Grow What You Eat, Eat What You Grow - Sustainable Living Guide - PDF
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Uploaded by CourteousSugilite7873
University of South Asia
2014
Randy Shore
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Grow What You Eat, Eat What You Grow provides a guide to growing and eating sustainably all year round. Recipes and advice on everything from planting to preserving your harvest are included. Ideal for those looking to grow their own food.
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Grow What You Eat, Eat What You Grow GROW WHAT YOU EAT, EAT WHAT YOU GROW Copyright © 2014 by Randy Shore All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any part by any means—graphic, electronic, or mechanical—without the prior written permission of the publisher, except by a rev...
Grow What You Eat, Eat What You Grow GROW WHAT YOU EAT, EAT WHAT YOU GROW Copyright © 2014 by Randy Shore All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any part by any means—graphic, electronic, or mechanical—without the prior written permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may use brief excerpts in a review, or in the case of photocopying in Canada, a license from Access Copyright. ARSENAL PULP PRESS Suite 202–211 East Georgia St. Vancouver, BC V6A 1Z6 Canada arsenalpulp.com The publisher gratefully acknowledges the support of the Government of Canada (through the Canada Book Fund) and the Government of British Columbia (through the Book Publishing Tax Credit Program) for its publishing activities. The author and publisher assert that the information contained in this book is true and complete to the best of their knowledge. All recommendations are made without the guarantee on the part of the author and publisher. The author and publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information. For more information, contact the publisher. Note for our UK readers: measurements for non-liquids are for volume, not weight. Design by Gerilee McBride All photographs by Tracey Kusiewicz/Foodie Photography except for the following: Gerilee McBride (pp. 6, 8, 15, 19, 20–22, 24–25, 28, 64, 66 bottom, 68, 70, 72 bottom, 73 top, 89, 95, 105, 116, 122–23, 127, 168, 177, 201, 215); Randy Shore (pp. 33, 66 top, 71, 73 bottom, 81, 97) Editing by Susan Safyan Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication: Shore, Randy, 1963–, author Grow what you eat, eat what you grow: the Green Man's guide to living & eating sustainably all year round / Randy Shore. Includes index. Issued in print and electronic formats. ISBN 978-1-55152-549-5 (epub) 1. Vegetable gardening—Canada. 2. Kitchen gardens—Canada. 3. Vegetables—Preservation. 4. Cooking (Vegetables). I. Title. SB323.C3S56 2014 635'.0971 C2014- 905409-2 C2014- 905410-6 Contents Introduction: HOW TO GROW WHAT YOU EAT AND EAT WHAT YOU GROW Spring: PLAN, THEN PLANT The Soil Is a Living Thing Make Your Own Custom Fertilizers What Are You Going to Grow? Get a Head Start Prepare the Garden It’s Time to Plant Active and Passive Slug Control How to Grow Potatoes SPRING RECIPES Fresh Herb Chimichurri Salsa Verde Pico de Gallo & Guacamole Garden-Style Wor Wonton Soup with Homemade Wontons Chickpea Salad with Cilantro Pesto Herbed Tabbouleh Radish & White Bean Salad Quick Pickled Shallot Dressing Goddess of the Ranch Dressing Chicken & Rainbow Chard Chicken Fricassee with Garden Vegetables Broiled Sockeye with Garden Herbs Garden Variety Lettuce Wraps Veal Scallopini with Parsley Caper Sauce The Green Man’s Meatloaf Kangaroo Meatballs in Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Italian Sausage Meatballs Saag Paneer Sautéed Chard & Onions Sicilian Chard Wild Rice & Greens Rice Pilaf Spicy Broccoli Rabe with Pasta Red Lentil Dal Parsley Butter Noodles The Original Rhubarb-Blueberry Crumble Super Simple Pita Bread Summer: A SEASON OF EDIBLE DELIGHTS Toughen Up Your Transplants Companion Planting and Natural Succession How to Grow Tomatoes How to Grow Asparagus A Time to Kill Eliminate Sod & Expand Your Garden How to Cure Potatoes for Storage How to Cure Onions for Storage How to Harvest Garlic SUMMER RECIPES Basil Pesto Garlic Scape Pesto Mashed Pea Bruschetta Basil Garlic Dip VersatileCauliflower Soup Fresh Sofrito Tzatziki Cucumber Salad Pharoah Salad Farmhouse-Style Sliced Onion Salad Dill Potato Salad Zero-Fat Dressing Fried Halibut with Tartar Sauce Pasta with Cherry Tomato Tuna Sauce Frittata, Three Ways Beef Enchiladas with Fresh Mexican Tomato Sauce Malai Kofta in Tomato-Ginger Sauce Baked Polenta Sweet Corn Polenta Sofrito-Poached Eggs Tapas-Style Fried Potatoes Seasoned Oven Fries Salad Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce Chiang Mai Noodles Spinach & Feta Penne Linguini with Creamy Pesto Sauce Fancy Broccoli Tamil Turnip Greens Green Beans with Shallots & Almonds Jamaican Rice & Peas Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie Spicy Zucchini Scones Quick Fridge Relish Randy’s All-Purpose Seasoning Fresh Tomato Catsup Autumn: THE CIRCLE OF LIFE Put the Garden to Bed How to Grow Leeks Home Canning Basics AUTUMN RECIPES Old-Fashioned Bread & Butter Pickles Classic Dill Pickles Old-Fashioned Relish Spicy Pickled Beets Even Easier Pickled Beets Farm-Style Pear Sauce Garden Harvest Minestrone African-Style Butternut Squash Soup Roasted Tomato Basil Soup Darcy’s Onion Soup Baked Chicken & Rice (Arroz con Pollo) Lamb & Spinach Kebabs Lamb Shoulder Chops with Coriander Rub African Lamb Shanks Herbed Mustard Rack of Lamb Grilled Lamb with Herbs French Lentil Stew with Lamb Sausages Darcy’s New World Bolognese Sauce Spicy Meatballs in Greek Tomato Sauce Beef & Spinach Cabbage Rolls Baked Zucchini Ratatouille Angry Penne with Spicy Arrabiata Sauce Roasted Cauliflower Green Beans with Pepitas Grilled Autumn Vegetables Bacon & Mushroom Kale Duck Fat Rosemary Potatoes Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes Cheddar Dill Biscuits Frank Shore’s Dumplings Parmesan Fricos Apple-Pear Streusel Winter: ENJOY THE BOUNTY A Case for the Backyard Greenhouse Grow Sprouts on Your Kitchen Counter Habits of Healthy People Eat Plant-Based Meals and Like It Eat Less, But Better, Meat WINTER RECIPES Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Herbed Ricotta Spread Homemade Chicken Stock Kale Chickpea Soup Matzoh Ball Soup Canadian Caldo Verde Pea Soup with Carrots Beer-Battered Fish Smoked Salmon Chowder Chicken & Sausage Gumbo Chicken alla Cacciatore Turkey Meatballs Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Osso Buco Moroccan Lamb with Squash Homemade Canadian Bacon Homemade Party Pizzas Vegetarian Zucchini Lasagna Homemade Ricotta Cheese Darcy’s Donkey-Kickin’ Macaroni & Cheese Hoppin’ John Smothered Green Beans Green Bean Mushroom Bake Parmesan Turnip Croquettes Collard Greens with Roasted Red Pepper Singapore Curry Sauce with Kale Nut Flour Waffles Christmas Dinner Fragrant Turkey Brine Quick Turkey Neck Stock Thyme-Orange Compound Butter Farmhouse Stuffing Roast Turkey Turkey Gravy Boxing Day Soup Index Introduction How to Grow What You Eat and Eat What You Grow I want you to stop and quiet your mind. Turn off the television, the radio, your smartphone, and whatever else you are using to stay connected to every other human being on the planet. Now, bite into an apple or a strawberry or a tomato and consider where it came from, how it got to you, and what it tastes like. This is a revolutionary act in our culture: We aren’t supposed to think about where things come from and how they are grown. The shelves of our grocery stores are piled high with fruits and vegetables from somewhere, ready-to-eat foods made by someone. We don’t often question these things because we are accustomed to seeing every imaginable food—in abundance—every day of the year. The average grocery store has about 40,000 different food products in stock. You just tasted one. What did you think? If it was a tomato or a winter strawberry from California or Mexico, it probably didn’t taste like much at all. Fruits and vegetables have been selectively bred to be stable for transport, not for flavor. Ready-to-eat foods are the food industry’s clever way of making crops such as corn or soy beans into commodities that are bought and sold by the ton. A large and very efficient food industry turns those commodities into products that can be packaged for a long shelf life. Ad men may even have you convinced that you don’t have time to cook from fresh ingredients. I think you do have time to cook, but for a variety of reasons—from information fatigue to over-scheduling to a simple lack of confidence—you may choose not to. And moreover, I believe you have time to grow at least some of your own food. In the world of plants, seeds and sun do all the heavy lifting. If you can poke a seed into a pot of soil, you will be rewarded. A seed can return more than a thousand times its weight in fresh food for a very modest investment of time and energy. Growing food and cooking it yourself minutes after harvest ensures peak nutritional value. Most so-called fresh vegetables lose half their vitamins and antioxidants in the days that it takes to travel from field to fork. The physiological benefits of gardening and cooking are many, but the psychological benefits may be even greater. A few years ago, I wanted to create a place where food mattered, where the earth mattered, where I could start to feel good again after years of grinding commutes, rushed meals, and thoughtless consumption. I moved my somewhat reluctant wife Darcy and two sons out of the city to an acre in a neighborhood of acreages. My move was dramatic, but yours doesn’t have to be. You can take small but still important steps toward a more fulfilled, flavorful life without selling your house or leaving the city. The best thing that I do each day is walk through my yard looking for dinner. Even in the rain, it’s more fulfilling than commuting, talking to my boss, or answering email. It slows me down, quiets my mind, and gets me focused on what I’m going to cook and eat that night. If I want to, I can look for what might be ripe and ready for tomorrow, too. Or I can make that tomorrow’s adventure. I have a large garden, but that is not a prerequisite for deliberate eating. You can do the same thing at a farmer’s market or by looking over pots of fresh herbs on your apartment balcony. You can reconnect with food, with the land, and with your family by choosing, cooking, and eating food together. If this sounds a bit fanciful and poetic, it’s no accident. Poetry is meant to make you feel—and I think that eating food that you have grown yourself and cooked simply, but with care, will make you feel nourished and happy and connected. Even if all you grow is parsley in a pot on your windowsill, it will smell more pungent and taste fresher than whatever wilted bunches you can find in the grocery store. The fragrance of my fresh-cut herbs runs through my brain and down my spine with waves of pleasure. I always, always, stop to smell the herbs. Balcony gardens can easily supply a few salads a week and all the fresh herbs two people could hope to use. Most suburban yards are full of sunny sheltered spots for pots and underutilized lawn that is easily made productive. My neighbors in Vancouver, for example, grew hundreds of garlic bulbs in their front yard rather than planting a lawn. Many city dwellers are doing likewise, taking control of their personal health and the health of their urban environment by swapping turf for kale and cauliflower, plants that are as decorative as they are edible. A garden is your trip to the gym, your free-food grocery store, and a potent source of vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants all rolled into one. When I set myself the task of growing my own food, a million things ran through my mind. Could I go off the grid and thumb my nose at the grocery store and Big Food? Would I save money? Lose weight? Or would I grow lettuce for forty dollars a head? I embarked on a quest to eat something that I grew myself, every day, for one year. Eating home-grown food twelve months of the year requires diligence and