Cabbage and Apple Coleslaw

(about 4 servings)

Not too long ago I came across a post that suggested salting and draining cabbage beforehand would produce a nice crunchy coleslaw. Well, I happen to be one of those people who loves coleslaw especially after it's begun to wilt a bit. I usually slice my cabbage paper thin and prepare the coleslaw a few days ahead of time just to make sure I get the "right" texture.

If you slice your cabbage a bit thicker and consume it within a day or so, you can probably save yourself the time for salting, draining and squeezing the stuff if you enjoy yours on the crunchy side.

1/2 small cabbage, about 1 pound
1 carrot
1 apple
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tbsp apple juice
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly cracked pepper
2 tsp poppy seeds (optional)

Slice the cabbage either in a food processor, with a mandolin or by hand. Place into a large mixing bowl.

Shred both the carrot and apple and add them to the cabbage.

Combine the mayonnaise, apple juice, apple cider vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour this over the cabbage mixture and toss until everything is well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Sprinkle the poppy seeds over the salad, if using. Give everything a final toss.

Allow the salad to sit at least an hour before serving.

Oven Roasted Zucchini Salad

I used to make this as a topping for bruschetta or as a side for grilled chicken. These days I just serve it as a salad. Terrific flavors!

2 tbsp olive oil
2 - 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt free Italian seasoning (marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano, basil)
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
2 lb zucchini
1 large red bell pepper
3 green onions, sliced
3 tbsp Pecorino Romano cut into very small dice
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 tbsp dried currants
pinch red pepper flakes
2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Combine the olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Set aside.

Wash and dry the zucchini. Cut into small dice; about 1/2 an inch or slightly smaller. Add to the olive oil mixture and toss until coated.

Spread evenly over a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for about 45 minutes.

Remove from oven, cool and add to mixing bowl.

Wash and seed the red bell pepper. Cut into 1/4 inch dice and add to bowl. Add the sliced green onions, Pecorino Romano, parsley, currants and red pepper flakes.

Drizzle the white balsamic vinegar over everything and toss. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes as needed. Serve

Poutine

(about 3 servings)

These days poutine is more readily available across Canada. When I was younger, it was difficult to find outside of Québec. I first encountered it in my early 20's on a trip to Montréal. It was love at first bite. I recall the stares followed by laughter whenever I ordered it because I would ask for,  "Une ´poo-teen`, s'il vous plaît".

Essentially poutine is a serving of (deep fried) french fries sprinkled with fresh cheese curds and then covered with gravy. The gravy often appears to be thick and enhanced with Bisto (my mum returned with two boxes of the stuff the last time we visited Vancouver Island). It all depends on where, and who is making it. Nevertheless, poutine always seems to taste better in Québec.

Recently I visited the Tillamook Cheese Factory in northern Oregon. I brought back a bag of cheese curds which were delicious, although they didn't "squeak" like the ones in Canada do.

gravy (about 1 cup)
1 tbsp butter
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups water
2 tsp Organic Better Than Bouillon Low Sodium Beef Base
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
a few grinds of black pepper
1 pinch dried thyme
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 tbsp (add a tsp or two more if you prefer a thicker gravy) all purpose unbleached flour

Place a skillet over medium heat and add the butter. When the butter begins to froth, stir in the onions, then lower the heat a touch. Cook,stirring from time to time for about 30 minutes or until the onions are an even medium brown.

Stir in the water, beef base, vinegar, black pepper, and thyme. Simmer gently for about 10-15 minutes.

Strain the gravy though a sieve and press as much of the soft onion through as possible. Set aside. (You'll add the wine and flour later).

oven fries
1 1/4 lb potatoes, cut into 1/3 inch thick matchsticks (russets will be somewhat crispier; I used Yukon golds)
salt
1 tbsp olive oil
a few grinds of pepper

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and allow to sit for about 8-10 minutes. Dry the potatoes with a towel as best you can.

Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper. Toss until they are evenly coated.

Place the potatoes in a single layer on a cookie sheet (lined with parchment paper for easier cleanup).

Bake for about 10-15  minutes or until they have browned nicely.

assembly
2/3 cup cheese curds

Before you remove the potatoes from the oven, whisk together the red wine and flour. Add this to the gravy and set over medium heat.

Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Remove the "fries" from the oven when done and place into a pasta type dish. Sprinkle the cheese curds evenly over the fries and then pour the gravy over both. Serve immediately.

Mediterranean Green Beans Braised in Tomatoes

( 4 servings)

There's something very satisfying about braised green beans. For me in some respects they are close to the ultimate comfort food. Served with a bit of rice, is all I need.

Cooking the beans in an aromatic sauce of tomatoes and onions creates a dish that tastes rich and flavorful. The richest element here is the olive oil which you could easily reduce by half if using a non-stick pot.

Braised green beans are delicious served hot or at room temperature. I usually make this dish with dill and mint, however this time I swapped those out for fennel seeds, cardamom and coriander. Those flavors did not disappoint; they were an interesting and pleasing change.

1 tbsp olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp crushed fennel seeds

1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1 medium onion, chopped

14oz can diced tomatoes
1 lb green beans, trimmed (if using frozen, defrost first)
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a pot fitted with a lid.

Stir in the garlic, fennel seeds, cardamom and coriander. When the mixture becomes fragrant after 30 seconds or so, quickly stir in the onions. Cook until the onions become soft and translucent; about 5 minutes.

Stir in the diced tomatoes and their liquid. Cook for a minute or two, then stir in the green beans.

Cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 25-40 minutes, depending on how soft you like your green beans. Check halfway through and add a small amount of water if the beans appear too dry.

Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed.

Serve hot or at room temperature. These beans reheat really well, in case you decide to double the recipe.

String Beans Braised in Apple Cider

(3-4 servings as a side)

This is a terrific way to prepare string beans, especially if there are a lot of larger and tougher beans mixed in. The longer the beans braise in the cider the more tender and flavorful they become.

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 lb string beans, trimmed and sliced  diagonally if they are large
1/2 - 3/4 cup apple cider
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a pot (with a lid) over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic and cook, stirring from time to time until the onion is translucent.

Add the string beans and 1/2 cup apple cider. Place the lid over the pot, reduce the heat to low and cook the beans for about 60-90 minutes. Check the beans every 20 minutes or so and add more cider if the beans look dry. I had used slightly more than half a cup of cider by the time the beans were tender and to my liking. There was a small amount of liquid remaining in the pot (one or two tablespoons) when the beans were ready.

Check, and adjust the seasoning with a bit of salt and pepper. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Microwaved Corn on the Cob

Yesterday while I was out for my walk, I stopped by the U-pick farm. A neighbor mentioned they were selling freshly picked corn for 25¢ an ear, which is a bargain in this neck of the woods. I grabbed a few for snacking.

Corn is quick and easy to prepare in the microwave if you are just cooking one or two ears. It beats bringing a pot of water to a boil.

per serving
1 ear corn, leave the husk on, 
but trim the ends (see photo below)

serve with butter and/or salt

The fresher the corn, the less time to microwave is required. I have been giving these freshly picked ears (cooking one at a time) about 3 minutes at the high setting, using a 1000 watt oven (adjust accordingly). You might have to add an extra minute or so if the corn is a few days older. To cook two or three cobs at once, increase the time by 1-3 minutes. You might have to experiment a bit with your oven until you get a feel for it.

Remove the corn from the oven and allow to sit for about 2 minutes. It will be hot.

Carefully peel back the husks and enjoy.

*If you remove the husk and the corn is not cooked enough to your liking, then wrap the cob in a moist paper towel and microwave it a bit longer.

Red Chard with Currants & Feta

(4 servings)

Almost everywhere I go here on the Olympic Peninsula, I come across bunches of beets and chard. Both crops appear to be abundant here. The chard especially always looks very colorful and inviting; bunches of rainbow and reds.

