Pickled Chioggia Beets

Ingredients

• 1 bunch (4 or 5) beets
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• Salt and pepper

Pickled Tomatillos

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed, cut into quarters or eighths (about 10 cups)
• 6 whole habanero peppers
• 3-6 whole large cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 tablespoon cumin seed
• 3 cups distilled white vinegar or cider vinegar
• 3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Preparation

1. Divide tomatillos among 6 pint-size (2-cup) canning jars or similar-size tempered-glass or heatproof-plastic containers with lids. Divide the habaneros, garlic slices and cumin seed evenly among the jars.
2. Combine vinegar, 3 cups water, salt and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until the salt and sugar dissolve. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. Carefully fill jars (or containers) with brine to within 1/2 inch of the rim, covering the tomatillos completely. (Discard any leftover brine.)
4. Place the lids on the jars (or containers). Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/pickled_tomatillos.html

Caramelized onions have an incredibly rich flavor and a texture that just melts in your mouth.  Properly caramelizing onions is a very long process, but the result is completely worth it.  The allspice berries give the onions a nice aroma and slight floweriness.

Caramelized Onion Crostini

Ingredients

• 2 pounds onions, sliced into rings
• 2 tablespoons + 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 allspice berries
• 1 baguette, sliced diagonally into 1/4-inch thick pieces
• 1 roll chevre goat cheese

Preparation

1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pan.  Once it is hot, add the onions, but do not have them more than half an inch thick – you can add more as the onions cook down.  Reduce the heat to medium, add the salt, and let the onions reduce.  Continue to add sliced raw onions in batches until all are reduced.
2. Add the allspice berries, reduce heat to very low, and continue cooking, stirring often, until the onions are caramelized.  This will take 40 minutes to 1 hour.  Remember to keep the heat low and be patient.  Remove allspice berries once onions are finished cooking.
3. While the onions are cooking, lay the sliced baguette onto a baking sheet.  Use a brush to lightly coat the top of each piece with the remaining olive oil.  Toast in an oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
4. Once the onions and bread are finished, put a small amount of caramelized onion on each piece of toast.  Put a small piece of chevre on top of each crostini.  Place back in oven for about 5 minutes.  Let cool slightly, then serve.

Baked Eggplants

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh eggplant, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch thick slices
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 cup flour
• 2 cups Japanese breadcrumbs (like Panko)
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon salt
• Olive oil cooking spray

Preparation

1. Liberally coat a baking sheet with olive oil spray and set aside.
2. Fill three separate pie tins or other shallow dishes with the milk, flour, and bread crumbs.
3. Add oregano and salt to the breadcrumbs and combine.
4. Dredge each eggplant slice in the flour, milk, and breadcrumbs then place them on the baking sheet.
5. Coat all of the breaded eggplant slices  liberally with the olive oil spray and place in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Amaranth, generally grown for its superfood-quality seeds, also produces delicate and delicious edible greens.  Amaranth greens, with their colorful leaves containing dashes of phytonutrient-rich purple and red are also quite healthy, and they’re attractive to boot.  These greens can be used as a substitute for spinach in many cooked dishes or raw salads.  This recipe keeps it simple and is a nice easy introduction for those who are new to amaranth greens.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 bunch amaranth greens, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy pan.
2. Once the oil is hot and moves freely around the pan, add the diced garlic.  Saute for about 30 seconds.
3. Add the amaranth greens and stir frequently until they are wilted, about 4 minutes.
4. Add the balsamic vinegar and red pepper flakes, tossing the greens a few more times to distribute the vinegar and pepper.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Remove the cooked greens from heat and serve immediately.

Shishito peppers are a Japanese variety of small chilis.  Though generally not spicy, every once in a while you might get one that has a touch of heat to it.  Shishito peppers have somewhat thin flesh and very thin skin, and their taste has a delicate bitterness to it.  In Austin, you can get wonderful shishito peppers from Johnson’s Backyard Garden during the late spring/early summer.  Try this super simple recipe as an appetizer or quick snack!

