Carrot greens have a really interesting flavor, somewhere between carrots and parsley. Tossing them in the compost is such a waste. Using them in a pesto is quick and easy, and the pesto is quite versatile.
This is a delicious roasted red pepper puree which, like any pesto, uses nuts, aged cheese, garlic, olive oil and salt.
Basil, Parmigiano Reggiano, pine nuts, garlic, salt and really good olive oil. How could pesto not be delicious? Traditionally, pesto is made with a mortar and pestle as a labor of love. A modern food processor makes it super quick and easy to whip up a delicious pesto.
A root to leaf risotto recipe utilizing both the roots and the tops of farm or garden fresh carrots. Brown rice ups the nutrition and utilizing the oven simplifies the risotto.
Garlic scapes are the flowering stalk of hard necked garlic varieties. They are a wonderful treat found in the late spring at farmers’ markets or home gardens. My favorite use for them is to make a versatile pesto!
This recipe is a riff on Green Shakshuka (link coming), which itself is a riff on traditional Shakshuka (link coming). It makes great use of the beet root, the beet greens and the beet stems. The dish is a flavor bomb, amped up with fragrant cumin and coriander, salty-tart feta cheese, creamy avocado and fresh herbs or an herb pesto. This shakshuka makes a special brunch dish or a great eggs-for-dinner supper.
Root to leaf. The soup is all about carrot roots. The pesto is all about carrot greens. Add crispy carrot “coins” and you capture the essence of carrots in a nice little bowl.
This post is all about eggplant. Currently it is under development, so not every section is filled in. But, the intention is to talk about eggplant varieties, how to select and store eggplant, and most importantly how to cook eggplant.
A little char on green beans adds a ton of flavor. Giving them that char, while cooking them through is an easy exercise in a skillet, if you know just a few tricks.
Summer in the NC piedmont means local peaches. Just like everyone else, I love peaches in sweet concoctions. But my favorite application is to use them in savory dishes. Peach chutney is super easy to make and it is very versatile to work with.
Look at that tomato in the center, one pound two ounces of heirloom goodness! Also a bunch of mixed beets, a bunch of purple carrots, four nice sized zucchini and a bag of green beans.
We all know that grocery stores get tomatoes that are selected to be shippable and have a long shelf life. In the early summer, when locally grown tomatoes, selected for their flavor become available, it’s time to celebrate. Here’s a half dozen ways I celebrate fresh, uncooked tomatoes. Do you have a favorite?
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