Velvety Squash with Ginger

Serves 4

This is an outstanding accompaniment to roasted pork, duck or turkey.

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices

1 tablespoon freshly grated or finely minced fresh ginger

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Grated zest and a juice of 1 clementine, tangerine, or 1/2 orange

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Place 2 tablespoons of the butter, in the bottom of a large enamel or glass baking dish or casserole. Layer the squash over the butter, seasoning every other layer with salt, pepper, a bit of the ginger, and the orange zest. Squeeze the orange juice over the layered vegetables, and dot evenly with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
2. Cover the dish with a lid or a piece of aluminum foil, and bake until the squash is very tender, about 40 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

Pear and Apple Crisp

Serves 6 to 8

For the filling:

3 Sweet, crisp, apples, such as Golden Delicious, Gala, or Fuji, cored

2 ripe Bartlett or Comice pears, cored

1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon sugar

Unsalted butter, for dish

For the topping:

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

Vanilla ice cream or crème fraiche, for serving (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Cut the apples and pears into 1-inch pieces, and transfer to a large bowl. Add cranberries or cherries, lemon juice, and sugar, and toss to combine. Butter a 9-inch glass baking dish, and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine all the topping ingredients and stir until combined.
3. Pour the apples and pears into the prepared dish. Spread the topping mixture evenly across the fruit. Bake until the fruit is soft and the topping crisp, about 35 minutes, watching carefully that topping doesn’t brown too much. Let cool 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or crème fraiche.

Farro with Roasted Vegetables and Goat Cheese

Serves 6

3 carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips

1 large red beet, peeled and cut into thin strips

1 large zucchini, cut into thin strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 fennel bulb, cut into thin strips

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups farro

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

¼ cup slivered basil or mint leaves

2 ounces crumbled fresh goat cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large bowl, toss the vegetables with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer the vegetables to two baking sheets, arranging them in a single layer. Roast, switching the pans during baking, until golden brown and tender, about 30 minutes.
2. While the vegetables are cooking, cook the farro in a large pot of salted boiling water until tender, but toothsome, about 20 minutes. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the cooking water.
3. In a large bowl, toss the warm farro with the roasted vegetables to combine. Add the vinegar, basil or mint, and cheese and mix well (add some of the reserved cooking water if the mixture is too dry). Season with salt and pepper and serve warm or at room temperature.

Fresh Peach Pie

Serves 8

Any fresh fruit can be substituted for the peaches in this recipe: blueberries, cherries, sliced apples, nectarines, strawberries. If you use apples, which are drier, reduce the amount of flour to 1 tablespoon but up the sugar to 1/3 cup.

For the crust:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

½ teaspoon coarse salt

1 tablespoon sugar

2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

7 to 8 tablespoons ice cold water

For the pie:

8 large ripe peaches, pitted and cut in eighths (peeled or unpeeled, your choice)

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon or ginger

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

¼ cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling

1 tablespoon cornstarch or 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon coarse salt

For the assembly:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in pieces

1 tablespoon cream

1. For the crust: Combine the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter pieces, and pulse until the butter is very small and uniform. Drizzle in 7 tablespoons of the ice water through the feed tube and process until the dough just before the dough forms a ball. Add the extra tablespoon of water if the dough still looks dry after pulsing 10-15 times. Do not overprocess. (It may take 10 to 15 seconds for the ball to form, so don’t be impatient and add more water. If you are making the dough by hand, you may need the extra ice water to help hold the dough together.)
2. Divide the dough into two balls, and wrap individually in plastic, pressing them down to make disks (for easier rolling later). Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the peaches, cinnamon, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch or flour, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
3. Preheat the oven to 375°. On a lightly dusted work surface (or between two sheets of parchment paper), roll out one of the dough disk to a 1/8-inch circle, about 13 inches wide. Line the bottom of an 8- or 9-inch pie plate with the dough, pressing it into the corners. Fold the excess dough under, forming a rim. Fill the bottom crust with the fruit filling and dot with the butter pieces.
4. Roll out the top crust to the same size and thickness as the bottom crust. Place the top crust over it, trimming the edges to ½ inch. Crimp with your fingers or a fork. Chill pie until firm, about 30 minutes. Brush the top of the pie with the cream and cut 3 or 4 decorative slits. Sprinkle with a thin layer of sugar.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350° and continue cooking until the top is golden brown and the fruit is bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes more. Let the pie sit for 20 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

NOTE: Making Pie Dough by Hand

Place the flour, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl, and stir to combine. Add the butter pieces, and using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour mixture until a coarse meal forms and the butter pieces are very small and uniform. Drizzle the ice water over the mixture and combine with your hands until the dough just holds together. Take small clumps of the dough and smear it once against your cutting board the elongate the butter strands, called “fraisage.” This will also help collect extra dry flour pieces in the bottom of your bowl and incorporate them into the pie dough.

