Roasted Black Futsu Squash with Hazelnut Sage Pesto

Ingredients

For the pesto:

• 1 garlic clove

• ½ cup sage leaves (plus a few more for frying, optional)

• ¼ cup parsley

• ¼ cup hazelnuts

• 2 tbsp lemon juice

• 2 tsp miso paste

• pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

• ¼ cup olive oil

• salt and pepper, to taste

For the apple cider cranberries:

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

• 1 cup unsweetened apple cider

For the squash:

• 1 black futsu squash (or other winter squash), cubed

• 1-2 tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions

For the pesto, in a food processor, pulse the garlic and herbs until coarsely chopped. Add in the hazelnuts and pulse again until the nuts are coarsely chopped. Add in the lemon juice, miso paste, red pepper flakes, and olive oil and pulse until incorporated. I like mine to still be a little chunky, but you could puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the squash on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the squash is cooked through. 

(Optional) While the squash roasts, heat 3 tbsp of butter or oil in a small pan over medium heat. Once melted and sizzles when you drop a leaf in, add in the sage leaves and fry for about 10 seconds, or until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel to cool. 

For the cranberries, heat the apple cider and cranberries to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until the cranberries are rehydrated. 

Once the squash is done, transfer it to a bowl and generously toss with the hazelnut sage pesto. Top with chopped hazelnuts, apple cider cranberries and fried sage. Yum!

Recipe by Natalie Bickford.

Coconut Flour Zucchini Muffins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coconut flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1 cup grated zucchini

• 4 eggs

• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 6 tbsp maple syrup

• 1/4 chopped pecans + 1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional...but necessary)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a muffin pan (this makes 12 small muffins).

Mix the coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon in a bowl.

Combine the zucchini, eggs, coconut oil, vanilla and maple syrup in a separate bowl and mix until uniform. Add the dry to the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips.

Place in the oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

Recipe by Natalie Bickford.

Young Garlic & Squash Blossom Risotto

Ingredients

• 4 or 5 cloves of the mild, young garlic with soft, wet skins, OR 3 cloves of pungent, cured summer garlic.

• one large or two smaller spring onions

• arborio rice (350 g, about 3 1/2 cups)

• white wine (200 ml- a little less than a cup)

• hot vegetable stock (1.25 litres- about 5 1/2 cups)

• butter (have a stick on hand, use your own judgement from there)

• olive oil

• squash blossoms (several, from your garden, or available at farmers markets)

Directions

Peel and slice, then chop the garlic and spring onions. 

Wash and set aside your squash blossoms.

Grate the parmesan cheese and set aside. 

Melt the butter and olive oil in the base of a good heavy bottom (half-height, if you have one) soup pot. I do feel strongly that a wide base is essential for good risotto. 

A good tool is also essential. Make sure your tool can safely scrape the bottom of your pan. A wooden flat spatula (just make sure its tip is thin enough) is good on enamel pots, a strong metal spatula on steel. 

In another soup pot or tall saucepan, heat your prepared stock. Ideally, make a good garlicky broth. You could also make a fresh young garlic stock by cooking some other cloves in butter, topping off with salt and water, then boiling/simmering (perhaps with a cheesecloth sachet of parsley stems) until the taste comes through. 

Add the chopped onions and garlic and cook over medium heat until softened. Add the arborio rice and cook for a minute or two more. Scrape out a circle in the center, then add the white wine. It should sizzle and steam on contact. Stir vigorously so the rice absorbs the alcohol. Cook this way for about 2 minutes, until the liquid is gone and the rice is just barely starting to stick to the bottom of the pan. 

Make another circle with your tool. Add a ladleful of stock, then stir vigorously to incorporate. Repeat this process, taking progressively longer between ladlefuls. You'll notice the stock absorbs quite quickly at first, then as the rice cooks, it will slow. You don't want the rice to break down very much and become gummy, so the sweet spot is where you can feel whole grains on your tongue, but they are entirely tender. 

