My mother has a vegetable garden. This means that for every tomato I gratefully receive, I must also accept several kilos of zuchini. Ever wonder why zuchini is so cheap? Because it grows like a weed and no one really likes it.

I mean, no one loves it. No one says to themselves, "What I really really want for dinner tonight is zuchini!"

But there's nothing really wrong with zuchini, and treated with a little love and care it can be quite nice. And it grows like a weed, and to not eat it would be wasteful. Plus, my garden fresh tomato supply would be cut off in no time if I started refusing the zuke.

Zuchini Summer Pasta

Cut some yellow and green zuchini into 1 inch thick rounds. Cut the rounds into quarters.

Toss the zuchini with some garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Saute zuchini lightly, until it gets soft and your kitchen starts to smell like sauted garlic.

Remove from the frying pan and let rest in a large mixing bowl.

Pour some sherry vinegar over the zuke (2 T or so). Add some more olive oil and some salt to taste. Adjust the vinegar and oil until you like the flavour. Add a dash of real sherry if you have some.

Chiffonade some fresh mint. Lots. 2 or 3 fistfuls. Add to the zuchini.

Toss in some cooked pasta. I like Tagliatelle; use what you like.

Crumble some salty feta cheese over the pasta.

Drizzle a little bit of good olive oil over the top for shine and flavour.

Eat in the back yard.

(As a general rule, I don't like Chardonnay, but I gotta say, a buttery Chard is probably the best match for this dish.)

This is not so much a recipe, as a suggestion. Make yourself some granola! Store bought granola is insanely expensive, chock full of sugar, and usually dull.

Granola is a great thing to cook with kids. It's hard to mess up, easy to make healthy. You can change the recipe each batch, add and subtract ingredients, until you come up with your household "signature" granola.

Base Granola "Recipe"

4 cups rolled oats (not quick cooking)

Up to 4 cups of:

Almonds
Cashews
Hazelnuts
Sesame Seeds
Flax Seeds
Barley Flakes
Pumpkin Seeds
Pinenuts
Dried Coconut

Mix all of your grains and nuts together. Add some honey. I use 2 to 3 Tbsp, but it's entirely up to you. How sweet do you want it?

Pour over about 1/3 to 1/2 cup canola oil. Stir until everything is well coated with the honey and oil.

Pour out on to a cookie sheet and bake in a 325F oven for ~20 minutes.

Your granola will not crisp up in the oven - don't worry if it appears soggy after 20 minutes. It will dry out and become crunchy as it cools.

When cool, add some combination of:

Raisins
Currants
Dried cranberries
Dried blueberries
Dried cherries
Chopped dried dates
Dried apples, mangos, papayas, pineapple, and so on.

The variations are near endless.

I'm playing with various whole grains this week, in an effort to come up with dishes that have all the nutritional goodness, but none of the "tastes like dirt and sawdust" qualities that health food so often boasts.

I am declaring Spelt and Mushroom Pilaf a middling success. It tasted good, I'd make it again, and my test eater went back for a second serving, but if I'd had it in a restaurant I wouldn't be raving to you all about how fantastic it was.

Cooking the Spelt

Cover 1 cup of whole spelt berries with 2 1/2 cups water and bring to the boil
Turn the heat down to a simmer, and cover
Allow to simmer until the berries are tender, but still a little chewy, about 1 hour
Drain any excess water
(you can cook the spelt well in advance in you want to)

Assembling the Pilaf

Saute about 1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms in olive oil
Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and the leaves from 3 sprigs of thyme
Pour over 1/2 cup of water and allow to evaporate.
Add the spelt and a generous pour of olive oil, stir to warm the spelt through
Sprinkle over 1 T of sherry and the juice of 1/2 a lemon
Scatter chopped flat leaf parsley over, and serve.

It has a nice nutty, earthy (but not like dirt and sawdust!) taste to it. Nice with pork or chicken, or tofu, but would probably overpower fish.

1 part Cornmeal
1.5 Parts Water (Or Chicken/Veg Stock)
1.5 Parts Milk

(scale to your needs)

1 egg for every, say, 300 - 500 ml liquid)
Grated Parmesan, a quarter cup or so for every 300 - 500 ml liquid
1 tablespoon of butter.
Finely chopped lemon zest
Fine cut herbs (basil, thyme, marjoram - whatever you like)

Bring the liquid to a very low simmer. Add the cornmeal very slowly and stir continually. If you add the cornmeal too quickly and/or don't stir you'll end up with lumps.

