This Is A Vegetable

Golden Potato Salad with Dill Vinaigrette

2014-08-31T08:17:00.001-07:00

Dill is my favorite herb. It's fresh and clean and reminiscent of spring. According to the website, World's Healthiest Foods (whfoods.com) it has a myriad of health benefits which include being a great source of calcium, iron, manganese, and magnesium.

Golden Potato Salad with Dill Vinaigrette

Dill Vinaigrette

2 TBL apple cider vinegar (I like Braggs)

1/4 cup olive oil

2 TBL caper berries finely chopped

1 TBL caper berry brine

2 tsp minced garlic (2 cloves)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2 TBL fresh parsley finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh dill finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Salad ingredients

6 cups Yukon gold potatoes chopped to 1/2 dice

3/4 cup dry French lentils

1 bay leaf

1/2 chopped roasted red pepper

Put the French green lentils in a pot with 1 1/2 cups water and the bay leaf. Cook 18-22 minutes until tender. Rinse with cold water, remove bay leaf, and allow to drain. Steam the Yukon gold potatoes for 15 minutes. Rinse with cold water. Allow to drain.

Mix all vinaigrette ingredients in a large bowl. Add red pepper, potatoes, and lentils and toss well to coat.

In Season in Pennsylvania in May

2013-05-05T18:23:00.001-07:00

Here's a list for you to print out and keep with you at the grocery store this month to help you buy locally in season produce.

Arugula
Asparagus
Chard
Fava beans
Fiddleheads
Garlic scapes/ green garlic
Green onions/ scallions
Herbs
Lettuce
Mint
Morels
Mushrooms
Nettles
New potatoes
Parsley
Parsnips
Pea greens
Radishes
Rhubarb
Spinach
Stinging nettles
Thyme

Horseradish and Dill Hummus

2013-02-15T15:06:00.001-08:00

At the produce market the other day, I couldn't help by be taken in by the smell of the fresh dill. It's by far my favorite herb. Fresh and light smelling. Delicate in appearance but strong on flavor. I couldn't help but start thinking about what kind of things I could do with dill. Remembering that I have a bunch of dried dill at home and some wonderful home prepared horseradish from my father-in-law, I decided a hummus would be the thing to satisfy my dill craving.

Horseradish and Dill Hummus

1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 can drained chickpeas
Juice from one lemon, about 5 TBL
3 TBL Tahini
2 TBL water
1 1/2 TBL olive oil
3 cloves garlic
4 tsp prepared horseradish
1TBL dried dill
Salt to taste

Process everything except dill and salt in food processor until buttery smooth. Fold in dill and add salt to taste. Allow to chill for an hour for best flavor. Serve with veggies, pita bread or have it with your morning toast or on an everything bagel.

Apple I

2012-12-21T09:43:00.001-08:00

iPad drawing: Pear I

2012-12-20T09:30:00.001-08:00

In Season for November in Pennsylvania

2012-10-26T18:08:00.001-07:00

November is upon us! With that here is a list of local, in season veggies and fruits for all you Pennsylvanians!

Beets
Broccoli
Broccoli Raab
Brussels Sprouts
Cauliflower
Celeriac/Celery Root
Chard
Cranberries
Fennel
Kale
Leeks
Mushrooms
Parsnips
Pears
Potatoes
Pumpkins
Rutabaga
Shelling Beans
Turnips
Winter Squash

Carrot Cake for Breakfast!

2012-09-28T11:08:00.002-07:00

There have been many mornings that, after having made a carrot cake for dessert with dinner the night before, I have indulged in it for breakfast the next morning. Who could help it? Carrot cake is at once rustic and homey while being romantic and exotic. The carrots and raisins giving it the rustic, homey feel of baked goods made back when it seemed everyone had a vegetable garden. The spices take you to faraway places and cultures. The result is a deeply loved dessert.

I tried to capture those feelings here in this breakfast porridge. The warm aroma of the spices are welcoming to the senses in the morning. According to ayurvedic medicine these spices also invigorate the digestion - but I'm not a doctor, so don't take my word for it. This breakfast porridge is chock full of plant power goodness. Carrots, apple, raisin, walnuts and quinoa give it ample vitamin and mineral content.

Carrot Cake Quinoa Porridge

1 cup quinoa
2 cups coconut milk
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 medium carrot shredded
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup walnuts
2 TBL Raw sugar - maple syrup or agave
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ginger
pinch cardamom
pinch salt

Put all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Once bubbling, lower to a simmer and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Can be eaten immediately or portioned out and reheated for breakfast during the week. Makes about 4 servings.

