Indian Spiced Garbanzos and Greens

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
2 (15 oz.) cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 bunch collard greens, stems removed and leaves thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Heat broth to a simmer in a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno and cook until onion is tender and translucent, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in curry and garam masala and cook 1 minute.  Add tomatoes, garbanzos, and 1 cup water and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer 15 minutes.  Stir in collards, cover and cook 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender.  Stir in cilantro and lemon juice and serve.

So good!

Eat The Rainbow Black Bean Soup

(recipe from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen)

1 large onion, chopped
1 jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded and finely diced
1 yellow or red pepper, chopped
2 medium carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red cabbage, chopped
6 ounces mushrooms, quartered
2 cans (or 3 cups) cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
1 Tbsp. oregano
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. chipotle chile powder (or for smokiness without heat, use smoked paprika)
1 Tbsp. regular chile powder
generous grating of black pepper
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes
5 cups vegetable broth
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
4 cups chopped spinach
salt to taste

In a large pot, saute the onion until soft.  Add the peppers and carrots and cook for another two minutes. Add the garlic, cabbage, mushrooms, and beans and cook for another two minutes.

Add all remaining ingredients except spinach and salt.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook, covered, for about 30 minutes, adding additional water or broth as needed to keep a soupy consistency.  Just before serving, stir in the spinach and salt.

Maple Glazed Brussels Sprouts

(recipe adapted from Christina Cooks)

2 lbs. Brussels sprouts, tips trimmed, crosses cut into the bottoms of each
1 red onion, cut into thick wedges
2 to 3 sweet potatoes, split lengthwise, cut into 1/2-inch thick half-moons
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt
grated zest of 2 lemons
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp. rice syrup
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 to 3 sprigs fresh parsley, minced

Preheat oven to 350F.  Place all of the vegetables in a mixing bowl and add oil, a generous sprinkling of salt, lemon zest, wine, maple syrup and rice syrup.  Mix well to coat.  Arrange vegetables in a large baking dish, avoiding overlap.  Cover with foil and bake until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes.  Remove cover and continue baking until vegetables are browned and liquid has turned to a syrup, 10-15 minutes more.  Remove from heat and squeeze lemon juice over top.  Sprinkle with parsley and toss gently to coat.  Serve hot.

(These are a great alternative to heavily sweetened sweet potatoes, etc.)

Braised Collard Greens

(recipe from Bon Appetit magazine)

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 lbs. collard greens, Swiss chard, or broccoli rabe, thick stems trimmed, leaves coarsely chopped
2 cups vegetable broth
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and garlic and saute until tender, about 6 minutes.  Add greens and saute until beginning to wilt.  Stir in broth; bring to boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until greens are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.  Stir in vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper.

Yum!  I ate this with millet.

Beet Salad

(recipe from Yoga Living magazine)

5 large or 10 small raw beets, scrubbed
1 large carrot
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 to 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1/4 c. parsley
1/4 c. walnuts, chopped

I modified this recipe.  Basically, I chopped the beets and carrots, mixed all ingredients together in a roasting pan, and roasted until the beets and carrots were tender, stirring occasionally.  It turned out very good!  Wonderful addition to a green salad.

Spaghetti Squash with Indian Spices

(recipe from Fine Cooking magazine)

1 small (3 lb.) spaghetti squash
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. brown mustard seeds
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
2 tsp. chopped garlic
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 cup seeded and chopped tomato
1 small serrano chile, seeded and minced
salt
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350 F.  Halve the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a sturdy spoon.  Set the squash halves cut side down on a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet, and bake until strands of flesh separate easily when raked with a fork, 50 minutes to one hour.  Taste a few strands - they should be tender.  If not, continue to bake.  Set the squash halves aside until cool enough to handle.  Use a fork to rake the cooked squash flesh into strands.

