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  • Simple Baba Ganoush
    Simple five ingredient baba ganoush that doesn’t require a grill or gas stove. This new method saves you time and energy and is JUST as delicious – if not more – than the original. Naturally vegan and gluten free.
     
    Author:



    Serves: 4
    Ingredients
    • 1 medium or 3/4 of a large eggplant
    • 1 large clove garlic, grated or finely minced
    • 1 lemon, juiced
    • 2 Tbsp Tahini
    • sea salt
    • Optional: 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, parsley or basil, chopped
    • olive oil (for roasting)
  • Z's Potato Salad

    Salad:

    • 3 lbs potatoes, scrubbed and cut into half inch cubes
    • chopped green olives
    • a few hard boiled eggs
    • handful of chopped roasted red peppers (we roast our own and freeze them in the fall)
    • a scoop of capers
    • fresh carrots, diced up mini
    • fresh peas or greens or any other veggie (colored cauliflower is great)
    • Fresh herbs (cilantro, dill, basil, thyme, tarragon, anything you like, in any combination)

    Steam or boil the cubed spuds until just tender (don't overcook! they keep cooking even after you drain the water). Add the rest of the ingredients to the drained spuds.

    Dressing:

    I always wing it, but I usually do some combo of the following in the blender to taste:

    • glug of olive oil
    • a couple big spoonfuls of mayo or vegenaise
    • splash of tamari (soy sauce
    • little glug of vinegar (cider or red wine is good)
    • plop of sweet pickles & their juices (we make our own in the fall and our recipe includes onions)
    • salt
    • pepper
    • dash of Cranky Baby Hot Sauce

    Blend. Pour over the potato mixture and mix together.

  • Zucchini & Fresh Herb Fritters

    Adapted from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

     

    Salt and freshly milled pepper

    2 pounds green or yellow zucchini, freshly grated

    2 eggs, beaten

    1-2 onions, thinly sliced

    1 cup breadcrumbs

    2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

    1/2 cup parsely or cilantro, chopped

    1 Tbs. chopped marjoram or basil

    1 tsp. chopped mint

    Olive oil as needed

     

    Lightly salt the zucchini and set it aside in a colander to drain for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the rest of the ingredients together except the oil and the pepper. Quickly rinse the squash, squeeze out the excess water, then stir into the batter. Season with salt and pepper.

     

    Film two large skillets with olive oil. When hot, drop in the batter - 1/4 cup makes a fritter about 3.5 inches across - and cook over medium heat until golden on the bottom. Turn and cook the second side. Serve hot, garnished with cilantro or parsley.

     

  • Spicy Napa Cabbage Slaw with Cilantro Dressing

    Ingredients

    • 1/4 cup rice vinegar (not seasoned)
    • 2 teaspoons sugar
    • 1 teaspoon grated peeled ginger
    • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    • 1 fresh jalapeno chile, finely chopped, with seeds
    • 1 small head Napa cabbage (1 1/2 pounds), cored and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
    • 1 bunch scallions, sliced (optional) or substitute finely sliced leek
    • 1 apple, diced or julienned (optional)
    • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

    Preparation

    Whisk together vinegar, sugar, ginger, oil, chile, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add remaining ingredients and toss well. Let stand, tossing occasionally, 10 minutes.


     

  • Cilantro "Bastard" Pesto

    thought I would share this recipe because it turned out SO WELL- had 2 weeks worth of cilantro- was heading out of town and had to save it somehow so made "bastard pesto" thusly:


    garlic cloves with olive oil in the blender til fine- cilantro leaves til green paste- then a whole block of cotija (mexican casa fresca) cheese and olive oil til fine paste-

     

    have so far used it in quiche (added 1/3 cup to egg milk mix) and on good bread the same as pesto- it is WONDERFUL

  • Couscous with Kohlrabi and Chermoula Dressing

     

    Couscous with Kohlrabi and Chermoula Dressing

    Borrowed from From Asparagus to Zucchini: A guide to cooking farm-fresh seasonal produce.

