The Recipe Trove

2 red or green bell peppers, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 red onion, coarsely chopped
1 large or 3 small eggplants, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 small zucchini or patty pan squash, cut into 1/4-inch slices
4-6 heirloom tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 sprigs of thyme
2 sprigs of rosemary
2 sprigs of tarragon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Combine all the ingredients in a 9 x 13 baking dish that has been oiled or sprayed with cooking spray. Toss to combine, leaving the sprigs of herbs whole. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

Remove the foil, toss the ratatouille with a spatula and bake for an additional 30 minutes, checking once or twice to see if it needs stirring.

Remove the sprigs of herbs. Check for seasoning, adding additional salt and pepper as necessary.

Serve with warm rolls or rustic bread for mopping up the delicious juices.

Serves 4.

1 teaspoon olive or peanut oil

In a saute pan, heat the oil over medium high heat, and add the pork sausage.  Cook until browned and no longer pink on the inside.  Use a slotted spoon to remove the pork from the pan to a small bowl.

Depending on the fat content of the sausage, you may need to add a small drizzle of oil.

Add the onion to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the onion has begun to soften.  Add the carrot, celery and bell pepper and cook for another 2 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook and stir for another minute.

Add the Worcestershire sauce, the basil, salt and pepper. Stir it all together and let it cook for just a few more minutes, then add the fresh tomatoes to the pot.  Cook and stir for another 4-5 minutes, or until the tomatoes have mostly softened into the mixture and kind of disappeared.

Add the sausage back into the pan along with the rice.  Finally, add the Parmesan cheese, stir well to evenly distribute and remove from the heat.  Taste for seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary.  Use this mixture to stuff your choice of summer squash.

The stuffing can also be made up to a day ahead of time and refrigerated until needed.

from HTCEV by Mark Bittman

Makes 4 servings

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325ºF.  Stir 1 tablespoon of thyme into the beans, taste, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Spread the beans in a baking dish and set aside.

Halve the potatoes lengthwise and thinly slice into half-circles.  Lay the potatoes in overlapping rows to cover the beans.  Pour the stock over the top, dot with pieces of butter, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and the remaining thyme.

Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove the foil and continue baking until the top is browned and glazed, another 45 minutes or so.  Serve immediately, or let rest for up to an hour and serve at room temperature.

Creamy Boulangerie Beans and Potatoes: A little luxury, and no work: Add 1/2 cup cream to the beans.

Tomatoey Boulangerie Beans and Potatoes: Prettier, with a little acidity and more flavor: Add 1 cup chopped ripe tomato (canned is fine, drain first) or about 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried or Oven Dried tomatoes to the beans.

Boulangerie Beans and Potatoes with Leeks: Approaching elegance: Cook 2 cups chopped leeks in butter until very soft-almost melting-about 20 minutes.  Top the beans with the leeks and the potato slices.

Boulangerie Beans and Potatoes with Spanish Paprika: The smokiness of the paprika is so good with thyme: Add about a tablespoon of smoked Spanish paprika to the beans and sprinkle some over the potatoes before baking if you’d like.

Boulangerie Beans and Sweet Potatoes: Use pinto beans and sweet potatoes.  Stir into the beans a tablespoon or so of Worcestershire sauce, and add a pinch of ground allspice or cinnamon if you’d like.  Proceed with the recipe; sprinkle the top with brown sugar before baking.

adapted from Bon Appetit

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 8 x 8 x 2-inch glass baking dish.

Mix first 5 ingredients (2 cups milk through salt) in a heavy medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly. Cook until polenta is tender and thickens, stirring often, about 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in Parmesan.

Pour half of polenta into prepared dish, spread evenly to the edges. sprinkle with one can of the chilies and half of corn. Top that with half of the cilantro followed by 1 cup of Jack cheese.

Combine the 1/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup of sour cream, whisk together to completely incorporate.  Drizzle half of the sour cream mixture over the shredded cheese.  Spoon remaining polenta over, again, spreading to the edges evenly. Cover with remaining chilies, corn, cilantro and cheese. Pour the last 1/4 cup sour cream mixture over. (Can be made 1 day ahead to this point. Chill.)

Bake until polenta puffs and cheese begins to brown, about 25 minutes if not chilled or 30 minutes if chilled. Cut into squares and serve.

from Vegetarian Times June 2008

2 Tbs. vegetable oil, divided

1. Heat 1 Tbs oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat (I used a wok).  Add tofu, and saute’ 10 to 15 minutes, tossing with a spatula, until light golden brown all over.  Sprinkle with soy sauce and saute 2 to 3 minutes more to further brown the tofu.  Transfer tofu to a paper-towel lined plate.  Drain and rinse the skillet, and wipe dry.

