Sweet Garlicky Grilled Carrot Tops

originally posted July 16, 2020

Ingredients

• Carrot tops, tender fronds cut from root

• Butter (2tbs or as desired)

• Spoonful or two of preserved chopped garlic (the kind you get in the little jar)

• Spoonful of spruce tip jelly, mint jelly, or honey

• Salt to taste

Preparation:

Heat half the butter on medium low in fry pan or on grill pan in low heat BBQ. Add in the tender carrot tops and sauté until softened, stirring as needed, turning up the heat a bit to lightly char at the end. Remove from heat and plate. In the microwave or in an additional small saucepan, heat the remaining butter with the garlic and a spoonful of spruce tip jelly, mint jelly, or honey with salt to taste. Melt and stir to combine. Drizzle over grilled carrot tops and serve immediately. 

Little Gem Summer Color Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

originally posted July 16, 2020

Ingredients

Salad:

• Little gems cut or torn 

• Thin sliced carrots (either rounds or julienned strips)

• Thin sliced carrots (as above)

• Thin sliced radishes (as above)

• 1-2 marigold heads, pulled apart into petals for garnish

Salad Preparation:

Arrange beautifully in bowl or on long low dish/presentation plate. Scatter or cluster the thin sliced vegetables on top of the little gems and then liberally festoon the whole kit and caboodle with marigold petals. Set aside. 

Dressing:

• 1 garlic clove (or a ton, depending on your taste)

• 1 cup packed basil leaves, coarsely chopped

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1 ½ tablespoons champagne vinegar

• Pinch or two crushed red pepper

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Dressing Preparation

In a food processor, pulse the garlic until chopped. Add the basil and pulse until finely chopped. Add the oil, vinegar, and crushed red pepper and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Drizzle dressing in a fanciful zigzag over colorpalooza salad. Enjoy immediately. 

Dressing also delicious with grilled fish, chicken, root vegetables, or lamb. 

Butternut Squash And Carrot Soup

originally posted December 30, 2020

Recipe amended from https://www.thespruceeats.com/vegan-butternut-squash-and-carrot-soup-3377922

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 onion (diced)

• 4 cloves garlic (minced)

• 4 carrots (sliced)

• 3 ribs celery (diced)

• 2 small or 1 large butternut squash (peeled and chopped)

• 5 cups vegetable broth

• 2 tablespoons fresh sage (chopped)

• 1/2 cup soy milk or oat milk

• Salt to taste (sea salt or kosher salt)

• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

• Parsley (chopped, to garnish)

• Espelette pepper (skins and seeds finely chopped or pulverized in a spice grinder, to garnish)

Preparation

1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

2. Saute the diced onion and minced garlic in the olive oil until the onions turn soft, about 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Add the sliced carrots and celery and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Add the chopped butternut squash and stir just to coat the butternut squash with the oil. Pour in the vegetable broth and chopped fresh sage.

5. Cover, and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to a slow simmer and allow the soup to cook for at least 25 minutes, or until the squash is soft.

6. Puree the soup in a food processor or blender, or use an immersion blender.

7. Stir in the soy or oat milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and whatever other garnishes you like!

Napa Cabbage Spring Rolls

Napa Cabbage Spring Rolls

Adapted from Recipe.com

• 1 tablespoon sea salt or kosher salt

• 4 cups ice cubes

• 1 head napa cabbage or savoy cabbage

• 1 cup shredded or grated carrots

• 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions

• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil (not toasted)

• 1/4 teaspoon finely shredded lime peel

• 2 teaspoons lime juice

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• Soy sauce or teriyaki sauce

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup water to boiling. Slowly add rice and return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until most of the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover; let rice cool. Set rice aside.

2. In a 4- to 5-quart Dutch oven, combine 12 cups (3 quarts) water and the 1 tablespoon sea salt. Bring to boiling. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine 8 cups cold water and ice cubes.

3. Remove 8 outer leaves from cabbage. Make a cut through each individual leaf at the base where it attaches to the core. Trim out some of the woody stem area from the leaf. Set the remaining head aside.

4. To blanch, carefully add trimmed cabbage leaves to boiling water; cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until just wilted. Cool quickly by plunging cabbage leaves into ice water for 1 minute. Remove individual leaves from water and lay each flat on a cloth towel to dry. Set leaves aside.

5. From the remaining cabbage, finely chop enough to measure 1 3/4 cups. In a large bowl, combine the finely chopped cabbage, carrots, onions, parsley, sesame oil, lime peel, lime juice, the 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.

6. About one hour before serving, assemble rolls. (These rolls benefit from allowing the surface to dry a little, so making them an hour or so in advance of serving is a good idea.) First, squeeze out any excess water from the vegetable filling. Then, on the counter or cutting board, take a blanched cabbage leaf and lay it flat, with the base end toward you. In the center of the leaf, place 1/4 cup of the vegetable filling on center of leaf, then place 2 tablespoons of the rice on top of the vegetable mixture.

7. Roll the base end over the rice and filling. Fold both left and right sides over so that it just covers the opening on the edges. Continue rolling toward the end, wrapping tightly with care not to tear the leaf. Place finished roll on a serving dish with the end tucked under the roll, seam side down. Repeat with remaining leaves, rice and vegetable filling.

8. To serve, if you like, cut each roll in half crosswise on a diagonal to make 16 pieces. Serve with soy sauce or teriyaki sauce.

Moroccan Carrot Salad with Parsley and Roasted Lemon

Moroccan Carrot Salad with Parsley and Roasted Lemon

Adapted from the Food Network’s website

• 1 large lemon, washed, sliced into thin rounds, and then quartered

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

• 2 pinches cayenne pepper

• ½ teaspoon orange zest, plus ¼ cup orange juice

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 6 carrots, peeled and grated

• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

• 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

1. Place lemon pieces in a cold skillet. Add a generous amount of oil to cover the bottom of the pan and heat over low heat until the rinds soften and begin to brown and caramelize, about 20 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, add the cumin, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne, orange zest, orange juice, salt and pepper.

3. While whisking, pour ¼ cup olive oil.

4. Add carrots, parsley and pine nuts.

5. Remove the caramelized lemon to the bowl using a slotted spoon. Toss and taste for seasoning.

6. Drizzle in some lemon infused oil to taste.