Andrew's 2nd Place Potato Salad

Andrew's potato salad is in the top right hand corner.

On July 6th, we celebrated barbecue and picnic season with a hugely successful potato salad contest -- over 200 folks cast votes for their favorites! We had three winners, and now they are sharing their secrets for your potato salad success!

Ingredients:

• all the herbs you can get your hands on (choose based on your own herb-love! de-stem them all, and set aside a good handful or two of herbs you'd like to toss in at the end. parsley is perhaps the most suited)

• olive oil

• 6-8 golden potatoes

• mayonnaise (or Veganaise!)

• lemon juice

• white wine vinegar

• dijon mustard

• garlic

Optional additions, for crunch :

• celery

• fennel

• green beans, blanched/cooled

1. Cut each of these vegetables diagonally on the grain (less stringy, more attractive!).

2. Bring some water to a boil. Salt it generously. Drop in the potatoes. Cut the peel off the lemon with a very sharp knife, then into thin strips, then chopped into bite-sized pieces. Place the peel in a small bowl, cover just barely with white wine vinegar, and let sit to macerate.

3. Put loads of de-stemmed herbs into a food processor (or Vitamix, if you have one, or blender, or bowl/jar with immersion blender).

4. Glug in about 1/4-1/2 cup of olive oil (depending on how big a potato salad you are making). Blitz, scrape down the sides, drop in a touch of water, blitz again.

5. Put 1/3-1/2 cup of mayonnaise/Veganaise in a bowl. Scrape out the herby oil into the mayonnaise/Veganaise. Whisk to incorporate. Squeeze or drizzle in lemon juice. Add 1 tsp white wine vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of dijon mustard.

6. Make garlic paste with two cloves of garlic: In mortar and pestle, sprinkle with salt and smash into a paste. With a garlic press, press through, salt the garlic on the cutting board, wait a few minutes, then mince to the point of paste. With a microplane, grate the garlic, sprinkle with salt, and chop vigorously into a paste.

7. Take the garlic paste and mix it into smoothly into your herb and mayonnaise/Veganaise stuff.

8. If more zing is needed or desired, add dijon mustard to taste.

9. Roughly chop the herbs you've set aside.

10. When the potatoes are tender (poke with a fork to see), remove them from the water to cool a bit. Chop the bigger pieces further with a knife. Mash some potatoes partially with a potato masher. It is very important to add the seasoned mayonnaise/Veganaise at this point, while the potatoes are cooling off but still quite warm.

11. Let this sit for several minutes. Toss in the chopped herbs, the lemon peel pieces, and any additional vegetables for crunch, season with loads of black pepper, toss in loads of flaky salt, let cool further and enjoy at room temperature.

Avocado Cilantro Lime Sauce

I love this sauce on a Mexican quinoa bowl or as a topping for tacos. Yum!

Ingredients: 

• 1 medium avocado

• 1 cup cilantro

• 1 clove garlic

• juice of 3 limes

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• ¼ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp cumin

In a food processor or high-speed blender, add all of the ingredients except for the olive oil and blend until combined. With the blender on, add in the olive oil. Add some water to make the sauce thinner, if desired.

Recipes and photos by Natalie Bickford.

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

Rhubarb/Raspberry Crumble

My garden has a rhubarb hill, long-established raspberry canes and a redcurrant bush. One time, around the beginning of July, I had these leftover, half-broken Italian wafer cookies lying around. This crumble then materialized, as if it was suggested by the people who had the garden long ago and by my friend who forgot the cookies at the event she had brought them to.

I hope you can come to a similar equation with whatever fruit you have access to, and either make this crumble or a very different one in the same spirit.

fruit

• 4 or 5 stalks of rhubarb

• 2 large handfuls of raspberries (frozen works just fine! This is a great way to get rid of hoarded fruit from the previous year before the new batch comes in)

• 1 normal handful of redcurrants, top & tailed (optional/only really possible in July. It will work well with with small strawberries or cherries, in May and June)

crumble

• 100g butter (I first got this from recipes in English cookbooks that often have 100g of butter in crumble tops. This is like 5/6s of a stick. Take the part you slice off, break it into bits, and tuck it in around the fruit.)

