Green Options » recipes

Roasted Squash Gnocchi with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Stuart Stein — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:23:16 +0000

After spending my first autumn surround by the amazing micro-climates of the Rogue Valley of southern Oregon, I was inspired to give the classic potato gnocchi recipe my own twist by adding roasted squash along with the roasted potatoes. Just like other dumplings, the key to making gnocchi is to make sure that the dough isn’t too sticky and that you don’t over mix or over knead the dough.

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Cook Like a Manly Man! The Art of Manliness (Free!) Man Cookbook

Bryan Luukinen — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:37:21 +0000

Are you a real man? Then cook like it! The Art of Manliness is a blog “dedicated to uncovering the lost art of being a man“, and through contributions from readers like you, they’ve put together a Man Cookbook full of recipes to help you rightfully claim your manliness.

Sorry fellas, but you won’t find a single recipe in here that involves the word canape, and precise directions about how to make that “to-die-for” souffle will not be found. However, there are some killer recipes for manly dishes like Hungarian Goulash, Redneck Caviar, even Thai Basil Tempeh for the Veg Man.
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DIY Aromatic Bitters: Make Amazing Cocktails at Home!

Bryan Luukinen — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:33:47 +0000

Throwback cocktails are all the rage these days, and drinking at home frees you from $8 drinks and designating a driver. What separates ordinary swill from killer cocktail recipes can be as simple as the addition of aromatic bitters.

If your bitters are made at home, you’ve got an ultimately customizable addition to any good drink. And you can re-use the container, and buy bulk spices. Sustainability in a bottle!

What are aromatic bitters you say? Why, saddle up to the bar and lend an ear. Bitters are indispensable additions to countless cocktails, and you may be familiar with a couple of house calls that beckon for bitters, including the Sazerac, Manhattan, and LLB (lemon, lime and bitters). Thing is, bitters were kind of an ol’ timey thing until a couple of years ago when the cocktail began to stage a bit of a comeback.

Bitters started out as “a tincture of any number of esoteric roots and herbs with an alcohol base“, and became a common addition to many cocktails. One of the first cocktails, the Sazerac, was invented by a Frenchman who popularized the drink in New Orleans. His drugstore, the Pharmacie Peychaud, served up drinks in a coquetier (that’s french for “egg cup”), which is where the name “cocktail” may have come from. Ok, enough history. Let’s drink!

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Lovin’ Fresh: Apple Dumpling Recipe

Jennie Love — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:07:21 +0000

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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Fall Harvest Recipe: Amazing Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Derek Markham — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:43:53 +0000

I love the smell of fall.

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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The Ultimate Comfort Food

Stuart Stein — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:36:33 +0000

As summer rolls into fall and fall goes screaming into winter, one’s culinary palate yearns for the muted flavors of braises and stews, the consoling warmth of roasts and for me, the comfort of fried chicken. Yes, I said Fried Chicken.

This isn’t your aunt Flo’s fried chicken. Call it Uncle Thomas’ fried chicken - Thomas Keller, that is.

I’ve adapted a Lemon-Brined, Buttermilk Fried Chicken recipe originally published in the October 2007 Food & Wine magazine from Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc restaurant in Yountville, California.

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When Life Gives You Raspberries, Add Vodka

Lisa Kivirist — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 02:53:47 +0000

Rumor has it the first hard frost will arrive in Wisconsin sometime tonight. We quickly pulled in our tomatoes, peppers, basil and the last bucket of raspberries. After another busy summer on our farm, I’m ready for the frost, the fall, the feeling of relief that life will slow down a bit. It’s the perfect time for a grateful toast in thanks for the abundant harvest as Mr. Snow Miser waits around the corner.

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

Local and In Season Food: Easy, Amazing Applesauce Recipe

Robin Shreeves — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:12:10 +0000

It’s fall, and apples are in season in many places. My friend Missy brought some really fabulous applesauce to a meeting the other morning to share with us all. It was so good, and we all found it hard to believe that the only ingredient in it was apples. What was even harder to believe was how easy it was to make.

