Tofu Scramble

Breakfast isn't really a time when most people think of vegetables, but it could be.  Take the classic scramble, here with a plant-based twist.  A nice firm tofu, the right seasonings, and farm-fresh veggies combine to create a mouth and eye-pleasing alternative to the classic, that is quick to make, filling, and without all that pesky saturated fat and cholesterol.  Best of all, you can spice it up however you like, perhaps middle-eastern for the Shakshuka fans of the world, or Italian spices like basil and oregano for the diner style breakfast club.

This is a great technique that you can also apply to feta and ricotta toppings, and is overall a great stab at preparing tofu in new and delicious ways.

Serves 4, or 2 really hungry people, and reheats well.  Great on its own or on toast or in breakfast burrito wraps.

What you'll use from your bag:

1 Tomato (I had some left over from last week's bounty), diced

1/2 hot pepper, or a whole one if you like the heat, diced seeds removed

3 small sweet peppers, diced

1 red onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

What else you'll need:

2 Tbs avocado or safflower oil

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped and added at the end

1 block firm tofu

1 tsp cumin or curry powder (skip for a more Italian or French style)

1/4 tsp India Black salt, for the egg flavor

1/2 tsp parsley, dried

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp nutritional yeast

1/4 tsp fennel seed powder

1/2 tsp turmeric, for health and color

First, drain and press the tofu

This is the most important step when working with tofu, and if often the reason people think they don't like it.  Tofu gets packaged in liquid to keep it fresh, but the liquid has no flavor, and will often keep flavors from penetrating the tofu and DEFINITELY keep the texture soft, rather than hearty and meaty, so proper pressing to remove the liquid is going to change your tofu game.  I recently discovered the most amazing way to press tofu (and lots of other things) is using a salt slab cutting board.  Or in this case, 2 of them.  This is the perfect amount of weight, and salt cures it which not only speeds up the liquid draining time, but gives is a nice mineral rich, salt flavor, so you can actually skip the added salt.  If you don't have one, they are MAJORLY affordable right now at Trader Joe's, or you can wrap your tofu in a dishcloth, and put a cutting board on top of it with a few cans of something heavy, like beans. This takes about 5-10 minutes, and you can prep your veggies while this happens

Next, start your sauté

Heat oil in a frying pan, and add your diced onions, garlic, and hot pepper.  

While they soften, assemble your spices in a large mixing bowl, and toss in your tofu in large chunks.  A potato masher works best, but a fork will work just fine, as you are trying to mix the spices into your tofu as you "scramble" the tofu, into nice pillowy, bite sized, flavorful clumps.

When its done, it will look like cooked scramble, which is pretty cool, since that is what we are making :)

It will be yellow, from the turmeric, and smell of egg, from the India Black salt, and be delicious from all the spices, but will be EXTRA great warm and with all your veggies.

Now, add your tofu to the sauté mix

Let the oil, onion, garlic and hot pepper fully integrate with the tofu mixture, and you will notice the scramble get a brighter yellow, and even slightly brown in some area.  This is excellent because it means all those flavors are penetrating, and intensifying.

Add your diced tomato, and sweet peppers in, and sauté for 2-3 minutes until they soften. This adds some moisture back into the mix, so decide how "well-done" you like your textures, and if you want dryer scrambles, bump that up to 5 minutes.

Toss in your basil, stir until its soft, and take a good long sniff at the heaven in your pan.

If you are going for French style, add some vegannaise, or some coconut creme fraiche with some Herbs d' Provence, for Italian, add some thyme and oregano and serve over toasted Ciabatta, and for my curry style, add that full pepper, and garnish with a little sprinkle of ginger and light a fire under your day!

Enjoy!

Farmstyle Potato and Leek Soup

With the summer season abundance comes very full CSA bags, and if you are running short on fridge space, or have trouble using all of your produce every week this soup is ideal for you.  One recipe uses most of this week's bag, but lasts the rest of the week and can even feed your entire family.

Best of all, if you time it right, it shouldn't take you more than 45 min to make, and can be eaten immediately, or chilled, served hot or cold.

Eating your colors was never easier!

Serves A LOT, plan for 8-10 big bowls.





What you'll use from your bag:
All of your potatoes, diced
2 red onions, diced
2 summer squash, sliced & quartered
1 medium leek, 2 small leeks, half moon sliced
1 small cabbage, coarsely chopped
5 small red/orange peppers, half moon sliced




What else you'll need:
3 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
1/4 cup oil (safflower or avocado recommended)
8 cups vegetable broth

For the "buttermilk":
juice of 1 lemon
2 cups of coconut cream

For the end, spice mix:
1/4 cup cinnamon basil or other basil, chopped
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp coriander seed powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp sea salt, fine
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1/4 tsp thyme
1 Tbs fresh dill, and more to garnish/serve
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (dont be afraid, the cream levels this smooth)


First, heat your oil on low/med in a large soup pot
While the oil heats, dice your onion, and toss them in as you go, then dice the garlic and toss it in, and then the potatoes.  Think homefries, a quick dirty smallish dice, to encourage softening and even cooking.  A pinch of salt here is also a good idea.