• oats

• flour (any kind! Your favorite GF flour will work great!)

• almond meal or almonds you grind yourself

• sugar

• a few crumbled wafer-y cookies (another opportunity for your favorite GF alternative!)

• cold water

and more

• sugar—about 1/4 cup on the inside, plus more for serving

• lyle's golden syrup, honey, agave, something like that—a healthy drizzle

Cut, wash and trim the rhubarb. If you are making this recipe at the height of the season, when all three of these fruits can be fresh, your rhubarb has likely been around for awhile. If the outside is tough, peel it with a vegetable peeler. Place the pieces of rhubarb, cut to about 4 inches long each, in your baking dish. Really, with a crumble, precise measurements are unnecessary. Just choose a dish you want to make it in, and include enough fruit to fill it.

Take one handful of raspberries, and crush them in your hand. Scrape the berries off with a rubber spatula, and onto the rhubarb.

Scatter the sugar around the edges and on top. Drizzle the syrup on as well. Tuck in the small pieces of butter.

In a food processor, assemble: butter (cut into pieces) oats, flour, sugar, almond meal (or almonds) and wafer cookies (saving one for the top). Pulse a few times until the butter is cut up and pebbles have formed. Add a tablespoon or two of cold water and shake the mixture until pebbles really form.

Tip the mixture from the food processor over the fruit. Take the second handful of raspberries and scatter them throughout the crumble. This will cause them to burst appetizingly into the crust. Crack the final pizzelle over the top of the crumble.

Bake at 350º for 50 minutes.

If the crumble isn't browning, take another slice of butter and break it up over the top. Return the pan to the oven for about 10-15 more minutes, until the rhubarb has started to bubble up around the edges.

Drop the raw red currants around the crisped-up wafer cookie pieces. Serve at the table with extra sugar. Keeping the crumble nice and tart, but having the option to sweeten up some bites, is a more enjoyable eating experience than all-tart or all-sweet. Pretend you are a child at the breakfast table, adding sugar to the top of a cut grapefruit.

Recipe courtesy of Andrew Barton, photo credits Peter Schweitzer.

Vegan Lemon Bars

Servings: 9 bars

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1 cup gluten free oats

• 1 cup almonds

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

• 2 tbsp coconut sugar

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

• 4-5 tbsp coconut oil, melted

For the filling:

• 1 cup raw cashews

• 1 cup coconut cream* (the hardened portion at the top of full fat coconut milk)

• 2 tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch

• 1/2 cup lemon juice (~2 large lemons)

• 1 heaping tbsp lemon zest (~1 large lemon)

• Pinch sea salt

• 1/4 cup maple syrup, plus more to taste

Instructions

1. Add the raw cashews to a medium bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 1 hour uncovered, then drain.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 F and line an 8x8 inch baking dish with parchment paper.

3. In a food processor or high-speed blender, add the oats, almonds, sea salt, and coconut sugar and pulse until you get a fine meal. Transfer to a medium bowl and add the maple syrup and coconut oil (starting with 4 tbsp coconut oil and adding more if too dry). Mix to combine until a uniform, loose dough is formed. Mixture shouldn’t crumble when you squeeze it between your fingers. If too dry, add more coconut oil.

4. Pour the crust into the parchment lined baking dish and, using your hands, press the crust into the dish, making it as level and compact as you can. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and you notice light browning on the surface. Remove from oven to let cool slightly.

5. For the filling, place the soaked and drained cashews, coconut cream, arrowroot starch or cornstarch, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and maple syrup in a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust, adding more maple syrup or lemon zest/juice if desired.