skill—skill I did not, at first, possess. I had no idea what I was getting into and soon found myself as transformed as the raw land from which I had carved my garden. Darcy and I began curing, canning, and freezing. Old family recipes were dusted off, many of them scrawled on index cards with scant instructions. I started seedlings in my office and grew alfalfa and mung bean sprouts in the kitchen. I built a greenhouse, then a shed for potting and drying everything from dill and coriander seeds to potatoes and onions. I searched the yard for spaces to exploit in winter, early spring, and late fall, in an effort to produce fresh food outside the normal growing season. For every soggy or sandy, hard-to-manage bit of ground in your yard, there are sunny nooks, warm south-facing walls, and protected patio spaces that can produce food in a pot of soil, sometimes year- round. Five years later, I am still very much on the grid. Darcy still visits the grocery store regularly (though usually without me, as I am “disruptive”). I guess I didn’t really expect to grow all my own food while holding down a demanding job writing for a major daily newspaper, blogging about cooking and gardening, and debunking nutrition myths for television. I underestimated the skill set required to farm even a quarter of an acre. My father grew up on a farm, but none of that generational knowledge was passed down to me. So when my first radishes sprouted and died, I had no idea why. For every happy success came a confusing failure. Every vegetable has its own preferences for soil, water, sunlight, and nutrients. Every yard has a completely unique set of microclimates and soil conditions. I learned about soil and composting, the basics of which can be mastered with a little trial and error (more on that later). I am still learning the intricacies of my property and, over time, you too will become the world’s leading expert at growing food in yours. Planning the garden and our meals—harvesting, processing, pickling, cooking, and eating our own food—is what Darcy and I do together every single day. Today, the spare room is full of cured onions in cardboard boxes and the extra dresser loaded with Yukon Gold and Warba potatoes. Darcy’s mother and grandmother still remembered how to make pickles. They shared their recipes with us and even showed us how to do it. The pantry is stacked with dill and bread-and-butter pickles, jam, relish, and beets in jars. The freezer is well- stocked with tomatoes for sauce and dozens of vacuum-sealed bags of green, yellow, and purple bush beans. In season, we always have a good supply of spinach, chard, three kinds of kale, four kinds of lettuce, carrots, turnips, and fresh herbs. Tomatoes, hot and mild peppers, zucchini, pattypan squash, and other sub-tropicals thrive during the summer, if I give them a good start in the house. Cookbooks written over the past four decades assume that you have access to every imaginable ingredient in the world—which you do, at the grocery store. But most modern cookbooks pay little attention to the kinds of fruits and vegetables that people can and do grow themselves or find at the local farmer’s market. This book condenses five years of experimentation into 130-plus recipes and includes seasonal tips for growing your own food. The recipes are designed to use the produce that you can easily grow yourself, in simple, delicious, and sustainable ways. The gardening instructions are intended to help you make use of every bit of ground and every favorable microclimate in your yard and home to produce food. Traditional farmhouse methods—canning, pickling, and preserving—are dusted off and modernized for the twenty-first century cook. Let’s take it season by season, prepare the soil, reap the bounty, and prepare tasty, nourishing food. You can grow what you eat and eat what you grow. You can slow down, unplug, and feel better. Randy Shore Spring Plan, then Plant I ache to get out in the garden in the first days of spring, to smell the soil, feel my muscles, weed, hoe, till, and build raised beds. But I don’t. Do I gaze longingly out my window? Yes. But I resist the urge to work cold, wet soil. Mucking around in the garden before the soil has warmed and given up some of its winter moisture can turn your growing space into a mixture not unlike concrete. Clods of compacted earth can take up to a year to break down and make weeding all but impossible. If you get a break in the rain and a string of sunny days in early spring, you can plant peas and broad beans without doing too much harm to your soil structure. Choose the sunniest spot in the garden—the spot where you will put your tomatoes at the beginning of summer—such as the space in front of a south-facing fence or wall. Put the broad beans in close to the fence and plant a row of peas immediately in front of them, to the south. You don’t want your peas trapped in the shade of broad-bean stalks that can easily top four feet (1.2 m). Now, walk away. The first few weeks of spring are for mapping your yard’s productive zones and planning your crops. I want you to reimagine your yard as a miniature farm. For this task, you will need a few sheets of graph paper, a pencil, and a compass. A current seed catalog will come in handy as well. Draw a large outline of your entire lot on the graph paper and then add the outline of the house. Add the sun decks, flower beds, balconies, sidewalks, and driveway. Put in the trees and the outline of the garden, if it exists, or where you’d like your garden to be, if it doesn’t yet exist. Get out your compass and label your map with North, South, East, and West. Pick a sunny day in the last two weeks of March and go out in the yard around nine a.m. Mark the areas on your map that are in the shade. Repeat this exercise at three p.m. (Depending on where the buildings and trees are in your yard, you might want to try it at ten a.m. and four p.m.) Now, look at what is left. The unshaded areas of your yard—the spaces that are in full sun between nine a.m. and three p.m.—are the most potentially productive. The other spaces aren’t useless, but they are trickier to use effectively, or they may be suitable for certain crops. Cilantro, for instance, likes cool morning sun but prefers shade in the afternoon. Thyme and rosemary thrive in hot afternoon sun. South-facing walls, fences, and sundecks reflect heat and light and provide some shelter from the wind, creating sub-tropical microclimates suitable for tomatoes, basil, peppers, and eggplant vines. Like a cloche or cold frame, a simple lean-to frame made of wood and covered with clear plastic can magnify the effect. This heat map, as crude as it may be, is an invaluable tool for deciding where different types of vegetables, each with different needs, should be positioned to thrive. Wild plants are both competitors and specialists, built to exploit particular conditions of moisture, fertility, light, and warmth. Vegetables are selectively bred to bring out certain characteristics such as large edible roots or succulent leafy greens. They are not built to compete; rather, they depend on you to give them everything they need and defend them from anything that will interfere with their ability to convert elemental nutrients and sunshine into food. You and your vegetables are partners, but you are the brains of the operation. Consider container gardening. Pots of soil act like little microclimates, warming the roots of plants whenever the sun comes out. Pots warm much faster than the soil in your garden, giving you a minimum one-month head start on planting. Because they are portable, pots can also be moved to wherever the sun is that week and follow it around the yard as the seasons progress. By choosing the sunniest locations in your yard for containers, you can start seedlings for transplanting far earlier than it would be possible to sow seeds directly in the garden. Raised beds do much the same work in the garden, promoting solar heat gain, drainage, and aeration, and allowing cool air to flow away in the channels between the boxes or raised sections. To grow food successfully in the spring, you need to learn your yard’s secret hot spots to optimize growing conditions. THE SOIL IS A LIVING THING The soil in your garden is a living thing—actually, billions of living things. Minerals, organic matter, and microbiota, in balance, provide the elemental nutrients that plants need to grow. You’ve probably seen the Big Three listed on the front of fertilizer packages as N-P-K: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Each number (e.g., 3-15-0) is the percentage of the nutrient by weight. Chemical fertilizers provide those elements but in quantities that can unleash a massive burst of energy, literally burning the organic matter right out of your soil. Vegetables need those elemental nutrients—along with many other micronutrients such as copper, manganese, zinc, iron, and magnesium—to grow. But they need them over the long haul, not just for a day or a few weeks. Microbes will eat your chemical fertilizers, but the effect will not often be what you desire. Think about a campfire, burning low and slow. Feed it slowly with wood, and it stays at a nice temperature for a long time, releasing energy at a rate that is useful for cooking. If you use gasoline on the campfire, you will release loads of heat, but in a flash, which is not useful for cooking. Microbial activity releases energy and nutrients like embers release heat—low and slow. The temperature of your soil will rise through the spring until the peak of summer, and the growth rate of your plants will increase along with it. As soil temperatures rise, microbial activity will increase in the soil too, conveniently releasing energy and nutrients as your plants require them. Your job is to carefully stoke the microbial fire in your soil with good fuel. Well-rotted compost and manures will provide long-burning fuel, and the process of adding them will cause your metaphorical fire to flare up—briefly—and then settle down. When you load your garden with nutritious manures and compost and aerate the soil in the process, the microbes are going to have a party, burning nitrogen and oxygen like there’s no tomorrow and making the soil’s nutrients temporarily unavailable to plants. Wait a few weeks for the party to die down and plant when the soil has settled down—low and slow. MAKE YOUR OWN CUSTOM FERTILIZERS I mix my own fertilizer for a variety of reasons. I like the idea of using agricultural byproducts like seed and bone meals rather than manufactured nutrients. It’s a circle-of-life thing. I also like to tweak the mix to match the needs of plants that want a little more of one thing than the other, especially spinach (nitrogen), potatoes (calcium), and tomatoes (phosphorus). The mix becomes active as the soil warms up, triggering a complex set of biological processes that make the nutrients available in a form that your vegetables can easily consume. Bone meal, kelp meal, blood meal, and lime are available at any good garden center. Seed meals (such as alfalfa or canola) are used for animal feed, so you may have to consult a farm-supply business to find them. Don’t be afraid to buy a big bag—it’s cheap. My acre of garden goes through ninety lb (forty kg) a year. The nutritional values of my fertilizer components break down as follows: Seed meal: Alfalfa, soy, cottonseed, and canola meal offer slow-release nitrogen and phosphorus with a trace of potassium. I use canola seed meal because it’s the cheapest, but alfalfa meal is sometimes easier to find. N-P-K: 4- 1-1 Bone meal: Use steamed or dolomite bone meal to provide slow-release phosphorus for root development with the bonus of calcium, which your dark greens will like. Nitrogen content varies by brand. N-P-K: 3-15-0 Kelp meal: This dry fertilizer is lower in nitrogen but higher in potassium than seed meals and an important source of trace minerals, such as copper, zinc, and magnesium. N-P-K: 1-0-3. Compost: Well-rotted compost improves aeration in clay soils and improves moisture retention in sandy soils. N-P-K: 1-1-1. Blood meal: I don’t put