeling fancy.

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Winter Squash & Tahini Spread

by Katherine Deumling of Cook With What You Have

I often roast winter squash to just have on hand. It’s easy to toss into salads or combine with beans or just top with any flavorful dressing.

This spread came about when I was very hungry and I had a bunch of roasted squash–one of my favorite varieties, Marina di Chioggia a dense flavorful squash–on hand. In just a few minutes I had prepared this gorgeous, creamy spread that is just as good eaten by the spoonful standing at the counter or spread onto bread or used as a dip with raw or cooked vegetables or dolloped on a soup.

Yields about 2 1/2 cups

•  1/3 cup tahini

• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, possibly more, to taste

• 3 medium cloves garlic, chopped

• 1/4 – 1/2 cup cold water

• 1 1/2 cups roasted winter squash such as Butternut, Hubbard, Sweet Meat, Red Kuri, Marina di Chioggia, etc. (You want to use a dense, flavorful type. Things like Acorn or Delicata wouldn’t be as good here. )

• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or other hot pepper either dried or fresh (optional but very good as the tahini and squash are both sweet and rich)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste

 Put the tahini, garlic, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times, and then start adding water a couple of tablespoons at a time as you process the mixture. As you add water, the mixture will get lighter in color and creamier. When it’s light and creamy but not at all runny, add the roasted squash, hot pepper and salt and process until smooth. If it’s too thick add a bit more water. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, lemon and/or hot pepper to taste. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. The garlic will get more pronounced as it sits.

Thai Butternut Squash Red Curry

This recipe is a People’s staff favorite! It’s quick and easy to cook and if you make a double batch, you’ll have warm and satisfying leftovers to enjoy all week long.

• 1 tablespoons coconut oil (or any oil really)

• 1 large shallots, chopped (or 2 small)

• 2-2 ½ cups diced butternut squash (about 1.5 pounds)

• 1 tablespoon grated ginger

• 2-3 tablespoons Thai Home Red Curry Paste

• ½ tablespoon yellow curry powder

• 1 (15 ounce) can coconut milk

• ¾ cup vegetable broth

• 2 teaspoons Fysh sauce

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 3-4 cups fresh spinach or kale

• basmati rice, crushed cashews/ peanuts (optional), cilantro, lime wedges for serving

Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add the shallots and saute them for 5-6 minutes or until they just begin to get golden. Add the butternut squash and grated ginger, stir to coat with the oil.

Add the red curry paste, yellow curry powder and stir until all the butternut squash is nicely coated. Continue to cook the curry paste for 2-3 minutes or until it’s fragrant. Add the broth, coconut milk, Fysh sauce, and sugar. Let the sauce come to a simmer before covering. Lower the heat and allow the squash to cook all the way through, about 12-18 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when you can easily pierce the butternut squash with the tip of a knife. Stir in the baby spinach and allow it to wilt (if using kale, add it before the butternut squash becomes soft so that the kale has enough time to wilt).

Serve with basmati rice topped with crushed nuts, cilantro, and lime wedges.

Recipe adapted from LittleSpiceJar.com.

Beet, Orange, and Avocado Salad

Ingredients

• 5 medium-sized beets

• 2 avocado

• 5 oranges (a mix of varieties works well here)

• Optional: Fresh herbs, feta or goat cheese, toasted nuts or seeds

Citrus Vinaigrette

• Zest from ½ a lemon

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1 ½ teaspoons white wine vinegar

• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 garlic clove

• Salt 

• Black pepper

Heat the oven to 400°.

First, roast the beets! Cut off the beet greens down to about an inch. Wrap the whole beets in a foil pouch or use a covered baking dish, which will help the beets steam. Bake the beets for 50-60 minutes, or until they are tender when poked with a knife. Remove the beets from their cooking receptacle and cool. Peel the beets and then, slice them into rounds about ¼ inch thick. 

