Summer Borscht & the works

Did you know that borscht is Russian for salad bar?  It's not, really, but in my family it may as well have meant that, because its a glorious opportunity to load up on all your favorites, or stick to a flavorful soup if you prefer it less chunky.  Some will take all the fixins and puree it, sort of like a beet-based Gazpacho, but I prefer to see all the elements, and chew them, kind of like a hybrid summer-winter borscht.

Unlike a traditional borscht, I've replaced the cucumbers and radishes with Celtuce, an interesting sharp and nutty flavored green.  By soaking the chopped stem in a little wine and salt, the natural bitterness transforms into a cooling almost peanut flavor that compliments the savory soup incredibly and adds a complex dimension.

This particular method is heavily inspired by the recipe left behind by the poet Allen Ginsberg, maybe it will inspire you to Howl :)



Serves 4-6, served with Vegan Sour cream



What you'll use from your bag:

Beets, ~10 small/medium, peeled and slivered, with the greens from half of them chopped
Red Potatoes, diced and roasted, ~ 1/2 of the yield, the smallest ones are best
1 garlic scape
Celtuce, leaves for the bowls, and ~ half the stem either chopped or sliced

Optional: diced Radish



What else you'll use:
Chives or Spring Onions, 1 or 2 chopped
1 Tbs Sugar
2 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 cup white wine (wine vinegar works in a pinch) and 2 Tbs for the celtuce
4 cups of veggie broth to boil, and 2 more to cool
Fresh dill
1 tsp Salt, and 1/2 tsp for the celtuce
1 tsp Black pepper
1 tsp Caraway powder
1 Cup Vegan sour cream, like tofutti, or make your own, with more to serve

Optional: halved Cherry tomatoes


First, you'll roast your potatoes
Heat your oven to 400 degrees, and go about prepping your veggies. Dice the potatoes, and toss them in a tablespoon of oil with a few pinches of salt and spread them evenly on a baking sheet, and roast for 25 minutes, stirring once at the 15 minute mark.

While they roast, peel and sliver your beets, and chop the greens.

Now is also a good time to chop up your celtuce, and put it in a small bowl with 2 Tbs wine and 1/2 tsp of salt to marinate.  If you are very worried about the bitterness, try a sweeter wine, or sprinkle some sugar in and toss the mixture.


Now, boil your beets
In a large soup pot, place your beets, greens, 4 cups of broth, a pinch of salt, black pepper, and
caraway powder in, and bring to a slow boil, and let simmer for 10 minutes.  A total of 30  minutes should cover it. If the beets aren't tender give them another 5-10 minutes.  The broth should be bright red, and the aroma very savory.



Once tender, strain the solids from the liquid, and set both aside to cool.
Once the liquids cool a bit, add some fresh dill, 1 Tbs sugar,  2 Tbs lemon juice, 1 cup of vegan sour cream, 1/4 cup wine, and 2 cups of cool broth, and whisk to combine.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Take the mixture and refrigerate for 4+ hours
Serve with more vegan sour cream, dill, celtuce leaves, chopped garlic scapes, potatoes, beets and greens, and green onions.  Load it up with the works!

Baked Kale Chips

Kale chips are outrageously expensive to buy, but once you master the delicate art of the perfect crisp yourself you'll never reach for that plastic tub again.

I've taken the guess work out for you, tried higher and lower temperatures, various oils, and with and without parchment paper, and I can tell you, that these little things really add up.

Also, don't overlook your spice choices, as these will not only enhance your end flavor, but also the dryness of your chip, but also if they stay crisp or go limp after half a day (that is, if they last that long, bc mine seem to disappear within an hour of making them, which is good bc that's really when they are the best to eat anyway).


Makes one full cookie sheet, enough to fill a large cereal bowl when cooked.

What you'll use from your bag:
Kale, stems removed, 2-3 tightly packed cups or ~1/2 this week's haul (I'd do the whole haul,


doubling the recipe)

Pro tip: Wash them as soon as you get them so they are bone dry when you go to bake them!!

