Slow-roasted Sungold Tomatoes

I love tomato season. Absolutely love it. In fact, it may be the only time of the year when I truly enjoy tomatoes. Juicy, sweet and dense with the slightest tang, August is truly the month of tomato splendor.

Last year I had a terrible tomato year. I started all of my plants from seed, nurtured them, trained them and was delighted when the green globes began to form. That is, until late blight hit. Two weeks and loads of white fuzz and black blemishes later and it was game over, with hardly a harvest to speak of. This year was different. I chose to only plant blight-resistant cherry tomatoes and made sure to prune heavily to increase air flow. Perfection- at the height of the season I was getting at least a pint a day of golden tomatoes.



Sweet and juicy with a delicate pop, this tomato burst onto the scene with gusto.  I used them in salads, salsas, sandwiches and sauces. Golden enchilada sauce? Why not. Sungold, Peach and Avocado Salsa? Yes please. But my favorite might be the simplest preparation: Slow-roasted Sungold Tomatoes.








With a low heat and long sauna, tomatoes release their juices and their natural sugars, resulting in a dense, dank, caramelized mess. Perfect topping for a Zucchini Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Garlicky White Beans and Kale. Or sitting atop a summer corn polenta drizzled with balsamic reduction. Even better aside a nice glass of red wine.






You could be a purist and stick with straight up tomato. I like to add in some sweet onions, leeks or fennel if available, for a nice twist. To finish it off, try a squeeze of fresh lemon and handful of herbs- cilantro, basil or rosemary all sound nice.

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Serves 6

Ingredients

5 lbs. tomatoes- heirloom, cherry or whatever you have

5 garlic cloves, sliced

2 large onions or leeks, large dice

1 head fennel, large dice (optional)

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste

generous pinch of black pepper

juice of half a lemon

Chopped herbs (basil, cilantro, rosemary etc.- optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Slice larger tomatoes into quarters or eighths, and cherry tomatoes in half. Toss with garlic, onions, fennel (if using), oil, salt and pepper. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and transfer mixture. The best you can, arrange tomatoes cut side up.  

                 

Place in preheated oven and turn on convection fan, if you have one. Bake for one hour, remove and stir. Repeat process every hour until tomatoes are broken down, liquid has evaporated and flesh is sticky but moist, about 2-4 hours. Remove from oven, toss with lemon juice and herbs and season to taste with additional salt and pepper. 

Enjoy immediately, store in the fridge for up to one week or freeze for a welcome winter treat. 

Relax. Eat Well.

Basil Fettuccine in Sweet and Smoky Corn Cream

I can't seem to get enough of corn this season. I am not sure if it's due to the 10 month of deprivation or pure enthusiasm, but this harvest seems particularly sweet, plump and delish. 

When I came across the idea of a vegan corn cream sauce, it seemed too perfect not to try. I love the play of the sweet corn kernels against a slightly smoky chipotle kick, balanced out with hearty kale and zesty basil. I served this with maple roasted delicata squash on the side, which I chopped up and threw right in when I reheated it the next night. Very nice either way.

I am not a huge pasta-monger, but will enjoy some whole-wheat ribbons every once in awhile- as a comforting treat. I tried this out with gluten-free quinoa pagoda pasta as well and enjoyed it just as much, for those of you avoiding gluten. 

A warning about corn- just like soy and wheat, corn is a commodity crop in the US, so it is important to be careful about your sources. It is extremely common for corn to be grown from GMO'd seeds, so when shopping at your local farmers market or farm stand this summer, make sure to ask the grower if their corn is GMO-free. The organic label will guarantee this practice, but I have found there are many farmers out there without the certification that make a point to avoid GMO seeds, so it is more a matter of having that conversation. Not to get preachy, just wanted to share that information, for the health of our soil, seeds, bodies and agricultural future. 

Soaking the almonds overnight will neutralize their phytic acid, rendering their precious nutrients more digestible, as well as make it a breeze to pop off the skins. They will bloat and absorb quite a bit of the water while soaking, which results in a nice creamy texture when pureed. 