While they cook, chop your peppers, squash, and cabbage. When the potatoes are tender, add the peppers and squash and cook for 3 minutes.  Then your cabbage, and cover. 3 minutes.

Now, add your broth
I can't stress the importance of a good full-flavored broth for making your own soups, and I encourage you to make your own broth with scraps from your CSA produce!  After to add the broth, stir and scrape the bottom of the pot to get all the ingredients circulating.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8-10 minutes.

While the soup simmers, add 2 cups coconut cream (the kind from a can!) into a bowl or measuring cup and squeeze the lemon juice in, stir or whisk thoroughly, and allow to sit at room temperature to curdle.

Once the simmer is close to a boil, add the milk
Mix the soup really well, until you can't see any white cream concentrated anywhere.  Turn the heat
back up and simmer 5 minutes, uncovered.

Add the spice mix, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes.  Remove from heat, and let stand 5-10 minutes before serving (hot) or chill overnight to serve cold.

Serve it with fresh ground black pepper, a cashew dill sauce, fresh dill, or smoked salt.

Enjoy!

Quick Homestyle Tomato Sauce

 Homemade tomato sauce, is there anything more delicious, more classic, and more symbolic of truly from-scratch home cooking?  There's a good reason: traditional recipes call for over 4 hours of long simmering....ain't nobody got time for that.

This recipe packs in all the flavor density of peak season, farm fresh tomatoes, with time saving tricks to peel the tomatoes with a parboil, followed by a chop and stew, which reduces the simmer time to just over 1 hour.  Use that time to roast your veggies for a lasagna, and cook your noodles, or in my case to roast and scoop up a spaghetti squash, to toss into the sauce as soon as its ready, and while they are both hot!

This recipe prepares about 4 cups, the size of a large jar from the market.




What you'll use from your bag:
7 medium tomatoes
1 Red onion, finely diced
1/2 jalapeño, diced, or the entire thing if you like it hot

What else you'll need:
4 cloves of garlic, diced
1 Tbs Tomato paste (they make this in a tube now, so you don't have to waste the entire can)
1 tsp sea salt, fine
1/2 tsp black pepper, the fresher ground the better
5 cups veggie broth
2 Tbs olive or avocado oil
1/2 lemon (for the juice)
1 Tbs red wine vinegar, or soured red wine (you know, the kind you've left open too long)

at the end:
3/4 cup fresh basil (packed, because you can never have too much basil in tomato sauce)
1/3 cup fresh oregano  (oregano form the farm is incredibly aromatic, highly recommended)
1/3 cup fresh cilantro


First, fill a large soup pot with about 6 cups of water
Take all of your tomatoes, and carve Xs into the butt of them, where they come to a little point.  This will serve to allow the water to loosen the skin from the flesh of the tomato, and make an easy starting point to peel.  The skin tends to slide off when little coaxing after a light boil.

Add the X'd tomatoes into the water, and bring to a boil, and allow to boil for about 2 minutes.  This is softening the tomatoes and loosening the skin at the same time and will reduce the overall cook time in the later step.


When removed from the water, the skin tends to look like this, and easily peels and slides off, reducing a lot of prep time.  You can keep these skins for broth, salads, or compost.




Next, heat your saucepan and prepare your vegetables
It's important not to use stainless steel with high-acidic dishes like tomato sauce, so for this I am using ceramic covered cast iron (Le Creuset).  It also makes for MUCH easier clean up.  Heat the oil in the pan, and add your finely diced onions and garlic, sauté, and after 2 minutes add the jalapeño.

Take your peeled tomatoes and chop them into at least 6 pieces, and toss them in with the sauté, allowing them to scorch, and stir them once or twice.  While they scorch, whisk the tomato paste and vinegar into the vegetable broth, and once the tomatoes are scorched on all sides, pour the broth mixture into the
rest.

Bring to a low boil, and immediately drop down to a simmer, and let simmer for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.

Then, you'll add the herbs
Towards the end, say in the last 15 minutes, start to chop your basil, oregano and cilantro.  Toss them
into the sauce and stir evenly and allow to cook with the remaining time.  The sauce should look more like sauce and less like chopped tomatoes as they have broken down, the liquid should also be substantially reduced.

Allow to cool, and keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or enjoy immediately!