Characteristic: vegan

--adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi   This makes a lot but it just gets better with each re-heating. And it is so delicious that if you have enough potatoes, spices, etc. by all means make the full amount. It is a long list of spices but you can adapt and omit if you need to and use ground spices instead of toasting and grinding yourself. This dish does need plenty of salt so taste and don't be shy with the seasoning.... Read more »

This is a quick, savory pan-full of late summer goodness. The dill adds a nice herby touch. And this is more technique than recipe.  ... Read more »

Sweet, salty and a bit charred . . .This was one of my very favorite things to eat when I lived in Calabria (the toe of the Italian boot) more than 20 years ago. It doesn’t really get any simpler but you need to be brave with the heat and have good ventilation. And don't skimp on the oil either.... Read more »

There are so many versions of this incredibly flavorful sauce. It’s delicious with many things and often served with roasted potatoes or with fish. The best version I've ever had was at Navarre restaurant in Portland. The chef and proprietor John Taboada kindly wrote out his version on the back of a menu. I have adapted this recipe a bit over the years. This sauce is quite forgiving. The important thing is that it has a good bite from vinegar, the texture from the grilled bread and the sweetness of the slowly fried garlic and ground almonds. Many combinations of peppers will work. The sauce will be thinner if you use a fresh tomato and you can thin it out with a little more olive oil if you want a saucier consistency.... Read more »

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 »

This can be adapted in any way you want. If you like spice by all means add more jalapenos or Czech Black peppers. Feel free to add lots of chopped cilantro and/or parsley.  ... Read more »

Italians make many versions of this simple dish. It is suited to spring time and the tender green (and sometimes leafy) produce that starts showing up in the markets.   The veggies, in typical Italian style, are not left al dente (like pasta is) but are cooked through and sometimes even mashed up a bit to really blend the flavors. You can finish with fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon juice or simply with salt, pepper and a little more olive oil.  Serve alongside fish, or top it with a fried or poached egg or toss it with pasta or just with some crusty bread and cheese for a light dinner.... Read more »

--adapted from David Lebovitz   This is by far my favorite version of this classic Levantine Arab Salad. It's mostly herbs with just a little bulgur. With the freshest of herbs and a good sharp knife you have everything you need for this classic dish.   Serves 6-8... Read more »

This is so delicious and you can use the either or parsley or cilantro or both--maybe my favorite version. Just make sure you toast the pumpkin seeds first. It doesn't have any cheese in it but is rich from the large amount of pumpkin seeds.   I use a food processor for this but if you don’t have one you can make a slightly less uniform version by finely mincing/chopping everything by hand.   You can use this pesto as a spread on crostini or sandwiches or stir it into scrambled eggs. It's delicious mixed with either plain yogurt and/or mayonnaise for a dip or sauce for roasted vegetables, meats or fish. You can dilute it with water, cream, more oil and/or lemon juice) for a dressing for grain or bean salads. …And of course you can serve it with pasta like basil pesto. Be sure to thin it with a bit of hot, starchy pasta cooking water in that case.  ... Read more »

  Simple, delicious and beautiful on a hot day, any day, really. You can use other summer squash in place of the zucchini.  I began making this dish for my family when I was in high school and it's remained a standby.  ... Read more »

--adapted from Elizabeth Minchilli in Rome   If you have a neighbor this a bay tree now is the time to make friends. You'll need quite a few bay leaves for this lovely, simple dish. It does take while to roast so by all means double the recipe if you have enough onions. They are good with/on anything and keep well.... Read more »

--adapted from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sam Tamimi   You'll be amazed how much of this you can eat. It's just such a winning combination, even in its simplified form. You can certainly add other vegetables to the mix and you can use any kind of onion--just use lots.   Most any winter squash or pumpkin will work for this recipe. If you’re loathe to peel and trim the squash raw you can bake the whole squash, seeds and all for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees and then remove it, let cool a little and then peel and cut—a bit easier to handle this way.... Read more »

Stewed or caramelized onions flavored with just a bit of vinegar and thyme are one of my favorite things. I forget about them and when I do remember to make them I put them in/on everything. You can stir them into rice or serve them as a condiment/side to chicken, pork or beef. . .   You can use red, yellow or sweet onions here. The sweet onions will give off more moisture and have more of a "stewed" consistency whereas the others are drier and jammier. ... Read more »

My mother makes great big platters of this, completely simple composed salad every summer. If you have sweet peppers by all means slice them very thinly and add them to the mix here. You can scale this however you'd like so adjust however you'd like. You can skip the feta to make it vegan. ... Read more »

You can use the gorgeous purple Torpedo (or Tropea) onions instead of Walla Walla Sweets if that's what you have. You can easily halve this salad or substitute herbs you have/like.... Read more »

Simple and delicious. You can use any kind of onion you have. You can add oregano or basil and top with a little cheese if you'd like though the simplicity of the dish as is, is just lovely.... Read more »

  Versions of this dish are made all over the Caribbean though not necessarily with this many vegetables. It’s a satisfying one-dish meal and very easy to prepare and a great way to integrate fresh produce into the main dish itself. It’s a pantry dish in that basically all you need is rice, beans, onion, garlic and coconut milk. And if you have tomatoes and celery or greens of some kind, great!  ... Read more »

The sweetness of the turnips is nicely complemented by the bite of mustard greens and radishes and the peanuts add a little crunch and heft. You could certainly add herbs or other vegetables to the salad. It's just a good, quick, template. The peanut oil is really nice here but if you don't have it you could substitute a neutral oil and add 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil.     ... Read more »

  This is a perfect quick, weeknight dish that also freezes well so make extra and save yourself some time/work. And it’s even better the next day so double the recipe if you’d like. And if you haven’t cooked with red lentils before now might be the time. They are quicker cooking than any other lentils and are delicately flavored. You can find them in most stores and often in the bulk bins. This recipe makes a fairly thin soup/dhal but increase the amount of lentils or decrease the amount of broth if you want a thicker soup.... Read more »

  --inspired by Catherine Faris of Nuovastoria.com   This takes time to cook but putting it together is straightforward and just involves a lot of chopping. It's delicious with chard, kale, mustard greens, beet greens or any combination thereof or any other leafy green. It is delicious with a fried or poached egg and extra harissa and some Greek yogurt or with a simple piece of baked, poached or panfried fish, or just as is! It's a good accompaniment to lamb in any form. Harissa is a Tunisian hot chili sauce whose main ingredients are piri piri (type of chili pepper), Serrano peppers and other hot chili peppers and spices such as garlic paste, coriander, red chili powder, caraway as well as some vegetable or olive oil. It is most closely associated with Tunisia, Libya and Algeria but also popular in Morocco. There are many store-bought brands and you can also make your own.  Harissa varies in its level of spiciness so start moderately as you can always add more when serving.  ... Read more »