Bitter Green Salad with Roast Squash and Citrus Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

salad

I made this salad twice this week and loved it both times, I think it would make a great addition to any Thanksgiving feast that you may be planning.

I came across a version of this recipe whilst looking through some old menu’s from the cooking classes that I taught with my friend Gloria, this is a take on a salad that she made for the class one fall day. It’s amazingly simple and incredibly delicious.

For the greens I used a combination of arugula, mitzuna and escarole, but radicchio, spinach, endive or any hearty salad green you like would work well too.
The amounts of roasted squash and pumpkin seeds are a little loose here, just toss the greens with as much squash and pumpkin seeds as you feel like eating. I had a little of each left over, but was thankful for a quick and easy lunch the next day, plus the seeds make a tasty snack!

Citrus spiced pumpkin seeds

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, about 1/2 a lemon
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, rinsed and drained
zest of one lemon
zest of one orange

Salad
1/2 pound baby arugula, washed
1/2 bunch mitzuna, washed and cut into 3 inch pieces
1/4 head escarole, washed leaves torn into bit size pieces
1/2 a medium size red kuri squash or other winter squash, seeded
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
black pepper

Dressing

1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt
black pepper
splash of fresh orange juice

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees fahrenheit.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
Combine the cayenne pepper, sea salt and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk. Add the pumpkin seeds, toss well and spread over the prepared baking tray, bake for 10 to 12  minutes or until seeds are puffed and golden. Return to the bowl and toss with lemon and orange zest. Set aside to cool, save the parchment paper to roast the squash.

citrus spiced pumpkin seeds

Raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
Cut squash into 1 inch slices, cut each slice into 1/4 pieces Place on parchment lined baking tray and drizzle with olive oil, a large pinch of sea salt and black pepper.  Toss well and roast for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Set aside to cool.

Place greens and as much of the pumpkin seeds and squash as you like, gently toss. Combine dressing ingredients in a small jar and shake well, drizzle over salad and toss again. Sprinkle with a few extra pumpkin seeds if you like.

Serves about 6.

Roast Squash, Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Tart

roast squash, caramelized onion and goat cheese tart

The last week was busy with impromptu, late night birthday celebrations and somehow in the midst of it all I made this tart to serve with some celebratory drinks.  My tart is perfect for casual entertaining as it is best served room temperature and makes a nice change from the usual cocktail snacks. I picked up the gorgeous fresh goat cheese in the photo below from my favorite cheese shop, Saxelby cheese mongers in Essex street market. Anne Saxelby sells an inspiring selection of carefully sourced, local dairy products and some of the best local cheeses you can find. I was dreaming of eating the cheese with roasted squash and arugula (a common Australian combination), so I made a buttery oatmeal crust to deliver it in and added caramelized onions and fresh thyme. What is unique about this tart is that there is no egg custard binding the filling together and with the addition of some extra caramelized onions, it could easily be dairy free.

thyme and fresh goat cheese

Crust
1 cup rolled oats
1  cup whole wheat pastry flour  or whole spelt flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
5  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or melted butter ( I used a combination)
2-3 tablespoons soymilk or filtered water (milk would also be fine)

Filling

2 large red onions, sliced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 large butternut or red kuri squash, 2 1/2 to 3 pounds, peeled and seeded
fresh black pepper
3 or 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves removed
1/4 pound fresh goat cheese
arugula to serve

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees farenheit.
Pulse oats in a food processor until coarsely ground, place in a bowl with flour, salt and baking powder, mix well. Melt butter (if using) in a small sauce pan over medium heat, add olive oil and brush a little into a 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom, pour the rest into oat-flour mixture. Mix with a folk until all the butter and oil is combined, drizzle in soy milk (or water) and mix until pastry holds together, it shouldn’t be too wet. Press crust into tart pan and pre-bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven and set aside.

