Lumpy, warty Kabocha squash is one of my favorite winter squashes.  Sweet, understanding and forgiving in the kitchen, Kabocha makes a fantastic cooking companion.  When picking out a Kabocha squash from your farmer’s market or grocery store, choose one with firm skin and a woody stem.

After I scrubbed and rinsed the outside of the squash, I split it in two and roasted it in a 375 F degree oven for 30 minutes, until it was fork-tender.

After removing the squash from the oven, my kitchen was perfumed by its scent- creating a quintessential autumn kitchen. The Kabocha effortlessly gave up its seeds,  leaving behind vibrant, marmalade colored sweet meat.   After discarding the seeds and scooping out the steaming flesh, the outer shell of the gourd stayed mostly intact, resting like a helmet on the roasting pan.  With a squash this easy to cook with, it was hard not to think of other ways to utilize it other than soup.

At the same time I roasted the Kabocha,  I roasted chopped onions and carrots tossed in olive oil and salt and pepper in another pan, until caramelized. After sauteing three cloves of garlic, fresh ginger, one Thai chili and two stalks of chopped celery in a large pot with olive oil and dried herbs, I added the roasted vegetables with the squash with four cups of chicken stock and simmered for another 20 minutes. Once the soup took on the characters I was looking for most, then I pureed it in a blender until smooth.

I served the Kabocha squash and ginger soup with toasted multigrain bread, smeared with a French triple cream brie.  The pungent cheese paired with the warm, sweet ginger spiced soup couldn’t have been more ideal for a Northwest rainy, blustery November evening. Looking for an autumn soup, or perhaps a starter to your Thanksgiving meal, try experimenting with the delicious Kabocha squash.

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Categories:	Soup • Uncategorized • Veggies	Leave a Comment
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Though overshadowed by their pumpkin cousins, squash have an appeal all their own.  Their mottled orange and green skins, excessively bumpy or smooth, and many different sizes and shapes draw us to the piled-high grocery store bins.  A symbol of fall, squash is a food that is versatile and even healthful.

All squash can be designated as “summer” or “winter”.  Winter squash has a hard skin that allows it to keep well without spoiling and is usually picked before it is fully ripe.  Though available throughout the year, the peak season of winter squash is right now.

Look for squash that are heavy for their size, with dull-colored skin (shiny skin means it’s not ripe) and firm shells.  Avoid squash with damaged spots or cracks.  There are eight types of winter squash, including familiar examples such as butternut, turban, acorn, and spaghetti.

Winter squash is also able to retain nutrients throughout storage.  It’s a great source of vitamins A and C as well as potassium, dietary fiber, beta-carotene and manganese.

Cooking squash is easy – just slice the squash in half through the stem, then scoop out the seeds.  At this point, you can bake, steam, or microwave it until tender.  Cooked squash can be eaten simply with butter and salt, or added to soups, casseroles, breads, curries, pies, and more.

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Categories:	Fruit • Vegetarian • Veggies	Leave a Comment
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It’s funny how our tastebuds change as we age.  Not too long ago, eggplant was on my shortlist of foods I didn’t like, now it seems I can’t get enough of it. One day I looked at the plate of baba ganoush my friend had ordered and it just clicked, “I’m going to like eggplant now!” The same thing happened with onions, black licorice, and avocados. One minute I hated it, the next I suddenly can’t get enough of it. There’s no gray area either, I don’t ease these new ‘likes’ into my diet, I go whole hog. The first time I ate raw onions I didn’t just squirrel them into a salad, no, I made an onion sandwich! Crazy, I know.

Now that eggplant is on my radar I find that I’m consistently searching for new, unique ways to prepare and satiate my addiction. I recently discovered this delicious Moorish dish, Badenjan – a creamy smokey dip with deep notes of saffron balanced by fresh mint – and in two weeks I’ve made it twice. Both times I’ve prepared it as a condiment of sorts to our main dish. The first time, to accompany aromatic lamb meatballs (filled with garlic, onions and mint), the second time an addition to a Moroccan-style grilled chicken.  The perfect addition to both meals. I’m telling you, this is some serious eggplant goodness.

