Concord Grape & Pear Pie

Our latest CSA pickup included some concord grapes, which I decided to turn into a pie. I thought about jelly, but then figured... I have some pears, and a dinner party to go to... so... why not pie?

The process has a few extra steps, but it's well worth it!!


Crust:
1 1/2 cups pastry flour
1 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter (softened)
5-6 tablespoons ice water

Combine flour & salt with a whisk. Add in butter and combine with a fork until crumbly. Drizzle water and shape into a ball. Refrigerate in Saran wrap for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. (My oven runs HOT. Some folks do this @ 425)

Filling:
5-6 bunches concord grapes*
4 pears
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 tblsp cornstarch
squeeze lemon juice
Generous Sprinkle of Cinnamon

*First, separate the skins off the grapes. A light squeeze at the end opposite of the stem should be enough to pop out the pulp. Keep each in a separate bowl. Heat the pulps in a small pot, until boiling, for about 5 minutes. Then, mash in a strainer to remove the seeds. Combine the mashed pulps with the skins.

Add in the pears, and then add the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and lemon to this mixture, let sit in the fridge for about 10 minutes.

Roll out dough, add filling to center, and top with dollops of butter. Then complete with lattice crust. Bake @ 400 for 20-30 minutes, checking crust for burning. Some folks brush butter or milk on top of the crust, this works too. Then turn down to 325 degrees for an additional 30 minutes. Basically, over an hour, let the pie cook, and turn down the oven when the crust burns at that degree. This is an art and not a science, and so I suggest checking the pie about every ten minutes!

Serve with ice cream or whipped cream, and garnish with sprigs of mint!!

Sweet Potato and Turnip Mash

Some recipes are just so gloriously simple and quick, and this is one of them! Ryan creates this one whenever we have turnips- it's really the only way I like them. They have a subtle broccoli-like flavor to me when mixed with the sweetness of the sweet potato!

Peel 2-3 small/medium turnips and 2 large sweet potatoes. (You definitely want a ratio of more sweet potato to less turnip.)

Cut into medium sized chunks and boil until tender with a fork. Add about 1/2 stick of butter, salt and milk to taste and desired creaminess. Mash and whip with a wooden spoon.

Voila!

Carrot Bisque

Another fabulous recipe that we found in the vegetarian time's- and put a Lora & Ryan spin on.

Olive oil
2 tbs grated ginger
2 leeks
1 yellow onion
garlic
1 tbs curry powder
salt to taste
pinch cayenne pepper
4 cups carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
1 can coconut milk
2 1/2 tbs lime juice
2 cups water
2 cups stock

Heat oil in bottom of deep pot. Add onion, leeks, and garlic and saute about 5 minutes. Stir in ginger and cook until fragrant. Add curry powder, cayenne, and 1/4 cup stock. Cook a few more minutes, stirring to coat onions with mixture.

Add in carrots, the remaining 1 and 3/4 cups stock and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until carrots are soft enough to pierce with a fork.

Puree soup in a blender in batches. Return soup to pot and stir in 1 cup of coconut milk and lime.

Simmer remaining coconut milk in small saucepan about 10 minutes, until reduced by about half.

Serve in bowls, swirling coconut milk into soup and topping with homemade croutons, if desired.

Ryan's 30th Birthday Feast: Wild Mushroom Shepard's Pie

In honor of Ryan's birthday, we put together a midwinter's night feast. Wild mushroom shepard's pie with a pinot noir sauce, roast winter vegetables, and a mixed green salad. I hadn't intentionally designed a vegetarian menu for Ryan and our friends, but I was excited to pull it off. Again, this recipe was adapted from Vegetarian Times, with help from our CSA box, the mushroom seller at the local farmer's market, and my own kick-ass techniques for carmelizing onions (courtesy of my class with Purple Kale Kitchen Works).

Wild Mushroom Shepard's Pie
Makes about 8 servings

For potatoes:
-3 lb (about 6) yukon gold potatoes- peeled & quartered
-1/2 stick- 1 stick butter
-1/4 cup heavy cream
-fresh chives
-6 tablespoons grated parmesan and pecorino cheese

For the filling:
-1/2- 1 lb wild mushrooms *
-3 portobello mushroom caps
- 3 white onions- halved and sliced
-balsamic vinegar
-salt and pepper
-pecorino and parmesan cheese
-fresh parsley
-2 cloves garlic

*"wild mushrooms"- this can mean so many things. I originally planned to use a blend of dried porcini and cepe mushrooms, but the mushroom stand at our farmer's market had so many awesome fresh mushrooms to offer, I changed plans. I ended up using piopinni and shiitake mushrooms, which were recommended for their hearty flavors that would stand up nicely to the mashed potato.


