Characteristic: gluten free

--inspired by Cooking in the Moment by Andrea Reusing (this book is a great investment!)   There are many variations for this herby sauce that improves anything it touches. It is a bit richer and more complex than the Italian-style salsa verde I frequently make. I particularly like this herb combination (parsley, tarragon, dill) but play around with different ratios and herb combinations including basil and mint, if you'd like.   You can chop everything by hand (as I did above) or process in a food processor, it will be saucier/looser if you process. I kept the above version a bit drier (less oil) so I could use it as a sandwich spread as well. I usually use the processor but my knives had just been sharpened and it was a joy to chop all those herbs!   This makes a lot of sauce but I doubt you'll have trouble finding ways to use it.  It is particularly good with poached, baked or roasted fish, boiled potatoes and/or carrots, turnips, summer and winter squash, etc.... Read more »

  This is a sort of super simplified cassoulet-like dish but really so much simpler that I'm not sure the reference is legitimate. I was in a hurry the night I made this and decided against sautéing the onion and garlic separately and just added it raw to the beans and herbs. It turned out mellow and rich and sweet so you can save yourself that step. So if your beans are already cooked this takes 5 minutes to put together and another 35-45 to bake. I tend to air heavily on the bean side and light on the meat side but by all means add more sausages or other meat (leftover pork or duck of any kind would be great) if you'd like.   Variations Make a vegetarian version by omitting the meat and adding 1 teaspoon of smoked or regular paprika and top the beans with plenty of coarse bread crumbs and a drizzle of olive oil. ... Read more »

Radishes add a juicy crunch and sweet peppery flavor to this springy salad for which you can use any kind of salad green you have--arugula, lettuces, mizuna, sorrel, tender kale or chard or beet thinnings etc.... Read more »

--inspired by Richard Stewart from The Gumbo Shop   Gumbo Z'herbes or Gumbo Zav or Gumbo Verte are all names for the the green gumbo often made during lent in New Orleans. There are dozens of versions of Gumbo Z’herbes, some with meat, some without, some with up to 13 kinds of greens.   This makes a big pot of soup but it’s hardly worth making a smaller batch. And it gets better with age and freezes well. This takes about 60-90 minutes to make (excluding the bean soaking time), including all the washing and chopping, depending on how fast of a chopper you are. You can also used canned beans in a pinch.   Serves 12... Read more »

--adapted from Roots by Diane Morgan   Diane has brilliant combinations of vegetables in this book that are well-suited to CSA/local cooking. I highly recommend picking up a copy of the book. This salad is a wonderful, cool weather treat full of crunch and fresh flavors.  Use a vegan mayonnaise or yogurt to make the dish vegan. ... Read more »

--loosely adapted from Bon Appetit   This is my idea of a perfect winter dish. The version above uses Gill's Golden Pippin (a very small and flavorful acorn variety) and delicata. ... Read more »

The stew is delicious with butternut, red kuri, hubbard or buttercup squash. I wouldn’t use delicata as it’s not meaty enough.  This stew is rich, nutrient dense, sweet, savory, just a little spicy and vegan. Garnish with green onions and crushed roasted and salted peanuts for an extra kick.   You can also add carrots or substitute carrots for some of the squash.... Read more »

Raita is a cool yogurt and cucumber dish that’s used as a dip, topping, or sauce in Middle Eastern and Indian foods. It’s versatile, delicious and easy to make. ... Read more »

  --inspired by two different recipes from 101cookbooks.com   Serves 4   This slightly unusual combination of ingredients and flavors is crunchy, cool, sweet/tart and rather addictive.... Read more »

--adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi   This may seem like a cool-weather dish but I make red lentil curries in the summer and we eat them barely warm with a generous dollop of cool cucumber yogurt topping. The ingredient list looks long but I’ve noted where you can simplify and it does come together pretty easily. It is a bit similar to this red lentil dhal, though this one does not have coconut milk and is a bit thicker. ... Read more »

Combining roasted and fresh vegetables is fun. And if you don't want to turn the oven on you can cook the vegetables on the stove top in a cast iron pan over fairly high heat and achieve similar results. Just don't crowd the pan otherwise they'll steam rather than browning nicely.  ... Read more »