Click below for the recipe:

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Categories:	Cooking tips • North African • Vegetarian • Veggies	Leave a Comment
Tags:	appetizer • condiment • dip • eggplant • moorish • north afri • side dish

Open your fridge. Can you tell the exact history of where one item came from? Eating local doesn’t seem like a hard challenge until you start thinking about it. Last Sunday night, a group of us got together and cooked a meal that was made almost entirely with local ingredients. The best part of it all was that we didn’t intentionally mean to have a dinner made completely of locally sourced ingredients, but once we realized we had the beginnings of one, we made it our goal to get as a close as we could to a completely local dinner.

When you start learning where your food really comes from, you learn how much labor, transportation and energy and resources go  into everything you eat. Eating local doesn’t just mean you help out the farmers, gardeners and butchers in your area, you are also saving other costs that add up, including energy, gas, storage and other hidden resources used to get those items off a truck and onto a shiny display. Challenge yourself to make it a personal goal to eat one thing at one meal a day that is sourced locally, not only will you feel good, believe me, it will taste better!

The Menu

Locally Caught Salmon with Lemon, Herb Butter: The salmon was caught locally by my friend Neil. Oregano, thyme and dill all from Washington state. Our splurge was the lemon, salt and pepper and olive oil, purchased from the grocery store.

All Blue Potato Salad with Fresh Dill: The all blue potatoes came from a farm that I was apprenticing at, about 20 miles away. Fresh dill and a sweet onion came from the Ballard Farmer’s market that morning. Our splurge was purchased Dijon mustard, mayonnaise and salt and pepper.

Summer Corn and Tomato Salad: The corn, basil and sweet onion came from the farmers market. The tomatoes were grown in my garden. Our splurge was olive oil, red onion and salt and pepper.

Winter Greens with Garlic and Lemon: The Swiss chard, kale and collard greens were all from the Ballard farmer’s market, our splurge was olive oil, lemon, garlic- (although it should have been bought at the farmer’s market), and Parmesan Reggiano.

Katy’s Blackberry Pie with Lemon Verbena Infused Fresh Whip Cream: The blackberries were purchased at the farmer’s market, the whip cream was from a Washington state organic creamery and the lemon verbena was from my friend Katy’s lemon verbena plant. Our splurge: organic pie crust from PCC, lemon juice, purchased spices.

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Categories:	American • Baked Goods • Cooking tips • Fish & Seafood • Organic • Salads • Uncategorized • Vegetarian • Veggies • desserts	5 Comments
Tags:	all blue potatoes • blackberry pie • corn salad • eating local • eating local in the northwest • salmon • winter greens

My father was recently diagnosed with an illness that has required him to eat a strict vegan diet. My father was the second youngest of six, raised on a beef cattle ranch in Eastern, Washington state. For him to suddenly become vegan is like learning how to eat all over again. After 60 years of eating as one pleases, indulging in pot roasts, Thanksgiving turkey and sushi; each bite is now new, unfamiliar and thought provoking. Roasted beet soup with ginger, a raw celery and apple salad with lemon juice and a dessert of pears with honey? -Who knew this extreme diet could offer such lovely flavor profiles? Since my mother has also had to drop everything to tend to him, not only does she have less time, she is also learning to cook vegan, something she has never purposely done.Luckily, Foodista has some great recipes that are not just vegan, they are unbelievably, deliciously vegan! Who knows, perhaps they will both continue to eat vegan once my father is feeling better.

And you don’t have to be vegan to enjoy new flavor profiles. Here are a couple recipes to try, you may even be surprised how good going vegan can be!

Want more Vegan Recipes?

Vegan Yum Yum

No I’m Not Starving

Sisters Vegan

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Categories:	Diets • Vegetarian • Veggies • vegan	7 Comments
Tags:	Health • special diet • vegan

Thinking of dinner ideas? With autumn just around the corner, it’s time to take advantage of fresh and local late summer ingredients at their peak! Here are 10 must-eat foods that are ripe right now with 10 recipes to inspire your next grocery trip.

1. Berries



2. Plums



3. Peaches



4. Melons



5. Green Beans



6. Corn



7. Eggplant



8. Celery Root



9. Tomatoes



10. Zucchini

Need More Inspiration to Take Advantage of Fresh Ingredients?
The Splendid Table
Greg Atkinson’s Apple Pie
The Break Away Cook

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Categories:	Vegetarian • Veggies	2 Comments
Tags:	berries • celery root • corn • green beans • Late Summer food • melons • peaches • plums • tomatoes • zucchini

To me, one of the best parts of growing squash are the blossoms you get to pluck from the tops of the ready-to-pick vegetable. And what is more lovely, almost romantic really, than dining on flowers!? It’s right up there with peeled grapes. (Not that I get those that often. Or ever. Humphf!). Tender, delicate and with a hint of floral sweetness, squash blossoms are easy to prepare and always make a charming presentation. If you don’t grow your own squash you can often find them in farmer’s markets.