Keep stirring the polenta over low eat for 8 - 12 minutes. Taste it every once in a while - you just need to cook it out until it's no longer gritty.

When it's smooth and not gritty remove from heat and add the egg, cheese, herbs and zest. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Pout the mixture into a pan lined with saran wrap, or small greased ramekins and leave it to set. Maybe a half hour or so.

Mist both sides with a little olive oil and sear in a hot pan to warm and brown each side. Serve with sauteed spinach, tomato sauce, a pan sauce or gravy, anything liquid and tasty.

I like it plain and eat it cold for breakfast quite often.

Wild Mushroom Risotto with Seared Quail

2 minced shallots
1 minced garlic clove
Leaves from 5 stems of thyme
2 Tables spoons Sherry
1 1/2 cups Arborio Rice
Chicken stock or Mushroom (a couple litres)
2 or 3 cups various wild mushrooms, cut into pieces
1/2 to 3/4 cups parmesan cheese

3 boned quails. (I would give instructions on boning quail, but I bought unboned quail for the first time this week, and when it came time to bone them I realized I had no godly idea how to do it. )

1 tablespoon brown sugar.

Marinate the quail in a couple glugs of olive oil and the brown sugar and the leaves from two stems of thyme. Set aside.

Sweat the shalots and garlic in some olive oil and butter.
Toss the rice and mushroom pieces in the shallot butter mixtures u ntil evenly coated.
Add the sherry and reduce by half.

Add ladles of chicken stock and stir the rice regularily (some people would say constantly. I say, who has time for constantly?)

Continue until rice is al dente and coated in a thick starchy sauce.

When the rice is almost done, pan sear the quail, carmelizing both sides. Move to a 400 F oven to finish.

Add the parmesan cheese to the risotto and stir until melted.
Finish with a knob or two of butter (entirely optional)
Season to taste.

Remove the quail from the oven and slice into two pieces.

Ladle the risotto into bowls and stack 3 quail halves on top of each bowl.

This is one of my favourite dishes. It's easy but incredibly tasty, and perfect for a foggy fall day. And - it's impressive. People think yo've done something exotic when really all you've done is stir the rice.

Rub two half chicken breasts with a little oregano
Sear in a heavy ovensafe frying pan with some sliced garlic and olive oil.
Bake at 400 for ~15 minutes, or until done.
Remove from pan and allow to rest

Boil Pasta water and cook Penne. (I use a box of De Cecco, but I am incapable of cooking for fewer than 6. Even if there are only 2 for dinner)

In a saute pan soften some minced garlic in about 2 tsp olive oil and 2 tsp butter.
Add ~400 ml half and half cream.
Bring up to a simmer and allow to reduce. Stir constantly.
When the pasta is done stir in 2 tablespoons of parmesan.
Remove from heat and crumble in as much gorgonzola as you want (or have).

Slice the chicken breasts into thin slices.

Toss pasta, chicken, and sauce. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Noodles Diablo

2 cups bean sprouts
2 cups broccoli florets
4 oz. whole wheat udon noodles
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. roasted sesame oil
2 tbsp. black beans
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. finely chopped ginger
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tsp. chile sauce
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup vegetable broth
8 oz. smoked tofu
2 tsp. black sesame seeds

1. Bring large pot of water to boil. Place sprouts in colander and plunge into boiling water for 10 seconds, then run cold water over them until chilled so they remain crisp. Add broccoli to same pot and boil 3 minutes, then transfer with slotted spoon to bowl of cold water. In same pot, cook udon (about 8 minutes). Rinse noodles under cold water and set aside.

1. In large, non-stick pan, heat both oils over medium high heat. Stir fry beans, garlic, ginger, onion and chili sauce unti onion softens. Pour in wine and broth. Boil until liquid reduces by about a third, then add the tofu, udon and broccoli, stir frying until heated through. Top with sprouts and sesame seeds and serve.

