vegetarian – Page 2 – That's Just Me

Williams Sonoma Cooking from the Farmers’ Market Book Review

I borrowed the “Williams Sonoma Cooking from the Farmers Market” cookbook from the library. It’s a lovely hard cover book, with loads of colorful, high-qualtiy photographs.

The book begins with tips for local seasonal eating and shopping at the farmers’ market. There is a 4 page “graph” listing each vegetable and fruit and its season. For instance, delicate lettuces are normally grown in the spring and autumn, while sturdy lettuces are grown in the winter. Garlic is a summer veg, while apples are found in the autumn and winter. It gives you a rough idea of what produce to expect at a given time of year.

The book is then organized by each vegatable/fruit “group” – for instance, Beans & Peas, Cabbages & other Crucifers, Leafy Greens, Roots & Tubers, Squashes, etc.

At the beginning of each veg/fruit section, there’s a quick “table of contents” listing which produce will be covered in that section and a descriptive summary. Onions & Cousins: onions, sweet onions, garlic, green garlic, leeks, green onions.

Then there’s more detail on each specific vegetable/fruit, like growing history, variations, growing season, and other helpful tips for buying and cooking it. Not unlike a quick encyclopedia reference for produce! There was also a fantastic photo available for each vegetable/fruit which is helpful if you aren’t sure what it looks like.

The produce are listed in two’s, with their specific recipes following. Recipes are grouped three to a page, with one fantastic photograph of a finished dish on the opposite page.

Each vegetable/fruit has a color reference, and the recipes are color coordinated. For instance, there is a section for Brussels Sprouts (orange) and Broccoli Rabe (blue) – the recipes that follow are highlighted in either orange for Brussels Sprouts or blue for Broccoli Rabe.

The recipes themselves are inspiring and creative. I’m not a big recipe follower, but I love gaining knowledge by reading through cookbooks, learning new techniques, and how to put different flavors together. There are some unique ideas in this book and some classic! I think everyone can learn a little something, whether you’re a newbie cook or experienced.

If you don’t need a permanent reference, then consider borrowing the “Williams Sonoma Cooking from the Farmers Market” cookbook from your local library.

If you are new to healthy cooking and need a general Vegetable & Fruit guide, then this would be a great addition to your cookbook collection. It’s also helpful for inspiration if you frequent your local farmers markets or receive a hefty share of veggies from your local farm CSA.

One issue to keep in mind, recipes are not categorized by type, so if you’re searching for a soup, you won’t be able to browse through a chapter of soups. You’ll need to refer to the detailed index at the back of the book, to find all “soups” of which there are plenty!

But if you return from the market with some eggplant, and don’t know what to do with it, open the book to the eggplant section and you might energized with an idea, like Rolled Eggplant with Sausage and Mozzarella (a recipe I’m looking forward to trying)

A few of the other recipes that jumped out at me were

Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Champagne Grapes
Sauteed Spinach with Feta & Pine Nuts
Avocado, Bacon & Tomato Tartines
Baked eggs with spinach and cream
Blueberry-Vanilla Panna Cotta

Note: I noticed most of the recipes that included a photograph in the cookbook, were indeed available online at the Williams Sonoma web site. Plus a few recipes were available from other bloggers.

Disclaimer:
I love reading cookbooks, like some people love reading novels! I am inspired by recipes, and enjoy learning ideas from cookbooks; I like putting my own spin on a recipe rather than exactly following it. Please keep in mind that my opinions might be completely different from the other home cooks.

Potato Eggplant Pancakes Recipe – Meatless Monday

Yesterday, I made some fantastic yummy potato eggplant pancakes for dinner. I don’t always go meatless on Meatless Monday, but we do try to eat meatless one or two dinners per week.

The main flavor in these pancakes was obviously potato, I purposely used less eggplant because DH isn’t a fan. I wanted to ease him into it. Next time, I will include more eggplant – maybe two smaller ones. I love using the smaller sized ones because there are virtually no seeds, and the peel is tender.

