Baba-Ganoush

Well I'm back after an August hiatus from blogging and bursting at the seams with eggplant! Don't get me wrong i am so thankful for such a plentiful harvest but do they ever stop coming?! So i decided to take a whack at Baba-ganoush.  Ive never made this fantastic middle eastern dish before but I've enjoyed it many times. It is very simple to make and is a joy to devour!

Here's what you'll need...
2 large eggplants
1 heaping teaspoon tahini
1 lemon (juice)
2 garlic cloves
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper



Here's what to do...
Make a few cuts into each eggplant and insert slices of garlic into each one

Roast the eggplants at 375 for about 40 minutes until the skin wrinkles

When the eggplants have cooled peel off the skin and put the pulp into a food processor or good blender. Be careful the insides will be hot! Add the tahini, lemon juice, salt and pepper and blend!

Blend until creamy and enjoy! Its delicious with some toasted pita bread and maybe some olives. Enjoy and be thankful for every eggplant your graced with.

Lets make Kombucha

There is always a huge jar of brewing kombucha in my kitchen that looks like a scary science experiment gone wrong.  But this fermented tea drink is so much more then it seems. Don't let the look or smell scare you, it has so many wonderful health benefits and has been around for thousands of years. It originated in Russia but became much more popular in China. In essence it is a fermented tea drink that it full of yeasts and bacteria that are greatly beneficial for our bodies. Kombucha is also full of probiotics. These little bugs are critical for a healthy immune system and regulating digestion.  I have taught a few classes on making kombucha now and i the one thing I learned is that i can not stress enough how easy this is! Do not stress or doubt yourself or your brewing boooch batch. There are only 5 ingredients to make kombucha...
1 cup raw organic sugar
4 organic black tea bags
1 gallon of water
1 Kombucha mushroom
1 glass gallon jar

Alright now to combine the ingredients is easy but there is a way i find works the best. Since your mushroom likes to ferment at a warm temperature it is nice to keep it happy. Take your gallon of water and pour 1/3 of in into a pot and turn uP the heat! Add the cup of sugar and stir until it is dissolved. Then when the water is almost to  boil add the tea bags and turn off the heat.  Steep the tea for around 5 minutes. Pour your super sweet tea into the glass jar, then add the rest of the water from your gallon which is room temperature now the water in your jar is much warmer than room temp but not hot. This is idea for komucha mushrooms! Only now will I let you add your mushroom, hot water will kill your mushroom and cold temps keep it dormant so keep it happy and it will reward you greatly!
What exactly is a kombucha mushroom anyway? Well its not a mushroom at all, actually it is a whole bunch of enzymes and yeasts that stick together and form a pancake looking thing called a mushroom.  These are available online or from a friend who just finished a batch of kombucha. see every time you make a fresh batch the mushroom grows a new mushroom on top of it, these can be used in a frest batch, given to a good home, or composted. My favorite online source for mushrooms is http://www.kombuchaamerica.com/.  I have used these mushrooms personally and I also order these for when i teach classes.
Behold the beauty!

Now that you've added all your ingredients together cover your jar with a clean cloth or a few paper towels no lids! The kombucha will release CO2 while it ferments and it wont work if it cant release its pressure. I always put a rubber band around the top over the cloth just so no critters get in. Sit in a warm spot for two weeks. Your mushroom will sink and float depending on its mood.  After two weeks remove the mushroom and bottle up your booch. Put it in the fridge so it doesn't keep fermenting. Now enjoy! Stir in some fresh fruit, herbs, juices, or jams! So healthy and refreshing for these hot summer days.

Green Thumb

There is almost nothing more satisfying then eating fresh food from the garden you planted.  But not all of us have the luxury of luscious gardens at our homes. Do not fear terracotta is here! I'm talking about potted gardens, not just for roof tops anymore.  I have created a very large pot garden right on my deck this year. Ive used lots of clay pots but some plastic ones too. I have also found objects to reuse as fllower pots as well. I am using old drawers that work great for my squash plant and some large leafy plants like kale and parsley.  I also have old chicken feed holders turned into huge flower boxes that work beautifuly. There are also a few tea cups and mason jars which are great for herbs. Think outside the box when looking for pots for your veggie garden. It is so beautiful and very simple! There are so many fruits and veggies that thrive in pots, as long as there is good sunlight and they stay watered.  I am growing multiple types of kale's and lettuces', broccoli, and beets.  Also strawberries, tomatoes and squash. Not to mention lots of culinary and medicinal flowers and herbs! Just another simple joy to add to your day. Plant something!

Scapes

Its garlic scape season! These green spirals are at every farmers market from sea to shining sea! If you've never used these curly beauties I highly recommend them. They can seem intimidating as they are pretty unique looking and they are very firm.  They have an amazing garlic flavor and are juicy when you slice them up.  I decided to make a raw vegan pesto and an infused olive oil. 

This was the first time I have ever made a pesto actually. I did lots or searching for different pesto recipes and mixed and matched all the things that looked appealing to me. But I then added a few curved balls. I promise it will not disappoint you.

Garlic Pesto
3 Garlic Scapes
1/2 cup fresh Basil
2 tbsp pine nuts
1 tbsp cashews
3 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup Bib or Boston lettuce
2 tsp tahini
BIG pinch Cayenne pepper
pinch of salt and pepper

Blend everything together in the food processor and enjoy!

