Grain Free Tabouli

A very versatile salad is tabouli.  This one was made with ingredients on hand, including fresh radishes from the Pasco farmers' market.

Yes, you can leave out the bulgur (or as I think of it now, "vulgar") wheat, increase your tomatoes, cukes, parsley and mint (and add many optional vegetables you have on hand) and produce a tabouli salad worthy of gourmet raves.

As an added benefit, it won't spike your blood sugar or put blubber on your belly.  This tabouli nestles up beautifully alongside whatever other vegetables you're serving, and its crunchy, spritely nature compliments meats.  Win win! 

GRAIN FREE TABOULI

Adapted from Moosewood Cookbook

You can put the spin-dried parsley and mint, and green onions and arugula (if using) into a food processor and pulse 'til it's all a lovely green fluff.  Easy!

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, crushed or very finely chopped

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly-ground black pepper

1 bunch parsley, washed, big stem ends removed, spun dry, and chopped

1 bunch mint, washed, leaves removed, spun dry, and chopped

1 small sweet onion, minced, or a bunch of green onions, with some of green parts, sliced

4  medium tomatoes, diced

2 large cucumbers, peeled and diced

Optional vegetables (see below)

In a large bowl, whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.

Stir in the onion, tomatoes and cucumbers, along with whatever optional vegetables you're using.  Leafy additions like arugula should be added with the parsley and mint just before serving.

Chill salad up to several hours before serving.  Overnight is even okay. 

Just before serving, stir in the parsley, mint and any sliced or chopped leafy greens you're using.  Serve the salad cold or at room temperature. 

Makes 4 generous servings

Options abound for veggies to add or substitute. Increase dressing amount if you're making an enormous bowl of tabouli! Consider:

• Fresh arugula, washed, thick stems removed, spun dry and sliced
• Fresh radishes, diced
• Fresh zucchini, diced
• Shredded carrots, kohlrabi, turnips
• Diced green and red bell peppers

Kale, Cranberry and Blood Orange Salad

Because I'm usually the only cook around our house, I think constantly about faster ways to get things done in the kitchen and still end up with tasty, attractive results.

I don't know why it took me so long to figure out that kale salad is way easier, and even tastier, made in the food processor instead of with laborious stacking and slicing.  You can, of course, stack and slice for a different effect.  This method produces a more relish-like salad that is, I think, optimally flavorful and easy to eat.

KALE, CRANBERRY AND BLOOD ORANGE SALAD

If you don't have Perol blood orange vinegar, just use orange juice instead of the apple juice, use your usual vinegar, and stir in a little grated orange peel just before serving.  Or use other citrussy or fruity vinegar.  The object is to get a fruity taste in there!


1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup apple juice

1 bunch Lacinato kale
1 small shallot

2 tablespoons Perel blood orange vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

In food processor, chop shallot finely.

In small saucepan, combine apple juice and cranberries, and heat gently to warm.  Add chopped shallot, and remove pan from heat.  Set aside.

Wash kale, spin dry, and remove thick stems.  Place stemmed kale in food processor (in batches if too crowded) and chop coarsely.

Place chopped kale in medium bowl.  To juice mixture in pan add vinegar, olive oil and salt.  Stir, then pour dressing over kale and mix well. 

Just before serving, stir in walnuts.

Makes 4 servings.

Brussels Sprout Salad from Mixt

A couple of weeks ago, we found ourselves in Bend, Oregon.  At Ginger's Kitchen Shop, I was immediately drawn to their small but amazing selection of cookbooks, many of which I'd never seen before.  Lots of new cookbooks are coming out that use just simple, fresh, unprocessed foods ... and few to no bloating grains, legumes or pastas, which we have been eschewing for some time.  (For some weird reason, I love the word "eschew" when it comes to things not eaten!)

So it was a marvelous treat to page through Mixt, a salad cookbook by Andrew Swallow.  My Schreiber and Sons Brussels sprouts were, I knew, waiting at home ... and I couldn't wait to get there and make this salad!

BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH WARM BROWN BUTTER VINAIGRETTE
Adapted from Mixt, by Andrew Swallow

Pomegranates hadn't quite hit the grocery stores when I made this, so I substituted fresh raspberries.  But pomegranates are here now!  Be sure to save your healthy bacon fat for use in other dishes.

