Cooking Challenge #1 Wrap-Up

June 2nd, 2008

After four hours of cooking, here’s what I have left:

1/2 lb beets
7 small turnips
1 lb bok choy
7 radishes

And here’s what I made:

Thai Curried Vegetables
Thai Curried Vegetables

Sugar snap peas, broccoli, carrots, and onions were used to make this simple curry. I also added some tofu. Based off a recipe in Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, I wasn’t happy enough with this to share how I made it. I cooked the broccoli and snap peas briefly before adding them to the curry, and I think this made them too soft and mushy.


Crimson Risotto
Crimson Risotto

I’ve made this a few times before. It features beets and dried cranberries, and yes, it really is that color. Risotto in general is just delicious, and this dish is no exception. Cinnamon and cloves add depth to the sweetness of the beets. This is from Lorna Sass’s Recipes From an Ecological Kitchen.


Chickpeas and Greens with Moroccan Spices
Chickpeas and Greens with Moroccan Spices

I’m not sure what makes the spices particularly Moroccan, as it was just cumin, turmeric, and cayenne, but this was a very tasty way to use up all those greens. It called for preserved lemon, which I didn’t have, so I added a few splashes of lemon juice instead. Check out Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone for the recipe.


May 28 Share

May 29th, 2008

This was another banner week. Nearly all of the produce so far has just been exceptional. And, thankfully, we have a week off from lettuce, as I still have an entire bunch left from last time. We received several new items: yellow, orange, and purple carrots, as well as sugar snap peas. And, of course, broccoli, kale, cabbage, onions, turnips, boc choi, and the best batch of strawberries yet.

I already have plans for the broccoli, in the form of a tofu stir-fry. But I think I’m going to need to cook up another mess of greens this weekend. And probably some beet risotto. And maybe I can make some soup somewhere in there, too.