Blistered and Marinated Shishito Peppers

Ingredients

• 12-15 shishito peppers, whole with stems attached
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 1/2 tablespoons light [gluten-free] soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon Japanese rice vinegar
• Pinch of salt

Preparation

1. Wash the shishito peppers in warm water, and then pat completely dry with a towel.
2. In a large, heavy pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat.
3. While the oil is heating, mix the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, soy sauce, water, vinegar, and salt in a shallow bowl.
4. Once the oil is very hot and moves freely around the bottom of the pan, throw in the peppers.  Make sure to not crowd the pan – you only want a single layer of peppers (you can make additional batch if necessary).
5. Let the peppers cook, without stirring, for about 1 minute. Stir quickly to move the peppers to an uncooked side, then let cook another minute.  Continue cooking, stirring continuously for another two minutes.  The skin of the peppers should be blistered and brown.
6. Remove the peppers and place directly in the marinade.  Let sit for about 5 minutes, then serve!

Variation:  Instead of using the marinade, you can just remove the blistered peppers to a small serving dish and sprinkle with coarse salt.

In Texas there is a narrow window of overlap between the last of the spring fennel and the beginning fresh fig availability. Make the most of this limited season with a vegetarian variation on a classic French dish.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of fennel bulbs, trimmed and sliced in to 1/2 inch thick strips
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1/4 pound fresh figs, halved
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Crostini are wonderful little appetizers. These use slices of baked tomatoes which are extremely flavorful.

Tomato and Feta Crostini

Ingredients

• 1 baguette, cut into quarter-inch thick rounds
• 2 pounds roma tomatoes, cut into quarter-inch thick slices
• Salt
• Few fresh sprigs rosemary
• 4 ounces feta cheese, cut or crumbled into small pieces
• Olive oil
• Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Place roma tomatoes into a deep baking dish or two.  Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil and lightly salt. Bake for one hour.  Ideally the tomatoes will have some slight carbonizing on their bottoms.  Use a stiff spatula to scrape the tomatoes from the pan(s), being careful to keep them relatively intact.
2. Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Place baguette rounds on a baking sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes.  Remove from oven, keeping the toasted baguette pieces on the baking sheet, then drizzle (or spray) lightly with olive oil.
3. After the tomatoes and baguettes have finished, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a small pan on high heat.  Quickly fry the rosemary in the hot oil, about 30 seconds.  Remove rosemary and place on a paper towel to soak up excess oil.  You can save the excess oil, now flavored with rosemary, for another dish.
4. Place baked tomato slices on toasted baguette rounds.  Add a few of the fried rosemary leaves to each crostini.  Top each with a small amount of feta and season with ground black pepper.
5. Set oven to high broil.  Broil the crostini on the top rack of the oven for three minutes.

These quick radish and cipollini onion pickles can be served with a variety of dishes to add a touch of acidity and sweetness.

Quick Radish and Cipollini Pickles

Ingredients

• 16 cipollini onions, tops and bottoms removed, skinned
• 12 red radishes, stems and tails removed, cut in half
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into large matchsticks
• 2 cups water, salted slightly
• 3/4 cup white vinegar
• 15 black peppercorns, crushed slightly
• 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Preparation

1. Bring the salted water to boil. Add the onions, radishes, and carrot, and let boil for 4 minutes. Drain and place vegetables into a shallow non-reactive bowl.
2. In a small non-reactive saucepan, heat the vinegar, peppercorns, sugar, salt, and cayenne over medium heat until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
3. Pour the vinegar mixture over the boiled vegetables.  Let cool, then chill slightly before serving.

Store in a sealed glass container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Almost every Sunday I make a giant crock pot full of beans and throughout the week James and I eat some for lunch, add them to dinner, and otherwise transform and include them in our food. They are cheap, nutritious, and delicious. Most of the time our beans don’t make it to the end of the week because at some point I get a hankering for refried beans. Refriend beans are a Tex-Mex staple and also a flavorful way to get a whole heaping of plant-based protein and plenty of fiber.

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked black beans, drained
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot and saute onions until translucent over high heat. Lower heat to medium and add garlic and cumin. Continue to saute for 2 minutes stirring frequently to prevent burning.
2. Add beans and mash thoroughly with a potato masher, pastry cutter, or a sturdy fork.
3. Once the beans are a more or less uniform texture, add the broth, stirring to incorporate.
4. Season with salt to taste and serve or use as directed.