pressing crust

Place onions and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into a wide skillet or frying pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring every few minutes until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Lower heat to medium-low and cook until caramalized, this takes a good 30 minutes, if they begin to stick turn heat down a little. Stir in a large pinch of sea salt and the balsamic vinegar, cook another few minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Raise oven temperature to 375 degrees.
Cut squash into 3/4 inches chunks, spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, drizzle with remaining olive oil, a large pinch of sea salt and pepper, toss well. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown, remove from oven and set aside to cool.
In a large bowl combine caramelized onions, roasted squash and thyme leaves.
Crumble half of the goat cheese into the bowl and gently toss. Crumble remaining goat cheese over the bottom of the pre-baked tart shell, top with squash mixture and return to oven for another 20 minutes until goat cheese is golden and slightly melted. Allow to cool before serving.

tart pre-oven

tart with arugula

Seasonal Cleanse

burdock and broth ingredients

Every year during the early spring and fall I like to spend a few days cleansing in preparation for the impending seasonal change. I love the clarity cleansing brings and enjoy shaking up my routine.  Plus, a cleanse will help break any habits that have snuck into your diet.

I’ve tried all sorts of cleanses and fasts from all raw blended drinks, alkalizing broth fasts, and gall bladder flushes to liver cleanses and brown rice fasts. Some have left me feeling great, others cold and weak. Since the weather is cooler, I wanted something that would be cleansing but keep me warm. I asked my nutritionist and friend Paul Pitchford for some suggestions. He recommended steamed greens and vegetables, raw sauerkraut and broths with turmeric and seaweeds. I made this broth based on the alkaline broth that I make for a spring cleanse featured here and added burdock (for its strengthening and purifying properties) along with ginger, shitake and winter squash, it tasted rich, sweet and soothing.

No one cleanse is good for everyone and I am posting this as I feel it’s not to harsh or difficult to fit into a busy schedule and can be adapted to suit your needs. It will work for people who get cold easily as the broths and vegetables are eaten warm.  If you are someone who feels hot often then a salad can replace some of the steamed vegetables.

Before starting any type of cleanse it’s best to stop drinking caffeine, transition to green tea first. Eliminate any concentrated sweeteners or refined grains and flour products. This cleanse can be done for 3 to 5 days. I think it’s good to give yourself a week, so you can prepare for a day or two and then ease back into regular meals again afterwards.

Stock up on herbal teas to drink throughout the day, I like the ginger tea by Yogi Tea and fennel tea or an herbal detox blend.
I also take a powdered green drink called Green Magma, made from organic dried barley grass, delicious and slightly sweet.

Start each day with a lemon drink to help cleanse the liver. The drink has whole leaf stevia, which sparks rejuvenation in the liver and cayenne to enhance blood circulation and help stimulate detoxification.

whole leaf stevia & lemon drink

This is how your days look.

Morning

Lemon water, recipe below

Cleansing broth, recipe below

Noon

Steamed vegetables; eg.kale, spinach and winter squash drizzled with a little flax oil and tamari. 1/4 cup raw sauerkraut

Afternoon

Cleansing broth

Fresh juice or Green Magma

Evening

Steamed vegetables; eg.collard greens, chard and turnips drizzled with a little flax oil and tamari. 1/4 cup raw kimchi or sauerkraut.

Herbal tea

Incorporate at least half an hour of exercise into your day, like gentle yoga and/or walking.

Lemon Drink

juice of half a lemon
8 drops of whole leaf stevia, I use “Sweet Leaf”
pinch cayenne pepper
1 cup water, cool or warm.

Mix and drink on an empty stomach first thing in the morning.

Cleansing Broth

cleansing broth

1 large burdock root, about a foot long
2 large carrots, chopped
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 cups diced winter squash, seeds and skin too
5 garlic cloves, peeled
3 stalks of celery with leaves, chopped
1 1/2 inches ginger, sliced
1/2 bunch parsley, leaves and stems chopped
3 dried shitake mushrooms
4 inch strip kombu seaweed
large pinch arame or wakame seaweed
1 tsp turmeric
filtered water, about 8 cups

making broth

Put all ingredients in a large pot, vegetables should be covered with about an inch of water. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 1 to 2 hours or until all the vegetables are very soft. Strain and drink warm. Store in jars in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Makes about 7 cups. I made it twice on a five-day cleanse.

