Lovin’ Fresh is a series of recipes designed to showcase produce gathered from local farms or grown in my own garden.

Homemade old-fashioned apple dumplings were a thing of sheer indulgence during my childhood.  We didn’t have them all that often, but when we did, it meant life was good.  Truth be told though, I’d almost forgotten about them until a month or so ago, when I was eating out and saw them on the menu.  Of course I ordered a dumpling for dessert, but it just wasn’t what I’d hoped it would be.  The apple dumplings of my childhood were large - gianormous really - made with a whole apple brimming with cinnamon sugary delight and snuggly down in a flaky sugary crust.  What I had at the restaurant was a small half apple with scant cinnamon and a dark egg-washed glossy crust around it.  I knew then and there that I’d have to recreate the apple dumplings of my memory. 

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Dried leaves, roasting chilis, woodsmoke, and the aroma of fresh-baked cookies… Mmmm…

During harvest season, when we go to the Farmers Market, we make sure to stock up on pie pumpkins, butternut, red kuri, acorn, and spaghetti squash. Some go into savory dishes, like a soup or stir fry, and the rest go to feed my sweet tooth. Yes, vegetable cookies…

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But wait — what should we toast with? In my early homesteading days I experimented briefly with beer and wine making, but my brewing career ranked short. I’m more of a cook than a scientist and couldn’t explain fermentation even if a free dram was on the line. After an attempt to make hard cider turned into five gallons of vinegar, I discovered a much easier form of homemade hooch: vodka infusions.

The basic concept is simple: Take cheap vodka, add fruit and sugar. Cheap vodka works fine for infusions as you are adding flavor through the fruit. While recipes and perspectives vary on how long you need to let the fruit and vodka sit and age, I find more time adds up to stronger flavor.

With that last bucket of raspberries harvested today, I made my annual batch of the Raspberry Cordial recipe below. This raspberry cordial often seconds as an eerie decoration just in time for Halloween. When the raspberries “float” in the vodka during the first step of the raspberry cordial-making process, the vodka turns a rich red color and the clumped together raspberries turn white, resembling a brain floating in blood. Talk about creative recycling.

Raspberry Cordial
Ingredients:
2 quarts (8 c.) raspberries
2 quarts (8 c.) vodka
2 quarts (8 c.) water
2 ½ c. sugar

Directions:
* Mix raspberries and alcohol and let sit two weeks in sterilized gallon-sized glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.
* After approximately two weeks, strain raspberries into a sieve.
* Mix water and sugar. Heat until dissolved. Mix water and sugar with strained raspberry mixture and stir well.
* Pour into sterilized glass containers and age in a dark, cool spot for a couple of months. Adjust the final infusion based on your personal taste, adding water as needed.

Yield: About 1 ½ gallons

Recipe from Edible Earth: Savoring the Good Life with Vegetarian Recipes from Inn Serendipity

Photo Credit: Lisa Kivirist

Organic Vegan Tempeh Sloppy Joes

Saute:

• 3 Tablespoons oil
• 2 diced green peppers
• 1 diced large onion

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Lovin’ Fresh is a series of recipes designed to showcase produce gathered from local farms or grown in my own garden. 

I’m sure I’m not alone.  I come home from work, open the fridge door, and blankly stare at its contents for a good five minutes with disinterest, knowing all the while that it’s up to me and my weary brain to yet again come up with something good for dinner.  Sometimes I do a belly flop and settle for a veggie burger (hey, at least I cook it in a pan and not in the microwave).  Other times I am inspired and end up making an elegant swan dive from the fridge to the table.  Now, the challenge remains to be get what was a “little of this and a little of  that” invention into a repeatable recipe for you to try.

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Vegan Organic Skillet Corn Bread

Place an oiled 10 inch iron skillet in a oven heated to 400 degrees.  Mix together:

• 1 1/2 cups cornmeal
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 Tablespoon honey or sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

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Lovin’ Fresh is a series of recipes designed to showcase produce gathered from local farms or grown in my own garden. 