1.5 pounds Brussels sprouts (yield 9 ounces leaves when separated)
8 strips uncured bacon, preferably from pastured pork, cut into 1-inch pieces; use 1/2 inch chunks if bacon is thick
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1-1/2 tablespoons salted butter or ghee
1 organic Fuji apple, cored and sliced 1/8 inch thick
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1 white turnip, julienned

Cut off the bottom of each sprout and peel off the leaves.  I ended up with gorgeous little sproutlet hearts; use those, too!

Heat a pot of salted water to boil, and prepare a large bowl of ice water.

Blanch the sproutlet hearts for 1 minute; add to them the sprout leaves and blanch for 2 more minutes.  Drain quickly and throw sprouts/hearts into the ice water.   Set aside.

In medium skillet, fry bacon until perfectly crisp but not crumbly.  Transfer bacon to a small bowl and set aside.  Drain the bacon fat and reserve for other uses.  Add butter or ghee to skillet and melt, then add sage and saute for a minute to flavor the butter.  Turn off heat.  Add mustard and vinegar, then whisk well.

Assemble salads:  In serving plates, place sprout leaves/hearts.  Add apple slices and toss.  Drizzle vinaigrette over.  Season with salt and pepper, and add bacon, pomegranate seeds (or raspberries) and turnips.

Serves three as a main course, four as a side.

Savoy Faire Slaw

You'd think the plethora of amazingly fresh local vegetables in summer, available at our area's FIVE weekly farmer's markets, would result in an endless cascade of posts on this, my local food blog.  Ironically, though, the big push every day to use up the produce with which I've stuffed my fridge results in some hectic cooking, with little time left for blogging about it.

As well, long summer evenings don't lend themselves to sitting at a computer, but rather to being outdoors enjoying our balmy Tri-Cities weather and gorgeous sunsets!   But I have a few things in the blog pipeline that are good enough to publish.

How could anyone not be inspired by this gorgeous local organic Savoy cabbage?  I paired it with a creamy chive dressing found in one of my favorite cookbooks.
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SAVOY FAIRE SLAW
Dressing inspired by Patricia Wells in Vegetable Harvest.

Savoir-faire is the French expression for "know how to do."  You'll know just what to do with this slaw!

1 smallish head savoy cabbage

1/2 cup cream
1 tablespoon snipped chives
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Trim core from cabbage.  Slice cabbage very thinly, then slice crosswise a few times so you have pieces about an inch long.

Whisk dressing ingredients in medium bowl.  Add cabbage and mix well.  Slaw will keep well but tastes fantastic freshly made. 

Makes 4 servings

Celeriac and Kohlrabi Salad

Our decision to go grain free means that vegetables play a huge role in our meals.  Many nights I open the fridge, toss vegetables out onto the counter, study them intently for a few minutes while a way of using them takes shape in my mind, and then start chopping.

The resulting creations are usually tasty, and always very nutritious, but only occasionally blog-worthy.  I honestly didn't expect this salad would make it to the blog, but one taste and my eyebrows went up and I fetched my camera.

The beauty of this salad is its unexpected combination of tastes. Who knew that kohlrabi and cilantro would  get along so well with each other, much less make a happy threesome with celeriac?  I suppose because celery is naturally higher in sodium than most vegetables, no salt was needed.

The only dressing is lemon juice.  It seemed that oil would only weigh down this lovely, light and crisp salad, so I stopped ... like an artist has to do at some point with every painting ... when I felt perfection had been achieved.
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CELERIAC AND KOHLRABI SALAD

1/4 cup lemon juice
1 small (about the size of a large grapefruit) celeriac, peeled
2 kohlrabi, peeled
3/4 cup diced red onion
1 cup chopped cilantro

Place lemon juice in large bowl. Cut peeled celeriac into pieces sized to fit into your food processor, and shred using medium shred blade.  Immediately toss shredded celeriac in the lemon juice to coat well.  This will keep the celeriac from turning brown.

Shred kohlrabi on medium shred as well, and toss it, along with red onion, into the bowl with the celeriac.  Stir well until all the veggies are coated with lemon juice and are well mixed.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Just before serving, stir in cilantro.

Delicious the moment it's made, even better and still fresh the next day.

Serves 4 to 6.

Wilted Salad Greens

Traditionally known as "wilted lettuce," this tangy and deeply satisfying salad was commonly served back in the Day.  Generally speaking, I refer to the Day when people did not consume processed carbohydrates in the volumes and concentrations found in Big Gulps and giant Venti frappuccinos, unless they were hoisting bales of hay onto trucks all day, or suchlike.  And no one fueled themselves on chemical stews of fractured transfats, because they were not concocted yet. 

