New Year's Day Soup: Quinoa Corn Chowder

There are a few hardy leeks suriving the cold out in the veggie patch - so I decided to gather up a few and make a chowder for New Year's Day - this is a vegan chowder, but you could use regular milk, if you like. Recipe is from the Vegetarian Times -( you can sign up for their weekly recipe which will be sent directly to your email !) http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/9694?section= I also like to add fresh rosemary to most soups I make - rosemary makes almost everything taste amazing! and it is another one of those herbs (along with sage and thyme) that make it through our relatively mild winters. I didn't use the quinoa I grew for this recipe, as it is very bitter, and needs a day to soak. I am going to sit by the fire, read seed catalogues and eat this hearty, quinoa corn chowder - may your gardening year be fruitful and fantastic!

Thrifty, Hearty King Tut Soup

The King Tut peas from Annapolis seeds http://www.annapolisseeds.com/index.html were made into a hearty soup this afternoon - these peas are green when picked, but turn brown as they dry - they give a marvelous peppery flavour to soup but they take much longer to cook than regular split peas. They took about 2hours. This is what Annapolis says about the King Tut pea: "One of the most unique peas I’ve grown. Tall, striking plants produce pink flowers followed by short purple pods filled with large tan peas. Plants need support as they grow up to five feet. A dry pea that looks somewhat raisin-like when dry and is great used whole in soups." 2 cups of peas produced about 8 cups of soup ~ a very thrifty dinner with a few garlic croutons thrown on top. This is the recipe I used: http://www.theveggietable.com/recipes/splitpeasoup.html I did add some thyme and basil leaves, and garnished with a little olive oil and paprika.

Fall Garden Soup

Picked the last of the Kuri Squash and made a roasted veg and bean soup - the beans are dried Stevenson's Blue-eyed beans from Annapolis seeds - threw in some leeks, garden tomatoes, fresh herbs, and chopped kale. http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/kale_and_roasted_vegetable_soup/

the Mother Grain (actually a seed)

I 'winnowed' the quinoa seeds today - they had been drying in the basement for about a month now. I stripped the seedheads off the stalks, rubbed them on a fine sieve over a larger holed sieve, and then rubbed the seedheads in my hands to remove the last of the seeds. 4 plants yielded 2 cups of golden coloured seeds. this is the sushi recipe I used: you must rinse the quinoa seeds very, very well before cooking to remove the bitter saponin coating http://veganeatsblog.com/2010/05/09/asparagus-quinoa-sushi-with-a-lemon-ginger-dipping-sauce/ Here is a basic recipe I use for cooking the grain: In a dry pan over medium-high heat, lightly toast grain until it is lightly brown (about 5 minutes). Then rinse the grain in a fine strainer until the water runs clear (a sieve or permanent coffee filter (not paper filter) work well for straining). In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add the water and bring it to a boil. Then add the toasted grain, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 12 minutes or until water is absorbed. Fluff with fork and let stand 2 - 3 minutes. The Incas had such reverence for this crop that the Emperor would sow the first seeds of the season using golden implements. I might have to try to find some gold-plated garden tools! I will definitely grow this beautiful plant again - it is stunning with feathery plumes of golden red, is very productive, (although prone to black aphid infestations), and you can eat the leaves like spinach when the plant is young. I plan to make quinoa sushi with the precious harvest, and maybe some recipes from this site: http://www.quinoa.net/

Rainy Day Crackers

A rainy day here on the Island - is a good time to make crackers! I am using the poppy seeds I grew and harvested late August. I like this recipe, as it will withstand a bit of handling without becoming tough and dry. Recipe:makes 32 crackers 3 cups of flour ( I used half unbleached white and half stone ground wheat) 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1/2 cup butter cut into small pieces 1 cup plain yogurt 3/4 cup sesame seeds - I used some flax as well 1/3 cup poppy seeds 1 large egg 1 tsp sugar Rub the butter into the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the yogurt and 1/2 cup sesame seeds and the poppy seeds.Stir just until the ingredients are incorporated. Divide the dough in quarters, wrap in wax paper, and chill for 10 minutes. Lightly coat a baking sheet with veg. oil and set aside. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs and sugar together until the sugar dissolves and set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out, brush with egg wash and sprinkle evenly with the remaining sesame seeds. Cut into 2 X 5 rectangles or desired shapes. Bake @ 350 degrees for about 18 - 20 minutes - watch carefully - as soon as the edges are browned, remove from the oven. Cool completely before storing. these are really good with cheese Poppy Seeds Nutrition Facts for one tablespoon of poppy seeds Nutrient Nutritional Value Calories 45.9 Calcium 126 mg Protein 1.6 mg Potassium 62.9 mg Magnesium 30.4 mg Phosphorous 76.1 mg Sodium 2.3 mg Carbohydrates 2.5 g Poppy seeds are seen in the cooking of many cultures where they are used to flavor breads, cakes, rolls, and cookies in European and Middle Eastern cooking. In Turkey, they are often ground and used in desserts http://www.gourmetcakes4u.com/gourmet-cakes/gourmet-turkish-desserts-poppy-seed-baklava-recipe/ In India, the seeds are ground and used to thicken sauces.Poppy seeds are commonly used in both North and South Indian Cusine. They are called "gasagasa" in Tamil, "khuskhus" in Hindi, "gasagasalu" in Telugu, "gasagasa" in Kannada, and "posto dana" in Bengali. Poppy seeds can be dry roasted and ground to be used in wet curry (curry paste) or dry curry. They have a creamy and nut like flavor, and when used with ground coconut, the seeds provide a unique and flavour-rich curry base. The seeds are also used in noodle, fish, and vegetable dishes in Jewish, German, and Slavic cooking. In ancient days, athletes would consume a blend of poppy seeds with honey entwined to ensure strength and good health. I am definitely going to plant as much Papaver somniferum as my garden will allow next year - the flowers are gorgeous with each pod holding about a 1/4 cup of seeds.