These pancakes are really a snap to cook, because the vegetables are roasted ahead of time. Roasted vegetables bring such a wonderful flavor and you can substitute different vegetables in many combinations. Carrots, potatoes, onions. Or how about zucchini, leeks, cauliflower. The possibilities are endless!

Ingredients for Potato Eggplant Pancakes

4-5 small/medium potatoes, quartered
1 small eggplant, halved
1 onion, quartered
olive oil
salt & freshly ground black pepper
3 large eggs
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
Optional-coconut oil or more olive oil for pan frying (not deep frying)

In baking dish, arrange potatoes, eggplant and onions together and drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt & freshly ground black pepper.
Roast vegetables in 350F oven. I like a lower heat, because I have a smaller countertop sized convection oven. It heats up quickly. Others roast vegetables at 400F. Choice is yours!
Once vegetables are fork tender, allow to cool for a few minutes, then pour them into food processor. Pulse a few times, then process until fairly chopped and combined.
Transfer veggies into large bowl, add eggs and flour, and mix until combined.
Using a cast iron pan (or if you prefer non-stick), pour 1 tsp coconut oil and allow to heat. Spoon pancake mixture into pan. I like making two smaller pancakes. You can make one larger pancake.
Add 1 tsp oil for each batch. You also might need to wipe out pan if necessary.
Serve with salad. 2-3 small pancakes for each person, with leftovers for lunch next day!

These pancakes really were delicious, and DH thought so too, despite that dreaded eggplant was a hidden ingredient! I will for sure make them again!

Swiss Chard Ricotta Egg Pie (Frittata) Recipe

I found an inspiring recipe over on Kalyn’s Kitchen for ; I had some yummy swiss chard greens from this week’s CSA share, and I knew it would be a great substitution for the kale.

swiss chard ricotta egg pie

Recipe Ingredients

1 large bunch of swiss chard or other hearty greens (kale, spinach, arugula, turnip/radish greens, etc)
8 oz fresh ricotta cheese – I used whole milk ricotta, but to save calories, part skim might be preferred.
1 – 2 oz grated cheese – cheddar, Parmesan, Pecorino, whatever you have on hand.
1 cup eggs, beaten. I used 5 extra large eggs, but the original recipe called for 6 large
kosher salt & freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Recipe Instructions:

2-4 servings depending on how hungry you are! We turned what was originally thought to be four into just two servings for us.

Preheat oven to 375F.
Wash swiss chard leaves, pull/cut off ribs, then coarsely chop and quickly steam in a shallow saucepan or fry pan. About 1-3 minutes.
Use a little coconut or olive oil to grease the bottom and sides of a baking dish. I used a large round quiche pan. Kalyn’s original recipe suggested to use a spring form pan. Any type of glass or ceramic baking dish would be fine.
Line bottom of baking dish with steamed swiss chard or greens.
In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, grated cheese, and salt/pepper.
In separate bowl, beat eggs, then blend into the cheese mixture. It’s lumpy, so don’t be alarmed.
Pour egg/cheese mixture over swiss chard greens in baking dish.
Bake for about 20-40 minutes, maybe longer depending on the depth of your pie. The original recipe called for 40 minutes, but her pie was much thicker.
Allow to cool and enjoy! Serve with a small salad or even veggie soup. Great for Meatless Mondays!

Recipe Notes:

Farm fresh ricotta is always the best choice before a grocery brand. It tastes like cream! I like Maplebrook Farms from Vermont…they also make fresh mozzarella cheese.
We also received 2 very small corn on the cob in the CSA share this week. I figured instead of boiling them, I’d add some freshly cut corn off the cob. Well, because there was such a small amount, the corn really didn’t add anything special to the dish, so I left it out of my recipe here.
I would have loved to add a sprinkling of freshly grated nutmeg into the cheese mixture, but since my microplane grater/zester had soft cheese all over it, I couldn’t grate the nutmeg. Next time, I’ll grate the nutmeg first.
Leeks and tomatoes would also make a great addition! Hmm, like sliced tomatoes placed on top before baking! Yum.

swiss chard ricotta egg pie

Nutritional Data

Use the nutritional data as a guide; the info is not absolute, your results might vary considerably depending on the total weight of the finished dish.