1. Boil the potatoes. Drain and return to pot. Add in butter and heavy cream and mash. Season with salt and pepper, chives, and handfuls of pecorino and parmesan cheese.

2. While the potatoes boil, clean the mushrooms with a quick rinse of water (yes, I rinse them with water, no, I do not think this ruins them in any way). Toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Place on a baking sheet, portobellos gill side up. Roast them at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes or until tender. Take out and cool.

3. While potatoes boil and mushrooms roast, heat olive oil in a pan for the onions. Saute over medium-low heat, sweating and not allowing to brown. Salt and pepper, splash with chicken stock, and then cover and cook. After about 40 minutes, once onions become sticky, sprinkle with balsamic vinegar.

4. Slice the portobello thinly. Chop the wild mushrooms and toss with remaining cheese.

5. In casserole dish, create a bottom layer of portobello mushrooms. Add a layer of carmelized onions, then a layer of mashed potatoes. Put wild mushrooms in next layer, the rest of the carmelized onions, the fresh parsley, and top with remaining mashed potato. Grate additional cheese on top layer of potatoes.

6. Bake 40 minutes or until golden. Let cool before serving.


Pinot Noir Sauce:

For a little finishing touch, make this delicious sauce:

1/4 cup pinot noir
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
splash tamari/soy sauce

1. In pan, reduce wine and chicken stock over medium heat. Pour liquid back into measuring cup, melt butter and whisk in flour. Slowly pour back in wine/stock liquid. Add salt and pepper, and tamari, and reduce, about 10 minutes.

Serve sauce over shepard's pie!!

Krispy Kale

I have no love for kale. Well, let me rephrase that. I HAD no love for kale. Bitter and chewy, the first time I cooked it at home, it tasted like rubbery, scratchy seaweed. (Yuck!!) However, I have recently learned to turn this hardy green from yuck to yum- and even Ryan likes it! I wouldn't bother so hard, but in winter, it is in all of our CSA boxes, and one of the few greens at the markets, so Kale, we're all yours.

Cut the leaves from the stems and discard the stems.
Rinse well under water to get rid of any sand, and do NOT dry. Let the water drops stay- this will help with the cooking and the krisping.
In a pan, pour in a bit of olive oil, and dice up a clove of garlic. Once the garlic sweats into the oil, add in the kale, sprinkle with sea salt, and cook down. Once Kale begins to wilt, splash with a capful or two of vinegar- red wine, cider, or balsamic will all work well- and season with pepper. Turn up the heat, and take another, smaller pan, and use it to crush the leaves. Gather them all under the bottom of the pan, and press down so leaves start to crisp. Do this until leaves brown a bit on end and reach desired "krispy" consistency!!

Curried Roasted Winter Squash Soup

My house smells fabulous right now. I am a huge fan of cooking by my nose- there is such a strong connection between the sense of smell and taste, and I find my best cooking happens when I trust my nose to know what my mouth will like. Tonight's creation- like so many- relied on my nose. If you are looking to move away from cookbook recipes and further into your own tastes, I recommend following your nose to this tasty delight!!

Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash, acorn squash, sweet potato, or pumpkin, seeded (about 3 cups of puree)
olive oil
3 tblsp butter
3 shallots, or 1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
small piece of ginger, peeled and grated (about a tblsp)
1 can coconut milk
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 tsp curry powder
dash cayenne
salt & pepper
cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash down the middle, stab all over with a fork, and rub with olive oil. Roast 30 minutes to an hour, until the squash is tender and begins to peel from the skin.

2. Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium heat. "Sweat" the onions and garlic, allowing them to turn translucent but not to brown, stirring. Grate the ginger after a while, once the garlic and shallot aroma is strong. Allow to cook a few more minutes.

3. Season onions, garlic and ginger with curry, cayenne, salt and pepper. Stir in stock and coconut milk.

4. Allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes.

5. Scoop the squash out of the peels and add to soup. Allow to cook an additional 15-20 minutes.

6. Puree in a blender, taste, adjust flavors, and garnish with cilantro to serve!

Homemade apple sauce!

Ryan and I decided to go apple picking while visiting Western Mass for a wedding. It was a beautiful day, and the apples were calling our name.




