Celery Root Slaw

I once again find myself turning to Jack Bishop in my time of vegetative need. When you get a celery root in your CSA bag you sometimes need some inspiration. Luckily, Jack is usually there for me. This recipe comes from his superb 'Vegetables Every Day' book which I have mentioned countless times on this site.

I wish I hadn't been in a hurry yesterday so that I could produce a photo of the very dirty, very ugly (but very delicious!) celery root I used in this recipe. You probably waltz past its ugliness in the grocery store where it is relegated to obscure status, drying out by the horseradish and taro root (if your grocery store even bothers to carry them!). Fortunately, our farm pops one in our bag as a surprise every now and then and they *are* fun to cook with.

This salad took me all of 6 minutes or so to make last night as a side to go with roasted potatoes and buffalo burgers. Give it a try - you won't be disappointed. I will note here that the recipe does require a food processor (or good knife skills and a LOT of patience). I used to think it was too fussy to mess around with the other blades on the processor but now that I've worked the shredder into the rotation, I don't give it a second thought.

Celery Root and Apple Slaw
Adapted from Jack Bishop's Vegetables Every Day
Serves 6 as a side

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (Bishop calls for lemon juice, but I didn't have any, hence the 'adaptation')
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp plain yogurt
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves or 1.5 tsp minced fresh tarragon leaves (it was cold and rainy and I didn't feel like going outside to find parsley, so I didn't add any fresh herbs. Dish was still great, though undoubtedly could have been even better with the herbs!)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 medium celery root
1 medium Granny Smith apple

Whisk the vinegar and mustard together in a bowl. Whisk in the oil until the dressing is smooth. Whisk in the yogurt and herbs. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cut a thin slice from either end of the celery root. Place the root on a cutting board and cut around the root with a paring knife to remove the skin as if removing the peel and pith from an orange to expose the flesh. Cut the peeled celery root into chunks that will fit in the feed tube of a food processor. Quarter and core the apple, but do not peel.

Shred the celery root and apple in a food processor fitted with the shredding disk. Place the shredded celery and apple in the bowl with the dressing and toss well with your hands until all is well coated. Adjust seasonings as necessary. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 hours and serve chilled.

Bean and tomato salad with honey vinaigrette

Have I mentioned Rancho Gordo in any of my posts yet? Let me take that opportunity now. RANCHO. GORDO. They are an heirloom bean producer out of Northern California, and if you like beans, they deserve your attention.



They produce myriad beans, many of which you've never heard of, such as the Ayocote Morado beans in the photo above. One thing that is unique about their beans (aside from the diversity of their offerings) is that they are fresh. I know that isn't intuitive, as they are dried beans, but they are fresh in the sense that when you get them, they haven't been sitting in a warehouse for a year or two (or on a supermarket shelf for that length of time). They cook quicker and are, in my opinion, superior tasting to any other beans I've had. I've tried about 6 different varieties, and a testament to the love I have for all that I've tried is the 23 lb box of beans I currently await from the UPS guy.


I love beans. They are simple, hearty and nourishing. The are not at all a hassle to cook from scratch, and you can bubble up a good sized batch and freeze whatever you don't eat with pleasing results. They can be used a million different ways, and generally they cost next to nothing, somewhat fancy heirlooms aside. The dried beans in my local Whole Foods bulk bin start at $.99/lb.



You're starting to get the theme throughout recent postings that I have a LOT of tomato and basil plants, and that I get green beans from the farm nearly every week. Well, I don't like to eat them the same way every time, so I'm constantly scouring recipe books for ideas and inspiration. Fortunately, there seems to be no limit to the number of books I can check out from my local library, so the ideas keep coming.


I have found quite a few very inspiring recipes in the newest book from the folks at Eating Well. I've never subscribed to their magazine, but I need to rethink that, as every cookbook of theirs I own or have borrowed from the library has been particularly good. Their latest offering Eating Well In Season: The Farmer's Market Cookbook is fairly conducive to the produce that I receive from our local CSA each week.

This next recipe uses (Rancho Gordo!) dried beans, fresh green beans, tomatoes AND basil, so it's an ideal staple for the summer months!

Bean and tomato salad with honey vinaigrette
Adapted from Eating Well In Season
Serves 8 as a side dish

1 1/4 c dried beans, preferably heirloom (I used Ayocote Morado from Rancho Gordo)
Bay leaf or epazote
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c red onion, minced
1/4 c cider vinegar
4 tsp wildflower honey
1 tsp peanut or canola oil
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 2 in. pieces
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 lb medium or large mixed tomatoes, multiple colors, chopped
1/2 c fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

Pick over dried beans for stones or debris, rinse them, then place in a stockpot, cover with 3 inches of water and soak at room temperature for 2 hours or up to overnight.

Bring beans and bay leaf/epazote to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Partially cover and simmer very gently until tender, 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the age and freshness of your beans. Check the level of the liquid regularly. If it drops below the beans, add one cup (or more as needed) hot water. When the beans are tender, remove from heat and drain.

Combine the beans, the salt, onion, vinegar, honey, oil and pepper in a large bowl. Stir, cover and refrigerate to marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Cook green beans in a large pot of boiling water until crisp-tender, 3-5 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Pat dry and add to the marinated beans. Stir in tomatoes and basil. Taste seasoning and adjust as necessary.

**Note: I often cook more dried beans than called for then freeze the extra in some of the pot liquor when done so that I can grab them on a day I don't want to cook. They freeze beautifully.

