Tag Archives: tomatoes

Farro and Eggs

08 Friday Nov 2013

Posted by in gluten-free, Side dish

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Love:

This time of year when the days are shorter and getting colder all I want to do is cuddle on the couch with my sweetie and our fury children with a bowl of comfort, this Farro and Eggs is perfect for that. This is a one pot dish that can be eaten anytime of the day and requires minimal ingredients but is big on flavor. With the holidays just around the corner we all need a few dishes up our sleeves that are easy to throw together and will please just about anyone. I don’t know about you but we will be busting at the seams in December with guests and I can’t wait to dazzle my friends and family with this one, ENJOY!

Food:

Farro and Eggs– serves 4 as a side, 2 as a hearty main

1/2-1 c. water (it depends on how much liquid is in your tomato jar)

1 cup semi-pearled farro (I find my farro at Caputo’s Market) (if you have time I suggest you soak your farro for 1-4 hours)

1/2-1 large onion, sliced in half and then in half-moon slices (I used a whole onion)

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 quart size jar of canned tomatoes (I used home canned, you can use any you like)

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher or coarse sea salt

1 tsp. fennel blossom (Caputo’s Market, this is optional)

Up to 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

Few basil leaves or fresh parsley, chopped

4 organic eggs (I love Clifford eggs)

Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

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Directions:

1. Drain farro and rinse. Place your favorite pot on the stove, add farro, tomatoes, onions, garlic, 1 T. olive oil and spices and 1/2c. water. Turn heat on and bring to a boil, when the pot begins to boil turn heat down to medium low and let it simmer away stirring a few times. Set the timer for 25 min.

2. When the timer goes off check the liquid, if you think it needs more add another 1/2c., next crack the eggs on top of the farro and season just a bit with salt and pepper. Place the lid on the pot and let  it all cook another 5 min or until the whites off the eggs are set and the yolk still look sunny side up! If you don’t like runny yolks cook for another few minutes until they are set.

3. Pull the pot off the heat and garnish with fresh herbs and extra olive oil, serve IMMEDIATELY!

Kindly adapted from Smitten Kitchen who adapted it from Martha Stewart

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Nutrition:

Farro- Farro is essentially a form of Spelt. Spelt’s cultivation is thought to have begun sometime during the mid- to late Neolithic (Stone Age), 6000 to 5000 B.C.E. an area that spans parts of modern Iraq, Iran and Jordan, making this one of the earliest crops grown in the Western World! Farro is an Italian staple grain, so when buying look for Farro but know spelt can be used in its place (but not in this recipe). The texture will be different. Farro is not labeled ‘organic’ but historically has been known to have not been sprayed due to the fact that it will not survive if treated with harmful sprays. Farro/Spelt is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates, complete protein and fiber. Spelt is a good alternative for those allergic to wheat. The gluten found in Spelt is more fragile than that found in wheat, so it is more easily digested.

Why should we soak and sprout our grains?

Grains contain phytic acid, phytic acid is a substance in grains that inhibits absorption of minerals. By soaking grains phytic acid will be reduced and the minerals in the grains will be unlocked so that you can benefit from them, making the more digestible and making the vitamins and minerals more available for the body to utilize. Sprouting also neutralizes enzyme inhibitors present in all seeds. These inhibitors can neutralize our own precious enzymes in the digestive tract. Complex sugars responsible for intestinal gas are broken down during sprouting, and a potion of the starch in grain is transformed into sugar. Finally, numerous enzymes that help digestion are produced during the germination process.

 

Curried Kabocha Squash- Eat Local Challenge

11 Friday Oct 2013

Posted by in gluten-free, seasonal, Side dish

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Food:

Curried Kabocha Squash serves 6-8

Inspired by Nourishing Traditions

4 T. butter (local, Liberty Heights Fresh)

2 lbs. kabocha squash, peeled seeds removed (optional) and chopped into 1 inch pieces (farmers market)

1 large purple onion, chopped (farmers market)

1 large yellow bell pepper, chopped or minced (farmers market)

2 c. carrots, sliced (farmers market)

1-2 c. tomatoes, sliced in half (my garden)

1 chili pepper, stemmed & seeds removed (farmers market)

2 T. each ginger and garlic, minced (farmers market)

2 T. turmeric, grated (not local, I find mine at the ethnic market)

real salt

1 c. homemade veggie stock

1 1/2 c. Drake Family Farm Goat Yogurt

1 bunch cilantro, chopped (farmers market)

6-8 scallions, chopped for garnish (farmers market)

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Directions:

1. Start by melting the butter over medium heat in your favorite pot. Add the onions and some salt, saute until softened (about 8-15 min).