In a 10-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot.  Add the mustard seeds and cover.  The seeds will start popping; cook until the popping subsides, about 1 minute.  Uncover, reduce the heat to medium, add the onion, ginger, garlic, cumin seeds, and coriander and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, about 3 minutes.  Add the tomato, chile, and 1 tsp. salt and cook, stirring, until the tomato begins to soften and the chile is fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium high and add the squash to the skillet.  Continue to cook, tossing with tongs, until heated through, 1 to 3 minutes.  Toss in the cilantro, season to taste with more salt, and serve.

Serves 4 to 6.

Cynthia's Chili

(recipe from Christina Cooks)

This was a macrobiotic recipe for chili that I added all manner of nightshade vegetables to, with good result.  Also, I doubled everything listed below to create a huge pot of chili:

1-inch piece kombu
1/2 cup each cooked pinto beans and kidney beans
1/2 cup each winter squash, carrot, onion, and celery - large dice
1 cup millet
soy sauce
generous pinch cumin powder
1-2 tsp. chili powder
water or vegetable broth

Place kombu in the bottom of a soup pot.  Layer the onion, celery, squash, carrot, millet, and beans.  Add the cumin and chili powders.  Add water or broth to cover all ingredients and sprinkle lightly with soy sauce.  Cover, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 35 minutes, until millet becomes creamy and chili takes on a thick, "meaty" texture.

At this point, I added two chopped tomatoes, about a cup of tomato puree, and about two Tbsp. of tomato paste.  I also added two jalapeno chilis, chopped and mostly seeded.  I also threw in some cilantro.  Then I simmered it some more.

(I made this 10/29/11 for "Soup Night" with Joann and Alison.  It snowed!  We avoided Meghan and Tim's Halloween party and instead watched Love, Actually.  We enjoyed this chili with some red wine and crusty bread - it was tasty!  Leaving some of the jalapeno seeds in gave it a little kick, which was nice.)

French-Style Warm Lentil Salad

(recipe from Epicurious.com)

1 cup French green (also known as "Puy") lentils
3 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme (I used dried)
5 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 Tbsp. plus 1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. finely chopped Italian parsley

In a medium saucepan, bring the lentils, water, and bay leaf to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until almost tender, about 15 minutes.  Stir in 1/4 tsp. salt, and then simmer, covered, for another 3 to 5 minutes, until tender but not falling apart.

While the lentils simmer, warm 1 Tbsp. of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and 1/8 tsp. salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just softened, about 7 to 9 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette.  In a small bowl, whisk together 2 Tbsp. vinegar, mustard, and remaining 1/8 tsp. salt.  Add the remaining 4 Tbsp. olive oil, and whisk to emulsify.

When the lentils are ready, drain them in a colander and discard the bay leaf.  Dump them into the skillet with the vegetables, and add the vinaigrette.  Cook over low heat, stirring gently, until heated through.  Stir in the remaining 1/2 tsp. vinegar, and serve warm, with salt and parsley for sprinkling.

4 side-dish servings

(Delicious!  Simple to make!  Yum!)

Scallion Vinaigrette

(recipe from Bobby Flay)

6 scallions, pale and dark green parts only, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
3 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
3 Tbsp. water
1 tsp. honey
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. canola oil
3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
salt & pepper

In a blender, puree the scallions, jalapeno, vinegar, water, and honey; gradually add the oil.  Add the cilantro and pulse.  Season with salt and pepper.

(Made 9/12/11.  I added lots of the white parts of the scallions, too, which made the dressing very strong.  Stick with the green parts!  Really good zippy dressing for salads.)

Potage de Lentille (lentil soup)

(recipe from Cooking Light magazine)

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 1/2 cups chopped sweet onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrot
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups dried petite green lentils (Puy lentils)
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add onion and next 5 ingredients (through bay leaf) to pan; saute 12 minutes.  Add lentils; cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Stir in broth, 1 cup water, and tomatoes; bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes or until lentils are very tender.  Remove from heat; let stand for 5 minutes.  Discard bay leaf.

