Seasonal Corn and Succotash

My grandfather was a farmer whose land was located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania before I was born.

Pop-Pop and Nana

After World War Two, he sold the land to William Levitt, who subsequently developed the property as one of his famed Levittowns. These planned communities provided cheap housing for soldiers returning from the war and ultimately helped to redefine the American cultural landscape by introducing an entirely new idea - the suburb.

For his part, my grandfather moved from the countryside to a house in town with a large backyard. He immediately planted a garden, and I always remember leaving his house with bags of veggies. Looking at the old black and white pictures from that time, I'm acutely aware that I'm now older than they were when the photos were taken. Life surely was harder on the physical body back then.

Great Aunt Letty, Aunt Letty, Nana, Pop-Pop, Great Aunt Mary
All between the ages of 30-55.

As my grandfather's fecund garden proved, his connection with the earth could not be broken. The plants seemed to know that he loved them and grew in abundance providing enough food not just for the extended family, but enough extra to sell at the local small grocery.

As a child we would visit them every Sunday, and while my parents talked in the parlor, I would run out the back door straight to the garden. My grandfather would take me from one row to the next, explaining all the stages of growth and how to make each plant prosper. Pop-Pop let me help by pulling up weeds or moving renegade vines back to the appropriate pole or fence post. The best part, of course, was the harvest, and each week I'd go home with beans or peas that I had picked myself.

Corn was my favorite, however, and we'd pull the outer shuck and silk down to see if the it was ready. I loved the mixed yellow and white ears that we called butter and cream. Sometimes we would just have a meal of slightly steamed corn with plenty of butter and salt and pepper. My mother knew how to cook it perfectly. In order to retain the nutrients and to accent its sweet taste she would make sure not to overcook it. Here's how she did it:

1) Put about 2-3 inches of water in a big pot along with a little salt.
2) Bring to a rapid boil and throw in the corn.
3) Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes, depending on the number of ears.

The ones in the water will cook more than the ones on top, so experiment to find what's best for you. Just be sure not to leave it in the pot for too long. One great way to use the extra corn, if there is any of course, is to prepare one of my father's favorite dishes- succotash You never hear of it much these days, but sometimes I get a craving for those simpler times. Somehow the taste of fresh lima beans and corn in a milky sauce personifies it all. Gary and I call it eating memories.


Succotash

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh lima beans (about 1 pound)
4 cups fresh corn cut from cob (about 6 ears or use the leftovers)
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Preparation:

Boil lima beans in salted water until almost tender (about 15 min).
Drain beans and add corn, butter, whipping cream, salt, and pepper.
Mix well until butter and whipping cream are evenly distributed.
Cook over low heat, stirring frequently until corn is done (3-7 min) .

If using corn leftovers just add and heat until well-blended and warm. This recipe makes 6 servings. Enjoy!

It's All About the Potatoes

Last weekend Gary and I volunteered at Spud Day, an event started by our dear friends, Jeffery and Sandi Armstrong, thirteen years ago. One Saturday each month (the one closest to the full moon), Jeffrey and Sandi offer potatoes with pure butter, sour cream and chives to those who have found it difficult to live in the world.

people coming for free potatoes

Many are individuals who have become trapped in addictive behaviors, or fallen between the cracks of the Canadian social services system. Whatever the reason, many homeless people congregate on and around Hastings Street in downtown Vancouver.

at the serving table

Why potatoes? Because potatoes are cost-effective, nutrient-dense choice and provide the body with vitamin B-6, potassium, iron and copper. To top it off, they're high in fiber (both soluble and half-insoluble), promoting the health of the digestive system. With this in mind, we fired up our oven on Saturday morning, baked some potatoes, and drove down to assist our friends in giving back to those in need.

Gary between his friends Jack (left) and Jeffrey (right)

The event was a success, and before all was said and done, more than 800 potatoes were served!

batch 1 of 20

For us, the experience reminded us that serving others opens the heart, allowing us to experience the truth that we are all one big family.

Radha and her new sister Sandi

Inspired by the event, one of our friends at Spud Day told me about this recipe, which originally appeared in Vegetarian Times. I plan to incorporate it into my breakfast repertoire.

Tempeh and Potato Breakfast Patties

Ingredient List, makes 8 patties

2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 3 cups)

1 8-oz. pkg. tempeh

1/3 cup unbleached flour

1/4 cup chives, finely chopped

2 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce

1 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary

1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 tsp.)