There are various ways to prepare the blossoms, but one of my favorites is simply stuffing them with a good cheese, then gently pan frying. First, you want to carefully open up the top of the flower and check for any bees who love to nestle within the buds. (If you do find a honey bee, please set it free outside so that it can continue its very important job of pollinating, otherwise this blog post wouldn’t exist!). Next, break off and remove the stamen, which is very bitter. You can either pipe in your filling or tear open one side of the blossom, then close it up around your filling. It’s okay for some of the filling to ooze out.

In this batch, I made a filling of Ricotta cheese, freshly grated Parmesan, a generous handful of lemon basil (cut in a chiffonade), some lemon zest, and salt and pepper. Simple and wonderfully flavorful! I then dredged it in a bit of egg, shook off the excess, and placed the blossoms in a skillet with hot olive oil. Let them brown lightly on both sides and serve immediately.

Cheesy, flowery goodness.

Here are some other delicious ways to prepare your squash blossoms:

Bitten’s, When Squash Blossoms Bloom
Gastronomical Three’s What to do with squash blossoms
Maureen Gilmer gives us tasty squash blossom quesadillas!
And Five Ways to Eat Squash Blossoms from Apartment Therapy Kitchn

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Categories:	Uncategorized • Vegetarian • Veggies	1 Comment
Tags:	fried squash blossoms • ricotta stuffed squash blossoms • sqush blossoms

The annual “Leave a Zucchini on Your Neighbor’s Porch Day” was August 8th, and even if you happened to sneak several large squash into mailboxes,  friend’s purses or onto co-worker’s chairs that day, the likelihood that you still have more zucchini than you know what to do with is pretty high. We figured you were not alone, so we have found 10 great recipes from Foodista and five more from food bloggers to help you get your creative juices flowing…oooh there’s one I forgot Zucchini Juice!

1. Raw Zucchini Pasta
2. Zucchini Pasta with Sausage
3. Stuffed Zucchini Boats
4. Zucchini Cookies
5.Savory Zucchini Pancakes
6. Zucchini Bread
7. Zucchini Parmesan
8. Green Curry with Zucchini
9. Zucchini Dip
10. Vegan Veggie Burrito

5 More Great Zucchini Recipes From Bloggers

All Things Nice Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

Home Joys- Zucchini Crust Pizza

Cooks United Zucchini Fritters

Chocolate and Zucchini Zucchini and Mushroom Crumble

Kalyn’s Kitchen Zucchini Carpaccio

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Categories:	American • Baked Goods • Chocolate • Cooking tips • Pasta & Grains • Uncategorized • Vegetarian • Veggies • condiments • desserts • quick and easy	Leave a Comment
Tags:	vegan • Vegetarian • Zucchini recipes

Oh, what to do with all that zucchini! It’s piled high in farmers markets, your neighbor’s trying to pawn some off on you, but you’ve got a glut in your own garden. You stuff them, bake them, grill them, add them to soups…the same old things you usually do with your over-abundance of this prolific grower.

Here’s a new twist – goat cheese stuffed grilled zucchini rolls, inspired by Ellie Krieger, healthy chef/dietitian on the Food Network. Goat cheese blended with fresh lemon juice and zest, wrapped with fresh basil leaves in a grilled zucchini bundle makes for the perfect appetizer or light meal.

Click below for the full recipe:

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Categories:	Vegetarian • Veggies	4 Comments
Tags:	appetizer • goat cheese • main • side dish • zucchini

Sometimes you don’t want to wait six weeks for the sweet tangy brine of your  homemade pickles. That’s when you make a quick pickle. My personal favorite are pickled shallots. In less than two hours, you have yourself a sweet and crunchy condiment for your next burger or sandwich or a marriage made in heaven tossed with a fresh cucumber salad.

Other quick pickle recipes to check out:

Quickly Pickled Green Beans By Pickle This.com

Quick Pickled Asparagus By Group Recipes

Quick Pickled Red Onions by Molly Wizenberg

Above Photo by feministjulie

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Categories:	Salads • Technique • Uncategorized • Vegetarian • Veggies • condiments • quick and easy	1 Comment
Tags:	condimnet • pickled • pickled shallots • preserves • relish