blood meal in my general-purpose mix, but it provides a quick hit of nitrogen when slow-release isn’t enough. N-P-K: 14-0-0. Lime: Coastal soils are quite acidic, which can interfere with nutrient absorption, while inland soils are often more balanced with little need for lime. Buy a test kit or check with local experts on your neighborhood’s soil conditions. Lime reduces acidity in sandy soils and may improve the structure of clay soils. If you are gardening in a small space or balcony, buy fertilizer components with a neighbor and split them, like my mom does. If you keep the components of your fertilizer separate, you can mix on-the- fly for each bed of vegetables you plant (while keeping careful notes on its effect, of course). Here are some examples: Basic Fertilizer Mix 10 parts canola seed or alfalfa meal 1 part bone meal 1 part kelp meal 1 part dolomite lime* Potato Fertilizer Mix 2 parts seed meal 1 part kelp meal 1 part bone meal Spinach Fertilizer Mix 6 parts seed meal 1 part kelp meal 1 part bone meal 1 part dolomite lime* part blood meal For vigorous plant growth, hoe in the fertilizer mix when you plant a row of seeds or put a few tablespoons in the hole before you plant seedlings. I use about 1 cup (250 mL) for every two yd/m of row, and double that for onions. For plants that grow very large, such as cauliflower, incorporate about ½ cup (125 mL) under each seedling. I use Basic Fertilizer Mix when I till in cover crops or shredded leaves to expedite decomposition, firing up the microbes to do their work. Spread a light dusting of fertilizer over the weeds, shredded leaves, clover, fall rye, or whatever other cover crops you have, and till it in. The Basic Fertilizer Mix is also useful as a compost accelerator. If I want to build a fast compost heap for use within a few months (as opposed to my usual two years), I will use shredded leaves in alternating layers with green garden waste that I have chopped to ribbons with a machete. Dust each layer with a handful of fertilizer and dampen it with the water hose to jump-start decomposition. If you get it right, the heap should get hot enough inside to kill all the weed seeds. Turn and mix the heap every few weeks to aerate and reignite decomposition. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO GROW? Deciding what crops you are going to grow is one part personal taste and one part rational analysis. In other words, you must reconcile what you want to eat from the garden with what you can reasonably expect to grow with success. Even veteran gardeners experience crop failures, and it can take years to figure out exactly what went wrong. Climate, soil quality, nutrient levels, pests, and the vagaries of each season’s weather are only the most obvious of the limitless variables with which you will contend each and every year. And conditions will change each and every year. Garden crops fall into three general categories: Things you really want to grow, things you can easily grow, and things it makes financial sense to grow. Take a fresh piece of paper and make three columns. In the first column, list two or three vegetables that you absolutely love. For me, there is no point in gardening at all if I don’t grow tomatoes. The difference between a tart, sweet, juicy garden tomato and the flavorless, uniform grocery store product is immeasurable. It’s what gets me out of bed in the morning. I round out the first column with Thai Dragon chilies and green onions. In the second column, list the vegetables that are virtually fool-proof, prolific, and unlikely to succumb to pests. Peas, beans, spinach, chard, kale, zucchini, and lettuce grow vigorously in most soils, require relatively little space for the amount of food they produce and thrive even if the weather is less than perfect. If you have a large garden, add potatoes and storage onions to the second column. Neither is expensive to buy, but they are extraordinarily productive in terms of calories delivered for the area they require, and both store well, so you’ll be eating them right through the winter. In the third column, list your favorite herbs and pricey veggies. Fresh herbs deliver a ton of flavor and a big hit of antioxidants and vitamins. They are expensive to buy but easy to grow, so it makes sense to grow them yourself. In fact, if you grow nothing else, grow herbs. Choose from sage, rosemary, thyme, chives, and oregano, all of which require a permanent home in your yard. If you can, create an herb garden on the south side of the house and as near the kitchen as possible. (During rainy weather, the shorter the trip between the kitchen and your herbs the better.) They will all thrive in large pots on a sunny deck or balcony. Parsley, basil, cilantro, and dill can also be grown in containers or in the garden, but you must sow them anew each spring. One bay laurel shrub will supply you and your neighbors with fresh bay leaves year-round. Baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, and broccoli can all be expensive to buy, so it might make sense to also add them to column three. If you have children who want to grow their own Jack-o’-lanterns, consider a pumpkin vine—although, at about seventeen cents per lb (500 g), it’s not a very wise use of garden space. Sweet corn is also a space hog, and you can buy it in season by the side of the road for a pittance. To me, it’s not worth the trouble. Use the list to guide your study of a good regional seed catalog and to help you make good choices at the garden center. GET A HEAD START Seeds are cheap. You can buy 1,000 onion seeds for about fifteen dollars. Carrot and lettuce seeds are even cheaper. I am willing to risk a dollar for the possibility of spring salads. If your seeds sprout and you get a late frost, I’m sorry to say you gambled and lost. Hey, it was only a buck. There are quite a few plants that you can sow in three-or five-gallon pots in a sunny, sheltered part of the yard a week or two before the estimated date of your last frost of the spring. In warmer regions, that could be as early as March 10, but for gardeners in colder climes, as late as mid-May. Watch the weather forecast. If you are worried about a late frost, throw a sheet of clear plastic over your seeded pots for extra protection during the first few weeks after you sow your seeds, then remove it. Use commercial garden mix or potting soil for container gardening and starting seeds. The naturally occurring pests and pathogens in garden soil will spring to life when it warms up and can sicken or devour your seedlings. The following greens are generally successful early starters: Arugula is a bitter green that will grow quite happily in containers in the yard or on a balcony, and it can remain productive right through the summer if it gets afternoon shade. Mix ½ cup (125 mL) Spinach Fertilizer Mix (p. 14) with soil in a five-gallon container. Pick a sunny, sheltered location and sow eight to ten seeds. Arugula may take one or two weeks to germinate, depending on the temperature. One month after they sprout, feed with high- nitrogen fish fertilizer. Harvest the larger outside leaves and mix with mild lettuce to add a peppery punch to salads. Parsley is a cousin of the carrot that has a large root system. Sow parsley in 4-inch containers of potting soil and transplant to the garden when they are six inches tall. If you intend to keep parsley in a container or balcony garden, use a five-gallon pot. Mix 1 cup (250 mL) Basic Fertilizer Mix (p. 14) into the soil and sow the seeds about ¼-inch (6-mm) deep. Be patient; parsley can take a full month to germinate. The plants will thrive in full sun but also tolerate afternoon shade. When you harvest, take leaves and stems from the outside, leaving the new shoots in the center of the plant intact. Spinach has a relatively compact root system and will grow to maturity in pots. Make sure to harvest and retire the plant before the hot weather comes in summer, because spinach bolts easily. Spinach sown late in August can be productive until the first frost. For container cultivation, mix three gallons of soil with ½ cup (125 mL) of Spinach Fertilizer Mix (p. 14). Seed transplants in 4-inch pots and move them into the garden after the first true leaves appear. Mizuna is a crisp Japanese salad green with spiky, slightly bitter leaves. Mizuna will grow no matter what the weather dishes up. Even in a cold, wet summer, when your sun-loving veggies are dreaming of California, your mizuna will carry the mail. Prepare a five-gallon pot with 1 cup (250 mL) Basic Fertilizer Mix (p. 14) and plant four or five seeds. The plants are prolific and resist bolting. For transplants, plant two seeds per 4-inch pot and thin to a single plant about two weeks before moving to the garden. Chives are perfect for balconies and pots as they tend to spread quickly when not contained. They grow abundantly at the first kiss of spring sunshine. Prepare a three-gallon container with soil and ½ cup (125 mL) of Spinach Fertilizer Mix (p. 14). Sow chives up to four weeks before the last frost and the seeds will come up as soon as the soil warms. Chives die back in the winter and rebound every spring, barring a deep, hard frost. As insurance, in August collect 1 tbsp of seeds from the dried flowers and set them aside, just in case. PREPARE THE GARDEN In spring, my garden is a mix of permanent beds of asparagus and herbs—sage, rosemary, thyme, and oregano—that occupy the same space year-round, as well as overwintered chard and kale, and cover crops such as fall rye, field peas, and oats. At least two beds are dedicated to garlic planted the previous October and mulched with 6 in (15 cm) of shredded leaves. Any space not taken up with permanent installations, cover crops, and overwintering crops, I cover with leaf mulch for the winter. In other words, there are a lot of moving parts, and each has different needs. Preparing garden soil for planting is an exercise in patience. If you have a cover crop in place, it should leap back to life and put on significant growth as the soil temperature rises. That’s a good thing. Legumes and grasses have deep, elaborate root networks that drag nutrients from deep in the soil and store them. When you till in the cover crop, the tops and roots decompose and release all those nutrients close to the surface, in the root zone of your vegetables. The trick with cover crops is to allow them to put on fast growth as the weather warms and till them in before they toughen. Mature grasses form lignin and cellulose, fibers that are hard to break up with a tiller or a hoe. Tough grasses and stems are also very slow to decompose. Check cover crop grasses for tenderness often at this time of year and turn them under quickly when they start to toughen. Once the last frost has passed, a string of sunny, dry weather could warm the soil enough to till and to work in compost. Use a shovel to remove the top 6 in (15 cm) of soil and grab a handful. Squeeze it in your hand. If it forms a ball that crumbles when you poke it, the soil is safe to work. Be honest with yourself. If it’s too early, don’t risk it. Be sure to date your yard map after you write in the locations of each crop. Save every year’s map so you can rotate crops around the garden the next year to discourage pests from accumulating. Before tilling, lightly dust your cover crops and leaf mulch with Basic Fertilizer Mix (p. 14) to speed decomposition. Take care not to use lime in the area of the garden where you intend to plant potatoes. Use the Potato Fertilizer Mix (p. 14) for that space. A tilled-in cover crop—what farmers call green manure—takes about three to four weeks to decompose, if the weather is favorable. After three weeks, if your garden is particularly weedy, you may want to till a second time to eradicate more of the weeds and kill any that have sprouted from newly exposed seeds. Weed seeds can lurk in the soil for years, just waiting to be moved close enough to the surface to sprout. While you are waiting for the green manure to do its thing, you can prepare some necessary infrastructure and take a few important measurements. In a perfect world, your