Vegan Garlic Scape Pesto

Despite the oppressive heat the garden is doing surprisingly well - of course, the new drip irrigation system is a big help and it saves time. It also keeps the water splash down on the tomatoes, squash, eggplant, and peppers which keeps the plants looking healthy.

Last fall I planted 54 cloves of garlic, today they are about 3.5 feet high and some of the leaves are starting to brown. I’m excited to dig it up and see how things fared. If you recall last year, I forgot to remove the garlic scapes and my garlic was very small and sad. 

So as not to be sad again, I took a class on growing garlic in MN and learned a lot - for example, did you know that there are more than 600 named varieties of garlic? They are divided into 2 types - hard neck and soft neck. I planted 2 varieties of Rocambole, which are nothing to look at but have the best flavor, and Purple Stripe. But what do you do with the garlic scapes? Some people add them to a stir fry or soup, some grill or roast them, and I make pesto out of them. 

This pesto can be frozen and used in the same way as any other pesto my favorite uses are pasta, pizza, and toasted bread with a thick slice of tomato and avocado. 

Ingredients:

10 Garlic Scapes 154g

1/3 C Walnuts 30g

2 Tbs Nutritional Yeast 12g

1/2 Lemon juiced

1/4 tsp Sea Salt

1/8 tsp Ground Black Pepper

1/3 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil 73g

Instructions:

Trim the garlic scapes by cutting just below the bulb. Discard the bulb/tip and cut the scapes into about 1" pieces.

In a food processor, add the scapes, walnuts, yeast, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Process by pulsing until the mixture begins to break down. Scrape the bowl down.

With the processor running, slowly add all the olive oil. Continue to process until all the ingredients are incorporated and broken down, about 30-45 seconds, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed.

Store in a covered container in the fridge and enjoy within a week. Also, you can freeze the pesto in a small container (as shown above) or in an ice-cube tray. Once frozen, in the ice-cube tray, remove and place in a ziplock bag in the freezer.

The weather person says a chance of rain today - fingers crossed!

A Quick and Tasty Pizza

If you're in my neck of the woods chances are you haven’t left the house in the last 7 days - what is up with the 90-degree temps in early June - honestly it feels like mid-July it’s crazy!

I’ve been watering the veggie garden early every morning so that the plants have time to dry and not collect moisture (which happens when you water at night). Today I cut off the scapes from my garlic plants - I see garlic scape pesto in my future. The heat is really taking a toll on the grass, we’re keeping it longer and only watering in selective spots where it is dire. 

When it’s this hot I’m not motivated to cook nor am I really all that hungry. I found a recipe online for a quick naan bread pizza that takes about 12 - 14 minutes in the oven and has some of my favorite ingredients - blueberries, goat cheese, and onions - what could go wrong?

Dan is not usually a fan of sweet things for dinner but I didn't hear any complaints and there are no leftovers - so I'll take that as a win.

Ingredients:

2 - pieces of naan 

1 T olive oil

1 cup thinly sliced red onion 

salt 

a pinch of red pepper flakes 

2 T honey

1/2 cup fets

1/2 cup fig goat cheese 

1 cup blueberries 

A few basil or spinach leaves, thinly sliced

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, place naan on the baking sheet, and brush with a little water. 

Place the olive oil and onions in a small pan and saute for 5 - 7 minutes until translucent. Add honey and stir until combined, Sprinkle a little salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes on the onions, turn off the heat, and set aside. 

Combine goat cheese and feta in a small bowl, use your fingers to mix together. Divide the cheese mixture between the two pieces of naan and spread out. Top with the onion mixture and add 1/2 cup blueberries to each pizza. 

Place the pizzas in the oven and bake for 13 - 14 minutes until the blueberries are just about to burst. Remove from oven and top with shredded basil/spinach. 

Slice and enjoy with a crisp glass of wine. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Grilled Tofu and Veggies

It’s the end of May, the garden is planted and growing well, the weather for the most part is cooperating, and Summer is just around the corner. We are both fully vaccinated and starting to make our way back into the world - still masked when appropriate of course. 

In the past year, I feel like I’ve cooked every single day. As a matter of fact I had lunch with a friend the other day and we agreed as much as I love to cook - I need a cooking break. I’ve added fish (generally salmon) back into my diet and there is the occasional shrimp skewer or sheet pan dinner but other than that I am still a vegetarian. 

I like tofu, I like tempeh better but unless I steam it first, Dan is not a fan. I was in the mood for something on the grill and I had a block of tofu so I decided to make a quick marinade, chopped some veggies (onions, peppers, zucchini, carrots and sugar snaps) and get it ready for Dan to grill. 

