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. 

One Pot Pasta with Whatever is on Hand

by Caitlin Gaylord Churchill, Perishable & Dairy Buyer and Co-Manager

I love this dish because it’s so easy. For it to be a meal, I reason, there should be at least a half hour of me throwing vegetable peels on the floor and in my hair while I braise and nearly burn something else. It doesn’t have to be that way, but I feel most comfortable with a little chaos around me – it’s hard for me to embrace the easy. So put your long hair up with two pencils or a rubber band and listen up:

You can edit this dish in many ways to fit what you have around and what you like. The basic idea is that you get a salty pot of water boiling, add the pasta and when there is 3-4 minutes left in the pasta’s cooking cycle, add some veggies that will cook also. If you’re adding a frozen veg, defrost it in the colander with a water rinse before adding to the pot. Veggies like broccoli could take longer or be cut smaller, your choice. Veggies such as fresh chard or spinach could be put in with a minute to spare so they don’t overcook.

Ingredients

• 200 grams legume-based pasta

• 1 pound of fresh green beans

• 2 cups frozen shelled green peas

• Sea salt for cooking water and garnish

• 4 tablespoons cold-pressed olive oil

• Zest and juice of 1 organic lemon

• 4 tablespoons capers

• A large handful fresh mint, leaves only

Instructions

Put a large pot of water on the stove and heat over a high flame.

While the water is heating up, wash, trim, and chop the beans. Shell the peas (or take them out of the fridge or freezer). Wash and roughly chop the mint. Once the cooking water is boiling, salt it generously (it should taste salty).

Add the pasta and set a timer for about three minutes before the suggested cooking time. Three minutes before the pasta is done, add the beans and peas. Cook for three minutes. Drain well and place back in the pot. Add the olive oil (important to keep the pasta from sticking!), lemon zest, drained capers and a few pinches of sea salt. Season to taste. Fold in the fresh mint and serve.

Vegetable Ideas

• Diced carrot

• Diced summer squash (seriously, lets use ‘em up)

• Green beans

• Frozen peas (FAVORITE)

• Broccoli florets

• Cauliflower florets

• Edamame

• Frozen or fresh spinach

• Chard leaves

Seasoning

• Sundried tomatoes, garlic, & basil

• Coconut milk, curry, & peanuts

• Tahini dressing, made with tahini, lemon, garlic, & water in the food processor

Beets, Buckwheat, & Chevre

By Caitlin Gaylord Churchill, Perishable & Dairy Buyer and Comanager

Originally this was a recipe for roasted beets and farro, which I found on the illustrious FoodNetwork.com. I don’t find farro to be that interesting of a grain, so this is the jazzed up version. It takes a little longer to prepare, but I find that it’s more interesting. You can leave out the cheese entirely and it’s still delish.

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds small beets (I like to mix red and yellow)

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• Sea Salt and Black Pepper

• 5 sprigs thyme

• 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled

• ½ cup shelled raw pistachios

• ½ cup pitted prunes, diced

• 4 tablespoons salted butter or earth balance

• 1½ cups buckwheat kasha

• 3 cups of vegetable stock

• 4 ounces chevre or Heidi Ho vegan goat cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Cut beets into halves. Combine the beets, olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, some pepper, the thyme sprigs, and the garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Cover with foil and roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until easily pierced with a paring knife. During that time on another rack in the oven, roast the pistachios for 5 minutes. Set aside both to cool completely.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan or deep saute pan over medium heat. Add the buckwheat and stir until coated with butter and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the prunes and add 3 cups of stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and let simmer on low for 25 minutes. With a paper towel, remove the skins from the beets. Quarter the beets and add them to the bowl with the cooked buckwheat. Fold in the toasted pistachios.

Squeeze the roasted garlic into a small bowl. Mash it with a fork and season with salt and pepper, and then stir it into the salad. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine. Top with the crumbled goat cheese.

Angelica's Kitchen Potato Leek Soup with Greens

By Caitlin Gaylord Churchill, Perishable & Dairy Buyer and Comanager

When I was in my late teens and early twenties I would sometimes go into The City (you know, New York) for a weekend with friends. I had very little money, but what money I had I hoarded and then spent exclusively on restaurant food. I would walk all over and eat samosas in a basement level quicky mart with cab drivers on the lower east side, and then oysters at the cavernous Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station. One place that was frequently on the list to visit was Angelica’s Kitchen – one of the first hip vegetarian restaurants ever. Gluten Free Corn Bread – they had it before it was cool. This potato leek soup is like a free trip to that restaurant. It’s familiar and comforting but somehow also bright and healthy. It comes out a lovely green once it’s pureed. The only next level cooking tool you might need is an immersion blender – you could use a regular food processor but it would take a lot of ladling hot soup back and forth – not my favorite way to pass the time.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup and 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 large leeks, whites only