I wanted to try something a bit different with the chard (other than braising it with lemon and garlic). I found an interesting recipe on Epicurious which added currants and feta cheese. The finished dish was delicious! I will definitely make this again.

adapted from Epicurious
1 bunch chard, about 1 lb
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large clove garlic, pressed or finely minced
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
a few grinds of black pepper
2- 3 pinches red pepper flakes
2 tbsp water
3 tbsp dried currants
1/3 cup crumbled feta

Wash the chard and shake off the excess water. It's not necessary to dry. Trim off the very ends of the chard, then cut the stems into one inch pieces. Set aside. Cut the leaves into one inch ribbons. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot over a medium flame. Add the garlic and saute until it begins to brown. Quickly add the reserved stems and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Add the sliced leaves. Sprinkle the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes evenly over the chard and add the water and currants. Cook about 3-5 minutes. (I cooked mine for 5 minutes. That was too much for me personally. I would have preferred it crispier. So, watch the chard carefully until you like the texture.)

Remove from heat and stir in the feta.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Salad

(4-6 servings)

Freshly roasted bell pepper salads are wonderful! I've always had a fondness for red peppers, but if you prefer a colorful salad you could use two red, two yellow and two green bell peppers instead.

I've kept the seasoning for this salad simple, but if you are inclined, you could add a bit of fresh minced garlic, parsley or mint!

6 red bell peppers
1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Preheat *oven to 450°F.

Wash, then cut the bell peppers in half, lengthwise. Remove the seeds and place them cut side down in a single layer on a lined (foil or parchment paper will work) baking sheet. You can use an unlined sheet in a pinch, however you might end up with a bit of a cleaning chore.

Place the peppers into the middle of the oven and roast for about 15-20 minutes. When the skins have begun to blacken and puff up somewhat, remove the peppers from the oven. Allow them to cool. *I roast these in a small counter top convection oven, you might have to adjust the heat and/or roasting time a bit if using a larger conventional oven.

Slip the skins off the peppers. Slice the peppers into bite sized strips and place them into a bowl.

Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper and drizzle one tablespoon of balsamic vinegar to start. Toss the salad and taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. I will often add a touch more vinegar later because the peppers will release a bit of liquid if they have sat a while.

Polish Salad with Homemade Mayonnaise

(6-8 servings)

This salad is similar to Russian salad, sans the ham. I love the bits of apple in it, but you can leave that out if you prefer.

I made my own lemon flavored mayonnaise using olive oil which was much better tasting than store bought. I followed the instructions (link below) and used an immersion blender as suggested. The next time I will try a food processor to see how that turns out.

30 second lemon mayonnaise, adapted from here
1 cup olive oil at room temperature
1 pasteurized whole egg at room temperature
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste
1/2 tsp very fine lemon zest
salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Place everything into a 1 pint mason jar (with a lid for storage). Place an immersion blender into the jar, allowing it to rest on the bottom. Turn on the blender and and when you see the olive oil and egg begin to thicken, slowly lift the blender up (while it's on).

When everything in the jar looks like it's emulsified, turn the blender off. Taste and add more salt and pepper (or lemon juice) if needed.

The leftover mayonnaise will keep for about a week, refrigerated.

salad
4-5 medium potatoes, scrubbed
1 medium turnip, peeled
3-4 carrots, scrubbed clean
1/3 - 1/2 cup homemade mayonnaise
3-4 tbsp plain yogurt
1-2 tbsp mustard
1 apple, cored and diced
3-4 dill pickles, diced
2 green onions, sliced
2 hard boiled eggs, diced
1 cup peas, frozen are fine
salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Bring the potatoes and turnip to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, then add the carrots. Cook another 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Drain and cool.

In a large salad bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream and mustard.

Dice the cooled potatoes, turnip and carrots and add to the bowl. Add the apple, dill pickles, green onions, eggs and peas. Toss until everything is evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.

Allow the salad to sit for about 30 minutes before serving to give the flavors a chance to meld a bit.

Asparagus with Tangy Browned Butter Sauce

(3-4 servings)

This is a great recipe. It's quick and easy and packed full of flavor. I've tweaked it a bit, but you can find the original recipe by following the link below.

recipe adapted from here
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 lb asparagus
salt and freshly cracked pepper
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1 small clove garlic minced
pinch red pepper flakes
2 tsp sodium reduced tamari or soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Lightly coat a baking dish with the olive oil. Set aside.

Wash and trim the asparagus. Shake dry and place into the baking dish. Season very lightly with salt and pepper.

Bake the asparagus for about 15 minutes or until tender.