6. Pour the filling over the pre-baked crust and spread into an even layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until edges look slightly dry and center is giggly, but not liquidy. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes, then place in fridge (uncovered) for at least 4 hours or overnight.

7. Slice and top with powdered sugar or shredded coconut, if you’d like. Store in airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 4 days.

Recipe and photo by Natalie Bickford

Buckwheat Ginger Molasses Granola Clusters

Makes about 5 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rolled oats

• 1 ½ cups raw buckwheat groats

• 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds

• ½ cup raisins, currants, or other dried fruit

• ¾ cup shredded unsweetened coconut

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tbsp ground cardamom

• ¼ tsp pink Himalayan salt

• ½ cup blackstrap molasses

• ¼ cup maple syrup or honey

• ½ cup coconut oil, melted

• ¼ cup tahini

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, add the oats, buckwheat, pumpkin seeds, raisins, coconut, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Mix to combine.

In a medium bowl, combine the molasses, maple syrup or honey, coconut oil, tahini, vanilla, and ginger. Whisk until it all comes together into a uniform liquid.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to until everything is mixed well together and evenly distributed. Bake in the oven for about 30-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Granola is done when buckwheat and pumpkin seeds are slightly toasted brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Once cooled, break the granola up into clusters and store in an airtight container. 

Recipe courtesy of Natalie Bickford.

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.

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.

Chewy Teff Ginger Molasses Cookies

Makes 32 small cookies.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups teff flour

• ½ cup buckwheat flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• ¼ tsp ground cloves

• ½ tsp mustard powder

• ½ cup creamy unsalted almond butter

• ¼ cup coconut oil, melted

• 2 tsp tamari

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger

• ½ cup maple syrup

• ½ cup blackstrap molasses

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Add the teff flour, buckwheat flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and mustard powder to a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the butter, coconut oil, tamari, vanilla extract, ginger, maple syrup, and molasses to another bowl and stir to combine.  

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Try not to over mix. Using a tablespoon, scoop the batter and drop onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until brown on the bottom. Remove from oven and place onto a cooling rack. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Clean Food by Terry Walters. Photo and adaptation by Natalie Bickford.

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.

Jerry Traunfeld’s Root Ribbons with Sage

Ingredients

• 2 lbs root vegetables, such as carrots, parsnips, burdock, rutabagas, yams (avoid beets)

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped sage

• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Wash and peel the roots and discard the peelings. Continue to peel the vegetables from their tops to the root tips to produce ribbons, rotating the roots on their axis a quarter turn after each strip is peeled, until you're left with cores that are too small to work with. (You can snack on these or save them for stock.) Alternately, you may use a mandolin.

Melt the butter with the sage in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir for a minute to partially cook the sage. Add the root ribbons and toss them with tongs until they begin to wilt. Add the salt, a good grinding of black pepper, the maple syrup, lemon juice, and about 3/4 cup of water.

Continue to cook the vegetables over medium heat, turning them with tongs every minute or so, until all the liquid boils away and the ribbons are glazed and tender, about 10 minutes total. Serve right away, or cool and reheat in the skillet when ready to serve.

Recipe by Natalie Bickford adapted from Food52

Butternut Squash Soup with Miso and Coconut

Serves 6-8, perfect for leftovers throughout the week. 

Ingredients

• Olive oil

• 4 ½ cups water

• 4 tbsp plus 1 tsp white miso paste

• 1 large yellow onion, diced

• 1-inch knob of ginger, peeled and grated

• 2 ½ tsp cumin

• ½ tsp cayenne pepper

• one 3 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes

• ½ cup full-fat coconut milk

• 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste

Directions

First, make your miso stock. Put 4 cups of water into a saucepan and heat to a simmer. Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup of water together with the miso, and pour that into the saucepan. Bring to a simmer, but don't let it boil.

