Summer.

Hi friends. Just checking in with you to let you know that I will be taking a short break to move, put up a summer festival, and settle into our new home in Lynchburg, VA. I am so excited to finally be a permanent member of the community, and I can't wait to meet new growers and make new delicious food. Hopefully I will find some moments to myself during the summer to post once or twice, then I will be back in fall with a hunger for some veggies and the unexplainable need to photograph them.

Be back soon. :)

It's Asparagus Season - AHHHHH.

Spring is here, people! And when I say "here," I mean everywhere. In the past few weeks, I have checked out produce in Florida, North Carolina, New York, and Virginia - and I can say with certainty, Spring has sprung!

Why is this a big deal? Tank tops? NO! Spring vegetables! Asparagus! Peas! Leeks! Peppers! Avocados! Fennel! Bah!!!!! My enthusiasm is insane, but I can't help it. For the next few weeks, farmer's markets across the country are going to be filled with one delicious surprise after another. After the consistent kale and acorn squash of winter, everything will be new and exciting. So I urge you to get out there and see what your farmers have to offer.

 If you have not stopped reading this blog post due to the excessive use of exclamation points, you should read my latest article about Asparagus in The Burg. What a delicious writing process this was. If you have read previous posts of mine, you may recognize these recipes, as they are new takes on old favorites.

But what IS new is this recipe for Roasted Asparagus with Poached Egg & Parmesan. I am not even sure you can call this a recipe. I did a quick Google search, and confirmed the fact that thousands of people have made this before. But I chose to share it with you on the off chance you have not encountered this miracle combination because it is SO FREAKING DELICIOUS. I can brag on it because I did not invent it, but I certainly did eat it 4-5 times this week and take a pretty picture of it. The salty, lemony flavor of the asparagus dressed in the rich creamy egg and nutty parmesan is a winner. I give it a 10.

Try it, and then, try my Sauteed Asparagus Bruschetta with Crispy Shallots and Lemony Orzo salad with Asparagus & Spring Herbs as well.

Roasted Asparagus with Poached Egg & Parmesan
Ingredients
1 lb asparagus, ends trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt & pepper
1/2 lemon
2 eggs (preferably local)
parmigiano reggiano

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 450. On large baking sheet, toss asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast asparagus is tender but not mushy, and edges are brown. Remove and dress with lemon juice.
2. Poach eggs, keeping the yolk runny.
3. Plate asparagus, and carefully top with poached eggs. Season with a little salt and pepper. Grate some fresh parmesan on the top. Break yolk directly before eating every single bite.

Enjoy and Happy Spring!
Ashley

Video Post - Red Bell Pepper Prep

Hi friends! Today is an exciting day. I just made my FIRST EVER video blog and am so excited to share it with you. In anticipation of a recipe I will post later this week that includes diced red bell pepper, I made this technique video showing how I cut peppers.

Big thanks to my husband, Geoffrey, for his camera work, and my dog, Tommy, for keeping quiet long enough to make this happen.

I hope you guys enjoy it. Click on the YouTube link to see the video in full screen. More to come in the future. Anything you want to see?

St. Paddy's Day. Skip the corned beef - hit the cabbage hard.

In honor of today's holiday, I am reposting a recipe I originally developed for The Burg. Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish of mashed potatoes and cabbage - how much more satisfying can you get? My version is a bit different, using Savoy cabbage that is browned for a more meaty flavor.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Colcannon
Ingredients:
1 ½ pounds red potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
Sea salt
½ head Savoy cabbage, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons butter
½ onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup vegetable stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
Flat-leaf parsley to garnish (optional)

Directions:
1. Put your potatoes in large pot and cover with water. Salt heavily. As Mario Batali says, your cooking water should taste “of the sea.” Heat to boiling, and cook until potatoes are fork-tender. Drain and mash to desired texture.

2. While potatoes are boiling, heat butter over medium-high in large, high-sided skillet. Cook onions for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Add cabbage and black pepper; sauté until edges are brown and a little crispy, stirring occasionally. Add wine and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.

3. Add mashed potatoes, vegetable stock and olive oil to cabbage mixture. Combine thoroughly, taste for seasoning, and add salt if needed. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.

Swiss Chard Paninis, A New Book, and Why You Should Boil Stuff.