Basil Fettuccine in Sweet and Smoky Corn Cream

Serves 8

Ingredients

1.5 c almonds, soaked overnight, skins removed


1.5 cups corn kernels, blanched (can use frozen if out of season)


1 cup water
 or vegetable stock

1-2 tablespoons olive oil


1 large garlic clove, minced


1/2 a small onion


juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon


1 tablespoon honey

1/4 -1/2 tsp. 
salt, to taste

½ tsp chipotle powder

8 oz. whole wheat fettuccine or gluten-free pasta

2 cups corn kernels, blanched (can use frozen if out of season)


1 bunch kale, stems removed and sliced into strips

½ cup basil, sliced into strips

Salt to taste

Directions

Place almonds through chipotle powder in a blender and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Taste and adjust with honey for sweetness, lemon juice for tartness, oil for richness and chipotle powder for smoky heat. And, of course, salt to taste. 

Cook pasta according to directions. In the last minute of cooking time, add the kale ribbons, and stir. Drain and rinse. Return to pot and add whole corn kernels and basil. Toss with corn cream and additional liquid to reach your desired texture and flavor. I like mine with a nice coating of thicker sauce and dose of salt, with an extra pinch of red pepper flakes. If reheating, additional liquid may be necessary, as it tends to thicken up.

Relax. Eat Well. 

Eggplant, Tomato and Zucchini Gratin with Basil Cashew Cream

This is a simple dish to celebrate the summer flavors filling the farm stands and bursting out of the gardens in August. Don't be intimidated by the seemingly long list of ingredients- they really aren't that scary. I have faith in you.

I grew loads of garlic this year as I ended up planting my entire harvest last fall. Garlic is my new favorite crop- plant your cloves in the fall, and in the spring, your garden will be sprouting with little green shoots before you have even sorted through your seeds. Each clove grows a new head of garlic, and choosing to plant your biggest cloves will promote larger growth. 

Soaking and pureeing raw cashews produces a luscious "cream" sauce- highly adaptable and simply delicious. Add a bit more water and you end up with a cream or salad dressing, use less and you have the perfect dollop for an appetizer or garnish. Eliminate the savory ingredients, add some maple syrup, cinnamon and vanilla and top your favorite dessert instead of whipped cream. Here are a few examples to experiment with if you are interested: No-bake Chocolate Torte, Eggplant Manicotti, Raw Chocolate Truffles.

Cashews are high in the monounsaturated fat oleic acid, the same compound found in olive oil, that promotes cardiovascular health. Also high in the essential minerals copper and magnesium, cashews provide important antioxidants for bone, muscle and nerve function. Like all nuts and seeds high in delicate oils, cashews are best stored raw in the freezer to avoid rancidity.

Eggplant, Tomato and Zucchini Gratin with Basil Cashew Cream
Serves 8

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants, sliced into rounds
4 medium zucchinis, sliced into rounds
1/4 cup grapeseed or olive oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 large tomatoes, sliced

5 slices bread (whole grain or gluten-free)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste

2 cups basil leaves
1 cup cashews, soaked and drained
2 tbs. nutritional yeast
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup water
1/2 a lemon, zest and juice
3/4 tsp. salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the eggplant and zucchini with 2 tbs. oil and spread onto parchment lined baking sheets. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-30 minutes, until tender and beginning to turn golden. At the same time, toast the bread in the oven for 10-20 minutes, until crunchy. Remove and cool.

Heat remaining 2 tbs. of oil in a medium pan over low-medium heat. Sauté onions until translucent, add garlic and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Season to taste and set aside.


To make the bread crumbs, rip toast into pieces and place in a food processor with garlic and thyme. Pulse until crumbled. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

For the basil cream, rinse the food processor bowl and add remaining ingredients (basil through salt). Process until smooth.

To assemble gratin, lightly oil a 9 x 13 baking pan. Add one layer each of eggplant, zucchini, onion and garlic and top with tomatoes. Spread on half the basil cream, and repeat layers in the same order. Pour on the rest of the cream and cover with breadcrumbs. Place in the oven and cook until heated through, about 15 minutes.

Relax. Eat Well.

Homemade Onion Rings

It is that time of year- when hard neck garlic begins to curl and offer up it's lovely scape. We actually found ourselves a bit ahead of schedule this year in the Northeast, with the aberrant March heat wave and subsequent sprouting. But either way, here we are, early July with plenty of garlic scapes and heads not far behind. 