We scored a nice variety of red delicious, granny smith, and Macintosh.




Ryan came in handy- with his height and long arms- to get the good ones at the top.



So, the question soon became what to do with our apple bounty? We decided to make some applesauce!



Ingredients:
Apples (I think we ended up using a hearty 6 cups or so)
Water (Apple juice or cider- we used cider, it gave the apples all the sweetness they needed!)
cinnamon
brown sugar (if needed)
pinch salt (always)



Wash, core, and cut up the apples. No need to peel if you plan to use a sieve and grinder to mash them up.
Put them in a pot, and cover with water/juice/cider.
Cook the apples down until they get nice and sticky-season to taste.
Pour into a jar, and refrigerate or can properly to keep on the shelf!!




Happy Apple picking & eating!!

Purple Kale: A cooking extravaganza!

A few veggie-minded friends & I decided to take a cooking class from the fabulous Ronna Welsh of Purple Kale Kitchenworks- an amazing woman who founded a company that teaches at-home cooks how to improvise and 'play' like the pros. Check out Ronna & her website here at:
http://www.purplekale.com/

We decided to treat ourselves to a private cooking lesson- there were four of us, and so we received tons of personal attention from our chef-teacher. Not to mention the feast we ate!

Ronna came up with a fall produce menu- featuring 3 vegetables: kale, kuri squash, and fennel. Now, I am by no means a fan of fennel OR kale, and so I have to admit that though I went in with an open mind- I had some reservations about whether ANY recipe could make me love these fall/winter foods.

Well, of course, Ronna blew my socks off!! First off, she made me LOVE kale- 2 ways- sauteed and crispy with garlic, olive oil, and red wine vinegar (the vinegar really balanced off the bitterness of the kale), and also with garlic, lemon, and salt.

Ronna also got me to taste some fennel that I didn't hate, braised in a little white wine and garlic- and also with mustard. Can't go so far as to say I was converted, but came close. There are a few items I am permanently adding to the repertoire- super-slowly carmelized onions, herb and garlic butters, freekeh grains (pronounced 'freak'), and kuri squash, garlic butter, and gruyere on toast. (Can I get a hell yes to this!!) We also learned how to make a fabulous vegetable stock which we then turned into two kinds of soup: kale, freekeh and onion, and onion soup with gruyere and fresh croutons!!

I can't wait to learn more from Ronna- and I highly recommend taking her classes if you live in the NYC area!!

Apricot Jam

I am not the biggest apricot fan, but I had to do something with the 15 we got from our last CSA pickup.... so, I took my first attempt at jam. The hardest part is knowing when it is done cooking to the "jelling point". I pulled mine a bit early, and the jam is not super thick, but not watery, either. Probably should have let it go more like 50-60 minutes. I will continue to perfect the jelling method, and keep you posted..... but flavor-wise, this bad boy was the type of jam I've only dreamed of- sweet and tart, citrusy and summery, like a mouthful of sunshine!

Ingredients:
apricots- halve and remove pit
3/4 cup sugar, more to taste
juice of 1 lime
splash honey
splash orange juice
pinch salt

Bring ingredients to a continuous boil. Stir frequently, and taste and adjust flavors. Skim off foam. Test for doneness by dipping a metal spoon in and seeing if liquid slowly drips from tip. It took me about 40 minutes to an hour for a smallish batch- give or take. Pour into a jam jar, allow to cool uncovered at room temperature and then refrigerate!

Grilled Corn

Ah, summer corn. We've been getting a ton, and grilling it up. We've found the following method to be simple and produce some seriously delicious kernels, so enjoy!

Based off Bobby Flay's style!

1. Pull down the husk carefully without removing- and gently pull out the silks. Take off dead ends of husks, if any.
2. Pull the husks back up into place and wrap in tinfoil.
3. Cook about 20 minutes on a covered grill, turning every few minutes. Check for golden color to know when done!

Garnish with fresh lime or butter and serve! I Whipped up some garlic butter as a topping- just put 1/4 stick in the food processor with a clove of garlic, and whip into a ball!!

Make sure you use the garlic butter within a few days, or it will go bad!

Nantucket Zucchini Casserole

This made the perfect hot dish for a picnic in the park- I served it with some fresh crusty bread and an arugula salad.