When most of the stock is absorbed (I almost always stop before I've reached the end of the pot) and the risotto is delicious, turn the heat off. Add the squash blossoms and parmesan and another good knob of butter. Stir to incorporate, then cover to let the squash blossoms delicately steam.

Serve with grilled summer vegetables, dressed with lemon zest and lemon juice, grassy olive oil, salt, and pepper. Top each serving of risotto with another sprinkling of parmesan and, if you have access, some herb flowers. 

Recipe courtesy of Andrew Barton, photo by Peter Schweitzer.

Chickpea, Tomato, Cucumber Salad with Tahini Lemon Sauce

Chickpea, Tomato, Cucumber Salad with Tahini Lemon Sauce

Serves 4

Sauce Ingredients:

• ¼ cup tahini

• ¼ cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 2 tsp miso paste*

• 1 tsp maple syrup

• Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 cucumber, diced

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (or 1 large tomato, chopped)

• 1 cup chickpeas

• ½ cup parsley, chopped

• ½ cup sheep’s milk feta (or any other kind of feta)

• ½ cup walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Combine all of the sauce ingredients into small bowl and whisk until uniform.

Combine the cucumber, tomatoes, chickpeas, parsley and feta into a large bowl. Pour dressing on top and mix until evenly coated. Top with additional feta and parsley and finish with fresh ground black pepper.

*If omitting miso paste, make sure to add salt, to taste.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Natalie Bickford.

Soba with Parsley Pea Pesto

Ingredients for the pesto:

2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 generous splashes of balsamic vinegar 
up to 1/2 cup olive oil 

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients except olive oil to a food processor and pulse until roughly combined.
2. Add 1/4 cup olive oil and continue pulsing until mixture comes together. Add more olive oil as needed, 1 Tbsp at a time, if pesto needs to be thinned out. You want it to be loose enough that it will lightly coat your noodles.

Ingredients for the noodles:

100g (or so) of dried soba noodles 
1 cup frozen peas, thawed 
2 cups kale, chopped
1/2 cup parsley pea pesto

Directions:

1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Once water has come to a boil, add dried soba noodles, give a good stir, turn off the heat and cover. Set aside for 5 minutes. I like my soba al dente and find that it is very easy to overcook. This method ensures that the noodles maintain their bite.
2. While noodles are cooking, heat frozen peas in the microwave (about 2.5 - 3 minutes on high, stirring halfway through). Add a small amount of water to the peas before microwaving them.
3. Once noodles and peas are cooked, drain and rinse the noodles with cold water and return to the pot. Drain the peas and add to the pot along with the chopped kale and pesto, toss to coat evenly.  Serves 2.

Recipe and photo by Natalie Bickford. 

Raw Mini Key Lime Pie

Ingredients (makes 4)

Crust:
1/2 cup raw walnuts
5 dates, pitted
2 tbsp shredded coconut
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Filling:
1 medium avocado
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp honey (sub maple syrup to make vegan)
juice and zest of 2 limes (1/4 cup lime juice)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt

Directions:

1. Put the crust ingredients into a food processor and pulse until there are no chunks and you are able to mold the mixture in your hands. If it's not sticking then pulse a few more times or try adding a splash of water. Remove from the food processor and set aside in a bowl. Try not to eat all of it.
2. For the filling, put all the of ingredients into your food processor and process until smooth. Taste it and decide whether you'd like it more sweet (add honey) or more tart (add more lime juice).
3. Line a muffin tin with 4 muffin cups. Divide the date mixture evenly among the cups and press to create a mini compact crust. Then spoon the filling on to the crust. If you have extra filling then just pour it into another muffin cup for a crustless version...or just eat it right then and there with a spoon. Top with a sprinkle of shredded coconut and some lime zest, if desired.
4. Place in the freezer for at least a couple of hours or until solid. I like to let them sit out for 10 minutes to soften up a bit, but they are also good straight from the freezer.

Recipe and photo by Natalie Bickford.