What else you'll need:
Refined coconut oil in liquid form, 2 Tbs
Sea Salt, 1 tsp
Ginger Powder, 1/2 tsp
Garlic Powder, 1 tsp
Nutritional Yeast, 2 Tbs
Parchment paper
--and some latex or food prep gloves aren't a terrible idea either

Optional:  For an ethnic twist, add 1 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp turmeric for a middle eastern flavor, or 1 tsp of adobo spice for latin!  And as always, if you like a little heat, 1 tsp of crushed red pepper and 1 tsp of cayenne pepper are never a bad addition!


First, preheat the oven to 275 degrees.  Really.  Don't go higher. 
Going longer at a lower heat will help to dry out the leaf without encouraging it to burn...also, don't overdo the oil, or you'll increase the heat and tip it into blackening.  We are going for paper dry, and the border between dry and crisp and burnt and ashy is a narrow margin.


Put a layer of parchment paper on a cookie sheet, and set aside.



Next, mix the oil and the spices together
In a large bowl, put your prepared kale, and then massage the oil and spice mixture into each leaf,

making sure to cover both sides of each leaf.  Pull any excess oil or spices from each and distribute from leaf to leaf, and then toss them all together in the bowl, and massage by the handful to ensure the leaves soften, and the spices are thoroughly integrated.

Now, arrange the leaves on the sheet 
A single layer is essential as these babies need even air exposure. Unfold the leaves and let them lay flat.

Place the sheet in the middle rack, and flip the leaves over every 8-10 minutes, cooking for appx a total of 25-30 min. If you have some leaves that just won't get dry while the others are nice and crispy, pull out the crisp ones, and turn the heat off in the oven and let the stray ones dry out in a cooling oven for 15 min...or just eat those stragglers bc they're still tasty

Let them cool on the hot sheet for at least 5 minutes before devouring them!  If
you must store them for later, allow them to sit out uncovered for at least 1-2 hours before, and try not to seal them completely, or pack too much in a container, or they may get limp. Definitely do not refrigerate.  They will be good for up to a week if they stay dry.

Snap Peas: We Can Pickle That! (2 ways)

No matter how much you love snap peas, sometimes you have to think of what to do with an entire pound of them.  Luckily, they make great snacks raw, and you can basically throw them into any salad or sandwich no problem... and we have covered at least a couple recipes this season with snap peas too, and just when you thought you had all you could manage for snap pea techniques down, you realized that I, and Portlandia, might have another idea:

WE CAN PICKLE THAT!

In this post, I will go over two different methods of pickling, one the lacto-fermented kind (despite the name, its definitely vegan, it is merely referring to the lactobacillus bacteria that is involved in all open air fermentation) and the other using vinegar.  The vinegar method is faster, but not as beneficial for your gut flora as the fermented kind, however the combination is ideal because the apple cider vinegar serves as a prebiotic while the fermented produces probiotics, and in both cases your radishes, turnips, sweet peas, and another other veggies laying around can live long past their peak time.  However, if you jealousy guard your snap pea population with your life, feel free to choose one method, or perhaps just pickle your radishes and turnips :)

What you'll use from your bag:

Snap Peas- I took the entire yield and split them between the two jars, it was the perfect amount.

Radishes- the entire yield split between the two

Turnips- 4-6, split between the two

Spring garlic, 1 bulb split between the two

What else you'll use:

Vinegar method:

Apple cider vinegar, 1 cup and 1 more to fill

Water, 1 cup

1Tbs sugar

1 Tbs salt

1 tsp black peppercorns, whole

1 tsp coriander seeds, whole

1 tsp mustard seeds, whole

1 tsp fennel seeds, whole

Fermented Method:

Water, 3 cups

1.5 Tbs Salt

1 tsp black peppercorns, whole

1 tsp coriander seeds, whole

1 tsp mustard seeds, whole

1 tsp caraway seeds, whole

( and in ~2 weeks, fresh dill, oregano, basil, rosemary, or any other fresh herb)

First, start with The Vinegar method:

Combine 1 cup vinegar and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat, add the water and let cool.

Next, prepare your veggies:

Yes, you'll want to take the strings out of the snap peas, and if doing both methods, you may as well sit down with a bowl and do them all at the same time.

Fill each jar about 1/2 way with peas, and the rest of the way with garlic, radishes, and turnips.  For the vinegar method, turnips are best sliced into discs, and for the fermented nice chunks work best.  Radishes for both, I just split into halves, the long way, when possible.  The garlic is great in thick discs, but a chunky chop is also good.