While the beets are roasting, prepare the oranges. Carefully cut away the peels using a sharp knife, trying to remove as much of the white pith as you can. Then slice the oranges into rounds around the middle (so that each slice has a piece of every natural orange segment). Aim for the slices to be about ¼ inch thick. 

Then make the vinaigrette. Put the lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegar, and olive oil in a small bowl. Smash the garlic clove with the heel of your hand or a knife, remove the peel, and add it to the vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper and shake to combine. Let this mixture hang out for at least 10 minutes, and remove the garlic clove before using. Refrigerate any leftover dressing and use on green salads, roasted or steamed vegetables, and any other salads your mind dreams up. 

When the beets and oranges are sliced and your vinaigrette is made, thinly slice the avocados. 

At this point, you can throw all of the components into a bowl and toss them with the dressing. This salad looks really lovely on a platter, too, in which case you can artfully lay out the citrus, then the beets, then the avocados, then anything else you might be adding, and then drizzle the dressing over top. Enjoy!

Baked Oatmeal with Coconut & Citrus

Heidi Swanson (cookbook author and brain behind 101cookbooks.com) makes many versions of this baked oatmeal, and they are all so darn delicious! Mix up the fruits depending on the season, and you have a winner for a special breakfast whenever. You could use another milk instead of the coconut here if that’s what you have. Heidi suggests serving this oatmeal with some more coconut milk with a splash of rose water, which sounds great if you happen to have rose water on hand (especially heated up with some maple syrup stirred in there).

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly

• 2 bananas, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

• 3 oranges, peeled and sliced into cross-sections (blood oranges are particularly good, but you might need a few more)

• 2 cups rolled oats

• 1/2 cup shredded coconut (plus some more for the top, if you want)

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain salt

• 1/3 cup maple syrup (or coconut nectar)

• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk

• 1 cup water

• 1 large egg or 1 tablespoon flax meal mixed with three tablespoons of the water

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 375°. Using one tablespoon of the butter or coconut oil, coat the inside of an 8-inch square pan (or one about that size). Slice the banana and spread the slices on the bottom of the pan in an even layer. Put slices from one of the oranges on top of the bananas.

In a medium bowl, combine the oats, shredded coconut, and baking powder. In another, combine the coconut milk, water, egg or flax mixture, and vanilla extract. Distribute the oat mixture over the bananas and grapefruit and pour the coconut milk mixture on top. Take the rest of your oranges and arrange them on top of the oats. Then sprinkle some more shredded coconut over the top, if you are into that kind of thing.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the oats are set and the top is golden. Let cool slightly and enjoy!

Mixed Vegetable Japanese-Style Pancakes

by Katherine Deumling

This is a variation of Okonomiyaki, which are Japanese cabbage pancakes. This recipe is a great template – you can use whatever bits and pieces of vegetables you have on hand and make a great pancake. From shredded kohlrabi or carrots to green onions, bok choy leaves and broccoli, most any combination will work.

Makes about 15-18 4-5-inch pancakes.

• 2 cups broccoli, finely chopped (like ¼-1/2-inch pieces), stems and florets

• 2-3 scallions, thinly sliced

• 3-4 small turnips, cut into matchsticks or grated on the large holes of a box grater (I prefer matchsticks since grating makes the batter a bit wet but either way will work)

• 3 cups bok choy leaves and stems, mustard greens, chard or beet greens, thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves and stems, chopped (optional)

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

• 4-5 eggs

• Scant ½ cup flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• Oil for pan frying

Sauce:

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise

• 1 tablespoon Sriracha or other spicy chili sauce

• 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce

In a large bowl whisk the eggs with the flour, salt, sesame oil and soy sauce into a fairly smooth, thin batter. There may well be a few lumps but they will work themselves out so don’t worry about them.

Add all the vegetables and herbs and mix well. Taste for seasoning. You’d be surprised how much salt they need.

Heat 1 ½ tablespoons of oil in the largest skillet you have over medium high heat. I make my pancakes about 5 inches in diameter but make them as big or small as you like. You can one very large one and then cut it into wedges. Cook about 3 minutes on either side until nicely browned and crisp. Proceed with the remaining batter. You can keep them warm in a 250 degree oven.