Calories: 456
Fat: 33.6g
Saturated: 17g
Polyunsaturated: 2g
Monounsaturated: 9g
Trans: 0
Cholesterol: 591.7mg
Sodium: 716.7mg
Potassium: 532mg
Total Carbs: 7g
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 1.7g
Protein: 33.5g
Vit A: 76%
Vit C: 13%
Calcium: 44.4%
Iron: 20%

Cooking from the Garden Cookbook Review

I borrowed the book Cooking from the Garden: Best Recipes from Kitchen Gardener from the library, and was thrilled to find so many fun unique recipes I was dying to try.

The cook book is based on the many recipes and tips that were published in the magazine “Kitchen Gardener” during 1999-2001. (You’re able to find many recipes online at Vegetable Gardener.

It’s surprising, but I mean, really, how can you make vegetables new and exciting? But yep, they do, at least for me! Even though the recipes are not fancy and exotic, I learned so much, which is one of the main reasons to love a cookbook or not. If I can be inspired by a cookbook, then I’m hooked!

And the details! The details for each recipe is outstanding. There’s no question how high (or low) your stove heat should be, or what type of cooking vessel you should be using. It’s in the recipe details!

Unfortunately, there are no photos in this cookbook, but I understand they need to keep costs down. There are chapters for appetizers, breakfast, sauces, salads, sandwiches, soups, side dishes, pastas & grains & beans, main dishes, desserts, preserving along with seasonal menus.

It’s very helpful that basic nutritional data is included with every recipe, calories, fat and sodium are listed. Yes, a lot of recipes are higher in fat that some would like, actually some are too high even for me, but the oil can be easily reduced if necessary.

I think this book is perfect for someone that wants to get out of a vegetable rut and experiment with something different. I know it’s difficult to keep coming up with new ideas for the vegetables I’m picking up at my weekly CSA share. It’s given me a lot of inspiration! For instance, I need to use more bread crumbs, which are so easy to make with my day-old homemade bread!

It’s great when you want meatless or vegan meals too! Instead of a conventional meal of meat, starch and vegetable, it might be refreshing to prepare 3 different vegetable or grain “side dishes” that don’t necessarily work as a whole meal on their own, but put together, they could nicely blend into a complete meal!

I’m going to be disappointed to return the book to the library. It was one of my favorites for sure!

Gwyneth Paltrow “My Father’s Daughter” Cookbook Review

cookbook - my father's daughter by Gwyneth Paltrow

I borrowed a copy of Gwyneth Paltrow’s new cookbook “My Father’s Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness” from the library. I was a bit skeptical, not that I wasn’t a fan, but I just figured it was one more celebrity cook book. And in a way, it is “same ole same ole”, but for a home cook that doesn’t own a lot of basic cookbooks, it could be a good choice.

No, there is nothing earth-shattering new, but there are a lot of great recipes and ideas, especially helpful for someone just beginning to cook from scratch using fresh, healthy, whole ingredients. The only big criticism is that even though Gwyneth rallies against using refined sugar, she is a bit heavy handed with other sweeteners like maple syrup.

Gwyneth used to be a strict macro-biotic vegetarian for many years, but now she enjoys a balance of healthy organic plant based foods with occasional meals featuring poultry, cheese, butter, and eggs. I was surprised to find so many duck recipes in the book!

I found a new respect for Gwyneth after reading this book. She didn’t just throw her name on a cookbook, while allowing another chef ghost write the recipes. You know she is a true home cook. I like that!