Pour a few tablespoons of olive oil into the bottom of a large, heavy pot. When it's hot, add the onion and sweat it until it's translucent. Stir in the ginger, cumin, and cayenne, and toast spices for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Deglaze with a ladle-full of your miso stock.

Add the cubed butternut squash and the salt, mixing everything to combine, and then pour in the rest of the miso stock. Simmer until the squash is completely tender, about 20 minutes.

Turn off the heat, and purée the soup in a food processor or with a hand blender, being careful of the hot liquid. At this point you can strain for a super-smooth soup, or you can leave it how it is -- up to you!

Return the puréed soup back to the pot, and stir in the coconut milk. Taste, adjust for seasoning and spice. 

Serve warm, with bread on the side.

Recipe by Natalie Bickford.

Hazelnut Crusted Miso Delicata Squash

Ingredients

• 1 delicata squash, halved and cut into ½ inch wedges

• 2 tbsp miso paste

• 2 tbsp hot water

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp rice wine vinegar

• ¼ cup hazelnuts, ground (1/3 cup ground)

• 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed

• pinch of salt

• pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

• fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375F. Combine miso paste and hot water in a medium bowl and whisk to dissolve the miso paste, until smooth. Add in the olive oil and vinegar and whisk to combine. Add the squash to the bowl and toss to coat. Pour onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

In a food processor, add the ground hazelnuts, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes (if using) and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the nut mixture onto the squash, doing your best to evenly coat them. Once each wedge is covered, gently press the mixture down with your fingers so that it sticks. Carefully flip the squash over and repeat on the other side. A bit tedious, but so worth it!

Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, carefully flipping each wedge half way through. Squash is done when easily pierced with a fork and crust is browned. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with some fresh chopped parsley, if you please! This is great as a side or on top of a salad. Enjoy!

Recipe by Natalie Bickford.

Gluten-Free Quinoa Pizza Crust

Makes one personal pizza.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed, soaked 8 hours or overnight, drained, rinsed again

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

• 3 tbsp water

• cooking spray

Topping ideas

• Arugula pesto

• Fried eggplant

• Fresh tomatoes

• Goat cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly coat the parchment paper with oil spray or brush it on yourself

Add the soaked and rinsed quinoa, baking powder, salt, and water to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the batter onto the lined baking sheet and spread out evenly using a rubber spatula.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Removed and flip the crust over and bake for another 3 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown.

Add toppings and bake until heated through and cheese is melted, about 6 minutes.

Recipe by Natalie Bickford.

Roasted Black Futsu Squash with Hazelnut Sage Pesto

Ingredients

For the pesto:

• 1 garlic clove

• ½ cup sage leaves (plus a few more for frying, optional)

• ¼ cup parsley

• ¼ cup hazelnuts

• 2 tbsp lemon juice

• 2 tsp miso paste

• pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

• ¼ cup olive oil

• salt and pepper, to taste

For the apple cider cranberries:

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

• 1 cup unsweetened apple cider

For the squash:

• 1 black futsu squash (or other winter squash), cubed

• 1-2 tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions

For the pesto, in a food processor, pulse the garlic and herbs until coarsely chopped. Add in the hazelnuts and pulse again until the nuts are coarsely chopped. Add in the lemon juice, miso paste, red pepper flakes, and olive oil and pulse until incorporated. I like mine to still be a little chunky, but you could puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the squash on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the squash is cooked through. 

(Optional) While the squash roasts, heat 3 tbsp of butter or oil in a small pan over medium heat. Once melted and sizzles when you drop a leaf in, add in the sage leaves and fry for about 10 seconds, or until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel to cool. 

For the cranberries, heat the apple cider and cranberries to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until the cranberries are rehydrated. 

Once the squash is done, transfer it to a bowl and generously toss with the hazelnut sage pesto. Top with chopped hazelnuts, apple cider cranberries and fried sage. Yum!

Recipe by Natalie Bickford.