Mix together the mayonnaise, Sriracha and soy sauce and serve the pancakes topped with the sauce.

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What to do with the vegetables in the fridge? Short on time but still want healthful meals? And how to be well-stocked so that cooking is more fun and frankly, realistic. People’s is partnering with Cook With What You Have, a subscription-based, online seasonal recipe collection created by People's Member-Owner Katherine Deumling. Katherine empowers you to cook freely and build creativity and confidence with every dish. Cook With What You Have is providing a discounted subscription to the Recipe Collection for People’s Members/Owners & Customers for $29/year, or $2.99/month (40% off retail).  Use discount code PEOPLES to subscribe at www.cookwithwhatyouhave.com, if you’re interested. Katherine will also be teaching classes at the Co-op in the winter, so keep an eye out. 

Preserved Meyer Lemons

Preserved lemons are a classic component of North African cuisines, but are a flavor powerhouse adaptable to all kinds of foods. Try them in soups, salad dressing, pasta dishes, with roasted veggies, and anything else where their pleasant tang might be welcome. You can also add warm spices like whole cinnamon, cloves, or cardamom when you add the peppercorns and bay leaves if you’d like!

Ingredients:

• 3 to 5 organic Meyer lemons

• Kosher salt

• 1 heaping teaspoon black peppercorns (optional)

• 2 bay leaves (optional)

Scrub three to five organic lemons, enough to fit snugly in a roughly pint-sized jar with a tight-fitting lid. Slice each lemon “vertically” from the top to about half an inch from the bottom, nearly cutting them into quarters but leaving the pieces attached at one end. Rub kosher salt over the cut surfaces and then reshape the fruit. Cover the bottom of the jar with more kosher salt. Fit all the cut lemons in, breaking them apart if necessary. Sprinkle salt on each layer.

Press the lemons down to release their juices. Add the peppercorns and bay leaves to the jar. Squeeze additional prepared lemons into the jar if you can fit them.

Close the jar and let ripen at a cool room temperature, shaking the jar every day for 3 to 4 weeks, or until the rinds are tender to the bite. Then store the jar in the refrigerator.

To use, remove a piece of lemon and rinse it (you can add more fresh lemons to the brine as you use them up.). Scrape the white pulp from the rind and mince the rind. Add the rind at the very end of cooking, or use it raw. The pulp can be added to a simmering pot of soup or stew.

Smoky Hoppin’ John

Ingredients

• 1½ cups dried black-eyed peas

• ½ cup uncooked brown rice

• 5 teaspoons olive oil

• 1½ cups finely chopped onion

• 1½ cups chopped red bell pepper

• 1 cup thinly sliced celery

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• ¾ cup unsalted vegetable stock

• ½ cup water

• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

• ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika

• ½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper

• 1/3 cup chopped tomato

• 4 teaspoons chopped green onions Instructions

Sort the black-eyed peas, removing any stones or debris. Rinse the beans, and then soak them overnight or for 8 hours. Drain the beans, then put them in a pot and cover with water. Bring up to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook for 30-60 minutes, or until the beans are soft.

While the beans are simmering, cook your brown rice: combine the rice with 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Bring it up to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook for 45 minutes or until tender. Alternatively, cook the rice in your rice cooker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

When the beans begin to soften, season them with salt. When they’re done cooking, drain them and set aside.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over mediumhigh heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery and sauté for 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add rice, stirring to coat. Add the stock, ½ cup water, salt, paprika, thyme, black pepper, and ground red pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the black-eyed peas and cook uncovered for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with tomato and green onions.

Adapted from My Recipes

Pumpkin Seed Parsley & Cilantro Pesto

by Katherine Deumling of Cook With What You Have

This is so delicious and you can use either parsley, cilantro, or both, which is maybe my favorite version. Just make sure you toast the pumpkin seeds first. It doesn’t have any cheese in it, but is rich from the large amount of pumpkin seeds. 