Sauteed wax beans with tomatoes and basil

I am cooking and eating vegetables at rates previously unknown to man. Another Tuesday has arrived and another CSA pickup has occurred. This is our first week for corn and melons (wahoo!). I don't know if the photo above looks like a lot or a little to you, but that's what we got for a 'single' share this week. There are two people in my household. Though we entertain a lot, it still only makes a dent in our weekly share, so we just eat veggies left right and center.

Generally, I like to use the corn the day we get it because it's just SO DANG GOOD, but I wasn't up for shucking and consuming five ears of corn Tuesday night (though now I can't remember why?), so I thought I'd attack squash (I still hadn't finished last week's squash - more on that recipe in a few days) and the yellow wax beans that came in this bag. I had cherry tomatoes from the back garden that needed using, so that along with a few fresh herbs and a bit of onion made up the dish.

We grilled a bit of salmon as our main protein (about 8 oz for the two of us - I'm working on making meat a side dish rather than a main) and I fixed a fussy squash dish that was worth every bit of hassle - will share that with you later - then fixed a little off the cuff veggie medley as our other vegetable melange for the evening.

Sauteed wax beans with tomatoes and basil

Serves 2-3 as a side

1/2 lb yellow wax beans (or green if that's what you've got), parboiled for 2 min, cooled to stop the cooking and sliced into 1 in pieces

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes

1/2 onion (any color), sliced

1 tbsp basil, cut in a chiffonade (or chopped, or torn up, or however you want)

1 tsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a pan with the oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and saute for 3-5 minutes, or until soft, but with no color. Add the parboiled beans and saute for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and toss; cook for 1 minute. Taste, add seasoning as you like, sprinkle basil on top and serve immediately.

Other fresh herbs would work here - chives and tarragon come to mind as good choices. Use whatever is freshest that's available to you!

Grilled Eggplant with Cherry Tomato and Cilantro Vinaigrette

After some major pruning last week, I discovered I had several eggplant ready for harvest in the back garden. I get so excited to garden, I sometimes don't think about what I will do with all of the veggies I've planted when it's time to harvest. I don't think I have *ever* purchased an eggplant in the store, but I have gotten them from the farm for the last several years. But I always have to go searching for something to do with them when they show up in my produce bag.

'Perfect Vegetables' to the rescue. This cookbook is put out by the wonderful people at Cook's Illustrated. Every cookbook of theirs that I've tried as well as every recipe from the magazine have always been successful, and that's obviously because of their methods. They test the heck out of every recipe before publishing. So it takes the guesswork out for you and me. That said, whenever I don't have a specific ingredient on hand, I will change a recipe to accommodate what I do have in the house versus going out to the grocery store to buy a shallot or something.

Faced with the two globe eggplant from out back (wear gloves when you harvest eggplant - OUCH!) and the Japanese eggplant from the farm, I wanted to find something that would be so good that I would eat it all (and use them all up at once). For that I was willing to take a few extra steps to get it right.

I also have a constant stream of cherry tomatoes at the ready; every time I pick one, ten new ripe tomatoes appear in its place. The herbs were also no problem as I've got them growing absolutely everywhere. So this dish was local and sustainable in the extreme and that's the cooking that is the most fun for me.

Grilled Eggplant with Cherry Tomato and Cilantro Vinaigrette

adapted from Perfect Vegetables by the editors of Cook's Illustrated Magazine

Serves 4-6 as a side dish

1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, each tomato quartered (about 1c)
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 small red onion, sliced (PV specified 1 shallot, minced)
2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lemon juice (PV specified lime)
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 recipe grilled eggplant (see below)

Mix tomatoes, salt, cayenne, onion, cilantro, lemon juice and oil together in a medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature until the flavors meld, about 20 minutes.

Transfer grilled eggplant to a platter. Pour the vinaigrette over the grilled eggplant and serve immediately.

Grilled Eggplant

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp minced fresh thyme or oregano leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2-3 small to medium eggplant (about 2 lbs), ends trimmed, cut crosswise into rounds

Combine oil, garlic, herb, salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Place the eggplant on a platter and brush both sides with the oil mixture.

Grill the eggplant over a medium-hot fire, turning once, until both sides are marked with dark stripes, 8-10 minutes. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

*some people insist upon salting eggplant to reduce bitterness. If you use really fresh eggplant, there will be nothing bitter about it!

Glazed radishes

Last night I was too lazy to make anything very complicated, so to accompany our mostly from-the-freezer dinner, I made some glazed radishes. It isn't always easy or intuitive to eat seasonally, what with strawberries and asparagus basically available all year long in your local store. However, radishes are no-brainer spring crop. Cooking them isn't something most people think of though.

If you think radishes are too spicy, or even if you don't like them at all, definitely give them a shot cooked. Here's a very easy recipe for glazed radishes.

Glazed Radishes
Adapted from Vegetables Everyday by Jack Bishop
Serves 2

1 bunch radishes (any color is fine)
1/4 red onion, diced
1/3 cup stock or broth
generous splash of white wine
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup fresh parsley

Trim greens from the radishes and compost (or discard if you must). Clean the radishes and slice in half or in quarters for large (golf ball sized) radishes. Heat butter over medium heat until melted. Add red onion and saute 3-5 minutes until quite soft and it loses some of its color. Add the radishes and stir to coat with the butter (add more butter if need be).

Add stock and white wine, reduce heat slightly and put a tight fitting lid on your pot. Simmer for 10-12 minutes. Remove lid and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring heat back up to medium and reduce remaining liquid for 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve as a side to any wonderful springtime dinner.

Recipe can be easily doubled.

All I can hope for at this point is that the radishes I planted in the raised bed before all this freaky spring snow came out of nowhere decide to sprout in the next few days of warmth, or I'm back to the spring gardening drawing board (and to more supermarket shopping - ugh).

Bon appetit!