• 6 cloves of garlic, peeled

• 4-5 cups of vegetable stock

• 1 pound yukon gold potatoes diced into ½” cubes

• 2 bunches of spinach or watercress, washed, drained and coarsely chopped (frozen is fine if defrosted)

• 1 tablespoon tarragon, leaves only

• Juice of 1 lemon, fresh

Instructions

Combine the ¼ cup oil, leeks and whole garlic cloves in a heavybottomed pot or deep sauce pan over medium heat. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes.

Add pinch of salt, lower the heat, cover and cook 15 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.

Add the potatoes and enough stock to cover them, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Add the spinach or watercress to the soup and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes longer. Add tarragon and remaining olive oil, and then blend the soup until creamy with an immersion blender, or in a blender or food processor. Stir in lemon juice, season with salt and pepper to taste.

If the soup is too thick, thin with additional stock to desired consistency.

Best polenta, mushrooms & kale

A quick supper for an autumn weeknight, celebrating some staples of the Northwest. 

Ingredients

• About a cup of cremini mushrooms

• Butter (or substitute olive oil)

• Olive or canola oil

• 1 cup polenta (maybe some special kind, grown near you, with no GMOs! Like the kind sold at People’s Food Co-op in bulk!)

• Salt

• Kale, just a few leaves

• About 1 cup of oyster or other more unusual mushrooms

• Black pepper

• Mustard

• Beer or wine (optional)

Slice the cremini mushrooms. Put butter and a small drizzle of oil in a cast iron pan, raise the heat to high and add the mushrooms. Stir to coat, reduce the heat to medium and cook without crowding until they start to color on one side. Flip them with a spatula and cook until colored on the other side. Towards the end, turn the heat back up to high and press down on them with your spatula. The remaining water should sputter out and evaporate, and the edges should crisp just perfectly. Swiftly remove and set aside. 

Cook the polenta in a heavy-bottomed saucepan: mix the polenta with 4 cups of water, 1 teaspoon salt and olive oil, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, stir. When it first starts to really thicken, add the cremini mushrooms and a knob of butter. When it starts to thicken dramatically, reduce the heat to as low as it’ll go and stir in another pat of butter. De-stem the kale leaves and cut them into ribbons. Stir them in, cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let the polenta rest so that the kale can steam. 

In the mushroom pan, add more butter and oil. Cook the fancier mushrooms in pulled-apart pieces on medium-high heat. Add a drop of mustard, maybe a splash of beer or wine if you are drinking any. Add some salt and a heavy cracking of black pepper. 

Serve the polenta with kale ribbons in a bowl, topped with the fancier mushrooms and a dusting of flaky salt. 

Extra ideas

This kind of dinner can also be made with delicious polenta triangles. This is an adaptation of “Erico’s Easy Polenta,” on the back of the Golden Pheasant bag. 

Ingredients

• 3 1⁄4 cups lukewarm water

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup polenta

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for frying

• 1 tablespoon butter, plus more for the dish (or use olive oil)

Butter a ceramic baking dish. Pour in the water. Stir in the salt to dissolve it. Add the polenta and olive oil, stirring to distribute the oil and avoid clumping. Bake at 350 degrees F, uncovered, for 50 minutes. Run a fork through it, spread melted butter over the top with a rubber spatula, and bake for 10 more minutes. Let cool, then cut into triangles. Fry up in oil, and top with mushrooms and kale or other delicious things. Roasted squash, roasted garlic, roasted cauliflower?  Chickpea curry? Ratatouille? 

Celeriac, Fennel & Orange Salad

Ingredients

• 1 celeriac

• 1 fennel bulb

• 3 blood oranges

• 1 lemon

• 1 large navel or cara cara orange

• olive oil

• almonds (handful)

• tarragon

• white wine vinegar

Prepare a big bowl with cold water. Drop in some lemon juice from a bottle or a fruit. 

Peel the celeriac. Drop into the lemon bath immediately. 

Trim the fennel (reserving the tops with fronds) and slice into thin boomerangs. Move them to the lemon bath. Take out the celeriac, cut it in half, put the other half back. Keep cutting the celeriac now into thin-to-medium matchsticks. Moving the finished ones to the lemon bath, then repeating with the second half of the vegetable. 

Cut the oranges into 1/4 inch rounds. Trim the peels with a paring knife. Cut little triangular pieces, removing center seeds or any remaining pith, so you have clean and beautiful jewels of citrus. 