DSCN34182. Next add the kabocha, carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers, chili pepper, ginger, garlic, turmeric and a little bit of real salt. Mix well, then add the veggie stock and goat yogurt. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer until tender, about 30-45 min.

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3. When the squash if fork tender pull your pot off the heat and mix in cilantro and garnish with scallions. EAT!

To Serve: If you are staying true to the Eat Local Challenge serve the Curried Kabocha over sautéed greens. If not, serve over grain of choice, I like millet. Top with a dollop of yogurt!

Nutrition:

Squash- Winter squash provides carotenoids and vitamin C plus potassium and fiber, it is also higher nutritionally than summer squash. Winter squash and other deep orange veggies are especially effective in preventing lung cancer. American Indians valued the seeds of both squash and pumpkins for various aliments, but the pulp also has pharmacological properties, notably anticancer carotenoids. (Nourishing Traditions)

Love:

Kabocha squash is by far my favorite winter squash, I love their bright orange flesh and creamy texture not to mention it is so versatile. Every year at this time I stock up on them at the farmers market, if you store them in a dry cool place they will last all winter. This was the perfect one pot dish for dinner all week during the Eat Local Challenge Week if you are staying true to the challenge omit the turmeric. It is warm, comforting and easy to reheat after a long day at work and gets better over time. ENJOY!

EASY End of Summer Salsa

11 Wednesday Sep 2013

Posted by in appetizer, dips, DIY, gluten-free, seasonal, Side dish, Snack, vegan

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Food:

Easy Summer Salsa

(measurements are adjustable and not exact, trust yourself!)

1 large pint of your favorite local cherry tomatoes (I used purple cherry tomatoes from Kenyon Organics)

1/2 large onion (Farmers Market)

1 small green pepper, you could also use a jalapeno or your favorite chile (Farmers Market)

garlic (Farmers Market)

handful of cilantro (Farmers Market)

lime

Celtic salt

DSCN3254Directions:

1. You will need your food processor or blender. Cut the onion in half, peel it and chop into large pieces, add to the processor. Save the other half of the onion for another recipe. Cut the pepper or chile in half, remove seeds and cut into pieces, add to the processor. Smash and peel the garlic and add it to the processor with a large pinch of gray/Celtic salt. Pulse to break down the pieces.

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2. Next cut the cherry tomatoes in half and add then to the food processor, add the cilantro and squeeze in the lime juice. Pulse everything together until you get the desired consistency. I like mine chopped pretty fine but not completely liquid. Use your judgement and no need to worry about messing this recipe up. Taste it, does it need more salt? lime? you decide. If it is to spicy add a teaspoon of honey. Feel free to add any spices you may like.

3. You can spoon the salsa into your favorite class container and refrigerate or grab a bag of chips and start ENJOYING!

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Love:

If you give me a choice between a cookie or chips and salsa, guess which one wins? CHIPS and SALSA of course! I love salty spicy treats.

This salsa has saved my behind more than once when I have been invited to a last-minute get together and all I have to do is walk out to the garden or use what is hanging around from the farmers market. It is ridiculously easy to throw together!

I hate to call this “End of Summer Salsa” but it’s been so hot here in Salt Lake that the tomatoes are just about done in my garden. This change of season is so bitter-sweet, we suffered through an outrageously snowy winter, a short spring and a sweltering hot summer. I will miss the long nights, backyard hangouts, rained out summer weddings, early mornings at the farmers market and swinging in my hammock. Most of all I will miss the fresh local produce overflowing on my kitchen counter. I am doing everything I can to soak up the last of those summer flavors before I move on to new ones, this salsa is pure summer in a jar. Oh I’ll make salsa in the winter with my canned tomatoes but it just isn’t the same, so hurry up and whip a batch of this “End of Summer Salsa” and don’t forget the close your eyes and play back all your summer adventures with each bite. Long live summer.