I really enjoy chowing down on these fast little burritos; something about the couscous is so unexpected and surprisingly filling.  They make the perfect quicky lunch, at home or school or work.  Or in the park when you’re playing hooky from one of the above…

The fillings, aside from the couscous (it’s what makes these puppies fun and unique so don’t skip that), can be whatever is in season.  Right now I’m getting literally buckets of cherry tomatoes from my gardens and a few green peppers so those immediately went into my burritos.  I sometimes add a little scrambled egg for protein.  I bet some bits of grilled chicken thrown in would be tasty too if you’ve got some on hand. 

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Vegan Chocolate Pecan Brownies

Mix and cook on low heat until thick.  Cool completely:

• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 cup water

In a separate pot, melt:

• 1/2 cup margarine

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Two confessions - One, I’m not a cocktail drinker. I prefer my alcohol straight-up or at  most with a splash of tonic or dry vermouth. Second, when I was working in France, I sneaked away from the daily grind of the restaurant to go taste the magic liquor, the green fairy, Absinthe. Who was I to argue with the likes of Vincent Van Gogh and Oscar Wild?

According to scientist and author Harlod McGeee,

Absinthe is a distilled spirit flavored with a variety of herbs and spices, primarily wormwood, an aromatic, bitter shrub. The key constituent of wormwood is a chemical called thujone, which gives it - and absinthe - a penetrating evergreen aroma.

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During this bountiful season of the tomato harvest, there’s a certain classification of recipes I turn to. No sauces, no stews, nothing that uses cooked tomatoes or anything I can make in January with my frozen tomato booty. Celebrate the final summer hurrah by savoring the fresh and relish those special recipes that can only made this time of year.

This Tomato Crouton Casserole fits that bill nicely — and can readily be a side dish or we even serve it with breakfast at our B&B. Recipe after the jump:

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Quinoa is actually not a grain, but is related to beets, chard, and spinach. Quinoa is the seed from chenopodium quinoa, and I love it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It is good in porridge, served in soup, or by itself as a side dish.  We buy it in bulk and eat it weekly.

Cooking Instructions for Organic Quinoa

To make three cups of cooked quinoa:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 1/2 cups water

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Vegetarians are everywhere.

We show up at parties and cookouts, inspecting the grill and asking about ingredients. If you didn’t plan to feed us, we’re probably going home hungry. Savvy vegetarians will bring along some veggie burgers to grill, but only if you can scrape the grill clean…

Chances are, you’ve got a vegetarian on your invitation list. Or maybe a flexi-tarian who chooses veg over meat most of the time. If you plan ahead with a good vegetarian grilling recipe, you’ll be prepared to feed all of your guests.

Veggie kabobs are one of the easiest vegetarian recipes to make. Feel free to improvise with the veggies you have on hand. You really can’t go wrong.

All-Star Veggie Kabob Recipe:

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]]> http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/09/01/all-star-veggie-kabob-recipe/feed/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/08/29/kid-friendly-vegan-recipe-super-simple-balsamic-roasted-organic-summer-squash/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/08/29/kid-friendly-vegan-recipe-super-simple-balsamic-roasted-organic-summer-squash/#comments Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:00:54 +0000 Jennifer Lance http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/08/29/kid-friendly-vegan-recipe-super-simple-balsamic-roasted-organic-summer-squash/ It’s that time of year again, when everyone’s organic gardens are booming with summer squash. From zucchini to patty pans, I’m always looking for ways to use up a lot of summer squash in a delicious dish my kids will enjoy.  Ever since I tried Kelli’s balsamic asparagus, I pretty much follow her instructions for any vegetable that is in season. Here’s my secret to success:  I don’t measure anything.

Super Simple Balsamic Roasted Organic Summer Squash

Preheat oven to 420 degrees.

Cut up summer squash into large pieces (I cut a zucchinis into eighths).  Pour olive oil into the bottom of a glass pan.  Add the summer squash, then drizzle with more olive oil and balsamic vinegar (look for low or lead-free vinegar).  Salt and pepper to taste.

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]]> http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/08/29/kid-friendly-vegan-recipe-super-simple-balsamic-roasted-organic-summer-squash/feed/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/08/28/heirloom-tomato-and-summer-squash-torte/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/08/28/heirloom-tomato-and-summer-squash-torte/#comments Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:00:16 +0000 Stuart Stein http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/08/28/heirloom-tomato-and-summer-squash-torte/ Is it a cake, a pie, or a wrongdoing for which a legal claim for damages may be brought? A torte - not to be confused with a legal tort - is a sweet, rich Austrian cream cake covered with nuts or fruits that originated in Austria. This savory version resembles a vegetable pie. I use the best of summer’s bounty, layer it with fresh mozzarella and enclose it in pastry. The flavorful roasted red pepper sauce adds a touch of sweetness and color.

