I have been making this recipe for almost ten years. It is best during corn season when it is so sweet and fresh. This recipe originates from Cooking Matters (formerly known as Operation Frontline) by a Chef named Wayne Ludvigson in Seattle. It freezes well in glass jars and can be reheated for an easy nutritious lunch.

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 leek, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 green or red pepper, diced
• 45 oz. broth (about 6 cups)
• 2 potatoes, diced (about 1/2 lb)
• 1 3/4 cups corn – fresh, canned or frozen
• 1 bunch scallions, sliced
• salt & pepper

Instructions

Saute celery, onion, leek and garlic in soup pot with oil until tender.

Add pepper and saute 2 more minutes.

Add broth and bring to a simmer.

Add potatoes and corn and simmer until tender, about 20 min.

Season with salt, pepper and garnish with scallions.

This is almost exactly the same as the Whole Foods Market “No-Bake Thumbprint Cookies” recipe.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup pitted dates
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cup smooth almond butter
• 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 teaspoon orange oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions
Put dates into a medium bowl, cover with hot water and set aside to let soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid, and then drain dates well.

In a food processor, pulse oats until coarsely ground; transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

Transfer dates and reserved 1/2 cup soaking liquid to food processor and purée until smooth. Add date mixture, almond butter, coconut, orange zest and juice, cinnamon and salt to bowl with oats and knead together to make a dough.

Roll dough into 24 balls, transferring them to a parchment paper-lined sheet tray as done. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

This is the exact same recipe as the Whole Foods Market Double Chocolate Cake. I like it because it is not too sweet. I have made it three times – once for my grandma’s birthday with raspberries on top. It was a little dry two times I made it so I recommend serving with ice cream, frosting or a desert sauce.

Ingredients

• 3 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/4 cup unsweetened almondmilk
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2/3 cup pitted dates
• 2 teaspoons espresso powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup gluten-free, dairy-free baking flour
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cover the bottom of a 9-inch-round cake pan with parchment paper. Cut a strip to fit around the sides; place the strip inside the pan, holding it in place with a clip or clothespin if necessary. Set aside.

Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler placed over simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Set aside to cool.

In a blender, combine almond milk, applesauce, dates, espresso powder and vanilla. Blend until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Pour in date mixture and stir just until combined. Stir in chocolate. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan (remove the clip or clothespin).

Bake in the middle of the oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it, about 30 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack. Run a knife around the edge and invert the cake onto a platter. Remove the paper.

This recipe is by someone named Jean Pinard and I found it on the Mariquita Farm CSA website, which is an excellent resource for farm fresh recipes! I want to try all their recipes! I have made this soup countless times and I have started to call it “Garden Greens Soup” because I use any greens – kale, spinach, collards, radish tops, turnip tops, or beet greens – to make it. It reminds me of a recipe I learned how to make in France.

Here is the recipe copied exactly from the Mariquita Farm website:

Radish Top Soup

Don’t throw out your radish greens. Believe it or not, those fuzzy leaves can be transformed into a smooth green

soup, with a hint of watercress flavor.

• 6 Tb butter
• 1 cup chopped onions or leeks
• 8 cups loosely packed radish leaves
• 2 cups diced peeled potatoes
• 6 cups liquid (water, chicken stock)
• Salt
• 1/2 cup cream (optional)
• Freshly ground pepper
  Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan, add onions or leeks, and cook until golden, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in radish tops, cover pan, and cook over low heat until wilted, 8-10 minutes.
  Meanwhile, cook potatoes until soft in liquid along with 1 teaspoon salt. Combine with radish tops and broth, and cook, covered, for 5 minutes to mingle flavors. Puree finely in a food processor. Add cream if desired. Season to taste with butter, salt and pepper.    Submitted by Jean Pinard

I have always wanted to try making this gluten free crust instead of buying them at Whole Foods (so delicious and buttery, just expensive!)  Here is one from the company that used to be called Ruth’s Foods – now part of Nature’s Earthly Choice – I love their protein powders! It is supposed to be a crunchy nutty crust.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• ¼ cup water, room temperature preferred.
• 1½ cups ground almonds and/or hazelnuts
• ¾ cup rice flour (or other gluten-free flour, suggested: corn-flour, buckwheat flour or coconut flour)
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• ½ tsp. Celtic sea salt

Instructions
1. Pre-heat oven to 375°.
2. Mix the chia seeds with water, stir, set aside to let set for at least 10 minutes.
3. Place all other ingredients in food processor.
4. Whip in chia.
5. Bake for 15 minutes.

This awesome recipe was shared with me by Marissa Black and Cim Wortham. They made it twice: once with walnuts, another time with cashews and it was sooooo mouthwatering delicious both times.

• 1 bag frozen peas
• 1/2-1 cup nuts (walnut, cashew, pistachio or almonds)
• 1/2-1 cup parmesan or pecirino cheese
• 1/2-1 cup olive oil
• 1/2-1 cup mint leaves
• 1/2-1 cup basil or parsley leaves
• salt & pepper
• at least 2 cloves garlic

Blanch the peas in warm water so they are defrosted. Grind up the nuts. Blend all the ingredients in food processor until smooth. Eat with chips or on fish or chicken.

Great for stir frys or ‘Asian tacos’ or steamed veggies.

Heat up 2 T coconut oil in sauce pan. Add 4 cloves minced/pressed garlic. Add 1 T grated fresh ginger. Stir constantly on low heat, do not brown!

Mix in 2 T miso and 1/4 c water.

Mix in 2 T tahini. Heat and stir. Add 1 t soy sauce. Adjust to taste.

A summertime favorite when mint in the garden is out of control. These are the measurements to make a pitcher in a pinch- not the authentic cuban recipe with sugar crystals!

• 1 1/2 cup mint leaves
• 2 c lime juice
• 1 1/3 c simple syrup
• 3 c rum
• 6 c soda water

Crush mint leaves in morter & pestle, add rum. Transfer rum and some of mint to pitcher, add the rest of the ingredients, mix and enjoy over ice!

Mix these ingredients together in a jar:

• 1 T white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 t dijon mustard
• a bunch of chopped oregano
• salt & pepper

Whisk in:

• 4 T olive oil

Enjoy with greek salad – tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, cucumbers, lettuce, etc. YUM!

This recipe is so simple and its the base for a flavorful staple in our household over the winter monthes. Many herbs and spices, such as sage, thyme, curry, cumin, cinnamon, and others are great added to this soup (not all together of course)!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, diced or ½ onion and 1 leek, chopped
• 1-2 carrots, chopped
• 1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and chopped into chunks
• 1 apple, chopped into chunks
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water, plus more if needed
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and leek, cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Add herbs or spices of choice at this point, then add squash, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes.
2. Add apples, chicken broth, and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until vegetables are very soft, about 30 minutes.
3. Puree (in batches using a blender or the whole pot using stick blender) until smooth. Heat over low, thinning with more water if necessary.

If using a blender to puree the soup, let it cool down before blending to avoid burning yourself!

This soup can be made ahead of time and refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen in class jars up to a month; let cool completely before storing. Reheat gently before serving (thaw frozen soup overnight in the refrigerator).