Seared Chinese 5-Spice Figs with Cashew Cheese

Okay, I warned you that there
would be more than one post for figs this week. Here is a very simple and
quick way to enjoy figs on a lazy summer Sunday. Even the cashew cheese is a
“quick” version that does not require fermenting or any other drawn
out process. The figs used in this recipe were Turkish figs, which have
gorgeous striped outer skin, but you can use any tree ripened fig. I hope you
get an opportunity to enjoy this soon. Read More


13 Bean Soup with Garden Chard

The chard in the food garden is
making gigantic leaves right now. They are so big I am tempted to preserve
them and use them as shoe leather, or a hand fan, or something practical.
Since those wild ideas are probably ultimately not as practical as one would
hope, I opted to put together this 13 bean soup, and just enjoy the chard in
its glorious, minimally processed form. That’s actually my favorite way to
enjoy nutrient dense greens! My partner Ricky bought a bag of 13 bean soup
mix a while ago, and has been nudging me to make soup out of it. So here is
one more hearty soup to get into your belly before the seasons completely
change over. Or enjoy it all spring and summer using a variety of different
seasonal greens and fresh vegetables. The key is to put the greens in at the
end, so they are super fresh, vibrantly colored and retain as much of their
living nutrition as possible.

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“Raw” Portobello Mushroom Bruschetta

Okay, I know it is always
amusing when Los Angeles people start complaining about the weather…but, we
DID have a little heat wave the other day, and it was
really hot outside! It
was one of those dog days when you can’t imagine doing anything besides
climbing into a walk-in freezer at a nearby restaurant and locking the door
behind you. This didn’t stop a gorgeous vine ripened tomato from calling out
to me from the garden. Before I knew it I had some fresh salsa cruda with
stunning fragrant basil. To keep it moving in the direction of a minimally
cooked, not heat producing dinner, I decided to whip this up. I have featured
the “raw” portobello before (softened by dehydration at a low
temperature). This is another example of how versatile the “raw”
portobello can be. This is super simple and sure to refresh, and nourish you
on a hot summer day.

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Roasted Yam Salad with Kale & Figs

Warning: Fig season is here!
Which means that I may post more than one recipe with figs over the next
week or two. Since figs are one of those fruits that you simply can’t find
when they’re out of season, just enjoy and soak it up while you can!
I’ll start with this easy mid-week salad that can practically serve as a
weeknight meal, a lunch, or a side dish with something off the back yard
grill. These figs were given to me by my neighbor, artist Bill
Wheele
r.
The roasted yams and onions seem to give
the figs and kale a nice caramelized hug…yes I said hug!! You can even
roast the yams on your barbecue if you want, for some extra smoky flavor.
Read More


Summer Squash with Spring Onions & Fresh Mint

I have struggled with my food
plot for the past few years, probably due to lack of focus, failure to be
organized with watering, and-or misdirected soil maintenance. Fortunately, a
new edible plant nursery opened up down the street. In just a couple of
months, they have helped my garden transform and heal from whatever funk it
was in. Loretta Allison of Spade
& Seeds
 brings her magnificent seedlings to Fig Earth
Supply
, much to the delight of our neighborhood.
Loretta raises most of the seedlings herself, with just a small
selection brought in from outside suppliers. I took a couple of their
workshops, and tapped into her amazing garden of knowledge, and then
gleefully planted her starters, one of which was a romanesco squash. As a
result, I have this wonderful, simple recipe to share, comprised of just garden
zucchini, spring onions, and fresh mint. You don’t have to grow food to make
this, but try to get your ingredients from the Farmers Market or in as fresh
a state as possible. It really makes a difference in flavor and
nutrition.

Read More



Eggplant Cannelloni with Mushrooms & Leeks

Cannelloni, ravioli, manicotti, tortellini…what do these foods have in common besides ending with the letter “i”? Well, it is probably safe to say that they are all loved by many for their cheese-stuffed, pasta goodness. One of my favorite reasons for blogging on here is to discover healthier, less toxic versions of this kind of stuff. With that said, I am loving this cannelloni creation that has been evolving in my kitchen. It delivers a rich, comfort food experience without any of the bad stuff. And, it is great the next day, even cold! I know this because I left it sitting on the stove one cold winter night, and the next morning it was devoured before I could wrap it and put it into the refrigerator! The sunflower seeds give this dish enough clean protein to replace any meat or dairy version, and the mushrooms don’t need any nutrition hype to make their healthy introduction. In other words, this would make a great entrée whenever you have that urge for a comfort food whatever…ending in “i”! Read More