Drain the lemon bath, add more lemon juice, a splash of tarragon white wine vinegar, and olive oil. Toss to dress. 

Chop the handful of almonds roughly, just making sure some pieces are quite small. 

Assemble each serving separately. Take the celeriac and fennel pieces, make a nice pile, add pieces of orange, toss over some almonds, drizzle over some good finishing-olive oil, crack on black pepper, toss on some finishing salt, then tear fennel fronds over the whole thing. 

Recipe courtesy of Andrew Barton, photo credits Peter Schweitzer.

Candied Carrots with Herbs & White Pepper Sour Cream

Ingredients

• Carrots (good looking, smallish)

• Sugar (or honey, agave, or maple syrup if you prefer)

• Salt

• Oil

• Lots of herbs: mint, winter savory, rosemary, sage, oregano, parsley, or whatever you can get your hands on

For the white pepper sour cream (optional)

• Sour cream (plain yogurt would work well, too)

• White pepper

Trim the tops of the carrots and slice in half them lengthwise, all the way to the tip. Cook in boiling, salted water for about 3 minutes, until just tender. Remove to an ice bath, change the water after a minute or two. Drain when the carrots are cooled. 

In a bowl, dress the carrots with oil and a few pinches of both sugar and salt. Heat a flat, wide seasoned pan over medium-high heat. Place the carrots in the pan, cut side down. Let cook until those cut sides are starting to candy, but before any part burns. This involves very careful watching, and a lot of picking up carrots with tongs. I find this sort of thing fun, though– perhaps you do too?

Meanwhile, chop your heaping pile of herbs. 

Remove to a baking dish and place in a 300º oven (or transfer your oven-safe pan to the oven), where they will stay warm and continue to candy a bit. When all the carrots are in the baking dish, toss them with the herbs. 

When ready to serve, make up a dish of spicy sour cream. Take a few tablespoons in a bowl, add a drizzle of cold water, stir till smooth and just a bit thinner than usual. Add a full 1/4 teaspoon of white pepper, stir again, and serve. 

Recipe courtesy of Andrew Barton, photo credits Peter Schweitzer.

Arugula Hazelnut Pesto

This is one of my favorite pesto variations. The arugula adds a wonderful pepperiness to the pesto. Feel free to mix and match herbs, greens, and nuts!

Ingredients: 

• 1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts

• 1 cup arugula

• 1 cup basil

• 1 cup grated Parmesan (or sub ½ cup nutritional yeast)

• 1-2 cloves garlic

• ½ cup olive oil

• juice from 1 lemon

In a food processor or high-speed blender, add all of the ingredients except for the olive oil. Process/pulse until roughly chopped. While the blender is running, slowly add in the olive oil. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Recipes and photos by Natalie Bickford.

Romesco Sauce

This sauce has a wonder smoky flavor from the roasted peppers and smoked paprika. It is very versatile, making a great topping for fish, red meat, poultry, veggies, and grains. You could pretty much put it on anything!

Ingredients:

• 1, 8 oz jar of roasted red peppers, drained

• 1-2garlic cloves

• 1-2 tsp smoked paprika

• ¼ - ½ cup roasted hazelnuts

• 1 tbsp lemon juice or sherry vinegar

• salt and pepper, to taste

• ¼ cup good olive oil

In a food processor or high-speed blender, add all of the ingredients except for the olive oil. Pulse until finely ground, then, with the blender or processor on, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until smooth. If too thick, thin out with some water. Add salt and pepper, to taste. 

Recipes and photos by Natalie Bickford.

Shaved Asparagus and Kale Socca with Leek Pesto

Socca, also known as farinata, is chickpea flour flatbread that is popular in the Ligurian Sea coast. It’s super easy to put together, inexpensive, and it provides a protein-rich, gluten-free, and vegan base that lends itself well to a variety of toppings. Any pesto and vegetable combination can be used, so feel free to experiment!

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

For the socca

• 1 cup chickpea flour

• 1 tsp sea salt

• fresh ground black pepper

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 1 cup water, room temperature

For the leek pesto

• 1 medium leek, halved lengthwise and chopped

• 1 cup cashews, toasted

• 1 clove garlic

• ¼ cup grated Parmesan (optional)

• 3 tsp mellow white miso paste (I used chickpea miso)

• zest and juice from 2 lemons (about ¼ cup lemon juice)

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• salt and pepper, to taste

For the shaved asparagus and kale

• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• salt and pepper, to taste

• 5 thick stalks of asparagus, shaved

• 1 cup loosely packed kale

• 1 tbsp fresh chopped mint

• fresh grated Parmesan or Manchego cheese (optional)

Instructions

For the leek pesto, in a food processor or high-speed blender, add the leek, cashews, garlic, Parmesan (if using), miso, and lemon juice. Blend until it reaches a uniform consistency, then add in the olive oil and blend until smooth. Taste and add salt, pepper, or more lemon juice, to taste.

