Summer Vegetable Hash

A great side dish for many meals this recipe can be translated to use most summer vegetable items. 

2-4 pearl onions cut in half length wise and then sliced thin

1 cup broccoli florets 

1 cup diced summer squash

½ cup turnips

¼ cup parsley, chopped fine 

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a sauté pan. Add the sliced onions and cook until aromatic about 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the summer squash and turnips and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Add the broccoli and parsley and cook until broccoli is tender.

Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy.  

Summer Squash Cakes

A great cross between Hash browns and pancakes this makes a great breakfast or snack. I like to dip mine in a spicy mayo. But ketchup is pretty good too.

3 zucchini or patty pan, mixed colors, shredded with a box grater or the grater plate on a food processor

1 cup toasted bread crumbs

1 cup shredded parmesan

1/3 cup minced scallion

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 Tbsp of parsley minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 stick butter

Grate zucchini and squash with a fine grater. Press between paper towels to remove excess moisture.

In a medium bowl, combine grated zucchini and squash and the rest of the ingredients. Shape mixture into 2-inch patties, pressing together firmly.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Cook squash and zucchini cakes 3 to 4 minutes per side or until lightly browned.

Root Vegetable Stuffed Acorn Squash

1 acorn squash, cut in half

2-3 small purple top turnips, small dice

2-3 medium watermelon radish, small dice

1-2 onions, sliced

1 Tbsp minced parsley

2 Tbsp olive oil

¾ cup parmesan cheese, grated and divided in half

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper 

Cut the squash in half from the tip to the stem. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and discard.

Place the squash halves cut side up and drizzle 1 Tbsp of olive oil over the squash, and season with salt and pepper. Rub the oil into the cut sides of the squash, then turn them over so the cut sides are against the pan and bake about 30 to 45 minutes. 

While Squash is cooking, clean and chop radishes and turnips.

Slice 1-2 onions and mince parsley.

In a sauté pan, heat up 1Tbsp olive oil and sauté turnips and radishes with the onions until the root veggies are fork tender. Remove from heat then add the minced Parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

Once squash is cooked, remove from oven and turn face up. Add the root vegetable mixture to the inside of the squash and sprinkle shaved parmesan cheese over the mixture. Return to oven and bake until cheese starts to brown up slightly. Roughly 15 minutes

Roasted Butternut Squash Hummus

1 cup cubed butternut squash

4 cloves garlic, minced 

2 tbsp. lemon juice 

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/3 cup tahini

3-4 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for roasting garlic

Sea salt + pepper to taste 

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 400˚F and position a rack in the middle of the oven.

Add cubed butternut squash to a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 Tbsp olive oil and a pinch each salt and pepper. Toss to combine.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until all squash is fork tender and the garlic is golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes.

Add squash to a food processor with 4 cloves fresh minced garlic, lemon juice, chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, salt, pepper, parsley, cinnamon, cumin and smoked paprika 

Purée until creamy and smooth, scraping down sides as needed and adding more olive oil or a touch of water if it's too thick. Taste and adjust seasonings, then serve immediately with pita chips and vegetables of choice.

Roasted Beets with Parsley Chimichurri

Chimichurri

1 bunch parsley leaves and tender stems

3 garlic cloves, finely minced (1 tablespoon minced)

1 small yellow onion, minced

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 

1/2 cup (120 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup (80 mL) red wine vinegar

3-4 beets

2 Tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Finely chop the parsley then add to a bowl with the garlic, onion, salt, red pepper flakes olive oil and the red wine vinegar. Stir. (Or, puree all ingredients in a food processor or blender). Let the sauce rest at room temperature while you are roasting the beets.

Preheat Oven to 400˚F.

Scrub beets and peel. For the beets that are small, cut off the ends and run a pairing knife down just below the skin of the beet to peel. 

Cut beets into medium dice and toss in olive oil. 

Lay out evenly on a sheet tray or oven safe dish and roast for 30minutes or until fork tender. Stir half way through cooking. 

Once cooked toss lightly in chimichurri and serve as a side. 

Roasted Beet and Winter Squash Salad

1 winter squash

2-3 beets

½ bunch of green kale

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

 Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 small garlic clove, minced or put through a press

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons parsley chopped

Preheat the oven to 425˚F.

Scrub the beets and place in a baking dish or ovenproof casserole. Add about 1/4-inch water to the dish. Cover tightly with a lid or foil, and bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the beets are tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. If not using right away, refrigerate in a covered bowl

Line another roasting pan with foil or parchment and brush with olive oil. Cut squash into 1 inch thick slices. Toss with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil and salt to taste and place on the baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, turning halfway through, until lightly browned and tender. You can do this at the same time that you roast the beets. Remove from the heat and allow to cool

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add salt to the water, and blanch the kale for 1 minute or until tender. Transfer the kale to a bowl of cold water, then drain and squeeze out the water. Chop coarsely.

Mix together the vinegars, garlic, salt, pepper, the remaining olive oil and the walnut oil. When the beets are cool enough to handle, trim the ends off, slip off their skins, cut in half, then slice. Remove skins from squash when cool. Toss with half the salad dressing. In a separate bowl, toss the ingredients together and serve.