1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

1/2 tsp. chopped fresh sage

1/2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano

2 Tbs. olive oil

Directions

Cook potatoes in boiling salted water 15 minutes, or until soft. Drain and cool. Meanwhile, cut tempeh in half, and steam in steamer 20 minutes. (Steaming tempeh helps soften the soybeans it’s made of so that the protein-rich cakes absorb more flavor.)

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Pulse tempeh in food processor until coarsely ground. Transfer to large bowl, and stir in potatoes, flour, chives, soy sauce, rosemary, garlic, thyme, sage and oregano. Season with salt and pepper.

Shape mixture into 2-inch balls. Press into 1/2-inch-thick patties. Brush with olive oil, and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes, then brush again with olive oil, flip with spatula, and brush with olive oil. Bake 10 minutes more, or until both sides are browned.

bon appetit!

Heather's Kale Dressing

I love Sunday mornings. All the Saturday night party people are still asleep, the streets are quiet, and it's a lazy, slow start to our Spa Day. Gary came up with the name when we decided to start scheduling time for us, a day set aside where we can flow with whatever opportunities, relaxations, and excitements present themselves – spontaneous meditations, bike rides, walks along the beach, lattes and croissants at the new French bakery on Broadway.

When we're in Vancouver, our Spa Day usually includes a trip to the Kitslano Green Market. Musicians and face painters create the perfect atmosphere, and we love to see local vendors selling their organic produce, flowers and plants, pies, bread and eggs.

a typical joyful Sunday morning at the farmer's market

I love the accordion, talk about coordination...

Our favorite is the buckwheat crepe gypsy wagon!!!

This week I bought a bag of greens called "Farmers' Blend". They are so tender in the early spring and include a mixture of various kales, chard, mizuna, and flowering brassica tips – not to mention whatever else "jumps into our picking baskets!"

A recipe for "Heather's Kale Dressing" is included on the label, which I've made many times and always gets rave reviews. It's easily modified to suit individual taste and adapts effortlessly to any meal. Try it and let me know what you think.

Heather's Kale Dressing

1 part soy sauce/tamari
5 parts vegetable oil (I use canola)
several gloves of crushed garlic
chopped chives and/or ginger
add some toasted sesame oil
sesame, cumin, and/or poppy seeds

1) Heat the canola oil and throw in the garlic/ginger with the seeds.
2) Before they turn brown, remove from heat.
3) Add tamari, sesame oil and chives.

The recipe on the label doesn't call for any heating, so you decide. In either case, it keeps well in the fridge for several weeks.

Bon appetit!

Sweet Memories

It's a rainy spring day in Vancouver, pretty common for this time of year, but a change since we arrived two weeks ago – for us it has been all about beautiful weather and plenty of sunshine.

Anyway, I enjoy being inside with the rain pouring and find myself gravitating towards the warmth of our fireplace and oven. Baking becomes very appealing on these damp cool days. I come from a long line of pie makers (200 years that I know of), and I even discovered a restaurant in Virginia with my grandmother's maiden name that specilizes in homemade pies.

my mom and dad are on the far left

In spite of all the great pies, my dinners growing up were pretty bland. We were mostly a meat and potatoes kind of family, and my mother had sworn she would never marry before she met my dad. He was much older than her, and prior to meeting him she had spent all her time pursuing her nursing career. After they got married, though, her hidden talent for cooking began to surface. Rhubarb was abundantly available in the spring time, and Mom started making rhubarb pies with the most amazing crust.

Finally in touch with her inner baker, Gracie started taking advantage of all the delicious fruit growing in our yard – peach,cherry, plum,and apple – as well as the strawberry fields near our home. Mom displayed her creativity by unique combinations like apple-rhubarb, plum-cherries, and peach-strawberry.

Its still too early for many local strawberries here, but the rhubarb is in the markets . The forecast has called for rain again tomorow so maybe I'll buy what I need to make an apple-rhubarb pie for our Victoria Day picnic ,but tonite I think we'll walk over to Aprodite's for pie and chai:

Better remember our unbrellas along with my memories of warm days filled with the sweet smells of home baking...