Summer Pasta Puttanesca

Serves 4 to 6

This is an excellent pasta dish for summer entertaining. The sauce can be made up to one day ahead of time and refrigerated; bring to room temperature before tossing with the pasta.

1 large zucchini, very thinly sliced in half moons (use a mandoline if you have one)

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/3 cup kalamata olives, roughly chopped

1/4 cup capers, drained

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (Muir Glen is best) or 4 large ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped

20 basil leaves, thinly sliced

1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, cut in 1/2-inch cubes

1 pound penne pasta

1. In a large serving bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients; let stand for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne until al dente and drain well. Transfer the hot pasta to the serving bowl and toss with the sauce. Serve warm or at room temperature.

The Raw Diaries

Going raw for 10 days didn't prove to be as difficult as I thought it would be. I allowed myself lots of fats (nuts, avocados, extra virgin olive oil) which made it much easier to feel full. The idea to eat only raw foods was an attempt to cleanse my body of the onslaught of foods I feed it: Culinary instructor plus mother of two (read: frequent snacking plus my compulsion to clean their plates for them).

I eat very well, but I also eat a whole lot. It turns out, after 10 days on this diet, that I eat a whole lot more than I need to feel nourished. Going raw made me more mindful of every mouthful because I literally had to reinvent the wheel with my daily meals. No more eggs and toast for breakfast; instead fresh fruit and nut smoothies (nuts soaked overnight to make them soft and creamy) in the blender, which surprisingly kept me full until lunchtime. No sandwiches for lunch; instead giant bowls of every kind of vegetable chopped up, with avocados and nuts for heft. I ate a LOT OF SALAD. Dinner was the hardest because I have kids to feed (who got a little tired of my rawness after a while) or students to teach. I did a lot of deep breathing of heavenly cooking scents and let that be enough, and I allowed myself to get creative by tackling recipes from the "Raw Food/Real World" cookbook by Chef Matthew Kenney. Things like beet ravioli with lemon ricotta and red pepper sauce; zucchini pasta with kale pesto; Thai summer rolls with red cabbage, mango, cilantro, and peanut sauce; chocolate- coconut truffles. Of course they were all the raw version of those things, but as a chef, I was able to channel my desire for a pork chop every hour into focusing on cooking new foods in new ways.

I definitely encourage the raw food diet for a spell (10 days and beyond), just to feel clearer, smoother-skinned, and to mix up your diet a bit. We all fall into our patterns and it is nice to get a fresh perspective.

Here is a sampling of the recipes that got me through the last 10 days.


Carrot Avocado Soup
Serves 2
An excellent idea for a cold summer soup.

1 1/2 cups fresh carrot juice (store-bought would be fine, but fresh is better)
1 avocado, peeled and pitted
2 stalks celery
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
Juice of 1 lime
Pinch or more of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Put it all in the blender and voila!


Apple Fennel Salad
Serves 2
Get out your mandolin or a very sharp chef's knife to make quick work of this refreshing salad.

1 bulb fennel
1 apple, unpeeled
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
3 tablespoons chopped kalamata olives
3 tablespoons currants or raisins, chopped fine
1/4 cup green pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
Zest of juice of 1 lemon
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Slice the fennel and apple as finely as you can. Toss all the ingredients together and let sit for 30 minutes before serving.

Zucchini Pasta with Kale Pesto and Cherry Tomatoes (photo at beginning of post)
Serves 2

2 large zucchini or yellow squash
Pinch of sea salt
1/3 cup kale pesto (see recipe below)
2 cups halved cherry or grape tomatoes

Using a potato peeler, cut long thin ribbons from zucchini and yellow squash. Toss the strips with a bit of salt and a dose of pesto. Let marinate for 1 hour to soften the squash (so it is more tender like pasta, and less crispy like a vegetable). Add in a lot of halved tomatoes and serve. SO GOOD!



Fresh Kale Pesto / Red Pepper Pesto
makes 1 1/2 cups, more or less

1 bunch fresh kale, tough ribs removed (about 6 large leaves)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
Giant handful basil leaves
1 teaspoon sea salt
A lot of extra virgin olive oil
Lemon juice, as needed
1 red bell pepper, seeds and core removed

In the bowl of a food processor, break down the kale until it is coarsely chopped. Add the seeds, basil, and salt and continue to process, drizzling in oil through the feed tube until it is the consistency of a pesto sauce. Taste, adding more salt or some lemon juice as desired to brighten the flavors. To make red pepper pesto, just cut up the bell pepper and add to the food processor with the pesto ingredients and puree until smooth.