Then, cover your veggies in your brine:

Now that your jars are about 3/4 full with veg, separate your jars with labels and a date.  Pour the vinegar mixture over the veggies and pour in more uncooked vinegar until covered-- not to the top (usually about a cup if using quart sized mason jars) and then add the salt and spice, and shake well to combine.  

For the fermented, mix the salt, spices and water together in a bowl to combine and then pour over the veggies, adding additional water if necessary to cover, no where near the top).

Now, set them to store:

The vinegar pickles can go right in your fridge, and are ready to eat in 3-6 days.  Or, if you want them faster, leave them covered at room temperature for the first day, and then place them in the fridge to be ready immediately.

The fermented jar needs a bit more tending.  take a smaller jar, or a weight, and keep the veggies below the surface of the brine, in an uncovered jar.  You want the liquid to have air exposure, but not the veggies, in other words. Its hard to see, but the jar inside the jar is forcing the liquid in the larger jar to come all the way up to the very top of the large jar.  For this reason, I store mine in a bowl, and cover the entire thing with a dish cloth.

Now, set it aside, away from heat or light, for about two weeks, you can check on the acidity level for taste as you go, and when it's just about ready, plop your fresh herbs in, screw on the lid and put them in your fridge to be eaten at your own pace!

Enjoy!

Tamarind Turnip and Radish Greens

Need something to do with all those turnip and radish greens? Tamarind has got you covered.  A natural, unrefined source of sweetness, and sour, this delectable little fruit paste is going to cram a ton of flavor into these sharp greens, with very little effort on your part.

Head on over to your local Asian or Indian market, and grab a pack of Tamarind paste, and you can keep it in a zip-top bag in your fridge basically forever after.

But once you learn to work with fruit pastes, my guess is you'll never miss an opportunity to throw in some date or apricot paste to cheer up your dishes.

Serves 2, but can be easily doubled, go ahead and use all the greens from your turnip and radish bunches you *ahem* meant to toss into salads or compost ;)



What you'll use from your bag:
2-4 Turnips
4-6 Radishes
1 stem of spring garlic (or 2 scapes from last week)
Greens from at least 1 bunch of turnips and/or 2-3 bunches of radishes


What else you'll need:
2 Tbs Tamarind paste, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
2 Tbs Extra virgin coconut oil
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tsp red Miso paste

First, you'll heat your oil on Medium in a pan, and add the garlic
The cooking purists of the bunch will tell you to you should take your tamarind paste and liquid (in this case broth) and maybe even your miso paste and blend before heating.  That's not what I do, but don't let me stop you.  I heat the tamarind paste in the oil at the same pace with the garlic.  This makes a kind of sweet and garlicky bouillon that's bubbly and perfectly seasoned when you go to add the broth.  So, first heat the oil, then add the tamarind and garlic, let cook <1 minute and then add your broth, and stir or whisk vigorously to assist the tamarind to dissolve.

Then, you'll add your turnip greens
this sauté is pretty standard, except no need to cover, and definitely don't walk away as these wilt plenty fast.  Stir a few time to cover evenly, and these guys will get bright green and droop.

Now, add the miso paste

It will make your life easy to dole out the teaspoon of miso in two parts, and stir throughout.  The warm liquid will help the miso incorporate well.  Let the pot simmer for 30-45 seconds, and then take off of the heat.  Let stand about a minute to let the flavors sink in.  Serve with raw radishes and turnips, and don't forget to scoop out (deglaze , if you will) the pan and drizzle it on top!

Good Karma Collards with Baked Tofu Hock

Something about Collard Greens always puts me in the mood for southern cooking...and while soul food and vegan cooking may not be the most intuitive combination, I assure you it can be delicious!  For this dish we will make a tasty, smoky, meaty baked tofu that we add to our equally smoky and also garlicky and a little feisty collard greens.

I will show you how to get a really fool-proof and satisfying flavor and texture from your tofu and I'll even show you how to shred those collards with a simple technique that will save you tons of time with all your leafies.

Serves 4-6 as a side, or 2 as a main.