From her book’s 150 recipes, these are some I found intriguing and would like to try:

Maple Dijon roasted winter vegetables – I suggest reducing the maple syrup, mustard, and olive oil to 2 Tbsp each, as per her Goop newsletter version of this recipe.
Portobello burger – yum
Corn chowder
Tuna & ginger burgers
Lee’s homemade sriracha – this one I will definitely try!
Roasted peppers
Slow roasted tomatoes
White bean soup – my version of this recipe
Salt scrub for clams – I used this method for the littleneck clams I bought, and it was really helpful! She suggests soaking, then sprinkling with coarse salt, scrubbing clams gently against each other, then rinsing and soaking again.
Fried rice with kale and scallions
Kale chips
Lalo’s Famous Cookies
Savory & Sweet Rice Bowls
Fried Rice with Kale & Scallions
Crispy potato and garlic cake
Grandad Danner’s favourite peanut butter cookies

My suggestion is borrow the book from the library, read it, then decide if it is a worthy addition to your cookbook collection. Personally, I wouldn’t choose this for my collection, but it’s not because the book isn’t valuable. It’s just that with so many other choices, it wouldn’t be my first pick.

Keep in mind many of her specific recipes can be found online, especially over at the Daily Mail web site and from her online Goop newsletter.

The Genesis of Healing: Euell Gibbons & Wild Food Foraging

I recently watched an episode of “the Genesis of Healing” on the Veria channel. This particular episode featured information about the life of Euell Gibbons, as well as experts discussing foraging for wild edible foods.

The episode subject was very timely, since I have recently become very interested in foraging. I’m excited to pick a salad of dandelion, sorrel, and clover leaves from our backyard this season!

I picked up some wild edible food books from the library this afternoon, and I have a few more requested. I’m hoping to learn more about edible wild foods, and maybe even mushrooms, although I don’t know that I’d have enough nerve to actually eat wild mushrooms! Maybe someday! A Planet Green article suggests building your knowledge and experience for 2 full years before actually eating any of your mushroom findings. That’s good advice if you can stick to it!

Anyway, back to the Genesis of Healing episode.

Some interesting info I learned from the show:

Acorns can be boiled, then dried out, then finely ground to make flour for bread, etc.
Edible wild plants they recommend include: wild spinach, chickweed, miner’s lettuce, lamb’s quarters (related to spinach), Cattails (very nutritious), wood sorrel (tart flavor)
Fall is a great time for to find fatty, richer edibles like seeds and nuts.
The colder months (Jan-Feb) are great to pick bitter weeds, as the cold weather makes greens less bitter, more tender. Dandelions are great in winter months.
Poke weed & poke salad: boil green leaves in water 3 times, changing water each time to remove toxins. It’s still very risky to eat though.
Bonus if you can find the elusive wild asparagus
Forage at least 10-15 ft from highly trafficked roads for safe, clean edibles.
Learn from someone that knows what they are doing. It’s dangerous!

In the show they said that a lot of other naturalists thought Euell Gibbons was a sell-out for his Grape Nuts commercials.

I find it really funny (or is it ironic?) that so many jokes were made at his expense because of the commercials, (talking about eating pine cones and tree bark) and now, years later, it’s cool to forage for wild edibles again. The times they are a changing!

Meatless Monday: Cabbage Mango Salad with Caramelized Onion Crostini

I sometimes find Meatless Monday dinners are more delicious than meals with meat! Tonight, was one of those nights.

I made a big batch of cabbage mango salad with roasted pumpkin seeds along with scrumptious yummy caramelized onion crostini.

I love cabbage! In the cooler months, I always try to keep it in the fridge for salads. It’s inexpensive (so much less than lettuce, when it’s out of season) and it’s packed with nutrients, especially cancer fighting anti-oxidents & anti-inflammatory properties.

Mango was on sale this week at Whole Foods, and I still had one left this afternoon, so I googled cabbage mango salad, and found that they do pair well together! You wouldn’t think it, would you?

Here’s my recipe:

Cabbage Mango Salad

cabbage mango salad with roasted pumpkin seeds and onions

Mix the following ingredients together in a large bowl:

1/2 head of Cabbage, chopped into small chunks
1 Mango, peeled and chopped
1/2 Onion, minced
1/4 cup roasted pumpkin, or other favorite nut or seed
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juice

I made enough for our dinner plus lunch tomorrow, along with probably another

Caramelized Onion Crostini

caramelized onion crostini with cheddar & roasted garlic.