Roasted Beet and Acorn Salad

1 acorn squash

1 bunch beets, with greens

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

 Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 small garlic clove, minced or put through a press

4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 Tbsp chopped walnuts

2 Tbsp parsley chopped

Preheat the oven to 425˚F.

Cut the greens off of the beets, leaving about 1/2 inch of the stems attached. Scrub the beets and place in a baking dish or ovenproof casserole. Add about 1/4-inch water to the dish. Cover tightly with a lid or foil, and bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the beets are tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. If not using right away, refrigerate in a covered bowl

Line another roasting pan with foil or parchment and brush with olive oil. Cut in 1 inch thick slices. Toss with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil and salt to taste and place on the baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, turning halfway through, until lightly browned and tender. You can do this at the same time that you roast the beets. Remove from the heat and allow to cool

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem and wash the greens. Add salt to the water, and blanch the greens for 1 minute or until tender. Transfer the greens to a bowl of cold water, then drain and squeeze out the water. Chop coarsely

Mix together the vinegars, garlic, salt, pepper, the remaining olive oil and the walnut oil. When the beets are cool enough to handle, trim the ends off, slip off their skins, cut in half, then slice. Remove skins from squash when cool. Toss with half the salad dressing. In a separate bowl, toss the ingredients together and serve.

Potato and Celeriac Gratin

1 lb superior potatoes, scrubbed clean

1 celeriac, scrubbed clean and peeled

1 yellow onion, sliced thin

½ bunch Parsley finely chopped

1 pint of milk 

1 tbsp butter

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325˚F.

Bring milk up to just barely a simmer over medium heat then reduce to low heat

Thinly slice the potatoes and the peeled celeriac.

Add sliced onion, potatoes and celeriac to the warmed milk and simmer for about 10 minutes.

With a slotted spoon remove the vegetables from the pan and place in a bowl. 

Add the parmesan and parsley to the reduced milk and continue cooking on low for 2-3 minutes. 

Butter an oven safe dish and place the vegetable mixture in and spread out evenly. 

Pour the milk over the vegetable mixture and give it a quick stir to ensure the herbs are spread out and the pan is even.

Bake covered at 325˚F for 30 minutes. Remove cover and reduce heat to 250˚F and cook for 30 minutes more. 

Remove from oven and let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Napa and Raw Beet Slaw

2-3 beets peeled and shredded

1/2 napa cabbage head

2-3 scallions sliced thin 

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste

1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard 

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons vinegar

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

2 oranges, peeled and roughly chopped (including juice)

Peel and shred the beets. Thinly slice cabbage crosswise. Place beets, cabbage and scallions in bowl.

In a jar with tight-fitting lid, add salt, pepper, mustard, olive oil and vinegar. Shake well, and pour over vegetables. Toss. If desired, marinate an hour or so.

Add parsley and oranges. Toss to combine, and serve. Makes about 6 servings.

Variation on a Mark Bittman recipe.

Lentil and Roasted Root Vegetables with Miso-Parsley Sauce

Roasted Vegetables

1 pound potatoes

5 medium carrots, cut on the bias into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

Lentils

1½ cups vegetable broth or water

1 cup French green lentils or regular brown lentils, picked through to remove debris and rinsed

Gremolata miso sauce

1 cup fresh parsley, gently packed

1 lemon, zested and juiced

4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1¾ teaspoon white miso

Pinch red pepper flakes

3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper and salt, to taste

Roast the vegetables: Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss the chopped potatoes and carrots in 2 tablespoons olive oil and arrange them in a single layer on a (preferably rimmed) baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and golden.

Cook the lentils: In a medium saucepan, bring the broth (or water) to boil and add lentils. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes, until tender. Drain the lentils, return to pot, remove bay leaf and cover.

Make the sauce: In the bowl of a small food processor or a blender, combine the parsley, lemon zest and juice, garlic cloves, miso and red pepper flakes. Blend the mixture while slowly drizzling in the olive oil. (If you don't have a food processor/blender, you could finely chop the parsley, press or mince the garlic cloves and whisk the ingredients together.)

Assemble the dish: In a large serving bowl, toss together the lentils, vegetables and sauce. Season with black pepper and salt to taste (miso is salty so you might not need much or any salt). Serve.

Leek and Parsley Risotto

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup leek, diced

1 fennel bulb, diced (optional)

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1.5 cups of arborio rice

4 cups of veggie stock

1 cup white wine

a small bunch of fresh parsley, very finely chopped

½ cup grated hard cheese like a parmigiana or an asiago

1/2 lemon

sea salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil for the risotto in a heavy-bottomed sauté pan. Sauté leek and fennel (optional) until tender. Add the minced garlic and sauté another minute or two until the garlic is fragrant. Add arborio rice stirring constantly until evenly coated. Add one cup of wine and stir continually until liquid is mostly absorbed. Then gradually add the veggie stock a cup at a time and reducing the liquid until mostly absorbed between each cup. This method allows for a slow release of the starches giving the finished product a creamy texture.

