A few months ago we had a revelation: There was a beach…IN QUEENS! Jacob Riis Park is due south of us, and (without traffic) only 30 minutes away. Needless to say with the heatwaves this summer we’ve been spending many-a-weekend there. We always pack our own food, since the concessions there aren’t that hot. This past weekend we were meeting foodie friends there for a beach picnic. With the abundance of CSA produce in my fridge from the past week, I whipped up these 3 salads. Together with some sandwiches, homemade hummus, and tomato salad that our friends made, we were SET! EVERYTHING below except the red cabbage and jalepeno is from our CSA.  Local food at a local beach, nothing beats it.

Peach Salsa

• 4-5 peaches, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1/2 red pepper, diced
• garlic chives and parsley, chopped
• 1 japepeno, seeds/ribs removed, diced
• Rice wine vinegar
• Salt, pepper

1. Mix all ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Easiest recipe ever.

Red Cabbage Slaw

• 1/2 large or 1 small red cabbage, cored and shredded
• 1 red pepper, julienned
• Parsley
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• 1 T Apple cider vinegar
• 1 T Grapeseed oil
• Salt, pepper

1. Toss sliced cabbage and red pepper with 1 teaspoon salt, set aside for 10 minutes
2. In a small bowl, mix mustard and vinegar, whisk in oil
3. When cabbage softens a bit, toss with dressing, and parsley, season with pepper

Potato Salad

• Quartered new potatoes, steamed until JUST done
• 1 T whole seed mustard
• 1 T white wine vinegar
• 2 T olive oil
• Parsley, salt, pepper

1. Mix mustard, oil and vinegar in a large bowl.
2. When potatoes are just about done, remove from steamer and place in bowl with dressing. Toss, and set aside for 5 minutes.
3. Toss with parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Matthew’s photos of Jacob Riis Beach, our new summer home:

Similar Posts

• Stuff it! (Another thing to do with zucchini)
• CSA Soup
• Kohlrabi Curry
• Farm Fresh Frittata
• Simple Miso Soup

As many of you know, we are members of a CSA, through which we get our glorious, local, organic produce from Golden Earthworm Organic Farm. What you might not know is that we are also members of 2 other CSAs. We get our weekly fruit deliveries from a North fork Fruit farm, Briermere Farms, as well as monthly grain, bean, and flour shipments from Cayuga Pure Organics (CPO). We found that last year during the vegetable and fruit seasons we still bought a lot of those items so we committed to 3 shares of bean, and 2 each of flour and grain.

In June, before our shipments from CPO even started, we took a week-long road trip through the Finger Lakes of Central New York State. When we stopped–unannounced–at CPO’s doorstep, we were welcomed in and lucky enough to get a guided tour of the whole operation from Erick Smith, one of the original founders of CPO. The awesomeness of their Rube Goldberg-esque bean sorting machines deserves its own post, but needless to say, we were so grateful to meet Erick, and thank him personally for the bounty we were expecting to receive. What we did not expect is how exciting it has been to try interesting grains that we never would think to buy, like the oat groats used in this recipe. I concocted this dish to showcase June’s bean (black bean) and July’s grain (oat groats) and flour (cornmeal). I’ve been wanting to try a vegan “burger” for a while now, and this version was delicious. In addition to the CPO ingredients, I used red onion, garlic, parsley and summer savory–all from this week’s Golden Earthworm share. Pretty special that EVERYTHING in the burger (save the spices: salt, pepper, cumin, and homemade chili powder) was grown by a farmer that I have PERSONALLY thanked for growing my food. Pretty special indeed.

