Gluten free kohlrabi tabouli (tabbouleh/tabbouli)

A new post!  It's been a while.  But I wanted to share this recipe modification cause it's a good one.  No pictures or anything... and it's barely even a recipe since I wasn't really measuring.  But here goes.

This idea was born of necessity and to address three small problems.
1) Ack!  What am I going to do with all this parsley!?
2) Ack!  What am I going to do with all this kohlrabi!?

3) Tabouli is a good use of parsley but Andy doesn't eat wheat anymore, so what to do...

Substitute kohlrabi for the wheat.  Easy peasy.  Actually it makes putting together tabouli easier cause you don't have to cook the bulgar.

Ingredients - serves 4 as a side

1/2 a medium sized kohlrabi (about the size of a large orange)

about 1 c. parsley leaves loosely packed, washed and spun in a lettuce spinner or dried with a towel

3-4 green onions

~8 cherry tomatoes

2 T. olive oil

juice of 1 lemon (I like it very lemony, you may want to start with less)

S+P to taste

1.  Peel the kohlrabi and cut into slices.  Cut the green onions into 1" pieces.

2.  Place the kohlrabi, green onions, and parsley in the food processor.  Process till everything is pretty finely chopped.

3.  Put the tomatoes in and pulse a few more times.

4.  Toss with oil, lemon juice, S+P.

Tip: don't worry much about getting the stems off the parsley.  I basically just grabbed all the leaves and pulled, taking whatever stems that wanted to come with me.  Since we get them finely chopped in the processor, the stems don't detract from the texture, and they actually increase the parsley taste!

This is a very fast way to make tabouli, and I love how the sweetness of the kohlrabi tempers the lemony acidity, and also improves the texture compared to a straight parsley based recipe.

Sardine bruschetta

It occurred to me yesterday that I didn't know the difference between bruschetta and crostini.  I knew both where toasts usually flavored with olive oil and garlic, usually topped with something.  Well, don't worry, it's cool, know one else does either because we have completely changed the usages from the original Italian definitions, at least according to a couple websites and blogs.  But people are still willing to argue about it.  I should probably just call these sardine toasts instead of bruschetta to avoid controversy, but bruschetta seems more fitting, at least in the American misusage.  It seems the fundamental difference between the two is the diameter and thickness of the toast, crostini referring to smaller, bite-sized toasts, and bruschetta referring to anything larger.

Don't be scared of sardines, they are a delicious, sustainable source of omega 3 fatty acids

This recipe is a super easy, quick and healthy dinner.  I think I've extolled the virtues of sardines enough and don't need to go into it more (but, oh the omegas!)  Since the bread is large, I am calling it bruschetta.  We had it last night accompanied by a nice salad of spinach, arugula, roasted beets and asparagus, diced red peppers, pumpkin seeds and goat cheese.

Makes 4 toasts which is 2 servings for dinner or 4 to 8 (if cut in half) for an appetizer.

1 can sardines (preferably boneless, skinless, packed in olive oil; I buy them in bulk on Amazon, much cheaper this way)
2 T. diced sun dried tomatoes
2 T. diced red bell pepper
1 T. finely chopped parsley
2 t. finely chopped mint
juice of 1/4 lemon
2 cloves garlic
4 slices good whole grain bread (I used some leftover "Seeduction" bread from whole foods full of all sorts of seeds)
Parmesan cheese to grate over the breads

1.  Preheat broiler.
2.  Drain the sardines, reserving the oil separate from the sardines.
3.  Combine the tomatoes, bell pepper, parsley, mint, lemon juice with about 1 t. of the reserved oil from the sardines.  Mince 1 of the garlic cloves and add that in as well.  Stir, adding a little more oil if it seems dry.
4.  Slice the second garlic clove in half.  Rub one side of each bread slice with it.  Then, brush the same side with the reserved oil.
5.  On a baking sheet or broiler pan, put the bread slices under the broiler.  Broil till toasty, 1-2 minutes.
6.  Remove toasts from oven and divide the sardine mixture among the toasts.  Grate a dusting of parmesan cheese on top of each and return to the broiler for another 2 minutes to warm.  Consume immediately.

Rice cooker polenta! ... and ratatouille

I will be making polenta more often now.  I made it in my rice cooker the other night, and I think it's better, and WAY easier, than making it on the stove.  Traditional polenta calls for nearly constant stirring for 20-30 minutes.  I think the reason for this is to prevent burning and clumping, not to significantly improve the texture, as is the case in traditional risotto.  With the rice cooker, the heat is low enough so that it doesn't burn, and I'm willing to bet the tight seal and slightly elevated pressure quickens the cook time.

Kinda hard to see but I was trying to capture the creamy texture.

I'm pretty sure you could just throw in whatever seasonings, cheese, butter, etc. that you want.  I used a 4:1 water to polenta ratio and used Bob's Red Mill Brand polenta.  I thought it would take a while, so I put it in the rice cooker, flipped the switch to cook, and didn't check it for probably half and hour.  It had already finished cooking and switched to "warm," and I think it had been done for a little while.  But I don't think there's any harm in letting it stay in warm mode, making this a perfectly flexible side dish.  The parmesan rinds imparted a nice flavor... I learned a trick at some point to save the rinds from wedges of hard parmesan cheese after I've grated the gratable parts for topping pasta and other things... just throw the rinds in a ziploc and keep them in the freezer.  Then add them to risottos, soups, and apparently polenta for extra flavor.