First caramelize the onions. It takes about 20-30 minutes. You might end up with extra onions; they are still tasty as leftovers. Add to other recipes like tomato sauce, brown rice, or soups.

Starting on medium heat, add 2-3 Tbsp of olive oil and 2-3 thinly sliced onions to heated saute pan.
Stirring occasionally, let the onions brown a bit; turn down the stove temp to low, and cook for 15-20 minutes.
When onions are golden brown and yummy, splash on 2-3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar and cook for a few more minutes.
If bottom of pan is crusty and browned, add a touch of wine or water, and scrape up the bits at the bottom of the pan.

Time for the crostini.

Toast a few slices of whole grain bread in the oven.
Once toasted, remove the bread, and top with your favorites. I smeared on a few cloves of roasted garlic, then topped with an aged Grafton Village cheddar cheese and a scoop of caramelized onion.
Put bread back in oven and broil for a minute or two until the cheese is melted.

Once summer arrives, sliced fresh tomatoes make a wonderful addition, as do sliced olives and chopped basil leaves. I also love to experiment with other cheeses like Pecorino, Manchego, fresh Ricotta, and Mozzarella.

Enjoy! I thoroughly did!

Oprah and Her Harpo Staff Going Vegan for 7 Days

Much hoopla was made about Oprah and her staff challenging themselves to live vegan for a week. I just watched the show on my DVR and here are some of my thoughts.

The show opens with a video of last week’s Harpo staff meeting and the challenge to go vegan for a week – that means no meat, eggs, & dairy. Immediately all you see is Kashi logos! Kashi is everywhere, on the bags they’re handing out to staff members, later in her office, Oprah even mentions how much she loves Kashi products. Yuck. Doesn’t anyone realize that Kashi is Kelloggs crap in disguise? sigh. It’s highly processed, sugarly, full of soy! STOP with the Kashi!

Michael Pollan

I loved seeing Michael Pollan. I adore him. He has so many good ideas, and his books “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto” and “Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual” truly changed my life!

So, he advises that it’s okay to eat meat, just don’t eat a lot of it! That is how I am slowly trying to live. (Baby steps, baby steps!) Be a conscience eater! Be aware about where your food is coming from!

Michael states that the American diet is now a catastrophe. 75% of our healthcare spending is on chronic diseases linked to diet and it’s bankrupting us. Too many calories, too much processed food, tons of refined carbs (sugar, white flour).

Unfortunately, the show was interrupted for a few minutes by an important ABC news special report on the situation in Egypt, and I did miss a chunk of Michael’s interview, but I found a video on Oprah’s web site:
http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Michael-Pollan-on-Eating-Meat-Video/topic/oprahshow

Behind the Scenes @ Cargill

Next, was a video segment on how beef is produced. The video starts at Timmerman Feedlot in La Salle, Colorado, where cows eat corn and corn by-products for 200 days until they are fat enough for slaughter. They gain about 3 pounds per day. The video shows the following day at Cargill Meat Solutions in Fort Morgan, Colorado, the largest producer of ground beef in the world.

Cargill was portrayed as a “kind” beef slaughter house (that sounds like an oxymoron) and I immediately recognized the handling system, designed by Temple Grandin to keep the animals calm. I suppose if you have to die, the way they do it seemed to be fairly respectful.

They filmed the process except when the animals were struck with the 4 inch metal bolt and killed. They showed skinning, sawing, and other assorted beef processing.

Unfortunately (as pointed out on the show) a lot of the slaughter houses are not as kind or clean, especially when it comes to poultry. It’s too bad that Oprah didn’t show a poultry plant, but I imagine not many of them were too eager to be filmed.

I would be a hypocrite if I said I never bought feed-lot beef, but it really doesn’t seem like a healthy, happy way for a cow to live for 200 days, stuck in a lot, eating corn. Thankfully, Whole Foods always has freshly ground 100% grass fed beef, so I never have to purchase beef ground in a factory.

The Veganist, Kathy Freston

Oprah’s next guest was Kathy Freston, the “Veganist”, her book “Veganist: Lose Weight, Get Healthy, Change the World” was just released. Kathy led the week long Vegan challenge, and offered a lot of advice to the staff.