Baked Ratatouille

30 Friday Aug 2013

Posted by in breakfast, gluten-free, seasonal, Side dish, vegan

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Food:

Baked Ratatouille serves 8-10

2-3 zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch chunks (gifted)

4-6 baby red potatoes, cut in quarters (Farmers Market)

6-8 baby japanese eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch chunks (gifted)

a head of garlic, chopped, if cloves are big use about 4-6 (gifted)

4-6 shallots, chopped (gifted)

a couple of chilies, your choice, chopped (I used three Thai chilies from the Farmers Market, chilies are optional)

a medium size container of your favorite cherry tomatoes, cut in half (Kenyon Organics)

2 T. olive oil

2 T. ghee, you can use regular butter or coconut oil

salt and pepper

a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme (my garden)

a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary (my garden)

parsley, chopped (my garden)

Parmesan cheese, optional (Caputo’s Market)

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Directions:

1. Pre heat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place all the chopped veggies in a your favorite baking dish. I used my big yellow one that is really deep, when I made my Gluten-free Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler it held 15 cups of fruit! So used a big baking dish.

3. Toss the veggies and season with salt and pepper. Next drizzle the olive oil over the veggies and toss again. Lastly, dollop the ghee on top of the veggies and place the thyme and rosemary on top as well.

4. Cover with foil and bake for 45 min. After that 45 minutes remove the foil toss the veggies around and bake for another 45 minutes. I know it is done when the juice from the veggies is almost covering the veggie mixture.

5. Remove from oven and let it cool just a bit and top with chopped fresh parsley and fresh grated Parmesan cheese. EAT!

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This is how we enjoyed our Baked Ratatouille…

DSCN3187The day I made the Baked Ratatouille we had it for dinner with Wild King Salmon, super delish.

DSCN3190 The next morning we had the baked Ratatouille for breakfast with poached Clifford Farm eggs and Crumb Brothers sourdough bread slathered with Amour Spreads heirloom tomato jam. Holy crap this was good!

Love:

This time of year is usually a little bitter-sweet for me, I’m completely exhausted from all of our summer fun but this is when we have the most abundance of fresh food available. Part of me wants to start easing into the laziness of fall but the beautiful summer produce reminds me to enjoy every last morsel it has to offer. So was the case last weekend, we had just got back from our annual camping trip with our friends and I was feeling under the weather but I had just been gifted a huge box of veggies from my friend Dean’s garden. Instead of spending all day in the kitchen I decided to through this dish together and let the oven do the work for me. Voila, the best of both worlds, a little laziness with a side of summer. The bonus is we got to enjoy this dish for a few other meals which comes in handy when you need a little break. Long live summer. ENJOY!

My “SLO” Salad w/Lemon Herb Tahini Dressing

03 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by in beans, dressing, gluten-free, salad, seasonal, vegan

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Love:

My husband and I recently took a trip up the California Coast for our wedding anniversary. One of our stops up highway 1 was San Luis Obispo (“SLO”), while we were there we ate at one of our favorite Cali eateries ‘The Natural Cafe’ (we think it is a California chain), it’s not a local restaurant but they have lots of veggie friendly options. I was instructed by a friend from home to try their ‘Village Salad’ which consists of romaine lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, brown rice, tofu and a little cheese. Nothing too out of the ordinary but the brown rice was my favorite part and I couldn’t wait to get home and make my own version.

This salad came together with what I had in the house and in the garden, nothing out of the ordinary, but when I posted this picture on Instagram (follow me @comsohippiechef) I got quite a few likes and thought it was worth sharing. Instead of tofu, I used crispy garbanzo beans which I started using last summer instead of croutons, definitely a favorite in our house. I also included the brown rice which is what I loved the most about the salad we ate while we were in SLO, but I was lucky to have greens from my garden as well as the flowers that were a result of my greens bolting a little to soon. The rest of the ingredients were left over from other meals. Feel free to use what you have but I do recommend that you try the brown rice and crispy garbanzo beans. I urge you to ‘slow’ down and Enjoy!