Ingredients:
2 medium zucchinis, one yellow, one green, if available
1 medium yellow or red onion, or 1/2 and 1/2, as I did
fresh thyme
cheddar, monterey jack, and mozzarella cheese
croutons or bread crumbs
chicken or vegetable stock
salt & pepper
Corn kernels
mushroom

Layer the ingredients in a casserole dish and top with the bread crumbs or croutons. Bake @ 425 for about 40 minutes.

Rustic Blueberry Peach Tart

My first attempt at a tart! I was really pleased with this recipe- another one adapted slightly from Vegetarian TImes- and excited to put some super-ripe peaches to good use!

Crust:
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
6 oz light cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
2-3 tblsp cold water

Filling:
5 cups peaches- peeled, pitted, sliced
1 1/2 cups blueberries
1/3 cup sugar
squeeze fresh lemon juice
2 tblsp corn starch
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch salt

For dough: mix dry ingredients with butter and cream cheese, splash with water and knead with hands until soft enough to form a ball. Refrigerate 30 minutes to an hour.

Prepare filling and allow to sit for about 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. We did 400, since our oven runs a little hot.

Place a piece of wax paper on a large baking sheet and flour. Using hands, roll out dough into 12 inch round and tuck up the sides to create a lip. Pour in the filling.

Bake about 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake 20 minutes more, or until crust is crisp and brown.

Tip: every time you open the oven door, 50 degrees escape! This could be good, if things are too hot- or bad, so try not to check things too often.

As always, tart is done when filling bubbles!

Coal Cracker Food

So I presently have a full head of cabbage in my possession from this week's CSA batch, and it is time to revisit my roots, I think, and put these foods to work in some "Coal cracker" recipes (PA Coal region slang for miners).

I recently had some close Jewish friends in stitches over the foods I particularly enjoy- mainly eastern european and german in origin- that in NYC is more associated with Jewish culture than not. Take for instance the pickled egg- a thing of glory, if you ask me. Ryan was repulsed to discover me eating hard boiled eggs at a rather fancy and upscale wine bar one night, but hey, who can resist a nice salty egg with their booze? Clearly, this is an acquired taste, but one I am proud to have.

Ah, the glory of childhood classics, cooked up with some good memories.

I'll be toasting my Grandparents with these tasty morsels- and thinking of Coaldale, people who say "Jewalry" instead of jewelry, call the comics "funny pages", fireflies "lightning bugs", get "roochy" in the bed at night, and carry "pocketbooks" instead of purses! Hope you are brave enough to try these tasty morsels yourself!

Haluski

So my first attempt at old school cooking led me to realize a few things: holy butter, batman, and can I get a side of salt with that? All joking aside, it kinda dawned on me during this cooking exercise that the majority of the flavor in classic dishes come from fat and salt- so I definitely took a more modern approach. Therefore, the ingredients and techniques below are starred if they detour from the classic version! This makes about 2-3 servings, I paired it with some toast. PS: It is also quite bland looking with all the white... not pretty, but definitely tasty.

1/2 head of cabbage, remove outermost layer and core by cutting it out. Chop roughly
1/2 white onion
1/2 stick of butter* (original calls for WHOLE stick)
2 cloves garlic*
salt and pepper
paprika*
chicken or vegetable stock*
Egg noodles * (Broad noodles are traditionally used)

Bring water to boil and cook egg noodles, about 8 minutes, then drain. In saute pan, cook onion and garlic in butter. Add in chopped cabbage, stir together, and then pour in stock and allow to simmer, 5-10 minutes, until cabbage wilts and softens. Salt and pepper generously, add in pinch of paprika, and mix noodles in. Top with a little bit of butter, Serve!

Smoky Chipotle Corn Chow-DAH

What to do with 7 ears of corn? Excellent question. Answer: Make Corn Chowder!!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (Or canned, in a pinch)
1-2 small dried chipotle pepper*
2 red potatoes
1 white onion, or mix onion and shallot
2 cloves garlic
cumin
fresh cilantro
shaved sharp white cheddar or mexican cheese
fresh chive for garnish
cherry tomato, for garnish
1 quart vegetable or chicken stock
capful of olive oil
pinch truffle oil, if on hand
dollop sour cream
splash of milk
1/4 stick butter
parsely
salt & pepper to taste

1. In large sauce pot, saute garlic and onion in butter. Sprinkle with cumin, and let the onion sweat, without browning, for a few minutes.
2. Add in vegetable stock, potato, corn, and chipotle pepper*. Bring to boil, let simmer until potatoes are tender.
3. Turn off heat and puree soup in blender or food processor and return to pot. Over low heat, add in olive and truffle oil, sour cream, cheese, salt, pepper, cilantro, splash of milk, and parsley. Allow to cook in.
4. Serve with chives and tomato garnish!