garden would be slightly higher than the surrounding landscape and slope gently to the south. Depressions allow cold air to pool, creating persistent pockets of frost until late in the spring, delaying germination and slowing plant growth. Building raised beds or boxed gardens above the grade of the surrounding land helps, but terraforming to create optimal conditions should be your long-term goal. Get out your compass, a long piece of lumber such as a two-by-four, and a carpenter’s level. Place the two-by-four on the garden soil pointing north-south and place the level on top. If the level indicates that your garden is generally flat or sloping to the south—happy days. Cold air flows down, but it will remain trapped where it cannot drain away. In wine country, grape growers prize south-facing slopes and will spend large sums of money to fill in depressions and create channels for cold air drainage. You can do the same, but without spending large sums of money. As you build your garden’s soil, fill in depressions, raise the garden above the grade of the rest of the yard, and create a gentle slope, high to the north and low to the south. It may take years to achieve, but every square foot of your garden will be more productive. IT’S TIME TO PLANT If you live near the West Coast, spring may be long and wet but seldom freezing cold, and the transition from winter to summer will be about three months long. That means you can plant quick, cool-weather crops to harvest before your summer vegetables, such as tomatoes and peppers, go in the ground. Plant early crops in the sunniest locations when the danger of frost has passed, and plan to devote that space over to the heat lovers come June or July. Inland, your last frost might come just weeks before summer starts, so you need to set aside the right locations for heat-loving plants right from the start. You won’t have time to get cool-weather crops to maturity in less than six weeks, with the possible exception of radishes. Good regional seed suppliers provide local guidance on planting dates for your area, either in their catalogs or on their seed packets. Use that information and your local knowledge. Every garden is different, so you have to make yourself an expert on your growing space. Keep notes about each crop that you plant, noting the date you sow, where it is in the garden, and how successfully it grows. Experiment with your fertilizer mix too. Pull out your carefully drawn yard map and your list of vegetables to make a rough plan for planting and succession. Early-season crops like radishes, spinach, kale, peas, and broad beans go in first. There is no rule that says you have to fill your entire garden with seeds and plants in one weekend. That strategy guarantees you will be overrun with produce when all those plants mature. Plant a little bit each week, and you will produce vegetables in manageable amounts over a longer period of time. Draw some boxes on the garden space on your map and consider which vegetables from your list you want to grow and in what quantity. In a smaller garden, opt for high-value crops, the ones you can’t live without and the ones that are expensive to buy. If you have a large garden space, you can devote space to storage crops such as potatoes and onions. As a general rule, place taller crops to the north and lower plants to the south, so everybody gets a look at the sun. Here are a few tips to guide your thinking: Tomato vines can easily reach 6 ft (1.8 m) tall if they are staked and carefully pruned. Place them in full sun on the north edge of the garden to avoid throwing shade on other crops. A combination of early and late varieties will prevent a glut of fruit at any one time during the growing season. One vine of sauce tomatoes, such as San Marzano, can easily produce more than 100 pieces of fruit. In a good season, four San Marzano vines can fill your freezer. Spinach wilts down to one-tenth of its volume when cooked. You will fill a bucket to get just four portions. Plan to plant 10 row ft (3 m) about every three weeks in spring for a continuous supply. Bright Lights chard is as prolific as it is colorful. Harvest leaves from the outside of the plant and it will produce six to ten months of the year. Half a dozen plants should be plenty for a family of four. Cucumbers produce prodigiously for about six weeks. Plant two vines of slicing cucumbers for a small family, four if you intend to make Bread-and- Butter Pickles (p. 131). Six vines of pickling cucumbers will net a two-year supply of Classic Dill Pickles (p. 132). Many leaf lettuces are cut-and-come-again, so half a dozen plants should be enough. For head lettuce and romaine, plant a few seeds every other week throughout the spring. If you plant twenty seeds at once, you will have twenty heads of lettuce to eat in one week at mid-summer. Parsley will grow 2 or 3 ft (61 cm to 1 m) high when let loose in the garden. Six big plants will give you a big handful of parsley every day throughout the growing season and possibly all winter too, if you are lucky with the weather. Thyme, rosemary, chives, and sage need a permanent location that offers some protection from the elements during the winter. Oregano may also overwinter in mild climates. Asparagus can thrive in the same location for ten to twenty years, so think long-term when you decide whether and where to grow it. (For more details on growing asparagus, see p. 67.) Carrots are delicious at any size, so plant your entire season’s supply about a month after the last frost. Harvest baby carrots at about six weeks to thin the row and allow space for the other carrots to grow large. Plant carrots for autumn around the end of July. Onions are a staple at my house. I plant about 500 storage onions—both red and Spanish—and another twenty green onion seeds a week to eat young. To start storage onions, plant twenty seeds in 4-inch pots and transfer to the garden when they are 6 in (15 cm) tall. Potatoes are another of my big crops. I love them small as new potatoes and store enough mature keepers to last until spring. Once you’ve allotted space to your other crops, plant potatoes in the areas that are left vacant. Dill and cilantro provide tender, pungent herbs through the summer, then seeds to cook with through the winter and to re-sow next spring. Plant some seeds in a cool, moist location for succulent leaves and plant another handful in a hot, sunny location and let them go to seed. To plant radishes, loosen the soil to a depth of 3–4 inches (7.6–10 cm), then take a length of one-by-two and press it firmly into the soil. Plant the seeds on the compressed soil and cover with ½ inch (1 cm) compost. Compressing the soil will allow moisture to wick up from underneath, resulting in successful germination. Keep radishes moist at all times. To perk up sage and rosemary bushes in spring, brush away loose material on top of the soil over the roots and work in 1 cup (250 mL) Basic Fertilizer Mix (p. 14), then mulch with brown leaves or wood chips to suppress weeds. ACTIVE AND PASSIVE SLUG CONTROL Slugs are a menace any time plants are growing, but the damage they do to small, defenseless seedlings borders on criminal. These voracious monsters can wipe out an entire row of baby lettuce in one night. To control slugs, you must start early and be relentless. Every slug that is allowed to procreate can give rise to three dozen more of its kind in as little as ten days. There are as many ways to control slugs as there are chatty neighbors with a lousy grasp of science. Nearly every solution is imperfect in some way, but hey, it’s an imperfect world. Seed catalogs offer expensive copper mesh or wire that you can use to surround your tender plants. Slugs do not like to cross metal barriers. But copper is an expensive solution and it doesn’t kill them; it just encourages the slugs to find a way around or choose to eat something else. Metaldehyde pellets are also a common and effective solution to controlling slugs, and the poison does kill them. It will also kill your puppy and your neighbor’s cat. Metaldehyde causes kidney damage, liver damage, and even death in mammals—including pets and toddlers. If you use metaldehyde in the garden, you will end up eating it in trace amounts. I prefer to eat food without chemical pesticides, so I’m not about to use them in the garden. Diatomaceous earth is a fine abrasive grit made from fossilized algae. You can purchase it at the garden center, but make sure you get a nontoxic food-grade type. If you drizzle a line of it around your plants, slugs will avoid it or be fatally injured. My concern with diatomaceous earth is that it will damage virtually every insect that crosses it, including the ladybugs that keep aphids and leaf miners under control. I don’t use it. A ring of dry, used coffee grounds around your tender seedlings may deter slugs from crossing, but it doesn’t kill them. At worst, you will build your soil with the coffee grounds and repel ants and cats, so it’s a no-lose solution. Dry coffee grounds on a sheet of plywood in the garage or shed and sprinkle them liberally around tender transplants. I have read that slugs love rolled oats and will choose to eat them over your plants. The problem is that rats like them, too. Sorry, I’m not going to start feeding rats to control slugs. Beer traps are an effective, passive form of slug control. Dig a few pie plates into the ground so they are level with the grade of the soil and fill them with stale beer. Beer attracts, traps, and kills the slugs, but I always step in the pans and wreck them, and then I have to clean up the gooey slug soup. My preferred solution is the most labor-intensive, but it is also the cheapest and most effective. Take an old piece of plywood and cut it into strips 1 ft (30.5 cm) wide by 4 ft (1.2 m) long. Two or three of these is enough for a large garden. Lay the boards in the pathways and between the plants in the evenings, leaving a little space underneath. The next morning, when the sun is high in the sky, flip the boards over. Most of the local slug community will be waiting for you underneath or stuck on the boards themselves. Now you must terminate their lives, with extreme prejudice. A pinch of table salt will kill slugs quickly. I have a friend who stomps on them while uttering a deafening karate scream, which also works. It’s up to you. HOW TO GROW POTATOES No vegetable suffers from more conflicting advice than the potato. People grow them in all sorts of contraptions, from plastic bags to used tires, and in the garden with techniques from trenching to heaping. A five-gallon planter will fill with potatoes over three months, if you can’t find room to grow them in the garden. My father grew potatoes by placing a seed potato on top of the garden soil and putting a spare tire around it. He then filled in the tire with soil as the vines grew higher, and added another tire and more soil as needed. This works, but you end up with a hole in the garden where all that soil used to be. I suppose if you have a big pile of soil just sitting around, you could try the tire method. I’ve also seen it done with stacked wood frames. I’ve been growing potatoes for a few years now, and I have come to believe that the potato is so confident in its abilities, so resilient and so naturally prolific, that it will produce a crop no matter what method you use. That said, you can take some steps to ensure a good crop. The reason the tire method works is that all the potatoes grow above the seed, none below. The object of the potato-growing exercise is to get as much loose fertile soil over the seed potato as possible. Here’s what I do: Grow oats on the potato patch the previous fall. Oats die in the deep frosts of winter and leave plenty of organic root material behind in the soil as well as dry, half-rotted oat straw on the surface of the soil. Deeply work the entire bed with two-year-old compost. Avoid fresh manure, which may contain viruses and other pathogens. Avoid using lime on the potato patch for at least six months to one year before planting. I usually plant potatoes in newer soil, as I expand the footprint