Beet Ravioli with Lemon Cashew Ricotta
Serve 2

For the cashew ricotta:
3 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 4 hours
Zest and juice of 1 lemon (must yield about 1/4 cup of juice)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (easy to find in any health food store...literally yeast that tasty cheesy)
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or scallion greens
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves

For the ravioli:
1 large red beet, peeled
1 large zucchini
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Red Pepper Pesto (recipe above), for serving

1. In a food processor, combine the nuts, zest, juice, yeast, salt and chives and process until very smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl down a few times. Add the parsley and pulse on/off until it is finely chopped into the mixture.
2. Use a mandolin to very thinly slice the beet and zucchini into strips. Toss the strips with the lemon juice, salt and oil.
3. On each serving plate, lay out a series of beet slices, top with a tablespoon of the cashew ricotta and top with another beet slice. Use the zucchini strips to make rollatinis, but places the tablespoon of filling on one end and rolling it up around it. Top the "pasta" with dollops of the red pepper pesto.

Thai Cabbage Rolls with Mango and Cilantro and Spicy "Peanut" Sauce
Serves 4

For the peanut sauce:
1/2 cup raw almond butter
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon shoyu or tamari
2 tablespoons dark agave nectar or maple syrup (not raw, but tasty)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 fresh chile pepper, a dash of cayenne pepper, or teaspoon of sambal chile paste, for heat

1/2 head red cabbage, thinly shredded
1 ripe mangoes, peeled and cut into long strips
8 large sprigs of cilantro
1/2 cup raw cashews
8 very large romaine lettuce leave, bottom thick core removed

1. In a blender, combine the peanut sauce ingredients, adding cold water a necessary to thin it until a smooth, but thick, sauce. Toss the shredded cabbage with all but 1/2 cup of the sauce and let sit for 30 minutes to marinate.
2. To make the rolls, place the romaine leaves on a work surface and place a heap of the peanut cabbage on one end. Top with the mango, cilantro, and a scattering of cashews; roll up tightly and place on serving plates, seam side down. Serve with the extra sauce for dipping.


Chocolate Coconut Truffles
Makes about 20
These pretty much saved my life during this raw food week.
1/4 cup raw honey
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup cocoa powder
Pinch of sea salt

In a medium bowl, combine the honey and coconut oil with a fork, mashing them together until well blended and smooth. Add the coconut and cocoa powder and stir until completely blended. Shape into tablespoon balls by rolling them between the palms of your hands. Eat right away!

Raw Food for 10 Days.

Part research and just to see how wonderful I feel, I have put myself on a 10 raw food cleanse. After 10 years of working for myself, I now have a "boss," Ms. Stanzi Pouthier of Vitality Ventures, who is telling me, via email, what to eat and think about and do every day.

Today's affirmation: "Congratulations! You made it through the first day! I hope you woke up this morning feeling lighter, more alive and awake. If you're still feeling sluggish and moody, hang in there, it WILL get better on Day 3." I even took a walk IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WORK DAY ("get 30 minutes of vigorous exercise" says Stanzi) with my own husband, which has never before happened even though we both work at home and our offices are a few yards from one another.

Steve is having a rough time being much larger than I am and perhaps because this was all my idea. "I need a pastrami sandwich!" he bellows every few hours. I hope he makes it.

As for the food, we had to fast yesterday (another first for me), with a small raw meal for dinner. At 5pm, when we allowed ourselves a first taste of food, we pretty much emptied all the raw foods in our refrigerator and pantry into our mouths. That would be kimchi, every kind of nut, red cabbage and orange coleslaw, bananas, mangoes, and cucumbers in under 3 minutes. Then we were able to calm down a bit and cook (VERY HARD) dinner for the kids. We borrowed a juicer from a neighbor and the kids drank a week's worth of vegetables and fruit all at once...watermelon-lime juice and carrot-pineapple-ginger. We must buy a juicer.

This morning, Steve got up early and got creative blending raw almonds and a peeled apple in the food processor for a few minutes and then spreading the almond-apple butter on banana slices. Satisfying. Although only for about an hour.

Lunch (pictured) was this salad, which was very very good. Not hungry yet (T minus 2 hours).

RAW SALAD
Handful of mixed greens (I used romaine, bibb, and sliced baby bok choy)
1/2 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
Handful of sprouted legumes (from health food store...never saw them before)
1/2 avocado, diced
1/2 cucumber, diced
1/2 mango, diced
Package of raw kale chips, crumbled over like croutons
DRESSING
In a blender jar, combine juice of 1 lemon, 1/4 cup tahini, handful of cilantro leaves, 1 garlic clove, generous pinch of salt, and about 3/4 cup of water. Add more water if it's very thick.