*Dried Chipotle Peppers:
To reconstitute, roast in oven at 400 degrees for approximately 5 minutes, until peppers puff up. Remove and immediately soak in warm water for 20-30 minutes, until soft. Split open and remove seeds and stem. Chop roughly!

Vegetable Frittata

Thanks to Lori for inspiring this take on a frittata! I wanted an easy, quick meal, that requires little tending, and would use up some past-prime veggies from our CSA batch. Besides, who can say no to an egg pie? Which is basically what a frittata is- I even made it in a pie plate. Similar to quiche, but minus the massive quantities of butter and sans a crust, frittata is the italian cousin! Enjoy!

Serves 4.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

6 Eggs, lightly beaten
salt & pepper
sliced zucchini
red onion
green pepper
shredded cheddar cheese and mozzarella
swiss chard or spinach
basil and oregano to top
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 piece of bread

1. Beat the eggs and shred the cheese into the mixture. Add in the veggies and toss to coat.
2. In a pie plate, tear up bread pieces and spread around. Pour egg and veggie mixture into plate.
3. Top with herbs, and if desired, more cheese.
4. Bake for about 35 minutes.

I like to top this with a little hot sauce!! Enjoy!

Pickle-OH!

With so many little cukes lying around, I figured the time had come to learn about the picklin'! So, always a believer in doing everything in a grand fashion the first time around...I am going to make pickles three different ways. I settled on Dill pickles (inspired in part by 2 bunches of dill from the CSA), bread and butter pickles, and an asian-style pickle, just to kick it up a notch.


Now, being lazy, and seeing as it is 100 degrees out and standing over boiling water is not my idea of fun, I have decided to make refrigerator pickles- They'll still keep in canning jars, but only be good when kept in the fridge, and for a few months, compared to proper canning technique which would keep on a shelf for up to a year. That will have to wait for another (cooler) day....

Ok, ready, set... pickle!



Dill Refrigerator Pickles- 2 Quart- size jars worth!

Ingredients:
cucumbers, cleaned and quartered or halved, or even whole, 2-3, depending on size
1/2 tbslp Pickling Spice*
1 bunch dill
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 tblsp salt
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
Optional: 3-4 whole cloves of garlic

*Pickling Spice
Buy in stores, or, as I did, make your own:



1 tbsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1/4 tsp red pepper- cayenne
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tbsp whole clove
1/4 tsp celery salt
pinch tumeric

1. toast the peppercorns, mustard seeds, and coriander seeds over low heat- make sure to put a lid on them, they will jump out of the pan as they heat up! Stir them a few times, and after a few minutes, remove from heat.
2. Crack the seeds with the flat end of a knife.
3. Combine all the spices in a bowl.



1. Put the bunch of dill at the bottom of the jar. Cut cucumbers and add into the jars. If using garlic, slide in between the cucumbers.
2. In a sauce pan, combine the water, white vinegar, peppercorns, pickling spice, and salt. Bring to a boil, and let boil for 3 minutes. Turn off heat and allow brine to cool to room temperature.
3. Pour brine into jars, seal, shake lightly, and put in fridge.

Wait patiently for....2-3 weeks...


-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Pickles- Asian Style

2 medium size cucumbers, cut into thin slices
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
little bit of water to dilute
2 tsp tamari soy sauce
juice of 2 limes
handful of fresh cilantro
1 shallot, rouchly diced
1 whole clove garlic
1/2 tsp red curry paste
dash siracha
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cucumber, sliced into thin circles

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Layer shallot, garlic, cilantro in bottom of jar, then put in cucumber slices. Pour in the lime juice. In a separate bowl mix vinegar, sugar, and red curry paste, allow sugar to dissolve. Pour into jar to cover cucumber slices. Shake well and allow to marinate for a day or more!

Good news: Ready overnight, but flavors only get better with additional days!

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Bread & Butter Pickles



2-3 medium cucumbers, sliced thin
1/2 white onion, sliced thin
1/4 salt
2 cups cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp tumeric
1 clove garlic

1. Place a thin layer of cucumber and onion in a bowl and cover with some of the salt. Create a second layer and salt. Fill bowl with water to cover, and set aside 1-2 hours in fridge.
2. Rinse cucumbers and onion thoroughly with water and drain
3. In small pot, bring cider, sugar, spices, and garlic to a boil, and simmer 3 minutes. Let cool.
4. Layer cucumber and onion in jar, and pour brine over it. Seal and refrigerate.

