csa farm fresh salad

We haven't been doing much grocery shopping lately. It's too hot and we're not lucky enough to live in a neighbourhood with one of those fancy air-con supermarkets. While there is appeal to standing in front of a popsicle fridge with the doors wide open and my tongue stuck to the rack, it's just not going to happen. Neither is shopping during a heatwave in an overcrowded and tiny market in Chinatown fighting for elbow room. Nope, not my idea of happy fun times. Luckily, we've been CSA blessed. We split a share with friends and every Tuesday we get a huge load of veggies to be eaten up throughout the week. This was last week's share and here's what yesterday's half share looked like.

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, you are well aware that there is a heat wave happening. We're wimps and we just can't handle the heat. There's no way that I'll be turning on the oven, the stove or even make a pot of coffee. I tried my hand at cold-brewing coffee again (this time a different & more successful recipe) and it turned out great. So for dinner, I turned to my csa share for inspiration and decided that a gigantic bowl of salad would do nicely. It was perfectly crunchy and full of flavour. And it's flexible....just add in what you've got. The dressing which I had planned as some kind of asian ranch actually turned out good, especially considering that I didn't have any mayo to thicken the dressing at all. Consider this a runny buttermilk asian vinaigrette of sorts. It's runny but it tastes great. But add mayo if that's your thing.

Oh, and I'll be heading out on holiday next month and would love if a Vancouver-ite could take over our half of the csa share while we're gone. So if you are around throughout August and love the idea of organic and locally grown produce, please send me an email for more information. GONE!

csa farm fresh salad
1 small head cabbage, chopped
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 head of broccoli, finely diced
2 radishes, diced
2 T chopped onion, diced
2 large handfuls of walnuts, chopped
2 handfuls of raisins

dressing
1/3 c buttermilk
1 small lemon, juiced
1/2 t fresh ginger, minced
1 T olive oil
1 T soy sauce
1/4 t agave syrup
a few shakes of sriracha

Add all the vegetables into a large bowl and toss with the raisins and walnuts. In a measuring cup, blend together the dressing ingredients and pour over salad. Toss well. This dressing is runny. If you like a thicker dressing, cut out some of the buttermilk and sub in some mayo.

creamy broccoli & leek soup

I made this soup in May when it actually seemed like soup weather, however the weather had transformed into summer the very next day. Soup has pretty much been the very last thing on my mind. And the glorious sunny, hot weather that the Pacific Northwest has been having just seemed to go on and on. But then yesterday the rains came back and this morning I woke up to another grey day. I don't want to face a new weather trend here, but I'm posting this soup recipe because it just seems like the perfect thing to hit the spot. The window reflects October but the calendar says July. Oh well, I need this bowl of warm comfort like nobody's business right now. The sun should come out by the weekend and I can most certainly can turn some of the fabulous local broccoli and leeks and potatoes that I bought on the weekend into this bright green and oh so tasty soup.

creamy broccoli & leek soup
1 leek, sliced thinly (white & light green parts only)
1 large head of broccoli, roughly chopped
2 potatoes, diced
1 t olive oil
4 c vegetable stock
1/4 c whipping cream (or milk)
1/4 c grated old white cheddar
salt & pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat and saute the leeks until soft and fragrant. Add in broccoli and potatoes and stir fry it a bit. Add in enough vegetable stock so that the vegetables are just covered. Cover and simmer over med-low heat for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Puree with immersion blender and add in cream/milk and cheese. Taste and add salt & pepper, if needed.

couscous vegetable soup

Want a hearty and healthy lunch? This soup makes the grade and it's flexible enough so that you can add in whatever vegetables you've got lingering about in your fridge. I wanted to use up the bits and bobs of vegetables, so for me it was broccoli, carrots and onion. For you, it might be zucchini, red pepper, cauliflower and spinach. Whatever, mix it up. Live a little.

When I was making this soup, I was also in the middle of work. So I let this soup sit a bit longer on the stove than I wanted and thus, the couscous soaked up more of the broth than I would have normally liked. But rather than go mushy and bland like regular pasta, the couscous still had bite and chew. Israeli couscous is a very forgiving grain and my lunch was delicious.

couscous vegetable soup
1/2 c israeli couscous
2 c vegetable broth
1 small carrot, diced
1/2 - 1 c broccoli, chopped
1/4 small onion, diced
salt & pepper
a few healthy dashes of your favorite hot sauce

Heat up couscous in broth. When it starts to boil, add in vegetables. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes and serve with your favorite hot sauce, a few grinds of pepper and a sprinkle of salt, if needed.

let's get down tonight with a millet vegetable bowl

I can't explain just how happy this meal made me. I loved every single bite. I kicked myself that I didn't make more because while it was filling, I would have loved leftovers to enjoy all over again. And, if that wasn't enough, the dinner was healthy and helped to rid the bits inside my refrigerator, including the remaining amazing tahini-ginger dressing that I made the night before.