In Season for October in Pennsylvania

2012-09-21T15:12:00.002-07:00

October is almost a week away. Perfect timing to list all the veggies and fruits in season during that month. Print this list out and keep it handy for when you make your grocery list. Buying in season can save you money at the grocery store - but only if you know what's in season.

Apples

Beets

Broccoli

Broccoli Raab

Brussels Sprouts

Cabbage

Cauliflower

Carrots

Celery

Celery Root/Celeriac

Chard

Chicories (Radicchio, Endive and Sugarloaf)

Cranberries

Cucumbers

Eggplant

Escarole

Fennel

Grapes

Kale

Kohlrabi

Leeks

Lettuce

Melons

Mushrooms

Onions

Parsnips

Pears

Peppers (sweet)

Potatoes

Pumpkin

Rutabagas

Shelling Beans

Turnips

Watermelon

Winter Squash

I hope you find this list helpful.

Like This Is A Vegetable on Facebook

2012-08-07T11:42:00.001-07:00

Now you can see recipes I'm working on as I develop them. Also, get updates on when the final recipe is posted.

I'll also be posting quick meal ideas that don't really require a recipe and kitchen tricks and tips.

https://www.facebook.com/thisisavegetable

Mise en Place

2012-07-14T08:57:00.001-07:00

It's a french term pronounced meez on plas. It means putting into place and for the home chef it can make life a lot easier. In general the concept requires basic kitchen organization and preparation of equipment and ingredients.

Read the recipe thoroughly. If there are any concepts, ingredients or equipment you are unfamiliar with now is the time to research them. This is also the time to assess the level of difficulty and time that will be required in preparing the recipe. Think about who you will be serving this to. Are there any ingredients in the dish they might be allergic to? Can you substitute something else? Is there any equipment you need but don't have? Can you borrow it if it's a one time recipe, or will you need to purchase it?

Make a shopping list. Check your pantry and refrigerator first. Do you have enough of regularly stocked items required to make the recipe? Do you need any special spices, fruits, veggies or grains that might need to be procured at specialty markets? This is the time to make sure the recipe fits into your budget, or make substitutions for expensive or hard to find items.

After you have everything you need to make the recipe, including equipment - chop what needs chopped, measure what needs measured and pre-heat the oven if it's needed. All these steps before hand will ensure that your recipe (you did read it through all the way right?) will go smoothly and efficiently. It will make cooking so much less stressful and more enjoyable.

Now, while these above steps are great basics for the mise en place philosophy, it doesn't mean it can't be bent to suit your needs a little better or even taken a step further to make meal prep for the whole week a breeze.

This takes some planning - I know, I have done it - but it is worth it. You will feel organized and in charge of your kitchen, your life and your health. Here are a few more tips to take mise en place into your life as a deeper kitchen philosophy.

I always know what ingredients I have on hand. I usually know about how much too. This is not obsessive, but good planning. At the beginning of the week I look through my recipes and cook books for some easy dishes both my husband and I will like. This I have made easier by going through and marking the recipes with ingredients we can both agree on - and even some where I can successfully hide the ingredients he doesn't care for. Knowing what I have and having read the grocery store flyers for the sales helps me pull recipes to use for the week and then do my grocery shopping accordingly.

After the shopping is done, the first night I am cooking which is usually a Monday night, I don't just chop what I need for the recipe - but for the whole week. This makes cooking super easy the rest of the week when work begins to tire you out. Because now it's just following the recipe and cleaning up.

These principals work for me being on a budget. But if you have even less time to chop and prep - you can buy many veggies pre-chopped. Another trick I will employ is using chopped frozen veggies. They are inexpensive, especially when on sale - and easy to measure right out of the bag. You can also freeze your own chopped veggies in freezer safe containers or bags. This is perfect if you have your own vegetable garden (my dream. . . someday it will happen).

Beyond the kitchen mise en place just makes your life easier. It means you know where your things are when you need them. It means having a schedule and a plan to reach goals and dreams. Above all it means allowing your creativity to flourish.

Apology

2012-06-14T10:09:00.002-07:00

To all those who stumble upon my little blog and find it empty, I want to apologize. I am organizing my thoughts and trying to design how I want to present all the wonderful ideas featuring veggies, as well just trying to get along in life. I hope you will check back on this space again as I hope in one month (let's begin countdown from this date) that I will be fully set for blogging and journaling. Until then, Thanks for stopping by.

RM

2012-05-29T12:47:00.001-07:00

Everyday Herbivore's new name!