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.

Lemon-Thyme Potato Salad

2# Red Norland potatoes

1/3 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp minced thyme

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp course ground pepper

½ onion, chopped fine

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the oil, lemon juice, herbs, vinegar, lemon zest, salt and pepper.

Drain potatoes. Place in a large bowl; add onion. Drizzle with vinaigrette; toss to coat. Serve warm or chill until serving. 

Yield: 8 servings (3/4 cup each).

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.

Lacinato Kale and Celery Risotto

7 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ cup minced white onion

1 head celery sliced very thin. Reserve the leaves for later.

1 ½ cups arborio rice (any short grain rice can work in a pinch)

1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), minced

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

½ cup dry white wine

1 lacinato kale, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped celery leaf

⅓ cup (1 1/2 ounces) freshly grated parmesan cheese

Put your stock or broth into a saucepan and bring it to a simmer over low heat, with a ladle nearby. Make sure that it is well seasoned.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy skillet or saucepan. Add the onion, celery, and a pinch of salt, and cook gently until just about tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not brown.

Stir in the rice and stir for a few minutes, just until the grains separate and begin to crackle. Add the wine and stir until it has been absorbed. Begin adding the simmering stock, a couple of ladles at a time. The stock should just cover the rice and should be a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring often, until it is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock and continue to cook in this fashion, adding more stock and stirring when the rice is almost dry. Stir often, but not constantly. After 10 to 15 minutes stir in the chopped kale with the next addition of stock. When the rice is just tender all the way through but still chewy, usually about 25 minutes after you begin cooking, it is done. Taste now and adjust seasoning.

Add the chopped celery leaves, and another ladleful of stock to the rice. Stir in the parmesan and remove from the heat. 

Komatsuna and Green Garlic Stir Fry

1 bunch komatsuna or kale

1 bunch radishes with tops, cut into wedges and rough chop the greens

1 stalk green garlic, sliced into thin strips

¼ cup tamari (soy sauce)

1 Tbsp canola oil

2 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp corn starch (optional)

1 Tbsp minced ginger

Serve with rice

Mix sesame oil, tamari (soy sauce) ginger, half of the green garlic and corn starch together with and whisk until corn starch starts to dissolve (don’t worry if it clumps when you add it to the heat it will begin to separate).

Heat wok or sauté pan to medium high heat. Add the remaining green garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until aromatic take care not to burn the garlic (it can get a little bitter).

Add the radish wedges and cook for one minute then add the greens. Sauté until greens begin to wilt.

Push the greens and other veggies to the side of the pan and add the tamari mixture. Wisk to make sure the corn starch is completely dissolved. Once the sauce is uniform and starts to thicken, turn the heat off and then toss the greens and veggies with the sauce that you’ve just made.

Serve with rice.

Kohlrabi with Sautéed Greens and Parmesan

1 kohlrabi, peeled and sliced thin

1 lemon, zested

Juice from one lemon

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 bunch kale or head of bok choy, rough chopped

2 garlic scapes, finely chopped

1/3 cup salted roasted pistachios, chopped

¼ cup parmesan 

Whisk together lemon zest and juice, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss kohlrabi with dressing.

Rough chop greens. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Sauté garlic scapes until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add greens by the handful, turning and stirring with tongs and adding more greens as volume in skillet reduces. When all of greens are wilted, sauté with 1/2 teaspoon salt until just tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Toss greens with kohlrabi, parmesan and pistachios.

Kohlrabi and Potato Gratin

3 slices bacon (optional), cut crosswise into thin strips 

1.5 cups heavy cream

2 Tbsp sour cream

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp minced thyme

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1.5 lb german butterball potatoes sliced very thin

1 kohlrabi peeled and sliced very thin

Preheat the oven to 300°. Butter a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. In a small skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring, until barely crisp, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels, then transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the heavy cream, sour cream, garlic and thyme. Season the cream generously with salt and pepper.  

Thinly slice the potatoes and kohlrabi, then add to the cream and toss to mix. Spread the potatoes, kohlrabi and cream in an even layer in the prepared baking dish and bake for 15 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 325° and bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes longer, or until the potatoes are tender and the top is browned. Let the gratin stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Kimchi

1 napa cabbage, cut into 2-inch strips

1/4-1/2 cup kosher salt

2 tablespoons garlic, minced

2 tablespoons ginger, minced

1 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons water

4 tablespoons Korean red pepper flakes

1 large daikon radish, peeled and cut into 1-inch matchsticks

2 bunches green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces

Place cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt. Mix thoroughly using gloves, if preferred. Place a heavy pot or pan on top with weights and allow cabbage to sit for 1-2 hours until wilted and water has been released.

Discard water after 1-2 hours. Rinse the cabbage 2-3 times in the sink until salt is removed and allow to drain in a colander for another 15-20 minutes.

Combine cabbage with remaining ingredients (through water) and mix. Using gloves, add the Korean red pepper flakes and begin mixing and rubbing flakes into the mixture.

Once combined, place mixture in a jar pressing down and packing tightly so that the mixture is submerged in its own liquid. Place top on jar and allow to sit at room temperature for 2-5 days. Place jar on a plate since the mixture may bubble over while fermenting.

Each day of fermentation, remove the lid to release gases and press down on the mixture to keep it submerged. You can taste a sample each day to decide if the level of fermentation is to your liking.

After 2-5 days of fermentation, store kimchi in refrigerator.

Kale Salad with Delicata, Apples, and Turnip

1 bunch red kale, stems removed and rough chopped

Delicata squash cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices, seeds removed

4 apples cut in quarters seeds removed

1 turnip cut into similar size as the delicata

1.5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons light-brown sugar

4 slices of bacon, cut crosswise (1/2-inch wide)

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Blue cheese crumbles (optional)

Apple Cider Vinaigrette 

2 tablespoon onions, minced

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons maple syrup

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

First, start the vinaigrette: In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the onion, vinegar, salt, pepper, and maple syrup. Set aside to let the shallot marinate until squash mixture is finished roasting then whisk in olive oil. 

Toss together squash, apples, turnips, oil, sugar, bacon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; season with pepper. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet, and roast until golden on bottom, about 50 minutes. Flip squash, turnips and apples over, and roast until tender, about 5 minutes more. Sprinkle thyme over mixture, then toss with kale serve immediately. Crumble blue cheese over the salad and enjoy.

Kale and Sweet Potato Gratin

1 bunch kale chopped

2 lbs sweet potatoes, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups shredded parmesan cheese

1 pint heavy whipping cream

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion sliced thin

2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 Tbsp olive oil to coat the pan

1 tsp salt

Black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bring a Pot of water to boil. In the meantime, chop kale into bite-sized pieces. Add kale and heat for about 1 minute or until kale is bright green and slightly wilted. Remove from water and allow to cool slightly.  Squeeze out excess water.  

In a small saucepan add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer.  Add garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and 1 cup of parmesan.  

Add a layer of sweet potatoes to the bottom of a baking dish.  Begin layering kale and cream mixture with the sweet potatoes until the ingredients are gone. Add sliced onion and pour some of the cream mixture over the top. Top with remaining parmesan cheese and cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 40-50 minutes.  Remove foil for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Kale and Asian Greens with Maple Sesame Vinaigrette

1 bunch green kale, stems removed then sliced thin 

1 bunch Tokyo Bekana (or Bok Choi), sliced thin, stems included

2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 Tbsp sesame oil

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 

1 Tbsp maple syrup

1 Tbsp Tamari or Soy Sauce

1 bulb green garlic, finely minced

Heat option – 1 tsp dried chili flakes

In a small bowl, whisk 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil, the sesame oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, soy sauce and minced garlic (add chili flakes if using).

Strip the stems from the kale leaves and roll the leaves and slice into very thin strips. Do the same with the Tokyo Bekana, but don’t remove the stems.

In serving bowl combine the greens and dressing tossing well to coat. Let the salad stand for 10 minutes to marinate.

Top with toasted sesame seeds and season with freshly ground pepper to taste if desired and serve.

Kabocha Squash Gnocchi

1 winter sweet kabocha, halved and seeded (this squash works great for gnocchi because it has a drier texture

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup white flour

7 cups water

1 tablespoon salt

1 cube chicken bouillon

1 cup beer

1/3 teaspoon rubbed sage

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese or crumbled blue cheese. 

Use a knife to perforate the kabocha squash with several slits. Roast in oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, or until soft. Scrape the flesh into a bowl. Stir in the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, egg, and whole wheat flour. Add the white flour in small amounts and mix until you get a sticky dough with a manageable texture. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll into thin ropes. Slice the dough into quarter-sized gnocchi.

Bring the water with 1 tablespoon salt to a boil in a large pot; add the gnocchi to the boiling water one at a time, until they are all floating at the top; remove with a slotted spoon to a large bowl; set aside.

Discard all but 1 1/2 cups of the water from the pot and return to heat; add the bouillon cube, beer, sage, and pepper and bring to a boil; continue to boil until the mixture reduces to about half its original volume, about 15 minutes; reduce heat to medium. Whisk the butter cubes into the mixture, one at a time, until they are all melted into the liquid; immediately return the gnocchi to the mixture, turn off the heat, and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Cover the pot and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Jester Squash and Carmen Pepper Soup

1 medium Jester squash, cut in half, and seeds removed

2 red Carmen peppers, cut in half lengthwise and deseeded 

2 cups vegetable broth 

1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/2 teaspoon cumin 

Salt and pepper, to taste

Dollop of yogurt to finish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment and place squash flesh side down and roast for 20 minutes.

Add peppers and roast for 30-35 more minutes. Turn off oven and let vegetables cool for about 5 minutes.

Remove flesh of the squash from the skin. Add squash flesh, peppers, vegetable broth, spices, and salt and pepper to a high powdered blender or use an immersion blender. Blend until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.

Add a dollop of yogurt when you serve to make the soup a little creamier. 

Italian Style Savoy Cabbage

1 pound savoy cabbage

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, halved and cut into very thin rings

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

½ cup chicken stock, or vegetable stock

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dried thyme

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon butter

Pecorino Romano or Parmesan for grating

Remove the core of the cabbage and cut the remaining cabbage into 1/4-inch strips. You should have about 4 firmly packed cups of cabbage strips.

Place the olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the onion rings, and sauté until they start to soften and brown. Add the cabbage and garlic, stirring to blend well. Add the cherry tomatoes to the pan. Add the stock, vinegar, and thyme. Season well with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and cook, covered, for 30 minutes, or until cabbage is softened and flavors are blended.

When ready to serve, stir butter into the cabbage and top with grated cheese.

Indian-Style Sweet Corn Curry

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds

2 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 clove garlic, minced

1# red norland potatoes, cut into small dice

2-3 medium tomato, cut into small dice

4 tablespoons chopped cilantro

3 tablespoons chopped mint leaves

1-2  peppers chopped 

2 cups fresh corn kernels

1 can coconut milk

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Cayenne pepper, to taste

In a large pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the mustard seeds and 1/2 teaspoon of the cumin seeds. Cook until the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the garlic and potatoes. Cook, stirring often, until the potatoes turn golden.

Add the tomato, cilantro, mint, and green chile. Cook for 1-2 minutes longer, then add the corn and stir to combine. Add coconut milk, salt, and lemon juice. Stir and bring to a simmer, then cover and cook until the potatoes are cooked through.

In the meantime, toast the remaining cumin seeds in a dry skillet over high heat until aromatic. Stir the toasted cumin seeds into the curry and season with black pepper and cayenne to taste. Serve immediately.

Indian Style Potato and Celeriac Latkes

2 celeriac roots, peeled with a knife

1 1/2 lb russet (baking) potatoes 

1/2 cup celery tops, minced

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2-3 red onions, peeled and quartered

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground celery seeds

1/2 teaspoon mustard seed

2 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp cumin powder

2 tsp chili powder

About 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 250°F.

Coarsely grate celery root into a bowl using a box grater.

Peel potatoes and coarsely grate into a large bowl. Add lemon juice and toss. Coarsely grate onions into same bowl.

Transfer to towel, then gather up corners to form a sack and twist tightly to wring out as much liquid as possible.

Return potatoes and onions to cleaned bowl and stir in celery root, flour, eggs, salt, pepper, celery tops and remaining spices until combined well.

Heat 1/3 inch oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Fill a 1/4-cup measure with latke mixture and carefully spoon it into skillet, then flatten to 3 inches in diameter with a slotted spatula. Form 3 more latkes in skillet, then fry until undersides are deep golden, 1 1/2 to 3 minutes. Turn over and fry until deep golden all over, 1 1/2 to 3 minutes more. If latkes brown too quickly, lower heat to moderate. Transfer to paper towels to drain briefly. Keep warm in 1 layer on a metal rack set in a shallow baking pan in oven. Make more latkes in same manner. Use a second rack and baking pan to keep last batches warm.

Indian Style Cabbage and Fennel

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 large fennel bulb (1 lb), halved and thinly sliced (4 cups)

1 large onion, halved and sliced into half-moons (2 cups)

½ savoy cabbage

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp garam masala or curry powder

Heat oil in cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add fennel seeds and cumin seeds, and sauté 30 seconds. Add fresh fennel and onion, and season with salt, if desired. Sauté 5 minutes.

Carefully pile cabbage into pan, cover, and cook 15 minutes, or until cabbage has cooked down, stirring often.

Add cayenne pepper, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook 20 to 30 minutes, or until vegetables are browned and caramelized.

Stir in chickpeas, lemon juice, and garam masala, and cook 5 minutes more, or until chickpeas are heated through.

Hooks 2-Yr Cheddar Mac and Cheese with Sautéed Asparagus

6oz Hooks 2-Yr cheddar, grated

1 pint heavy cream.

1# pasta, cooked (shells or elbows, whatever you like) 

2 Tbsp butter

½# asparagus, chopped

2 Tbsp green garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp minced chives

Salt and pepper to taste

Most recipes that you look up on the interwebs for homemade mac and cheese usually use flour in the recipe. This is essentially making a cheesy gravy. You are more than welcome to use one of those recipes as the gravy holds better for reheating. This recipe is designed to cook and eat right away because it will be so good, there won’t be leftovers. 

Chop up the asparagus and green garlic. 

Melt butter in a pan over med-high heat .

Add the chopped veggies and sauté until aromatic, stirring frequently. About 1-2 minutes

Remove and set aside for later.

Add heavy cream to the pan and reduce by have on med-low heat. If you have the heat turned up too high you will scorch the cream. We want to gently simmer to our desired reduction. The cream will try to boil over, so keep an eye on it and stir frequently. The consistency you are looking for will coat the back of a spoon. Once you’ve reached the right consistency, fold in the cheese. If the sauce seems runny, reduce further at a low temp.  

Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Fold in cooked pasta, sautéed veggies and garnish with minced chives.

Side note: If you did not get the cheese share and don’t have Hooks 2-Yr Cheddar. Other cheeses may be substituted. 

Grilled Zucchini with Feta and Lemon Mint Dressing

2-3 zucchini or summer squash sliced ¼ thickness

¼ cup feta

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon paprika

1 small garlic clove, grated

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon sea salt, more to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon honey or maple syrup, optional

1/4 cup olive oil plus 2 Tbsp 

1/2 teaspoon fresh mint, optional

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, and honey, if using.

Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking and continue to whisk until the dressing is emulsified. Alternatively, combine everything in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake to combine.

If your dressing is too tangy, add more olive oil, to taste.

Add mint and season to taste. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week. The olive oil will solidify a bit in the fridge. To soften, let the dressing sit at room temp for a few minutes and stir before using.

Lightly coat the zucchini slices with olive oil, salt pepper and paprika. Grill until softened with some caramelization. Once cooked, add to plate or serving dish and drizzle lemon mint dressing and crumple feta then serve warm. 

Grilled Zucchini and Asparagus Risotto

1 green garlic stalk sliced thin

2 cups rice (Arborio preferred, but any rice will do jasmine or basmati will break down faster, so shorter cook time)

Zest and juice of one lemon

1 cup white wine

1qt vegetable stock

½-1# asparagus 

1 zucchini sliced then grilled

1/4cup Parmesan grated

1-2 tablespoons butter cubed

salt & pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, saute the onion in a splash of oil until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and fry for another 30 seconds then add the rice.

Coat the rice in the oil then add the lemon zest and white wine.

Allow the wine to absorb into the rice then start adding the stock a little a time stirring to agitate the rice and allow it to release its starchy creaminess. The amount of stock needed varies as all rice absorbs liquid differently. You want the risotto to be creamy and ‘loose.’ It shouldn’t be able to keep its shape and the rice should be al dente (soft and pleasant to eat but not mushy).

While the risotto is cooking, coat the asparagus and zucchini in in a little oil and grill until charred.

Chop the asparagus stems into small rounds and keep aside. Small dice cooked zucchini.

When the rice is cooked to your liking, add the chopped asparagus rounds and diced zucchini, Parmesan, butter and lemon juice and stir in.

Season to taste, then serve.