Food:

My SLO Salad– serves 2

4 c. greens of choice, divided (I used greens from my garden)

1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeds removed and diced, divided (I used one of those really long ones)

1 organic tomato, cut in quartered and diced, divide

1 lb. organic asparagus, tops only! Use the bottoms for the pasta dish I’ll be posting next.  (I roasted these in the oven with a little olive oil and salt and pepper @375 degrees for 10-15 min)

1 avocado, cut in half and sliced, half for each salad

1/2 c. cooked brown rice for each salad

1/4 c. crispy garbanzo beans for each salad (2c. fresh cooked, or canned chickpeas, toss with 2 tsp. olive oil 1/2 tsp. salt and 2 tsp. Toum (local garlic condiment)- bake 400 degrees for 30-45 min. or until cripsy)

edible flowers (if you have them), you could use sprouts instead

half a lemon

salt and pepper

Directions:

1. I start by placing the greens on the bottom of the bowl, I squeeze a little lemon over the greens and season with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.

2. Arrange the rest of the ingredients over the greens. I gave each ingredient its own space on the greens, I think it looks really pretty this way. Top with edible flowers.

3. Eat with you favorite dressing!

Lemon Herb Tahini Dressing- makes 1 c.

1/2 c. organic sesame tahini (usually by the nut butters)

1/4 c. water

1 organic lemon, zest and juice

2 T. vinegar, I used Slide Ridge Honey Wine Vinegar

2 T. organic tamari, you could use lite soy sauce or liquid amino’s

2 tsp. sesame oil

1/4 c. fresh herbs from garden (I used a combo of mint, basil, cilantro and parsley)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Put all the ingredients in the food processor or blender. Blend until well mixed. Place in the fridge. (The dressing will thicken up in the fridge, so it is best used at room temperature.)

Nutrition:

Usually during the summer I lay off this segment, I want to have more time with friends and family while the weather is good. I hope you will understand. Spending time outdoors with the ones you love eating fresh, local and seasonal food is the best nutrition!

Tabouli- Friend-ly Food

24 Wednesday Apr 2013

Posted by in beans, quinoa, salad, Side dish, vegan

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Love:

Two weeks ago my girlfriends (the TBC’s- tall bitches club) were in town. When we all lived in SLC we got together every Friday morning for ‘Coffee Tawk’ or cocktail night with the husbands and kids a few times a month. Now days that is much harder considering one of us lives in France one lives in California and two of us live here. When I found out that this little reunion was going to happen I wanted to have the girls to my place for nibbles and cocktails, and I knew exactly what was going to be on the menu, my friend Moudi and Derek’s Tabouli. Moudi and Derek are the bad asses behind Laziz Foods, they make Hummus, Muhammara and Toum (a garlic spread) and periodically Moudi will share recipes for his favorite Lebanese dishes on their Facebook page, this Tabouli is one of them. I have made it a handful of times and everyone loves it!

I don’t know about you but within my circle of friends I have friends that are vegan/vegetarian, gluten-free/Paleo and some that are just fine with anything I make. I am picky myself so I don’t mind the challenge of coming up with menu’s that appeal to everyone. The food pictured above I have served at my last two cocktail nights to some of my friends who fall under one of these labels and needless to say there was something for everyone. I have a feeling these dishes will show up a lot during the summer when we can get everything fresh at the Farmers Market. Cheers to friends and cocktail night- Enjoy!

Food:

Tabouli- recipe straight from Laziz

3 bunches of flat Italian parsley ~ roughly 5 cups of parsley leaves (packed really well)

1/2 cup of lightly packed mint leaves

1 bunch green onions (5-6 sticks)

2 medium tomatoes

1/4 cup bulgur (check the bottom of the recipe for a gluten-free alternative)

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper

Pluck the parsley leaves and discard the stems. Chop the leaves very finely, spending a good 5-7 minutes (you could use a food processor to ease the process if you are inclined).

Similarly, chop the mint leaves and green onions very finely, although the green onions may be a bit harder, and I find running them through a processor helps the process a lot.

Chop up the tomatoes very finely as well, and mix in the bowl with the parsley, mint, and green onions.