There are lots of nice things you can do to enhance your cleansing experience some suggestions are;
Dry skin brushing, I recommend this the most and a great thing to do everyday.
Dr. Singha’s Mustard Bath or any purifying and soothing herbal bath you like.
Dr. Hauschka clay mask or other natural mask you like.

Roast Red Pepper Macadamia Paté

pate with spelt crostini

I have to thank my dear friend Rosada for this Paté. Rosada is one of the most creative people and the only cook I know that measures nothing, not even for baking cakes! It’s hard to believe but she does everything by feel  and the results are always delectable. Being in a kitchen with her fills me with inspiration, whether we are cooking together (as we did for years when we owned a catering business in London) or chatting over endless pots of tea.
In the years that I’ve been enjoying her truly delicious food, she has made many different versions of a red pepper Paté. When I was last in her kitchen in Sydney, she made one with roasted chili and Brazil nuts and ground it all, with the peppers, in a mortar and pestle.  We devoured it with Turkish bread, chickpeas and caramelized onions, and a tasty red cabbage pickle. Yum!

It’s a delicious and heavenly memory: sitting outside at a big table, her daughters climbing the frangipani tree above, the salty hazy sea air of Clovelly beach…and the company of such good friends.

If you’re quick you’ll catch the last of the peppers at the farmer’s market and be able to make this tasty, versatile Paté; it’s great with crostini (as above) or crackers, on sandwiches or as a pesto like sauce on pasta.

Roasted Red Pepper Macadamia Paté

2 1/2 pounds red peppers, seeded and sliced in 3/4 inch strips
3 small red chillies, or more to taste
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
1 medium onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, thickly sliced
1/2 cup macadamia nuts
freshly ground black pepper

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
Place peppers and chilies on a parchment lined baking sheet and drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, sprinkle with a good pinch of salt, toss well and roast for 50 minutes stirring every 15 minutes.

roasted peppers

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, add remaining tablespoon of olive oil and onions. Saute 3 or 4 minutes, add garlic and continue cooking until mixture is golden brown and caramelized. Set aside.
Place macadamia nuts, roasted peppers and chilis and caramelized onion mixture in a food processor and pulse until combined.

all in

Add salt and pepper to taste.
Makes about 2 cups.

Apple Picking and a Crisp

our leased apple tree

Apple orchards are magical and enchanted places. When I bite into the first perfectly crisp apple of the season, whether at the green market or standing in an orchard, I laspe into a daze: what it is about that tart, musky flavor that enchants me? Where does it take me? There’s something magical in that mystery as I can never put my finger on it.

Even though my kitchen is exploding with apples this week, I must confess, I am not a huge apple eater. It’s the fall tradition of picking apples that I love, and I’ve been doing it yearly since moving to New York a decade ago. Every October we pack a picnic and leave the city early. The day always seems to be perfect, clear blue sky with just enough chill to pull you out of bed and into the country air. It’s an extra bonus if we catch some stunning foliage on our journey.

Last weekend we went to  Liberty View Farm , near New Paltz, NY and leased an organic Cortland Apple tree. For $50 you get to pick out a tree, name it, picnic under it and enjoy its fruit for the season. It’s an absolute bargain if you cook, juice or eat a lot of apples and an absolute pleasure even if you don’t.

liberty view farm

Apples are not the only attraction at the farm. Orchardist/Farmer Billiam van Roestenburg grows a small but vibrant selection of organic vegetables and his partner makes pies and pickles for their farm stand. I got to taste my first freshly pressed cider straight from their old fashioned cider press and pet a miniature goat, cute!
Liberty View Farm was recently reviewed here in Travel and Leisure magazine last month.

