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Maple and Vinegar Glazed Parsnips

2 pounds parsnips
One and a half tablespoons peanut oil
1 teaspoon salt
half cup water
2 tablespoons maple syrup
one and a half tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Heat oven to 400. Wash parsnips and peel off rough parts. Cut a few inches off the thick end and half or quarter this so that all the pieces are roughly the same size. In an heavy oven proof pan toss parsnips in oil and salt and heat on top of the stove, adding water once the pan has begun to warm. Bring to a simmer and move the dish into the oven, continuing to cook until parsnips are tender, about 45 minutes. Turn them every 15 minutes and add water if needed. Once tender, drain remaining water and toss parsnips with maple and both vinegars to coat and return to the oven until golden brown.

This is a great recipe for carrots as well.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

1 washed sweet, skins on.
1 teaspoon olive oil, butter, peanut oil, or bacon grease
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Slather sweet potato in oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until soft all the way through, about an hour. Simple pleasures.

Sautéed Spinach and Pea Shoots

1 Tablespoon oil
½ pound spinach, chopped coarsely
¼ pound pea shoot, chopped finely
Dash of sea salt and fresh pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok on high until almost smoking. Add spinach and toss quickly until it starts to wilt, 15-30 seconds. Add the pea shoot and toss for another 15 second. Remove from heat to a serving dish and top with salt and pepper. Toasted sesame seeds are nice on top as well.

Enjoy the pea shoots chopped raw on salads too!

Grilled Leeks, Peppers, and Eggplant

Here are a few hints for grilling vegetables…

First start with a hot fire. Then marinate them a bit in olive oil, fresh herbs, and or balsamic vinegar.

Leeks-
Trim away roots and greens from the leek, leaving the white shaft. About 1 inch above the root end, cut through the leek lengthwise so that the root end is the only part holding the two halves together. Wash any soil from between the leaves and then cut the leek completely in half. If your leeks are more than three quarters of on inch in diameter, boil some water and blanch them in it for one minute. Smaller leeks generally don’t need blanching. Brush with olive oil and lay right on the grill for at least 4-5 minutes a side. Some blackening is ok as the heat will release the sugars in the leek.

Peppers-
Peppers can be done whole or halved with the seeds and veins removed. Either should be brushed with olive oil and put on high heat. To really roast peppers leave them on each side until the skin blackens and separates from the flesh. After the pepper is blackened all the way around put it immediately into a paper bag for 10 minutes, this steams the peppers further and make removing the blackened skin easier.

Eggplant-
Eggplant can be cut into large rounds half an inch thick and oiled or roasted whole like the peppers. If you like baba ganouge (a middle eastern mixture of roasted eggplant, tahini, garlic and lemon) roasting eggplant like this is the way to make your own! Whether roasting or grilling the slices, be liberal with the olive oil and make the fire hot. Like the leek and the peppers, don’t be afraid of some blackening, the sweet richness of the vegetables will be complimented by the smokiness.

Horseradish Mashed Potatoes and Celeriac

Horseradish Mashed Potatoes and Celeriac

1 lb. celeriac, peeled and cut into chunks
1 lb. potatoes (peeled or unpeeled, your choice) cut into chunks
1 bay leaf
4 cloves garlic, peeled
½ cup heavy cream
4 Tb. Butter
2 tsp. horseradish
salt and pepper to taste

Combine celeriac, potatoes, bay leaf, and garlic with water to cover; boil until just tender (about 20 minutes). Drain, remove bay leaf, and return vegetables to pot. Add cream, butter, and horseradish. Mash and season with salt and pepper. Makes 4-6 servings.

Creamy Leek, Potato, and Sour Cream Chive Soup

3 Tb. butter
2-3 leeks, thinly sliced (white and pale green parts only)
1 tsp. dill
1 lb. potatoes, thinly sliced
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup sour cream
4 Tb. chopped fresh chives, divided
salt and pepper

Melt butter in pot over medium-low flame. Add leeks and dill; cover and cook slowly, 15-20 minutes. Add potatoes and stock; bring to simmer, cover, and cook until tender, 10-15 minutes. Puree mixture. Return puree to pot; stir in sour cream and 2 tablespoons chives. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle each serving with additional chives. Makes 6 servings.

Warm Red Cabbage

1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion quartered and sliced thin
1 small red cabbage quartered and thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
A few ounces goat or feta cheese
1 red apple
1 Tablespoon marjoram
1 Tablespoon Parsley
¼ cup pecans or walnuts
¼ olives (optional)

Heat oil in a wide skillet and add garlic, vinegar and onion. Sauté for 1 minute. Add cabbage along with a generous pinch of salt and toss over high heat. When the leaves soften and lighten in color remove from the heat and toss with the remaining ingredients. Season with fresh pepper and serve warm.

Grated Carrot Salad with Lime-Cumin Vinaigrette

1 pound Carrots
1 garlic clove
2 limes, grate zest and juice them
2 tablespoons chopped scallion
½ teaspoon red pepper, cayenne or fresh jalapeno
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted briefly in a hot skillet and ground or chopped
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted briefly in a hot skillet and ground or chopped
One third cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Grate, shred or julienne carrots, set aside and start a medium saucepan of salted water boiling. Finely chop garlic and combine with lime juice and zest, scallion, red pepper. Add cumin and coriander. Whisk in olive oil and add salt to taste.
Blanche carrots in boiling water briefly, 30 seconds to a minute. Remove and drain. Add to a small bowl and drizzle vinaigrette over to coat. Serve warm or chill.

Chinese (Napa) Cabbage Stir Fry

This recipe will turn anyone onto napa…

1 head of Chinese cabbage, halved and then sliced thinly to create a shredded end result
2 tablespoons peanut or light cooking oil
one medium onion
quarter cup of white wine
1 table spoon soy sauce
2 apples, cored, peeled, and sliced
Salt and fresh pepper

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large stockpot or wok until almost smoking. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add white wine and cover for 1 minute. Remove the cover and keep turning until the liquid is cooked off. Add apple slices and continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Remove the onion and apple from the pan and set aside. Add second tablespoon of oil and heat pan again until almost smoking. Add Chinese cabbage and toss in the oil to coat for 1 minute. Add soy sauce and toss further until coated.
Add onion/ apple mixture and serve.

Basic Acorn Squash

2 Squash, cut in half and scraped clean of seeds
4 pats of butter or 4 table spoons of peanut or olive oil
salt

Preheat oven to 375. Brush the cut surface of the squash with soft butter or oil and lay the cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the flesh under the skin is soft to the touch. Remove from the oven and change oven setting to broil. Turn cut side up and add a topping option of your choice. Return to the oven and broil until golden.

Toppings:

Sweet options include combining a tablespoon of maple, honey or brown sugar with the oil/butter and adding them to the well in the upturned squash.

Savory options include combining browned onions, sage, any hard cheese (parmesan, gruyere, etc.) and or walnuts to the open squash along with your butter/oil.