Hearty Brown Rice and Mushroom “Risotto” by Maria Rhodes (serves 4-6 people)

2 cups short grain brown rice
5 cups water
4 tablespoons plain yogurt

up to ½ lb oyster mushrooms (shiitake are a nice addition too)
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 medium onion
peas (I usually use frozen, but fresh work too)
2-5 cloves garlic (to taste)
approx. 2 Tbsp olive oil
Ume plum vinegar (salt substitute)

Rinse the rice well, and put in pot you will be cooking it in. Add water and yogurt, and leave to soak at least 7 hours. Cook for approx. 35-40 minutes.
When the rice is almost done cooking, saute mushrooms, carrots and onions in olive oil for about 8-10 minutes, or until slightly browned. Add about ½ of the cooked rice, peas, and garlic, and saute for a couple of minutes, until peas are bright green. Add salt to taste or Ume plum vinegar, which is a yummy tart and salty salt “substitute” that you can find in most health food stores.
This can be a meal in itself, or you can eat it with chicken, fish, tofu, etc. 

Arugula Pesto Recipe from www.elise.com 

Makes enough pesto sauce for an ample serving of pasta for four people.
I prefer a mild garlic flavor that you can achieve by using roasted garlic. The ½ raw garlic clove is added for a little kicker. The first time I made this pesto it was with only raw garlic and it was a little overwhelmingly garlicy. Using roasted garlic is a great way to still have the garlic flavor but without the intensity.
2 cups of packed arugula leaves
½ cup of walnuts
½ cup fresh Parmesan cheese
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
½ garlic clove peeled and minced

Brown 6 garlic cloves with their peels on in a skillet over medium high heat until the garlic is lightly browned in places, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan, cool, and remove the skins.
Toast the nuts in a pan over medium heat until lightly brown, or heat in a microwave on high heat for a minute or two until you get that roasted flavor. In our microwave it takes 2 minutes.
Food processor method (the fast way): Combine the arugula, walnuts, roasted and raw garlic into a food processor. Pulse while drizzling the olive oil into the processor. Remove the mixture from the processor and put it into a bowl. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
Mortar and pestle method : Combine the nuts and garlic in a mortar. With the pestle, grind until smooth. Add the cheese and olive oil, grind again until smooth. Finely chop the arugula and add it to the mortar. Grind up with the other ingredients until smooth.
Because the pesto is so dependent on the individual ingredients, and the strength of the ingredients depends on the season or variety, test it and add more of the ingredients to taste.
Mix with freshly prepared pasta of your choice. You may need to add a little bit of water or more olive oil to mix the pesto more evenly with the pasta.

Kale Salad (about 6 servings) adapted from a recipe in Sunset Magazine

Rinse 12 ounces kale. Tear leaves into bite size pieces, discarding any tough ribs and veins.

In a 5 to 6 quart pan over high heat, bring about 1 quart water to boil. Add kale, cover, and cook until slightly wilted-3-5 minutes. Drain.

When cool, squeeze excess liquid from kale and place in a bowl. Mix with 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve at room temperature.

 Swiss Chard Tacos with Caramelized Onions (serves 4)

  • 1 12-ounce bunch of Swiss chard (or collard or beet greens) 
  • 1 + 1/2 tablespoons canola or extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large white or red onion, sliced 1/4 in thick
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper 
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth, vegetable broth or water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 12 corn tortillas, warmed
  • 1 cup crumbled feta or 4 oz goat cheese
  • 3/4 cup Smoky Chipotle Salsa from Fronterra, or your favorite salsa

Cut chard (or other greens) crosswise into 1/2 in slices.

  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 
  • Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown and crunchy, 4-5 minutes. 
  • Add garlic and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, until aromatic, about 30 seconds. 
  • Add broth (or water), salt, and greens. 
  • Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the greens are almost tender, 2-4 minutes. 
  • Uncover, increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is nearly dry.

Serve with warm tortillas, cheese and salsa or hot sauce.