This is an easy way to use in season, local produce and to support local farmers. In fact, you can use less than perfect apples in this sauce - ones that have been bruised a bit or are a little past their perfect crispness. Farm stands usually sell their less than perfect produce at a reduced rate. This would be a good recipe to make with the last of the season crop and freeze some to eat mid-winter.

Here’s what to do.

Get a bunch of sweet apples that are good for sauce from a farm stand or pick them yourself - something like Gala, Fuji, Rome apples. Don’t buy red delicious, and don’t buy ones that you would normally use for a pie. You want apples that will mush up well. If you’re unsure, ask at the farm stand which apples would be best for sauce. (Since the only ingredient in this recipe is apples, you can use as little or as many as you want.)
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Bok Choy Recipes: Thinking Outside the Wok

Peggy Chen — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 03:24:03 +0000

“Bok Choy Recipes” is a new column that features Chinese vegetables in recipes other than stir-fries. Symbolized by bok choy, the veggie that people are most familiar with, this column will showcase recipes featuring bok choy and other leafy Chinese vegetables.

While most people may think “stir-fry” when it comes to Chinese vegetables, the truth is, they are quite versatile. They can often be used in soups, appetizers, and main dishes. Napa cabbage, for example, considered to be one type of bok choy, tastes great stewed or steamed. Of the more than 20 varieties of bok choy in Asia, there should be a few at your local Chinese or even Western supermarket. (I have counted five at the Chinese markets where I live in Queens, NY.) Depending on the variety, bok choy is available year-round, as some thrive in heat; others, in cold.

In additional to reaping the benefit of avoiding same-cooking-method boredom, preparing food in a different ways helps you get more nutritional bang for your buck.

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Green Diva’s Guide to Delicious Living: Sustainable Sunday Dinners - 1

Megan McWilliams — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:18:25 +0000

Not sure about you, but while I love cooking I don’t always have time during the week to cook full meals and I really try to minimize the prepared foods and the take outs/ins.

Over the years, I’ve devised a few meals that make for a great Sunday family feast and also can sustain at least one other meal throughout the week.

My kids are the ultimate test of any recipe’s sustainability in our household, so when I find one that is nutritious, seasonal and more local than not, AND my kids will eat it not only once, but possibly twice (or more if it can be made into other tasty dishes, which this one can), it is worth recording it.

One that has developed into our Fall and Winter favorite is roasted chicken with roasted vegetables . . .

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Ten Ways to Eat Local, Seasonal Food All Year

Bryan Luukinen — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:41:06 +0000

Food Prices Too High? Tired of overpriced, undersatisfying meals? Want to have fresh, local food on hand all year-round? Ten Ways looks at eating local, fresh and delicious.

It’s not hard to see the value in local, seasonal food, but how does one go about finding it, preparing it, and saving a little money along the way? Check out this installment of Ten Ways for a few tips on enjoying wonderful food 365 days a year.

Grow Something Edible

Planting seeds, starts or other edible living things in and around your home (wild yeast cultures or sprouts count too) are great ways to have fresh, delicious food on hand. Plus, it’s cheap. Seed packages start at less than a dollar, soil or compost can be purchased (or found) at pennies per pound, and water in the form of rain or out of the tap are both economical choices. Aside from an investment of time, growing your own food requires little else.

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Plum Claflouti

Stuart Stein — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 18:26:53 +0000

I’ve been a HUGE fan of the freestone Italian Prune Plum, sometimes called “Stanley” plums, since one of the farmers from my previous restaurants invited me to have a look around his orchard. Sweet and tangy at the same time without being cloying or astringent. They are at their peak right now, at least here in the Pacific Northwest.

A Claflouti is one of my favorite country French desserts. This crustless-custard based fruit flan originated in the Limousin region of central France. The classic Clafloutis is made with cherries but almost any fruit can be used.