Strawberry Coconut Pops

Ingredients

• 1 lb frozen strawberries (you can mix and match different berries)

• 1 can (13.5 fl oz) unsweetened coconut milk

• 4 tbsp honey (or other sweetener)

Directions

Place about half of the frozen fruit in a food processor or blender and blend until the fruit is mostly pulverized.

Add coconut milk & honey, mix, add the remaining fruit and mix again until even.

Pour into popsicle molds or ice cube trays & refreeze.

This recipe is also really great with frozen orange slices. This is also a great way to use up honey that's crystalized. The little honey crystals are delicious mixed in the pops.

Chocolate Chia Pudding

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup hemp seeds

• 2 Tbsp chia seeds

• 3 Tbsp cocoa powder

• 6-8 pitted dates

• Pinch salt

• 1/4 tsp vanilla

Directions 

Blend ingredients until smooth. Add a splash of water if needed for blending. Refrigerate until cold & set, at least 30 minutes. Serves 2.

Mushroom Gravy

Ingredients

• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms (or Portobello, white button, etc)

• 2 Tablespoons oil or fat of your choice

• 1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 loose Tablespoon fresh rosemary

• 1 loose Tablespoon fresh thyme

• pinch sea salt & crushed black pepper

• 3/4 cup almond milk (or coconut milk, or water)

• 1 Tablespoon coconut aminos (or tamari)

• 1/2 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Directions

Chop up mushrooms and sauté in oil over medium high heat for about 8 minutes.  Then add in garlic and herbs, sauté for another minute or two.  Toss all ingredients including almond milk and coconut aminos into a blender, and blend on high until creamy.  Return to the sauté pan to warm up before serving. Optional: Simply add more almond milk to turn it into a soup instead of a gravy. 

This gravy also makes an excellent “cream of mushroom soup” replacement in your green bean casseroles! If making a green bean casserole,  toss in some sliced mushrooms, and bake just as you would normally. Top it off with sliced almonds instead of fried onions for a healthy twist. This gravy also makes a great base for a cream of mushroom soup, just thin it out the right consistency, and top with sautéed mushrooms and fresh herbs. 

Recipe courtesy of www.bettyrawker.com

Dark Cherry BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 cups dark sweet cherries (pits removed)

• 2 Tablespoons blackberry vinegar (red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar)

• 1 Tablespoon coconut aminos (or tamari)

• 1 Tablespoon minced dried onion (1 teaspoon onion powder)

• 1 Tablespoon black strap molasses

• ½ teaspoon mustard

• 1 garlic clove

• 1/4 teaspoon ginger extract (or 1 teaspoon fresh ginger root)

• 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke (can be omitted)

• Sea salt & black pepper

• Optional: 1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Instructions

Blend ingredients together in a high speed blender.  Add more vinegar, molasses, or mustard to taste.  You can enjoy this BBQ Sauce raw, or simmer it down on the stove top.

Coat fruit or veggie kabobs with this BBQ sauce and warm then toss them on the grill for a few minutes. 

Recipe by Andrea Wyckoff of bettyrawker.com. Photo by Mercedes G Photography. 

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Serves 2.

Ingredients

Salad

• 4 cups spinach

• 1/2 pint fresh strawberries, sliced thin

• 1 small avocado, chopped

• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

• 1 batch of Poppy Seed Dressing

Poppy Seed Dressing

• 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

• ½ teaspoon mustard

• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds

• small pinch sea salt

• ½ tsp honey or coconut nectar

Instructions

Whisk poppy seed dressing together in a small jar.  In large salad bowl, toss spinach, strawberries, and avocado in poppy seed dressing. Top with sliced almonds. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from pureandsimplerecipes.com.

Raspberry Sorbet

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen raspberries

• 1/3 cup fresh avocado, packed

• Juice from 1 lime

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey (or a few drops of stevia to taste)

• Optional: 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon rum (for softer sorbet if you plan to freeze it for very long, like overnight or a couple days. Do not add rum if making to serve right away)

Directions

Mash avocado and lime juice in a bowl until creamy.