Succotash was created by the Naragansett Indians and remains popular especially in the South and there are dozens of interpretations of the dish. I think of corn as the essential ingredient and that all the vegetables are chopped quite small. Lima beans are the classic bean to use but I've used many different kinds and sometimes substitute or just add blanched, green beans (as I did here). It's a great technique to employ with CSA/market/garden vegetables since you can adapt it with what you have (summer squash, turnips, chard stems, etc.) and vary the ratio of vegetables as you like.   I make it with and without bacon and both versions are wonderful.... Read more »

This is crunchy sweet and bright and a lovely refreshing addition to any grilled or roasted meat or fish or heartier, warm dish or just as a salad with some good bread and cheese.   Scrub your turnips and peel if using purple top or Gilfeather turnips/rutabagas. No need to peel if you're using Hakurei/Japanese Salad Turnips. Grate however many turnips you want to use. Sprinkle with sea salt and toss with a little rice or champagne vinegar or lemon juice or a combination. Toss in some chopped parsley if you have it and some chili flakes and a good splash of olive oil. Adjust seasoning and add some freshly ground black pepper.  ... Read more »

You can vary the vegetables in this to suit what you have on hand. This comes together quite quickly. If you start cooking the rice the minute you come in the door you can be eating dinner 25 minutes later. I used some leftover cooked chicken in this version and potatoes instead of turnips. Firm tofu is a great addition as well.... Read more »

  Quick Turnip Pickles Here is a variation on a theme of a salad called sunomono that you get in Japanese restaurants.  You can use Japanese Salad Turnips (Hakurei turnips), purple topped ones or Gilfeather Turnips.   Yields about 1 pint   1 bunch Japanese Salad turnips, trimmed and scrubbed but not peeled or 1 large purple top or Gilfeather turnip 2 medium carrots, well scrubbed but not peeled (can omit and use more turnips) 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt 1/2 cup rice vinegar 1/2 cup water 2 tablespoons sugar   Use a mandolin, if possible, to slice the turnips as thinly as you can and keep them whole if they're small. Quarter them if using larger ones.  If you do not have a mandolin, I recommend slicing the top and bottom flat so you have a firm base and the turnip does not roll. If using the carrot, slice the carrot as thinly as the turnips. Use the same shape or shred into thin shreds.   Sprinkle the vegetables with the salt, toss to coat evenly and massage the vegetables a little.   While the vegetables wilt, combine the water, vinegar, and sugar in a jar and shake until the sugar dissolves.   When the vegetables have begun to wilt and have lost their “raw”-ness add the vegetables to the dressing and allow to marinate at least an hour. Chill the pickles, then serve cold.... Read more »

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 »

Classic and lovely and not as complicated or time consuming as it might seem. I rarely salt and drain eggplant. It’s an extra step that I don’t find necessary with perfectly fresh eggplant. You can either bake the eggplant or pan-fry it in just a little oil. I like both versions and usually do the below, stove-top version because I'm always in a hurry and it's quicker. You can also swap zucchini, see below, for the eggplant. [caption id="attachment_21596" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Or make it with zucchini instead![/caption]... Read more »

Tomatoes, olive oil, salt. That’s it. When the tomatoes are good it’s honestly all you need. And I make sauce with slicer and heirloom tomatoes, not just sauce types, all the time. It takes a little longer to cook down because they’re so juicy but with a little patience and high heat it’s pretty quick too.   Olive oil Fresh tomatoes, diced (I don't bother pealing or seeding them) Salt A little butter, to finish (optional)   Coat the bottom of a wide skillet with olive oil. Heat over high heat until shimmering. Add tomatoes and a few pinches salt. Stir well, turn down to medium high and simmer, stirring often, until sauce thickens to your liking. Taste, adjust seasoning with salt and a tablespoon or two of butter, especially if the sauce is quite acidic.  Butter is THE perfecter of tomato sauce. Serve over spaghetti with Parmesan and fresh basil. ... Read more »

--adapted from Tender by Nigel Slater   My version of this fragrant, rich stew is significantly simplified but still involves a few steps and a bit of time.  You can break up the process and make it manageable and I think you will enjoy the resulting dish for several days or freeze some for a future meal.... Read more »

This is my go to cook-with-what-you-have process. Toss most any vegetable together with some fresh herbs and a good dressing and to make things even better in my bean-loving opinion, some cooked beans. Late summer this is a particularly satisfying thing to do with corn, black beans and fresh tomatoes.... Read more »