Salad Roll Salad

This salad came about on a hot evening when I didn't feel like neatly rolling salad rolls but had most of the ingredients I typically use to make salad rolls. Instead of dressing the salad in a peanut sauce (which I would normally make to accompany proper salad rolls) I just added roasted peanuts to the salad and made a lighter/brighter dressing.  Don't be put off by the handful of steps--it comes together fairly quickly. This salad is begging for variations: add snap peas, blanched green beans or edamame, cooked shrimp or chicken, diced cucumber, even halved cherry tomatoes or sliced red peppers. Have fun with it and use what you have on hand and use fewer herbs if you don't have the volume I suggest. Shiso would be a delicious addition here as well.... Read more »

Gingery Coconut Milk Vegetable Soup with Basil

This a fragrant, simple and delicious soup. It's begging for adaptations: add chicken or use different vegetables  such as summer or winter squash, sweet peppers, snap or snow peas, green beans. Add lots of cilantro at the end instead of the basil. Spice it up with chilies or green curry paste. Serve it over rice for a complete meal.... Read more »

Green Beans, Potatoes, Basil and Parmesan

This dish is very similar to this one that uses a classic pesto. Here, however, you skip the nuts, you roughly chop the rest of the pesto ingredients and can make it even if you don't have enough basil for a proper pesto. You can also skip the potatoes and just use green beans. ... Read more »

Zucchini and Basil Soup

--adapted from Elizabeth Minchilli in Rome   Four ingredients is all you need and you likely have them all in mid-summer. Simple, creamy (but with no cream) and satisfying. This soup is best, or definitely prettiest, made with green zucchini varieties. For the version above I used two green zucchini and one yellow patty pan squash.  ... Read more »

Tomato, Cucumber, Sweet Onion and Basil Salad

This is a quintessential summer salad that takes 5 minutes to put together. Add feta or fresh mozzarella if you'd like but the simplicity of this is just lovely.  ... Read more »

Coconut Rice with Corn (I & II)

This dish was inspired by one in Bryant Terry's book Afro Vegan. I have changed it substantially and give two different versions here: one quicker one with white rice made in a rice cooker (pictured above) and one with brown rice on the stove top that takes a bit longer. Both are delicious and good either warm or at room temperature. It's a great picnic/potluck dish.  ... Read more »

Basil Oil

I love pesto but sometimes something lighter and more pourable is in order. This is nothing more than finely chopped basil, olive oil, salt and a squeeze of lemon juice or dash of vinegar. Use a fairly mild olive oil. Many can be a bit too grassy and bitter for this usage.   I stir this oil/sauce into beans, eggs or drizzle it over vegetable fritters or quesadillas or over pasta or a bowl of rice. It's wonderful with any kind of grilled meat or fish too.   I use a parsley version in this fava bean dish. You can toss in a handful of parsley or oregano or add chives or do the whole thing just with parsley. It's just a template for a very flavorful condiment.... Read more »

Corona Beans with Garlic Scapes and Basil

Quickly broiling garlic scapes further sweetens this juicy, fleeting treat. The garlic scape or whistle is the flower stem and flower (usually still in bud form) that grows from hard-necked garlic plants in late spring. You can certainly use smaller white beans or chickpeas for this dish and change the herbs and nuts to suit your taste and/or what you have on hand.... Read more »

Herb Crepe Cake with Tomato Sauce

  This recipe is adapted from one of the first cookbooks I ever bought, Cooking From an Italian Garden by Paola Scaravelli and John Cohen. You layer thin, herb-rich omelets/crepes with tomato sauce and a little Parmesan. It's an elegant, delicious and beautiful dish.  ... Read more »

Salad Rolls with Peanut Sauce

  I grow a couple of Thai basil plants every year for salad rolls and this rice noodle salad specifically. I use it in curries too but I love making these beautiful, fresh rolls for dinner on a hot summer night. Regular basil will work just fine too. And it's a fun project to do with children. My son loves to make and eat them.   ... Read more »