Coconut Flour Zucchini Muffins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coconut flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1 cup grated zucchini

• 4 eggs

• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 6 tbsp maple syrup

• 1/4 chopped pecans + 1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional...but necessary)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a muffin pan (this makes 12 small muffins).

Mix the coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon in a bowl.

Combine the zucchini, eggs, coconut oil, vanilla and maple syrup in a separate bowl and mix until uniform. Add the dry to the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips.

Place in the oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

Recipe by Natalie Bickford.

Young Garlic & Squash Blossom Risotto

Ingredients

• 4 or 5 cloves of the mild, young garlic with soft, wet skins, OR 3 cloves of pungent, cured summer garlic.

• one large or two smaller spring onions

• arborio rice (350 g, about 3 1/2 cups)

• white wine (200 ml- a little less than a cup)

• hot vegetable stock (1.25 litres- about 5 1/2 cups)

• butter (have a stick on hand, use your own judgement from there)

• olive oil

• squash blossoms (several, from your garden, or available at farmers markets)

Directions

Peel and slice, then chop the garlic and spring onions. 

Wash and set aside your squash blossoms.

Grate the parmesan cheese and set aside. 

Melt the butter and olive oil in the base of a good heavy bottom (half-height, if you have one) soup pot. I do feel strongly that a wide base is essential for good risotto. 

A good tool is also essential. Make sure your tool can safely scrape the bottom of your pan. A wooden flat spatula (just make sure its tip is thin enough) is good on enamel pots, a strong metal spatula on steel. 

In another soup pot or tall saucepan, heat your prepared stock. Ideally, make a good garlicky broth. You could also make a fresh young garlic stock by cooking some other cloves in butter, topping off with salt and water, then boiling/simmering (perhaps with a cheesecloth sachet of parsley stems) until the taste comes through. 

Add the chopped onions and garlic and cook over medium heat until softened. Add the arborio rice and cook for a minute or two more. Scrape out a circle in the center, then add the white wine. It should sizzle and steam on contact. Stir vigorously so the rice absorbs the alcohol. Cook this way for about 2 minutes, until the liquid is gone and the rice is just barely starting to stick to the bottom of the pan. 

Make another circle with your tool. Add a ladleful of stock, then stir vigorously to incorporate. Repeat this process, taking progressively longer between ladlefuls. You'll notice the stock absorbs quite quickly at first, then as the rice cooks, it will slow. You don't want the rice to break down very much and become gummy, so the sweet spot is where you can feel whole grains on your tongue, but they are entirely tender. 

When most of the stock is absorbed (I almost always stop before I've reached the end of the pot) and the risotto is delicious, turn the heat off. Add the squash blossoms and parmesan and another good knob of butter. Stir to incorporate, then cover to let the squash blossoms delicately steam.

Serve with grilled summer vegetables, dressed with lemon zest and lemon juice, grassy olive oil, salt, and pepper. Top each serving of risotto with another sprinkling of parmesan and, if you have access, some herb flowers. 

Recipe courtesy of Andrew Barton, photo by Peter Schweitzer.

Chickpea, Tomato, Cucumber Salad with Tahini Lemon Sauce

Chickpea, Tomato, Cucumber Salad with Tahini Lemon Sauce

Serves 4

Sauce Ingredients:

• ¼ cup tahini

• ¼ cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 2 tsp miso paste*

• 1 tsp maple syrup

• Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 cucumber, diced

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (or 1 large tomato, chopped)

• 1 cup chickpeas

• ½ cup parsley, chopped

• ½ cup sheep’s milk feta (or any other kind of feta)

• ½ cup walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Combine all of the sauce ingredients into small bowl and whisk until uniform.

Combine the cucumber, tomatoes, chickpeas, parsley and feta into a large bowl. Pour dressing on top and mix until evenly coated. Top with additional feta and parsley and finish with fresh ground black pepper.

*If omitting miso paste, make sure to add salt, to taste.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Natalie Bickford.