We create lots of salads with cannellini beans — they’re ultra-creamy and marry well with a variety of flavors. In summer we toss juicy, sweet tomato chunks and fresh basil into the mix. This wintery version features the citrus, crunchy celery and peppery arugula. Let the produce of the season guide this versatile dish in one delicious way or another. You can’t go wrong. Continue reading
This is nothing more comforting on a rainy, mid-February Monday than a bowl of steamy Minestrone. It’s the vegetarian’s chicken soup.
From the cook’s perspective this soup is made for a kitchen clean-out. You can vary the ingredient list depending on what you fine languishing in the crisper: kale, cabbage, chard, parsnips, turnips, celery root — you name it, practically anything will land happily in the pot.
I’m hooked on the light, fluffy whole grain, quinoa. Blame it on the fabulous N.Y. Times food writer, Martha Rose Shulman (if blame must be placed), who recently featured this protein-packed whole grain in her Recipes for Health column. If you haven’t been following Ms. Shulman before now, check out her column for its nutritional information and recipes centered on fresh, seasonal and healthy food.
This recipe was inspired by Heidi Swanson’s fabulous cookbooks, Super Natural Cooking and Super Natural Every Day. Feel free to substitute other seasonal fruit for the plums – peaches would be superb. This salad shows off the bounty of even the most modest herb garden. Try adding chives, parsley, arugula or cilantro to the mix.
Makes about one cup sauce; summer roll servings vary
Café Gratitude is a natural foods restaurant with locations in San Francisco and Berkeley. A favorite dish is their collard-wrapped summer rolls. This is my approximation. You can improvise the fillings—mix and match as you like. Choose raw items that offer a range of textures, with plenty of crunch. Kids will enjoy wrapping their own green bundles. By the way, the dipping sauce makes a great sandwich or veggie burger spread, too.
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