Thus, real fat (butter and such) wasn't cause for any hand-wringing.  In fact, our (mostly long-lived) forebears would probably have prepared significantly more of the hot dressing for this salad, hence the "wilted" moniker.  But the amounts I use here won't take down your lettuce volume by much.

As we further reduce the amount of processed carbohydrates we consume, and prepare more fresh vegetables, we find that adding real fat becomes appropriate.

Options for additions and variations are many:  hard boiled eggs, green onions, herbs, cream in the dressing ... personalize it your way, or find your grandma's recipe for wilted lettuce and find out just how good the Good Old Days really could be!
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WILTED SALAD GREENS

If you use bacon you have already cut up, fried, and frozen, just heat it in a little skillet to crisp it and release some of the fat, then use olive oil to reach the 2 tablespoons of fat amount.

A medium sized bowl of fresh, CSA salad greens
Natural bacon
Olive oil
Vinegar
Sucanat or agave syrup
Salt

In a little skillet, fry about a cup of bacon pieces (about 4-5 slices).  Remove bacon to drain.  To the bacon fat, add enough olive oil to reach a volume of about
2 tablespoons.  Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar (any kind, really), and  2 teaspoons of your chosen sweetener.  Sprinkle on some salt.  Whisk and cook a little, until the sweetener is dissolved and the liquid is hot.

Spoon the hot dressing in a swirl over your salad greens.  Scatter the bacon pieces atop.

Makes 4 hearty servings

Lemon and Cumin Slaw

This is a light, lemony, crunchy slaw that goes together quickly and compliments any meat (pulled pork comes to mind!) or sturdier casseroles, such as enchiladas and mac and cheese.  It's also great alongside robust, winter soups such as chilis and chowders.

I'm always drawn to recipes with a minimum of ingredients, especially when they combine so beautifully like this, where the flavor of each ingredient is equally showcased.

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LEMON AND CUMIN SLAW
From the British Country Living magazine

This slaw keeps very, very well, and develops a deeper flavor over time.  But it's amazing freshly made, too.  I once tried adding some olive oil, but it only detracted from the fine, tangy crispness of the slaw.  

1/2 a medium-sized green cabbage, thinly sliced into shreds
1 organic lemon
1 tablespoon cumin seed (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Grate the lemon's peel into a large bowl using a Microplane or other fine grater.  Juice the lemon, adding the juice to the bowl with the peel.  Add the salt.

In a small skillet, toast the cumin seed 'til it begins to brown and becomes fragrant.  Transfer to a mortar and pestle, and grind roughly, then transfer to the bowl with the lemon juice and peel.

Whisk dressing, then toss in the cabbage and mix all together well.

Makes about 6 servings.

Summer's Best Greek Salad

When all its ingredients are at the peak of fresh perfection, this salad is to swoon over. I do take it for granted that anyone reading this blog knows what it is to swoon, I mean really swoon, while eating something like this.

The recipe was discovered, I think, in the Tri-City Herald years ago by my Mom, and we have tweaked it through the years to suit our fancies. You can add a dollop of olive oil, but I find the feta provides plenty of smoothness and flavor.

I served this salad with braised natural sausages, fresh corn on the cob, and watermelon. Summer dinner at its finest, brought to you by local farmers!

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SUMMER'S BEST GREEK SALAD

Fresh, fresh ripe tomatoes
Fresh green peppers
Fresh cucumbers
Fresh Walla Walla or other sweet onions

Kalamata olives, whole or halved
Lemon juice
Fresh or dried oregano
Feta cheese, crumbled

Prepare equal amounts of the tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, cutting them into equally-sized chunks and placing them in a bowl sized suitably for the amount of salad you are making.

Add sweet onion to your taste, either cut into chunks the same size as the other vegetables, or diced finely so they blend in.

Add kalamata olives to your taste, and stir the salad gently. Sprinkle fresh chopped or dried oregano lightly over the salad, and add a dollop of lemon juice. Add as much crumbled feta cheese as suits your taste. Stir gently but thoroughly. The salad keeps very well but is best when made fresh.

Tomato Salad with fresh Herbs

There it was ... a basket of fresh tomatoes hiding around the skirts of the Schreiber and Sons booth at last Friday's market. My own tomatoes are looking pathetic, but one Sunsugar vine had produced three tiny, sweet, golden orbs.

