Summer vegetables

Posted on September 19, 2020 by ripe ~ red ~ berries

I have a deep appreciation for summer and all it’s ‘stuff’ – the green grass, the leaves on the trees, the hot weather, the sunshine, being barefoot, warm sand between my toes…flowers, vegetables, Maine fruit, picnics…one layer of clothing – even at times, just a bathing suit!! All of it – except for the mosquitos and ticks – those I could do without…

But overall, summer is my favorite season – hands down.

So while we are in the final days of my most favorite season, I thought I’d take advantage of some local vegetables (still) being harvested in Maine;

Zucchini, corn, onions, kale and mushrooms are just a few…

Why not just chop/dice/slice and saute?

Amounts depend on how many people you are cooking for and if you like left-overs or not. Personally, I like left-overs. They make sense to me. It saves time and energy prepping a little ‘extra. And if you don’t want to eat the ‘same thing’ the next day, then just freeze it.

(Freezing left-overs makes a lot of sense too. Even it’s a small amount – freeze it anyway. You’ll be amazed how easily it is to utilize left-overs – even in small portions. More on that in another post…)

Anyway, let’s get back to the recipe. (:

Chop – one or more zucchini – or any squash – into whatever shape/thickness you like.

Dice -one small onion – or scallions – or a shallot (whatever kind of onion you have)

Cook and scrape – an ear or two of cooked corn kernels – or a cup of frozen corn kernals if fresh isn’t on hand…

Cut – a few mushrooms (whatever type you have) or not if you don’t.

Chop and add – a good handful or two of chopped/ribboned kale or swiss chard, spinach – use what you have on hand.

Mince – a clove or two of garlic

A drizzle or more – olive oil

salt + pepper

and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. If you don’t have a lemon, try a lime, and if you don’t have either of those, a splash of apple cider vinegar will do.. (:

Heat up olive oil – enough to coat the fry pan – add the chopped onion and saute until the onion begins to brown.

Add in garlic and cook a few more minutes – enough to soften the garlic without browning it.

Then add in the mushrooms and saute until mushrooms begin to release their juices, soften and brown.

Now add in your kale (or green of choice)

Cook enough to soften, slightly.

Then add in the sliced zucchini and corn.

Saute until zucchini is of the texture you like – I like mine a little firm, so I don’t cook it for too long – but if you like soft, cook it until it softens…

And finally, add a few good pinches of course sea salt, some fresh cracked black pepper – toss and and finish with a squeeze of citrus.

Enjoy as is or use in a multitude of ways…here’s a few simple suggestions.

Add some fresh herbs if you have any (think parsley or sage), toss it all together with pasta, then top with freshly grated cheese and a drizzle more of olive oil.

enjoy as a pizza topper.

finish with a drizzle of tamari and serve with jasmine rice.

add it to some chicken stock or vegetable stock and you’ll have a lovely soup.

add it to cooked risotto and finish with a drizzle more of olive oil, fresh grated cheese.

enjoy it as is.

Plain and simple.

Fresh summertime veggies filled with the loveliness of the season – in every bite.

What’s your favorite summer vegetable? How do you like to eat it?

Be well.

Stay safe.

Enjoy.

green beans galore + heirlooms

Posted on August 14, 2012 by ripe ~ red ~ berries

The garden is finally looking lovely…

as a garden should, on the coast of Maine, by mid-August…and the green beans have been abundant. It’s amazing how many beans grow on one bush, organically…here’s a super simple recipe for green beans and it’s yummy served warm or cold.

2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed

Zest of 1 lemon

2 Tbsp. lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper

2 ounces goat cheese, softened and crumbled

In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Add green beans. Cook 3 minutes; drain well. Set beans aside in colander; do not rinse (they will continue to cook).

Whisk together lemon zest, juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss with beans in large bowl.

Transfer to serving platter and sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese.

*This vinaigrette can be made up to a day in advance, covered, and refrigerated, and brought to room temperature before serving.

I just have to mention the heirloom tomatoes too. I picked (and enjoyed eating) my first ripened black krim tomato. They are so incredibly delicious and luscious I had to include them…everyone should be able to experience the taste of a REAL tomato – not one which has been trucked across the country, green, ready to ripen ‘on route’ – no.