Wait 2 weeks... and see what happens!

Grilled Zucchini Quesadillas

This recipe was one of those creative moments: friends were smoking up some ribs, and I needed a vegetarian entree for myself that would still somehow make them all jealous of how delish MY food was. I was actually really pleased with how these turned out- a friend who ate both ribs and quesadillas was really into them, and quite surprised that they didn't taste "thrown together" or liked "second best". I totally agree- it's awesome when vegetarian food and flavor combine for something meat-eaters might pick to eat- OVER meat! Hehehe.

Vermont Sharp white Cheddar cheese, grated
cherry tomato
fresh zucchini, sliced thin
pickled jalapeno slices
cilantro
green bell pepper
wheat wraps

Layer the cheese and vegetables in the quesadilla, then fold in half and wrap in a piece of tinfoil. Grill, just about a minute or two per side, and then check to see that cheese is melted. Serve with a favorite hot sauce! The cheese was nice and melty, the veggie flavors really strong and wonderful, and the grill made the tortillas just the right amount of crispy!

Jalapeno Pesto

5 jalapenos-roasted*, seeded, peeled, chopped- (for god's sake, add to taste, don't be a moron like me....)
2 cups cilantro
1 cup basil
1 cup mint
2 cloves garlic
2 tblsp pine nuts
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
Parmesan & pecorino cheese, or even better, a mexican cheese like cortijo or oaxaca
1/4 lemon- sprinkle juice

To taste, TO taste, TO TASTE: this is the motto I am incapable of following.. Grr, argh. So, This recipe is definitely still in progress- I made it holy moly flaming hot, but we managed to salvage it with lots of olive oil, a little mint, more cilantro, cheese.... and it was still hot! BUT I really did think it tasted quite good- especially after hitting it with a little lemon juice.

So, carefully combine all the herbs, pine nuts, and garlic in a processor first, and then add in the jalapeno to taste, along with the olive oil. Adjust seasonings to taste, and add cheese- both into the pesto and as garnish. Voila!

*Roasting peppers:

Not as tricky as it sounds or seems. Place peppers in an oven-safe dish, fire the oven up to 400 degrees, and roast about 40 minutes, until the skins start to blacken and the peppers soften. It is optional to put a little oil on them and in the pan, but olive oil is of course delicious and adds flavor- same goes for roasting garlic alongside the peppers as well. Make sure to turn them every so often so all sides are cooked evenly.

Roasted beet salad with Asian Vinaigrette

This salad was an amazing addition to a summer picnic! So much flavor, and easy to make!

1 bunch of beets- I went for the small ones, delicate and tender
6 cloves garlic- leave whole
salt & pepper
olive oil- 2 capfuls, about 2 tblsp
red and green leaf or mesclun lettuce
almonds or walnuts
Asian Vinaigrette

Roast Beets & Garlic

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Trim and reserve greens for another use, and scrub beets. Cut off ends of beets.
2. Arrange beets in small casserole dish with cloves of garlic. Toss with the olive oil, and salt and pepper. Coat well.
3. Roast in oven on top rack for about 40 minutes, stirring vegetables every so often. Beets are done when they are tender and can be pierced easily by a fork.
4. Peel the beets and slice paper thin.
5. Mince the garlic.
6. In a bowl, combine lettuce, sliced beets, nuts, and garlic.

Asian Vinaigrette:

Olive oil
4 shakes tamari or soy sauce
Capful of apple cider vinegar
small amount of dijon or spicy brown mustard

Mix in bowl, beginning with the olive oil- then adding and tasting other ingredients, should be a light brown color when finished!

Refreshing Corn & Black Bean Salad

We had some leftover black beans from enchiladas, and leftover grilled corn from tonight, and so this recipe was just calling my name. Super easy to throw together and clean and refreshing flavors make this an awesome summer salad!

black beans (1 can, or 1 cup)
2 ears grilled corn on the cob
green bell pepper
cherry tomato
1/4 cup red onion
1/2 jalepeno seeded and diced finely
handful cilantro
several splashes of your favorite hot sauce (I'm a devote user of Cholula)
generous shake of cumin
salt and pepper
1/2 lime

Dice up the veggies in a bowl. Season generously and add lime. Mix together well, and adjust lime and jalepeno to balance heat!