When tomatoes are this fresh, they really don't need any help, but sometimes a gentle dressing can lift the tomato taste, especially if basil is involved.

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TOMATO SALAD WITH FRESH HERBS

For each serving:

One or two fresh tomatoes, sliced, arranged in a single layer on a plate.

In a small bowl, mix:

2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon agave syrup or sugar
a generous pinch of salt

To the vinegar mixture, add:

2 tablespoons chopped red (or green) onion

Let the vinegar mellow the onions for a few minutes. Spread the onion/vinegar mixture over the tomatoes, and scatter salad with:

Chopped fresh basil and oregano

It's fine to let this salad sit at room temperature whilst the rest of dinner is prepared.

Mellow Mango Slaw

Even an eat-fresh-and-local fanatic like me can find more than one or two trips a week to one of our local farmers' markets a little wearing. Let's face it--sometimes it's a jungle out there on the market pavement ... but without the tropical fruit.

So when Yokes put their mangoes and red peppers on sale, I picked some up for a between-market fill-in. As often happens, I started thinking about a recipe I'd seen on another blog, and was charmed by the whole idea of using the mango and red pepper in another mellow, easy-eating salad, especially since my book group was having, fortuitously, a luncheon potluck.

The heart of my local Savoy cabbage was about the right size (the outer leaves went into this heartier slaw) and I used it even though the recipe called for milder Napa cabbage. I cut it very thin and fine.

I do have a mandoline, but in my hands it's a dangerous object, so I diced the red pepper and mango instead of cutting them in julienne. Julienning would have made a more limpid slaw, whereas in mine, each ingredient was more separate.

It struck me that coconut oil might go well with the tropical (mango) theme, and it did the trick.

My final adjustment was using Sahale Sing Buri cashews instead of finding raw ones and toasting them.

All in all, a lazy person's adaptation of an excellent salad. And the book group liked it, too.

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MELLOW MANGO SLAW
Adapted from this recipe

2 mangoes, peeled, pitted and diced
1 to 1-1/4 pound Savoy or Napa cabbage, sliced thinly and then cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large or 2 small red peppers, diced
1/2 of a red onion, diced (about 1 cup)

6 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about two limes)
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons coconut or other oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper or 1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste

1/4 cup thinly sliced mint leaves
1/4 cup Sahale cashews, coarsely chopped, or raw cashews, toasted

Combine mangoes, cabbage, pepper and onion in a large bowl. Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl, and stir into slaw. Keeps fine for several hours. Just before serving, stir in mint and cashews.

Serves 8

Languorous Basil-Mint Pasta Salad with Citrus Dressing and Two Local Beans

After the basil-mint sorbet, I found myself looking for other ways to combine these two most summery herbs. I've been craving a gentle, languorous summer salad ... not a slaw: I didn't want anything harsh and vinegary. I was thinking more like a little macerated fresh tomato, diced, with a sprinkling of steamed fresh corn kernels ... maybe diced red onion, fresh oregano, all marinated in a very light dressing. But tomatoes and corn are still well around the corner season-wise, so I created this approachable and satisfying salad with ... what else? The glorious produce already on hand.

A couple of months ago a friend called to say someone had stopped by her house selling fresh oranges, and did I want some? They were still in the fridge and still fresh, so a citrus dressing began to evolve.

The basil and mint plants on the patio needed trimming, and my fridge was literally groaning with fresh farmers' market produce. So the hardest part of creating this dish was deciding what to leave out.

I served the salad over fresh market salad greens, but you wouldn't have to.

And I kind of was aiming for a record-setting long name for this recipe, since I usually try to keep them short! Summer is a time for experimenting with new approaches, no?

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LANGUOROUS BASIL-MINT PASTA SALAD WITH CITRUS DRESSING AND TWO LOCAL BEANS

1 cup orzo pasta

1/2 pound green beans, yellow or green or a mixture, topped and cut in 1-inch lengths
2 small zucchini, in 1/2-inch dice or so
2 cups garbanzo beans (I used my Winter CSA garbanzos that I'd cooked and frozen)
2 bunches green onions, white and light green parts sliced thinly, and about 3 inches of the green tops set aside

1 clove garlic
Green onion tops reserved from above
1 cup basil leaves
1 cup mint leaves

1 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
a few grinds of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Cook the orzo in boiling, salted water for about 9 minutes or until it's al dente. But about 4 minutes before that, toss in the green beans and let them cook just 'til tender crisp but still (if they're green) bright green. I used a mix of yellow and green beans. Drain beans and pasta, then toss them back into the empty pasta pot.