For the socca, preheat the oven to 450 and place your cast iron skillet in the oven. In a medium bowl, combine the chickpea flour, salt, and pepper. Add in 1 cup of room temperature water and 2 tbsp of olive oil and whisk to combine. Let sit for 15 minutes, or until it resembles a thinner pancake batter. Add water if too thick.

Remove the pan from the oven, add 1 tbsp olive oil and swirl to coat. Pour in the batter and let bake for about 15 minutes, or until the center is firm and edges begin to turn golden. Set aside and let cool while you prepare the shaved asparagus and kale salad.

For the shaved asparagus and kale, in a mason jar, combine the red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, Dijon, salt, and pepper. Shake vigorously to emulsify. Place the kale in a medium bowl and pour half of the dressing on top. Using your hands, massage the kale for about 1 minute to break it down. Add in the shaved asparagus, mint, and remaining dressing. Toss gently to combine.

To assemble, spread about ½ cup (or more) on top of the socca in an even layer. Then top with the shaved asparagus, kale salad, and fresh grated Parmesan or Manchego cheese, if desired. Slice and serve immediately! 

Recipe and photo by Natalie Bickford

Spiced Spaetzle with Dandelion Greens and Caraway/Black Pepper Soured Cream

Ingredients

the spaetzle:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons toasted and roughly-ground caraway seeds

• lots of cracked black pepper

• 7 large eggs

• 1/4 cup milk

the sauce:

• 1 tbsp butter

• 2 tbsp flour

• 1 cup whole milk

• 1 1/2 cups of soft white cheese, grated

• smudge of mustard

• salt

the greens:

• 1 bunch dandelion greens

• olive oil

the soured cream:

• store-bought short tub of sour cream (or make your own—combine 1 cup cream with 1 tbsp buttermilk; leave out, covered, for 2 1/2 days. creme fraiche on the tangier side)

• 1 tbsp toasted and roughly-ground caraway seeds

• generous cracking of black pepper

To make the spaetzle

Start with the flour in a mixing bowl, incorporate the caraway seeds and black pepper, then make a well in the center. Crack all the eggs in a separate bowl, mix thoroughly (but don't beat heavily) with a fork, then pour into the well. Start to mix with a spatula, then pour in the milk as you go to make a smooth batter. If it seems to get too gummy or thick, thin out with a little water or more milk.  The consistency should really be rather like pancake batter.

In a third mixing bowl (your largest), get an ice bath ready to receive the cooked spaetzle. 

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Take a small scoop (less than a ladle will hold) of the batter and put it in your colander with holes big enough for batter to drop through in little dots. With a flexible spatula, push and scrape the dough over the bottom of the colander so that tiny nubbins of dough fall through and into the water. When your scoop of batter has gone through (you may have to pause once or twice to stir the pot of spaetzle so they don't stick together), after one a half to three minutes of cooking time (you will know when they are ready), remove with a spider strainer. Drop into the ice bath. Stir lightly, and let them settle. 

When all the dough has been used and you have an ice bath full of spaetzle, pass through another colander like you've finished making packaged spaghetti, discarding the ice water and getting as much moisture off the spaetzle as you can. Place into a buttered baking dish and let rest.

Make the sauce

Take a tablespoon of butter, melt it in a small saucepan, toss in 2 tablespoons of flour, whisk together, lower heat and cook till the roux starts to color slightly.  Add one cup of whole milk and whisk again to incorporate the flour/butter. Continue whisking at medium high heat until the mixture starts to thicken, then return to low. Add approximately 1 1/2 cups of soft white cheese (havarti, swedish farmer’s cheese, fontina, something like that). Stir until melted/incorporated into the sauce. Season with a little mustard and salt. 

Pour the sauce over the spaetzle, tossing to coat. Top with another cheese of your choosing in patterns over the dish. Bake at 350° until it resembles a finished dish of macaroni and cheese (approx 30-45 minutes). 

When the spaetzle is all ready to serve, wash a bunch of dandelion greens under the sink, then toss directly into a wok, large cast iron, or small soup pot.  Cook on medium-high until the color has intensified and they've wilted. Break some of them up if you like and toss with a mild oil to help them glisten and not stick together. 