Cook until al dente, which is firm but cooked. You don’t want to overcook the rice into mush. Once the rice has reached the perfect state of al dente-ness add the parsley, cheese, and the juice of half a lemon and toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Grilled Tendersweet Cabbage with Parsley Dressing

1 head of cabbage, cut into 8 wedges with stem intact 

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

1/4 cup water

2 garlic cloves

2/3 cup non fat Greek yogurt

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice from 2 lemons

1 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Puree parsley, water and garlic in food processor or blender until smooth.  Add the remaining ingredients and puree a few more seconds until everything combined. 

Grill cabbage wedges on high heat for 5 minutes on each side. Serve warm with dressing or let cool and rough chop and toss with dressing.

Grilled Kale and Summer Vegetable Salad

1 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 bunch of kale, washed and dried

Summer squash and bell pepper sliced tossed in oil, salt and pepper - grilled 

2 oz crumbled feta

1-2 tomatoes sliced

1 Tbsp parsley chopped

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat grill.

Grill assorted veggies then chill.

In a large mixing bowl combine olive oil, garlic, vinegar, juice, zest and kale. Toss until well coated.

Lay kale side by side in a single layer on top of the grill until crispy, 1 - 2 minutes per side.

Remove kale from grill and cool until workable. Then rough chop.

For salad add grilled assorted veggies, feta, parsley and sliced tomatoes.

Vinaigrette Recipe 

3 parts good olive oil to 1-part wine vinegar, a splash of balsamic, 1 smashed garlic clove, a dollop of Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of oregano, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, ground pepper to taste. Whisk everything together.

Curried Kohlrabi & Potato Latkes with Sambal Oelek Mayo

1-2 medium potatoes

1 kohlrabi bulb, peeled

1/2 red onion, peeled and trimmed

2 teaspoons chopped parsley

2 large eggs

1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (or equivalent gluten free flour mix)

1 Tbsp curry powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Up to 1/4 cup vegetable oil or clarified butter

Sambal Oelek Mayo

1 tbsp. Sambal

½ cup Mayonnaise 

Coarsely grate the potato, kohlrabi, and onion in a food processor. Wring out any excess liquid from the vegetables by wrapping them in a clean, lint-free dish towel and squeezing it out.

Dump the drained vegetables into a medium bowl. Add the eggs, flour, parsley and salt and mix until combined.

Heat a large, preferably non-stick, sauté pan over medium heat. Add two tablespoons of vegetable oil or clarified butter. When hot, drop 1/4 cup sized dollops of the batter into the pan. Press down on the cakes with a spatula to flatten. Cook until browned, a few minutes. Flip and cook for a few more minutes.

Remove from the pan to a plate or a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining batter.

The pancakes can be reheated in a 350º F oven. Serve warm, garnished with Sambal Oelek Mayo.

Cucumber Gazpacho, Because it's hot outside

2 Slicing cucumbers, peeled and chopped (3 cups chopped)

1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped (try to remove white ribbing may impart a bitter flavor)

½-1 Italian bottle neck onions, minced (reserve tops and slice thin like a scallion for garnish)

2 jalapeños, stemmed, halved lengthwise, seeded (use disposable gloves)

1 bunch Italian parsley, large stems removed

Small handful mint or lemon verbena leaves

2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced or pressed

½ cup chicken stock, or veggie stock, plus additional

¼ cup cold pressed olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Several drops of Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce, to taste

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Garnish

¼ cup small diced cucumber (with peel)

¼ cup diced green bell pepper

coarsely grated zest of 1 lemon

6 small tips of fresh spearmint or lemon verbena

Put the cucumber, bell pepper, Italian bottleneck onion, jalapenos, parsley, mint or lemon verbena, and garlic into a blender and liquefy.

Add the stock, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, Tabasco, and salt. Pulse to combine.

Taste and adjust the balance of salt and lemon juice if needed.

Adjust the thickness of the soup by adding a little more chicken stock if needed.

Chill for at least two hours.

Just before serving, pour the soup into individual cups, and then sprinkle each with a bit of diced cucumber, and lemon zest.

Cucumber and Parsley Salad

1 Cucumber Peeled

2 Tbsp. Diced Pearl Onion

2 Tbsp Olive

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 Tbsp Vinegar – If you have some chive infused vinegar this would be great here. Otherwise Balsamic or Red Wine Vinegar would be a great choice

¼  Cup Minced Garlic Scapes – If you don’t have any scapes left from last week, you can substitute Scallion

½ bunch of Parsley Minced

½ Tsp Salt

Pepper to taste

Take cucumber and cut it in half lengthwise then remove the seeds with a spoon (this is optional as I eat the seeds and they are delicious) and slice crosswise very thinly. Add salt and place into a bowl and set aside.

Dice the pearl onion and mince the garlic scapes. Combine with the minced parsley and set aside. 

Mix together lemon juice, vinegar and oil. Whisk and then pour over cucumbers. Toss onion/garlic/herb mixture into the cucumbers and toss thoroughly to ensure a light coating on all the ingredients. Add pepper to taste.