purple power pizza

I had a bunch of purple opal basil - which I made into pesto - then put on a pizza. First I made some beet juice to put in the dough to make it good and purple. Piled on red onions, plums (just a few), some blue cheese, and some chopped fresh purple basil. It has a very strong flavour, and is quite rich, so a little bit went a long way - which is good, so I can take some to friends for lunch tomorrow!

it's what's for lunch

what's for lunch? freshly picked spinach stirred into quinoa & sweet potatoes and tropical lime tofu! RECIPES: press the tofu! it browns easier if very firm - then heat some oil in a skillet, add 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds and lots of chopped garlic; cook one minute, then add the tofu - cook until it is nice and brown - meanwhile juice one lime, add 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 2 Tb. tamari, black pepper, a pinch of cayenne and pour over the browned tofu - allow all liquid to cook off, stirring - then make your quinoa with sweet potatoes: cut up an onion and saute until translucent; add a bit of salt; add 2 peeled and diced yams (or sweet potatoes - I prefer the orange yams); add 3/4 cup rinsed quinoa and 1 2/3 cups water or veg broth. Bring to a rapid simmer, cover and simmer about 20 minutes or until liquid has been absorbed and yam is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste - just before the quinoa is cooked, add 2 cups finely shredded spinach, 1 Tb. green onions minced, 1 Tb. lemon juice, salt and pepper, 2 Tb. toasted pinenuts, and a few currants - I like to sprinkle a bit of feta on top, too- make lots, it is good for leftovers. Recipes are from my new current favourite cookbook: "Moosewood Cooks for Health"

Basil Dressing

It's time to pinch back the basil so it grows nice and bushy - here is a recipe from the Rebar Modern Food cookbook for Basil vinaigrette - wonderfully pungent and tastes like early Summer:2 cloves garlic minced; 1 1/2 T Dijon mustard; 2 Tb. honey; 1/4 cup red wine vinegar; 1 Tb. balsamic vinegar; several sprigs of fresh basil; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 1/2 tsp black pepper; blend, then add in a slow stream 1 cup olive oil.

lunch this week featuring fresh dill and fresh thyme

Fresh dill is one of my favourite flavourings for veggie pies. This recipe is from Moosewood Cooks For Health, and has a crust made with brown rice, walnuts, and olives - to make the crust: put 2 cups brown rice, 1/2 cup walnuts, 1/4 cup olives in a blender or kitchen aid and grind them up - press into a glass 9" pie plate. Saute some leeks and asparagus, add red bell peppers, place neufchatelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neufch%C3%A2tel_%28cheese%29 on top of the vegetables, cover, turn off the heat, and let sit for several minutes to soften. Add 3/4 cup feta and 2 eggs, freshly chopped dill, and black pepper. Place into the piecrust and bake @ 350 for 35 minutes. The other lunch item is pasta with French lentils and Kale: cook 1 cup lentils in 3 cups water - simmer for 20 minutes. Cook up some wholegrain pasta, meanwhile, saute onions, garlic, diced carrots, until the onion is translucent. Add red pepper flakes, fresh thyme, and 1/2 cup of reserved pasta cooking water. Toss all together, add freshly grated parmesan.

pickled nettles

http://sallygardens.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/03/31/nettles.jpg Found this nettle recipe from Mountain Rose Herbs newsletter! if you are lucky enough to have a neetle patch nearby: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/newsletter/10/may/nettles.phpPickled Nettles Pack into glass mason jars with the fresh tender tops of nettle plants, and completely cover with vinegar. Add Peppercorns, peeled Garlic cloves, hot peppers, fresh herbs, or any other flavors that you desire. Cap tightly, and refrigerate for 8-12 weeks. Enjoy pickled nettles sprinkled over salads, with crackers and cheese, or as a fun garnish for hors d'oeuvres. The remaining vinegar will be calcium and mineral rich, so be sure to incorporate it into salad dressings, marinades, stir fries, and sauteed vegetables. You can even apply it as a hair rinse to cleanse and nourish the hair and scalp

pot stickers aka Jiaozi 饺子

this recipe uses finely chopped bok choy with other vegs. and tofu in a gyoza dumpling wrapper. I put a little cornstarch in the water for sealing the wrappers, too, and added extra ginger, and used some garlic leaves instead of chives.You can also store them in the freezer for 2 to 3 months before cooking. http://chinesefood.about.com/od/vegetarianrecipes/r/vegpotstickers.htm Serve with a couple of dipping sauces: * 4 tablespoons soy sauce * 1 teaspoon sesame oil * 1 tablespoon Chinese red rice vinegar (note: not red wine vinegar) * 2 teaspoons ginger, minced * 2 teaspoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped, or chopped green onion You can add some hot pepper flakes too, if you like. Plum Sauce: 4 Tbs. plum jelly; 4 large red fresno chilies, chopped; 2 Tbs. soy sauce; 4 Tbs veg. stock; 2 Tbs. rice vinegar; 2 tsp cornstarch: Combine all ingredients, whisk over medium heat until the sauce boils, reduce heat and cook for 1 minute. As the Chinese saying goes, "There is nothing more delicious than Jiaozi!"Plump half-moon shaped dumplings evoke "yuanbao," a 50 ounce silver ingot. Eating them is supposed to bring good luck and wealth. http://www.beijingtrip.com/feature/dumpling.htm And here is a guide to wrapping the dumplings - which is a fine art - mine were merely pinched shut, with no fancy frilly edges.http://appetiteforchina.com/recipes/guide-wrapping-and-pan-frying-dumplings