Soak the bulgur in hot water till puffed up (5 minutes), and discard of any excess water. Mix in with the salad.

Mix the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and mix well throughout.

Serve with lettuce or just eat it with a fork.

NOTE: This will not keep in the fridge with good flavor past two days, so keep the dressing aside if you must, and mix as needed.

 NOTE: for a gluten-free alternative to bulgur, cook 1/4 cup of quinoa and use instead. This does alter the taste a bit though.

Also pictured above:

Laziz Hummus drizzled with olive oil and garnished with a sprinkling of salt and pepper

Crackers with Beehive Cheese and Muhammara

Carrots

ChickPea Flatbread (new recipe for me, I love it! My TBC Kim in France shared the recipe with me)

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Nutrition:

Parsley: One of my favorite recipes using parsley

Mint: Fun Spring recipe using mint

Chickpeas: This recipe uses ground chickpeas and Laziz

Cheese: Check out these recipes using Beehive cheese

Sometimes the best nutrition is hanging with your friends.

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New Mexico Green Chili Pork Stew

25 Monday Feb 2013

Posted by in seasonal, soup, vegan

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I know this is a stark contrast from my last two blog post, but I have to say that this recipe is one I just had to share. This recipe is about memories, relationships and the love and hard work of our food community that made it possible for me to make a version of this dish I feel good about eating. I am very picky about eating meat and where that meat comes from. I prefer a vegetarian/vegan diet BUT on occasion I crave dishes that include meat, for us that meat must be local, and sustainable raised without drugs, we want happy healthy meat. When I cook with meat it is usually a special or classic dish like Perfect Roast Chicken or Grass-Fed Beef Stuffed Acorn Squash or even my Fish Tacos, this New Mexico Green Pork Chili fits into that category. The first time I had this dish was at my friend Erin and Nicole’s house for an after Christmas party two years ago, even though they had made a vegetarian Lentil Soup I was drawn to this Pork Chili, I couldn’t get enough! Those flavors were so intense and reminded me of the Chile Verde we ate as kids, up until this point my mom’s is the best Chile Verde I have ever eaten. I had to know this recipe, I begged Erin to share the recipe and teach me how to make it- she said yes. Thanks to Erin for letting me share with all of you.

Fast forward a year. Just before Christmas The Downtown Alliance had their second Winter’s Pop Up Farmers Market. Our good buddy Julie Clifford of Clifford Family Farms was there with her goodies, we usually buy eggs and honey from her but this time I was looking for pork. We had just watched the movie‘ Fresh’ and we were curious about how she handles the slaughter of her animals. Julie is very protective of her animals, she shared with us that it is hard for her, and in the past she wasn’t happy with whom was handling this part of her production so she searched out someone who was gentle with that process, (trust me I know there is no gentle way when it comes to this subject). Now she personally walks her pigs in to be processed so they don’t have to be scared. I tear up just writing this because it is not lost on me that an animal was sacrificed for me to make this dish. If you know Julie, you know it’s not lost on her either. I feel very lucky that I can look in the eyes of the person/farmer who is providing the food that nourishes us, that would not be possible without the love and dedication of these people and our community for supporting that and giving us access in the form of Farmer’s Markets and locally owned specialty shops.

Next I had to locate chilies, see last summer I was so busy canning and trying to get ready to leave for Italy that I didn’t freeze roasted Hatch chilies. I’m still kicking myself about this! You can’t use any old chilies for this recipe, Erin gets her chilies from her family in New Mexico. This recipe is minimal in the ingredient department so each ingredient needs to be the best. Shipping the chilies would have cost us a fortune so I had to hit up my buddy Jorge Fierro of Frida’s Bistro and Rico’s Foods for help, this all took place over Facebook of course. Jorge didn’t hesitate to help me out with the chilies. When I went down to Frida’s to pick up the chilies from Jorge we had some time to talk, standing in the middle of his Rico’s warehouse I was in awe of what he has built for himself. I asked him ‘how did this all start Jorge?’ He told me that he grew up in Mexico, moved to Rawlins, Wy to be a sheep herder and while in Wyoming he realized he needed to learn English so he moved to Utah to attend the UofU. He told me he went to school during the day and worked as a dishwasher at night, one night on the way home he stopped at the store to get tortillas and refried beans. He was horrified by the beans and started making his own and selling them at the Farmer’s Market. So simple but so impactful. Now you can find Rico’s products in all our local major grocery stores, and Frida Bistro just won Best Mexican at our Salt Lake Dining Awards this last week. As I drove away from Frida’s with my chilies I was humbled by the effort that went into making this dish happen, it took a community. OUR COMMUNITY. ENJOY!