organic produce

picnic with red pepper tart

the harvest

I made this crisp to take to a dinner party this week and we ate it warm with cream, but I was too distracted by good conversation to remember to take a photo of the fragrant juices bubbling below the golden crisp top or the lovely plates we ate from.
For those of you without access to maple sugar just replace with rapadura or succant. I usually use apple cider instead of water and maple syrup in the apple filling, but didn’t have any on hand. I like the apples to be on the tart side, a nice contrast to the topping.
It’s a very versatile recipe, add any berries, spices or nuts you like. Even the flours can be interchanged.

apple crisp in the making

Apple Pecan Crisp

Topping
1 cup pecans
1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup whole spelt flour
1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 cup maple sugar
1/4 cup granulated rapadura or sucanat
large pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup melted extra virgin coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil is fine too
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 water

Filling
4 pounds apples, about 8 medium apples
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch dried ginger
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon arrowroot
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup water

Pre heat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread Pecans on a cookie sheet and toast for 5 minutes, allow to cool, then coarsely chop. Place in a bowl and add oats, rice flour, spelt flour, almond meal, maple sugar, rapadura and salt. Mix well to combine. Drizzle in the coconut oil, mix until it’s even distributed with the dry ingredients, then stir in the vanilla and water. Set aside while you prepare the filling.

Raise oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Peel apples (sometimes I leave the skin on, but these were a little tough), core and cut into 1/5 inch slices. Place in a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients, toss well and pack into a 8 by 12 inch baking dish (slightly larger would work well, this was full!). Spread topping over apples and bake for about 45 minutes or until you see juices bubbling around the edges and the top is golden brown and smells heavenly. Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 8.

Kimchi

kimchi

I was introduced to the excitement and delight of fermenting foods by Sandor Katz (mentioned here).  After a five day workshop with him all I wanted to do was retreat to a country kitchen and experiment. He showed us how to make ferments from all over the world: miso, cheese, mead, dosa, injera and even fruit kimchi. All these recipes and his broad knowledge and unique experience are beautifully put together in his book Wild Fermentation. I highly recommend it. Kimchi was the first thing I made after that inspiring workshop and we put it on the menu at Angelica Kitchen immediately.

Kimchi is a spicy Korean condiment made from cabbage that is fermented with chili, garlic, ginger, scallions and some times fish. The recipe below is a basic fermentation method and can be adapted to any flavor/vegetable combination you want . Make it with just cabbage and it’s sauerkraut, then try adding other flavors to that like caraway seeds, curry spices, mustard seeds…the sky is the limit. Making kimchi, sauerkraut or pickles is a great way to preserve the last of the local cabbage and all those colorful chilis.

Traditional cultures from all over the world consumed a variety of fermented foods in their daily diet from kimchi and soybean ferments like: miso, tempeh and tamari in Asia; sourdough breads and sauerkraut in Russia; and fermented dairy products like kifir, yogurt and cultured butters in all parts of Europe. These days we eat far less, if any ferments, and further, many of the things we consume, like antibiotics, chlorinated drinking water, alcohol and even antiseptic mouth washes decimate the “good” intestinal bacteria, disrupting the delicate balance.

Lactobacillus acidophilus found in fermented foods is not only beneficial in restoring healthy intestinal flora, a key factor to assimilating nutrients in the digestion process, but also helps the body produce natural antibiotics (supporting your immune system) and anticarcinogenic compounds (helping to fight cancer).
Adding just a 1/4 cup of sauerkraut, kimchi or other naturally fermented pickle to your daily diet will boost and maintain helpful intestinal bacteria. Make sure that the sauerkraut and pickles you buy are naturally fermented and unpasteurized to ensure that you are getting your daily dose of active live enzymes.

kimchi ingredients, left out the cilantro

“The science and art of fermentation is, in fact, the basis of human culture: without culturing, there is no culture…. Culture begins at the farm, not at the opera house, and binds a people to a land and its artisans.” Sally Fallon

Kimchi

1 Nappa cabbage (1 3/4 pound), you can also use green cabbage
2 carrots, thinly sliced
6 radishes, thinly sliced
6 to 8 scallions or a medium onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 inch piece ginger
4 large cloves garlic
4 red jalapeno or other kind of chili, more if you like it hot
2 1/2 tsp sea salt