This recipe is a fun twist on onion rings- involving both yellow onions and garlic scapes with a nice coating of brown rice and millet flour and a chili powder kick. Quite a nice nutritional profile when you compare it to the beloved American (deep-fried) standard, sold at summer fairs and 4th of July parades across the nation.

For a year-round option, omit the garlic scapes and add another onion-  maybe a red or vidallia onion- I don't believe you can go wrong.

This was my garlic harvest this week- should almost bring me through the year! Given that each clove grows a new head, that is exponential math I enjoy. Check back in the fall for tips on planting garlic for the 2013 season. 

I spent the last week at the Breakthrough Leaders Program as part of the UVM Food Summit. If one thing was obvious, it is that real change only happens through positive channels. This is my replacement for "Don't eat that" with "Eat this, it is delicious!" I truly believe that we will make a change to our food system, and it is through a whole food diet that this change takes off. If our taste buds are happy, all else will follow.

Homemade Onion Rings
Serves 6
Recipe inspired by Didi Emmons and Entertaining for a Veggie Planet

Ingredients

1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup millet flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tbs. chili powder
1 tsp. sea salt

3 large onions, sliced into thin rings

8-10 garlic scapes
2 eggs. beaten
1/4 cup sunflower oil, unrefined and local if possible

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine rice and millet flour, baking powder, chili powder and sea salt.

In a large bowl, toss onion rings, garlic scapes and eggs. Drain off extra liquid. Add flour mixture and toss well to coat.

Spread coated onion/scapes on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with sunflower oil and toss again to coat, spreading to a single even layer.


Bake until crispy and brown, 30-40 minutes, checking and stirring every 10 minutes.





Relax. Eat Well.

Homemade Falafel

Have you fallen for falafel yet? Seems like a silly question, but I am half-serious.

To me, falafel is one of those anomalies- it is delicious, we all know it, but somehow it rarely shows up on the menu. And when it does, the crowd goes wild. Strange? I think so. Especially when you take into account how incredibly easy it is to make as well as it's undercover nutrient-prowess. 

So I propose a falafel revolution. Let's take it from the back alley of some dingy street into the spotlight- from the old-forgotten-cookbook to the absolute recipe staple.

We start with garlic. The young green sort, harvested from the fields this time of year. Add some onions, fresh herbs, and seasonings. Simple, right? This is an easy recipe to make ahead in bulk and freeze at any point, to finish off later, if strapped for time or hungry mouths.

Chickpeas, or garbanzos: your pick. A plump legume rich in insoluble fiber, protein, manganese, folate and iron, as well as flavenoids such as quercetin and phenolic acid.  Spelled out: Chickpeas are extremely rich in antioxidant power, capable of protecting the body against intruders as well as neutralizing internal abnormal cellular activity. Furthermore, with an ideal ratio of protein to fiber, these delicious beans promote blood sugar regulation as well as cardiovascular health. In other words: Eat Up.

Falafel

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

1 cup dried chickpeas

4 cups stock/water

2 garlic cloves

1 large onion, in eighths

1 cup parsley 

1 cup cilantro

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. coriander

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2- 1 tsp sea salt

fresh pepper, to taste

cayenne, to taste

Directions

Set dried chickpeas to soak in hot water for 8-16 hours in stock/water in a large pot, with plenty of wiggle room.

Drain, rinse and set aside.

In a large food processor, mince garlic. Add onions, parsley and cilantro and pulse until minced. If possible, freshly grind cumin, coriander and peppercorn, and add to mixture. Add baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt and drained chickpeas. Process until smooth, adding water a tablespoon at a time if necessary. Taste, and add salt, cayenne and pepper to taste.

At this point, you can freeze "dough" to finish later. To prepare falafel patties, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take 2 tbs. of dough and roll into desired shape (flattening slightly to make a patty). Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. This is another opportunity to freeze patties if desired, first on the baking sheet, and then removing to a bag once frozen.

Let patties rest for 15 minutes on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove, flip and return to oven for an additional 10 minutes. Serve immediately, or freeze in prepared form if necessary. I recommend serving patties as part of a falafel salad with mixed greens, tomato, red pepper, cucumber, olives, feta and carrot with a lemon-cilantro dressing.