     

    1-2 tsp minced garlic

    2 Tbs. minced cilantro

    2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley

    1 tsp. paprika

    ½ tsp. cumin

    salt

    3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

    3 Tbs. olive oil

    2-3 cooked couscous, cooled to warm temperature

    2 cups peeled, diced kohlrabi

    ½ cup diced radishes and/or spring turnips

    16 kalamata or oil-cured black olives

    ½ cup crumbled feta cheese

     

    Mixe garlic, cilantro, parsley, paprika, cumin and alt to taste. Stir in lemon juice and olive oil. toss this mixture with couscous. Bring to room temperature. Gently toss with kohlrabi, radishes/turnips, and olives. Sprinkle with feta. Serves 6.

  • Zucchini and Cilantro Soup with Chile and Mint

    Ingredients
    1 poblano or Anaheim or jalapeno chile (de-seed the jalapeno if you don't like things too hot)
    2-3 zucchini, 10-12 oz
    1 bunch cilantro
    1 large onion
    3 Tbs. sunflower seed or olive oil
    3 Tbs. chopped parsley
    3 Tbs. chopped mint
    2 corn tortillas
    sea salt
    5 cups water or chicken/veggie stock
    juice of 1 or 2 limes
    sour cream, optional
     
    Instructions

    • Roast the chiles and remove the seeds, then chop coarsley. Quarter the zukes lengthwise, then chop into 1/2 inch pieces. Wash the cilantro thoroughly, including the stems. Finely slice the stems and chop the leaves, setting aside  few for garnish. Thinly slice the onion.
    • Heat half the oil in a soup pot over med-high heat, then add teh onoin, zukes, cilantro stems, parsley and mint. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onoin is limp and the zukes are fairly soft, about 10 minutes. Tear one of the tortillas into pieces and add it to the veggies.
    • Add 2 tsp. salt and the water or stock and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, until the zucchini is completely soft, about 15 minutes, then add the remaining cilantro. Let cool at room temperature, then puree until smooth. Season with salt and lime juice to taste.
    • Cut the remaining tortillas into skinny strips and heat the remaining oil in a skillet. When hot, add the tortillas and cook until crisp. Set them on paper towls to drain. Serve the soup garnished with a dollop of sour cream, a little mound of tortillas strips, and a sprig of cilantro in each bowl.

     
     

  • Too many veggies? What can a geek do?

    Being the web guy for Valley Flora has it's benefits. Each week brings cucumbers, radishes, carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, squash and any number of odd but tasty items that pile up -- hey a geek can only eat so many vegetables between pizza and espresso!

     Oh I grill and salad to my hearts content but each Wednesday yet more produce comes and I'm still left over with whatever I didn't get around to gnoshing on the previous week. Fresh food is wonderful but what's worse is watching it slowly wilt into mush so I hit on a simple solution: Vinaigrette Slury

     I have a big covered stainless steel bowl in my fridge filled with vinegar, olive oil, chopped up garlic, some basil, cilantro, black pepper, a bit of marjoram, some jalapeno or crushed red pepper and Dijon mustard -- a classic vinaigrette but heavy on the vinegar (I use a combo of red wine and apple cider vinegar). As the Valley Flora Veg get a little on the squishy side I just chop them up and throw them in the bowl. Cucumbers, tomatoes & onions do especially good in this bath, but squashes, and even spinach will soak up the goodness for quite a while without turning to yuk.

     So whatever I'm making, I just grab out some of that pickled veg and add it. For fresh salads it's great as a bit of spice and vinegar, it's freaking awesome on hot bagels with creme cheese and even better as a crunch on a taco or as a side to a nice bit of lamb. Best part is, it doesn't go bad!

     

    So don't despair if your veg are going soft -- just open up a vinegar spa in your fridge and let them soak

     

    BTW: Lee's Bees Honey just went live with a bunch of Oregon honey just south at Cape Blanco so check out the new site.  Still working on it but I think it's going to be pretty cool.