I use a food processor for this but if you don’t have one you can make a slightly less uniform version by finely and mincing/chopping everything by hand as finely as you can. 

You can use this pesto as a spread on crostini or sandwiches, or stir it into scrambled eggs. It’s delicious mixed with either plain yogurt and/or mayonnaise for a dip or sauce for roasted vegetables, meats or fish. You can dilute it with water, cream, more oil and/or lemon juice) for a dressing for grain or bean salads. And of course you can serve it with pasta like basil pesto. Be sure to thin it with a bit of hot, starchy pasta cooking water in that case. 

 Yields about 1 ¼ cups

• 1/2 bunch parsley, washed and shaken dry, tough stems discarded and leaves roughly chopped

• 1/2 bunch cilantro, washed and shaken dry, leaves and stems roughly chopped

• 2 small cloves garlic, minced

• 2/3 cup toasted, cooled pumpkin seeds 

• 1/2 cup olive oil (or more)

• Salt, to taste

• 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice (more, to taste)

Toast pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat. Shake the pan frequently to ensure even toasting. The seeds begin popping when they’re just about done. It will take about 5-7 minutes for them to turn a bit golden and pop. Be careful not to burn them and put them in a bowl cool completely before using in the pesto. If you leave them in the pan to cool the may get too dark. 

Process the seeds and garlic in a food processor until quite fine. Add herbs and a few pinches salt and process again until its very finely chopped. Add oil and pulse a few times and taste. Adjust for salt and add just a touch of lemon juice. You don’t want a pronounced lemon flavor, but just a little to brighten everything up. 

Use as a spread or mix with mayonnaise or yogurt (see headnote) for a dip or dilute for a dressing/sauce.

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People’s is partnering with Cook With What You Have, a subscription-based, online seasonal recipe collection created by People's Member-Owner Katherine Deumling. Katherine empowers you to cook freely and build creativity and confidence with every dish. Cook With What You Have is providing a discounted subscription to the Recipe Collection for People’s Member-Owners & Customers for $29/year, or $2.99/month (40% off retail).  Use discount code PEOPLES to subscribe at www.cookwithwhatyouhave.com, if you’re interested. Katherine will also be teaching classes at the Co-op in the winter, so keep an eye out. 

Cauliflower Steaks with Parsley Dijonnaise

by Katherine Deumling of Cook With What You Have

Quick and fun to make, look at and eat. If the “steaks” don’t hold together, don’t worry. The pieces will all be delicious.

Serves 4 

• 1 small to medium head cauliflower, washed

• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil

• Salt

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise or whole milk Greek yogurt

• 1 1/2 tablespoons whole grain Dijon-style mustard

• 1 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 

Trim any leaves (and reserve to add to stir fries, soups, etc.) from the cauliflower and cut off the most fibrous base of the stem/core. Don’t remove the core though. Most of it will get deliciously tender and you need it to keep the “steaks” together.  Set the cauliflower upright on a cutting board. Cut the cauliflower in half and then working out to the edges, cut each half into about 1-inch thick slices. Some florets will fall off and that’s fine. Fit them around the edge of the steaks in the pan. You’ll probably end up with some steaks the full 1/2 size of the cauliflower and some smaller steaks.

Heat a couple of tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Place as many steaks as you can fit in one layer in the pan. Sprinkle generously with salt. Cook, covered, for about 3-4 minutes on each side, salting the other side too, until deeply browned and just tender pierced with the tip of a knife. Repeat with remaining cauliflower.

Mix the mayonnaise, mustard and parsley in a small bowl. Serve the steaks hot with the dijonnaise.

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Do you want to love vegetables more? Do you want to waste less? Do you want to be able to substitute ingredients with ease to suit your taste and what you have on hand?