A tomato which has truly been vine ripened, without chemicals, pesticides or been biologically mixed with some other life form…and not one which you have to take out a loan to afford…one you grow yourself. Simply slice, salt and enjoy – your taste buds will love you!

growing and growing

Posted on April 19, 2012 by ripe ~ red ~ berries

The baby’s are growing up – the baby plants that is…the basil is becoming so incredibly fragrant (and big), the tomato plants have that wonderful green tomato smell which reminds me so much of summer, the parsley leaves are a good inch across, the sunflowers are getting taller, the marigolds are growing steadily, cilantro is just starting to take off and the cucumber seeds were just planted yesterday…Outside things are really taking off too – not at all like indoors, but seedlings are finally beginning to appear (I was beginning to worry…) the swiss chard is just popping it’s crimson head through the soil, the kale seedlings each have two leaves, the lettuce is really beginning to look like lettuce allowing me to know for sure, they aren’t just weeds growing, the beets are also pushing through…oh I love beets – homegrown roasted beet, goat cheese and walnut salad – YUM!

OK, I love most vegetables – roasted fennel, green beans slightly steamed and then topped with lemon butter (fennel + green beans planted when warmer), swiss chard sauteed with caramelized onions topped with ricotta on puff pastry, kale and potato soup, spinach with nearly everything, freshly picked corn on the cob, vine ripened fresh from the garden (not the stuff trucked across America) tomatoes sliced and sprinkled with just a bit of sea salt – WOW – or even better – the classic, thickly sliced just picked tomato topped with thinly sliced fresh mozzarella (not the shredded stuff) and then ribbons of basil tossed on top with a drizzle of balsamic and olive oil – divine – this is why I grow vegetables – it’s a labor of love – plant seeds, tend them, eat, be happy.

Baby basil then…

Baby basil now…

I use recycled cardboard egg cartons topped with plastic wrap (I re-use plastic wrap for additional plantings) to start the seedlings, then I transplant into plastic pots which I picked up at my local transfer station for free – recycling at its best. Even the plastic boxes holding all the individual boxes were recycled, as were the wooden crates I use to house other fledgling plants until the are ready to move outdoors…

I thoroughly wash each pot after each season and store away to use for the next season…even my garden shovel, wheelbarrow, hose and nozzle, the gate to the entrance of my garden and the posts on either side and some of my fencing have been free via my local swap shop…if you buy potted plants, give the plastic pots to someone who grows their own or try and re-use them yourself or ask the garden center when you purchase, if they recycle pots…get creative.

Eating well – budget or no budget

Posted on March 27, 2012 by ripe ~ red ~ berries

I love cooking – more importantly I like to eat. Eat well that is. It doesn’t have to take a lot of skill or a lot of gadgets and it doesn’t have to mean spending heaps of cash either – it can of course, but it doesn’t have to. I’ve been keeping my grocery bill under $450 per month.

We eat very well. Roasted butternut squash soup, chive potato pancakes, soba noodles with gingered sesame dressing, pinto bean veggie burgers with white mushrooms and edamame, fish tacos with freshly shredded cabbage and lime, beet and cumin soup, swiss chard and goat cheese tart, spinach, walnut and cranberry salad, coconut curried fish, veggie pot pies, spinach and ricotta tart, black beans and rice, eggs prepared in a myriad of ways, pancakes, roasted chicken, lasagna and ricotta stuffed shells, curried lentil soup topped with yogurt, tempeh with spaghetti and red sauce, maine shrimp and pea risotto, banana and blueberry muffins…these are a few of the meals I commonly prepare. The key to eating well is knowing what basics to always have on hand and what to do with what it is left in the pantry. It’s also about knowing the basics of how to cook. You don’t necessarily need to know the difference between a sauce pan and saute pan, you just need a few basic tools and a willingness to try along with a desire to eat well.

Many meals may be made from just a few basics. Add a few ‘extras’ to your basic list and your choices of what to make increase… being flexible with substitutes helps too. For instance, a recipe calls for swiss chard and you don’t have any, but you do have fresh spinach, then use that or even frozen spinach may do. (just remember you have to use frozen veggies a little differently than fresh…) If a recipe calls for sour cream and your out, try plain yogurt. Or if you need buttermilk, try squeezing the juice from a lemon into a measuring cup (1 cup size) and fill the remainder with whole milk – you’ve just made soured milk which can be used in a pinch for buttermilk….

Below is a list of ‘basics’ I like to keep on hand and make a variety of meals from. Sometimes it’s just soup, salad and fresh bread, other times it’s stuffed shells (actually quite easy to prepare), or fish tacos and other times it’s a mixture of left overs reheated – it’s really whatever time allows for and what I have on hand. I also try to use up all my ‘stores’ before heading back to the grocery/market/health food store – this helps me keep my costs down. How many times have you ‘run into’ the store to buy a few things and spent way more than you had intended? I have, so I try to do ‘big’ shops (stocking up on the basics) with little ‘shops’ (replenishing the necessities) between – doing my best to keep to my list on the little shops. It keeps me creative in the kitchen too – Hmmm, what can I come up with these ingredients…?