The second scape creation is a spicy basil scape infused olive oil which was delicious on my dinner salad. Believe it or not this is much more time consuming than the first recipe.

Spicy Basil and Scape Infuse Olive Oil
1 Garlic Scape
2 tbsp Fresh Basil
1/2 tbsp chili pepper flakes
1 cup olive oil

Heat all ingredients in a pan until the oil starts lightly sizzling then turn off heat but do not remove the pan and let oil come to room temperature. Then do it again. Strain the oil and enjoy! its so great!

Need an idea for how to use the pesto? Pizza of coarse! I got a portobello mushroom cap flipped it upside down covered the bottom, which is actually the mushroom top, with olive oil.  Then i spread the pesto over it and sprinkled some vegan cheese on it and baked it for a half an hour. When it was done i sprinkled some basil and poured a balsamic glaze on top. It was wonderful.

I hope youve gotten excited about scapes, now get cooking!

Hot Summer Night Soup

Well with the Fourth of July just around the corner its safe to say summer is finally here, and in full swing. The weather here is finally cooperating and this heat makes me quite happy.  But when it's this hot outside forget turning on the oven! Luckily summer time means fresh fruit mania, sweet juicy treats just waiting to perk up those taste buds and rehydrate our bodies. I have been finding the most perfect cantaloupes lately for very good prices so i decided to whip up a raw cantaloupe soup. Cold soups are popular all year round but I think they are just perfect for those hot nights when you're exhausted from the heat and you just want something cold and now!  There are so many wonderful flavor combinations to choose from that you really cant go wrong.  I have some perfectly ripe peaches in the fridge right now from our CSA that would be great in a soup. Don't be scared because the worst that can happen is you accidentally make a great fruit smoothie!
Any way this is the soup I made give it a try and see what you think!

1/2 Cantaloupe
1/3 cup coconut water
1/2 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp lime zest
1/2 tsp cardamom.....after i finished eating this I thought ERRR WHY DIDN'T I USE CORIANDER!? try that if you'd like.  I find it has a fruitier taste that would be perfect for this soup. But i have such a love affair with cardamom <3
1 tsp fresh ginger
pinch of sea salt
bigger pinch of sugar
Berries to garnish
a few mint leaves from the garden
and I think cinnamon sticks are beautiful!

Throw this all in your food processor or a blender until smooth and enjoy!

Elder

Sambucus Nigra...better know as Elder is in full bloom right now!  These beautiful tiny white flowers are found in large clusters on Elder trees all over.  The Elder is literally the gift of medicine from the earth. Elderberries are amazing immune strengthers and they taste wonderful. They are loaded with natural vitamin C and you will most likely find them because of all the birds swarming the scene.  They are sweet little vitamin berries!  But now I am getting ahaed of myself because long before those beautiful little safire berries come out Elder flowers take center stage.  Unlike Elderberries Elder flowers have almost no taste at all but dont let that fool you, these little beauties are just as healthing as their counter parts.  They are fantastic for fevers and flus, they build up your respitory system to help fight off the ever present pollin and allergens that come with the season. They are also great for improving circulation and have anti-imflamitory components.  Steep them into a tea with some local honey and get to know them.  It is a good idea to dry them out first.  Just spread out your tiny snowflake flowers on a napkin and let them dry for a few days. They will shrink atleast a third, if not more, and they will turn an off white almost yellow color.  If you are suffering from bad alleries right about know then I recomend combining the elder flowers with some dried Stinging Nettle in a tea.  Not only with the Elder treat the flu like symptoms associated with allergies but the Nettle with clear your head in no time and help your body feel back to normal.  Start to look for all the goodies in your back yard that can bring you health and happiness.  It amazing all we can learn if we just observe.

Rising Appalachia

This evening we went to hear an amazing band called Rising Appalachia. Big thank you to the Lilypad in Cambridge for hosting such a wonderful event! 1353 Cambridge Street, Cambridge MA.

  They are two sisters who are the most riotous, bright, and smart people I've ever had the luck of meeting. Please take a few minutes to check them out.  They are a great blend of many different musical genres.  Their parents were both musicians and they are self professed musical song collectors.  The way their voices blend is honestly both haunting and mesmerizing. Through there music they are spreading wisdom and love. They are revolutionaries! One album is called "Scale Down" come on now it's that something we should all try to do in some small way everyday? And did i mention they are BEAUTIFUL!! I got a great picture of JB with them and his smile is hysterical! Cute boy blushing in the presence of such beauty!  Thank you girls for such a fantastic show it was so refreshing. 

http://risingappalachia.com/

Please take a good listen!

Before we went to the show we stopped for a quick bite to eat and I came to the realization that no guacamole is better than my own, I know this sounds super cocky but its true! Give it a try...

1 avocado

1 1/2 table spoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon garlic granules

1/2 teaspoon "salt" I use sea shakes which are essentially sea weed granules

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 small shallot. A shallot is a sort of cross between an onion and garlic but its purple and has a beautiful onion taste with not such a bite

1 teaspoon olive oil

5 cherry tomatoes

YUMMY!!!