(courtesy Maya)

Sage Pasta

1/4 stick butter
20-30 fresh sage leaves OR 1 T dried whole sage leaves
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 pound pasta (cut pasta and noodles are both recommended)
1 C freshly grated Parmesan

1. Boil water
2. Melt butter in saucepan. Add sage, salt, and pepper. Cook about 10 minutes. Butter should be light brown.
3. Salt the water & cook the pasta until it's tender but firm. Spoon 2-3 T of the cooking water into a warm sering bowl. Drain the pasta and toss it in the bowl with the butter mixture, more pepper and half the Parmesan. Pass the other half of the cheese at the table.

(courtesy Nita and Mark Bittman)

And Variations

Pasta with Olive Oil and Sage
Substitute olive oil for all or part of the butter. A peeled, crushed garlic clove does nicely here, added along with the sage and removed before it becomes too brown. The cheese is optional.

Fettuccine Alfredo (Pasta with Butter, Eggs, Cream, and Parmesan:
Reduce the butter to 2 T. and melt it gently (if you have a few threads of saffron add them for a lovely color and aroma); eliminate the sage. In Step 3, while the pasta cooks, warm a large bowl in the oven or by filling it with hot water; when its warm, add 2 eggs, 1/2 c heavy cream, and 1 cup grated Parmesan; beat briefly. Season with pepper. When pasta is cooked, toss it with the cheese-egg-cream mixture, adding a little of the cooking water if necessary to keep the mixture moist. Drizzle with the butter and serve immediately.

Six Simple Additions to Pasta with Butter and Parmesan
Remove the sage from this basic dish and add, as you like:
1. Any minced herb of your choice or a mixture of minced herbs.
2. crisp-cooked and crumbled bacon
3. minced ham
4. cooked sweet peas.
5. cooked, drained and minced spinach
6. sauteed onions or shallots

Chard Pasta

1 small onion
Around 1 bunch chard, cleaned, destemmed, and chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
about a half box of pasta (shapes work better than spaghettilike stuff for this)
2 tbsp shaved parmesan

Saute the onion in a little butter, over medium heat, until soft (maybe 5 mins). Toss in the chard and cook until cooked and soft, about 15 more minutes.

While you cook the chard, heat up some water and salt it and boil the pasta. Once everything is happily cooked, combine the chard mixture and pasta in a pot and toss with the cream, red pepper, and nutmeg, and cook for a minute over medium heat. Mix in the parmesan and add salt and pepper to taste.

It may not be the healthiest thing but it is pretty tasty.

(courtesy Pink)

Three-Grain Vegetable Salad with Cilantro Cream

Salad:

1 cup long grain brown rice
1/3 cup pearled barley
¼ cup wild rice
2 ½ cups vegetable stock or water
1 tablespoon virgin olive oil
2 small yellow zucchini, cut into a ¼-inch dice
2 small green zucchini, cut into a ¼-inch dice
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and cut into a ¼-inch dice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Cilantro Cream:

1/3 cup tahini
¾ cup water
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro or fresh dill
1 small serrano chile, seeded and chopped
½ tablespoon light sesame oil or French olive oil
salt
cayenne

Place the rice, barley, and wild rice in a saucepan and rinse under running water until the water runs clear. Drain, cover with the stock, set aside for ten minutes. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the liquid has been absorbed, about thirty minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for ten minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool to room temperature. (May be prepared one day ahead, covered, and refrigerated.)

Blanch the zucchinis in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a strainer, rinse under cold water, and drain. Add the zucchinis, cucumber, and lemon juice to the grains and toss to mix.

Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until creamy. Just before serving, add the dressing to the salad and toss to mix.

Pasta Estiva
2 baskets cherry tomatoes
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 bunch fresh basil, leaves chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram leaves
4 salt cured olives, pitted and finely chopped
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
¾ pound fresh mozzarella, drained on paper towels
1 pound dried short pasta shapes

Stem the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half, or if they are large, in quarters. Place the tomatoes in a small bowl along with the garlic, herbs, olives, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss. This mixture can be used right away or can rest for several hours at room temperature.

Cut the mozzarella into small dice.

Cook the pasta, in salted water, until al dente. Put the pasta into a serving bowl, sprinkle the mozzarella over the top and toss quickly. Add the cherry tomato mixture and toss again until ingredients are evenly distributed. Correct the seasonings and serve.