Slice cabbage and place in a large bowl. Add carrots, radishes and onion.
Peel ginger and place in a food processor with garlic and chili. Process until finely minced and add to the bowl with cabbage. Sprinkle with sea salt and using your hands mix everything, kind of massaging everything together, until the cabbage wilts and gets juicy. It should taste a little saltier than you would prefer, this changes as it ferments.

ready to ferment

Pack into a crock or vase with straight sides, packing it down with your fist as you go, the liquid should come to the top.

packing the kimchi

Use a small plate, that fits inside the crock to keep the kimchi down and top with a jar filled with water. The idea is to keep the liquid covering the top of the kimchi, it acts as a seal. Cover everything with a cloth to keep any bugs out. Place in a well ventilated (it will smell), cool area and let it ferment for 5 to 7 days. The length of time will depend on the temperature of your kitchen. Taste after 5 days and if you feel that the flavor is well developed and to your liking then it’s ready.

day 1

Remove weight and scoop of any mould or discoloration that is floating on the liquid or the top of the cabbage. Drain liquid off and drink it if you like, or use in salad dressings, chilled soups or add some to your next batch.

day 7

Pack kimchi into jars and store in the refrigerator. It lasts for months, the cold temperature will slow the fermentation but not stop it completely, so it may get stronger. Enjoy!
Makes about 4 cups.

P.S. Check out rodale.com for more health tips from me.

Millet, Squash and Sweet Corn Pilaf

millet pilaf

Evidence of seasonal change is all around: the different way the light filters through the trees and flickers on the floor beside me, the warm, low sun, and my natural urge to cook.
Fall is my favorite season and one that draws me into the kitchen newly inspired every year.  I eagerly await the few short weeks when I get a chance to create meals using vibrant late summer vegetables with the earthy sweetness of the first winter squashes. There is never enough time for all the combinations I’ve planned but I thought I’d start with the simple and heavenly combination of sweet corn, squash and millet. Soothing and nourishing, this pilaf is my kind of comfort food.
Millet is the only grain that has alkalizing properties, and  its medicinal value for the stomach and spleen-pancreas is increased further when cooked with winter squash. Millet has a high amino acid protein profile, helps strengthen the kidneys, is a rich source of B vitamins, silicon and iron.
In this pilaf I have added some turmeric as I am always looking for ways to incorporate it into meals for its healing and detoxifying properties. Being a super food, turmeric has a huge list of properties that benefit us. Here are just a few: works as a great natural anti-inflamatory; is the highest known source of beta-carotene of any food; and helps cleanse and tone the liver while strengthening the immune system. I also like how it adds a lovely golden hue to the millet.

The recipe below adapts well to any vegetable combination and so can be made year round, try it as a savory breakfast with toasted seeds and chopped parsley. Yum!
I have given instructions for making this pilaf without a pressure cooker too and with a little more cooking time, it works out beautifully.

cracking open the first squash

Millet, Squash and Sweet Corn Pilaf

I cup millet
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups winter squash in 3/4 inch cubes, I leave the skin on
3/4 cup sweet corn kernels, from small cob corn
2 or more pinches dried arame seaweed, can also use hijiki, wakame or dulse
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
pinch sea salt
2 cups filtered water

one pot cooking

Wash millet, cover with and inch of water, soak overnight .
Drain off soaking liquid and place in pressure cooker or heavy pot with tight fitting lid. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir and bring to a boil, if you’re using a pressure cooker, bring up to high pressure, lower heat and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let pressure release, about 8 minutes. Removed lid once pressure button had dropped.

20 minutes later

If you’re cooking this in a pot, bring to a boil, stir, cover, lower heat and cook for 25 minutes. Allow to sit 5 minutes before serving.
Top with your favorite condiments

millet pilaf with pumpkin seeds and chives

Eggplant Curry

eggplant curry & accompaniments

This is a great curry to make in late summer when the tomatoes are coming to an end and seem better off cooked, and multi colored eggplants are in abundance. I love the way the cooked eggplant here becomes so soft and succulent that it melts in your mouth; the aromatic spices and tangy tomatoes are a nice contrast to their buttery texture.

