Garlickly Lambs-quarters with Orange Juice

In my CSA box, I found lambs-quarters, which excited me because I'd read about them in my foraging books, but never tried to pick them (or find them for that matter). Some people apparently don't like them very much because they can have a strong flavor -- though not as strong as spinach, and keeping that in mind, I decided to try putting them together in a way that would hide that strong flavor if I found it unpleasant. I also decided to make only half the lambs-quarters I received so that if I didn't like them I didn't have to eat a lot of them and if I did like them, well, I'd have some leftover.

I should mention that other common names for lambs-quarters include goosefoot (apt, based on leaf-shape) and pigweed (because pigs like to eat it). According to Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places, lambs-quarters were brought to the United States from Europe. It usually grows 3-5 feet high, has no odor, and is very common. It does well in poor or disturbed soil, so look for it in overgrown fields, vacant lots, and (unsprayed) urban parks. Apparently it dries well and can be easily reconstituted (something new to try, perhaps).

So, when I prepared my lambs-quarters, the reasonable thing to do, it seemed, was to continue to use the ingredients I received from my CSA share -- plus add a little frozen OJ concentrate that I tend to have in my freezer. This dish turned into just enough for a small side dish and I loved it. I love the rich, green-earthly flavor, the tenderness of the plants, the way they smelled cooking. If you can get your hands on some lambs-quarters, do it. Then try this recipe. If you absolutely can't get your hands on them, you can use spinach. But go find lambs-quarters. Now.

Garlicky Lambs-quarters with Orange Juice
1 teaspoon oil (I used sunflower)
1/2 large garlic scape, chopped
2 tablespoons spring onion, chopped
1 large handful lambs-quarters, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons frozen OJ concentrate
Dash salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat, then add the garlic scape and onion.

Garlic Scape & Onion

Saute 1-2 minutes, or until onion becomes translucent. Add the lambsquarters, orange juice, salt, and pepper and saute another 1-2 minutes, until lambsquarters wilt. Serve immediately.

Just before serving

Green Smoothie - Spinach-Mint

It's summertime (well, in just under a month) and I've been craving the fresh fruits and veggies that come with summer for quite a while now. Fortunately, my farmers market is already up and running and the local produce is coming in at the co-op and my favorite grocery store.

But beginning during the winter, when E and I were swimming several nights a week, I started making green smoothies. They were the perfect end to a workout, especially since we got home late and I didn't really want to eat dinner beforehand. The nice thing about green smoothies like the the one here is that some greens really start coming in over fall & winter -- and if you're on top of your game, you can get these greens fresh, cook them up and then freeze them in little smoothie-portioned chunks. If you're not on top of your game (and I wasn't this year, since I moved), you can also just buy frozen greens. Or, if you've got a better blender than mine, use fresh greens.

The mint extract in this smoothie helps tone down any bitter qualities of the greens, and the banana makes it smooth. Normally, as regular readers of my posts know, I'm not a fan of using bananas. Even when I buy them organic/fair-trade they're not the best environmental decision. Other options for making it smooth include: nut butters, yogurt, or (possibly) oats (my friend Marissa, over at We*Meat*Again just wrote about this possibility). 

If you have it on hand (which I do now--pineapple mint, if you're curious), you can also use fresh mint -- but it takes a lot more! The portions suggested below are just suggestions. If you think it needs to be sweeter (this may depend on the ripeness of your banana as well as your personal tastes), add some agave, honey, or other natural sweetener of your choice. Sometimes my smoothie comes out a little thick -- if this happens, just add a little water or more milk and that should solve the problem beautifully

Spinach-Mint Smoothie

1 cup almond milk (or other milk of your choice)

1/2 cup frozen spinach

1 large frozen banana, slightly thawed (again, unless you have a super-awesome blender -- which I don't)

4-5 drops mint extract or 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, packed

1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Add all ingredients to a blender, and blend until smooth. If you don't plan to drink it right away, store in a container that you can shake up later (in case of separation) and store in refrigerator.