I love the new buzz word “veganish” – that’s a lifestyle that perhaps I can someday see myself living. From the Urban Dictionary: Veganish: An eating practice for people who kinda want to be vegan, but sometimes just need to eat some cheese or chicken.

Michael Pollan voiced a concern about going “all the way vegan”, as opposed to someone that eats meat occasionally: first “these great farmers we have in this country who are doing really good work” going on to say we need to reform the meat system not eliminate it. He also worries that getting off meat entirely that you “end up on a lot of processed foods” and he praised Kathy’s book for warning about this danger.

Sounds promising, you don’t need all that processed “meat and cheese alternative” junk! I like what I’m hearing!

…until a later segment where Kathy’s shown going grocery shopping with Jill, an Oprah producer. What do you think she’s suggesting to them? Processed meat/dairy alternatives!

Shopping For Vegan Friendly Processed Foods

Suggested dairy alternative: Daiya Vegan Cheese Products, made from tapioca. Here’s a list of ingredients:

Filtered water, tapioca and/or arrowroot flours, non-GMO expeller pressed canola and /or non-GMO expeller pressed safflower oil, coconut oil, pea protein, salt, vegan natural flavours, inactive yeast, vegetable glycerin, xanthan gum, citric acid (for flavor).

Still processed, but not too bad; I might actually try this food. I like that they clearly state that there’s no GMO canola or safflower. And they are soy free! And yes, this cheese substitute can be easily frozen!

On the negative side, yeah, there are some ingredients that my grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food (Food Rule #2) and there is no calcium, like normal cheese.

Next recommendations are meat substitutes. Did you notice the camera paused effectively on the Kellogg’s Boca Burger package? hmm.

Oprah producer, Jill chooses a box of Hickory Smoked Tofurky Deli Slices. Okay, so it’s made from organic tofu and there’s no GM oils, but nutritionally, what is the difference between that and a package of Hormel turkey slices? Wouldn’t it be better to just tell people to eat a (natural) nut butter and (lower sugar) jelly sandwich, and get off the deli meat all together!?

So, Kathy Freston then recommends Gardein products. Although this product line is not as horrible as the Boca burgers (Kraft) and Morningstar Farms (Kelloggs), it’s still a highly processed food.

Here is the ingredient list from Gardein™ chick’n filets:

water, soy protein, vital wheat gluten, ancient grains (quinoa, amaranth, millet and kamut®), natural flavors (from plant sources), potato starch, expeller pressed canola oil and/or safflower oil, pea protein, modified vegetable gum, carrot fiber, organic beet root fiber, organic evaporated cane juice, yeast extract, vinegar, sea salt. rub: spices, red bell pepper flakes.

First, there’s a good chunk of processed soy and processed wheat (TVP) which is probably genetically modified, along with canola/safflower oils and sugar from cane juice. Why do we need sugar in chicken? Hmm, could it be the product tastes so bad, it needs a boost of sugar (and salt) to make it taste better.

“Ancient grains” are on their list of ingredients, but the pessimist in me thinks these buzz word grains are added just so the product looks healthy and “modern”. And sorry, their beef alternative products really look scary!

Non-dairy milk is next. Kathy grabs a carton of Almond Breeze chocolate milk. Okay I have used unsweetened Almond Breeze milk before, but why is she recommending the chocolate flavor? Yeah, of course it tastes great because it’s loaded with sugar!!! Duh! I wish she verbally suggested the SoDelicious unsweetened coconut milk, but at least the camera focused on their products.

Of course veganaise and earth balance are next on her shopping list. ~~I might actually buy the grapeseed veganaise product, because it’s soy and canola free~~ – update: I took a look at the ingredients at the store, and it DOES have soy, so nope, I won’t be purchasing this. I previously considered buying the soy-free Earth Balance, but it still includes canola oil, so I just choose organic whipped butter instead. Simple, fresh, and less fat/calories.

