Fiddleheads member, author and activist Mark Braunstein ** asked if I would share some recipes from his book, Sprout Garden (now in it's 7th printing, according to Mark) and Radical Vegetarianism (first published in 1981, it was revised in 2010 - dig the new cover art.) He's an authority on sprouts, microgreens, "live" food and veganism and a radical political activist.
Which, as it happens, I only discovered last night - and I met him over a year ago at the co-op. Definitely not the man who is going to trap you in a corner and whip out his book a moment's notice, or dazzle/exhaust you with his erudition. Here's a recipe I was especially taken with, an easy and practical salad dressing that is simple to make and has all sorts of applications beyond the salad bowl. (If using a spoon as directed doesn't emulsify the ingredients to your liking, try using a whisk, a.k.a. my favorite "Weapon of Mass Emulsification".) No-Egg Mayo (Recipe and text below from Sprout Garden, 7th printing, copyright Mark Braunstein, 2011. Used with permission.) This is the basic sauce for any need. Incredibly, adding water to tahini actually thickens it. Incredible or not, adding water [also] makes tahini more digestible. Unlike other sprout dressings, this one requires no blender. 2 parts tahini 1 part water 1 part lemon juice Dried parsley (optional) Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl or jar, and stir vigorously with a spoon. Add parsley if desired. Variation: Omit lemon juice and use 2 parts water instead. **a.k.a. "The reason Fiddleheads Produce Dept. carries persimmons", a.k.a. "The dude who turned us all on to persimmons and ruined us for life.". Too long to fit on a marquee much less a book jacket either way.
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Produce team associate Sue Guida was good enough to share her personal recipes for Creamy Tomato Soup after I begged her for the recipe. ("Ain't too proud to beg, sweet darling...") We posted this on the Fiddleheads FB page nearly a month ago, but it's worth revisiting as the weather has taken a definite turn toward something colder and crisper...sorta-kinda-maybe resembling late autumn/early winter. (Maybe.) The recipe incorporates chickpeas rather than dairy products to give it it's texture, and substituting veggie broth for the chicken makes it vegan. (The vegans and vegetarians amongst us already know that, of course; some of us are still finding our way there.) Included is the escarole salad she recommends as an accompaniment; I wasn't going to post the salad recipe here as I thought we weren't carrying any more escarole, until I walked into the co-op today and saw several heads of it that Anita Kopchinski and Bill Sokol had brought us from Hidden Brook Gardens in Ledyard on Friday.
Sue's specialty, IMO, is recipes that are almost Zen-like in their simplicity, no fuss, no frills and nothing unnecesssary. Simple, satisfying and just plain good. Sue Guida's Creamy Tomato Soup olive oil for sauteeing veggies 1 small onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 28oz can undrained diced tomatoes (Muir Glen is good) 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well 2 cups low-sodium, gluten-free chicken (or vegetable) broth dried rosemary to taste, chopped (or double the amount fresh), basil and oregano to taste 2 tea. sugar freshly ground black pepper, to taste Heat the oil in you heavy-bottom pot and saute the onions for a couple of minutes, add garlic and sautee a bit more (do not brown). Stir in the tomato and the drained chickpeas; add the broth, herbs and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Cool enough to handle, then puree in blender or food processor in batches until smooth. Return to pot and heat through; season with pepper. Escarole or bitter greens salad makes a nice accompaniment. Note: Instead of dried rosemary you could add one sprig of fresh and not bother chopping; remove before pureeing soup. Escarole Salad Wash as much escarole as you want, drain a little, break it up and put in bowl; sprinkle with a little sea salt and black pepper. Pour some EV olive oil over escarole. Just as you're sitting down to the table and NOT before that, squeeze fresh lemon juice over the salad. EAT. (The lemon juice cuts the bitterness of the escarole just a bit.) |
/recipe-archive.htmlPrintable pdf files of the recipes on this blog can be found on our Recipe Archive Page.
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Text and photos copyright 2011-2013 Janice Janostak unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.
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