Place 3 cups lentil mixture in a blender, and blend until smooth.  Return pureed mixture to pan; stir in lemon juice, salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 tsp. pepper.

8 (1 cup) servings.

(Made 9/12/11.  Brought for lunches.  Nice, simple soup with good flavor.)

Quinoa with Balsamic Roasted Mushrooms

(recipe from wholefoodsmarket.com)

Serves 6.

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 small pear, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
1 garlic clove, halved
2 lbs. portobello mushrooms, stemmed
1 cup quinoa
3 cups tightly packed spinach, chopped
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 475F.

Put vinegar, mustard, pear, and garlic in a blender with 1/3 cup water and blend until smooth, about 1 minute.  Cut mushrooms into chunks and combine in a large mixing bowl with 1/4 cup of the pear balsamic dressing.  Spread mushrooms in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.  Roast mushrooms until tender, stirring occasionally, 20 to 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

While mushrooms roast, prepare quinoa.  In a medium pot, bring 1 3/4 cups water to a boil.  Stir in quinoa, cover pot, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove pot from heat and set aside, covered, 10 minutes more.  Uncover and fluff quinoa with a fork.

Combine mushrooms, quinoa, spinach, green onions, almonds, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup more pear balsamic dressing in a large, wide serving bowl.  Stir to mix well.  Serve with remaing dressing on the side.  Serve this dish warm, room temperature, or cold, as a side dish or the main event.

(Made 9/7.  At first this recipe confused me, because the spinach is never cooked, but they say to maybe serve it warm...  Turns out, when you add the quinoa and mushrooms to the spinach, the greens kind of wilt.  The dressing is very good.  I predominantly ate this at room temperature for lunches, and it kept well for several days in the fridge.  Not my favorite recipe ever, but grew on me.  I ate some of the extra dressing tossed with greens later on.)

Roasted Tomato and Fennel Soup

(recipe is from a magazine, but I don't know which one)

Serves 4 to 6

4 Tbsp. olive oil
2 1/2 lbs. plum tomatoes, cored, halved lengthwise, and seeded (I used half plum, half heirloom; did not seed)
1 medium-large fennel bulb (about 1 lb.) cored and cut into medium dice (plus some chopped fennel fronds for garnish; optional)
1 medium yellow onion, cut into medium dice
2 cloves garlic, chopped
salt & pepper
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup milk (I used unsweetened So Delicious coconut milk)
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme


Position a rack directly under the broiler element and heat the broiler on high.  Grease a rimmed baking sheet with 1 Tbsp. of the oil ard arrange the tomatoes on the sheet, cut side down.  Drizzle 1 Tbsp. oil over the tomatoes.  Rub the oil all over the tomato skins.  Broil until the skins are very charred and shrunken, turning as necessary, 8 to 10 minutes total.  Let cool for a few minutes and then slip the skins off the tomatoes.  Discard the skins.  (Note:  I did not broil the tomatoes, I put them in the oven on the top rack and roasted them.)

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in a 4- to 6- quart saucepan or pot over medium heat.  Add the fennel, onion, garlic, and 1/2 tsp. salt.  Cook, stirring frequently, until softened and golden, 10 to 15 minutes.  Add the broth and scrape the bottom of the pot to release the browned bits.  Add the tomatoes and any juices from the baking sheet, bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, and cook until the fennel is very tender, about 5 minutes.

Puree the soup with a hand blender, or in 2 batches in a stand blender (if using a regular blender, return the soup to the pot).  Add the milk and thyme and heat gently over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Top each serving with chopped fennel fronds, if using.


(Made 9/4/11.  So very delicious!  I packed this for my lunches, and it kept getting better day after day as the flavors meshed.  My fennel bulb was huge with lots of stalks and fronds.  Not wanting to throw all that away, I made a fennel frond pesto with the extras:  put fennel fronds, chopped small fennel stalks, nuts (I used walnuts), garlic cloves (about 2) into the food processor and run while adding oil to the consistency you'd like.  Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.  Use pesto as a spread on crackers or tossed with pasta.  Yum!)