Relax. Eat Well.

Latin Fiesta Slaw

Move over skittles, there is a new rainbow in town. Since discovering my love for non-mayonaise based slaws, this recipe has quickly become a favorite. I try to incorporate at least one raw vegetable dish into each meal. Nutritionally, this practice adds a kick of enzymatic activity to aid digestion as well as readily available micro-nutrients and antioxidants. Culinarily speaking, it rounds the meal out with fresh flavors and crisp textures.  

I must admit, I wasn't always a cabbage lover. In fact, I don't think it ever really graced our table when I was a kid. It was not until a few years ago that I fell in love with its delicate bitterness and crunch-factor. Not to mention that it is one of the most inexpensive and nutrient-rich vegetables out there. A member of the cruciferous family (think brussels, broccoli, kale etc.), cabbage is rich in glucosinolates found to lower the risk of cancer, anti-inflammatory anthcyanins, and glutamine used to sooth the digestive tract. To boot, one cup of raw cabbage contains over half of your Vitamin K for the day, 40% of your Vitamin C needs and loads of fiber. Each variety offers unique benefits, so feel free to experiment with purple, green, savoy or napa cabbage. 

Latin Fiesta Slaw


Serves 4

Ingredients

3 cups red cabbage, shredded


1 cup carrot, grated

1 orange, diced, plus zest

1/4 cup red onion or scallion, minced


2 tbs. jalapeno, diced (optional)


2 tbs. hemp or pumpkin seeds, raw

3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil


2 tbs. tahini


Juice and zest of 1 lime

1 cup cilantro (stems and leaves), minced, plus more for garnish

½ tsp. salt

1 tbs. maple syrup


salt and pepper to taste




Directions

Combine first 6 ingredients (cabbage through seeds) in a large bowl.

Prepare dressing by combining oil through syrup in a blender until smooth. Pour over vegetable mixture and toss well. Taste, and adjust to taste with additional salt, pepper and cayenne. Chill until serving and garnish with additional cilantro leaves.

Relax. Eat Well.

Chai Chia Pudding

I know, I know, chia puddings are all over the internet these days. But for good reason. The truth is, we need as many reminders as possible to amp up our Omega-3 consumption, and chia seeds are a great way to do it. Not to mention delicious. This essential fatty-acid is almost lost in the typical American diet, and our bodies truly suffer as a result. Omega-3's are pivotal in healthy brain function, growth and development,  as well as our ability to fight inflammation and ward off chronic disease. 

Here is the catch, there are a few forms of Omega-3's. DHA and EPA are found exclusively in cold water fish (anchovies, sardines, salmon, tuna etc.), while the form ALA is found in plant sources, such as flax, chia and hemp seeds, walnuts and leafy green vegetables. If consumed through plant sources (ALA), the body needs to convert the fatty acid to DHA and EPA, which most healthy bodies can do efficiently. However, if the systems are compromised or the resources are already being used to fight disease, it is often recommended to concentrate on the readily available forms found in fish sources. 

As you all know, I love dishes that can pass as breakfast or dessert, and this is one of my favorites. The ample spice mix gives it an Indian twist, which adds flavor interest as well as digestive power. Additionally, using cinnamon and coconut give the illusion of sweetness while actually lowering blood sugar levels. Pretty nifty. Everything is super flexible in this recipe, so feel free to cater it to your taste and pantry. In the batch pictured above, I threw in some roasted butternut squash (think pumpkin pie) that was in the fridge, and left out the syrup, for a breakfast version. Definitely helps start the day off right. 

Chai Chia Pudding

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 cups soy/almond/coconut milk

2/3 cups chia seds

3 pitted medjool dates

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/8  tsp. cardamom

a dash of nutmeg

1/8  tsp. ground cloves

1 inch piece of ginger

1-2 tbs. maple syrup (to taste)

dash of sea salt

2 tbs. toasted coconut flakes

Goji berries for garnish (optional)

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a high-powered blender and process until smooth. Taste, and adjust sweetness with more syrup if needed. If you would like a stronger chai flavor, add additional spices to taste. Garnish with goji berries if desired

Relax. Eat Well.