People’s is partnering with Cook With What You Have, a subscription-based, online seasonal recipe collection created by People's Member-Owner Katherine Deumling. Katherine empowers you to cook freely and build creativity and confidence with every dish. Cook With What You Have is providing a discounted subscription to the Recipe Collection for People’s Member-Owners & Customers for $29/year, or $2.99/month (40% off retail).  Use discount code PEOPLES to subscribe at www.cookwithwhatyouhave.com, if you’re interested. Katherine will also be teaching classes at the Co-op in the winter, so keep an eye out. 

Sweet Curry Pomegranate Rice

By Brita Zeiler, Bulk Herb & Tea Buyer

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion, diced

• 2 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil

• 2 tablespoons sweet curry powder 

• 1/4 cup coconut flakes

• 2 cups long grain brown rice

• 5 cups water or stock

• salt to taste

• 1 pomegranate seeded

• 1/4 cup cilantro finely cut (optional)
  

Sauté the diced yellow onion in the ghee or coconut oil in a medium size pot over medium heat until the onion is translucent.

Add the sweet curry powder and coconut flakes and sauté lightly to evenly toast spices, for about 30 seconds. Keep an eye on the pot, stirring constantly to make sure nothing burns! Turn heat down from medium to low if needed.

Add rice and water to the pot and stir for a few seconds to prevent rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot. 

Add salt to taste. I like about 3 tablespoons. 

Cover the pot with a lid and let simmer on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes. Stir the rice about every 10 minutes to ensure even cooking. Taste occasionally for done-ness. 

Once the rice is fully cooked, remove from heat and serve with a garnish of pomegranate seeds and cilantro. You should have about 4 generous servings.

Raw Winter Squash with Brown Butter, Pecans & Currants

Even with its few references to “man salads” (what does that mean? can I not dig a hearty salad?), Joshua McFadden’s Six Seasons was far and away my favorite cookbook of 2017. I have been reaching for it constantly all summer, and can’t wait to tuck into some of the fall and winter recipes.  This dish offers a totally new-to-me way enjoy squash – raw! With brown butter, pecans, and currants, it still feels squarely wintry.

Ingredients

• ½ cup dried currants

• ¼ cup red wine vinegar

• 1 pound of pumpkin or butternut squash

• 3 scallions

• ½ teaspoon dried chile flakes

• Salt and pepper

• ¼ unsalted butter or vegan butter*

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• Pumpkin seed oil (optional)

• ½ cup lightly packed mint leaves (or substitute parsley)

• ½ cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped

Put the currants in a little bowl and add the vinegar. Let them soak for 30 minutes.

Trim the scallions, including about 2 inches worth on the green part. Thinly slice them (at an angle if you are feeling fancy) and soak them in ice water for 20 minutes or so, then drain them thoroughly.

Peel and seed the squash or pumpkin. Use a vegetable peeler to slice off thin ribbons of squash. If you run into hard bits, just use a knife to slice them as thinly as you can! The pieces don’t need to be uniform – just nice to eat.

Put the squash in a large bowl and add the currants with their vinegar, the scallions, the chile flakes, and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Toss to combine, and taste. Adjust the seasoning if it’s not quite right.

Brown the butter! Melt it in a small saucepan over medium heat. Keep cooking the butter, swirling the pan every few seconds. The milk solids in the bottom of the pan will turn a deep golden brown and start to smell nice and nutty, which will take about 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the size of the pan. This technique should also work for vegan butter, but you could also gently heat an equal amount of olive oil and add a bit of balsamic butter to enrich the flavor.

Once the butter is browned, pour it over the squash and toss it to coat all the slices. Add the olive oil and a little drizzle of pumpkin seed oil if you have it. Toss it again, and taste. Does it need anything else? If not, add the mint and pecans, toss one more time, and serve right away.