What you'll use from your bag:
Collard Greens (I used all of them, about 10 medium-large leaves)
Garlic Scapes (I used 3, but 4 could be good too)
Spring Onions (I used them all, about 5)

Optional: The turnip greens from any turnips would be a welcome and traditional addition

What else you'll use:

For the marinade:
Liquid Smoke - 1 tsp
Coffee Grounds (used or fresh) - 1 tsp
Tamari - 1/4 cup
Smoked salt - 1/4 tsp (I used Alder, but applewood any is fine)
Balsamic Vinegar - 1 Tbs
Fresh Oregano, a few leaves
Crushed Red Pepper - 1 tsp
Firm or Extra Firm Tofu - 1 pack

For the collards sauté:
Smoked Paprika - 2 tsp, and more to dust
Vegetable Broth - 1/2 cup
Sea Salt - to taste
Lemon - 1/4 peel and the juice of 1/4
Blackstrap Molasses - 1/2 tsp
Extra Virgin Coconut Oil - 1 Tbs
Tomato- 1 small to cook and


First, you'll press the tofu
If you aren't used to cooking with tofu, you should know this is an essential step!  Wrap your tofu block in paper towels or a thick dishcloth, and place between two plates with a couple cans on top to drain the liquid out. Do this while preheating your oven to 350 degrees, and mixing your marinade.

In a gallon sized zip-top bag, add the marinade ingredients listed above and shake.

Then, when the tofu has compressed and looks more dense (or has tossed your cans on the floor and taken an new shape!)  then slice the tofu like this:

The smaller the cubes the happier you will be, and the faster is will bake.  These cubes are just under 1/4 inch cubes

Then you're going to toss the tofu in the marinade bag and let it sit until the oven has reached the temperature you want, turning the bag over every other minute to ensure even coating.

Spread your marinated cubes out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake for 25 minutes, stirring the cubes to expose different sides to the heat every 8 minutes or so.

Now, chop your garlic scapes and spring onions.

Heat up the oil in a sauté pan and add the garlic and onions.  While they cook, take the peel from one lemons and maybe thin slivers and then add that directly into the pan with the garlic scape, spring onions and coconut oil.

Next, get your collards ready while the aromas develop.

Remove any stems that may be sticking out, and roll your collards (al of them at once is fine, or half at a time) into a cigar and cut the collards while tightly rolled up, about 1/3 inch wide.  Once you have them all ribboned, make one chop down the long way through the middle and your collards are chopped perfectly and quickly for sautéing. 

Add the collards in with the vegetable broth and cover for 3-5minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir together until the tomatoes look soft.  When the liquids have reduced, add the tofu and remove from heat.  Stir to combine and dust with the smoked paprika.

Serve with rice for a full meal, or alongside something like these Eggplant Cutlets and with a little sriracha and vegan aioli for a truly decadent flavor combo.

Asian Salad with Choi and Snap Peas

Use this flavor -packed Asian salad as your lunchtime Rx to get over a case of the Mondays.  Now that summer is in full swing, and staying inside during the day is even harder an inspired lunch idea will bring some of that sunshine indoors.

Snap peas and Choi can both be enjoyed raw, but in this salad we will sauté them to bring in a ton of flavor and a variety of textures.  Some of the ingredients will be raw,  like the carrots and radishes, and you can serve this dish fresh from the wok or chilled from your fridge.

Serves 2-3, but can easily be doubled

What you'll use from your bag:

Choi (as much as you can fit in your pan, usually about 4-6)

Snap Peas (one fully packet cup, with peas vertical)

2 turnips 

2 radish

2 spring onions

2 Scapes (and any spring garlic you have leftover from last week)

What else you'll need:

1-2 baby carrots, or 1 small carrot

1 inch Fresh ginger root

1/4 cup Red raspberries (because they are in season and on major sale!, but if you have traditional tastes, small oranges like Mandarins or Clementines are for you)

4-5 fresh Basil leaves

1 Tbs Rice Vinegar

2 Tbs cooking oil (I use safflower oil here)

3 Tbs of Tamari or Soy Sauce, and 1 Tbs of Tamari

Optional: I had some zucchini laying around and it made an excellent addition, any vegetables like eggplant, cucumber,  or mushrooms, make welcome additions here.

Bamboo shoots are also used, and optional. I found some at Giant in the ethnic foods section

You may elect to serve over rice, but otherwise alone, or served on this week's greens are a hearty and low-carb approach to a very light vegetable lunch.