Ingredients:

Tofu

1 block of extra firm tofu - pressed

1 T soy sauce

1 T maple syrup

1 T water

1 t smoked paprika

1 t chili powder

1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

chives to top

Veggies:

2 onions - cut into wedges

2 zucchini - sliced into rounds

2 carrots - peeled and chopped 

1 red pepper - cut into wide strips

a handful of sugar snap peas - washed and trimmed 

Instructions:

Press the tofu removing as much moisture as possible. Cut the block of tofu in half and then in wide strips, thread onto wooden skewers. Combine the soy, maple syrup, water, paprika, and chili powder in a small bowl and brush the tofu on all sides. 

Chop the veggies and toss in a little olive oil. 

Grill tofu skewers until done brushing each side with BBQ sauce. Grill veggies until crisp-tender. 

A Vegan Tortilla Soup, Margarita and a Roaring Fire

It’s officially Spring, the days are getting longer, the temps are warming and I planted some of my cold weather crops. This year Dan built me a hoop house for one of my raised beds and I’m excited to be eating spinach, lettuce, and radishes in the next week or so. 

While Fall is my favorite season, Spring is a close 2nd. It’s a time of rebirth - watching the trees and flowers bud gives me hope - and we could all use a little hope these days. 

Over the winter I studied for and finished my Master Gardener core course - now to get those volunteer hours in. I’m looking forward to being at the Arboretum after a year-long hiatus and volunteering in new places and spaces. 

As people get vaccinated and restrictions loosen, it will be great to get back out into the world and see people again. Also can’t wait until we can travel again, my list of places to visit continues to grow. 

We celebrated Cinco de Mayo this year in front of a roaring fire - MN weather is at best unpredictable, sometimes we experience more than one season in a day. I had a ripe mango so I made spicy mango salsa, which we enjoyed with chips and fresh guacamole. I was looking for a tortilla soup that didn’t require a trip to the grocery store and thanks to Vegetarian Gastronomy I found one that fit. The addition of the hot sauce added just the right amount of spice. 

Ingredients:

2 tsp avocado oil, or any cooking oil

1 cup white onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp ground cumin

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth - I used Better than Boullion 

1/3 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1 can diced tomatoes - if it was summer I’d use fresh but winter tomatoes in MN are tasteless

2/3 cup frozen corn

15 oz black beans, canned, drained and rinsed thoroughly

2/3 cups zucchini or yellow squash, diced into small cubes

1-2 tbsp jalapeno, (optional) finely diced

Instructions:

Heat avocado oil in a large soup pot on medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until tender (~1-2 minutes). Mix in tomato paste and cumin. Add a few drops of hot sauce if using.

Add the vegetable broth, 1/3 cup cilantro, and a dash of salt. Mix and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered. Add the tomatoes, beans, zucchini, jalapeno (if using), and corn. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender Season with salt/pepper to taste.

To Serve:

Top with any/all of the following: cilantro, avocado, jalapeños, and fresh fried corn tortilla strips. Add a few drops of your favorite hot sauce for additional spice. Enjoy hot!

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos - Oh My!

 First, I can’t believe it’s been a month since my last post. We have been busy; we had our living room, dining room, and hallway walls plastered and repainted a calming blue/gray – I like it a lot. With that, however, we had to remove the books from the shelves and everything off the walls and moved to the center of the room and then the reverse of that when the job was done – that’s what we’ve been up to.

Dan is fully vaccinated, and I have my second shot on April 26^th so we’re getting there. We’ll still do the masking, social distancing, and follow CDC guidelines but it feels good to be moving in the right direction.

We’re starting garden things; the garlic that we planted last fall is up and growing and Dan built a hoop house over one of the beds so that I can get me greens and radishes started. Our garden plan is ready – now all we need is some warmer weather and plants.

One of my favorite vegetables is cauliflower, it’s so flexible. You can steam it, roast it, and eat it raw. It is high in fiber, promotes weight loss and colon health. It can be a great replacement for high-carb foods like rice and a great basis for gluten-free tortillas and pizza crusts.

I’ve tried a few different recipes for buffalo cauliflower but the one my stepdaughter Mary gave me is my favorite.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower

1 medium head of cauliflower – broken into florets

1 cup flour

1 T olive oil

1 cup milk – I use oat milk

Garlic powder

For Buffalo Sauce:

2/3 cup hot sauce – Franks hot is the house favorite

¼ cup cold unsalted butter

1.5 T white vinegar

¼ t Garlic powder

1/8 t cayenne pepper

Salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Cut cauliflower into bite-sized pieces discarding the core. Combine milk, flour, garlic powder, pepper, and olive oil in a large bowl. Add cauliflower and mix until well coated. Pour cauliflower into a large strainer letting any excess batter drip off and put on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes.