Grandmother's Pie Crust (slightly modified for healthier eating)

2 cups flour (unbleached & wholewheat pastry)
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup oil (canola)
6 tbls. ice water


1) With a pastry cutter cut the butter into the flour.
2) Combine the oil and water than add to flour mixture.
3) Stir with a fork until combined, there will be lumps of butter.
4) Separate into 2 balls.
5) Roll flat between 2 sheets of wax paper
6) Cool in fridge while you make pie filling

Betty’s Escarole and Beans

It's been a year since my sweet mother-in-law Betty passed, and as I was thinking about her the other day, I was overcome by a craving for escarole and beans. Having grown up in a very English family where meat, potatoes, and tasteless overcooked vegetables were the norm, I had never even heard of escarole when I married Gary back in 1977.

Radha with Sal and Betty Bello

Even though I had been vegetarian for many years before marrying into the Bello family, my Italian recipes were limited to the following:

1) pasta with tomato sauce.
2) pizza with tomato sauce.

That's not much of a repertoire.

I was pleasantly surprised to be served so many tasty dishes whenever we visited my in-laws. Betty had learned to cook from Gary's grandmother Nanny, and since she and Sal met when she was just thirteen years old, she had plenty of years to absorb Nanny’s Italian menus.

Nanny was an expert in knowing how to feed a family on very little, and loved to share her secrets with Betty. (And Gary too for that matter!) When I joined the family I too learned the ins and outs of cooking these great peasant meals that are simple, tasty and healthy.

Last summer after spending the day gardening in the front yard of our home in Vancouver, I had that same desire for escarole and beans. I hopped on my bike to purchase them at our local organic market. Surprisingly, I couldn't find it anywhere. For the next few days I shopped around disappointed that no one had my escarole! How strange is that?

Anyway, it's the end of April now and we're returning home to Vancouver next week. I'm so glad that I got my fix before traveling across the continent. Once home I'll keep searching for the elusive escarole, and I'm sure that with time and a bit of detective work I'll find it somewhere. Six months is way too long to go without a meal that brings back such pleasant memories of dear Betty.

Escarole and Beans

2 tbls olive oil
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 lb escarole chopped
4 cups veggie broth
1 fifteen (15) ounce can Cannellini Beans
Add to taste: pinch of salt, crushed red pepper flakes, parmesan cheese and a dash of parsley. (These are all great options!)

Directions:

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the escarole and saute until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt. Add the veggie broth, beans. Cover and simmer until the beans are heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, parmesan and parsley to taste.

Ladle the soup into 6 bowls. Drizzle 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil over each. Serve with crusty bread.

Enjoy!

Hurry Up Alfredo

I love the challenge of making dinner from whatever I find in the kitchen, and one thing that always helps is staying stocked up on some key ingredients that I know I'll need sometime in the future. And that future was the other night.

I looked in the fridge and found some whole wheat linguine, broccoli, and beet greens on the middle shelf. There were onions and garlic in the veggie bin, and so all I needed was a sauce for those noodles. I immediately thought of Lauren Ulm's Vegan Yum Yum:


A half hour later Gary and Kalyani got back from teaching at Country Club of Florida, and the fragrant smells from the kitchen jolted their senses into high alert. They called out in unison as soon as they walked through the door, "Wow, that smells great! What's cooking?"


Hurry Up Alfredo

1 cup soy or almond milk
1/3 cup rounded raw unsalted cashews
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
3 tbl tamari, low-sodium
2 tbl earth balance margarine
1 tbl tahini
1 tbl fresh lemon juice
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp paprika
1 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch salt
black pepper to taste
2-4 garlic cloves (optional)

First grind the nuts in the blender and then add the other ingredients. Pour over the veggies and noodles and warm together before serving.

It tasted fabulous and has been put on our short list of recipe repeats.

Enjoy!

Gary and Kalyani, about to enjoy some Hurry Up Alfredo

Dress Up Time for Your Salad?

A group of us gathered this Saturday for our monthly meditation day. Although we love the hours of hatha yoga, pranayama (breath work), discussions and long periods of meditation, everyone looks forward to sharing a vegetarian meal at the end of the program. Our delivery of local veggies had arrived two days earlier, and I planned a soup and salad with fresh multi-grain bread from Old School Bakery.

a beautiful head of lettuce from this week's delivery

When I emptied the box of veggies I was impressed by the amount of prana (life force) that poured out onto the kitchen counter. Our assistant Kalyani prepared the lettuce, and I sliced some of the beautiful tomatoes, including the small grape tomatoes that came in a variety of colors. As I held up the gorgeous two-toned green and red pepper, my husband walked over to inspect the produce. It was then that I remembered I didn't have any salad dressing.