Carrots with Ginger-Honey Glaze

(recipe from a magazine, I'm not sure which one)

6 servings

2 1/2 lbs. carrots, peeled, cut into 3-inch lengths, quartered lengthwise
3 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1/4 tsp. ground ginger

Cook carrots in large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, about 8 minutes.  Drain.  Stir honey, oil, fresh ginger, and ground ginger in a large skillet over low heat until blended.  Mix in carrots.

Cook carrots over medium-high heat until glaze thickens enough to coat, tossing occasionally, about 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Transfer to a bowl.

(I ate these with millet, and they were delicious reheated for lunches.)

Summer Harvest Ratatouille

(recipe from WholeFoodsMarket.com)

Serves 10

3 bell peppers, assorted colors, seeded, cored, and cut into thick wedges
1 large eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch slices
2 medium yellow squash, cut lengthwise into 3/4-inch slices
2 medium zucchini, cut lenghtwise into 3/4-inch slices
1 cup vegetable broth or water
1/2 cup pitted Nicoise or other black olives
5 large tomatoes (about 2 1/2 lbs.), chopped
1 large onion, chopped
7 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp. chopped marjoram or oregano
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar, or to taste

Preheat oven to 425F.  Have ready a nonstick baking sheet or a regular baking sheet lined with parchment paper (you may need two baking sheets).  Place peppers, eggplant, squash and zucchini on sheet(s).  Roast vegetables, turning them once halfway through cooking, until browned, 30 to 40 minutes.  Cool vegetables slightly, then coarsely chop.

Meanwhile, combine broth and olives in a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into a heavy pot and add tomatoes, onion, garlic and pepper flakes.  Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover, and simmer until tomatoes are very soft, about 20 minutes.

Add roasted vegetables and marjoram to pot; cover and simmer, stirring once or twice, until flavors blend, about 10 minutes.  Stir in parsley and vinegar; cook 5 minutes more.

(serve with rice, pasta, or any grain)

Summer Tomato Soup

(Recipe from a magazine, I'm not sure which one.)

Serves 8

3 lbs. tomatoes, peeled and seeded (I neither peeled nor seeded)
1 green pepper, coarsely chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped (I only peeled, not seeded)
3 large stalks celery, without tops, ribs
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 c. tarragon vinegar
10 small basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 c. vegetable stock
salt & pepper to taste


Put all ingredients except stock and salt & pepper into a blender or a food processor and process to a rough texture.  Pour into a large bowl and stir in stock (if soup is too thick, add a little extra stock).  Add salt & pepper to taste.  Serve either at room temperature or slightly chilled.

(I made this for Justin.  It's a delicious gazpacho!  No cooking!  I used heirloom tomatoes.  Make sure you like tarragon.)

Spaghetti with Let-My-Eggplant-Go-Free! Sauce

(recipe from The Wednesday Chef, online)

Serves 3 or 4

1 lb. eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, lightly smashed
2 sprigs thyme or oregano, chopped (I used dried)
1 c. stock or water
2 Tbsp. sun-dried tomatoes, minced
6 leaves basil, sliced thinly
salt and pepper
1 lb. spaghetti

Lightly salt the slices of eggplant, stack them back together and let sit for 20 minutes.

Put the olive oil in a wide, heavy saucepan, add the garlic cloves, and set over low heat.

Dry off the eggplant, cut it into chunks.  When you start hearing the garlic sizzle a little and can smell it, drop in your eggplant and stir to coat it all with oil.  Turn up the heat a little bit to medium high and add the thyme or oregano and stir.  When the eggplant is turning translucent and softening, add the liquid, let it come to a boil, and turn it back down to medium-low.  Let it bubble for a bit and cover it, leaving a crack for steam to escape.  Stir once in a while so that the bottom doesn't stick.

