more veggies, please!

i am not salad's #1 fan. i don't like that americans consume salads as their entire meal. i detest the idea of bottled non-refrigerated dressings. actually, i don't like dressings in general. and i don't like that the main ingredients in salads are usually flavorless lettuce, mealy tomato slices, and then who the hell wants to eat black olive slices from a can? now that i've gotten that out of the way, we can get on to what's important. this morning, my cat friend, lucy, woke me up and led me to the kitchen. in the fridge, i found three zucchinis whose skin was beginning to pucker, along with some gorgeous basil in its ziploc terrarium (see note below). what could i do? luckily, i always have parmesan, some sort of citrus, and pine nuts on hand. epicurious.com helped a sister out and i had exactly everything i needed for a perfect summer salad, with no lame lettuce, terrible tomato or canned kalamata. 40 minutes – serves 6 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oi...

When your head of escarole is turning a little purple after it’s been in the fridge for a week and you refuse to go to the grocery store because your CSA veggie share pick up is the next day… 50 min – serves 4 1 head escarole 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 3 tablespoons pine nuts 1. Bring water to a rolling boil. Separate the escarole leaves and rinse thoroughly. Roughly chop the escarole. Drop leaves into the boiling water and boil, covered, until tender, about 30 minutes. When the escarole is tender, drain thoroughly and let dry. 2. In a wide saute pan, heat the olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add the garlic to the hot pan and saute until the garlic begins to soften and turn a light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the pine nuts and cook until the nuts are lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Add the escarole and stir until well-cooked and very soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve immediately. modified from golden earthworm’s ...

35 min – serves 4 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2/3 cup bread crumbs 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for drizzling 1 yellow onion, halved from stem to root and thinly sliced crosswise Kosher salt and pepper 1 pound Swiss chard, ribs removed, leaves chopped 1/2 pound pasta, such as fusilli 1. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in the bread crumbs and toast until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. 2. Wipe the skillet clean and return it to a medium-high heat. Add the oil, the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes. Cook until melted. Add the Swiss chard, a handful at a time, and cook until wilted, about 4 minutes. Cover and keep warm. 3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain well. Toss with the chard mixture and bread crumbs, season...

40 min – serves 3 2 teaspoons olive oil ½ chopped large onion 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons chili powder 2 tablespoons ground cumin ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes ¾ cup tomato purée 1 cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed 4 cups water 1 bunch chopped green onions 1. Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté 2 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Add chili powder, ground cumin and pepper flakes. Stir 30 seconds. 2. Add tomato purée, lentils and 4 cups water. Increase heat and bring to boil, skimming off any foam from surface. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until lentils are tender, adding more water by ¼ cupfuls as needed if dry, about 30 minutes. I have found this takes longer when using green lentils. 3. Stir in green onions. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Can be made 2 days ahead. adapted from the lake austin spa resort recipe in bon appétit magazine (i have clearly never been to a resort)

Muhammara is a delightful tangy, creamy and yet light sauce that is traditionally eaten as a side to Middle Eastern dishes. I dare you - try to eat this as a side and not as a main. 15 min – serves 4 1 15-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained 1/3 cup bread crumbs 2/3 cup walnuts, toasted lightly and chopped fine 2 garlic cloves, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt juice of one lemon 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil In a food processor, blend together the peppers, bread crumbs, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, cumin, Aleppo pepper, and salt to taste until the mixture is smooth. With the motor running, add the olive oil gradually. Serve with pita recipe by sasha

I’ve been trying to inch my way towards spring by progressively cleaning out my cupboard of dry goods. Instead of making more granola, I decided to opt for a warm breakfast: oatmeal. 5 min – serves 1 basic recipe ½ cup instant oatmeal a pinch of salt ½ teaspoon sugar (optional) variations add 2-3 dashes of cinnamon add ¼ cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, apricots, dates) I even added a tablespoon of pine nuts to one of my packets. Not as weird as it sounds! thanks to mark bittman for directing readers of his blog to this site: http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/09/making-your-own-homemade-oatmeal-packets-a-visual-guide-and-cost-analysis/

30 minutes – serves 4 ½ cup peanut oil 2 tablespoons minced garlic 2 tablespoons minced ginger Salt 2 cups thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only, rinsed and dried 4 cups day-old cooked rice, preferably jasmine, at room temperature 4 large eggs 2 teaspoons sesame oil 4 teaspoons soy sauce 1. In a large skillet, heat ¼ cup peanut oil over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp and brown. With a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels and salt lightly. 2. Reduce heat under skillet to medium-low and add 2 tablespoons oil and leeks. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very tender but not browned. Season lightly with salt. 3. Raise heat to medium and add rice. Cook, stirring well, until heated through. Season to taste with salt. 4. In a nonstick skillet, fry eggs in remaining oil, sunny-side-up, until edges are set but yolk is still runny. 5. Divide rice among four dishes. Top each with an egg and drizzle with ½ teaspoo...