I have been reading the book Everlasting Grace: Cooking with Economy and Grace by Tamar Adler. Adler trained under Alice Waters at Chez Panisse. Those of you that are not familiar with Alice Waters, she sort of pioneered the whole farm-to-table movement. She did it before it was cool, and since then has been helping to promote local, sustainable cuisine with a number of different projects. Most notabley, her Edible Schoolyard project brings agrictultural education into the classroom, and I think it's fantastic.

One of her many prodigies, Adler writes about vegetables in a way I can only aspire to. In her book, she promotes simplicity and quality ingredients over all. One of her favorite ways to prepare many foods is to simply boil it to its perfect point. Boiling? I haven't boiled a vegetable since I was served mushy, tasteless broccoli in my youth. Why would I do that when I can roast? Saute? She notes that it had become a bit out of fashion to do so, but explains that when done correctly, boiling can enhance the natural flavor and texture of the vegetable yet allow it to be itself.

So while reading this book, I have started to boil all my vegetables. I have enjoyed the simplicity of this, and most of all, I have enjoyed using one pot to do a day's worth of cooking. I don't even change the water. As she suggests, I just make sure I cook the starchiest last, and in doing so, I flavor the cooking water itself.

I have found most success with this cooking method in the use of greens. I boil them in salted water for about 1 minute and then drain thoroughly to prevent overcooking. Then, I drizzle them lightly (or heavily depending on my mood) in good olive oil, salt and pepper. If I want something more naughty, I grate some Parmesan over top. Then I am done. I love this on toast as significant snack or even a light lunch. I don't have a source for local, free range eggs, but if I did, I might be tempted to poach an egg over this concoction for a complete meal.

I encourage you to do two things. First, read this book. It is beautiful, and written in a way that few cookbooks are: as a narrative. The stories, recipes, and techniques are intertwined to weave a tail of taste and texture.

Second, revisit the saucepan and dare to boil your food. You may be surprised, as I have been, what you can create.

Below is my recipe for a quick weeknight dinner: Swiss Chard Paninis. Again, I am satisfied with the greens themselves on some toast, but if you are looking for something with a little more delicious goodness, this is a great use of those lightly cooked vegetables. I have a panini press, but if you don't, just throw your sandwich in a skillet on medium and place something heavy on top of it (a cast iron skillet works) until golden brown, then flip. Enjoy!

Swiss Chard Paninis
Serves 2

Ingredients
1 large baguette (Publix's Italian 5-grain is ideal)
3-4 oz goat cheese
1 lb Swiss Chard, boiled and drained
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
olive oil
salt & pepper

Instructions
1. Cut baguette into two equal halves. Slice each in half horizontally to create a top and bottom for your sandwich.
2. Spread the bottom half of the bread with goat cheese. On top of that, place a thick layer of boiled swiss chard, then sliced tomato. Season tomatoes liberally with salt and pepper.
3. Drizzle olive oil on the inside of the top half of the baguette and put sandwich together. Press slightly.
4. Grill in panini maker or skillet for 4-6 minutes. Serve hot.

Quick Winter Salad

Looking for something light and fresh, and determined not to hit the grocery store, I threw together this mostly raw salad for lunch today. A delicious combination of local butter lettuce and broccoli stems along with shaved fennel, blanched asparagus tips dressed in a whole lot of fruity olive oil and shaved parmesan - it was just what I needed. A splash of lemon juice, salt and pepper,  and some chopped parsley made it complete. Try it when you want something super healthy yet still satisfying.

Broccoli - Give it a makeover

My new Burg article on Broccoli talks about some ways to makeover that familiar green vegetable. It also spends 3 entire paragraphs discussing roasting, because roasted broccoli is god's gift to our dinner table.

Check out my recipes for Roasted Broccoli with Garlic, Lemon & Feta as well as a great way to use those stalks - Broccoli Stems with Pecorino Romano!

View the article here.

Vegan Super Bowl #1

It's time for the Super Bowl, an annual event that I anticipate about as much as Flag Day. I know, what kind of American am I? Well, as someone who doesn't really get into football, and with the halftime shows of the past few years turning out to be giant, multi-million dollar train wrecks, there is not much to look forward to.

But this year, I am excited. As I do with most holidays and events, I am using this as an excuse to make delicious vegan food.

I polled many of you to determine what you like to eat on Super Bowl Sunday, and the answers were as follows: wings, chili, nachos, WINGS, bean dip, buffalo dip, Mexican dip, onion dip, rotel dip, and some WINGS to wash it all down. Now, I'm not hatin' on this food. In my pre-veggie days, I took down some rotel dip like it was my job. But now, I would rather make some vegan alternatives to these, so I feel less like a linebacker at the end of the day, and more like a running back. See how I made a football analogy there?