Nutrition:

Relationships: Social connections help relieve harmful levels of stress, which can harm the heart’s arteries, gut function, insulin regulation, and the immune system.

Definition Of Community: Community usually refers to a social unit larger than a small village that shares common values. (thank you Wikipedia)

Food:

New Mexico Green Chili Pork Stew– makes a lot!

Ingredients:

4 pounds cubed pork (I used a pork shoulder from Clifford Family Farm)

4 cup roasted, peeled, seeded New Mexican Hatch Green Chiles

8 cups broth (I use chicken broth or veggie broth)

4 c. water

2 lbs tomato, peeled & cored (I used my own canned tomatoes)

4 local medium cubed potato

4 local med diced onion

8 cloves minced garlic, local

Salt to taste

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Directions:

1. Start by placing a heavy bottom pot on the stove over medium heat, drizzle in a little bit of oil. Saute the cubed pork in batches, until just brown on all sides. Season with salt and pepper and don’t over cook. Place the browned pork in a bowl and set aside while you cook the rest of the pork.

2. When you have finished with the pork, set aside. Drizzle a bit more oil into the heavy bottom pot and saute the onion and garlic until soft and caramel colored. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Place a big soup pot on the stove, add the sautéed pork, sautéed onions and garlic into the big soup pot. Next add all the other ingredients to the pot with the pork, onions/garlic. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and simmer away, the longer the better. (This is one of those dishes that gets better and better with time. SO GOOD!)

4. To serve: ladle pork chili into a bowl, add chopped avocado and a squeeze of lime. We topped ours with a dollop Drake Family Goat Yogurt and served a warm Rico’s tortilla on the side.

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Pork and Beans- Thank You Italy

01 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by in beans, seasonal

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Love:

At the request of my sweet husband I’m going to start this post in the ‘love’ department. The idea for this recipe has been swimming around in my head since we got back from Italy. We were in Italy to attend the Slow Food International Conference Terre Madre, as I was chosen to be a USA Delegate at this years Conference. The mission of Slow Food and Terre Madre is good, clean and fair food for all, something I try to practice on a daily basis in my kitchen. While in Italy I was surrounded by great food but I was missing the plant-based diet I’m used to eating at home, and I was just missing home. Towards the end of our trip while in Florence we stumbled upon this family style hole in the wall restaurant. At the bottom at their menu listed “sides” I found white beans in tomato sauce and braised kale, I thought I had died and gone to Italy food heaven. Needless to say they were a great choice and I haven’t forgotten those dishes since I’ve been home. Fast forward just a bit to the week before Christmas, I had put together the grocery list for the upcoming weekend events and the Christmas Eve breakfast I was hosting. We always have Christmas morning at my in-laws and for some reason I totally forgot about Christmas night! I was not about to go back to the grocery store so I started to take inventory of my pantry and refrigerator and realized I had all the makings of this dish, I couldn’t have been happier. I found dried beans, my own canned tomatoes, leftover Clifford Farm bacon (from a dish I had made for a party earlier in the weekend), kale, farro, herbs a and just enough vodka for my Pasta alla Vodka sauce. Lucky us, this dish was warm, comforting and felt like home. This dish just might be a new Christmas dinner tradition for us. ENJOY!

Food:

For the sauce-

I used my previous recipe for Pasta alla Vodka

After you have gotten all the ingredients together and they begin to simmer, add the cooked white beans and let the beans simmer in the sauce while it thickens.

For the beans-

1. Place 1 1/2c. dry white beans (also called northern beans) in a bowl and cover with water over night at least 12 hours.