Ratatouille

  I love the time of year when I can make ratatouille, when sweet peppers, eggplant, summer squash and tomatoes are all at their peak--usually beginning early August and lasting until mid-to late September. In my cook-with-what-you-have version quantities are easily adapted and the ratios are not critical so scale up or down as needed. It is important to cook some of the vegetables separately so that you don't crowd the pans and steam them rather than sautéing them. You want the browning and sweetness that comes with direct contact with the hot skillet.   It is a rich, stew-like dish in which the vegetables all break down a bit. It is not beautiful but it is GOOD! Serve with some good crusty bread, another salad, a frittata or some such. It’s even better the next day and delicious at room temperature as well.... Read more »

Salad of Fava Beans, Peas, and Crab with Basil and Aioli Dressing

I put this salad together on a whim after I splurged on a beautiful Dungeness crab. I had both fava beans and shelling peas on hand but either or is fabulous too. And you could substitute canned Oregon Albacore for the crab or bay shrimp or omit entirely or add chopped hardboiled egg or no additional protein at all. Adapt to your tastes/what you have on hand. ... Read more »

Napa Cabbage Slaw with Herbs

  The mint or some tender herb makes this salad vibrant and the yogurt dressing adds a refreshing tang. Scale this as you’d like. If you have a big crowd use a whole head of cabbage.   Serves 4-6  ... Read more »

Green Salad with New Garlic and Basil

  What to do with basil before the tomatoes are ripe? This salad, for one thing. I was in a hurry when I made this and really wanted to add toasted sunflower seeds but had none toasted. I’ve always toasted them in the oven but didn’t have enough time to do so. I toasted them in my cast iron skillet with just a little olive oil and salt. I had the heat on pretty high and they almost got too dark but I caught them, tossed them around a bit and reduced the temperature and toasted a bit more—in total probably just for about 5 minutes. They were smoky and delicious.   Serves 4  ... Read more »

Garlic Scape Pesto (with Pasta)

Garlic scape pesto is spicy and fresh and creamy and delicious in a variety of dishes. I make it with either a handful or two of parsley or basil tossed in and a good squeeze of lemon juice. ... Read more »

Chickpea, Tomato, Egg and Wheat Berry Salad

In the summer when I don't want to turn on the stove and do much cooking, I rely on already cooked beans, chickpeas, and grains for quick, satisfying meals, often in the form of salads. Here's a version that is begging for adaptations based on what you have in your CSA share, garden, etc.   This is a meal-in-one and can be adapted and scaled as you see fit. Vary the grains, herbs, and onions based on what you have on hand.  ... Read more »

Tomato Salad with Toasted Bread (and Mizuna/Arugula and Feta)

[caption id="attachment_13993" align="aligncenter" width="660"] I happened to use Green Zebra tomatoes for the above version, not unripe tomatoes, but just a varietal that is green when ripe.[/caption] This quick salad is what I make all summer long when tomatoes (and cucumbers and leafy herbs) are at their peak.  This is not panzanella, at least not in the typical Tuscan sense, though it may look a bit like it. This is panzanella, the wonderful, soggy, yes soggy, Tuscan dish I enjoyed day after day in Italy and also make frequently in late summer.   This is a wonderful template for most any late summer produce and is very open to substitutions.  ... Read more »

Panzanella

This is the classic Tuscan bread salad made at the height of tomato season. Tuscan bread goes stale very quickly so there are lots of recipes to use it up in flavorful ways. The success of the dish depends on using really flavorful, ripe tomatoes and a good olive oil. And you can use fresher bread if you don’t have stale—see directions below.   Panzanella in the United States often employs toasted chunks of bread more like croutons, tossed with tomatoes, etc. Give this version a try. The texture is completely different and so delicious.... Read more »

Rigatoni with Pesto and Browned Zucchini

  I like a high vegetable to pasta ratio so use about 3/4 lb of pasta here but by all means make the full pound and cook more squash or vary the ratio. You could also substitute rice or another grain or just toss the browned zucchini with the pesto for a rich side dish. ... Read more »

White Bean, Sweet Pepper and Pickled Onion Salad with Basil

This combination is reminiscent of the White Bean, Albacore and Arugula Salad. I think of this as the late summer version with a bit more sweetness and color, thanks to the peppers. As with most salads, you can scale this up or down, however, you'd like and you can change the ratio of beans to vegetables to suit your taste and what you have on hand. Just taste and adjust the dressing accordingly.  I tend to make a good amount of this salad since it keeps well and makes a good lunch the next day.  ... Read more »