of the garden. Potatoes are reputedly very good at conditioning new soil. Dig wells or a row trough about 1 ft (30.5 cm) deep. Each seed potato should have at least three eyes or sprouts. If your potato has six, cut it in half so there are three on each section. Place one seed potato at the bottom of the well every 24 in (61 cm) with the sprouts pointing up. Dust the surface of the soil around each seed with ½ cup (125 mL) Potato Fertilizer Mix (p. 14). Using a hoe, gently pull loose soil and oat straw over the seed until it is buried about 2 in (5 cm) deep. Each time the vines get to be about 1 ft (30.5 cm) tall—once a month or so—pull more soil, straw, and dried leaves around them until the well fills in and then begin to create a hill around each vine. The benefit of this method is that you don’t have to weed the potato patch. Just use a sharp hoe to scrape the soil each time you heap it up and the weeds will be cut and recommit their stolen nutrients to the cause. A week before planting, spread seed potatoes on a cookie sheet or short-sided cardboard box and place in a bright, but not sunny, window for a week. This will get the vines started. * If soil pH is below 6.0 Fresh Herb Chimichurri Salsa Verde Pico de Gallo & Guacamole Garden-Style Wor Wonton Soup with Homemade Wontons Chickpea Salad with Cilantro Pesto Herbed Tabbouleh Radish & White Bean Salad Quick Pickled Shallot Dressing Goddess of the Ranch Dressing Chicken & Rainbow Chard Chicken Fricassee with Garden Vegetables Broiled Sockeye with Garden Herbs Garden Variety Lettuce Wraps Veal Scallopini with Parsley Caper Sauce The Green Man’s Meatloaf Kangaroo Meatballs in Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Italian Sausage Meatballs Saag Paneer Sautéed Chard & Onions Sicilian Chard Wild Rice & Greens Rice Pilaf Spicy Broccoli Rabe with Pasta Red Lentil Dal Parsley Butter Noodles The Original Rhubarb-Blueberry Crumble Super Simple Pita Bread About Salt Throughout this collection of recipes, you will note that I use a variety of salts, especially kosher, sea, and pickling. You will never see ordinary table salt in my kitchen. Kosher salt contains no added iodine and has a slightly larger grain than table salt. It has a neutral flavor and provides consistent, predictable seasoning. Grey salt is harvested from the ocean in Brittany. This moist, organic salt is much coarser than table salt and is lower in sodium, but rich in magnesium, calcium, potassium, copper, iron, and zinc. Its mineral flavor profile is excellent with raw foods. Pickling salt, sometimes called coarse salt, must be used in preserving. If you substitute other kinds of salt, it will dangerously alter the chemistry of the brine, resulting in inedible food—or worse. Fresh Herb Chimichurri Chimichurri is sometimes called Argentinian steak sauce, but this pungent little pesto is going to leave any steak sauce you ever tried in the dust. The combination of cilantro and parsley for herbaceous freshness, olive oil for a silky feel, and a little splash of red wine vinegar for tartness make this a gobsmacking experience. Serve with grilled meats, eggs, or just about anything else. MAKES 1 CUP (250 ML) ¼ cup (125 mL) cilantro ½ cup (125 mL) flat-leaf parsley 2 tbsp fresh oregano ¼ cup (60 mL) minced onion 1 garlic clove, chopped ¼ cup (60 mL) olive oil ½ tsp sea salt ½ tsp ground black pepper 3 tbsp red wine vinegar 1 small red chili pepper, seeded and minced Note: If you don’t have a food processor, run a knife through the herbs and garlic until they are finely chopped. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined. Thin the mixture with additional olive oil, if necessary. Salsa Verde This rich herb pesto is perfect with eggs, delicately flavored fish, roast chicken, or as a dressing for boiled potatoes. Substitute chives, arugula, or pungent basil for some of the spinach to vary the flavor. MAKES 1 CUP (250 ML) 1 slice white bread, crusts removed 1 garlic clove 1½ tbsp red wine vinegar 1 cup (250 mL) chopped flat leaf parsley ½ cup (125 mL) spinach 2 tbsp capers ½ tsp sea salt ¼ tsp ground black pepper ½ cup (125 mL) fine unfiltered olive oil I like to use the very best olive oil in dishes that are eaten raw or in recipes in which the oil is an integral part of the dish. In a food processor, pulse bread and garlic until finely chopped. Add vinegar, parsley, spinach, capers, salt, and pepper, and pulse while adding olive oil until a smooth sauce forms. Add more oil if the mixture is too thick. Pico de Gallo & Guacamole I make fresh salsa and guacamole together, because having one without the other is just boring. This is my integrated recipe, optimized for efficiency: Add Pico de Gallo and most of the liquid to mashed avocados and—boom—guacamole. This recipe makes enough for a family of four on taco night, but you can double or triple it for a party. PICO DE GALLO: MAKES 2 CUPS (500 ML); GUACAMOLE: MAKES 1¼ CUPS (310 ML) PICO DE GALLO: 1½ cups (375 mL) finely diced tomatoes 4 green onions, chopped 1½ tbsp seeded and minced jalapeño ¼ cup (60 mL) chopped cilantro leaves 2 tbsp lime juice (1 lime) ½ tsp sea salt GUACAMOLE: 2 ripe avocados 5 tbsp Pico de Gallo ½ tsp sea salt 3 tbsp liquid from Pico de Gallo PICO DE GALLO: In a bowl, place all ingredients. Stir to combine. That’s it. You’re done. Let marinate for 20 minutes before serving. GUACAMOLE: Remove flesh from avocados and, in a bowl, mash lightly with a fork. Stir in Pico de Gallo, salt, and liquid from Pico de Gallo. Cover by pressing plastic wrap onto surface of guacamole. Keep covered until ready to serve. Garden-Style Wor Wonton Soup with Homemade Wontons I eat wonton soup and crisp vegetables for breakfast more than any other dish, especially in winter. The hot broth infused with spicy ginger soothes and warms. Plus, wonton soup is a great opportunity to get in a serving of vegetables before lunch. MAKES 4 SERVINGS 4 cups (1 L) low-sodium chicken stock 1 tsp fish sauce 2 ¼-inch (6-mm) slices fresh ginger 2 tbsp kosher salt 16 homemade wontons (p. 33) 1 cup (250 mL) sliced Napa cabbage 4 Shanghai or baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise 1 green onion, chopped ¼ tsp sesame oil If wontons have been frozen, cook in salted water at a low boil for 5 minutes, then transfer to a pot of simmering stock for another 5 minutes. In a large pot on high heat, bring 6 qt/L water to a rolling boil. In a separate pot on medium, heat stock, 2 cups (500 mL) water, fish sauce, and ginger. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer. To 6 qt/L boiling water, add 2 tbsp kosher salt and homemade wontons. Cook for about 3 minutes, then transfer to stock to finish cooking, another 3 minutes. Taste stock and season with salt, if necessary. Divide cabbage between 4 large soup bowls. Place bok choy in boiling water for 1 minute, remove, and place 4 pieces in each bowl. Place 4 wontons in each bowl and fill with 1½ cups (375 mL) stock. Garnish each bowl with green onions and a drop of sesame oil. Homemade Wontons Makes approximately 82 wontons. Every couple of months my wife and I spend an hour making these wontons, which we freeze on cookie sheets, then bag and keep on hand for a quick meal. A bag of frozen wontons and a tetra-pack of low-sodium chicken stock turns into a nice breakfast or lunch in a matter of minutes. Not complicated, and very tasty. 2 lb (1 kg) ground pork 3 green onions, chopped 3 tbsp grated fresh ginger ½ cup (125 mL) finely chopped water chestnuts 2 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp white pepper 1 tbsp sesame oil 1 1 lb (454 g) packet wonton wrappers In a large mixing bowl, combine pork, green onions, ginger, water chestnuts, salt, pepper, and sesame oil and mix thoroughly. Place a clean, dry tea towel on working surface. Fill a small bowl with tap water. Lay wonton wrapper on tea towel and place 2 tsp filling in middle. Wet edges, fold diagonally, and gently press edges to seal. Repeat until filling is used up. Arrange wontons on a cookie sheet covered by a damp tea towel until ready to cook. Or place tray in freezer for 4 hours before storing wontons in large freezer bags. Chickpea Salad with Cilantro Pesto The mighty chickpea is the solution to many of our most pressing conundrums: What should I eat on Meatless Mondays? How can I better control my cholesterol? What food can reduce my risk of cancer? What is the world’s healthiest and most sustainable protein source? My chickpea salad is the delicious answer to all these questions. MAKES 4–6 SERVINGS 2 cups (500 mL) chickpeas, cooked or canned ½ cup (125 mL) diced yellow bell peppers ½ cup (125 mL) chopped green onions ¾ packed cup (185 mL) chopped fresh cilantro 1 tsp coarse sea salt ⅛ tsp ground black pepper 2 tbsp lime juice 1 garlic clove 2½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil Rinse chickpeas in cold water and drain. In a large mixing bowl, combine chickpeas, peppers, and onions. In a food processor, combine cilantro, salt, pepper, lime juice, garlic, and olive oil, and pulse until smooth. Pour cilantro mixture over chickpeas and stir to coat. Let stand 30 minutes. Herbed Tabbouleh Tabbouleh is a delicious template for creativity. I use mint and oregano to flavor this version, but if you have dill, cilantro, marjoram, or any tender herb, feel free to substitute—or bring everyone to the party. MAKES 6 SERVINGS 1 cup (250 mL) medium grain bulgur 2 cups (500 mL) boiling water 1 tsp coarse sea salt 2 tbsp lemon juice 2 tbsp olive oil ¼ tsp ground black pepper 1 packed cup (250 mL) chopped parsley 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano 4 green onions, chopped ½ cup (125 mL) diced tomatoes In a large bowl, combine bulgur and boiling water. Cover with a plate and let stand for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. In a large bowl, combine salt and lemon juice, and stir until mostly dissolved. Add olive oil and pepper. Stir in bulgur, parsley, mint, oregano, green onions, and tomatoes, and toss to coat. Radish & White Bean Salad Crunchy radishes and creamy cannellini beans merge in a delightful, briny vinaigrette. MAKES 4 SERVINGS 2 anchovy fillets 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp grainy mustard ½ tsp coarse sea salt 2 tbsp white wine or champagne vinegar 3 tbsp unfiltered extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup (60 mL) chopped flat-leaf parsley ¼ cup (60 mL) chopped green onions 1¼ cups (310 mL) cooked cannellini beans 1¼ cups (310 mL) diced radishes In a large bowl, combine anchovies, Dijon and grainy mustard, and salt. With a wooden spoon, mash until the anchovies form a paste. Add vinegar and olive oil and stir to combine. Add parsley, green onions, cannellini beans, and radishes and stir to coat. Set aside for 1 hour to marinate before serving. Quick Pickled Shallot Dressing The shallot in this dressing is raw, but the natural pungency and heat are mellowed with a simple brine, using salt and lemon juice. MAKES ¼ CUP (60 ML) 1 shallot, peeled and minced 1 tsp coarse sea salt 2 tbsp lemon juice ¼ tsp ground black pepper 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp minced fresh oregano 1 tsp Dijon mustard In a small bowl, mash shallots and salt with your fingertips. Add lemon juice and pepper and set aside for 15 minutes. Add olive oil, oregano, and mustard. Pour dressing into a small jar and seal with a lid. Shake briskly just before serving. Goddess of the Ranch Dressing Fresh tarragon, parsley, and dill provide herbaceous punch to this Green Goddess/Ranch dressing hybrid. Serve over fresh greens or as a dip for crudités. MAKES 1 CUP (250 ML) ½ cup (125 mL) olive oil mayonnaise 2 tbsp buttermilk ½ tsp mustard powder 1 garlic clove, minced 2 green onions, chopped ¼ cup (60 mL) chopped flat-leaf parsley 1½ tbsp chopped fresh dill 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon ½ tsp kosher salt ½ tsp ground black pepper 1 anchovy fillet In a food processor, blend all ingredients until smooth, about 1 minute. Chicken & Rainbow Chard I first created this recipe after a helpful deer came and ate all the leaves off my chard plants one spring. I used the remaining white, yellow, red, and green stalks to make supper that night. Since then, it’s become something of a favorite. MAKES 6 SERVINGS 1 3–4 lb (1.4–1.8 kg) chicken, cut into pieces 1 tsp kosher salt ½ tsp ground black pepper ¼ cup (60 mL) extra virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves, sliced 1 dried red chili pepper, crumbled 2 cups (500 mL) diced chard stalks 2 lb (1 kg) plum tomatoes, chopped 1 cup (250 mL) chopped chard leaves 2 tbsp kosher salt 1 lb (500 g) dried linguini ½ cup (250 mL) grated Pecorino cheese ¼ cup (125 mL) chopped flat-leaf parsley or basil Don’t crowd the pan when searing meat or moisture will build up and prevent it from browning, which builds depth of flavor. In the off-season, substitute 1 28-oz (794-g) can of diced tomatoes for 2 lb (2 kg) fresh tomatoes. Season chicken on all sides with salt and pepper. In a large, flat-bottomed pan on medium, heat oil. Add chicken and brown on both sides. Remove chicken pieces, set aside, and add garlic, chili, and chard stalks. Sauté to soften, about 3 minutes, then add tomatoes. When tomatoes start to break down into sauce, return chicken to pan with chard leaves. Cover pan with a lid and let simmer for 30 minutes. Remove chicken pieces and set aside again. In a large pot on high heat, bring 6 qt/L water to a boil. Add salt and linguini, and cook for 6 minutes. Drain, add pasta to sauce, and simmer for 5 minutes. Top with chicken pieces. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley. Chicken Fricassee with Garden Vegetables Fricassee is a dish you can make at any time of year, but it is truly at its best when you have leeks, baby carrots, and peas from the garden. (Diced carrots and frozen peas are just fine the rest of the year.) Because this dish is cooked on the bone, every bit of chicken flavor comes through. It’s a perfect way to prepare a pasture-raised chicken; the long simmering time ensures tender meat. Serve with Frank Shore’s Dumplings (p. 164) or Cheddar Dill Biscuits (p. 163). MAKES 4–6 SERVINGS 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided 1 3–4 lb (1.4–1.8 kg) chicken, cut into pieces (or 2½ lb [1 kg] bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts) 2 tsp kosher salt, divided 1 tsp ground black pepper, divided 4 cups (1 L) low-sodium chicken stock or water 4 bay leaves 1 cup (250 mL) diced celery 2 cups (500 mL) baby carrots 1 cup (250 mL) minced leeks (white part only; reserve greens for stock) ½ cup (125 mL) cream ¼ cup (60 mL) all-purpose flour ½ cup (125 mL) chopped flat-leaf parsley 1 cup (250 mL) peas Pasture-raised animals live a more natural life and eat a more natural diet than those raised in an industrial setting. The resulting meat also has a fat profile that is more nutritious for human beings. Win-win. In a large flat-bottomed pan on medium, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Season chicken pieces on all sides with 1 tsp salt and pepper. Place skin-side down in pan. Fry chicken in batches to avoid crowding. Try not to move chicken for at least 4 minutes, when it will naturally release from pan without sticking. Fry chicken until golden brown, about 5–6 minutes. Turn pieces and brown for another 5 minutes. Add stock, bay leaves, and any trimmings from celery and carrots, dark green tops of leeks, and parsley stems. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer twenty minutes. Turn chicken over and simmer for another 20 minutes. Remove chicken, discard skin, and set aside. Strain cooking broth into a large bowl and set aside. Discard vegetable trimmings. Cheddar Dill Biscuits (p. 163) Place pan on medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil, celery, carrots, and leeks, and sauté until softened. Add 3 cups (750 mL) cooking broth and bring to a simmer. Whisk cream and flour together until smooth and add to pan, stirring constantly with whisk to incorporate and eliminate lumps. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add remaining salt and pepper to taste. Remove chicken meat from bones, shred into bite-sized pieces, and return to pan. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. Stir in parsley and peas. Thin with remaining stock, if necessary. Use white part of leeks in fricassee, but save dark green leek tops, along with carrot trimmings, parsley stems, and bottoms of celery stalks to use in cooking liquid. Broiled Sockeye with Garden Herbs Wild-caught sockeye salmon is certified sustainable by SeaChoice, Ocean Wise, and the Marine Stewardship Council (see p. 89). While there are some concerns about spawning returns and habitat degradation, Pacific sockeye is one of the world’s most intensively managed and studied fisheries. For now, it remains a better choice than Atlantic salmon farmed in net pens. MAKES 4 SERVINGS 1 sockeye fillet, pin bones removed ⅛ tsp kosher salt ⅛ tsp ground black pepper 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tsp white wine 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 tsp Dijon mustard 2 tsp grainy mustard ½ tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves To remove pin bones from salmon fillet: Lay salmon skin-side down and run your fingertips along thickest part of fillet to find tips of pin bones. Use a pair of clean needle-nose pliers to grasp end of each bone; pull gently in direction bones point, usually a 45° angle toward thick end of the fillet. I keep a set of pliers around strictly for kitchen jobs. Preheat broiler to high. Place salmon skin-side down on a cookie sheet lined with foil. (You can thank me for that tip later.) Season salmon with salt and pepper. Mash garlic to a paste using flat side of a knife. In a small mixing bowl, combine garlic, wine, olive oil, and Dijon and grainy mustard. Broil salmon on middle rack for 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Apply garlic mixture evenly over fish, sprinkle with rosemary and thyme, and broil salmon until thickest part of fillet is firm to the touch, about 5–10 minutes. To add another dimension of flavor, place salmon on a soaked cedar plank and bake on high heat on your outdoor barbecue grill with the lid down until firm to the touch. Clockwise from top right: Rice Pilaf (p. 55), Broilded Sockeye with Garden Herbs (opposite), Radish & White Bean Salad (p. 36) Garden Variety Lettuce Wraps Kids love food they can build at the table. (I do, too!) Lettuce wraps are traditionally made with ground pork, which can contain as much as twenty percent fat. Lower the fat by using lean ground turkey instead. MAKES 4 SERVINGS 1 tbsp canola oil 1 lb (500 g) ground pork or turkey 1 tbsp grated ginger 1 8-oz (227-g) tin water chestnuts, finely chopped ½ cup (125 mL) grated carrot 1 8-oz (227-g) tin bamboo shoots, finely diced ½ cup (125 mL) chopped green onions 2 tbsp oyster sauce 1 tsp sesame oil 2 tbsp light soy sauce 2 tsp cornstarch 1 tbsp Chinese rice wine or sherry 5 oz (150 g) crispy dried chow mein noodles 1 cup (250 mL) bean sprouts 12 iceberg lettuce leaves Lettuce wraps are traditionally made with iceberg lettuce leaves, but I often have an oversupply of chard. Perhaps you do, too. If you feel adventurous, try substituting chard leaves blanched in boiling water for 30 seconds. In a large wok on high, heat oil and swirl to coat. Add pork and stir-fry, breaking up meat until cooked through. Stir in ginger, water chestnuts, carrots, bamboo shoots, and green onions. In a small bowl, combine oyster sauce, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Pour over meat mixture in pan. In a separate bowl, whisk cornstarch and rice wine, then pour over meat mixture. Stir gently until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in chow mein noodles and bean sprouts. To serve, place ¼–½ cup (60–125 mL) meat filling on each lettuce leaf. Roll half leaf over mixture, fold sides in, and fold remaining flap over top. Veal Scallopini with Parsley Caper Sauce The sauce for this dish is made the minute the meat leaves the pan, adding flavor, freshness, and luxurious richness—a simple but effective French technique. You can find veal scallopini at any good Italian butcher shop. Ask your butcher to run it through “the machine,” a device that makes small slices through the cutlet for added tenderness. He will nod and smile at your insider knowledge. For those of you who avoid eating veal, substitute chicken breasts pounded thin and fried for an extra minute, so it’s cooked through. Serve this with Parsley Butter Noodles (p. 59). MAKES 4 SERVINGS 1 tsp kosher salt ½ tsp pepper 4 veal cutlets, ¼-in (6-mm) thick 1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour 2–3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp white wine ½ cup (125 mL) low-sodium chicken stock 2 tbsp capers 2 tbsp lemon juice 2 tbsp butter ½ cup (125 mL) chopped parsley leaves Combine salt and pepper and use half mixture to season veal on both sides. Combine remainder of salt and pepper with flour and dredge veal. In a large sauté pan on medium-high, heat 2 tbsp olive oil. Fry cutlets quickly, about 1 minute a side, until lightly browned. Remove from pan and set veal aside. Add more oil to pan, if necessary, then add 1 tbsp dredging flour and heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in wine and stock. Return pan to heat and whisk until sauce thickens. Stir in capers and lemon juice. Taste sauce and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Stir in butter until melted. Add parsley. Pour sauce over veal and serve immediately. The Green Man’s Meatloaf I love meatloaf so much that every time my wife goes out of town, I try to live on it. Even people who don’t like meatloaf (trust me, they are out there) will like this one. If you haven’t made my catsup, just use store-bought. I won’t say anything. MAKES 6 SERVINGS 1 lb (500 g) lean ground beef 1 lb (500 g) ground pork 1 cup (250 mL) bread crumbs 2 cups (500 mL) chopped fresh spinach 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil 2 large eggs ¼ cup (60 mL) beef or chicken stock ¼ cup (60 mL) Fresh Tomato Catsup (p. 120) 1 plum-sized tomato, minced 1 tsp kosher salt 2 tsp Louisiana-style hot sauce 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce Some people like a glaze on meat loaf. If you are one of these people, simply brush the outside of the loaf with Fresh Tomato Catsup halfway through the cooking process. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Place beef, pork, bread crumbs, spinach, parsley, and basil in a large bowl and mix lightly, breaking up meat with your fingers. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, stock, catsup, tomato, salt, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour wet ingredients over meat mixture and combine well. Line a baking sheet with foil and form a loaf about 12 × 5 in (30.5 × 13 cm). Refrigerate for 1 hour. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C). Let stand for 5 minutes before serving in thick slices. Kangaroo Meatballs in Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Kangaroo is available in North America from specialty butcher shops and game meat suppliers. If you worry about the impact that industrial meat production has on the planet, kangaroo might be the answer to your concerns. It has a taste not unlike mild venison and a healthier omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid ratio than beef. If you know a hunter, ground elk or venison is a good substitute where kangaroo isn’t available. Serve with rice or pasta, or as an appetizer platter that will keep the conversation hopping. MAKES 4 SERVINGS ROASTED RED PEPPERS: 4 red bell peppers ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE: 1 tbsp olive oil 1 garlic clove, minced ½ cup (125 mL) diced onions 2 roasted red bell peppers 3 cups (750 mL) diced tomatoes 1 tsp coarse sea salt ½ tsp ground black pepper If you are pressed for time, use store-bought roasted red peppers to speed things up. ROASTED RED PEPPERS With a gas stove: Turn flame to high and place an entire red pepper on burner. Turn with tongs once per minute until skin has blackened. Under a broiler: Preheat broiler to high. Place peppers on a baking sheet on highest rack of oven. As skin blackens, turn peppers with tongs. When peppers are blackened over most of their surface, place them in a paper bag and close to seal. Wait 10 minutes while peppers soften and cool. Remove from bag and loosen skin with fingertips to remove. Split pepper with a knife and remove stem and seeds. ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE In a large saucepan on medium, heat olive oil. Sauté garlic and onions until soft, about 3 minutes. Dice roasted red peppers and add to saucepan. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper and simmer until tomatoes sweeten. (Just taste it every 15 minutes or so; you’ll know when you’re there.) In a food processor, pulse mixture 1 cup (250 mL) at a time. Set aside. ROO BALLS: 1 lb (500 g) ground kangaroo ¼ cup (60 mL) fine bread crumbs ¼ cup (60 mL) minced onions 1 garlic clove, minced 1 large egg 1 tsp kosher salt ½ tsp ground black pepper ½ tsp dried oregano ½ tsp dried thyme ½ cup (125 mL) chopped fresh parsley 1 tbsp water 1–2 tbsp olive oil In a large mixing bowl, crumble meat with your fingers. Add remainder of ingredients except olive oil and knead until well combined. Form into 1-in (2.5- cm) balls. In a large cast-iron frying pan on medium-high, heat olive oil. Sear meatballs on all sides. Add Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and simmer for 20 minutes. Italian Sausage Meatballs Sausage meatballs are very tasty when simmered in Arrabiata Sauce (p. 156) and served over pasta. Make them ahead of time and freeze, then cook them for an easy weeknight meal or chop them up as a topping for pizza (p. 194). MAKES 12 MEATBALLS 1 lb (500 g) ground pork shoulder 1 tbsp fennel seeds, crushed 1 tbsp hot paprika 2 tbsp red wine ¼ tsp ground black pepper ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg 2 tsp kosher salt 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves 2 tbsp olive oil, for frying With whole spices such as fennel seeds in this recipe, you measure first, then crush. If you do it the other way, you have to guess how much whole spice will make the right amount crushed. In a large bowl, combine pork, fennel seeds, paprika, red wine, pepper, nutmeg, salt, garlic, and oregano. Mix vigorously with hands or a large spoon for about 1 minute. To make meatballs, roll 2 tbsp meat mixture between your palms to form a ball. In a frying pan on medium, heat olive oil. Fry meatballs in batches until browned and firm to the touch. Saag Paneer When I go looking for ways to use garden greens, I often turn to Indian cuisine. Saag paneer is creamed spinach with crispy, fried paneer, a home-style Indian cheese with a texture like extra-firm tofu—so, for a vegan meal, you can easily substitute tofu. And don’t get stuck on using only spinach for this dish; any tender greens from the garden will work. Consider turnip greens, kale, beet tops, or chard to replace some or all of the spinach. I like to mix it up. Serve with Rice Pilaf (p. 55) or Super Simple Pita Bread (p. 62). MAKES 4 SERVINGS 1 lb (500 g) spinach ½ lb (250 g) paneer 2 tbsp canola oil ¾ cup (185 mL) minced leeks, white and pale green parts only 2 tsp ground coriander 2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp black mustard seeds ¼ tsp cayenne pepper 1½ tsp kosher salt ½ cup (125 mL) yogurt Fill a kettle with 2 qt/L water and bring to a boil. In a large mixing bowl, add spinach and pour boiling water over top. Let stand for 3 minutes, then drain. In a food processor, purée spinach. Cut paneer into ¾-in (2-cm) cubes. In a large non-stick frying pan on medium, heat oil. Add paneer and fry until browned on three sides. Remove paneer and set aside. To frying pan, add leeks and sauté until golden, about 3 minutes. Add coriander, cumin, and mustard seeds, and stir for 1 minute. Add spinach, cayenne, salt, and ½ cup (125 mL) water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt. Return paneer to pan and coat with spinach mixture. Sautéed Chard & Onions I know chard isn’t the most popular vegetable. In the social hierarchy of the supermarket, broccoli and carrots are quarterbacking the football team and captaining the cheerleading squad, and romaine lettuce is that Mexican exchange student that everyone seems to like more than they like you. High school sucks, but chard doesn’t have to. MAKES 4 SERVINGS 2 tbsp olive oil ½ cup (125 mL) diced onions ½ tsp sea salt 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 bunch rainbow chard, about 6 large stalks 1 tbsp red wine vinegar salt and ground black pepper, to taste Chard grows vigorously in the garden, producing tender stalks and large, dark green leaves. Chard can also be grown successfully in 2-or 3-gallon pots well into the fall. Mulch chard with 6 in (15 cm) of brown leaves or compost before the first hard frost of the winter, and there’s a good chance it will come back in early spring, long before it’s safe to plant seeds for any other crop. In a flat-bottomed pan on medium, heat olive oil. Add onions and salt, and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for another minute. Separate chard stalks from leaves and dice. Add chard stalks to pan and sauté for 2 minutes. Cut chard leaves into 1 in (2.5 cm) strips and add to pan with vinegar, turning until wilted. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Sicilian Chard Depending on where you live, overwintering chard is likely to be the first vegetable to achieve prodigious production when spring arrives. When it does, this is a delicious and simple way to prepare it. MAKES 6 SERVINGS 1 tbsp olive oil 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced ½ tsp crushed chili flakes 2 cups (500 mL) diced chard stalks 1 tsp coarse sea salt 4 cups (1 L) chopped chard leaves 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp unfiltered extra virgin olive oil In a large flat-bottomed pan on medium, heat olive oil. Add garlic and chilies, stirring for 1 minute. Add chard stalks and salt and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add chard leaves and sauté for 3 minutes to wilt and reduce moisture. Transfer mixture to a serving dish and drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Wild Rice & Greens My wife Darcy came up with this dish, loaded with fiber and antioxidants, as a healthy vegetarian meal for two. Experiment with different mushrooms and leafy greens to change it up. MAKES 2 SERVINGS (OR 4 AS A SIDE) 1 shallot, minced 2 tbsp butter 1 cup (250 mL) sliced white mushrooms ½ tsp kosher salt ¼ tsp ground black pepper 1 cup (250 mL) mixed brown and wild rice 1¾ cups low-sodium chicken stock or water 1½ cups (375 mL) chopped lacinato kale ¼ cup (60 mL) sunflower seeds (optional) Commercial stocks are often seasoned with salt. When making a recipe that calls for both stock and salt, hold back on adding some or all of the salt until you’re sure the dish needs it. In a pot on medium-low heat, sauté shallots in butter for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, salt, and pepper and sauté for 3 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat with butter, then add stock and kale. Taste cooking liquid and season with salt, if desired. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Cover with a lid, reduce heat to low, and cook for 50 minutes. Loosen rice with a fork, replace lid, turn off heat, and leave pot on burner for 15 minutes. Top with sunflower seeds and serve. Rice Pilaf A colorful side dish for Red Lentil Dal (p. 58) or Broiled Salmon (p. 42). Choose a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. MAKES 4 SERVINGS 2 tbsp olive oil ¼ cup (60 mL) minced shallot 1 garlic clove, minced ½ cup (125 mL) finely diced carrot 1 cup (250 mL) basmati rice ½ tsp turmeric 1½ cups (375 mL) low-sodium stock 1 tsp kosher salt ½ cup (125 mL) fresh peas ¼ cup (60 mL) slivered almonds In a saucepan on medium, heat oil. Add shallots and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and carrots, and stir for 1 minute. Add rice (dry, don’t rinse it), and stir until coated in oil. Add turmeric, stock, and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover with lid and cook for 10 minutes. Turn heat off, leaving pot covered on burner for another 10 minutes. Stir in peas and let sit for 5 minutes. Top with slivered almonds. Spicy Broccoli Rabe with Pasta Some vegetables are meant for grown-up taste buds, and broccoli rabe may be top of the list. Also known as rapini, this slightly bitter green, related to turnips, hates growing in the heat, preferring the cool soils of spring and autumn. This dish stands up as a meal on its own or as a side that incorporates starch and a green vegetable in one. You can also substitute broccoli or gai lan, whichever is looking good in the garden that day. MAKES 4–6 SERVINGS 2 tbsp kosher salt, for pasta water ⅓ cup (80 mL) walnut halves 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 5 strips bacon, cut into ¼-in (6-mm) strips 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed 1 dried red chili pepper, crumbled 1 lb (500 g) broccoli rabe 1 lb (500 g) dried farfalle (bow-tie pasta) ½ cup (125 mL) grated Parmesan cheese Broccoli’s sweet secret: When you harvest broccoli, cut off plenty of stem with the main floret. For this dish, if you use broccoli instead of rabe, use both florets and heart of broccoli stem. Use a knife to cut away the tough skin on the outside of the stem to reveal the sweetest and most tender part of the plant. In a large pot on high heat, bring 6 qt/L water and salt to a boil. In a sauté pan on medium heat, toast walnuts for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Remove walnuts from pan, crumble with your fingers, and set aside. In same pan, warm olive oil. Add bacon and fry until crispy. Add onions, garlic, fennel seeds, and chili. Cook until onions are lightly browned. Cut broccoli rabe into 2-in (5-cm) pieces; separate thick stems from slender tops and leaves. Add broccoli rabe stems to pan and cook for 2 minutes, then add leaves. Reduce heat to low. Add pasta to boiling water and cook al dente, according to package directions. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup (250 mL) water. Add pasta, cheese, and a little reserved pasta water to pan and toss gently to combine. Add more water, a little at a time, to form a creamy sauce. Garnish each serving with toasted walnuts. Red Lentil Dal Dal is a soup or stew made from lentils that’s served in virtually every corner of India. Lentils are high in fiber and protein—and a perfect choice if you are cutting back on meat for the sake of the planet or your own health. I collect coriander seeds from my overgrown cilantro plants and top the dish with fresh cilantro leaves from the younger plants. Serve with Rice Pilaf (p. 55). MAKES 4 SERVINGS 1 cup (250 mL) red lentils 2 plum tomatoes, chopped ¼ tsp ground turmeric 1½ tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander ½ tsp kosher salt 2 green chili peppers, minced 3 tbsp canola oil 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup (250 mL) diced onions 2 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves Rinse lentils thoroughly in cold water and drain. In a saucepan on high heat, bring lentils to a boil in 2¼ cups (530 mL) water. Remove surface scum with a spoon. Add tomatoes, turmeric, cumin, and coriander, and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Add salt and chilies and simmer for another 10 minutes. In a frying pan on medium, heat oil. Sauté garlic and onions until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Combine lentil and onion mixtures and top with cilantro. Parsley Butter Noodles I wrestled with myself over whether to include this recipe, and then I wrestled with myself over whether it really is even a recipe. Despite its simplicity, I really like the combination of ingredients—and I never pass up the opportunity to add more green to a plate. Serve as a side with Veal Scallopini (p. 46). MAKES 4 SERVINGS 12 oz (340 g) dried egg noodles ¼ cup (60 mL) salted butter 2 tbsp olive oil ½ cup (125 mL) chopped flat-leaf parsley In a large pot on high heat, cook noodles in 6 qt/L water, according to package directions. Drain and return to pot. Add butter, olive