2. The next day drain the beans, place the beans in a large pot and cover with just enough water to cover. Turn on high, when the beans come to a boil- boil for 5 minutes with the lid off and skim off any foam. After that 5 minutes turn the heat down to low, place the lid on and simmer for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours.

3. Keep checking on the beans by spooning out a few, if they smash easily with your thumb they are done. Let cool and drain. Can be used right away or refrigerated up to a week. Check out my other recipe for cooked beans here.

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Putting it all together-

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Cooked farro (I wanted to make creamy polenta but didn’t have any, lucky for me I brought farro back from Italy).

Laddle the Pork and Beans over the farro, drizzle with olive oil, a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and top with Kale Chips.

Nutrition:

I believe eating a plant-based diet is essential to our over all health. Eating this way forces you to have a varied diet of non-glutenious grains, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits. Meat and dairy only playing a small part, and hopefully those items are sustainable, local and organic. EAT MORE PLANTS in 2013.

Cosmo Hippie Chef Birthday

12 Sunday Aug 2012

Posted by in appetizer, cake, dessert, seasonal, Side dish

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Love:

Today was my 33rd birthday! All I wanted was to stay home relax and spend time with my sweetie and our fury children, OH YA AND EAT FABULOUS FOOD. Well, that is just what I did. Thought I would share the food with y’all. ENJOY!

–Breakfast–

Drake Family Farm Goat Yogurt and fresh strawberries from the Farmers Market

Clifford Family Farm Bacon

Gluten Free, Vegan zucchini muffins (will post the recipe soon!)

Iced Dirty Chai from Tulie Bakery

–Lunch-

Fresh Watermelon Coconut Water

Baby Swiss Cheese, Apple sandwich on Crumb Brothers Bread (all from the Farmers Market), Dijon mustard for the man

–Dinner-

Figs stuffed with Drake Family Farm Goat Cheese (both from the Farmers Market) wrapped in Prosciutto

Heirloom Tomato (Farmers Market) Mozzarella (Caputo’s Deli) Basil (Farmers Market) Stacks, with Slide Ridge Honey Vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper

–Dessert-

And there was cake- Carrot Pecan Cake w/Cream Cheese Frosting (I had declined a cake offer from my mom, but my sweetie surprised with this!) I guess one piece won’t kill me.

It was a great day, thanks for all the birthday love.

Summer Sides- Potato Zucchini Bake & Raw Corn Salad

30 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by in salad, seasonal, Side dish

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Food:

Potato Zucchini Bake 6-9 servings

2 c. cubed red potatoes (farmers market)

2 c. cubed zucchini (farmers market)

4 small shallots, chopped (Big Papa’s garden)

1/4- 1/2 c. chopped parsley (my garden)

1/4-1/2 c. chopped mint (farmers market)

6 oz Aggiano Beehive Cheese, cubed (farmers market)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 365 degrees. In a large bowl mix the potatoes, zucchini, shallots, cheese, mint and parsley. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Toss again.

2. Pour the mixture into your favorite medium size baking dish. Press the mixture into the dish to even it out and compact it just a bit.

3. Bake for 45 minutes or until the top is slightly brown and the cheese is super melty. Cool just a minute and serve warm.

Raw Corn Salad serves 6

6 ears of raw corn, cut the kernels from the cob (farmers market)

1- 1 1/2 c. cherry tomatoes, halved (my garden)

1 cucumber, peeled, seeds removed and diced (farmers market)

1-2 garlic cloves, minced (farmers market)

1/4 c. chopped basil (my garden)

2 T. Slide Ridge Honey Vinegar

1 T. olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1. Place the raw corn kernels, tomatoes, cucumber, garlic and chopped basil in a bowl. Toss lightly.

2. In a separate bowl mix together the vinegar and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Drizzle the vinegar/olive oil mixture over the corn mixture and toss lightly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and serve chilled.

Love:

Pictured above is the two summer sides and McDowell Family Farm grilled chicken. Does summer get any better than this? I don’t think so. We also had a High West Vodka Lemonade- yum! Summer is all about fresh local ingredients and these side dishes are full of just that. The Raw Corn Salad is fresh and sweet, the Potato Zucchini Bake is full flavored and comforting, perfect with grilled chicken. I hope one of these dishes shows up at your next get together.