Legend has it that mozzarella was first made when cheese curds accidentally fell into a pail of hot water in a cheese factory near Naples. For this recipe, use fresh, high-moisture cow’s milk mozzarella that contains more than 52% moisture, or Capriella (half goat’s milk, half cow’s milk mozzarella) from the Mozzarella Company in Dallas, Texas. Paula Lambert founded the business in 1982, using the same exacting methods for handcrafting fresh mozzarella that she witnessed while living in Italy.

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]]> http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/08/28/heirloom-tomato-and-summer-squash-torte/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/08/27/untapped-abundance-three-steps-to-adopting-a-neighbors-fruit-tree/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/08/27/untapped-abundance-three-steps-to-adopting-a-neighbors-fruit-tree/#comments Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:12:29 +0000 Lisa Kivirist http://sustainablog.org/2008/08/27/untapped-abundance-three-steps-to-adopting-a-neighbors-fruit-tree/ Pear pie. Pear ginger muffins. Pear cordials made from aging pears, sugar and vodka. Pears canned in sugar syrup. Pear jam.

When Mary calls me every year at the end of August with her annual message of “The tree is ripe – come pick,” I turn into the Bubba Gump of pears, gratefully using the four bushels of pears I harvest off her abundant backyard tree.

As the country whines about escalating food prices, there’s often rotten apples falling from some tree near you. Or pears, plums – name your fruit. You know the tree I’m talking about – the one you pass by every day in someone’s yard that is practically falling over with ripe fruit and you think to yourself, “Someone needs to do something with that.” How true – and that “someone” is you.

Talk about a sustainable homerun: By connecting with and harvesting a local fruit tree, you not only garner more organic, fresh, local fruit booty than you know what to do with – and put something to use that would otherwise have gone to waste. You build community by connecting with others. We’re talking community at its core, most sustainable essence, sharing abundance with others, relishing the gifts of the land.

Step up to the plate – or bushel – and tap into these unwanted fruit on trees in backyards across the nation that could be making the world a better place through more pie – or jam or cobblers or muffins – you get the picture.

Here are three tips for foraging a fruit tree near you:

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/08/27/untapped-abundance-three-steps-to-adopting-a-neighbors-fruit-tree/feed/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/08/27/free-fruit-community-required-raid-a-local-fruit-tree-in-three-steps/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/08/27/free-fruit-community-required-raid-a-local-fruit-tree-in-three-steps/#comments Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:11:01 +0000 Lisa Kivirist http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/08/27/free-fruit-community-required-raid-a-local-fruit-tree-in-three-steps/ “Free organic fruit. Perfectly ripe. Locally grown. Yours for the taking.”

Your ears perking up yet? If this showed up on your local Craig’s List or Freecycle would you be frantically e-mailing, “When can I come over”? Amazingly, such an opportunity probably exists right now, perhaps right down your road, as fruit trees ripen and – too often – fall to the ground and rot.

Like an archeological remnant of a past generation, industrious homeowners often planted these fruit trees several decades ago, before our era of mega-supermarkets and the universal concept that we can, and should, buy everything 24/7. Seems these trees tend to fall into two categories: either they belong to senior residents who can’t physically pick and process the fruit, or newer residents who bought the house with the tree and don’t have the time to pick, much less know what to do with four bushels of pears. Other folks even go as far as considering these trees a nuisance, as overripe fruit falls to the ground and attracts bugs and rodents, eventually chopping the tree down.

Don’t anger the Lorax, make pear pie instead. By connecting with these untapped fruit sources, you cook up something bigger than your private food stash – you will be an ambassador for building community, one bite at a time. I made my annual pilgrimage yesterday to local seniors John and Mary’s house to raid their pear tree, coming home with three five-gallon buckets of fruit. No secret invasion needed; Mary calls every year right before Labor Day to let me know the pears are ripe and we’re welcome to harvest.