Add to the pasta-bean mixture the zucchini, garbanzo beans, and sliced onions, and stir.

In food processor, whiz the garlic 'til it's chopped fine, then add the basil, mint and green onion tops. Turn the processor on for a few seconds, then pulse just until you have a small, even chop.

Toss the contents of the food processor in with the salad mixture, and stir gently. In small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients, add to salad and stir thoroughly. Cover the salad and refrigerate it for at least a couple of hours before serving, if possible. Stir before serving.

Don't be concerned about the amount of liquid in the dressing ... the pasta and beans will absorb it.

Makes six scrumptious servings.

Big Slaw

Perhaps you've noticed that slaw is pretty liberally scattered around this blog. The way I see it, the cruciferous and cole vegetables are really healthy foods, and happily, when combined in slaws of various kinds, they taste wonderful. Almost everybody likes slaws, too.

Last Saturday's trip to the Pasco Farmer's Market saw me lugging home a giant Savoy cabbage and a big 'ol green cabbage from my Winter CSA farmer himself. White radishes from an earlier trip, and spring onion whizzed into the dressing to hide its presence from Mr. Eating the Scenery, who can sometimes (not always) be seen picking raw onion out of dishes, rounded this giant slaw out very nicely. "Giant" refers not to the amount of slaw, but to the Herculean size of the cabbages themselves. In fact, just the outer leaves of the Savoy cabbage were all I used ... the delectable little head is waiting its turn for another dish!

The addition of horseradish is a little secret my Mom taught me. She decided one day that her coleslaw needed a little zing, so she added some horseradish to her classic dressing of equal parts mayo, cider vinegar, and sugar. It's a delightful little mystery taste!

The finer you cut your cabbage, the more the dressing will permeate it. You can stack the leaves or wedges in the feed tube of a food processor and use the 4mm slicing disk and get a good, shreddy cut.

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BIG SLAW

Savoy cabbage leaves, thick stems cut out, sliced (about 4 cups)
Green cabbage, sliced (about 4 cups)
White or red radishes, trimmed and sliced

3 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons agave nectar or honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon horseradish (less if your horseradish is very hot)
1 teaspoon salt
A few grinds of pepper
1 spring onion, white part only (slice green parts and put in the slaw)

Whiz all dressing ingredients together in small food processor until smooth. Toss with the salad mixture. Keeps well, and in fact tastes better when made at least a few hours ahead of time. Vary the veggies to suit what you have on hand.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Asparagus, Avocado and Arugula Salad

Last Wednesday's asparagus curry, which I made up, was very good. But before deciding to make it, I considered an avocado that I had in the fridge. (Yes, refrigerating avocados is a good thing. They ripen more slowly in there.)

Anyhoo, I really, really wanted to make a salad with the asparagus AND the avocado. Green, right? I was kind of in a monochromatic mood. And I adore the thrill of making something memorably tasty with just what I have on hand. But I just couldn't picture avocado and asparagus getting along with each other. I was pretty convinced that in the history of cooking, no one had combined them. So I turned away.

Little did I know that once again, I'd be shown that courageous cooking is the better way. The very next day, I stumbled across this book at our local Barnes and Noble, and there it was! The very salad I thought could not exist!

But it does.

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ASPARAGUS, AVOCADO AND ARUGULA SALAD
Adapted from The Art of Eating In by Cathy Erway

What a glorious triumph of farmer's market greenery. The original recipe called for watercress rather than arugula. They're both peppery, so either will do. I thought the lemon peel would add, too ... and it does. This is a rich-tasting, lemony, peppery salad that is worthy of a role in a special dinner.

1-1/2 pounds asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch lengths
1 avocado, diced
3-4 spring onions, white and a little of the green parts, sliced
4 cups arugula, washed, spun and sliced

1 organic lemon

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper

Toss the asparagus into boiling water for a few minutes, until it's tender-crisp but still bright green. Drain and set aside.

Into a large bowl, grate the peel of the lemon. Then cut the lemon in half and juice it.

In a small bowl, toss the avocado thoroughly with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. This prevents the avocado getting brown.