I choose not to shop the box stores. I shop my local health food store, trader joe’s, local grocery, local butcher, local fish market and local farmers market. And my own garden while in season.

Perhaps your someone who wants to cook (but doesn’t quite know where to start), someone who is looking to reduce their grocery expense or someone who simply would like to eat at home more often, and above all else, eat well. Well, here’s a basic list of things to include on your next visit to the grocery market (add delete according to your dietary preferences of course).

Vegetables

carrots

celery

potatoes (white and sweet or any variety you like)

spinach (frozen if fresh is too costly)

swiss chard – grow it if you have space, it’s a super easy veggie to grow

mushrooms (fresh only)

frozen peas and corn (fresh when in season if budget allows)

onions

garlic

cabbage (keeps well for awhile and is great in fish tacos)

*I love all veggies, I’ve only listed the basics for cooking ideas – the more variety on hand the better.

Fruit (to be used in recipes)

bananas (if they start to turn brown before you’ve had a chance to enjoy them, peel them and freeze them. Use to make banana muffins, bread, in pancakes)

blueberries (frozen when not in season or too expensive)

dried cranberries (use them on salads or in yogurt – you don’t need to use a lot)

limes

lemons

*I love all fruits (with the exception of papaya – not one of my fav’s); I’ve only listed the basics for cooking ideas – the more variety on hand the better.

Dairy

milk (cow or goat)

goat cheese – buy the larger sized logs, much better value and it lasts.

cheddar cheese

yogurt – if you love yogurt, buy bigger containers – better for your budget and the planet.

fresh parmesan cheese (not the packaged dry stuff) or asiago (very similar to parmesan oftentimes less cost)

ricotta (fairly simple to make at home too)

sour cream or plain whole milk yogurt

butter

*Eggs – I realize eggs aren’t dairy, but they are typically near the dairy section…

Beans and Legumes – all dried – they are actually very easy to cook and more cost effective, especially if you buy organic…

black

pinto

cannellini

white

lentils

kidney

tempeh (freezes well too)

Dried goods

wheat and unbleached white flour (or whatever flour you can tolerate)

bread (if you find a good deal, buy a few loaves and freeze)

brown rice

cous cous

pasta – choose a variety.

corn tortillas

flour tortillas

soba noodles (nice for a change and fairly inexpensive)

Spices etc.

salt

fresh peppercorns (invest in a decent pepper grinder)

cumin

curry (as spicy or not – whatever your preference)

fresh cilantro

fresh parsley (if you don’t use either fresh spice quickly enough, chop and place in a bit of water in an ice cube tray, freeze – pop out when frozen and keep in baggie in freezer)

olive oil

vegetable oil

fennel seeds

cinnamon

*add to your spices over time as needed – there are so many wonderful spices out there…

Baking needs

Wheat and unbleached flour

baking soda

baking powder

vanilla

brown sugar

white sugar (both sugars and flours keep well in freezer)

Odd’s n ends

canned tuna

peanut butter

jelly

coconut milk

vegetable or chicken stock

organic popcorn (not the prepackaged microwave stuff – actual popcorn kernels – it’s a great inexpensive snack and simple to prepare)

salsa

tamari (keeps well in fridge)

crushed tomatoes (makes simple and delicious sauce)

Meats/fish

I do not eat meat, though I do enjoy fish, dairy and eggs. My partner on the other hand is a meat eater so I do prepare it on occasion – though I only buy it from our local butcher so it’s a bit more than the grocery store and less than the health food store, but so worth it!

chicken breasts or half a chicken (depends on cost – usually 1-3)

white fish (1-3 pounds depending on cost)

*if your a big meat eater, consider eating it only a few nights a week or in smaller portions or include it in pot pies, stews, baked zit – dishes like that to stretch your spending ability…

These are some basics (for cooking + baking) I like to keep on hand, add to each group as you wish or as your budget allows. Remember to think about the life span of certain ingredients. For instance, if your going to make a swiss chard tart, you may want to plan to make that fairly soon after you’ve visited the grocery store or the farmers market….swiss chard has a fairly short time span once it’s been picked. On the the other hand, if your thinking about making a potato and corn chowder, utilize that recipe for a night when a lot of your ‘fresh’ ingredients are running low and simply use frozen corn with fresh potatoes (potatoes have a longer life span if kept in a dark and cool place). What I’m saying is don’t let good food go bad. Think ahead. Most importantly, have fun, include the kids (if you have any), have a drink and enjoy!