Simple, Spicy Squash Bake

This recipe, adapted from Denis Cotter’s cookbook Wild Garlic, Gooseberries, and Me, is one that I have returned to every fall and winter for many years. Because of the chocolate and the almonds, it has a mole-like richness that I really love. It cooks for a long time, so will help warm up the house and makes for a great Sunday evening dinner when you’re doing things arounf the house. It also keeps really well and scales easily, so it’s a nice one to make in big batches and eat throughout the week. I like it with tortillas or even a quesadilla, but have also enjoyed it with rice. Pickled peppers or onions, chopped cilantro, scallions, and sour cream are all awesome on top.

Ingredients

• 1 can pinto beans

• About  1 1/2 cups winter squash

• A few glugs of olive oil

• 4 - 5 big leaves of kale (3 1/2 ounces)

• 2 tablespoons butter (or more olive oil)

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 - 4 red jalapeno chiles, halved, seeded, and chopped (you can also use green ones or another red chili, or leave it out if you aren’t into spicy stuff)

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped

• 1 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes (I like the the Muir Glen fire roasted ones)

• 2 teaspoons paprika

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 ounce of almonds, dark roasted and finely ground

• About half of a 70% dark chocolate bar (about 1.5 ounces), broken into pieces

• Salt

Preheat oven to 350°.

Cut the squash into chunks, about 3/4-inch squares. You probably want to peel the squash unless it’s a thin-skinned variety like delicata. Put the squash in a roasting pan and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast the squash in the oven for about 20 minutes until caramelized on the outside but still firm. Reduce the oven temperature to 250°. (If you’d rather, you can cook to squash on the stove to a similar state.)

Cut the kale into thick slices, without bothering to remove the stem. Melt the butter (or heat the oil) into an oven-proof casserole dish or cast iron skillet and fry the onion with the chiles over a low to medium heat for 20-30 minutes, until caramelized. Add the garlic and fry for three minutes more. Add the tomatoes and paprika, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add the ground almonds, chocolate, squash, beans, kale, and a teaspoon of salt. Stir until the chocolate has melted. Cover the pan and put it in the oven to cook for 2 hours.

Warm Kale & Sweet Potato Salad with Miso Dressing

By Kathering Deumling

This is colorful and delicious and fairly quick to make. Substitute collard greens if you don’t have kale. You can use any miso, but if yours is red or another, darker kind start with a little less and add to taste, as the darker they are the stronger they get.

Serve 4-6

• 1 teaspoons olive oil

• Salt

• 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into very small dice (1/3-1/2 inch or so)

• 1 large bunch kale, any tough stems removed, leaves washed but not dried and thinly sliced crosswise

• 1/3 cup or more chopped cilantro

• 1 scallion, thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon white miso (or whatever you have, see headnote)

• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes or more, to taste

• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil or other fairly neutral oil

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When hot add the sweet potato dice and several pinches of salt. Cook, without stirring for about 3-4 minutes until you can smell them and they take on some color. Toss and continue cooking until just tender and nicely browned. Remove from pan and set aside. Add kale to the hot pan and another pinch of salt. Cover and cook over medium-high heat for a minute or two to wilt. Stir and cover again and turn heat down to medium and cook for a couple more minutes until softened but not mushy. Add a sprinkle of water if things are too dry. The time it will take to get them just tender will depend on your type of kale. Lacinato takes a bit longer than the Russian types. When tender remove from pan and put in a serving dish and let cool for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, stir together the miso, oil, vinegar and chile flakes in a small bowl. Add sweet potatoes to the kale and add cilantro and scallion and finally dressing. Stir well. Taste and adjust seasoning with more vinegar if needed or a squeeze of lime juice to brighten it.

Katherine Deumling is a long-time People’s Member-Owner who has created an online Seasonal Recipe Collection that empowers you to cook freely and often, building creativity and confidence with every dish. Cook With What You Have is providing a discounted subscription to the Recipe Collection for People’s Member-Owners and customers for $29/year, or $2.99/month (40% off retail).  The site is organized by vegetable/herb/fruit and is centered on flexible, creative templates that allow you to substitute as needed. Use discount code PEOPLES to subscribe at www.cookwithwhatyouhave.com, if you’re interested.