BOG (Bean Oat Groat) Burger

• 2 cups cooked black beans
• 1 cup cooked oat groats (you can probably use steel cut oats)
• 1 red onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1 T fresh summer savory (substitute 1 T fresh or 1 t dried oregano, or any other fresh or dried herb for hard-to-find savory; thyme might also work well)
• 1 T chili powder (we make Mark Bittman’s from How to Cook Everything)
• 1 t cumin seeds
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup cornmeal
• Salt, pepper

1. Puree in Cuisinart until well blended and soft: black beans, oats, onion, garlic, parsley, savory, chili powder and cumin seeds. Add 1 T at a time of cornmeal until consistency thickens up a bit. Season to taste with salt and pepper. It will still be quite sticky; don’t worry.
2. Portion out onto a parchment lined plate. No need to make into patties yet – they first have to chill and firm up in the fridge for 30 minutes, so place plate in fridge.
3. After 30 minutes, remove from fridge. To press portions into patties, sprinkle each side with cornmeal and press down gently; make sure they are coated lightly with cornmeal on all sides.
4. Heat skillet over medium-high heat; add oil (canola, grape seed or safflower oil are great for pan frying). Fry patties on each side until golden. If you’re not eating them right away, place in a 200F oven to keep warm.

For the curious–did this really taste like a burger? In a word, no. While the outside of the burger firmed up quite nicely, and it held up while frying, the patty as whole wasn’t the texture of a beef burger, but that wasn’t really what I was going for. I wanted a hearty showcase for all the grains and beans, and this technique really came through for me. It was served open-face on a slice of whole wheat (Ezekiel) toast with chili powder ketchup, a side salad and quick zucchini bread and butter pickles.

Stay Tuned for our Finger Lakes Road Trip Post to learn more about Cayuga Pure Organics, the incredible hiking trails of Western New York, and how exactly we fit the 17 bottles of world class wine we bought back to Queens in our Fit.

Similar Posts

• Letting the Vegetables Shine
• Farm Fresh Roasted Vegetables
• CSA Soup
• Hearty Harvest Salad
• Simple Miso Soup

This classic pickle couldn’t be easier or more delicious, especially since I made it not only with Golden Earthworm‘s organic cucumbers from this week’s CSA share, but with some from a Square Foot Garden that I’ve been working on with a friend. Since I’m down to the wire with this July Can Jam entry, this isn’t going to be the post about Square Foot Gardening in general, but needless to say, it has been an incredibly doable way to grow a wide-range of produce.

Bread and Butter Pickles

Adapted from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving

Recipe makes two 15-oz jars

• 5 cups sliced trimmed pickling cucumbers
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup canning salt (I used kosher salt)
• 1.5 cups white vinegar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 T mustard seeds
• 1/2 tespooon celery seed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1. In a stainless steel bowl, combine cucumbers, onions and salt. Mix well, cover with cold water, and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours. Drain, rinse, and drain again.
2. In the mean time, prepare canner, jars and lids. (See this post for more info.)
3. In a large saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, turmeric, and celery seeds. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Stir in cucumbers and onions, bring back to a boil
4. Put grated ginger in one jar. Pack cucumbers/onions into jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles, and adjust headspace as needed. Wipe rim, center and place lid (the one with ginger marked with a “G”), screw on bands to fingertip-tight.
5. Place jars in canner. Process for 10 minutes. Remove, cool and store.

There were some pickles which didn’t make it in the jars, which I ended up eating HAPPILY. They were delicious! I’m excited to taste the gingery one. I’ll let you know how it comes out.

Similar Posts

• August Can Jam: Homemade Ketchup
• In a New York State of Black Bean Burger
• Stuff it! (Another thing to do with zucchini)
• Letting the Vegetables Shine
• Can Jam May: Spicy Pickled Asparagus

With the plethora of delicious, fresh zucchini we have been getting from Golden Earthworm over the past few weeks, we’ve been coming up with some nifty ways to use ‘em. This is something I whipped up for lunch. (Yes, often lunch is our biggest meal of the day and–since we both work close to home–a meal we’re lucky to eat together!) What have you been doing with your July zucchini shares?