So, what kind of vegan goodies can you make? Well the good news is, some of the classic staples are already vegan. Salsa, guac, hummus - these dips are actually some of the healthiest super bowl snacks you can throw on your table. OK yes, if you eat an entire bowl of guacamole yourself, that may not be the best thing for you. But i am talking normal human portions here.

My favorite Super Bowl food is chili. Who doesn't love it? It is super easy to make, cheap, healthy, and can feed a whole crowd. Plus, your guests can customize theirs with a bunch of yummy toppings. If chili is your plan for tomorrow, try my Spicy Vegetarian Chili.

What I did today was a little less than healthy, but I needed to respond to all the calls for WINGS WINGS WINGS. I was actually not that big of a wing fan even before I went veg, but did always love a good buffalo chicken sandwich. So today, I went for the whole wing experience in a slider. These Buffalo Tofu Sliders will satisfy that buffalo wing craving, no problem. They are also super messy, and will end up all over your face, hands, and clothes, just like wings.

What I like about sliders is that they are manageable. They are gone in 4 bites, which allows you to enjoy it without committing to an entire burger. I don't like to commit to just one thing at a party, when there is so much good food to be had.

Although it would undoubtedly be easier to use store-bought chicken nuggets as the base for this sandwich as opposed to tofu, I have this rule. If a veggie food is over $4, I don't buy it. Ok so I do buy things like nutritional yeast, and maple syrup, which are both expensive - but those are ingredients. I will not buy a $5 box of "chicken" nuggets. I also patently refuse to buy a $6 bag of Daiya cheese. Yes it tastes good. But not $6 good. The vegan sour cream I use in the creamy dressing - $3. This "rule" is obviously subjective, but it works for me and my budget.

The good news is that freezing and then thawing tofu gives it a chewy texture that makes this sandwich much more like the real thing. It is an optional step, and I know it takes some planning. But it really does make the difference between "yeah this is yummy tofu" and "holy shit what IS THIS." I am going for the latter.

I know this recipe takes a bit of work, but if you want a vegan sandwich that will blow your friends out of the water, or you just want something all for your vegan self tomorrow, make it. You will be so happy that you did.

This sandwich is also fantastic as a wrap, so through it in a tortilla if you are feeling frisky. Also, if you want to make this sandwich without going full vegan, replace the creamy dressing with your favorite blue cheese dressing. 

Enjoy!

Buffalo Tofu Sliders
Makes 6-8

Sandwich Ingredients
1 block extra firm tofu
3/4 cup mild hot sauce (like texas pete or crystal)
2 tablespoons Earth Balance butter
1/2 cup corn starch
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
canola oil for frying

8 white or whole wheat dinner rolls split in half

2 carrots, shredded
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1/4 head iceburg lettuce, finely shredded

Dressing Ingredients
1/4 cup vegan sour cream
1/4 cup vegan mayo
2 scallions, finely diced
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions
1. Drain tofu, squeezing out any excess water. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze overnight.
2. Remove tofu from freezer and let thaw for at least 5 hours. (this is best to do first thing in the morning).
3. In small bowl, mix dressing ingredients thoroughly. Refrigerate until use.
4. When tofu is completely thawed, squeeze out as much water as possible. Tofu should have a spongy consistency now. Cut into small cubes.
4. Add canola oil to high-sided skillet and heat over medium high. There should be enough to liberally cover the bottom.
5. In a shallow bowl, mix corn starch, garlic powder, and salt. Dredge tofu in the mixture, shake off the excess breading, then place in hot skillet. Fry until golden brown and crispy on all sides, turning with tongs occasionally.
6. Meanwhile, in small bowl, heat butter and hot sauce in microwave until hot.
7. When tofu is done, toss in hot sauce mixture. Let sit for only 1 minute. You want the tofu to soak up the sauce, but you also want to retain its crispiness.
8. On each dinner roll, place some buffalo tofu, celery, carrots, and lettuce. Top with a spoonful of creamy dressing and serve!

KALE salad

Hello friends.

Last summer, I had this amazing grilled kale salad at Candle 79 in New York. It had beluga lentils, green beans, sunflower seeds, avocado, and a bunch of other things I don't remember. It was so very awesome, in the way that salads rarely are.

