Characteristic: template

For this version, I needed to use up various vegetables. I had quite a few chard stems, a few scallions and half a bunch of collard greens.  ... Read more »

This pesto came about much in the same way this radish top version did. I use a combination of blanched greens and fresh herbs to make a quick pesto-like sauce. In this case I dressed spaghetti with it and it had a nice kick from red pepper flakes and did include a little cheese, which the radish top version does not.   Use whatever combination of greens and tender, leafy herbs (not sage or rosemary) and see what you get. I particularly like adding sorrel to this for its nice tart flavor. This is a wonderful way to work through a lot of leafy greens that, in the case of radish tops, don't tend to keep very well.   You can spread this pesto on salmon, toss it with warm lentils or beans, stir some into eggs, spread on a sandwich mixed with mayo or goat cheese (or as is), or garnish a soup with it, etc.  Or you can toss it with pasta, as I've done here for an ultra quick meal.   The pesto will keep for about 3 days in the fridge.... Read more »

--Technique inspired by Todd Coleman's Potato Gratin via Food52.com   This is endlessly adaptable in that you can use any combination of roots and/or tubers you have or even mix in hearty greens. You can change the herbs or add or substitute spices. By cooking the vegetables in a a bit of cream or milk (or with some broth) before you put them in the oven you also save some time. ... Read more »

This is a simple technique that can be used with most any root vegetable or better yet, combination of roots. You can change the ratio of vegetables to suit your taste or to what you have on hand.  ... Read more »

This is a beautiful, fairly quick and highly adaptable dish. Unlike this Stuffed Pumpkin recipe, you steam the small squash on the stove top which speeds things up considerably. If your squash are smaller or larger than the ones pictured scale the filling accordingly.  ... Read more »

  This salad is strong, vivid and almost rich thanks to the peanut dressing. You can use a variety of greens in this flexible template (see Variations below).  ... Read more »

Once the squash is roasted this soup comes together in 15 minutes and it’s so flavorful. You can scale this up or down, use more or less coconut milk; you can use a variety of squash types or throw in other root vegetables as well. Switch up the garnish to toasted pumpkin seeds or use other herbs or spices in the yogurt mix. Have fun!  ... Read more »

This dish takes about 25 minutes to cook but is dead simple and mostly hands-off and very versatile.  You can certainly skip the peppers, add more onions, just make it with fennel, add leeks or vary it in any way you see fit.   You can toss this dish with just-cooked pasta and a bit of hot pasta cooking water and some grated Parmesan and a good drizzle of olive oil for a luscious main dish. Or you can serve it as a side with most anything or top it with an egg.  ... Read more »

A busy day and hectic evening with various neighborhood kids underfoot led to this impromptu creation. I like to make more rice than I need (in the moment) whenever I cook rice. So I happened to have 2 cups of short grain brown rice leftover from dinner the night before. I had two zucchini from the previous week's CSA share plus a new one so that was the foundation for these delicious fritters that I will make again and again. You can vary the vegetables, the type of rice or grain, the herbs the cheese--it's just a great template. I also happened to have this raw tomatillo and avocado salsa verde (takes only 5 minutes to make!) leftover as well, and it made a delicious topping for these savory fritters.  ... 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 »

  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 »

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 »

This dish materialized the last day before my next CSA share's arrival and it successfully used up what needed using. You could substitute leeks for the onions or use different greens--use it as a template. I turned it into a complete meal by serving it with hard-boiled eggs I happened to have on hand.  ... Read more »

You can make this as written with parsnips and celery root or make substitutions (see Variations). I’m sure potatoes and sweet potatoes would be comfortable in the mix too so feel free to use it as your use-up-random-veggies dish if you need to. I made the dish pictured above with parsnips, celery root and rutabaga and it was delightful.   You want to slice your veggies very thinly. A sharp knife works great if you’re comfortable and a bit practiced and the food processor is a good alternative too.  ... Read more »

One early summer night  I found a few zucchini in the fridge, half a Walla Walla Sweet, and a bit of bacon. I happened to have a ball of Grand Central Bakery's whole wheat pizza dough on hand. I love to make my own dough but don't as often as I used to with good dough easy to find. If you have time to make your own dough, by all means do so, see recipe below.... Read more »

One beautiful spring evening when I couldn't bear the thought of coming in to cook dinner I threw together this little sauté and it was a keeper. The spices make it a bit more interesting and the cool yogurt a nice counter point. You can use most any vegetable and can certainly make it spicy or play with other seasonings, like adding ginger or coriander as well. I used chard, potatoes and onions in this version. ... Read more »

--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 »