Somehow the cumin-scented vegetables (crush your own cumin seeds, so worth it!) and the ginger, lemon and tahini of the dressing mingle to make sweet, sweet love to your mouth. It's plain delicious.

millet vegetable bowl
(inspired by 101 cookbooks)
3 potatoes, diced
1 onion, diced
1 small rutabaga (swede), diced
1 large carrot, diced
2 T olive oil
1 T cumin seeds, crushed
salt & pepper
1 c millet
2 c vegetable stock
1 small head broccoli, broken into florets
1/4 c toasted pecans, broken
tahini ginger dressing + extra olive oil and lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 450. In a large bowl, combine the diced vegetables (potatoes to carrots) with the olive oil and cumin and mix until everything is coated. Dump into a large baking tray and bake until vegetables are that perfect mixture of soft and crispy, about 35 minutes.

2. Meanwhile bring the veggie stock to a boil and add in the millet. Turn heat to low and cover until all the liquid is absorbed. Set aside.

3. Steam broccoli for just a few minutes until bright green and crisp-tender. Remove immediately from the heat.

4. Mix up the ginger-tahini dressing. If you don't have enough leftover dressing, add in the juice of half a lemon and more olive oil. Taste and adjust seasonings.

5. Get out your 2 most favorite large bowls and section out the millet, the roasted vegetables, the broccoli and the pecans into said bowls. Drizzle dressing over top and dig in. Kick yourself because you didn't make a double batch.

garden inspiration: marinated vegetable salad

I spent my morning visiting my neighbourhood community garden. It was the annual plant sale, and while I only picked up a few free pots for my balcony, I found the whole visit very inspiring. The gardens were in full bloom and everything looked and smelled amazing. Although I've been there many times, it seemed to be extra beautiful this morning.


When I got home I decided that while I can't replicate the colourful gardens on my own small apartment balcony, I could at least carry through the bright colours onto my dinner plate. I found an assortment of vegetables that would do the trick. I chopped up thinly the purple onion, the bright red carrots and the remainder of the jumbo carrot that I had found in Chinatown last week. I also had 2 crowns of broccoli. I have to admit that I'm not a fan of raw broccoli. It tastes too green, too crunky. So I did what I always do to broccoli, I blanched it quickly and then cooled it quickly under cold running water. It's like raw, only awesome! I mixed up a quick balsamic marinade and then tossed everything together. I kept it in the fridge for only 2 hours or so, tossing it when I remembered to. The results of the marinating? Yum! It made for a very tangy and flavourful salad filled with all the bright colours of the gardens that inspired it. Don't have the vegetables that I used? Don't worry. This salad can take a bit of play....use what you've got!

Everything in this salad tastes bright and crisp and fresh and the slightly sweet and tangy dressing helped to keep everything in check. We ate this salad as a side to some barbecued hot dogs for our lazy Sunday night dinner. Want to make a meal out of it? Throw in some chickpeas or top with feta cheese and serve with french bread and you've got something truly spectacular.


marinated vegetable salad
2 broccoli crowns, cut into florets
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly into rings
5 large radishes, sliced thin
1 large carrot, sliced thin
1 stalk celery, sliced thin
finely chopped fresh herbs (use whatever you have around)

1/3 c balsamic vinegar
1/3 c olive oil
1 T grainy mustard
1 T honey
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t kosher salt
ground pepper

Blanch the broccoli (which means bring salted water to a boil, dump in the broccoli and cook for 1 minute until bright green - drain and rinse under cold water until cold). Add all the vegetables and herbs into a large serving bowl. Mix together the dressing and pour over vegetables, tossing well. Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally.

millet by a landslide: broccoli, chickpea & millet salad

I love salads that are meals in their own right. And a salad that looks like springtime? Well, even better. Better because while the calendar says spring, the weather outside isn't co-operating. We have cherry blossoms but unfortunately, this week, we've had an attack of winter. Yesterday, we even had a brief hail storm! March came in like a lamb but is leaving with a lion's roar and I don't like it one bit.