I had been admiring a bag of gorgeous, shiny black Asian eggplants in my fridge for over a week. I picked them up at the farmers market with one thing in mind- the curry powder I made in June, but it wasn’t until my friend Toni, (The Catskill Kiwi) invited me upstate for a weekend of writing, cooking, and croquet playing that I actually had a chance to get those eggplants into a pot.

Toni and I worked together for many years in different kitchens all over New York City. But this weekend wasn’t about work, it was chance to create and enjoy the luxury of cooking in the country….no external interruptions; no set menu, just fresh air and an amazing view!

The curry is great with plain rice but since we had a leisurely afternoon ahead of us, I put some mung beans on to simmer for a dahl and infused the rice with saffron and cardamom. Toni whipped up a number of new recipes including this tasty raita, which topped off the Indian theme perfectly. The combination of all four dishes was delicious!

rice, dahl, raita & curry

Eggplant Curry

1 pound asian or regular eggplant, cut into wedges
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
1 large onion, cut in wedges
1 inch ginger, peeled and minced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, chopped

cutting eggplant

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, toss eggplants with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and spread onto tray in a single layer. Roast for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and soft. Set aside.

onions & spices

Heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, add mustard seeds stirring until they begin to pop. Stir in onion and sauté for 10 minutes or until translucent, (this takes a while as they were cut in rather large wedges). Add ginger and garlic and cook for a few minutes more, stir in curry powder, cayenne pepper and tomatoes.
Turn up the heat to get it simmering, then lower and simmer uncovered until it thickens, about 20 minutes. Add the eggplant and allow to cook (so it can absorb all the flavors) while you play a game of croquet. This could be any length of time depending on how good you are! Just don’t forget to run in and stir it every so often, it only gets better with time!
Serves 4

playing croquet

Mung Bean Dahl

1 cup mung beans
2 inch strip kombu seaweed
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 medium onion, minced
1/2 inch ginger, peeled and minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
large pinch sea salt

Wash mung beans and cover with 2 inches of water. Let soak 6 to 8 hours then strain off soaking liquid. Place mung beans in a medium size pot with kombu and cover with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes or until beans are soft and creamy, remove kombu, if you like  (I left mine in) Set aside.
In another pot heat coconut oil over medium heat, add onion and sauté until translucent. Add ginger, garlic, turmeric and salt and cook for another 5 minutes or until golden brown. Stir in cooked mung beans and simmer, allowing flavors to mingle. Add water to get desired consistency.
Serves 6

Saffron Cardamom Infused Brown Basmati Rice

1 cup brown basmati rice
1 3/4 cups filtered water
large pinch saffron
5 cardamom pods
pinch sea salt

Wash rice, cover with 2 inches of filtered water and soak for 6 to 8 hours. Strain soaking liquid off the rice, rinse and place in a small pot with a tight fitting lid. Add 1  3/4 cups water, saffron, cardamom and salt. Bring to a boil, lower heat as low as possible, cover and simmer for 45 to 50 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to sit covered for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 4.

composting

compost

Emptying the compost was one of my chores as a child, it meant carrying the full bucket up the hill and dumping it onto the great mound at the end of the garden, then hosing the bucket out and picking a handful of pennyroyal mint to put in the bottom, so that while it sat under the kitchen sink it smelt nice.
Both my parents are enthusiastic composters, my father starts one where ever he lives and my mother buries special biodynamic herbal preparations in hers. 