Parsley, Lemon and Garlic Mushrooms on Toast (serves 4) 

from The Practical Mushroom Encyclopedia by Peter Jordan and Steven Wheeler (Hermes House, 2003)

  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, plus extra for spreading
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 12 oz/3+1/2 cups assorted mushrooms trimmed and sliced
  • 3 Tbsp dry sherry
  • 5 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 slices of your favorite bread

1) Melt the butter in a large nonstick pan and gently saute the onion without letting it color.

2)Add the garlic and mushrooms, cover and cook for 3-5 minutes. 

3)Add the sherry, cook uncovered to evaporate the liquid. 

4)Stir in the parsley and lemon juice, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

5)Toast the bread and spread with butter or goat cheese. Spoon the mushrooms over toast and serve.

Half Sour Pickles  (from the Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash)

  • 12 pickling cucumbers (about 2 1/2 lbs)
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • 6-8 sprigs fresh dill
  • 1/4 tsp dill seeds (optional)
  • 1 tsp whole pickling spices (i.e. mustard seeds or peppercorns)
  • 1/4 cup kosher salt (or 1/8 cup sea salt)
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 2 1/2 quarts water

Thoroughly clean the cucumbers. Halve them. Flatten the unpeeled garlic with the back of a knife. Wash the dill. If the dill does not have flower heads, add the dill seeds. (If you have no fresh dill use 1 tsp dill seeds.)

Place the cucumbers, garlic, dill, dill seeds, and pickling spices in a crock, glass jar, or bowl large enough to allow at least 2 inches of space between the pickles and the top of the container. Bring the salt, vinegar, and water to a boil and boil 2 minutes. Pour the brine over the cucumbers and weight down with a plate and some heavy cups or cans on top. The brine should be at least 1 inch above the cucumbers. Keep at room temperature overnight, then refrigerate either in the crock or jars. Fill the jars with the brine and cover until ready.  

Zucchini-Feta Pancakes (from the Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen) 

about 4 servings 

  • 4 eggs, separated (yolks optional)
  • 4 packed cups coursely grated zucchini (about 4 7 inchers)
  • 1 cup finely crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/2 cup finely minced scalliions
  • 1 tsp dried mint (or 1 Tbsp fresh, finely minced)
  • a little salt to taste
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • oil for frying
  • sour cream or yogurt for topping

1) Beat the egg whites until stiff.

2) In a medium-sized bowl, combine zucchini, egg yolks (or not), feta, scallions, seasonings, and flour. Mix well.

3) Fold the egg whites into the zucchini mixture.

4) Heat the oil in a heavy skillet. When it is very hot, add spoonfuls of batter, and fry on both sides until golden and crisp.

5) Serve immediately, topped with sour cream or yogurt.  

Peanut Cucumber Salad (Sunset Magazine, July 2002) About 6-8 servings

  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • about 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3  English (or  Armenian or Japanese) Cucumbers (~1 1/2 lbs total)
  • 1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, coursely chopped

1. In a large bowl, combine vinegar, sugar, and salt. 

2. Slice cucumbers very thin. Add to dressing and mix to coat. Adjust salt to taste and sprinkle with peanuts.

Savory Summer Pancakes (Sunset Magazine, July 2002)

Makes 12-2 inch pancakes 

  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 zucchini (about 6 oz total)
  • 1 carrot (3 oz) peeled
  • 1 russet potato (8 oz) peeled
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
  • 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
  • olive oil
  • about 1/2 cup sour cream

1. In a large bowl , beat egg, salt, and pepper to blend. Using a food processor or the large holes on a hand grater, coursely shred zucchini, carrot, and potato. Add shredded vegetables, 1/2 cup basil, and flour to egg mixture; stir just to combine. 

2. Pour 1 Tbsp oil into a 10-12 in nonstick priying pan over medium- high heat; when hot, drop batter in 1/4 cup portions into the pan, three or four at a time, and flatten with bottom of measuring cup or back of a spoon. Cook until brown on both sides (about 6-8 minutes total). Transfer pancakes as cooked to an ovenproof platter and keep warm in a 200 degree oven. 

3. In a small bowl, mix sour cream with remaining 2 Tbsp basil. Serve pancakes warm, topped with sour cream mixture, or mix 1/4 cup rice vinegar and 2 tablespoons soy sauce as a topping.