Sample Recipes
Fun dishes to build your week around
Chilled Green Garlic, Cucumber and Potato Soup
Reminiscent of vichyssoise, but with green spring garlic and lightened up with cooling cucumber. This soup stands alone garnished diced cucumber, but can also be used as a base for toppings such as: shrimp, avocado, scallops, smoked paprika oil, honey-garlic tofu, caviar/roe, tomato, smoked fish, crispy prosciutto, almonds…
*Note on green garlic: Buy the smallest bulbs with the thinnest stalks you can find. You will need 3 small bulbs (about half the size of a regular garlic bulb) for this recipe, plus 1/2 cup sliced green stalks, which can become very fibrous as the garlic grows. For the sliced stalks, start from the base closest to the bulb and work up.
Ingredients:
4 cups cucumber- peeled and diced, plus small amount small diced for serving
1.5 cups diced yellow onion
3 small green garlic bulbs, plus 1/2 cup thinly sliced stalks*
1.5 cups potato (about 1 medium), peeled and small diced
1/4 cup scallion greens
1 green chili pepper (optional)
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt, or any thick yogurt
Lemon juice, olive oil, salt
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 180 C
-Roast garlic bulbs in oven on baking pan until completely softened, about 30 mins. Squeeze the soften cloves out of their skins, set aside
-Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a pot over medium heat
-Add onion, chili pepper, 1/4 cup of the garlic stalks and a big pinch of salt and sweat until translucent. Try not to brown so the soup will be green:)
-Add 4 cups of water and the potato to the pot. Increase the heat and simmer until potatoes are very soft.
-Add the roasted garlic cloves
-Add the cucumbers and continue cooking until they have lost their crunch
-Remove pot from heat and stir in the remaining 1/4 cup green garlic stalks, scallions, yogurt and a big squeeze of lemon (about 1 teaspoon). Cool slightly
-Purée the soup. Add water a few tablespoons at a time if necessary for a thick, smooth purée.
-Strain soup to remove any fibrous bits
-Chill completely
-Season the soup as needed with salt and lemon juice after it has completely chilled
Ginger-Nespulla Curried Tofu
This fresh and bright springtime fruit curry is simple and gently spiced to showcase the flavors of the nespulla. Also great with chicken, fish, shrimp or pork.
serves 2
Ingredients:
8oz firm tofu, cubed and marinated overnight
Tofu Marinade:
1/2 teaspoon neutral oil
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
For the Curry:
1 Tablespoon neutral oil
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 fresh chili pepper, (to your taste) diced
1 small potato, small dice
3/4 Tablespoon curry powder
3 cups Nespulla, peeled and seeded- Add fruit to 3 cups water with a squeeze of lime to prevent oxidation
1 cup fresh green peas
1/2 cup yogurt or coconut milk
Torn fresh mint leaves, about 6
1 lime
Directions:
Preheat oven to 200C
-Drain marinated tofu and roast on lined baking sheet until browned, approx 30 mins. Set aside
-Heat neutral oil in a pot over high heat. Add onion and bell pepper with a pinch of salt. Cook until softened
-Add ginger and chili pepper. Cook until fragrant
-Add curry powder and toast approx 30 seconds
-Add potato and nespulla, with their water. Reduce heat and simmer until potato in soft and sauce is thick
-Add in roasted tofu, yogurt or coconut milk and peas. Heat through
-Add torn mint leaves. Adjust seasoning with salt and lime juice
Serve with black rice and cucumber-radish salad
Nespulla Mostarda
Italian style mustard jam. Great with cheeses and salumi, on sandwiches
makes about 1.5 cups
Ingredients:
2 cups Nespulla- peeled, seeded and halved. Place in bowl with 1 cup water and a squeeze of lemon juice to prevent browning
1/2 medium yellow onion, minced
1/2 cup white wine
4 Tablespoons Demerara sugar
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
salt and lemon juice to taste
Instructions:
-In a saucepan over high heat, bring to a boil the white wine, minced onion, bay leaf and mustard seed
-Lower heat to medium high and add sugar. Simmer until reduced by half
-Add the nespulla with their water
-Continue cooking until mixture is thick and jammy
-Remove from heat and stir in dijon
-Salt to taste and brighten with lemon juice if necessary
Beet Bucatini
With Sunflower Seeds, Fresh Cheese and Sprouted Lentils
Cooking the bucatini directly in the beet cooking water gives this dish intense colour and keeps all the nutrients from the beets in the dish. Sprouted lentils add an earthy crunch and are simple to make at home.
