Bounty From the Farmer's Market

I get up earlier on Saturday mornings than any other day of the week all summer long. Not for cartoons or to get the coffee started early... I am so excited to get to the farmer's market, that I just can't stay in bed! I go to the Union County Farmer's Market in Marysville, Ohio. Which, if you have ever been there, it is a very small market. Nothing like the market in Clintonville or Worthington or even the market I used to run from the parking lot at Wild Oats in Upper Arlington. Most weeks there are less than a handful of farmers there, complimented by another handful of food producers and artisans selling their wares. But, from the moment I arrive, I am completely blissed out by the magic of buying directly from the farmers. I love asking about the varieties of garlic I buy or talking to the cheese maker about her cows. I love to buy someone's last jar of elderberry jam this season and smell the handmade soaps being sold alongside fresh herbs and warm, homemade bread. There is no better place to find the freshest, best tasting vegetables and fruits that haven't had to travel thousands of miles to get to you. And at prices that reflect the savings in gas and transportation! If you are not a farmer's market enthusiast already, isn't it about time to give it a try?

To find a farmer's market near you visit: www.localharvest.org

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

This is an incredibly easy salad that is as delicious as it is nutritious. It is gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian and vegan, so it's the perfect thing to create for company with special dietary restrictions. Between the black beans and the quinoa, the protein content in this dish is very high so it makes a very satisfying meal. I took it to a potluck this week and actually had someone say it was the best potluck dish ever! I don't know, I have tried some pretty killer potluck dishes... but, nothing this healthy should actually taste this good.

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad
2 cups Quinoa
1 red pepper diced
1/2 peeled cucumber diced
2 organic carrots diced
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup green onions choppped
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup EV Olive Oil
1/4 cup Braggs G/F Aminos
1 can black beans

Cook the Quinoa according to the directions on the box. I used red Quinoa, but for a milder flavor you can use the regular white. After it cooked, I mixed in the chopped green onions so they would mellow in flavor a little as the Quinoa is cooling. Chop the red pepper, cucumber, carrots and fresh parsley and toss them in a bowl. You can substitute other veggies that are fresh and on hand. Zucchini and other summer squash, tomatoes, red onions, broccoli, green beans and sprouts would all work well. Beets would be great, but would probably be best if cooked first. Add vinegar, olive oil and Braggs liquid aminos (or your soy sauce of choice) to the veggies and let sit until Quinoa is cooled. Then mix everything together along with black beans and enjoy!

Fried Quiche with Dandelion Greens

This is one of my favorite egg dishes. It's so easy and you can use any seasonal produce and whatever green suits your fancy. I posted about this on Facebook a while back and got so many nice comments it made me decide to start a food blog :)

So today for lunch, I wanted some fried quiche, but realized that the baby spinach I usually make it with had gone south and needed to retire to the compost bin. But, while dumping the wilted (and somewhat slimy) greens and lamenting my strong urge for greeny, eggy deliciousness I spotted the perfect substitute for my spinach growing happily all over my yard. Dandelion greens. Before the lovely flower emerges, this tender green isn't bitter at all and can also be eaten raw in salads. It's exceptionally healthy for you and delicious as an alternative to other expensive greens that you might buy at the grocery store. The best part is... it's free. As long as you don't spray your lawn, you can have an endless supply of salad greens and greens to saute all summer long. My girls and I actually enjoy frying up the flowers as well, which are a tad more bitter, but also have a sweetness to them.

So, don't be hating on the dandelions this summer - learn to love them and appreciate them! You can start by making this crazy delicious dish.

Fried Quiche with Dandelion Greens
1 cup mushrooms cut into small chunks
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 cups rinsed and chopped dandelion greens
5-6 eggs
1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (or chives)
salt and pepper to taste
(optional: garlic powder)

Fry the mushrooms, onions and garlic in a hot pan with a little olive oil until onions are translucent and mushrooms start to release moisture. Turn down the heat and cover the mixture with the dandelion greens and let them wilt for a minute or two. (I also sprinkle the greens with some garlic powder, but I'm kind of a garlic freak...) Crack eggs over the greens in a way that distributes yolks around the pan. You can use a spoon to get them into place. Sprinkle the bacon and a little salt and pepper over the eggs then cover the pan for 3-4 minutes until the egg whites are cooked. Toss parsley over the eggs and serve hot.

You can substitute other vegetables and greens. Try this with zucchini, red peppers and spinach or eggplant, tomatoes and arugula. It's all good.

The Absolute Best Beet Salad Ever

Have you ever opened the fridge door to figure out what to have for lunch and realize that you have all the ingredients necessary for an absolutely perfect salad? I generally buy lettuce and we eat a lot of veggies, but I don't usually plan for salads - they just happen. For dinner, I'll serve my family a very basic salad that everyone likes. Lettuce, cucumber, carrots, cheese, sunflower seeds and everyone's choice of dressing. But, I really like more interesting salads sometimes. Usually, I'll get my fix by ordering an exciting salad when we go out. Wilted spinach. Grilled chicken. Blue cheese! Mmmmmm.