Into the large bowl with the lemon peel, whisk the remaining lemon juice with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Add the asparagus and toss well, then add the arugula and onions and toss well. Lastly, add the avocado and toss lightly to mix.

Serves 6 to 8.

Update: Two days later, this salad is as attractive and delicious as when it was made. I attribute this to the step of mixing the avocado thoroughly with lemon juice. It didn't get even a little brown!

Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Fresh Greens

I do love a sturdy salad. This one travels well, and if you take it to a potluck, you might as well take copies of the recipe with you. People are going to ask.

The recipe is from an old Cooking Light magazine now long lost. I usually stick pretty close to the original on this one, but I did substitute fresh sliced farmer's market arugula for some of the spinach, and local green onions for the red onion. And I added garlic and oregano. I usually add more spinach than it calls for; it seems to be absorbed in the salad, and I love upping the nutrient count!

Reminds me of our old family joke ... whenever Mom says "I made it just like the recipe called for," we wait a beat and say, "Except ..." Sure enough, almost always she's made some kind of substitution. But that's creative cooking!

The green onions were from my friend Elizabeth, and the tomatoes I used were grown by my Dad and dried by my Mom. How grateful I am for the sharing of bounty.

You'll want to at least double this recipe; the salad keeps well, but you probably won't have any left.

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MEDITERRANEAN ORZO SALAD WITH FRESH GREENS
From Cooking Light magazine, adapted as described above

1 cup uncooked orzo pasta

1 small clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes,* drained and chopped
1/4 cup chopped red onion or sliced green onion

1 6-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, undrained
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved

2 cups (or more to taste) baby spinach or arugula, or a mixture, chopped
3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and place in a large bowl. Stir in the garlic, oregano, tomatoes, and onions.

Drain artichoke hearts and RESERVE THE MARINADE. Cut artichokes into quarters or eighths as you prefer. Place marinade in a small bowl, and the artichokes in another bowl.

To the artichokes, add the kalamata olives.

To the marinade, add salt and pepper and whisk well.

Pour marinade over orzo mixture and stir well. Add feta cheese and spinach, and stir well. Add olives and artichokes and mix gently.

Makes six servings.

*Or use fresh tomatoes, or dried tomatoes that you have soaked and to which you add a little olive oil. If you use oil-packed tomatoes, they may be seasoned already; adjust garlic and oregano accordingly.

Slaw of Coles with Tarragon and Mint

The other day I was reading how plants in the cole family contain important nutrients for humans. As I looked over the list of coles, I was amazed to see 16 plants, most of which will be available in abundance at our farmer's markets this summer and fall. At any given moment, I probably have three or four coles in my fridge. It struck me that combined in a "found" salad, they would probably be very tasty!

The coles are: kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, collards, bok choy, tatsoi, chard, cauliflower, broccoli, turnips, rutabagas, radishes, horseradish, mustard, arugula, and watercress.

By now you probably realize that I am trying to develop and promote the technique of getting maximum benefit from seasonal, market-fresh, local ingredients. To do that, a wonderful shopping technique to use is to buy what looks fresh and good to you at the market, then figure out what to do with it. That way, all your ingredients will appeal to you and be so very fresh that you can't, as I've said so many times before, go wrong.

The habit of buying the freshest ingredients and creating dishes will eventually provide you with a fistful of favorite recipes, and you will begin to look at a motley collection of vegetables and see, instead, a salad, side dish, soup, or other tasty combination.

The mint was added when I looked out the window and saw that my pot of mint had started to sprout.

This recipe makes a very light slaw with a delicate tarragon and mint flavor. It's a good accompaniment to a substantial main dish. If you'd like the slaw to be heartier, stir in a tablespoon of Dijon, an extra tablespoon of olive oil, and a little honey. You can also use the creamy dressing from this salad (adjust amounts to suit the volume of your greens) or go Oriental by adding fresh ginger and garlic.

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SLAW OF COLES WITH TARRAGON AND MINT

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
A grind of pepper

2 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups sliced arugula
1 bunch sliced radishes
1 tablespoon chopped mint
1 tablespoon chopped tarragon

Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper thoroughly in a large bowl. Toss in the coles and herbs and mix well. Refrigerate for an hour or so before serving.

Makes 6 hearty servings.