Ingredients:
Serves 2
150 g Whole Wheat Bucatini
3 beets, peeped and small diced- approximately 2 cups
5 cloves minced garlic
1 Tablespoon olive oil, plus more for serving
1/4 cup red wine
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 Cups chopped spinach
2 Tablespoons sunflower seeds
1 oz fresh, crumbly cheese (djathë of choice)
3/4 cup sprouted lentils
Handfull chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
-Set a small saucepan with a couple of cups of water on the stove to simmer.
-In a large pot, heat olive oil
-Add garlic and toast until golden brown
-Add the beets and a pinch of salt. Cook 2 minutes more
-Deglaze pot with red wine and cook until almost evaporated
-Add 4 cups water and red wine vinegar. Bring to a simmer and cook until beets are softened, about 10-15 minutes
-Add dry bucatini directly to the beet pot. The goal is for the pasta to absorb the beet liquid.
-When they pot is dry, if pasta is not al dente, add hot water from the small pot a couple tablespoons at a time, until pasta is done and pot is dry
-Remove pan from heat and stir in spinach to wilt
-Toss with sprouted lentils, sunflower seeds, parsley and cheese. Season with salt and black pepper.
-Drizzle with olive oil and serve
Zucchini & Spring Onion Pancakes with Tahini-Miso Balsamic
Makes 4, 8-inch pancakes
Ingredients:
2 cups green spring onion tops- halved longways, then cut into 2 inch strips
2 cups grated zucchini (big holes of a box grater), squeezed to remove as much water as possible
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame seeds
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons chick pea flour
1/3 cup sparkling water
1/3 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Sauce:
1 Tablespoon tahini
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon miso paste
1 Tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon chili flake
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 small garlic clove
Instructions:
-Pulse all sauce ingredients together in food processor. Set aside
-Combine whole wheat flour, chick pea flour and salt in a small bowl
-Slowly mix in sparkling water to make a thin batter, being careful not to over mix and pop all of the bubbles
-Add zucchini and scallions to the batter and toss together
-Heat a non-stick pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat
-Dry toast the sesame seeds. Set aside
-Heat olive oil in skillet and add 1/4 of pancake mixture, pressing down with a spatula to flatten as much as possible
-Sprinkle 1/4 of the sesame seeds over top of pancake
-When pancake loosens from bottom of the pan, flip it and continue to cook until both sides are browned and crisp, approx. 3-4 minutes per side
-Serve with sauce
Carrot Romesco Sauce
makes about 1.5 cups
A spring carrot version of the classic Spanish sauce.
Ingredients:
1 cup carrots, peeled and medium diced
4 Whole garlic cloves
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 Tablespoon sherry vinegar
1/3 teaspoon smoked paprika
15 roasted almonds
1/2 t salt, plus more to taste
Instructions:
-Preheat ovenn to 200C
-Mix 1/2 teaspoon olive oil, tomato paste, smoked paprika and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a paste
-Add carrots, onion, and 3 cloves of the garlic. Toss to combine
-Roast mixture until softened and browning, approx 30 min
-On stovetop, bring 1.5 cups water to boil in a pot
-Add roasted carrot and vegetable mixture and roasted almonds and cook together, about 5 minutes. Make sure carrots are soft. Cool slightly.
-Add mixture to food processor, along with the sherry vinegar and 1 clove raw garlic. Process into a paste.
-Add remaining olive oil and blend until smooth
Salt to taste