Blend frozen raspberries in a food processor until they break down into icy raspberry bits. Add creamy avocado mash, vanilla, and sweetener, to the raspberries in the food processor, and blend into a creamy sorbet. Be careful not to over blend for too long, as you want this to stay cold and creamy.

Serve right away or put into a Tupperware container to firm up and enjoy later. 

Garnish with fresh raspberries, edible flowers, and mint leaves, if you would like.

Recipe and photo from Pure and Simple Recipes.

Moroccan Lentils

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced

• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 1/2 cups green lentils, rinsed and drained

• 4 cups vegetable broth

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• Pinch each of salt and black pepper

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, then stir in the spices and cook another minute. Add the lentils, broth and tomato paste and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Stir in the cilantro just before serving and taste for salt and pepper.

Add 1⁄3 cup of cooked brown rice to each serving for a hearty vegetarian meal. You can adjust the heat of this dish by increasing the cayenne to 1/2 teaspoon. The lentils also make a great party appetizer, served with fresh pita bread for scooping

Roasted Butternut Squash and Garlic Dip

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, halved and seeds scooped

• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

• Coarse salt

• 1 large head garlic, halved crosswise

• Juice of 1/2 lemon

• 2 Tbsp tahini

• 1 tsp turmeric

• Cayenne, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Drizzle cut sides of squash with oil and season with salt. Arrange cut side down on a baking sheet. Arrange garlic head halves in the center of parchment-lined foil. Drizzle with oil, sandwich, and wrap tightly.

Transfer to baking sheet with squash and roast until squash and garlic are tender, about 45 minutes. When cool enough to handle, scoop squash flesh and squeeze each clove of roasted garlic.

Transfer to a food processor with oil, lemon juice, tahini, and turmeric and process until smooth. Season with salt and cayenne. Store dip in an airtight container up to five days.

Try adding a little rubbed sage or ground rosemary to this—delicious!

Recipe adapted from WholeLiving.com.

Raw Cashew Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw cashews

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

• fresh ground black pepper

• 1/4 cup water

Instructions

Cover cashews with water and soak 4 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse the cashews.

Place cashews in a blender or food processor. Add salt, lemon juice, and black pepper. Puree while slowly adding water until the mixture has reached your desired consistency.

Variations could include adding a clove or two of raw garlic, a sprinkling of fresh rosemary, or (my favorite for a decadent twist) a drizzle of black truffle oil.

Enjoy with raw veggies, on crackers or dollop on top of a pizza.

Sugar Snap Salad with Miso Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 C sugar snap peas

• 3 cups napa cabbage, cut into thin ribbons

• 4 radishes, quartered and thinly sliced

• 3 scallions, thinly sliced on a slant (white and green parts)

• 2 T toasted sesame seeds

Dressing

• 1 T peeled and minced fresh ginger

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 2 T sweet white or chickpea miso

• 2 T tahini

• 1 T brown rice syrup

• ¼ C rice vinegar

• 2 T dark sesame oil

• 2 T olive oil

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Prepare an ice-water bath in a medium bowl.  Boil the sugar snap peas for about 2 minutes, so they are bright green but still crisp.  Scoop them out and drop them in the ice water bath.  Once they are cool, drain and pat dry.  Remove and discard the stem end and string, then cut into thin slices on a slant.  Toss in a large bowl with the cabbage, radishes and scallions.

To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a blender.  Toss the salad with half of the dressing to start, adding more to taste.  Sprinkle on toasted sesame seeds and serve.

To toast sesame seeds, rinse in a fine strainer and drain.  Heat a cast iron or stainless steel frying pan over medium heat.  Add the sesame seeds and stir with a wooden spoon until the seeds begin to turn brown and pop.  This usually takes 5-10 minutes.