I know many of you  (in the country) have nice large composts that are warm under a blanket of hay, filled with happy earth worms and therefore know all the joys and sense it makes, but in the city we forget.
It wasn’t until Colin Beavan a.k.a. No Impact Man started his year long environmental experiment that I realized I could be composting here in Manhattan too. 
I really enjoy walking down to the community garden every week to drop off my compost. It feels good to take direct responsibility for some of the waste I produce. Not only am I preventing organic waste going into a land fill, taking up space in a plastic bag on the back of a carbon producing truck but I am returning the food that has nourished me back to the earth, to nourish other plants so the cycle can  begin again. AND, most importantly in a landfill, organic matter breaks down in the absence of oxygen, creating methane, a powerful greenhouse gas which contributes to climate change.

compost drop off

Some times I get really down about our current environmental situation and overwhelmed by all the things we need to be doing to stop global warming, today was one of those days….Staying positive can be a challenge, I find it helps to focus on what we can do now and how we can inspire others in our community to do the same. I hope this encourages you to become part of the natural cycle of our food and waste.
If you live in New York City you can go to the Lower East Side Ecology Center to find a drop off point near you. If you live in another major city you can go to Green Map.

Colin’s book No Impact Man is out and the documentary film is opening in New York this week. You can see the trailer  here.

Summer Whole Wheat Udon Noodle Salad with Tempeh

 

summer whole wheat udon noodle salad

This noodle salad has lovely golden triangles of tempeh, which means I get to give you a recipe for the quick and easy way I cook tempeh at home. Prepared like this I use it in nori rolls and tempeh burgers or to eat with a bowl of grain. I don’t usually add mirin but here, it seems to complement the Asian flavors and gives the tempeh a nice gloss.

Tempeh is a highly nutritious energy building food that contains omega-3 fatty acids and a protein content of 19.5%. Unlike other soy products tempeh is a whole food made of fermented cooked soybeans that are bound together with a mould called Rhyzopus oligosporus. This mould produces a natural (heat stable) antibiotic that helps support immune system function. The fermentation process also makes tempeh easier to digest. Tempeh is rich in B vitamins and traditionally made or homemade tempeh is one of the richest sources of B12, unfortunately commercially made tempeh does not contain the vitamin. 

I love tempeh and learnt how to make it in a most inspiring fermentation workshop with Sandor Katz (which I have been dying to tell you about). We made it with black rice one afternoon and ate it for breakfast the next morning; it was nutty, fragrant, with an unexpected kind of fruity flavor. Delicious!

Eating chilled noodles this week on a humid, New York day cooled and soothed me, for a few days actually, as I had made a lot. I had my reasons for making such a large batch, I wanted to give some to a friend who had just given birth and since I had a busy week ahead of me, I knew I’d be too tired to cook. These noodles seemed perfect as they store well and can be eaten cold.

The first day the salad was enjoyed with pea shoots, the next with steamed kale and then today for lunch with avocado and kimchee. Yum!

I am giving you the recipe halved, you can always double it if you’re serving a crowd or want to eat it for days on end. 

ingredients

Tempeh 

8 oz tempeh
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoon tamari
2 teaspoon mirin 

Cut tempeh in half across the center, cut each piece in half so you have 4 strips. Slice each strip horizontally and then in into 3 squares, cut each square into 2 triangles.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add tempeh in one layer and cook for a few minutes on each side until golden. This may take 2 batches, depending on the size of your skillet. Once all the tempeh is cooked, place back in the skillet and sprinkle tamari and mirin over tempeh along with 3 to 4 tablespoons water, shake pan and let it simmer until all the liquid has evaporated. Set aside. 

cooking tempeh

Whole Wheat Udon Noodle Salad
2 small Middle Eastern cucumbers, finely sliced
large pinch sea salt
1  8 oz pack whole wheat udon noodles, cooked and drained 
4 raddishes, finely sliced
3 scallions, finely sliced
1 ear sweet corn, steamed and shucked

Marinade
1 inch ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 teaspoon minced red chili, or more to taste
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
2 tablespoons tamari
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons toasted black sesame seeds

Place cucumbers in a bowl and sprinkle with salt, toss well and set aside.This lightly pickles them, giving them a nice texture and stops the salad from getting watery.
In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients for the marinade, whisk and add noodles. Mix well and taste for seasoning.
Strain cucumbers and squeeze out liquid, place in bowl with noodles, add raddishes, scallions, sweet corn and tempeh. Gently toss, best to use your hands here, serve immediately or chilled.
Serves 4

ready to toss