Green Smoothie in a peanut butter jar

Eating on the Road (Or in the Office) -- Vegan Quiche

One of the things I struggle with when I'm on campus for the day: lunch. I need something and eventually I get tired of sandwiches--hummus & tomato; hummus, tomato & avocado; peanut butter; peanut butter & jelly or peanut butter & banana.

I have to take food that's not going to get smashed and doesn't (necessarily) need to be refrigerated. For a while, I took rice & fruit salads, or millet dishes, or wraps with beans and veggies.

But I get tired of these things too--or run out of ingredients (at least as likely). Or I just want something different--for instance, now that it's getting colder, something that can be microwaved and make me feel a little warmer.

One of my current favorites is a vegan quiche recipe. I'm not vegan--but the nice thing about this (as opposed to an egg-based quiche) is that I feel less like I'm going to die if it's not refrigerated (a fear I find slightly ridiculous anyway). Since I use aseptically packaged Nori tofu (you can find this at most grocery stores, usually in the "Asian" or "International" sections), I feel like maybe my food has had less opportunity to pick up germs. I also realize that this rationalization isn't in fact all that rationale. Nevertheless, this little pie works well for me and it travels easily.

I discovered it over the summer on 101 cookbooks and modified it to meet my tastes. One of the great things about this quiche is that it's easy to modify. If you don't like lima beans, use something else that has about the same amount of bulk. I often add a cup of mixed frozen veggies. If you don't have garbanzo bean flour, you can use more whole wheat. If you like it spicier (and I do), add more red pepper flakes. And if you don't have a lemon, lime juice works as well (or even just a little more rice wine vinegar--though this does alter the taste some).

Vegan Spinach-Mushroom Quiche
1/2 cup rolled oats (quick or old fashioned)
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup garbanzo bean flour (or more whole wheat)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly milled black pepper
1/3 cup unflavored soy milk or water
1/3 cup light sesame oil or pure olive oil plus more for brushing the pan

For the filling:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup finely diced onion
10 ounces white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup zucchini, diced
2 tablespoons white wine (semi-dry works well)
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
10 ounces frozen, chopped spinach
1 cup frozen lima beans
1 roasted garlic clove (see note)
10 to 12 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes, divided
1 10-ounce package soft tofu, rinsed
2 tablespoons flaxseed
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Paprika for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350. Meanwhile, to make the crust, spread the oats and sesame seeds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8 minutes while the oven is heating (watch them carefully to make sure they don’t burn). Transfer the toasted oats and sesame seeds to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the flours, baking powder, salt, and pepper, and process until the oats are finely ground.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy milk and oil. Using a wooden spoon, mix in the dry ingredients to form a dough. Lightly brush a 9-inch or 10-inch tart pan with oil. Put the dough in the tart pan. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the dough and press down evenly, making sure to fill in the fluted sides of the pan. Trim the tart of any excess dough and refrigerate while you make the filling.

To make the filling, in a wide saute pan over medium heat, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, mushroom, and zucchini. Raise the heat to high, and saute for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring and shaking the pan until the vegetables are caramelized and the pan is mostly dry. Add the wine and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1 teaspoon pepper flakes. Add frozen spinach and limas continue to cook until dry, stirring frequently. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the vegetables into a mixing bowl and set aside.

Dump tofu into the bowl of the food processor. Add the flaxseed, basil, thyme, nutritional yeast flakes, lemon juice, vinegar, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and remaining 1 teaspoon pepper flakes and puree until smooth. With a rubber spatula, scrape the puree into the mushroom-onion mixture.

Fill the tart shell with the tofu and vegetable mixture and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Dust with Paprika. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until firm.
Let the tart cool for 8 to 10 minutes before slicing and serving.


**Note: If you don't have fresh herbs, dried ones will work too. Season to taste.
**Note: If you don't have ground flax, it's not the end of the world. Leave it out and don't worry.

Pictures to come soon!