First, you'll wash and prep your veggies

If you don't have rice in your fridge, now is a great time to start your rice, if desired, too (here's a basic chinese-style rice recipe )

Snap peas need a little extra attention. Unlike in the pate, where we blended them up whole, these

need to have their ends removed along with their string. The Choi can either be quartered if they are dense enough, or separated into just leaves. the turnips should be cut into discs and halved. The ginger and basil should be coarsely chopped, separately. The zucchini or other veggies you decide to add should be thick matchsticks or cubed to give easy salad bites.

Chop up the spring onions and the scapes, or leftover spring garlic, and the turnips, and set aside.

Next, you'll put your cooking veggies into a big bowl for a quick marinade

Put the choi, the peas, the bamboo shoots, ginger, and any optional veggies into a large bowl, and pour in 3 Tbs Tamari, 1 Tbs of Rice Vinegar and lightly massage the liquid into the veggies, and let sit.

Then, heat the sauté pan or wok

let the pan heat up until a droplet of water turns into a perfect sphere upon contact, then add 2 Tbs of oil and 1 Tbs of soy sauce, and stand back so the splatter doesn't catch you.

Add the onions and scapes/garlic to the hot pan and let sautee for 1 min.  Add your marinading veggies with their marinade liquid, again standing back to dodge any overly excited liquids, reduce the heat to med-low and cover.

Now, prepare your raw veggies

Get out your raspberries, sliver/matchstick your carrots, and make thin discs of your radishes and set aside.

Now add your turnips and basil to the sauté, mix and keep uncovered for 1 minute.

Then, plate your rice, and spoon some sautee juice onto it 

Once it is nice and juicy, add your cooked vegetables on top of the rice, and decorate with the carrot sticks, radish discs, and raspberries.  

If you'll be cooking for the next day's lunch, only combine the veg and rice when it's time to serve.

Enjoy!

Oh and I promise it's just as delicious when it's messy :)

Sugar Snap Pea Pate

Nothing brings the fresh feeling of summer quite like a fresh and crisp Sugar Snap Pea, and an early summer yield doesn't leave much to feed a full family, so luckily by combining these bursting pea pods to some of the other veggies in this week's bag we can make an early-summer pate!

Pate makes a great fridge snack, as you can combine it with nearly anything else in your fridge or pantry like crackers or celery sticks.  Best of all the bright bright green of the peas makes an excellent contrast, making it an excellent smile-inducing finger food for an outdoor garden party.



What you'll use from your bag:
All the sugar snaps (appx 1 cup)
2 small, or 1 medium turnip
1 Shunkyo radish (oblong), and 2 pink beauty radishes to serve
2 stalks of fresh oregano
1/2 small bulb of spring garlic, reserve green to serve
1 leaf Winter Density Lettuce, to serve

What else you'll need:
1 tsp dried tarragon, or 2 pieces fresh, and a pinch to garnish
1/4 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable broth
pinch of sea salt

Optional:
Almonds, Walnuts, Red Bell Pepper, Smoked Paprika


First, you'll wash and pre-chop,
Chopping the radish, garlic, and turnip into smaller pieces helps the mixture blend up better.  If you prefer, now is when you may remove the roots or stalks to any vegetables.

Next, you'll add the pate ingredients to your food processor or blender:
All the snap peas, the turnips, the oblong radish, the oregano, the spring garlic, the tarragon, the ginger, the vinegar, the broth, and the salt, into the processor or blender on high for 1 minute.  Scrape down the sides and mix to ensure thorough blending, and blend for 30 seconds more.  Taste.  If too bitter, try adding a splash more vinegar, or a pinch of your sweetener of choice.  If too light, add a pinch of paprika now and more to garnish.




Now, Serve it your way!
Best if chilled 15-20 minutes before serving.  Here are some ideas:

On a round slice of a Pink Lady Radish from your bag, add a dollop of pea pate, and dress with slivers of the green spring garlic, 1 sliced almond, and dust with smoked paprika.  The finish is complex and the texture keeps you till the last bite.






Or, my personal favorite: Take 1/4 of a Red Bell Pepper and fill with the pate.  This is also dressed with spring garlic and pink lady radishes, and also a flower from this week's Chinese Broccoli :)  The pepper makes a nice boat for the pate, and also tones down the strength of the garlic and turnip.