     

    -Zachary the VF web geek

     

  • Pumpkin, Feta and Cilantro Quesadillas
    • 3 cups 1 1/2-inch cubes peeled seeded pumpkin
    • 1 finely chopped seeded jalapeño (about 2 tablespoons)
    • 12 8-inch-diameter flour tortillas
    • 10 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
    • 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
    • 2 limes, each cut into 6 wedges

    Cook pumpkin in large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender but not falling apart, about 10 minutes. Drain and cool 10 minutes. While pumpkin is still warm, transfer to processor; puree until smooth. Stir in jalapeño; season with salt and pepper.
    Divide pumpkin mixture equally among 6 tortillas (about 1/4 cup per tortilla) and spread evenly. Sprinkle feta over each. Top each with 1/4 cup cilantro and sprinkle with black pepper. Top with second tortilla.
    Heat heavy large skillet over mediumhigh heat. Cook quesadillas until golden and dark char marks appear, about 1 minute per side. Serve with lime wedges.

    Adapted from epicurious.com
     

  • Squash and Black Bean Stew with Tomato and Green Beans
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 large onion, chopped
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 tablespoon chili powder
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
    • 2 cups diced tomatoes
    • 2 pounds winter squash, peeled and chopped
    • 4 ounces green beans, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
    • 1 15- to 16-ounce can black beans, rinsed, drained
    • 1 tablespoon minced seeded jalapeño chili
    • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

    Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender and golden, about 7 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder and cumin and stir 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juices; bring to boil. Stir in squash and green beans. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until vegetables are almost tender, about 12 minutes. Stir in black beans and jalapeño. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.
    Adapted from epicurious.com

  • Winter Squash Curry

    You can toss any veggies you like into this basic curry. It would be great with Brussels sprouts, broccoli, romanesco, potatoes, other winter squash or any root vegetable.
     
    Serves 4.
     
    2 Tbs. oil
    1 onion or 1 large leek, chopped
    1 Tbs. curry powder
    1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
    1.5 pounds butternut squash, peeled and roughly chopped
    1 c. coconut milk, stock or water
    salt and freshly ground pepper
    chopped fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)
     
    Put the oil in a pot or deep skillet over med-high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the curry and ginger and cook until the onion just starts to brown, about 2 minutes more.
     
    Add the squash and coconut milk and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and turn the heat down to low. Cook, stirring once or twice, until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes. Check periodically to make sure there is adequate liquid. If the squash is done and there is ample liquid, turn up the heat, take the lid off and cook down until the consistency is thicker than stew.
     
    Taste and adjust seasonings, garnish and serve warm.

  • Roasted Jalapeño and Tomato Salsa
    • 3/4 pounds ripe tomatoes (about 3 medium)
    • 1 bell pepper, seeded and stemmed
    • 1-2 fresh jalapeño and/or serrano chiles, stemmed
    • 1/4 of a small onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
    • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
    • 1/8 cup water
    • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed
    • 1/2  teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon cider vinegar



    Preparation
    1. Heat the broiler. Lay the whole tomatoes, sweet pepper, and jalapeños out on a broiler pan or baking sheet. Set the pan 4 inches below the broiler and broil for about 6 minutes, until darkly roasted — even blackened in spots — on one side (the tomato skins will split and curl in places). With a pair of tongs, flip over the tomatoes and chiles and roast the other side for another 6 minutes or so. The goal is not simply to char the tomatoes and chiles, but to cook them through while developing nice, roasty flavors. Set aside to cool.
    2. Turn the oven down to 425 degrees. Separate the onions into rings. On a similar pan or baking sheet, combine the onion and garlic. Roast in the oven, stirring carefully every couple of minutes, until the onions are beautifully browned and wilted (even have a touch of char on some of the edges) and the garlic is soft and browned in spots, about 15 minutes total. Cool to room temperature.
    3. For a little less rustic texture or if you're canning the salsa, pull off the peels from the cooled tomatoes and cut out the "cores" where the stems were attached, working over your baking sheet so as not to waste any juices. In a food processor, pulse the jalapeños (no need to peel or seed them) with the onion and garlic until moderately finely chopped, scraping everything down with a spatula as needed to keep it all moving around. Scoop into a big bowl. Without washing the processor, coarsely puree the tomatoes — with all that juice that has accumulated around them — and add them to the bowl. Stir in enough water to give the salsa an easily spoonable consistency. Stir in the cilantro.
    4. Taste and season with salt and vinegar, remembering that this condiment should be a little fiesty in its seasoning. If you're planning to use your salsa right away, simply pour it into a bowl and it's ready, or refrigerate it covered and use within 5 days.