After about 20 minutes or so, the liquid in the eggplant pan should be mostly evaporated and the eggplant should be soft and melting.  Mash it with a fork or spoon, and adjust the seasoning to taste.

Toss the eggplant puree with the spaghetti that you cooked al dente.  Stir in the minced tomatoes and basil.  You can drizzle on some more oil.  Serve immediately.

(Made for Justin on 8/26/11, a peace offering after our Wednesday night fight.  We ate it with a simple salad of greens, tomatoes, radishes, and mustard vinaigrette (left over from the potato salad) and some focaccia.  Justin surprised me with potato salad for my lunches.  We watched the movie Flesh & Bone and drank a lovely organic red table wine.  This eggplant sauce wasn't as flavorful as I'd thought it would be.  I used whole wheat fusilli, which cradled the sauce nicely, but perhaps the whole wheat was too overpowering for the sauce.  Also, next time I'd add more garlic, sundried tomatoes, and oregano.)

Spring Salad with New Potatoes and Pickled Spring Onions

(recipe from Smitten Kitchen, online)

2 lbs. small new or fingerling potatoes (a mix of reds and golds is nice)
1 lb. asparagus
1/4 lb. snap peas, green beans or other spring pea
4 small-to-medium radishes, thinly sliced

Pickled Spring Onions
3 spring onions
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp. sugar (I used honey)

Sharp Mustard Vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. whole grain mustard
2 tsp. smooth Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with one inch of water.  Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the tip of a knife easily pierces through a potato.  Drain the potatoes and let them cool until they're almost room temperature.  You can hasten this by covering them with cold water, and replacing the water a few times as it warms up.

Meanwhile, pickle your spring onions.  Whisk vinegar, water, salt, and sugar together in a small container with a lid until the salt and sugar dissolve.  Slice the bulbs and paler green parts into very thin coins and submerge them in the vinegar mixture.  Cover and put in the fridge until you're ready to use them; if you can put them aside for an hour or even overnight, the better.  Reserve the onion greens.

Refill the saucepan you used for the potatoes (here's to fewer dishes!) with salted water and bring it to a boil.  Prepare an ice bath, a large bowl with ice and water in it.  Trim the tough ends off the asparagus.  Once the water is boiling, add the asparagus.  One minute later, add the snap peas.  Two minutes later, drain both together then dump them in the ice bath until chilled.  Drain the vegetables and spread them out on a towel to absorb excess water.

Slice the cooked asparagus spears and snap peas into 1/2-inch segments and place them in a large bowl.  Chop potatoes into moderate-sized chunks and add them to the bowl.  Cut the radishes as thinly as possible.  If they're especially big, you can first quarter them lengthwise.  Cut the reserved onion greens into thin slivers and add them to the bowl.

When you're ready to serve the salad, or an hour or two in advance, whisk the dressing ingredients and toss it with the vegetables, to taste.  (You may find you don't want to use all of it.)  Stir in as many pickled onion coins as you please.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Do ahead:  Pickles can be started in the day or days before.  Potatoes can be boiled and chilled in fridge overnight, as can other vegetables.  Vinaigrette can be made in advance as well, but you may want to wait till the last minute to toss it with the vegetables, as the vinegar, over a long sitting time, can ever-so-slightly discolor the cut edges of the asparagus and beans.

(I made this 8/24/11 with the intention of it being for my week's lunches.  Justin came over to drink old-fashioned's and watch Mad Men.  We ended up eating most of the potato salad, too.  Justin said it was the best!  It is ridiculously good, especially if you're a mustard lover like me.)