So, while trying to decide what to make Stella and I for lunch today, it thrilled me to spot a few saved slices of boiled beets I had leftover from a dye making class I did last week. Then I realized I still had a lemon left from another recipe I had planned to make this weekend. Then... I noticed I had a half an avocado sitting there from a day of sushi fun with some other Marysville moms and suddenly realized I could make: The Absolute Best Beet Salad Ever This salad is so perfectly balanced, with the earthy beets and the tangy goat cheese, the mellow avocado and the bright lemon dressing, the juicy greens and the crunchy walnuts - it was a party in our mouths! This picture is Stella's by the way - I dove into mine too quickly and forgot to take a picture...

The Absolute Best Beet Salad Ever
Toss together:
shredded romaine
a smattering of baby spinach
one small beet, boiled and cut into bite size pieces
half an avocado, cut into bite size pieces
a handful of walnuts (or pecans)
as much crumbled goat cheese as you can possibly fit on top of a salad and still look pretty

Honey Lemon Dressing
Mix together juice of half a lemon with 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup olive oil and salt to taste. Sprinkle over your salad to taste.

Not only delicious, this salad is packed with nutrition and healthy fats and is very, very satisfying. Enjoy!!!

Three Cheese Vegetable Dip

Oh, my freaking yumminess. This was way too good not to blog about. I love making dips. I'm often the one who brings the spinach and artichoke dip to the party and it's gone before half the party is over. But, what excuse do I have to make such deliciousness without a party to go to? How about if we add a few more vegetables to the mix? Will it still be yummy and have enough nutrition to count as lunch? The answer, I say with a very satisfied tummy, is yes.

This recipe is big enough to take to a party, or have for lunch with leftovers to enjoy as a snack or to stuff into an omelet for breakfast the next morning.

Three Cheese Vegetable Dip

two pkg cream cheese

two cups of milk

four cloves of garlic (pressed or minced very fine)

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup finely chopped fresh baby spinach (or frozen, but be sure to drain and chop finely)

1 can sauerkraut, drained (or 1 can artichoke hearts, finely chopped)

1 cup shredded mozzarella

2 tbs grated Parmesan

Melt the cream cheese in the milk, in a pan on the stove. As it melts add in the garlic, salt and pepper, carrots and spinach. Cook until thick and creamy. Add in the sauerkraut and cook a little longer until warm and bubbly. Take off of the heat and add in the cheeses. Stir until cheese is melted and serve warm with whole grain tortilla chips or cool and serve with vegetables.

Apple Kugel

I absolutely love to create something wonderful from something most people would probably throw away. If you cook too many noodles for dinner, what can you do with the leftover noodles? Why, make a delicious Kugel for breakfast the next morning! For this Kugel, I also incorporated some wrinkly, bruised apples that my girls would probably refuse to eat, but were still perfectly yummy. It baked up into a delicious custardy comfort food - similar to a bread pudding - that Stella and I devoured!

Apple Kugel

2 cups (or so) of leftover noodles (We used whole wheat egg noodles today, but other noodles will work well too.)

2 or 3 small apples, diced

4 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

Additional sugar and cinnamon to sprinkle on top

(Can also add some walnuts or pecans)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the cooked, cold noodles into a baking dish with the diced apples and stir around to distribute evenly. Mix together the rest of the ingredients, blend until frothy and well mixed. Pour over the noodles and apples. Cover and bake for an hour or until center is set. Serve warm by the spoonful!

Sushi Bento

I am so happy I finally broke down and bought a sushi mat. For years I was intimidated by the idea of rolling my own sushi. But, I love sushi and my girls love sushi and when I started making bento lunches for them, sushi seemed like an important thing to be able to include. At least once a week I like to make vegetable sushi for the girls lunches and it is so easy! I've made carrot and cucumber sushi and their favorite so far: celery sushi! Not only is it delicious and perfect for packing into their little "Lunchbot" bento boxes. It's also very nutritious and a great way for my girls to get their sea vegetable vitamins and minerals that are hard to find elsewhere.

Making sushi is so much simpler than most people realize. It's just as easy as making a sandwich. I make about a cup of sushi rice in my steamer then add a tablespoon of rice vinegar, Braggs (or soy sauce) and unbleached sugar. Use a bamboo sushi mat - which is usually about $2 at any Asian market, and a sheet of nori seaweed, which you can find in your supermarket in the Asian food section. The nori usually even has a diagram on the back of the package to show you how to roll it. You spread the rice on the nori, leaving about a half an inch on one end. Spread your filling from one end to the other in a line down the middle of your rice. Then wet the nori where there is no rice and roll it from the other end, using the bamboo mat to roll it tightly and evenly. Hold for a moment so the dampened sushi can seal to itself then slice up your roll and enjoy!

If you are interested in giving sushi-rolling a try, but would like a demonstration. I will be teaching a class at Sprout Soup this month:

Build-a-Bento Workshop
At Sprout Soup, 4310 N. High St.
Columbus, Ohio 43214, (614) 267-7768
Wednesday, January 19, 11a-12p, $10 per adult
Learn to create vegetarian sushi that you can turn into cute little mouse faces. You can bring your Lunchbot or other container if you’d like. This is a hands on class, so come ready to roll and taste some yummy carrot, cucumber and celery sushi.

I hope to see you there!