 

While cauliflower is baking combine sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until you see boiling at the edges. Remove from heat. Remove cauliflower from oven and toss with buffalo sauce bake an additional 10 minutes until cauliflower is tender-crisp.

 

Serve with tortillas, peppers, cilantro, tomatoes, sliced green onions, and avocado. 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Hail Cesar Salad

I’m going to tempt fate a bit and say that Spring has arrived. The crocus is blooming, the tulips are poking their heads up and my eyes are starting to itch which means something is growing. Nothing on the garlic front yet but that is to be expected.

If you are in the Midwest and thinking about cleaning up your garden - don’t do that yet! The bees and other pollinators are still in their nests and aren’t ready to be moved so please please wait, you’ll need them later in the year to pollinate your flowers, fruit trees, and some of your veggie crops. 

I am close to finishing my Master Gardener program - I have 2 modules left to review and 4 more Q & A sessions - then we get to the fun part - volunteering - I can’t wait.

A while ago my friend Ann Wasescha gifted Ellen Holtwick and me a vegetarian cookbook called First Mess by Laura Wright. It lived with Ellen for a while and has recently come to live with me. There are so many wonderful recipes that I want to try, I hardly know where to start. 

Dan is not a huge fan of tempeh, he says it has a bitter taste - I don’t taste it but I usually steam the tempeh first, which removes the bitterness and he’s good to go. This was a delicious salad and pretty easy to make. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Dressing (makes more than you need):

2 T raw cashew butter

2 T water

1.5 T fresh lemon juice

3 cloves garlic - grated 

1 t dijon mustard

1 t minced capers (I left this out)

1 T nutritional yeast

3 T olive oil 

Salt and pepper to taste

Salad:

1 1/2 crowns of broccoli - chopped into florets

1 t sweet paprika

1 t smoked paprika

1 t maple syrup

1 t apple cider vinegar

1/2 t soy sauce

2 t olive oil

1/2 block tempeh

Instructions:

In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, add the cashew butter, water, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Shake until combined. Add garlic, dijon, capers (if using), nutritional yeast, and oil. Shake again and set aside

Steam (or roast) the broccoli. In a small bowl combine the paprikas, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and soy sauce set aside. 

Heat olive oil in a skillet until shimmering add crumbled tempeh and spread out into a single layer. Cook approx. 2 minutes (until brown), then stir it up and let brown on the other side. Add paprika mixture and toss until tempeh is coated. Remove from heat.

Place broccoli on a platter and drizzle cashew butter dressing over it. Add tempeh and garnish with nutritional yeast and fresh ground pepper. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Roasted Eggplant with Soba Noodles

I work up this morning to a beautiful sunrise. The days are getting longer and warmer, which means I can get a short walk in before work during the week - yeah!

I’m still working my way through the Master Gardener program - should be finished with the course work by mid-April and then the fun part actually doing stuff. Our garden planning is underway and I started some of my seeds for leeks, fennel, and some flowers yesterday - looking forward to another growing season. 

In my effort to make different things I bought an eggplant at the store this week. Usually, I make garlic eggplant but I wanted to do something different so I hopped on over to Kenko Kitchens and used their Japanese Salad as a base for dinner. 

I didn’t have broccolini (but I did have broccoli), while it’s not the same thing it’s close enough. I also didn’t have rice bran oil - and honestly, I have no idea where I might get it. I did check my local Asian grocery store but they didn’t have any so I used olive oil. I added more mushrooms and edamame because I love them both and it made the “salad” a “meal.” This is definitely on the rotation. 

Ingredients:

1.5 crowns of broccoli - cut into florets

100 grams of buckwheat noodles 

1 cup edamame

1 cup enoki mushrooms

2 tbsp organic tamari

2 tbsp sesame oil

3 tbsp miso paste

1 large eggplant

1 tbsp olive oil

Method:

Cut the eggplant into 5-6 wedges length-wise. Rub the eggplants with 2 tbsp of the miso paste and the olive oil then place on an oven tray lined with parchment paper. Cook the eggplant for 20-30 minutes until golden and soft - flipping the eggplant wedges over halfway in between.

In a pot of boiling water, cook the soba noodles for 5-10 minutes until just al dente, strain, rinse and set aside in a bowl of cold water to prevent the noodles from cooking further and sticking together.

Cut off the ends of the enoki mushrooms and wash thoroughly. Place in a frying pan with the sesame oil and cook for 2 minutes. Add in 1T miso paste, tamari and broccoli. Add in the edamame and then add in the soba noodles, coating in the tamari/miso sauce, and turn off from the heat (broccoli and edamame should still have a slight crunch and be vibrant in color).

Place noodles and greens in a bowl then top with the roasted miso eggplant. Serve with pickled ginger and wasabi on the side.