Asparagus, Tarragon and Chive Quinoa

Today's e-mail from the farmer saying ANOTHER bonus box was coming tomorrow with TEN POUNDS of asparagus in it was all it took to send me scurrying to the fridge to gather up all the asparagus I had left from the other boxes. Trimmed, it was almost exactly a pound, and the chives and tarragon in the garden have been producing nicely, so I doctored up this dish to accommodate them.

The chive blossoms, which are an advantage of having a clump of chives in your garden, dressed up this dish but aren't required!
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ASPARAGUS, TARRAGON AND CHIVE QUINOA
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks, originally from the book My Favorite Ingredients by Skye Gyngell

1 pound trimmed CSA asparagus
olive oil

2 cups dry quinoa, well rinsed and drained (Costco sells huge bags of organic quinoa)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Dressing:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon (or to taste) Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup fresh chives, chopped
1/3 cup fresh tarragon, chopped
Chive blossoms if you have 'em

About 1/4 cup toasted and chopped almonds

Put quinoa, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 3 cups water into a medium-size pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes or until little curls that look like sprouts start forming on the grains. Remove from heat. If there's still water left, drain off as best you can and let the quinoa sit, covered, to soak up the little water you couldn't get out.

Cut the trimmed asparagus into 1-inch segments and saute them in a splash of olive oil in a large skillet for about 10 minutes. Add a little water and cover to cook for just a few minutes or until tender-crisp. Watch carefully; you want to asparagus to stay bright green. When it's ready, remove from heat and set aside.

Whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl 'til smooth. Taste for heat and spiciness! This will vary tremendously depending on what chili sauce you use. This dish can take a lot, but do monitor and adjust at this point.

Toss the asparagus pieces into the quinoa pot and mix. Stir in the chives and tarragon. Pour the dressing over, stir well, and pile the mixture into a serving bowl. Top with the almonds and chive blossoms and serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6-8.

Sassy Slaw of Fresh Spring Greens

As tired as I was from a busy day today, the selection of greenery in today's box drew me inexorably to make this crunchy slaw from a British magazine. Once again, the Brits score a hit with a basic dish lifted to sublime heights of earthiness. A bit sweet, a bit tangy, entirely different from typical mayo-laden slaws.

For fun, I've left in the British units of measurement. It was an extra job weighing things to make the conversion, but worth it, I think.

And yes, if you're the one writing the blog, you CAN uses phrases like "sublime heights of earthiness." I write 'em like I taste 'em.

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SASSY SLAW OF FRESH SPRING GREENS
Adapted from British Country Homes magazine

200g CSA greens (I used a mixture of kale, spinach and chard), washed, thick stems removed, and sliced (about 8 cups)
225g cabbage, sliced fine or shredded (about 2 cups)
1 bunch CSA spring onions, trimmed and chopped
1 medium apple, cored and diced
15g CSA parsley, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
150g dates (chopped) or plumped raisins (about 1/2 cup)
150g walnut pieces (about 1/2 cup)

4 tablespoons cream or sour cream
150ml walnut oil or canola oil (that's over half a cup, but I used 1/4 cup with great results)
4 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
A few grinds of black pepper

Whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. In a large bowl, combine all the salad ingredients except the walnuts. Stir the dressing in throughly. Serve with walnuts to sprinkle on top. If you mix the walnuts in, they'll go soft if you have leftovers.

Makes 8 or so servings, but it's really good, so seconds will be taken!

Asparagus Pasta Salad with Saffron Vinaigrette

Let true Spring begin ... asparagus has long been the herald of this new season, along with the first tender stalks of rhubarb. This salad was quite interesting and satisfying, and its preparation was greatly speeded by help from my Mom with chopping, tending, and chive picking chores. It only needed a small salmon fillet alongside, and some of the tender, crisp CSA radishes to make a superb meal.

Update: This salad is even better the day after it is made; the flavors are stronger throughout. If you make it ahead, wait to add the goat cheese and pine nuts on top just before serving.

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ASPARAGUS PASTA SALAD with SAFFRON VINAIGRETTE
Adapted from several online versions; original from The Taste of Summer by Diane Worthington

1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads

1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons cream (optional)

1 pound pasta (original used orzo; I used penne. Most shapes will work fine.)

1 pound (weighed after trimming) thin CSA asparagus, trimmed, and cut into segments about the same size as pasta you use

1/3 cup chopped chives; garnish with blossoms if available

4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Make vinaigrette:

Combine vinegar and saffron in small saucepan. Bring JUST to a simmer over gentle heat; remove from heat and cool.