In a bowl, artfully arrange the dandelion greens, add some spaetzle, throw in a bit of flaky salt (and maybe a small dollop of fine mustard), then top with a large serving of the caraway seed and black pepper soured cream. 

Recipe courtesy of Andrew Barton, photo credits Peter Schweitzer.

Celeriac, fennel & orange salad

Ingredients

• 1 celeriac

• 1 fennel bulb

• 3 blood oranges

• 1 large navel or cara cara orange

• olive oil

• almonds, a handful

• almond oil (if you have it)

• white wine vinegar

1. Prepare a big bowl with cold water. Drop in some lemon juice from a bottle or a fruit.

2. Peel the celeriac. Drop into the lemon bath immediately.

3. Trim the fennel (reserving the tops with fronds) and slice into thin boomerangs. Move them to the lemon bath. Take out the celeriac, cut it in half, put the other half back. Keep cutting the celeriac now, first into 1/4 inch discs, returning to the lemon bath each time, then into thin-to-medium matchsticks. Move the finished pieces right back to the lemon bath, then repeat with the other half.

4. Cut the oranges into 1/4 inch rounds. Trim off the peels with a paring knife. Cut little triangular pieces, removing center seeds and any remaining pith so you have clean and beautiful jewels of citrus.

5. Drain the lemon bath, add more lemon juice, a splash of white wine vinegar and almond (or olive) oil. Toss to dress.

6. Chop the handful of almonds roughly, just making sure some pieces are quite small.

7. Assemble each serving separately. Take the celeriac and fennel pieces, make a nice pile, add pieces of orange, sprinkle with some almonds and drizzle with some good olive oil. Crack on black pepper, toss on some finishing salt, then tear fennel fronds over the whole thing.

Recipe courtesy of Andrew Barton, photo credits Peter Schweitzer.

Quinoa Veggie Bowl with Cheez Sauce

These bowls are very adaptable, feel free to use any grain and any combination of seasonal veggies. 

Ingredients

For the Cheez Sauce

• ½ cup almond milk

• ¼ cup nutritional yeast

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 tsp tamari

• fresh ground black pepper

• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

• ¼ tsp cumin (optional)

For the bowl

• ½ cup quinoa, cooked

• ½ cup grated carrot (about 2 medium)

• 2 cups roughly chopped kale, steamed

• 1 avocado, thinly sliced

• handful of cilantro, roughly chopped

• ½ cup roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

 

For the cheez sauce, add all ingredients into a small pot. Turn the heat to low and whisk the ingredients together until combined. Remove from heat and set aside.

Divide the quinoa into two bowls. Assemble the remaining ingredients on top of the quinoa and finished with a generous amount of cheez sauce. Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Natalie Bickford.

Squash and Red Lentil Curry

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups onion

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 tbsp fresh ginger

• 2 teaspoons (or more) curry powder and garam masala

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed

• 1 cup red lentils

• 1 cup fresh tomato or 1, 15 oz canned tomatoes drained

• 1 can coconut milk

• Salt

• Olive oil

• 4 cups water

• Lime wedges

• Cilantro

Directions

Saute onion, garlic, ginger and spices in olive oil. Add squash, lentils, tomato and salt. Then add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, stirring until the squash is tender for about 20 minutes. Stir in coconut milkand simmer until heated through, about 1 minute. Serve with lime wedges and cilantro and enjoy as this dish makes you comfy cozy.

Quinoa Blood Orange Delicata Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1-2 large onions, cut into long thin slices

• ¼ cup avocado oil

• pinch of salt

• ½ cup quinoa, cooked

• 1 medium delicata squash, cut into ½ inch wedges

• 1.5 tbsp olive oil

• ¼ tsp pink Himalayan sea salt

• 2 blood oranges, sliced into rounds

• 1 medium avocado, sliced into 1 inch cubes

• 2 cups spinach, roughly chopped

• ½ cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar

• ¼ tsp salt

• fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

Heat ¼ cup of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add in the onion and a pinch of salt. Sauté until onions soften, then turn the heat down so the onions are simmering gently in the oil. Let it simmer on low for about 30-45 mins, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Onions are done when softened, golden brown, and slightly sweet.  Remove from heat and set aside. 

Preheat the oven to 425F. In a bowl, combine the squash, oil, and salt and toss to coat. Pour onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes, flipping about half way through. Remove from oven and let cool.

In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, delicata squash, blood orange, avocado, spinach, almonds, and ¼ cup of the caramelized onions. In a small bowl, whisk together the 2 tbsp olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pour the dressing over the quinoa and toss to combine. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe and photo courtesy of Natalie Bickford.