Prepare the sauce while the asparagus is baking in the oven.

Place the butter, garlic and red pepper flakes into a small saucepan. Set over a medium flame. Stir until the mixture becomes a golden brown.

Remove from heat and stir in the tamari and vinegar. Set aside until the asparagus is ready.

Drizzled the sauce over the asparagus and serve.

Raw Turnip, Apple and Carrot Slaw

(4-6 servings)

Recently I tried turnips for the first time. They hadn't been at all what I expected, and their taste and textures were quite different raw or baked. I love them raw; somewhat peppery and nice and crispy.

Raw turnips are delicious in this fresh salad!

1 large honey tangerine
2 tbsp apple cider or rice vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 clove garlic, minced
2 turnips
1 crisp apple
3 medium carrots
salt and pepper, to taste

Cut the tangerine in half and squeeze out the juice; you should have about 1/2 cup, give or take. Combine that with the vinegar, olive oil and garlic. Set aside.

Slice the tops off the turnips (where the leaves came out) as well as the bottoms. Peel them and then shred them into a large bowl.

Wash the apple, cut it into quarters (you can leave the peel on if you like) and remove the core. Shred the apple into the bowl.

Wash and scrub the carrots and shred those into the bowl as well.

Pour the dressing over the shredded vegetables and toss until everything is evenly combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed.

Serve.

Garlic Roasted Turnips

(4 servings)

Turnips, they are foreign to me. To my knowledge my mother never served them to us. I'm not sure if she wasn't familiar with them or if she just didn't care for them. Whenever I saw turnips at the market I just walked past them and headed toward more familiar veggies, like carrots and asparagus.

Well this month turnips are in season in Texas and I thought it was time I gave them a try. They weren't at all what I expected. I was told to peel them and as I did, I was struck by how much their aroma reminded me of radishes and kohlrabi. They also had a wonderful crisp texture.

A friend mentioned they were delicious roasted, and I thought that would be easy enough to try. Well, I'm sold! Turnips are delicious! I will definitely have them again soon.

2 lbs turnips
1 (generous) tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Remove a thin slice of turnip from the top where the leaves were and the very bottom where the root is. Remove the remaining skin with a knife or potato peeler. I was tempted to leave the skin on, but everyone I asked gave me an emphatic, "no!"

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Cut the turnips into sticks that are about 1/3 of an inch thick. Place into a large bowl.

Drizzle the olive oil over the cut up turnips. Add the garlic, salt and pepper. You might want to ease up on the pepper a tad because the baked turnips appear to accentuate the peppery taste more than usual. Toss until the turnips are evenly coated.

Place the turnips onto a baking sheet (I lined mine with parchment paper). I bake everything in a small counter top convection oven and my 13x9 inch baking sheet wasn't large enough for the turnips to lay flat in one even layer. This was fine. Halfway through baking I gave them a good toss.

Bake the turnips for about 40-50 minutes or until they have browned nicely. Give them a good toss about halfway through baking.

Red Cabbage Coleslaw

(about 4 servings)

Cabbage and carrots are in season in Texas at the moment. Both these vegetables found their way into this delicious coleslaw.

1 tbsp onion, grated
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp sour cream
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp honey
1/2 head red cabbage, finely shredded
1 carrot, grated
salt and freshly grated pepper, to taste

Combine the onion, mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, vinegar and honey in a large bowl.

Add the red cabbage and carrots. Toss. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Toss again and serve.

Green Salad with Asian Pear & Feta

(2 servings)

What stands out in this salad are the wonderful textures and flavors. The feta doesn't really belong here, but it's one of my favorite cheeses and I'm inclined to toss it into almost any salad I make. The salty cheese is rather nice in this salad, regardless.

This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled if needed.

dressing
1 tbsp reduced sodium tamari or soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp mirin (not seasoned) or rice wine
1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1/2 tsp honey
1/8 tsp fresh garlic, minced (or more to taste)

salad
3-4 cups mixed baby lettuce
1 small carrot, grated
2 radishes, sliced or grated
1 small Asian pear, sliced
1 green onion, sliced
2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese

Combine everything for the dressing and set aside.

