purple cabbage, persimmon, & pomegranate salad + a honey lemon dressing

Seasonal.

green C monster juice

I got a juicer! Can you see, smell, and taste the carrots, spinach, beet, oranges, and ginger? Such a delight.

moelleux vanilles au (poti)marron

Last time, i wrote about making a dessert with the chestnut puree leftovers. Ta daaaa! Here it is. I don't know how to translate "moelleux vanilles au (poti)marron" in English. The main reason is that the word "potimarron" (kabosha squash in English) contains the word "marron" (chesnut) which makes it easier in French to name a dessert made with kabosha squash AND chestnut. That being said, I don't know how to translate "moelleux" either.... Anyway, this recipe is great, not only because it's quick&easy, not only because it's delicate&surprising, but also because it's 100%  healthy. And my daughters loved it!

herbs+ricotta stuffed cherry peppers

I bought these cute little peppers at my usual Sunday farmers market without knowing neither how they are called nor what to do with them. I had some homemade ricotta leftovers so I decided to use it as a stuffing together with fried onion, chopped herbs from my backyard (parsley, basil, sage, rosemary, thyme), and salt/pepper. I baked them in a preheated oven at 400F for 20 minutes or so. DE-LI-CIOUS!

happy easter pasta dish

A simple pasta dish I'm in love with: Spaghetti  + pea pesto* + 1 poached egg. 

Serve with some fresh peas, toasted pine nuts and Parmesan. 

Happy Easter.

purple kale chips

I was skeptical. I shouldn't have been.

cream of {purple} cauliflower soup

"An understated soup, Alice Waters' style, where not even the stock interferes with the taste of the cauliflower", from Living and eating, by John Pawson and Annie Bell. 

spring vegetable timbale

Kind of a huge frittata. Without the delicate (and too often messy!) flipping-over part!

ideas?

Lots of great veggies in my CSA box this week. I already made a winter minestrone using part of the carrots, leeks, collard greens, rutabaga, .... I made a cauliflower and sesame tart, a kale pesto, a salad with roasted beets and fennel. What should I do with the fresh garlic and the green cabbage? Any idea?

wheat berry salad + roasted beets, kale, toasted walnuts & Meyer lemon dressing

It is about time to post a healthy salad after all the desserts i've posted lately!

hazelnut + carrot cupcakes

 

The last time I talked about Beatrice Peltre (author of the bog La Tartine Gourmande), it was on January 23th. Back then, I mentioned the fact that it was almost my birthday, hoping somebody would understand and offer me her new cookbook. Obviously my hint was not clear enough, because I did not receive it! So I'm giving it another try. After all, today it's Valentine's day, isn't it?

tofu shiitake/leeks soba bowl

Bowl inspired by Harumi (for the shiitake/leeks part; here, p.182) and by Heidi Swanson (for the soba/tofu part; here and here).

leeks/chards/ricotta quiche

I know... I already posted a similar recipe. But 1: it was at a time I did not  always write down the recipes in details. And 2: you might have not tried it yet. So I'm giving you a second chance!

red cabbage + apples + spices

A red cabbage - Flemish style - recipe, where cabbage is slowly cooked with apples and spices. Traditionally eaten with mashed potatoes and sausages, but also very good on a slice of pain au levain w/ walnuts, some good cheese, and a glass of high quality beer. Belgian of course!

la torta verde della rina

I miss Italian food. The food I eat when I am back to Italy for a vacation. With family and friends. In their houses or at restaurants. I did not use to prepare it myself though. But I have no other options... I'm doing my best to duplicate the recipes Italians prepared for me. The "torta verde" - especially the one baked by Rina (ciao Rina!) - is among the food I miss the most. Basically it's a veggie pie covered by an irresistible olive oil crust. The typical vegetable used in the "torta verde" is called "trombetta". It's a special kind of zucchini grown in Liguria, Northern Italy (and also here in my Californian garden!). But you can use whatever in-season veggie. Here, I used a mix of butternut squash, English peas, and chards. Make your own combination and let me know how it worked for you.

mix not match beets salad

Mix not match beets salad anybody?  Raw chioggia beets (sliced) + cooked red beets (diced) + avocado (diced) + lettuce leaves + lemon Meyer dressing + chives. An interesting mix of textures, colors, and perfumes.

fried zucchini flowers

I have been growing some Italian zucchini  in my backyard this year (a special type called trombetta). The zucchini are still too tiny to be eaten. However,...  there are the flowers! Eat them raw, eat them baked, eat them fried, whatever you like, but EAT them! They are too good to let them go. And by the way, you don't have to grow zucchini to get flowers, you can buy them at the Farmer's market when they are in season (now).

carrot almond spread

A quick and easy recipe from "Delicious Living" (Whole Food's magazine, July 2011). A nice addition to your sandwiches, wraps, bagels....

stuffed summer squash

Last Monday, Farmer Pete had too many squashes, so he told us -his lucky customers- to take as many as we wanted. I took a lot. Really a lot. After making a big pot of soup and a good-sized bowl of ratatouille, there were still some left. In fact I kept the cute spherical ones for last. I didn't know yet what to do with them but I was pretty sure that I would end up doing something nice. These "stuffed summer squash" are inspired by the "verdurine ripiene" we usually eat during summer in Italy at my in-laws'. 

le melanzane di luciana

My in-laws were here a few days ago. Like every Italian mother-in-law, my mother-in-law cooks. And YES, she cooks delicious Italian meals. But NO, she doesn't cook the typical ones requiring hours of preparation. She likes easy and fast recipes. So my mother-in-law is not a typical Italian mother-in-law. Her single portions of melanzane are simply delicious. They also freeze very well.