Tag Archives: gluten-free

Persimmon Salsa

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Fuyu persimmons contribute to an outstanding salsa—and at a time when we’ve nearly accepted that salsa season is over until summer. Adjust ingredient amounts to suit your tastes. More ginger for spice, lime for tang, cilantro or mint for brightness, red pepper flakes for heat. Serve with tortilla chips as an appetizer or on a simple black bean taco.

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Root Vegetable Korma

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Korma is a creamy, rich vegetable stew — Indian comfort food worthy of a dinner party, but easy to throw together for mid-week supper as well. This version comes from Nigel Slater’s fabulous cookbook come memoir, Tender: A Cook and his Vegetable Patch. Serve with rice or naan (in the frozen section at Trader Joe’s).

Ingredients:

  • 2 ½ pounds mixed roots: parsnip, rutabaga, carrot, turnip, potato or such
  • 2/3 cup cashews
  • 6 green cardamom pods
  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 medium onions, peeled and minced
  • 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, coarsely grated
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 Tablespoon ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon chile powder
  • 1 inch cinnamon stick
  • 2 small green chiles, thinly sliced
  • 2/3 cup cream
  • 2/3 cup plain yogurt
  • Chopped cilantro
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

  1. Peel and cut the vegetables into uniformly sized cubes, ¾ inch or so.
  2. Coarsely chop half the cashews. Toast the whole cashews in a small dry skillet until spotted in areas with golden brown.
  3. Open cardamom pods. Remove seeds. Crush with a mortar and pestle into a gritty powder.
  4. Warm the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan and stir in the onions. Cook until soft, but not colored. Add the ginger and garlic and cook over gentle heat for a couple of minutes. Add the cardamom, cumin, coriander, turmeric, chile powder and cinnamon stick. Cook the spices for a few minutes until their fragrance is noticeable.
  5. Add the vegetables, chopped nuts and chiles. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in 3 cups water, partially cover with a lid and simmer gently for 45 minutes until roots are tender.
  6. Carefully add the cream and yogurt to the pan, letting them heat through, but not boil (or the mixture will curdle). Check the seasoning and add more salt or pepper as needed. Scatter the toasted nuts and some chopped cilantro on top before serving.

Roast Parsnips

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This recipe is adapted from Nigel Slater’s fantastic cookbook, Tender: A Cook and his Vegetable Patch. Steaming the parsnips before roasting in a moderate oven keeps them moist and tender. Slater suggests using duck drippings instead of oil and butter, so substitute if you like.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound parsnips
  • Olive oil or peanut oil or a mixture of melted butter and oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 ° F. Peel parsnips, cut into fat lumps of uniform size and steam in a pan of boiling water for 10 minutes.
  2. Dry to remove any water, then toss with oil (or oil and butter) to coat. Place on a baking sheet and roast for forty-five minutes or so until tender and golden brown on the outside (approaching black in spots, here or there). Turn once or twice during cooking.
  3. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. As a variation, add some onions into the pan with fresh thyme sprigs and a drizzle of maple syrup or after the roots come out of the oven dress with honey, sherry vinegar and toasted sesame seeds.

Rainbow Kale Salad

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My husband isn’t a kale eater by nature, though he’s always willing to try what I prepare. He understands the wisdom in this route. The first time I tossed this salad his reaction surprised me — he nearly devoured the entire bowl, stopping occasionally to offer a comment or question.  This is pretty good and this is kale?  I knew we had something.

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White Bean Spread with Leeks

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This is a favorite in our household (especially with the head cook when she’s had a hectic day and needs a truly simple menu). We often enjoy this spread on toasted crusty bread accompanied by a bowl of hot soup.

Ingredients:

  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large leek (2 medium), white and lightest green parts, carefully rinsed to remove any grit, and thinly sliced cross-wise
  • 3-4 generous cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cans white beans, well rinsed and drained
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • Freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste

Method:

  1. Warm oil in a medium-sized skillet, over medium heat. Add leek and garlic and sauté until leek is very soft (about 5 minutes). Stir frequently to prevent the leek from turning brown or crisp.
  2. Add beans and about ¼ cup (or more) water. Stir and simmer gently over low heat until beans become soft and a bit squishy. Add some salt and pepper to taste after about 5 minutes of cooking. Remove from heat and mash the beans with a wooden spoon until partially smooth, or use a handheld immersion blender and partially blend. Leave some beans whole or partially intact so the spread has texture.
  3. Squeeze lemon juice on top, to taste and stir to mix. Add more salt and pepper if needed.