Here are three tips for foraging a fruit tree near you:

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]]> http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/08/27/free-fruit-community-required-raid-a-local-fruit-tree-in-three-steps/feed/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/08/26/farmers-market-fare/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/08/26/farmers-market-fare/#comments Tue, 26 Aug 2008 03:04:31 +0000 Beth Bader http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/08/26/farmers-market-fare/ As August turns to September, the seasons’ bounty becomes a mixed blessing of both summer and fall. The last of the sweet corn is sold alongside the first few small butternut squash. It’s time to relish the last of the beautiful heirloom tomatoes. The final week of berries, a longer lasting crop this year by the blessing of a milder summer. Eggplants and peppers fill the tables. And the zucchini, more than I could possibly ever cook, the zucchini. This has to be the most remarkable of times, this point where summer still bears fruit and autumn harvest begins as well.

There is simply no other time like it.

Here is a recipe that celebrates the last of summer’s bounty, all in one dish. The okra is a Cajun addition, giving the dish a twist on the classic French version of Ratatouille.

Recipe and links after the jump.

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]]> http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/08/26/farmers-market-fare/feed/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/08/26/lovin-fresh-cold-summer-soup-recipe/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/08/26/lovin-fresh-cold-summer-soup-recipe/#comments Tue, 26 Aug 2008 02:00:41 +0000 Jennie Love http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/08/26/lovin-fresh-cold-summer-soup-recipe/

Lovin’ Fresh is a series of recipes designed to showcase produce gathered from local farms or grown in my own garden.

It’s almost here and I thought I’d better prepare all of you for it.  It’s the ying to the yang of vegetable gardening.  Those of you that are fortunate enough to have a little piece of ground to grow your own food will be very familiar with it.  And those of you that visit farmers markets and can’t resist the siren song of all those amazing late summer vegetables know it too.  Perhaps you shudder a bit just to think about it.  Or, if you’re like me, you lie in bed, eyes wide open, conjuring up ways to creatively sidestep it.  

“It” is that deluge of fresh produce that starts to haunt every corner of your kitchen, entryway, and basement, taunting you as it slowly deteriorates while you fret over and hunt out ways to use it up.  By late summer, you’ve grown a tad tired of zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers, peppers, and even tomatoes.  Actually, I never tire of tomatoes, but I do get full before I can finish each new batch that comes off my prolific vines.  That’s where this recipe, appropriately named Use ‘Em Up Cold Summer Soup, comes into play.  How full of promise is that title?  Question is, does it live up to the hype?

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]]> http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/08/26/lovin-fresh-cold-summer-soup-recipe/feed/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/08/19/lovin-fresh-green-bean-risotto-recipe/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/08/19/lovin-fresh-green-bean-risotto-recipe/#comments Tue, 19 Aug 2008 01:41:26 +0000 Jennie Love http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/08/19/lovin-fresh-green-bean-risotto-recipe/

Lovin’ Fresh is a series of recipes designed to showcase produce gathered from local farms or grown in my own garden.

Okay, I have a secret to share.  No, it’s not the formula for calculating the volume of a square container with tapered sides (a recent question in my Math for the Green Industry class), but it’s pretty shocking nonetheless.  Here it is: I’ve never made my own risotto before.  GASP!   Seriously, I haven’t.  I always squirmed at the idea of standing around and stirring the stuff for 20 minutes.  And frankly, no risotto I’d had out somewhere had ever piqued my interest enough to make the effort seem worthwhile.  No risotto, that is, until this Green Bean Risotto.

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]]> http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/08/19/lovin-fresh-green-bean-risotto-recipe/feed/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/08/15/kid-friendly-organic-vegetarian-recipes-wild-berry-crisp/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/08/15/kid-friendly-organic-vegetarian-recipes-wild-berry-crisp/#comments Fri, 15 Aug 2008 08:55:07 +0000 Jennifer Lance http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/08/15/kid-friendly-organic-vegetarian-recipes-wild-berry-crisp/ It’s August, and the wild berries are ripening here in Northern California.  Blackberries are the most abundant wild fruit here, and even though they are an invasive, non-native species, they sure offer a nice late summer treat.  One of my favorite berry recipes, whether made with wild or domesticated berries, is berry crisp.

Organic Wild Berry Crisp

Melt together

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/3 cup honey

Mix together

• 2 cups raw oats
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/8 cup flax seeds
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp salt

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