Negroni Sbagliato

(recipe and story from La Cucina Italiana magazine)

"The house specialty at the legendary Bar Basso, which trailblazed Milan's aperitivo scene in the 1960's, translates as "wrong" or "mistaken" Negroni - a fitting name for a cocktail born from a happy mistake.  Maurizio Stocchetto, proprietor of Bar Basso and son of the famed aperitivo maestro Mirko Stocchetto, says one night his father was reaching for gin for a classic Negroni and grabbed a misplaced bottle of spumante by accident.  A customer urged him to add the bubbly instead of the gin.  An instant hit, the drink became the bar's signature.  The original Negroni has similar origins.  In the 1920's, Count Camillo Negroni had his bartender in Florence swap gin for the soda water in an Americano (Campari and sweet vermouth topped with soda water).  There's no telling whether the old Count would have approved of the Negroni Sbagliato, but any number of Bar Basso's stylish clientele will attest to the drink's allure."

makes 1 drink

1 ounce Campari
1 ounce sweet vermouth
1 ounce dry spumante
orange slice for garnish

Fill a rocks glass with ice.  Add Campari, vermouth, and spumante, in that order.  Gently stir and garnish with orange slice.

White Beans with Persillade (Garlic & Parsley)

(recipe from a magazine, not sure which one)

Serves 6-8.

Soak 2 c. flageolet or navy beans in a large bowl of water to cover for at least 4 hours at room temperature (or overnight in the refrigerator). Drain. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large heavy-bottom pot over medium heat. Add 1 whole, peeled, large yellow onion and brown on all sides, about 15 minutes. Add the beans and water to cover by about 1 inch. Reduce the heat to low, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook until beans are tender, about an hour or two. Serve garnished with a mixture of 1/4 c. finely chopped fresh parsley and 2 peeled, finely chopped, large garlic cloves.

(These beans are the bomb! Yes, the onion just sits whole in the middle of the beans. But when all is cooked, just cut the onion apart and mix in. The whole thing is creamy deliciousness. Reminds me of the white bean appetizer at Nodding Head, Colleen - remember?)

Summer Squash with Mint, Parsley, and Basil

(recipe from a magazine, not sure which one)

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 lbs. mixed summer squashes, chopped

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

12 basil leaves, chopped

6 mint leaves, chopped

A few sprigs Italian parsley, leaves chopped

salt & pepper

Juice from 1/2 lemon

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium flame. Add squash; saute 5 minutes, until tender and barely brown. (Squash should retain shape and bright color.)

Add garlic; saute 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Add basil, mint, parsley, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Toss. Serve immediately.

(Justin made this, and continues to make it! It is light and delicious.)

Pear, Endive, and Watercress Salad

(I think this recipe is from Bon Appetit)

6 servings

3 Tbsp. sherry wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. chopped shallot

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

6 Tbsp. walnut oil

2 heads endive, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch strips

1 large bunch watercress, trimmed

1 medium head of radicchio, torn into small pieces

1/4 c. fresh Italian parsley leaves

2 ripe pears, cored, thinly sliced

1/2 c. walnut halves, toasted

Whisk vinegar, shallot, and mustard in small bowl. Gradually whisk in walnut oil. Season dressing with salt and pepper.

Combine endive, watercress, radicchio, and parsley in large bowl. Add sliced pears and walnuts. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Divide among plates and serve.

(Made this for Justin.)

Mango Tango Smoothie

(recipe from a magazine, I'm not sure which one)

1 serving

1 c. ripe mango (I used frozen)

1 seedless orange, peeled

1/2 c. yogurt (I use coconut milk yogurt)

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1/2 c. water

Blend together all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Serve in a tall glass.

(Made this for Colleen the morning of 7/30/11. It's delicious. Later, we went to Long Island, ME. Lovely day.)

Fennel, Frisee, and Escarole Salad

(recipe from an Italian cooking magazine)

3 Tbsp. minced shallot

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp. fine sea salt

1 small head escarole, torn into bite-size pieces

1 small head frisee, torn into bite-size pieces

1 small fennel bulb, quartered and thinly sliced or shaved

1/4 cup olive oil

chopped and toasted walnuts

Stir together shallot, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a small bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Meanwhile, toss together greens and fennel in a salad bowl.

Whisk oil into shallot mixture, then toss with salad. Top with walnuts.

(This recipe was made 7/29/11 with Colleen before the Beirut concert. We drank champagne.)