My recipe, close to the classic, is simplistic and easy to make without being boring or flavorless. As a bonus, (for the gluten-free) it does not contain any flour or starch thickener.

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Eat your Gai Choy: Three Ways to Savor the Harvest from Immigrant Farmers

Lisa Kivirist — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:20:48 +0000

Foodies love to forage for new discoveries at the farmers’ market, often finding fresh produce booty at the booth of a new immigrant farmer. From gai cho, an Asian mustard cabbage favored by the Hmong, to epazote, a pungent Mexican herb, new flavors and possibilities can increasingly be found as these immigrant farmers grow in number.

But supporting these new immigrant farmers can go beyond unique produce experimentation. We currently don’t grow nearly enough produce in the United States to meet dietary guidelines domestically. This country desperately needs more farmers to raise fruits and vegetables. With only 2 percent of Americans still farming, even the Census doesn’t count agriculture as a profession anymore. With each of us, aside from Native Americans, having immigrant roots of some sort, supporting new ethnic farmers draws on that American pioneer sprit that the land can gift you with a livelihood.

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Easy Tomato Shallot Soup Recipe

Kelli Best-Oliver — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 20:43:48 +0000

After reading Robin’s post last week on easy weeknight meals, I was craving that comfort food classic, tomato soup and grilled cheese. I’ve been eating it in various incantations since I was tiny, and I wanted a refined, yet simple version of soup. I looked through several cookbooks for a filling soup that only required ingredients I had on hand, and when I saw Deborah Madison’s Summer Tomato Soup, I knew I would try something similar. I literally made and enjoyed this dish today and wanted to pass it along.

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Amazing, Intriguing Health Benefits of Turmeric

Beth Bader — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 03:52:14 +0000

I have a great fondness for curry dishes. There’s something about the warm, earthy spice combinations that makes me crave all the variations from Indian to Thai, Vietnamese to even my own attempts at home.

A few recent studies of turmeric, one of the main curry ingredients, have given me new reasons to love curry — it appears to have some pretty amazing potential health benefits.

To be honest, I am always skeptical of such claims. Before I buy into the latest health claim, my finger itch to Google-up some real scientific research from reliable sources. Turmeric may actually hold up to the claims. Here’s what I found out …

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Lovin’ Fresh: Herbed Rutabaga Salad Recipe

Jennie Love — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:55:51 +0000

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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Green Diva’s Guide to Delicious Living: Suppers for Sobriety

Megan McWilliams — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:04:53 +0000

My dear friend Cindy has been telling me about this friend of hers who helped create an organization called, Suppers for Sobriety. Her name is Cindy also. Cindy number 1 (my friend) gently and persistently reminded me about Suppers for Sobriety for over a year. Cindy 1 is not an alcoholic, but in case you haven’t figured it out yet, the reason she pestered me for over a year about Suppers for Sobriety is because she knows I have been a recovering alcoholic for many years (19 as of August to be precise) and she also knows I’m a foodie.

I met Cindy 2 at Cindy 1’s wedding this summer - finally. She apparently had heard about me too. She was very enthusiastic about Suppers for Sobriety of course and pitched hard to get me to attend a dinner.

This past Sunday I and the Cindys went to a monthly dinner held at the other founder’s home in Princeton, New Jersey.

What exactly is Suppers for Sobriety?

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Stumped for Dinner Ideas? Try These Four Websites

Kelli Best-Oliver — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:16:22 +0000

Sometimes when I think about what to cook for dinner, my brain hurts. There are just too many factors to consider, including: what’s in the pantry, what I feel like, what needs to be used up, what my picky husband will actually touch, what I would actually prefer. This is a result of living in a country where our choices and options regarding food are so mind-bogglingly vast for many of us. It’s terribly easy to fall into a rut of only eating five or six different dishes that you know you’ll like, but that can get so tiring. So what’s a conscious cook to do when looking for fast, healthy, meal ideas? Find out, after the jump…
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Panzanella - The Epitome of Local, Seasonal and Flavorful

Stuart Stein — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:00:01 +0000

Although Panzanella was created out of the need to do “something” with leftover bread, this traditional Tuscan salad is far from the ordinary, not a cliché and certainly not an afterthought. To me, this bread and tomato based salad is the epitome of local, seasonal and flavorful.