Compose the salad onto two plates beginning with the lettuce. Top with the carrots, radishes, Asian pear, green onion then the feta cheese. At this point you can leave the salad on the counter up to 20 minutes or so.

When you are ready to serve, drizzle equal amounts of the dressing over both salads.

Crispy French Fries

I have never made proper french fries. The closest I have come are the oven baked sweet potato fries which I love and make frequently. This year at our company white elephant gift exchange I received a lovely cutting board with a picture of a dog on it (it looks like a pug), a five pound bag of russet potatoes and a french fry cutting tool. To both my surprise and relief, not one person tried to "steal" my gift!

The french fry cutter turned out to be an amazing tool. It cut the potatoes into perfect pieces; not too thin, not too thick. A couple of recipes were included and they all suggested frying the potatoes twice for extra crispiness.

water
cider vinegar
about 1  russet potato per serving
peanut oil
salt

Combine about 1 tbsp of vinegar per quart of cold water and set aside.

Wash and peel the potatoes, then cut them into the desired thickness for french fries (see photo). Drop the potatoes into the vinegar water and leave for a minute or two. Give them a good stir then drain the potatoes.

Fill up a heavy pot with oil leaving at least 3 inches free on the sides (in case the hot oil bubbles up). Heat the oil to 350°F.

Using a towel dry the potatoes, then carefully drop them into the hot oil. Fry them for a minute or two, just until they begin to lightly brown. Remove them from the oil and place them onto a plate lined with paper towels to drain. At this point you can leave them until you are ready to serve them or wait about 5 minutes, then fry them again.

Fry them a second time at 350°F. until they are nicely browned. Remove them and place onto a plate lined with a paper towel to drain. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and serve immediately.

Grated Carrot & Apple Salad

(4 servings)

I'm mostly eating salads at home trying to balance the holiday dinners and goodies that keep appearing my way. Any crisp apple will work in this dish. I used organic Cameo apples and they were lovely with the carrots.

1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 apples, cored and shredded
2 large carrots, shredded
salt and freshly cracked pepper
2 tbsp raisins or currants

Combine the orange juice, vinegar, olive oil and mustard in a salad bowl.

Add the apples and toss quickly in the dressing to stop them from becoming discolored. Add the carrots and toss. Taste, and add salt and pepper as needed. Add the raisins or currants, toss again.

Serve.

Brussels Sprouts with Almonds & Browned Butter

(4 servings)

Although there are still a lot of great looking vegetables at the market, a few of them have seen better days and I suspect this just might not be the right time of year for them anymore. The last couple of weeks I have seen some very sad looking green beans and brussels sprouts. This week I hit the freezer section instead and grabbed several bags of frozen vegetables. I'm pleased I did.

These frozen brussels sprouts were delicious, and dare I say as good as had they been fresh!

1/4 cup water
1 lb frozen brussels sprouts (do not defrost)
2 tbsp butter
1 large clove garlic, pressed
1/4 cup sliced almonds
salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Bring the water to a simmer in a saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Add the frozen brussels sprouts, cover the pot and cook for 4-7 minutes (depending on their size) until they are just tender.

Drain and set aside.

Heat the butter in a skillet over a medium flame and add the garlic. Stir a few times until the butter begins to change colour, then quickly stir in the almonds. The thin slices will brown very fast, so keep a close eye on them and stir them frequently.

Add the drained brussels sprouts and stir until they are heated through. Season with salt and pepper, then quickly sprinkle the lemon juice over the vegetables and toss.

Place everything into a dish and serve immediately.

Soba Noodle Salad

(6-8 servings)

I have been eating a ton of green salads of late and decided to change things up a bit this weekend with this delicious Asian style soba noodle salad. This dish is somewhat versatile in that you can add almost any bits of vegetables you have on hand. In the past I've used broccoli, asparagus, corn, peas, beans, even celery.

dressing
1 small clove garlic, minced
small piece of fresh ginger, grated (about 2 tsp)
1/2 cup soy or tamari sauce
1/4 cup mirin or rice wine
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp hot sesame oil
2 tsp honey

salad
12oz soba noodles cooked as directed, drained and cooled
3 green onions, sliced
1 roasted red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cucumber, diced
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/2 small  bunch cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped or lightly toasted sesame seeds (optional)

In a small bowl combine the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, sesame oil and honey. Set aside.

