It Might Not Look Pretty...

It might not look pretty, but this was excellent.  I decided to make the spaghetti squash the centerpiece for a meal but wondered what else to mix it with.  I found a recipe online that I adapted slightly.  I am simply going to post the link and note here the changes I made:

- I cut the squash in half BEFORE cooking.  Then I scooped out the seeds, placed in a baking dish with one inch of water in the bottom cut side down, and baked for 15 minutes at 400 until fork tender.
- I added 1/2 cup raisins with the chick peas.
- I used only 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes.
- I didn't know what "Aleppo chili flakes" were so I used crushed red chili peppers.

Aside from these changes, I followed this recipe: Curried Spaghetti Squash with Chickpeas and Kale.  Yum!!

Cucumbers, Cucumbers, Cucumbers!

If you are like me, you are a little snowed under with cucumbers.  Here are three ideas of how I am using mine.  First, I purchased one package of fresh dill (lucky you if you have some growing in your yard!) so I could make both cucumber salad (see Katie's blog post from July 8th-Cucumber Salad) and pickles.

1. Cucumber Salad

I modified Katie's ingredients only slightly to veganize it.  I left out the sugar as tofutti tends to be a little sweeter than real sour cream. I also included some of the CRO sweet onion.  If you don't have fresh dill, use dried but use a little less.  Finally, I sprinkled a small amount of crushed red chili peppers on top for a bit of zing.  Also, since she didn't provide measurements, here is how much of everything I used.  

1 CRO cucumber, sliced into rounds and then the rounds quartered
3 slices CRO sweet onion, diced
3 slices red onion (if no red onion just increase the sweet onion), diced
1/4 cup vegan sour cream (I use Tofutti brand, if you must, use regular sour cream)
1 Tbs white wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill (1/2 of a package of fresh dill should do it)
crushed red chili peppers, optional

Whisk together sour cream and vinegar until no lumps remain.  Combine all other ingredients in a medium bowl, pour dressing over all and toss.  Sprinkle a little crushed red pepper on each serving if desired.  Serves 4.

2.  Dill Pickles 

This is my technique for making pickles and it has always turned out great. My kids love them. 

1 or 2 CRO cucumbers, sliced into spears
a handful of fresh dill (the other half of your package), broken into sprigs
2 cups water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs salt
1 clove of garlic, cut up

Place cucumber spears in a glass jar with the springs of dill (use two jars if necessary).  Bring water, vinegar, salt and garlic to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Run the OUTSIDE of the glass jar(s) under hot tap water for a few moments.  This will prevent the jars from breaking when the boiling water is poured over.  Immediately pour the boiling water mixture over the pickle spears in the jar.  Screw lids onto jars and let cool.  When, cool, refrigerate.  These will keep several months in the refrigerator.

Assemble your pickle ingredients.

Run hot water on outside of jar.

Pour boiling water/vinegar mixture into jar.

Let jar cool before placing in fridge.

3.  Crudites 

Slice cucumbers into rounds and dip them in whatever you have - leftover tofutti combined with dry soup mix, hummus, even dijon mustard (don't laugh it is great!).  Makes for a great snack!

Cabbage and Kale - Three Ideas

This is where the rubber meets the road.  Right about now you are finding out that a full share CSA is not for the cowardly, particularly if you have been traveling lately, as I have. Veggies are piling up.  There is no more room in the vegetable drawer.  You've even filled up the fruit drawer and still veggies are stacking upon veggies.  It's time for some serious work.

A good place to start is with the cabbage (hard to use up) and the greens (they wilt fast). So here are a few ideas for you to try. 

While visiting my dancing daughter in Atlanta I stayed at the Marriott in Dunwoody and tried their baked kale appetizer.  I am pretty sure all they did was cut up kale, toss with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and bake until crisp (but not burnt!).  They key to not burning the kale is to bake at a lower temperature than you would think.  I baked mine at 275 for 12 minutes and it came out great!

Baked Kale

Baked Kale

3-4 kale leaves, center rib removed and torn into 2 inch pieces
olive oil cooking spray (or 1/2 tbs olive oil)
salt, pepper to taste

Spray cut up kale leaves with olive oil to coat (or toss with the olive oil).  Sprinkle on salt and pepper to taste.  Bake on a cookie sheet for 12 minutes at 275.  Serves 2 as a snack/appetizer.

Also while in Atlanta we had lunch at a raw vegan place - Tassili's Raw Reality in the West End. All I can say is that if you ever get to Atlanta, this place is well worth a visit.  It is a very simple, casual establishment in an old house.  From the posters on the wall displaying the "ankh" symbol to the elaborate scarab, cartouche, and heavy necklace jewelry that was for sale on the porch, we could see that this place was owned and frequented by a group of people that are into some type of polytheistic religion that strongly looked like the religion of Ancient Egypt (Tasilli calls herself Tasilli Maat) and that this somehow ties into the raw vegan diet.  Nonetheless we liked their food!  They had a terrific kale salad that is making me crave chopped kale heavily coated with dressing.  My wonderful daughter, Hannah,  came up with a fantastic tahini dressing last summer that I love to use on kale. So here is a good option I found to use both the red cabbage and kale.

Kale and Cabbage Salad

Kale and Cabbage Salad

For the salad:
1/4 head of red cabbage, chopped (about 4 cups)
1/2 bunch of kale, center rib removed and chopped
1 heirloom tomato, cut up
1 cup sliced scallions
For the dressing:
1/4 cup tahini
juice of 2 lemons
1 tbs white wine vinegar
2 tsp maple syrup
2 good pinches cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Place cabbage and kale in a large bowl.  Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over salad.  Toss all together to coat thoroughly.  Serve and enjoy!  Serves 4.
Note:  Since I am the queen of one dish meals, I served a little side of broiled tofu with this salad.  Just cube the tofu and toss with about 1 tbs each of sesame oil and soy sauce.  Broil on a cookie sheet for 7 minutes.

Finally, if you feel like doing a little more prep, I made this noodle dish to use up some of the cabbage and broccoli.  As I said, I like to make one dish meals, so I added some red kidney beans to bulk it up and add protein.  Tofu would be great in this too.  

Rice Noodles with Cabbage and Broccoli

Rice Noodles with Cabbage and Broccoli
8 ounces rice noodles (such as pad thai noodles), cooked, drained, and kept warm
1 tbs olive oil (or for more "asian" flavor use sesame oil)
3 cups cut up broccoli
2 cups chopped red cabbage
1/2 ounce dried shitake mushrooms, reconstituted in 1 cup boiling water for 5 minutes
1 cup red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup sliced scallions
For the sauce:
1 tbs siracha
3 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs mirin (rice wine)
1/4 cup vegetable broth

Heat oil in a large skillet.  Stir fry broccoli about 3 minutes.  Drain shitake mushrooms and add to pan with the cabbage.  Cook about 3 minutes to wilt cabbage but still have it maintain some crispness.  Add the garlic and ginger and toss for a minute.  Add the kidney beans and toss to combine.  Now add all the sauce ingredients and continue to stir fry to coat everything and heat through - about 3 minutes.  Add the noodles and scallions and toss to combine.  Serve at once.  Serves 3-4.

For more Kale ideas try these previous posts: Kale Salad with Creamy Avocado and Ginger-Almond Dressing and Kale! Kale! Kale!.

Romanesco!!!

Roasted Romanesco

I think I have a new favorite vegetable.  And what is really surprising, despite having eaten a plant-based diet for more than six years, it is one I had never heard of before.  Romanesco, where have you been all my life?

Since I had never eaten this (nor even seen it), I thought it best to take Katie's advice and roast it as she suggested in CRO Newsletter #3 (minus the parmesan cheese).  It was simply wonderful.  What did it taste like?  Well, by now you have probably cooked yours and formed your own opinion, but honestly the best way I can describe it is to say that it tasted like broccoli au gratin!  It was kind of rich and buttery and ever so slightly sweet.  I roasted mine at 425 instead of 400 so it took far less time (about 10-13 minutes for the entire head).  The only down side - it only served one because I ate the entire thing myself!  Happily, we received another head in the week #4 box.  Do not toss this one out.  It may look nubby, and dare I say ugly (sorry, Romanesco, do not feel bad - Kohlrabi is worse looking), it is simple to prepare and delicious.  It just may become your new favorite too!

Roasted Romanesco

1 head CRO Romanesco, leaves and bottom of stem removed 
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425.  Cut romanesco into bite sized pieces.  Place cut-up pieces on a cookie sheet that has been lined with foil or parchment paper.  Toss romanesco with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Place in preheated oven for 10-13 minutes.  It is done when fork tender and lightly browned.  Serves 1 if you are like me and want it all to yourself or 2 if you share better than I do.