We've avoided commercial dressings for many years, even at the natural food store. As soon as I started to read and pay attention to the labels, I was shocked to see the long list of unhealthy ingredients. Even those labeled "natural" or "organic" are often chock-full of sugar. Healthy eating and keeping the calories down has motivated us to prepare our own dressings. I immediately thought to call Sherry (her nickname is Vidya- see previous post) who happens to be, among others things, a professional chef. She makes a killer salad dressing that enhances everything it touches.


Sherry's Salad Dressing

3/4 C Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 C Balsamic Vinegar
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp Thyme
Salt & Pepper
Stainless steel bowl
Whisk

Directions:

1) Place balsamic vinegar into the bowl.
2) Place the olive oil in a measuring cup w/ handle.
3) Slowly whisk a small amount of oil into the vinegar.
4) Continue whisking small amounts of oil into the vinegar until it begins to thicken.
5) The mixture will lighten in color as it incorporates.
6) When completely blended, the consistency of the Dressing will "hold" together on the back side of a spoon.
7) Lastly, add in Dijon mustard & Thyme & Salt & Pepper to taste.

The Dressing will last for several weeks. Om Appetite!

Nanny's Spinach Balls

When I moved into the Montreal Integral Yoga Insititute in 1976, there were 8 yogis experimenting with living a vegetarian lifestyle. We came from various backgrounds and countries, and were enthused by the notion of changing our lives for the better. Vegetarians were far and few between in those days, and considered by most people to be either fanatical or unhealthy (or possibly both).

At the institute we we held cooking classes, experimenting with how to change old recipes to those which had no meat, fish or eggs. It was a constant challenge, with sometimes disastrous results - Sister Narani's zucchini cookies will go down in history as one of the most original, creative and uneatable of our healthy alternative treats!

In spite of this, we persevered, and eventually compiled a small cookbook:


While going though my bookshelves the other day, I discovered my worn copy, complete with various stains from many of the recipes inside. One of my favorites was a re-tooled recipe that Betty, my mother-in-law, made for my husband when he first became a vegetarian back in 1971. Gary's grandmother Nanny loved it and served them at her Sunday dinners. These Italian spinach balls were an instant hit:

Enjoy with your favorite red sauce and pasta!

Rice, Broccoli, and Feta Cheese Sauté

There have been many family and meditation days with our yogic community over our years in Vermont and Florida, and we always enjoy a great lunch after our sadhana (spiritual practices that enable us to hold the feeling of Oneness in our heart) and satsang (a gathering focused on that space of Oneness).

Since we're often blessed with unexpected guests during these meditation days, I'm always on the lookout for the recipe that can be doubled and tripled at the last minute as needed. Prior to the Internet, I counted on cookbooks like Quick Vegetarian Pleasures by Jeanne Lemlin.

Since both Gopal and I are fans of broccoli, the following recipe from her book works really well. More importantly, I've found that even those who are terrified by green vegetables love this combination!

Rice, Broccoli, and Feta Cheese Saute (serves 3)

1 cup brown rice 2 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves
2 med. tomatoes, cored, seeded and diced
1 bunch broccoli (5 cups) cut bite-size
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 water
1 cup (5 oz) crumbled feta cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

Cook rice while sautéing garlic in olive oil for 2 minutes, then add tomatoes and sauté 2 more minutes. Add broccoli and oregano, toss well, pour in water, and cover the pan. Cook for 5 minutes at medium high heat until broccolli is tender. (Not mushy!)

Remove cover occasionally and toss when checking. Stir in the hot rice, feta cheese and black pepper to taste. Serve immediately and enjoy!

For a pleasing accompaniment, try sliced tomatoes drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette.

Simply Delicious Tofu Cutlets

Quick, easy, simple and, of course, nutritious - that's what some evenings call for. Tonight Gary is teaching a hatha yoga class at Country Club of Florida until 5pm, and then we're hosting our weekly class on the Patanjali Sutras at 7pm. We like to eat early so the food can digest before meditation, allowing us to feel light and energized - there's nothing worse than feeling stuffed after you eat.