But back to the springy salad. I made a stripped-down version of this salad from 101 Cookbooks a couple of weeks ago and loved it. Instead of quinoa, I used a new-to-me grain, millet. I wasn't sure I'd like the grain since while I like quinoa, I'm not mad about it. But there was no reason for me to be hesitant...because millet is the bomb. Way better than quinoa in my opinion and even Cornelius (who is a bonefide quinoa-hater) loved this salad too. Millet has a great texture and a really great flavour. This time around, I made the salad with broccoli and liked the results even better. It makes a great lunch and is quite simple to put together. The lemon-tahini dressing has a nice bite and helps to bind everything together in a nice flavourful package. So not only does this salad look pretty on a plate it tastes delicious too.


broccoli, chickpea & millet salad with tahini-lemon dressing
1 c millet
2 c water
1 head broccoli, broken into florets
1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1/2 red onion, finely diced
zest of 1 lemon
romaine lettuce leaves, torn or spring mix baby greens

dressing:
1 garlic clove, minced
2 T tahini
3 T olive oil
1 T hot water (more if necessary)
juice from 1 small lemon
salt & pepper

1. Toast millet in a small saucepan until it starts to crackle. Add water, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat and let simmer until water evaporates.

2. Steam broccoli until bright green, drain and rinse under cold water. Add chickpeas, broccoli, red onion and millet into a large bowl and toss.

3. Make dressing by combining all ingredients, adding more hot water if necessary to get proper dressing consistency. Add half of dressing to millet mixture and blend.

4. Add a base of lettuce or baby greens on each serving plate and add a few large spoonfuls of the millet mixture over top. Drizzle with remaining dressing and add a sprinkling of lemon zest for colour.

the garbanzo triumphs

I love finding joy in the simpliest of things and a meal should never have to be too complicated to be enjoyable. Tonight's dinner was a perfect example in simplicity because even though my fridge was looking pretty bare, I still had everything I needed to make a meal that had us both licking our chops.

I knew that I had a can of chickpeas kicking around in the cupboard and some broccoli that had to be used stat, so I typed "broccoli & chickpeas" into Google and came up with a recipe from Food & Wine. Not content to leave well enough alone, I gauged what I had available to me, tampered with the recipe and was so pleased with the results. Everything about this meal is greater than the sum of it's parts. Together - the spagetti, the florets of broccoli and even the lowly (but lovely) chickpea - is elevated to honeymoon status*. This is simple eatin' at it's best and it makes a near-empty fridge turn into a triumph! Huzzah!

broccoli & chickpea pasta
250 g pasta
1 can of chickpeas
1 head of broccoli
1 lemon, juiced & zested
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 c olive oil
1 t red pepper flakes
salt & pepper
1/4 c pasta cooking liquid
2 T parmesan cheese

1. Drain chickpeas and place in a bowl. Add a 1/4 cup of olive oil, lemon zest and juice, salt, pepper, and minced garlic. Set aside.

2. In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add in broccoli and salt and cook until bright green. Remove broccoli with a slotted spoon and add to the chickpea mixture. Toss.

3. Add pasta to pot where you just cooked the broccoli. Bring to a boil and then turn down to medium heat until pasta is cooked al dente.

4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat up the remaining oil and saute the red chili flakes and onion until just starting to turn golden and fragrant. Dump in the chickpea and broccoli mixture. Combine. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the liquid and add into the skillet. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and toss until everything is coated. Serve in deep bowls and top with some more cheese if you want.

* Dude, don't even ask me what honeymoon status is except that it sounds pretty damn wonderful. And it also probably means that I need a vacation, pronto!

close to home

The weather is getting cooler and the days are getting shorter....autumn seems just around the corner. And while I do love my autumn nights, this summer has been nothing short of lovely and I'd love it to continue just a bit longer. Leisurely picnics, tennis games that stretch long into the evening and bike riding in skirts and bare legs are things I'm not ready to give up yet. But fall is a time that brings me closer to home and that means comfort foods eaten on the couch while watching black and white movies. Yes, autumn does have it's pull. And this is where the homey, rich and borderline sinful mac n' cheese takes it's rightful place alongside of me on the sofa.

macaroni and cheese with broccoli
3 T butter
3 T whole wheat flour (hey, it was all I had & I never noticed any difference)
1/2 t red pepper flakes
2 3/4 c skim milk + an additional 3/4 c
4 c sharp cheddar, grated
2 t dijon mustard
salt & pepper to taste
1 500g pkg of macaroni or any short pasta
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets & stalks trimmed and chopped

topping:
1 T butter, melted
1 c panko bread crumbs

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, prepare the topping by adding the panko crumbs into the melted butter. Stir well and set aside.