I stopped by Whole Foods in Jacksonville the other day and saw some beautiful black kale, and decided that I should try to recreate that delicious meal. Black kale, much like dinosaur or lacinato kale, is much more tender than the curly kale sold at most supermarkets. It can be eaten raw, and if cooked, needs only to be heated for 1-2 minutes for optimal texture.

When I got home, I discovered some green beans from my CSA so I figured I would use what I already had at home to do the best I could. The result is pretty damn tasty, although I will not even try to say it lives up to the Candle version. Maybe if I grilled the kale, used some lentils, and then remembered the rest of the ingredients, I would have been closer.

Regardless, this is mighty good. And vegan. Enjoy.

(oh yeah I and I forgot to measure so just go with it and see what you get)

RECIPE
Blanch a handful diced green beans in boiling water for 2 minutes. Add a handful of shredded black kale and cook for one more minutes. Drain thoroughly. Toss in large bowl with diced avocado, sunflower seeds, minced garlic, dijon mustard, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, agave or honey, salt and pepper. Serve (or eat, in my case) immediately. 

Pretty Veggies.

Beautiful delivery from my CSA today...

Burg Article - Savoy Cabbage

Check out my new Burg article on Savoy Cabbage, including recipes for Spicy Sauteed Cabbage and Colcannon.

Click here to view the article. 

Greek Coleslaw is so 2012

Happy New Year! I hope you have all had a lovely, productive, positive start to 2012. I just recently got back to Florida and have been settling back into our home as well as my kitchen. It is always great to cook in my own kitchen after some time away. Even though it is tiny and I sometimes wonder if it was made for a child, it is still nice to get back. Actually, not having to move to reach any single tool in my kitchen does have its perks.

This week, I have been working on a new Burg article about Savoy cabbage, and ended up loving it so much that I had too many recipes to fit into the article. Although I have always been a cabbage fan (coleslaw, sauteed red cabbage, cabbage soup), I had never really worked with Savoy, which had now mad my list of top 10 winter vegetables. That might not sound like a prominent place to be, but that list includes parsnips, brussels sprouts, celery root, butternut squash - vegetables that I love with an unnatural passion. For those of you who equate cabbage to "bunny food" and "blah," I challenge you to try some Savoy.  Just saute with a little onion, salt and pepper with olive oil until brown on the edges. That is all that needs to be done to make it taste completely delicious.

The article comes our next week, but until then, I give you Greek Coleslaw. A couple years ago, my mother-in-law made something like this and I thought it was awesome. It's bright, crunchy, and keeps for up to a week which I love. It is the kind of think I made on a Sunday and keep in my fridge all year long.

The recipe below uses feta, but feel free to omit the feta to keep it vegan. You can also add a tablespoon of vegan mayo to keep the richness.

Enjoy!



Greek Coleslaw
Serves 4-6 

Ingredients

1/2 Savoy cabbage, finely shredded
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 small handful chopped fresh oregano
1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives
2 oz good feta cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine or cider vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon black pepper
pinch sugar

Instructions
Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl thoroughly. Let sit in refrigerator for at least an hour. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Serve cold.

A Day at the Vineyard & Brown Rice Risotto

Hello, friends! Happy holidays to you all. I hope you are all enjoying a long vacation with close friends and family.

It's been too long since I posted. Although my goal is to post at least once a week, I got caught up in the end-of-the-year chaos. It happens. Aside from the usual Christmas shopping and travel-planning, the end of the semester is a busy time for college instructors (my day job). Final grades are due, and then there is the never-ending stream of emails from students who never really came to class all semester but are suddenly interested in passing. So, once the emails were ignored and the grades submitted, Geoff and I packed up our stuff and our "special needs" dog Tommy, and headed to Tallahassee for a week of Christmas festivities. 

That went by in a flash, and now we are about 600 miles north in Geoff's hometown in Central Virginia - a beautiful part of the country home to many local vineyards and breweries. If you read any of my traveling blog posts, you probably know that I have a serious love for wine, and lately my husband has gotten into it at a much higher level than myself. So, the fact that his parents live in a town surrounded by lots local vineyards is pretty freaking cool. 

I also love that we get to spend our summers here (we run a summer theatre festival) because it allows me to take advantage of the amazing Virginia produce.

OK love note to Virginia section is now officially over. <3

This week, we were fortunate enough to spend the afternoon at Ankida Ridge Vineyards, the newest local vineyard in Amherst County. We met the owners, Christine Vrooman and her son, Nathan, last summer when we invited them to pour their newly bottled wine at our outdoor production of Twelfth Night. We later found out that this event would be their public debut, which made us feel super special. Their wine was a hit with the audience, and more importantly (well to me, anyway), I loved it. 