oil, and parsley and cover with a lid for 2 minutes. Stir and serve immediately. The Original Rhubarb-Blueberry Crumble Old recipes can be a challenge. I have binders full of hand-written recipes on yellowed paper, with no oven temperature or directions. Some list ingredients without amounts. If you were going to cook back in the day, it was just assumed that you learned the recipe from Mom or Nana. In the time-honored tradition of my ancestors, I present to you a crumble the way Nana used to do it, but I’ve given you measured amounts and an oven temperature for your convenience. Serve hot with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. MAKES 6–8 SERVINGS TOPPING: ½ cup (125 mL) salted butter 1 cup (250 mL) rolled oats ½ cup (125 mL) all-purpose flour ¾ cup (185 mL) brown sugar ½ cup (125 mL) chopped walnuts and pecans ½ tsp ground cinnamon FILLING: 6 cups (1.5 L) diced rhubarb 2 cups (500 mL) blueberries or blackberries ¼ cup (60 mL) white sugar 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger 2 tbsp cornstarch Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). In a large bowl, add all topping ingredients. Combine well with your hands to form a ball, then set aside. In a large (8 × 11.5 × 2-in [20 × 29 × 5-cm]) baking dish, combine all filling ingredients. Stir until combined. Crumble topping mixture over filling and bake until fruit is bubbling and topping browned, about 45 minutes. Super Simple Pita Bread I get that people are afraid to make bread. Baking is chemistry—get one component wrong or do something in the wrong order, and disaster is yours to wear like an albatross. Pita is the exception: the recipe is short, the technique simple, and the result assured. Serve with Lamb & Spinach Kebabs (p. 144) or Saag Paneer (p. 51). MAKES 8 PITAS 1 tbsp fast-acting yeast 2½ cups (625 mL) warm water 3 cups (750 mL) bread flour 1½ tsp kosher salt 2 tbsp olive oil, divided 1½ cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour 1 cup (250 mL) whole wheat flour Pita dough has to rise twice for 1 hour each time, which gives you plenty of time to have a glass of wine or two. You can also grill pita on a hot barbecue. Preheat to high and grill for about 1 minute on each side with the lid down, until pitas are puffy and steaming. In a large mixing bowl, combine yeast and water. Add bread flour 1 cup (250 mL) at a time, using a spoon to incorporate flour and liquid. Stir for 1 minute, until smooth. Cover bowl with beeswax wrap or cling film and set in a warm location for 1 hour. Add salt and 1 tbsp olive oil to mixture and stir in all-purpose and whole wheat flour until dough forms. Coat working surface with all-purpose flour and turn dough out. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour as required. Coat inside of a separate bowl with remaining olive oil and place dough inside. Cover and place in a warm location until it doubles in size, about 1 hour. Place a baking sheet or pizza stone in middle of oven and preheat to 500°F (260°C). Cut dough into 8 pieces. Form each piece into a ball and place on a floured surface. Roll each into a circle about 8 in (2 cm) across. Bake for about 3 minutes, until puffy and just browned. Summer A Season of Edible Delights The growing season is a parade of delicious firsts. Rhubarb emerges after the ground thaws, followed quickly by peas and broad beans. I can’t wait to collect a cup of fresh peas to mash with Parmesan and olive oil, a delirious moment that comes but once a year. The first basil begets the first fresh pesto. Then come new potatoes and baby carrots, often in quantities that threaten to overwhelm the kitchen and the cook. Each new crop is an occasion for celebration and reflection. There is nothing instant about growing your own food, but the gratification is very real. The earth’s rhythms are decidedly languid compared to the pace of urban life. Strawberries arrive on their own schedule, and they don’t stay long, so when I eat one in the garden, I often find myself sitting down to feel the sun on my face. I don’t really even cultivate strawberries; they grow voluntarily from the cracks between the rocks in my retaining wall, as if to reward me for taking a few minutes to visit the garden. With food gardening, time is reckoned in seasons, rather than in instant updates and smartphone alert chimes. It lowers my blood pressure to run the hose over the morning’s radish harvest; it grounds me to share with my neighbors whatever is in abundance that day. It is particularly satisfying to sit down to a family meal of foods that I have grown myself and picked at the peak of freshness when their nutritional value is highest. By sourcing vegetables from the garden or from my local farmers market I feel secure that no pesticides or other chemicals have come in contact with my food. In summer, the garden really is your fridge and your grocery store. You needn’t burn any gas to pick up food for dinner when it grows on the balcony, under the kitchen window, and all over the backyard. Go shopping in the fresh air, and while you’re out there, stop and eat a strawberry or a handful of peas. TOUGHEN UP YOUR TRANSPLANTS Being transplanted into the garden is a traumatic experience for a seedling. After spending anywhere from four to twelve weeks on a warm windowsill or in a commercial-grade greenhouse at your local nursery, tender young plants are vulnerable to extremes of temperature and even to direct sunlight. The greenhouse environment may be bright, but it does not allow the intense radiation of direct sunlight to penetrate. Sunburn can damage or even kill a young plant. Place a tall pail or an empty planter 1 in (2.5 cm) to the south of new transplants to provide temporary shade at midday. Seedlings should be carefully hardened off in the yard before being transplanted to ensure they are equipped to survive low overnight temperatures in early spring or full sun if you are transplanting during the summer. For their first night outside, choose a location that is sheltered and close to the house, where it is usually a few degrees warmer than the rest of the yard. During hot summer weather, protect the seedlings from the sun at midday, but make sure they get some direct sun in the morning and late afternoon. Continue this process for three to seven days. Seedlings transplanted into the garden in early spring should be protected if there is any danger of frost. A simple cloche made from a 4-qt/L milk jug with the bottom and cap removed can be placed over seedlings if the weather turns unexpectedly cold. The cloche will also gain heat from the sun during the day, which speeds growth. In hot summer weather, transplant late in the day. The move from pot to garden soil is a shock, and your seedlings will need all night and more to recover. Even sun-lovers such as tomatoes are easily damaged right after transplanting. For large plants such as tomato vines, cauliflower, broccoli, and kale, add ½ cup (125 mL) Basic Fertilizer Mix (p. 14) to the soil with well-rotted compost, and “mud” the root ball in with plenty of water. In hot, sunny weather, transplanted lettuce seedlings should be protected from midday sun for at least a week. Plant lettuces to the north and east of taller plants to take advantage of the shade they provide during the hottest part of the day. COMPANION PLANTING AND NATURAL SUCCESSION Companion planting is a popular theme in garden lore. Organic gardeners put certain plants together to protect vulnerable crops from predators ranging from deer to beetles. Or—less believably—to enhance the flavors of certain vegetables, such as basil’s supposedly magical influence on the flavor of tomatoes. Most of the widely recognized tenets of companion planting remain very much in the realm of folk wisdom, though, as there is little credible science to back their claims. You can, however, use a form of companion planting—what I call succession planting—to increase the productivity of some of your garden beds. Here are a few tricks that I use: Grow fast and slow, together: Sow radishes and carrots together in spring, alternating seeds about an inch apart in rows 6 in (15 cm) apart. That’s half the normal row spacing. The radishes will mature and be harvested within five weeks, about the time that slower-growing carrots begin to bulk up. Radishes take little in the way of nutrients from the soil and the carrots benefit from the extra space at this stage. Harvest baby carrots at the beginning of summer, and begin to introduce broccoli or cauliflower seedlings in the newly available space. Grow plants that nourish one another: Plant spinach seeds among maturing pea vines. Peas collect nitrogen from the atmosphere and store it in nodules on their root system. Spinach is a heavy nitrogen feeder. When you harvest peas, cut the vines off at the soil, leaving the roots—and the nitrogen—in place. Make mini-microclimates: Plant zucchini seedlings 3 ft (1 m) apart and sprinkle a few arugula seeds in between, covering them lightly. The shade from the zucchini leaves will help the cool-weather arugula thrive in the summer heat. Combine early-, middle-, and late-season vegetables: Sow mesclun greens such as mizuna, corn salad, and radicchio in spring. Just sprinkle the seeds around the bed and rake them in lightly. As you harvest tender young greens in late spring, plant chard seeds into the spaces left by the departing mescluns. By early summer, the greens will have run their course, and you can plant Napa cabbage and collards in the remaining spaces. The Napa cabbage will be ready to harvest in September, leaving space for the expanding wingspan of the collards. Harvest collard leaves from the bottom of the plant throughout the winter, where the climate allows it. HOW TO GROW TOMATOES Tomatoes thrive through long, hot, dry summers. A good growing season can deliver hundreds of tomatoes from a modest number of vines, especially inland. Near the coast, it’s more hit and miss. Tomato vines are reasonably resistant to cold in late spring, but quickly succumb to blight if the weather turns wet at the end of summer. Crowding tomatoes reduces air circulation and promotes blight, so plant your vines 3 ft (1 m) apart. (If you do get hit with blight, don’t put the vines in your compost. Remove them from the property.) To extend your harvest, choose a mix of early-and late-bearing varieties and a selection of sauce tomatoes (Amish Paste, Roma, San Marzano) and eating tomatoes (Black Krim, Stupice, Prudens Purple, Black Cherry, Gold Nugget). Potted tomatoes will grow comfortably in five-gallon containers. Use clean soil from the garden center and blend with 1 cup (250 mL) Basic Fertilizer Mix (p. 14). When the first fruit appears, feed the vines with high-phosphorus liquid fertilizer, such as a blooming formula. To protect them from drying out, plant tomato vines deeply, so that the lower leaf stems are at the soil’s surface. Trim away the bottom leaves and mud the root ball in with plenty of water. Choose a sunny location in the garden, preferably near a south-facing wall or fence, to plant tomato seedlings. Reflected heat is a real bonus, especially late in the growing season, when it promotes ripening. Potted or in the garden, tomatoes need support to stay off the ground. Use the strongest stakes you can find, and tie the vines about every 12 in (30.5 cm) with cotton twine. Some people I know use rebar to stake, which used to sound a bit crazy to me. That is, until my one-by-two wooden stakes started snapping like twigs one summer under the weight of the fruit. Most home garden tomatoes are indeterminate, meaning they keep growing as long as conditions of sun, moisture, and nutrition are favorable. The fast- spreading vines are also their own worst enemy, sprouting new vines called “suckers” that literally suck the life out of the plant, using up nutrients that could be setting fruit. When the first flower buds appear on your vine, cut or break off all the sucker vines below the flowers. The suckers grow upwards from the junctions where leaf stems attach to the main stem. If you leave the suckers long enough, they will create an impenetrable jungle of fo