(courtesy of Monkeytoe)

Buckwheat Noodles with Shitake Mushrooms, Bok Choy, Ginger and Scallions

¼ pound fresh shitake mushrooms (can’t imagine you would go wrong with any sturdy *wild* mushroom like portabello, cremini, etc.)
½ large or two small heads of bok choy
Salt
6 ounces thin dried buckwheat or soba noodles
2 Tbls light vegetable or peanut oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 Tbl grated fresh ginger
1 or 2 jalapeño chilies, halved lengthwise and finely sliced
1 scallion, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 Tbl toasted sesame oil
2 Tbls mirin (a Japanese sweet cooking wine, I am sure you could sub a little sugar)
2 Tbls soy sauce
2 Tbls cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted

Set a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Remove the mushroom stems and cut the caps into ½ inch slices. For small heads of bok choy, slice the stem lengthwise, leaving stem and leaf together. For a large head, slice the stems diagonally, ¾ inch thick, and slice the leaves into 2-inch-wide ribbons.

When the water boils, add 1 tsp salt. Add the noodles and cook as directed on the package, normally 8 to 10 minutes. While the pasta is cooking, heat the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan; add the shitake mushrooms and ¼ tsp salt. Sauté over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the garlic, ginger, chilies, and bok choy and sauté for 2 minutes.

Drain the pasta in a colander when it is just tender. Reduce the heat under the sauté pan and add the scallion, sesame oil, mirin, and soy sauce. Quickly add the noodles, taking care not to overcook the bok choy. Remove from heat; toss the noodles with the vegetables and cilantro, and season with salt to taste. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

(Recipe not mine -- it's courtesy of Monkeytoe)

The snowdrops have been blooming for a couple of weeks now. The daffodils are starting to come up. But, regardless, it's still cold and rainy, and doesn't feel like spring at all. So here's another winter dish, warm and hearty.

Lentils and Spicy Sausage

8 Spicy Italian Sausages (Or 2 packages of firm tofu cut into 1" squares, by 1/2" thick, rubbed with a little olive oil and red pepper flakes)
2 cups puy lentils
3 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 can stewed roma tomatoes

3 medium carrots
1 large onion
2 cloves of garlic

1 bay leaf
2 small sprigs of rosemary

Brown the sausages (or tofu) in a little olive oil and set aside. Don't worry about cooking the sausages through, just get some colour on them.

Cut the onions and carrots into pieces approx 1cm square.
Mince the garlic cloves.

Sauté the onions, carrots, and garlic in olive oil until slightly tender.

Rinse the lentils in a colander.

Put everything into a large pot and bring to the boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until the lentils are soft (approximately 30 to 40 minutes)

If you are using tofu, you may want to add some hot pepper flakes to the mix, as the sausages add quite a lot of flavour. If you are using tofu, add it to the lentil mixture 20 minutes into the cooking time so it doesn't fall apart.

It's hard to predict exactly how much liquid lentils will need. If towards the end of cooking time they have absorbed all the liquid and are still tough, just add some water and carry on. If conversely, the lentils are soft and swimming in extra liquid, just skim a little off, remove the lid, turn the heat up, and reduce any excess liquid.

Salt and Pepper to taste.

There's no need for side dishes with this meal; just a good baguette and a nice glass of red.

(This freezes and reheats very well.)

Speaking of lentils... Everyone has their old faithful. The standby dinner. The meal you make when you cannot spare a single brain cell to ponder options, but you still need to eat.

This is mine.

Rice, Lentils and Peas with Yogurt Sauce

Green lentils
Basmati rice
Frozen green peas
Chicken or vegetable stock
Full fat yogurt
1 jalapeno pepper
I bunch of cilantro

For the lentils:

Cook some basmati rice.
Cook some green lentils in chicken or vegetable stock until tender (Approximately 20 to 40 minutes)
Toss some frozen peas into the drained lentils so they thaw and cook lightly.

For the yogurt sauce:

Finely chop 1/2 or 1 whole jalapeno pepper.
Finely chop a small handful of cilantro leaves.
Mix the jalapeno and cilantro into a cup or so of plain yogurt.

(There is a time and a place in life for no-fat yougurt. This is not it. Full fat is a thousand times better than low fat in this instance. Live a little)

Add some salt, and a little bit of lemon juice.

Toss the lentils and peas with the rice. Scoop into a bowl and dollop on some sauce.

I love this dish, despite it's complete lack of sophistication.