One of my culinary passions is bread baking - partially due to my friendship with my colleague master bead maker, author and teacher Peter Reinhart. There is always a loaf or two of something in my kitchen or freezer. Add the fact that our garden is currently bursting with heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, basil and garlic and the equation adds up to Panzanella.

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Meatless Meal Recipes for the Non-Vegetarian: 17 Bean and Barley Soup Mix from Trader Joe’s

Robin Shreeves — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:31:21 +0000

One way to help the environment is to eat less meat. Like I discussed in 5 Ways to Cut Back on a Carnivorous Family’s Impact, you don’t have to go whole hog vegetarian (hee - unintended oxymoron there) if you don’t want to. Choosing to have just one or two meatless meals a week can make a positive impact.

I’m committed to going meatless at least twice a week in my house, and as I find or create good recipes, I’ll be sharing them with you from time to time. This recipe is perfect for vegetable gardeners right now because it uses several garden ingredients just when you’re getting a little tired of making the same old thing with them.

Today I made 17 Bean and Barley Soup from a mix I bought at Trader Joe’s over the weekend. The bag has a mix of dry beans and barley, and I provided the rest of the ingredients, mostly following the recipe on the back of the bag.

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Green Options » recipes

Roasted Squash Gnocchi with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Cook Like a Manly Man! The Art of Manliness (Free!) Man Cookbook

Are you a real man? Then cook like it! The Art of Manliness is a blog “dedicated to uncovering the lost art of being a man“, and through contributions from readers like you, they’ve put together a Man Cookbook full of recipes to help you rightfully claim your manliness.

DIY Aromatic Bitters: Make Amazing Cocktails at Home!

Throwback cocktails are all the rage these days, and drinking at home frees you from $8 drinks and designating a driver. What separates ordinary swill from killer cocktail recipes can be as simple as the addition of aromatic bitters.

If your bitters are made at home, you’ve got an ultimately customizable addition to any good drink. And you can re-use the container, and buy bulk spices. Sustainability in a bottle!

Lovin’ Fresh: Apple Dumpling Recipe

Fall Harvest Recipe: Amazing Pumpkin Spice Cookies

The Ultimate Comfort Food

When Life Gives You Raspberries, Add Vodka

Local and In Season Food: Easy, Amazing Applesauce Recipe

Bok Choy Recipes: Thinking Outside the Wok

Green Diva’s Guide to Delicious Living: Sustainable Sunday Dinners - 1

Ten Ways to Eat Local, Seasonal Food All Year

Food Prices Too High? Tired of overpriced, undersatisfying meals? Want to have fresh, local food on hand all year-round? Ten Ways looks at eating local, fresh and delicious.

It’s not hard to see the value in local, seasonal food, but how does one go about finding it, preparing it, and saving a little money along the way? Check out this installment of Ten Ways for a few tips on enjoying wonderful food 365 days a year.

Grow Something Edible

Plum Claflouti

Eat your Gai Choy: Three Ways to Savor the Harvest from Immigrant Farmers

Easy Tomato Shallot Soup Recipe

Amazing, Intriguing Health Benefits of Turmeric

Lovin’ Fresh: Herbed Rutabaga Salad Recipe

Green Diva’s Guide to Delicious Living: Suppers for Sobriety

Stumped for Dinner Ideas? Try These Four Websites

Panzanella - The Epitome of Local, Seasonal and Flavorful

Meatless Meal Recipes for the Non-Vegetarian: 17 Bean and Barley Soup Mix from Trader Joe’s