Stuffed Zucchini

• 2 of any combination of zucchinis and yellow squash, cut the long way with the seeds scooped out
• 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
• 1/4 cup ground almonds
• 1 T tamari
• 1-2 gloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 grated zucchini
• 2 kale leaves, julienned
• Handful of basil, julienned
• Extra vigin olive oil
• Pinch (or more) red pepper flakes

This is an easy one: Preheat oven to 350F. Mix everything. Stuff into zucchini. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until zucchini browns slightly.

Similar Posts

• CSA Soup
• Simple Miso Soup
• Letting the Vegetables Shine
• 4 Dishes for an Autumn Brunch
• Farm Fresh Roasted Vegetables

Let the dinners of fresh, local, organic vegetables begin! The Forest Hills Tuv Ha’aretz CSA kicked off a couple of weeks ago, and we have been really enjoying all the early summer vegetables. When the vegetables start rolling in, it really puts the “you-don’t-have-to-do-much-to-fresh-ingredients” principle into use, ’cause it’s true! With veggies this fresh, it just takes a brief steam, a squeeze of lemon, a pinch of salt, or a drizzle of good quality olive oil to transform an ingredient to a meal. Last Tuesday night, we enjoyed red quinoa, mung bean sprouts, sauteed garlicy spinach and quick ‘pickled’ japanese salad turnips. A sprinkle of garlic scapes (immature flower stalks), balsamic vinegar and olive oil is all the dressing it needs.

Building a Farm Fresh Bowl: A Story in Pictures

Wash greens well. My favorite way to wash greens: Rinse in a colander, then spin wet dirty greens. The dirt separates from the greens due to centripetal force; I call this kitchen physics. Keep greens wet–the water will help the greens cook.

Heat some olive oil, and add chopped garlic or garlic scapes. Add wet greens and cover, with the heat on low, for 5 minutes. Uncover, and drizzle balsamic, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

These are garlic scapes. They are a delicious spring delicacy.

Since I tried them for the first time last year, I have been waiting to eat Japanese salad turnips again. They are a sweet, delicately pungent vegetable that takes very well to light pickling. To add some crunch and acidity to the vegetable bowl I made this lemony turnip ‘pickle’. Slice turnips, add zest of lemon, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper. Toss and let sit for a few minutes before serving. (When zesting use organic citrus whenever possible since the pesticides reside in the peel.)

Round out the meal with bean and whole grain of choice (we’ve been on a millet kick lately, but ran out hence the red quinoa), and dress with oil and vinegar… Bon appetite!

Similar Posts

• Barley Bowl
• CSA Soup
• Simple Miso Soup
• Farm Fresh Roasted Vegetables
• Kohlrabi Curry

There really was nothing in the kitchen. Nothing that I could cook quickly, anyway. So it was either order in (which we do every couple of weeks) or starve (perhaps I’m being dramatic here…) By the time I got home from a busy clinic day, it was 9pm, and honestly I wanted to order in. I really did. But I was famished and I thought even ordering in would take too long. So I whipped together this filling, spicy, bowl of polenta and beans. (I really do cook a lot of polenta, right?) It definitely helped that I had a ripe avocado and pickled red onions to inspire me! And even though this epitomizes a throw-it-together-pantry dinner, I will definitely make it again. The whole thing took 15 minutes from start to finish!

Polenta and Bean Bowl

• 1 cup coarse corn meal
• 1 can black beans, drained
• Jarred salsa (we usually buy Green Mountain Gringo Hot or Medium)
• 1/2 avocado
• 2 garlic cloves
• Olive oil
• Pickled red onions

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, and add 1 cup cornmeal, turn down heat, and stir for a few minutes until cornmeal magically turns into polenta. When thickened, stir in 1 T olive oil, and 1-2 cloves chopped garlic.
2. Meanwhile, heat beans with the salsa until heated through.
3. Serve the polenta topped with the bean mixture and garnished with sliced avocado and pickled red onions.