Basil Mint Pesto

Notes

Recipe adapted from the sprouted kitchen 

Ingredients & Preparation

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 tsp. sea salt

• 1/2 cup walnut pieces

• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about one lemon)

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves

• 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

• Pepper and red pepper flakes to taste

Nettle Pesto

Makes 1 generous cup.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound nettles

• 4 large garlic cloves, smashed

• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• Freshly ground pepper

• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1 1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil

• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a simmer for the nettles. Add the nettles directly from their bag and cook, stirring continuously, for 2 minutes. (This takes away their sting). Dump into a colander to drain. When the nettles are cool enough to handle, wrap them in a clean dishtowel and wring out as much moisture as possible, like you would for spinach. You’ll have about a cup of cooked, squished nettles.

In a food processor or blender, combine the garlic, pine nuts, salt, and pepper to taste until finely chopped. Add the nettles, breaking them up as you drop them in, and the lemon juice and blend until finely chopped. With the machine running, add the oil in a slow, steady stream, and process until smooth. Add the cheese, pulse briefly, and season to taste with additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice.

Recipe adapted from Jess Thompson.

Japanese Yam Tofu Chili

Our 1st ever Chili Cook Off was a hit! We had eight wonderful, delicious chili dishes and lots of hungry judges. The chili that was voted #1 was Tami Cheng’s Japanese Yam Tofu Chili, and she was kind enough to share the recipe with us. 

Makes: about 3 quarts, serving 6
Total time: 3 hours

ingredients

Chili

• 3 dry New Mexico, or California Chilies, stems and seeds removed

• 3 dry Ancho chilies, stems and seeds removed

• 2 Chipotle chilies, stems and seeds removed

• 1 big yellow onion, diced

• 1 green bell pepper, diced

• 1 orange bell pepper, diced

• 1 Japanese yam (replaced with sweet potato if not in season)

• 1 extra-firm tofu, diced

• 1 can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (use 2 chipotle chilies from the can and 2 tablespoons sauce for the chili, use the remaining for tofu marinade)

• 1 can dark red kidney beans

• 1 can black-eye beans

• 1 can black beans

• 1 1/2 can diced tomato with green chili

• 1 cup vegetable stock

• 2 tablespoons grape seed oil

• 5 cloves garlic crushed

• 1 1/2 tablespoons cumin

• 2 tablespoons coriander

• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 teaspoons dried oregano

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce

• some frozen corn

• Salt to taste

• 2 tablespoons bourbon (optional adult friendly)

• Shredded cheese, Cilantro, green onion, radish, avocado (optional toppings)

Baked Tofu Marinade 

• 1/4 cup orange juice

• Chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (left over from chili)

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce

Instructions

Dice tofu into small cubes and leave them in Marinade overnight. 

Grind the 3 types of chillis in a grinder - this makes the chili powder.

Dice all vegetables in roughly the same size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray or brush a little oil on a cookie sheet. Place the tofu on the oiled cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes turning once after the first 10 minutes.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add yam, cumin, coriander, and dried oregano and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 2 mins. Add chili powder, soy sauce, and green pepper and cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Drain and add all beans, tomato sauce, vegetable stock, bay leaves, 2 chipotle chilies from can and sauce. Stir to combine.

Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a bare simmer, add cocoa powder, baked tofu and cook. Transfer to a slower cooker for another 2 hours.  Add orange bell pepper and frozen corn, then cook for another 30 minutes.  Add more vegetable stock as necessary if chili becomes too thick or sticks to the bottom of the pan.

When cooked, add vodka or bourbon and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and whisk in.  For best results, allow chili to cool and refrigerate for at least one night before re-heating and serving, this allows the flavors to meld together.

Charred Snap Peas with Mint and Lemon

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 pound snap peas

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

• 2 tablespoons minced fresh mint

• 2 teaspoons lemon zest

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• Salt to taste

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the snap peas and garlic and sauté over high heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes until the peas are tender-crisp and slightly charred or blistering. Remove from the heat and stir in the mint, lemon zest and juice and a pinch of salt. Taste and add more lemon juice if desired before serving warm.