Place the soba noodles, green onions, bell pepper, cucumber, carrot and cilantro into a large bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss.

Garnish with the chopped peanuts or toasted sesame seeds, if using.

Susan Feniger's Street Food's Romanian Sweet and Sour Eggplant

(4-6 servings)

For the past few months I have been posting a recipe or two every week at Carole's Chatter. She hosts "Food on Friday", and this week the theme was "Eggplant". One of the recipes that caught my eye was, Romanian Sweet and Sour Eggplant.

I couldn't wait to give it a try and I wasn't disappointed! This flavorful dish might not appeal to the faint of heart. It's quite robust; the garlic very prominent in the tangy and slightly hot, sweet and sour sauce.

As is often the case, I made a few changes here and there. I measured out the salt beforehand and sprinkled it over the slices. When all of them were evenly covered, I still had about a tablespoon left over. I didn't bother to add another 1/2 teaspoonful to the "pesto", thinking if this dish needed any more salt, I could add that at the very end. It didn't need any. I also reduced the amount of oil. A friend used to say you could have too much of a good thing sometimes, and that definitely is the case here. Olive oil might be a "good" oil, yet it still contains a lot of calories. I used a large non-stick skillet, to which I added tiny amounts of oil from time to time as needed; never more than one quarter of a teaspoonful each time. This dish was fine without the extra oil when it was finished. I didn't have any brown sugar in the house, so I used sucanat and honey instead.

I also left out the parsley because the recipe posted at Farmersgirl Kitchen accidentally omitted that from the ingredient list. By the time I realized that, it was too late. Oh, and I happened to have some olives on hand, which I tossed in as an afterthought. You can always follow another link for this recipe which does contain the parsley and appears to be the original one from the book, Susan Feniger's Street Food.
.

Adapted from the recipe posted at Farmersgirl Kitchen
2 large eggplants, about 2 lb
2-3 tbsp kosher salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
8-10 cloves of garlic, about 1 small head
2 bunches of green onions, white and green parts, roughly chopped

(1/2 bunch parsley; this is missing from the recipe at Farmersgirl Kitchen, but the original recipe includes it)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
olive oil for frying
1 14oz can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped

10 pitted green olives, sliced (optional)
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup  sucanat or brown sugar

1 tbsp honey

Cut off and discard the ends from each eggplant. Cut them lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Lay the slices out on a platter, and sprinkle both sides with salt. Set aside for 20 minutes so that the salt will draw out some of the water from the eggplant. Then pat the eggplant dry with a dish towel.

Put the olive oil, garlic, green onions, (parsley) and cayenne in a food processor, and puree until a smooth paste forms (it will resemble pesto). Spread liberally all over both sides of the eggplant slices.

In a large non- stick skillet set over a medium flame, heat a tiny amount of olive oil. Add enough eggplant slices to cover the bottom of the pan, and cook until they are browned on both sides and cooked through; 2 - 3 minutes per side. Transfer the eggplant to a platter or plate. Repeat this process with the remaining eggplant slices, adding  small amounts of oil as needed for each batch. Cut the cooked eggplant into 1-inch-wide strips.

In a pot (large enough to hold everything) set over a medium flame, combine the tomatoes, olives (if using), vinegar, sucanat and honey. Cook for 12 minutes. Add the eggplant strips and stir together. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until most of the liquid has been cooked off. 

Remove from the heat and serve, or chill. This dish may be served warm or cold.

Roasted Garlic Mushrooms

(2-3 servings)

At the moment mushrooms are in season in Texas. This delicious dish is very easy to make and is among my favorite ways to prepare them.

1 lb mushrooms
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3-5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
3 pinches dried thyme
1-2 pinches cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp freshly cracked pepper, or to taste

1-2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Clean the mushrooms by wiping them. If they are still dirty, try a damp cloth. Leave them whole if they are small or cut them in half if they are on the large side. Set aside.

Combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, thyme, cayenne, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix with a fork. Toss the mushrooms in this mixture until they are evenly coated. Place them into a large enough baking dish that can snugly hold them in a single layer.

Roast the mushrooms for about 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve.