Characteristic: vegan

  --inspired by Martha Rose Shulman in the NY Times   These are really good, whether you cook them a little longer and let the kohlrabi soften or leave them fairly crunchy. The spicy mayo is not essential since the fries are tossed in a spice mix as well, but it's very good.... Read more »

This dish is inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi’s book Plenty More though it’s different enough to be barely recognizable. The original recipe includes 5 ounces of udon noodles so by all means add those if you’d like. I think it's fantastic with just vegetables. And feel free to play with the vegetables you include and the type of squash. It is important to slice the raw vegetables very thinly and that they are good and crunchy by nature.... Read more »

This is my idea of a perfect cool weather bowl of soup. You could make it heartier if you served the soup over a slice of toasted bread rubbed with a garlic clove. You could add bacon or sausage or any kind of leftover meat but I like the simplicity of the white beans and escarole, just finished with good olive oil and black pepper. If you have cooked white beans on hand this comes together in 30 minutes, tops.  And this is even better the next day.   For this particular batch I didn't have cooked beans on hand and didn't have time to soak so I did the oven method where I brought the dry beans to a boil on the stove top (with a carrot, some celery, garlic and bay leaves) and then put it in the oven at 275 degrees for about 2 hours until tender and creamy. I removed the veggies and bay leaf and proceeded with the recipe.... Read more »

This simple but thick and luscious soup is a mainstay of Tuscan cooking and used to be made by re-cooking (ribollire) yesterday's minestrone and simmering it over stale bread in this second incarnation. I make it all in one go, as do many Italians, but it is even better the next day. It takes a while to make unless you are using already cooked beans, but it is worth the time.   Ribollita calls for a modest list of ingredients and the bread and some good olive oil are important. And it's extra good if you have some roasted tomatoes to use, but canned is just fine.  ... Read more »

I used to buy harissa but eventually switched to making my own in large batches and freezing several jars. I tend to triple the below recipe. Harissa is a spicy paste/sauce common in Tunisia and Morocco and other countries of the Mahgreb. I also make a green version with green chilis and cilantro and mint.   The chilis: In true cook-with-what-you-have fashion I use whatever dried and/or fresh peppers I have on hand and no two batches I make are ever quite the same.   I've used: Dried Aci Sivri peppers (a milder type of cayenne) Dried New Mexico Chilies Sweet and semi-hot fresh peppers--red bell peppers or roasters, anaheim and poblano peppers and jalapeños even.   It's a flexible condiment/paste and will be delicious in many variations. Use roasted Anaheims or Poblanos and sweet peppers and no dried peppers at all if that's what you have. The freshly toasted cumin, coriander and caraway seeds are key though. Try to toast your own and grind in the moment if you can.   It's delicious with eggs, stirred into hummus, spread with goat cheese on little toasts, with fish, in a soup, in this delicious dish of bulgur and greens, cabbage with harissa and cilantro or cauliflower and mizuna, with beans, as a sandwich spread, by itself or mixed with  mayo (this is especially good with avocado and pickled onions on good, toasted bread) . . .... 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 »

This is the ubiquitous spicy, pickled condiment found in many parts of Mexico, called escabeche (that name describes many different kinds of dishes around the world, not just this one). It's a bright, hot pickle to have on hand and is simple to make. I use it on tacos, with bean and grain salads with seafood or meat or eggs. . . .once you have it you'll find plenty of uses for it.  ... 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 »

--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 »

  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 »

There are many versions of this classic Spanish soup, served cold or at room temperature (when it was first made, before refrigeration) and most include tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, garlic, stale bread, a bit of sweet pepper and olive oil and wine vinegar. You can play with the ratio based on what you have and/or your tastes.  ... 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 »

  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 »

It's hard not to be effusive about this salad. The smokiness of the frikeh (roasted/scorched green wheat--a Middle Eastern specialty) paired with the cold crunch of the cucumber and the lemony dressing and plenty of fresh herbs is just plain a winner. Cookbook author and friend Ellen Jackson gave me the cracked, toasted coriander idea which rounds the dish out perfectly.   The salad would certainly be good with faro, wheat berries or even barley so give it a try even if you don't have frikeh. If you are using a different grain add 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika (pimenton) to the dressing.   While I typically use cilantro, mint, basil, parsley and oregano and even dill would all be good and you can try combinations of herbs as well. You can also vary the vegetables to use what you have on hand. And this salad is just as good (or better) the next day.  ... 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 »