2. In a medium sized saucepan, melt butter and whisk in the flour and red pepper flakes. Cook for 3 minutes and then slowly add in the 2 3/4 c of milk. Whisk constantly while bringing to a boil. When it's thickened, add in the cheese, mustard, salt and pepper. Add remaining milk, stir well and remove from heat.

3. Just before the pasta finishes cooking, add the broccoli to the boiling pasta and cook until the pasta is finished and the broccoli is bright green, about 4 minutes or so. Drain well and put the broccoli and pasta into a large baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and mix well, making sure the sauce covers all the pasta. Sprinkle topping over the pasta and bake until golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

trading places

Today a crazy thing happened. Through some kind of magic osmosis, Cornelius and I exchanged places. At 7pm tonight I realized that I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast! Instead of thinking about food, figuring out what I could prepare for dinner, or checking the fridge for snacks, I was lost in a pile of freelance work. I didn't think about food or eating once. Cornelius, on the other hand, called me from work to tell me that he felt guilty because he went out for dinner at a restaurant I've been wanting to go to for a while now. Now, this may not seem strange to you, but I know Cornelius. When we first started dating, I asked him what his favorite food was, and he replied "uh...flour?". You see, Cornelius couldn't really care less about what goes into his mouth. He's definitely thankful that he gets to share in the food bounty I cook up, but as long as his stomach isn't rumbling, he doesn't worry about it. So it was a definite shock that he not only told me about going to Senhor Rooster, but he raved on and on about how amazing the food was, intricities on the preparation of the food, about how there was a magazine doing a shoot the same time as he was eating and how he got to speak with the chef. Grrrrr!

But no worries, dinner is better late than never in my opinion! So at 7:30 tonight, I got back onto the computer and checked out Joe's recipe archives at Culinary in the Desert. I landed on the Broccoli Cheese Pie and dinner was settled. By 8pm, dinner was in the oven and 45 minutes later, I was able to cut myself a nice piece of cheesy, broccoli goodness. Delicious! And in just a few minutes, Cornelius will return from work and eat his second dinner of the night. Hmph!

Broccoli-Cheese Pie
(Adapted from Culinary in the Desert)

4 large eggs
1 1/4 c skim milk
1 t hot sauce
1/4 t salt, or to taste
1/4 t freshly ground pepper
2 c cubed multigrain bread
3 c broccoli florets & stems
2 t olive oil
1/4 c black forest ham
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c grated cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly coat a 10" pie dish with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Add bread cubes and stir to coat. Set aside.

3. Steam broccoli until bright green and just tender. Chop coarsely.

4. In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add ham and stir about until heated through. Add the onion mixture and broccoli to the egg mixture. Stir in cheese. Pour into the prepared pie dish and evenly spread the mixture.

5. Bake until light golden and set about 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and then cut into wedges.

deceptively simple.

I'm a firm believer in simplicity. Speeding down hills on a bicycle, holding hands with the one you love or getting lost in a book are all things that are pure and good. I'm a girl who loves living in the city but also dreams of building an energy efficent home out of cob in the country. Ahh, the simple life is for me.

Food is one thing that tastes best when it's simply done. Sure, I love a knock 'em back decadent meal (when someone else is cooking), but when I'm making a meal, the simpler the better, I say. Tonight's dinner is a perfect example of simplicity. The nice thing about pasta is that a welcoming plateful of something that can be whipped up in no time with ingredients that probably exist in your own kitchen.

Note that with any egg recipe that uses undercooked eggs, fresh free range eggs (my preference is for free-range organic) should be used at all times.

broccoli carbonara
12 oz of whole wheat rotini
1 bunch of broccoli, cut into bite sized florets & stems peeled and sliced
1 large free range egg, lightly beaten
2 T milk
1/2 c parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste
2 T butter, room temperature

1. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until halfway done. Add the broccoli and continue cooking until pasta has cooked and the broccoli is bright green and tender. Drain.

2. Mix the egg and milk together in a small bowl and pour over the hot pasta/broccoli mixture. Add the parmesan cheese and mix well until combined. The heat from the pasta will cook the egg as it tosses. Add salt, pepper and butter, tossing to mix well. Serve immediately.