We ate the polenta with ratatouille.  It is based on a Cook's Illustrated method and recipe.  I just discovered Cook's Illustrated.  The website and magazine are by paid  subscription only, but I really like it and think it's worthwhile.  I love their emphasis on methods and explanations of why things happen as they do in a recipe.  They approach cooking scientifically.  I changed the recipe just enough to not feel bad putting it up here, but really the awesome method not at all my own.  I used to make ratatouille just by kind of sauteeing everything together, and usually using canned tomatoes.  The CI method of roasting the eggplant and zucchini first makes a much chunkier stew than I used to make, and I think that's a good thing, given my predilection towards vegetarian dishes with texture.  So I think I'll stick with this method, it's still infinitely adaptable, and though it might take a little longer than a simple sautee, it's not any harder and more closely mirrors the traditional French preparation.  Also any combo of fresh basil, oregano, thyme, or rosemary would only make the ratatouille better.  Add them if you have them!

I love eggplant even though it makes my mouth itch.

If anyone makes the rice cooker polenta and has thoughts on how it compares to a traditional polenta, I'd love to hear them.  I don't make polenta often enough to know for sure how it compares.


Rice cooker polenta
1 c. polenta
4 c. water
1 T. butter
2 T. grated parmesan or pecorino
1/2 t. salt
a few parmesan rinds, if available

1.  Combine in rice cooker.  Stir once.  Push down the switch to cook.  Come back when you're ready for it (at least 15-20 minutes, probably).

Ratatouille
2 lbs. eggplant, cut up in 1" chunks
2 medium zuchinis (about 1-1.5 lbs), also cut up in 1" chunks
About 4 T. olive oil
5-6 small carrots (or 2-3 big ones), sliced into coins
2 bunches scallions or 1 medium or large onion, chopped (I would have used an onion but only had scallions)
2 large, very ripe tomatoes, cut up in 1-2" chunks
1/2 bunch of parsley, chopped
1 t. thyme, dried
ground black pepper

1.  Place eggplant in large colander set over large bowl; sprinkle with salt and toss.  Let eggplant stand for 1 to 3 hours.  Rinse eggplant well under running water to remove salt and spread in even layer on a clean towel.  Cover with another towel.  Press down firmly until eggplant is dry and feels firm and compressed.
2.  Heat oven to 500 degrees.  Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with foil.
3.  Toss eggplant, zucchini, and 2 tablespoons oil together in large bowl, then divide evenly between prepared baking sheets, spreading in single layer on each.  Sprinkle with salt and roast, stirring every 10 minutes, until well-browned and tender, 30 to 40 minutes, rotating baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through roasting time.
4. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrot and onion (if using, if using scallion add in about 10 minutes after the carrot); reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes total.
5.  Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
6.  Add tomatoes and cook until they release their juices and begin to break down, about 5 minutes.
7.  Add roasted eggplant and zucchini, stirring gently but thoroughly to combine, and cook until just heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and thyme; adjust seasonings with salt and pepper and serve over polenta.

PS - I would be remiss in not thanking Grant Family Farms for the incredible late season zukes, eggplant, and tomatoes.  SO good!!

Split pea soup with potatoes and dill

Wow!  This might be one of my favorite recipes that I've posted yet.  As I started describing in the last post, this soup was born because I just wanted to cook all the veggies in my fridge at the same time and couldn't focus on one thing.  The potatoes and dill were just begging to be cooked, and with the first chill of fall, they ended up in soup.  I didn't know exactly where it was going while I was making it (so unfortunately, the amount on the liquids and potatoes might be a little off, cause I didn't measure, but they're close.  You'll notice copious tilde use in the ingredient list.)  The flavors are really great, so I encourage you to make this one, especially if you have good potatoes, dill, and parsley hanging around.  It works best if you are completely distracted by cooking other things.

Makes about 1 gallon of soup (8 big servings)

1 T. olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced
~3 qts. water
1 lb. of yellow split peas (green would be okay too)
~2 bay leaves
~1 T. Better than Bouillon veggie base 
~1/2 lb. small Yukon gold potatoes, cut up in bite sized pieces (other kinds would be okay, but I LOVED the creamy sweetness of the Yukes)
~1/2 bunch parsley
~4-5 T. fresh dill
~1 c. buttermilk
Salt to taste
optional: chopped chives or green onion to garnish and for extra flavors

1.  Heat olive oil over medium, add in the onion and sautee till soft and just starting to brown (6-8 minutes or so). 
2.  Add water, split peas, bay leaves, BTB.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.  Cook for ~15 minutes.  
3.  Add the potatoes.  Continue to simmer for about another 30 minutes.  Check occasionally towards the end.  You don't want to cook it for so long that the potatoes start to disintegrate.
4.  While simmering, chop up the parsley and dill; I used the food processor to get it quite small, but process the two separately so you can add the right amount of dill for your liking. 
5.  When the soup is done, stir in the parsley, dill, and buttermilk.  Go easy on these and taste as you go.  You don't want the dill to be overpowering (and I think people have pretty different levels of dill tolerance, I tend to prefer it on the light side), but you definitely want to taste it.  For the buttermilk, I would suggest that you don't even want to really be able to identify it.  Using just a small amount - a cup or so (compared to the 3 qts water) - gives the soup a creamy body and a very slight tang, but I wouldn't describe it as sour or acidic at all.  6.  Add some salt if necessary (for once, I think I didn't add any extra at all!).  Serve with chives or green onions if desired.