Characteristic: gluten free

--adapted from World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey   A choka is a dish from Trinidad but with heavy Indian influence and is made with a variety of vegetables. Roasting (preferably over fire--but in a hot oven in my case) is a typical characteristic of chokas. This one is fresh, savory and bright and delicious with rice or bean dishes or with flat breads or chips even--as a side or salsa.... Read more »

--inspired by World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey   Serves 4   Richly flavored, hearty yet relatively light, this North Indian combination of flavors is so delicious and beyond a bit of chopping a cinch to make. You you can adjust the level of heat with more or less cayenne and by using/omitting the seeds of the fresh pepper. You can adapt the ratio of potatoes to tomatoes to suit your needs just be sure to keep enough liquid in the pan to keep it a just a little saucy.  ... Read more »

  Fresh, sweet, savory and good as is with chips, in tacos, mixed with black beans, etc. ... Read more »

Corn chowder is quick to make, adaptable, and a rich yet fresh late summer dish that takes advantage of corn, peppers of any kind, potatoes and herbs. You can cook the potatoes longer and have them thicken the soup a bit or less long and have distinct chunks. Adapt as you see fit. And here's a lighter tomato-based version.... Read more »

[caption id="attachment_20035" align="aligncenter" width="660"] A thicker version with lots of leeks and not much chicken (but plenty of good chicken broth).[/caption] [caption id="attachment_17874" align="aligncenter" width="660"] The brothier version without noodles . . . wonderful either way.[/caption]   My son loves chicken noodle soup, whether made just with chicken stock and lots of vegetable (no chicken meat) or made with veggie bouillon broth and a bit of chicken meat. And you can of course skip the noodles as well and use more vegetables.   Note: You can cook the noodles right in the soup if you plan on eating the soup in one sitting. If you think you'll have leftovers, cook the noodles separately and add to each portion when serving. If the noodles sit in the soup for very long they'll swell up and soak up all the broth.  ... Read more »

  This is delicious and rich from the pumpkin seeds. It’s wonderful with fish, poached chicken, shrimp or simply over roasted or steamed vegetables with tortillas or rice. If using white fish fillets or shrimp you will add them to the sauce raw, if using chicken, have it poached or pre-cooked in some way and then add—see below.... Read more »

  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 »

  I was supposed to bring coleslaw to a dinner party yet had little time to go to the store for cabbage. I discovered plenty of kale and sorrel in my own garden and made this slaw instead. It's a keeper and is, as are most things, easily adaptable to what you happen to have/like. You can also change the ratio of vegetables to suit your needs.... Read more »

  --Slightly adapted from Racheleats.com   Sweet, salty, cool, crunchy and full of herbs. This is just a stellar combination.   Serves 4-6... Read more »

This dressing is good on a variety of salads; simply with greens and toasted seeds or with a more robust version of cucumbers, fresh corn kernels, sweet peppers and even cooked potatoes or broccoli. You really can use most anything!  ... Read more »

I roast vegetables (or broil them) occasionally, but I particularly love this combination and this level of heat and all the herbs. That's not to say that you can't substitute summer squash (or eventually winter squash) and cabbage or other veggies here. I made this to use up random bits--one small eggplant, one fennel bulb--from my CSA so use what you have on hand. [caption id="attachment_6375" align="aligncenter" width="640"] A dinner of vegetables, corn on the cob, salad with creamy miso dressing and roasted vegetables with herbs.[/caption]... Read more »

  Whether you have just one zucchini or three or four, they make a delicious frittata.  ... Read more »

  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 »

I take the idea of Salade Nicoise and adapt it all summer long, i.e. take fresh and/or cooked vegetables, good Oregon Albacore (usually canned), and hardboiled eggs, drizzled with an herby and/or creamy dressing, as a complete, fabulous dinner. You can also skip the tuna as it's fabulous without too.   Quantities can be adapted to suit your needs and can be varied in all ways. You just want enough dressing for everything so scale that up if you’re using more vegetables.... Read more »

--adapted from Super Natural Everyday by Heidi Swanson   This dish was inspired by the ever clever and creative Heidi Swanson. I’ve changed a bunch of things: I omitted the tofu croutons but by all means add diced tofu if you have it. I serve it over rice to give it heft and make it a one-dish meal. I used green instead of red curry paste, onions instead of shallots and added lots of basil.   This recipe uses a good number of summer squash. It’s great warmed up the next day for lunch either eaten as soup or over rice. I can imagine this being delicious with other veggies as well as the season changes so experiment as you see fit. It would also be delicious with some chicken or prawns if you want to dress it up a bit and make it even heartier.... Read more »

  -adapted from Afro Vegan by Bryant Terry   Afro Vegan is a gorgeous and inspiring cookbook for cooks/eaters of any persuasion. Bryant has a knack for flavor combinations coupled with deep knowledge of cooking and culinary traditions  in many African countries and the African diaspora. I adapted this lovely vegetable dish and un-veganized it by adding a bit of cream and bacon (and even a little chicken in the above version) which you could certainly omit.  ... Read more »

I make aioli starting in the spring when asparagus and snap peas show up. I love dipping blanched vegetables in it and making egg salad with aioli or spreading it thickly on toast and topping with whatever else I have on hand, until the tomatoes arrive and then it's tomatoes and cucumbers . . . and then green beans and artichokes get dipped. I sometimes plenty of basil or chives or parsley and tarragon. I thin it out to make salad dressings, top halves of hard-boiled eggs with it for a fake deviled egg. It's also perfect on a simply cooked piece of fish, chicken or any meat.  ... Read more »

  I don’t typically love raisins in savory food but in this dish they add a mellow sweetness that’s just lovely. To make dish vegan omit topping or use a vegan yogurt.   Serves 4 as a main, topped with Greek Yogurt sauce or 6 as a side  ... Read more »

You can use snap or snow peas instead of shelling peas or omit them or omit the favas or substitute sliced green beans. All of those variations, and I'm sure many others, are excellent. It's a simple, fresh salad that is good warm or at room temperature and can be added to--hardboiled egg, tuna, other herbs, scallions, etc.   Serves 4  ... Read more »

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 »