I have the organic brown rice in the rice-cooker, the broccoli is ready to steam, and the onions and peppers (orange and yellow only!) are waiting in the sauté pan. The tofu is baking in the oven, and underneath it all will be a nice base of steamed spinach.

To top it off, we bought some new small size dinner plates (the 9 inch ones) because we don't eat enough to warrant those large 12 inch plates on the shelf in our rental house. We're both turning 61 soon, and after hearing that 50% of Americans are now obese, we've been upping our exercise and decreasing our food intake over the past few years to keep from falling into that particular statistic. Changing the size of the plate is an useful way to control portions, and we both enjoy a good a laugh thinking how easy it can be to fool the tricky mind.

Not everything is better when it's jumbo, mega, or super-sized!


Simply Delicious Tofu Cutlets

1 14 ounce package of drained and pressed firm tofu
2/3 cup nutritional yeast flake type
1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari
Spike No Salt Seasoning
for extra zing toss in a few red pepper flakes

Cut tofu into 8 rectangles.
Marinate in soy suace or tamari.
Coat with mix of yeast and seasonings.
Arrange on greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15 min.
Flip over and bake for 10 more min.
Serve and enjoy!

Himalayan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Well the holidays are over, and I gave away the last of the Christmas cookies today. As usual the variety that disappeared the quickest was the Himalayan chocolate chips.

Starting in the early 1980’s, Gary and I would spend three to four months studying and meditating in a wonderful little town in the Himalayas. We would leave the January snows of Vermont in order to rejuvenate from our hectic schedule directing a Holistic Health Center in St. Johnsbury and running our meditation retreat center in South Woodbury. The winters were cold in the mountains, and although it only snowed a few times in the Kullu Valley, the rain would make for a perfect environment to meditate, chant and study the ancient yoga sutras. No cell phones, no TV, no newspapers, and no entertainment - just quiet days doing our practices and hanging out with good friends.

The only real social activity was around meals. My friend Komi was a great cook and we would hang out baking and cooking together. She invented this recipe with ingredients available at 4000 ft. in the mountains along with the chocolate chips from the West. The snow was often covering the tops of the surrounding mountains when we would have an urge for chocolate. It was a challenge to bake on the kerosene stove, using little more than a tin box sitting on top of the burner to capture the heat. Sometimes we would lose a whole batch to the fluctuating temperatures. Komi was a wizard in the kitchen thought, and as the smells drifted from her small kutir people would appear at the door following the scent of home baked delights .

I especially like this recipe because the cookies are crunchy and don't flatten out but look much like the cranky high mountains they came from. Enjoy these Himalayan treats!


Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Blend:
1 cup butter
1 ½ cup sugar (I use light brown sugar)

Add:
1 tsp water
¼ cup yogurt
1 tsp vanilla

Stir in:
1 ½ cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

Add:
3 cups oats
1 ½ cups chocolate chips, nuts (anything you want!)

Place on greased cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes at 375 degrees

Creamy Broccoli Dahl

Sometimes a new recipe is so good it becomes an instant staple in my meal planning. Maybe it has a taste that carries a memory of a childhood family dinner or - like this one - brings back the experience of India mixed with broccoli from my garden in Vermont. When Gary and I find a dish that evokes such strong feelings, we call it eating memories. Some, like the crumb cakes in New Jersey, are better left in the mind not the stomach. This recipe is the best because its good for you and especially delicious on a cold Florida evening before Patanjali Class. Quick, easy and vegan!

Creamy Broccoli Dal (makes two servings)

1-2 tbs veg oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds (black)
1/4 cup onions,finely chopped
1/2 cup red lentils (masoor dal)

Step 1:
Heat oil on medium high in 3 qt pot.
Add above ingredients, fry until seeds start popping, onions soft.

1 whole broccoli stalk peeled and florets (2+ cups)
2 cups water
1/2 tsp salt

Step 2:
Add above ingredients to pot, bring to boil, cover and simmer 20 min.
Soup should be thick but still watery, broccoli soft.

1cup soy milk
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs lemon juice
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Step 3:
Add above to pot and turn down the heat, don't boil the soup anymore. Stir well, adjust seasoning if needed and serve immediately.

Doubles well for more people and I've added spinach and fresh corriander for the fun of it... Enjoy!!!

Oh, by the way, it comes from a great cookbook called Vegan Yum Yum by Lauren Ulm, published by Health Communications, Inc,and recommended by our friend Kim Weiss.