This week’s meals move us firmly into fall, with squash, beets and sweet potato as well as a general move towards more filling beans and grains. Thanks to the freezer, we still have a hint of summer with sweetcorn taken from the cob and preserved
Here’s a review of last month’s meal plans
Meal Plan October 29 2012
Meal Plan October 22 2012
Meal Plan October 15 2012
October 8 2012
October 1 2012
A review of the meal plans featured last month
September 3 2012
September 10 2012
September 17 2012
September 24 2012
A review of the meal plans featured last month
July 30 2012
White beans and cousa squash in shallot-tarragon sauce; tomato, cucumber and rye salad with basil
Tofu and green beans in spiced tomato sauce; brown basmati rice and kale pilaf with brown mustard seed
Tempeh, eggplant and kale in blood orange sauce; kamut, carrot and zucchini pilaf with lime basil
Black bean salad with beet and sweet corn; potato and turnip in thai basil sauce
August 20 2012
Tempeh, collard green and tomato salad seasoned with brown mustard seed; Mixed vegetables in basil-tahini sauce
Green lentil, cucumber salad and buckwheat salad seasoned with lemon basil; mild patates bravas, indian style
Eggplant, summer squash, tomatoes and red russian kale in thai basil sauce with millet, green bean and carrot pilaf
Spiced red lentils with green kale; brown basmati rice with green pepper and beets
August 27 2012
Rice noodles and broccoli in portabello-smoked paprika broth; mixed potatoes and beets with spiced tomato
Spiced black bean with cabbage and broccoli greens; heirloom tomato-cucumber salad with kamut and rye berries
Eggplant and green pepper in caper-basil sauce with spiced green beans and zephyr squash
Patty pan squash, pinto bean and collards in thai basil sauce; spiced brown rice with zuchinni, romanesco and cousa squash
The demo at the Iowa City Farmer’s Market went well, technical problems aside. Here are the recipes from that morning.
Spiced Cabbage
Brown mustard seeds add an earthy nuttiness without overshadowing the simple flavor of the cabbage.
1 small cabbage, quartered, cored and thinly sliced
1 tbs whole brown mustard seed
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs sunflower oil
Heat pan with oil to medium-high. Add the mustard seeds. They should sizzle and pop within a few seconds. Add cabbage. Toss to distribute oil evenly and continue cooking for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Cover, add salt and turn heat down to medium-low and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Turn off heat and add lemon juice.
Cucumber and Lemon Basil Salad
I try to use lemon basil whenever I can find it. Such a delicate delicious summery flavor.
4 Cucumbers
1 large tomato, heirloom if possible, finely chopped
3/4 cup vegenaise or mayonaise
1 tbs capers, finely chopped, or blended to a paste
1-3 tsp red wine vinegar
Salt to taste
If you have time, peel and seed the cucumbers, and cut into 1/2 inch dice. Mix the vegenaise or mayonnaise with the tomato, capers, vinegar and a pinch or two of salt and stir in the cucumber. Let sit 10-30 minutes in the fridge and check for salt.
Green beans in spiced tomato sauce
An Indian style dish that brings another method to use our prolific green beans.
2 tbs sunflower oil
2 tsp whole cumin seeds
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 inch cube ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tbs ground coriander
4 cups tomatoes (about 2 large tomatoes), diced
1/2 lb green beans
1-2 tbs fresh lemon juice
Generous sprinkle of fresh ground black pepper
Blend the garlic and ginger with 4 tbs water in a food processor. Heat oil in pan and add whole cumin seeds. They should sizzle and darken within a few seconds. Add the garlic ginger paste and cook for a minute or so, then add ground coriander, stir to mix and immediately add diced tomatoes. Cook for a few minutes then add green beans and a half cup of water or so. Bring to a boil, cover and turn heat down to a simmer. Cook until beans are done, 2-7 minutes depending on size and age of beans. Turn off heat, stir in fresh lemon and fresh ground black pepper.
Hot Sauce
Sometimes it’s difficult to use all the hot peppers that are available here. I like to make hot sauce to use up those peppers before the go down at the bottom of the fridge.
1 small onion, large dice
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup peppers, roughly chopped
1 tsp sunflower oil
1 tbs white wine vinegar or lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 cups water
Heat oil in pan to medium high and add onion and garlic. Sautee for 3-4 minutes, then add peppers and turn heat down to medium. Cook, stirring often for 5-7 minutes, or until peppers are thoroughly softened. Blend to a smooth paste in a food processor with vinegar or lime juice. Transfer to a bowl and add 1-2 cups water and salt and pepper to taste. Stores in fridge for 3-4 weeks.
I recently had the pleasure of appearing on Iowa Public Radio’s Talk of Iowa show with Carol Throgmorton and Kathie Dawley. Here’s a link to the show in case you missed it and are interested.
New flavor of veggieburger available now for purchase via the web store. Hopefully on shelves by end of August. Original veggieburger is available also. I will be adding an extra week to the schedule as enough folks are interested, so meal plans available next week still. Then 2 weeks off and returning August 20. I will have chocolate cake available for pick up next week too. $8 for 2 or $12 for 4. Click here to order. Pick up Monday next week.
Relishing the variety of squash this week at the market – cousa, zucchini, romanesco, patty pans. This week cooked in the Gujerati style, using brown mustard seeds flashed in hot oil. Potatoes are in force at Oak Hill Acres, reds, purples and whites so kept it simple with roasted garlic mashed potatoes.
If you like buckwheat, try cooking them with raisins, adds a delicious treacly sweetness.
If you’ve ever made a meal and it wasn’t quite there, just didn’t have the pzazz or the flavors that make you sing. Perhaps it’s a soup that sat in the fridge for 3 days, or a rice pilaf that’s flavors have sunk.
Try adding a little lemon juice. Just a little, too. Not enough to give the dish a lemon flavor, either. Just enough for it to enhance the other flavors that are already there. If a dish is a party, think of lemon as a great conversationalist. Someone who draws the other party-goers into talking, not someone who takes over the conversation and doesn’t let anyone else speak.
I have used lemon juice in this way for years in the restaurant business, often finding that it’s the time that I use the LEAST amount of lemon juice that produces those great comments that we chefs love (even if we say we don’t!). I’m talking 1/16 of a teaspoon per order here. So 1/4 of a teaspoon for a four person soup, or pilaf. Try it, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Weekly meal plans focus on vegetables as the center of the vegetarian diet.
This week experimented with scalloped potatoes using coconut milk and flax seed as the creamy binder. Dash of white wine vinegar worked wonders to set of the sweet cremy oniony sauce. The etestament to these is that my family ate them all down the day before I had a chance to photograph them!
The Thai soup is in the style of Tom Kha, using tofu instead of chicken and generous quantities of ginger and fresh squeezed lime along with fresh basil. Paired with the earthy barley and deep sweet of the raisins, a very satisfying combination.
I’m a great fan of the cousa squash, which seems to have a little less bitterness than zucchini, although the shelf life is shorter. The season is now.
Kale from Echollective Farm, Mechanicsville IA
Bok choi and kohlrabi from Salt Fork Farm, Solon IA
Potatoes, green beans and snap peas from Oak Hill Acres, Atalissa IA
Beet greens and Chinese cabbage from Grinnel Heritage Farm, Grinnel IA
Cousa squash, zucchini and broccoli from J.T.’s, can’t remember where! IA
Four Square Meals 