They are currently selling two varietals, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, which are not necessarily considered to be the norm in Central Virginia. Almost all of the vineyards in the area focus on sweeter wines - Viognier, Gewurztraminer, Rosé . The reds tend to either be Cabernet Franc (not my fav) or a some sort of blend that includes Cab Franc. Ankida is doing things their way, and I like it. They have already been given rave reviews by a number of wine enthusiasts, including Dave MnIntyre of The Washington Post. In other words, they are makin' it happen.

Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Savignon, and Chardonnary fermented in french oak barrels

2010 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir ready for tasting

On Wednesday, we drove the windy mountain roads up to their tucked-away winery. It is a beautiful location, even in the dead of winter. I can only imagine what it must look like in the fall.

The view from the vineyard

Young Chardonnay planted in rows

Christine and Nathan walked us through their process, from growing and picking the grapes, to fermenting and bottling. It was informative and super interesting, and it didn't hurt that we were able to taste some wine while we were there. Also, they had cheese. I love cheese. 

Christine. She knows her wine.

Geoff and his parents. It's a very serious moment.

Geoff smelling the Cabernet as it ferments

Cheese.

Cab Franc made with grapes from Donald Trump's vineyard

We left there with some bottles of chardonnay, so I decided that a creamy risotto would make a perfect pairing to the crisp, dry white wine. 

Before I move on to the recipe for today, a quick disclaimer. Risotto purists, stop reading now. I do not stir this risotto constantly, I do not add the broth a thumb-full at a time, and I use BROWN RICE. I know, it's a crime. But I like it, and it's healthier, so deal with it. 

Risotto can be made with a number of different vegetables and protein, but I went with what I already had in the refrigerator. A big, sturdy head of winter radicchio added a pop of color and a lot of flavor, and topping it all with a poached egg made it a meal. Although I don't usually eat eggs, I have been reading one of my new Christmas books, An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler. She worked with Alice Waters for years, and writes her book more as a narrative than a series of recipes. She, like Alice, promotes simple, local, seasonal food, and somehow she makes a poached, local egg sounds absolutely delicious. I still have no desire to eat a factory farmed, genetically modified egg, but a local brown egg from Horse and Buggy Produce with a bight golden yolk will do just fine.

Enjoy this risotto as a main dish with a small green salad, and feel free to top it with whatever protein you have on hand.

Brown Rice Risotto with Radicchio & Poached Egg

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups short-grain brown rice

1 small head radicchio, minced

3/4 cups dry white wine

6 cups vegetable broth

1 cup grated parmesan cheese (good quality)

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
black pepper

4 teaspoons white vinegar

4 local free-range eggs

Instructions

1. In saucepan, heat vegetable stock to slow boil.

2. In large, wide-sided skillet, heat oil and butter over medium. Add onions, saute for 3 minutes. Add garlic and radicchio, saute for 3-4 more minutes. Add brown rice, stir to combine, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until rice starts to toast - about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in wine and cook until liquid has evaporated.

4. Stir in 4 cups vegetable stock, cover, and let cook for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring frequently. When liquid as evaporated, and rice is still chewy, add more broth. Continue to do this until rice is soft. If 6 cups of broth is not enough, begin to add hot water.

5. When rice is almost done, boil water and vinegar in a saucepan and poach eggs for 3 minutes.

6. Season the risotto liberally with black pepper, and taste. Depending on the broth, you may not need to add salt, but adjust as needed. Add parmesan and parsley to risotto and stir to combine. Pour into individual serving dishes, top with a poached egg, a garnish with a sprig of parsley or additional grated parmesan.

New Burg Article - Chestnuts!

Check out my latest Burg article on chestnuts. Includes chestnut history, a how-to guide (roasting on an open fire may not be the best idea), and yummy recipes for Linguini with Chestnuts, Porcinis, and Marscapone  - perfect holiday meal for entertaining a small group.

Click here to read my article on The Burg website. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

New Burg Article: Tasty Turnips!

My article in The Burg this week focused on the tasty turnip. Not a common vegetable on American tables, but one that deserves a second look. Check out my recipes for Black-Eyed Pea Cakes with Turnip Remoulade & Creamy Turnips with Horseradish. 

Read the article here.