Smash garlic clove with salt with mortar and pestle to make a paste. Place paste in large bowl with the cooled vinegar mixture, lemon juice, mustard and cream. Whisk in olive oil. Taste; if too tangy, add a bit of sweetener or more cream.

Cook pasta and asparagus:

In large pot, heat salted water to boiling and add pasta. Cook according to package directions; just before removing pasta from heat, add asparagus pieces for about 30 seconds. Drain all in a colander, make sure water is removed completely, and pour into the bowl containing the dressing.

Toss a few times, add in chives, and mix well. Let sit 30 minutes before serving, tossing occasionally. To serve, top each serving with crumbled goat cheese and toasted pine nuts. Serve warm or at room temperature. To serve leftovers, reheat gently in skillet.

Makes 6 to 8 generous servings.

Warm Balsamic Bean and Spinach Salad

To my delight, I discovered the bag of CSA spinach from last week hiding in the back of the fridge. It was as fresh and beautiful as if it had just been picked. The Coconut-Cashew Greens from Moosewood Celebrates came to mind, but then I discovered a recipe for warm bean salad with balsamic vinegar and bacon--two things that go splendidly with spinach. I am not above muscling a major ingredient into an existing recipe! A few other alterations resulted in a quite delicious main dish.

If using bacon or garlic in a dish, I like to add them near the end of cooking so the bacon has more texture and the garlic retains its fresh flavor.

I served this salad as an entree, but the recipe would work well as an accompaniment to meats if you left out the beans and upped the quantity of onion and spinach. The bay leaf adds an interesting layer of flavor under the balsamic and bacon.

Update: Despite the unassuming nature of this dish's appearance, it is very good. Second-helping-by-husband good. And leftover-for-lunch-the-next-day good. Too good not to add this update!

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WARM BALSAMIC BEAN AND SPINACH SALAD
Adapted from A New Way to Cook by Sally Schneider

4 slices (about 2 ounces) natural bacon
2 cloves garlic

1 large CSA onion, halved and sliced thinly
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
A few generous grinds of black pepper

12 ounces or so CSA spinach leaves, washed, with large stems removed

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 bay leaves

3 cups cooked beans (I used the CSA nine-bean mix I cooked and froze earlier)

Peel and chop the garlic finely. Place in small dish. In large skillet, fry bacon pieces until crisp. Remove to bacon pieces to small dish with the garlic.

To same skillet, add onion, crushed red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Saute onions for about 10 minutes or until they soften and start to turn golden.

Add spinach, stir well, and cover. Cook for five minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted.

Add balsamic vinegar, 3 tablespoons water, bay leaves, and beans. Stir, and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in bacon and garlic and heat through.

Makes four generous servings.

Warm and Tangy Potato Salad

What I was going for here was that deeply satisfying texture and taste, both tangy and mellow, that evokes Bavaria and has you looking around for a stein of beer and longing for an accordian player to stroll by playing a polka. I think I succeeded.

Stir in chopped, fried natural bacon if that's your thing. Grainy mustard is nice, but Dijon works fine. Don't have parsley? Other greenery would work. I imagine the hardy inventors of this salad, hunched over their simmering potato pots, just used what they had on hand.

Natural sausages served with hot sauerkraut from a jar are all you need with this salad for a great meal. And maybe some applesauce.

This recipe is the product of countless musings through the years over endless recipes for German potato salad, of which there are as many versions as there are Moms and Grandmas, with modern tweakings by offspring who blog about their supposed improvements to the original. Oops. Guess that's me ...

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WARM AND TANGY POTATO SALAD

5 medium CSA russet potatoes (about 3 pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar or agave syrup
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion, diced (about 2 cups)

1/2 cup chopped CSA parsley
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)

Peel potatoes and toss with olive oil to coat. Roast at 350 degrees for an hour or so or until potatoes are cooked but not falling apart.

In small bowl, mix vinegar, sugar, mustard and salt.

While potatoes are roasting, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in medium skillet. Add chopped red onion and saute for a few minutes, then add vinegar mixture and cook for a few minutes until heated. Don't let the onions get soft; they should be slightly firm.

Slice potatoes in 1/4-inch slices (or dice or chunk them) into a mixing bowl. Pour onion/dressing mixture over, and stir to coat potatoes. Stir in parsley and capers, and let sit for 15 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, so the dressing can absorb. Serve warm, sprinkled with optional smoked paprika.