Oprah’s Real Objectives

The problem with shows like Oprah, is they try to nudge people into making choices for a healthier lifestyle, but stop short of revealing the whole picture. Sure, it’s a great idea to eat meatless whenever you can, but to replace meat with highly processed soy products isn’t helping our health or our environment. (Read the “beef vs veggie burger” article at Mother Jones)

The show was supposed to be about being conscience of where your food comes from. Do you know where soy protein and canola oil comes from? Most of us might know how a pea comes to our table, it’s grown in a farm, but how is pea protein created and what impact does the process have on our environment and health?

My guess is they couldn’t really tell the truth because the episode was heavily sponsored by Kelloggs (ending titles credited Kashi with partially funded the show’s production)! So, they left out important details about these processed vegan-friendly foods.

Unfortunately, a lot of Oprah groupies will buy anything that she and her guests’ recommend. I can hear roar at the grocery store, followers stocking up on any and all meat/dairy alternative products without even a glance to the list of ingredients and/or nutritional data. They’ll be replacing their normal processed foods with other processed foods and think they’re making a healthier choice!

All in all, it was a decent show, and it was great to hear the experiences of some of the staff members. But I wish they didn’t put so much emphasis on the processed alternative foods, after all the show was supposed to be about being conscience about where your food comes from. I wanted to see more discussion on whole grains, beans, nuts, fruit and vegetables!

What To Do With Carrot Green Tops

Carrot roots are delicious, but what about the gorgeous green carrot tops? I received a batch of fresh carrots in my CSA share this week, and I didn’t want to waste the greens.

I thought about throwing them into the blender and mixing up a batch of greens for the dogs, but then I decided to google, to discover what others online are suggesting.

Carrot greens have a very bad reputation for being poisonous to humans but they are not actually toxic. Yes, some people can have a very bad allergic reaction to them! Some can’t even brush up against carrot greens without causing a bad rash, and others have reactions when eating the greens.

But it looks like in smaller amounts, most of us can enjoy carrot greens. They can be used in similar ways as parsley or other herbs and can make a tasty addition to soups and sauces. I took a bite of a raw green the other day, and it tasted similar to a carrot. I didn’t find much bitterness, as others have complained about, but perhaps I just ate a lucky leaf! LOL

Freezing Raw Carrot Greens

I removed all the younger greens from the stalks and thoroughly washed/rinsed them. After they dried for a few minutes in a colander, I tossed them in smaller quantities in freezer bags, and stuck them all in the freezer. It will be interesting to add them to chicken soup next time!

It’s also possible to blanch them for a minute or two before freezing, but I assume that I’ll use the greens pretty quickly, before the enzymes have a chance to wreak havoc on the nutrients.

I bet it’s even a good idea to dry them in a low temp oven for a few hours and use like dried celery leaves.

carrot green tops

Helpful Links:

http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/carrotops.html
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/archive/index.php/t-964649.html
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/harvest/msg1210074232050.html
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/422562

Roasted Green Tomatoes

I don’t remember ever eating a green (unripe) tomato in the past, but we received a few in our CSA share for the last couple of weeks. But how to eat them!?

I found a whole bunch of recipes online, and the chutney intrigued me, as did the green tomato jam. But I decided to go the simple route, and just roast them with some red tomatoes; I love roasted tomato and olive oil sauce.

So last week, I made a batch of roasted green and red tomatoes, and poured it over some quinoa pasta. The green tomatoes tasted sour, but they melded very well with the sweeter red tomatoes, giving a wonderful balance of flavors. I enjoyed it so much, I roasted another batch of red and green tomatoes last night. After cooling, I poured them into a freezer bag and added to my ever expanding freezer, so we can enjoy them at a later date.

Ingredients & Instructions for Roasted Green Tomatoes:

Tomatoes
Olive oil
Fresh basil leaves

Chop the tomatoes into large chunks, and arrange in a baking dish with basil leaves. Drizzle olive oil on top and bake in a 275° oven for 1-2 hours until shriveled and juicy. Enjoy!

If there’s room in the baking dish, you can also add a chopped onion and/or peppers. Yum!