A note about canned beans: There has been A LOT of press about the safety of the Bisphenol-A (BPA) content of canned products lately. While I do tend to use BPA-free tomatoes in cartons (Pomi is my favorite), I do keep canned beans in my pantry for nights like this, and I probably will continue to do so. However, as part of our CSA this summer, in addition to our veggies, tomato, herb and garlic shares from Golden Earthworm, and a fruit share from Briermere, we signed up for a grain, bean and flour share from Cayuga Pure Organics. Actually, we were so excited that we signed up for 2 shares of each–we’ll be getting 2 pounds of beans, 2 pounds of grain, and 4 pounds of flour per month. So I will be experimenting with cooking many more dried beans over the next 6 months. I am super stoked to have virtually ALL of our food needs met by local, organic, sustainable producers. Go Tuv Ha’Aretz CSA!

Similar Posts

• Kohlrabi Curry
• Something from Nothing
• The Pantry Pulls Through (Again)
• Hearty Harvest Salad
• Pantry Staples + Cheese + Scallions = Another Mexican Casserole from Matthew

Spicy Pickled Asparagus

• Enough asparagus to fill 1 12-oz jar (trim off woody end)
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon pickling salt
• 1/2 t red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved

1. Clean jar and lid; prepare canner. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, read THIS post from Tigress.
2. Bring to a boil in a saucepan: vinegar, salt, pepper flakes, coriander seeds, mustard seeds and garlic. When boiling, add asparagus and simmer for 2 minutes.
3. Pack asparagus tip side down into jar (this way the pretty tips don’t get damaged when removing them later–a Ball trick!). Ladle hot pickling liquid into jar leaving 1/2 inch headspace; remove air bubbles with a chopstick, and adjust headspace as needed. Clean rim, and place lid on center of jar. Screw on band until fingertip-tight.
4. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water canner; then turn off heat. Wait 5 minutes, remove jar, cool and store.

In Chinese medicine, the Spring season corresponds to the sour flavor. I have really been craving sour, vinegary foods lately, and I’m hoping that with the super vinegary pickling brine and ample spices these will be a spicy-savory Spring time treat. I will report back when we eat them.

Similar Posts

• Bread and Butter Pickles: July Can Jam
• 3 Salads for a Beach Picnic
• August Can Jam: Homemade Ketchup
• Stuff it! (Another thing to do with zucchini)
• Letting the Vegetables Shine

I was famished and running late for a meeting the other day, so I ducked into a health food store for a snack. My go-to on-the-go snacks are Laräbars since they are all natural, delicious and filling. I grabbed an “Apple Pie” Laräbar; the ingredients are dates, almonds, apples, walnuts, raisins, and cinnamon. That’s it–no preservatives or flavorings! It was then I had an epiphany: Laräbars are really just Sephardic Charoset, the traditional apple and date spread eaten on Passover to symbolize mortar used to build the pyramids. And it was then I had my second epiphany: I can make this at home! The next day the experimentation began…

Homemade Alexäbars

• 15 dried, pitted dates
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnimon
• Pinch of salt

1. Put all ingredients into the bowl of a sturdy food processor and pulse until blended well; the mixture should be able to stick together in a ball if you take a bit and roll in your hands.
2. Line a small baking sheet or pie tin with parchment and place date/nut mixture on it, with another piece of parchment on top. Smooth out the mixture with a rolling pin or the back of a large spoon. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
3. Remove from refrigerator, and peel of the top layer of parchment. Cut into desired shape. Wrap individual bars in plastic wrap and store in fridge.

This was the first batch, and it was surprisingly easy, as long as you have a sturdy food processor. For my next batch, I plan to up the seasonings, maybe adding more cinnamon or cardamom. Now, the next time I’m running late for a meeting, I’ll reach into my bag for an Alexäbar!

Similar Posts

• 3 Salads for a Beach Picnic
• Stuff it! (Another thing to do with zucchini)
• Making a Pantry Staple from Scratch (Quinoa-Stuffed Grape Leaves)
• CSA Soup
• Kohlrabi Curry