2. Heat the remaining TBS oil over high heat.  Add the tofu back and all the vegetables. Saute 5 to 7 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the tofu nicely browned, tossing constantly with a spatula.  Sprinkle with additional soy sauce to taste.  Sprinkle with nutritional yeast flakes, saute a few seconds more, and then remove from heat.  Serve over brown rice.

from AYIAVK by Jack Bishop

1. Bring several cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan.  Place the edamame in a steamer insert or basket and carefully lower it into the pot.  Cover and steam until the edamame are tender but not mushy, 7 to 10 minutes.  Remove the steamer insert or basket from the pot and set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the leeks and 1/2 teaspoon salt, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are very soft, about 10 minutes. (Lower the heat if the leeks start to brown.) Uncover the pan, add the ginger, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3.  Add the rice and cook, stirring often, until the rice is coated with oil and glistening, about 1 minute.  Add the coconut milk and water and bring to a boil.   Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.  Stir in the edamame and lime juice, cover, and continue to cook over low heat until heated through, about 2 minutes.  Stir in the cilantro and adjust the seasonings, adding salt to taste.  serve.

from A Year In A Vegetarian Kitchen by Jack Bishop

1. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot for cooking the noodles.  Add 1 tablespoon salt and the noodles and cook until al dente.  Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water and drain the noodles.  Toss the noodles with 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large bowl. Set aside.

2. Whisk the reserved cooking water, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and rice wine together in a small bowl. Set the hoisin mixture aside.

3. Place the garlic, ginger, chile, and black beans, if using, in another small bowl.  Set the aromatics aside.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil in a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add the tofu and cook, stirring several times, until the cubes are golden on most sides, about 5 minutes.  Transfer the tofu to a small bowl.

5. Add the greens and 1/2 cup water to the empty pan and stir-fry until the greens have wilted and the water has evaporated, about 1 minute.

6. Clear the center of the pan and spread the aromatics out over the empty spot in the pan.  Drizzle the remaining 1 teaspoon oil over the aromatics and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Stir the aromatics into the greens to combine.

7. Add the noodles and hoisin mixture and use two forks to pull apart the noodles.  Sitr-fry, continuing to pull the noodles apart, until they are hot and well-coated with sauce and greens, about 30 seconds. Add the tofu and toss with the noodles once or twice to distribute the tofu cubes and heat them up, about 30 seconds.  Serve immediately.

Salsa:

For the salsa: Combine the tomatoes, chile, oregano and salt to taste in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

For the burritos: With a chef’s knife, separate the fleshy stalk from the green portions of each chard leaf.  Trim the ends of the stalks and chop fine.  You should have about 2 1/2 cups chopped stalks.  Stack the leaves and slice them crosswise into 1/2-inch thick strips.  You should have about 8 packed cups of sliced leaves.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the onion and chard stalks and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 8 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the chard leaves (it’s best if they are still slightly damp from washing) and salt to taste.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender, about 7 minutes.  If the greens are soupy, remove the cover and simmer for a minute or two.  Adjust the seasonings, adding more salt if necessary.

Lay the warmed tortillas flat on a work surface.  Spoon 1/2 cup of the rice over the bottom of each tortilla.  Top the rice with some chard (roughly 1/2 a cup) and 1 tablespoon sour cream.  Roll the tortillas, tucking the side toward the center to form neat bundles.  Slice each burrito in half and serve, passing salsa at the table.

from A Year In A Vegetarian Kitchen by Jack Bishop

serves 4

Heat the oil in a large, deep stockpot over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 8 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the damp chard, sprinkle with salt to taste, and stir to coat the chard with oil.  Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until the chard has wilted, about 5 minutes.  Adjust the seasonings, adding the salt and pepper to taste.  Once the greens are wilted, you can remove the pot from the heat and keep it covered for up to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the white bean puree and stir the herb into the puree.

Divide the bean puree among four shallow soup bowls.  Top each with a portion of wilted greens and serve immediately.

Garlicky White Bean Puree

serves 4 to 6 as a side dish

Bring the broth to a boil in a large nonstick skillet. Place the beans in a food processor or blender.  Add the hot broth and puree until smooth.

Heat the oil and garlic in the empty skillet over medium heat until the garlic is golden, 1 to 2 minutes.  Scrape the bean mixture into the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until piping hot and thick, 2 to 4 minutes, depending on the initial consistency of the bean puree.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

from A Year In A Vegetarian Kitchen by Jack Bishop
Serving Size  : 4

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 medium garlic cloves — minced
1 1/2 pounds chard — stems and thick center ribs discarded, leaves washed, shaken to remove excess water, and chopped (about 10 cups)**
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped dried cherries
1pound whole wheat spaghetti

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot for cooking the pasta.

Place the walnuts in a large deep saute pan or Dutch oven. Turn the heat to medium and toast, shaking the pan occasionally to turn the nuts, until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a small plate.

Add oil and garlic to the empty pan and cook until the garlic is golden, about 1 minute. (Do not let the garlic burn.) Add the damp chard, stir to coat the leaves with the oil and garlic, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until the chard has wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cherries, remove the pan from the heat, and cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 3/4 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta. Toss the pasta, chard, and toasted walnuts together, adding cooking water as needed to moisten the pasta. Serve immediately.

**Note: I used tender, young chard and instead of discarding the stems, I chopped them up and added them to the pan with the garlic.  I would do this again in a second.

Description:
“Chewy, sweet dried cherries are a tasty addition to a pasta sauce made with chard and garlic. Red chard is pretty in this dish. If you can’t get chard, try spinach.”

“A Year in the Vegetarian Kitchen (Jack Bishop)”