Green pea and Watermelon Radish Salad

We are getting closer and closer to spring (2 weeks!) and with spring comes color, in the form of all things, food included. (I am so ready for all the greens!!!!)

Speaking of color. Have you ever cut open a watermelon radish? It is pure joy. You have this creamy white and slightly green bulb, nothing much out of the ordinary but when you slice it open the inside is the brightest purplish pink. So freaking pretty! But better then pretty, watermelon radishes taste so freaking good! And then we have peas. They are just the best bright green and creamy little gems which pair perfectly prefect with the radish.

Bright purple radish and green peas tossed together with some onion and tahini. Yes and yes. On freaking tasty as all heck salad. A true spring delight!

Now to the pretty as all heck salad!

The stuff. A large watermelon radish, frozen and thawed green peas, red onion, tahini, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, and aa small handful of cilantro.

First thing is to dice up radish. Cut into cubes about twice the size of a pea.

Place diced rashes on a lined baking sheet and pop into a hot oven.

In the mean time cut up the onion nice an thin.

Place cut onion into a big bowl, add a sprinkle of salt, and add in the vinegar. Toss around and let sit for 5 minutes or so then add in the tahini and toss around until creamy.

Slightly roasted radishes. You can roast them more but I find a good 20 minutes so they are slightly tender and haven’t lost have much color to e the best.

Toss the peas onto the hot sheet pan with the radishes and let them sit for a fe minutes just slightly warm up.

Then dump the peas and radishes into the bowl with the tahini onions. Sprinkle with pepper and toss around.

Look at that. Gorgeous right? And if you have and want, toss some fresh cilantro or parsley onto top because why not.

No stop starting at the how pretty it is and you know, eat it.

-C

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Green pea and Watermelon Radish Salad

serve 2-4 as a side

• 2 cups green peas (fresh or frozen andthawed)

• 1 large (softball sized) watermelon radish

• 1 small red onion

• 3 tablespoons tahini

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• salt and pwpper

• handful of fresh cilantro or parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 425.

Grab radish and cut into small cubes about twice the size of a pea. Place on a lined baking sheet and pop into hot oven.

While radishes are roasting, grab onion and slice as thin as you can Place sliced onion along with the vinegar into a big bowl and toss around with a pinch of salt. Let sit for a few minutes then add in the tahini. Toss around until creamy.

After about 20 minutes pull the radishes form oven They should be slightly tender. Dump peas onto baking sheet with radishes and let them warm up for a few minutes.

Dump the peas and radishes into the bowl with the tahini onions. Add black pepper and another small pinch of salt. Toss around until evenly coasted. Top with sm ripped up fresh herbs (if using).

Eat.

Store any leftovers (there will be none) in an airtight container for 4-5 days.

Sourdough Bagels

I don’t know about you and your people situation but my people, they are bagel people, like my whole entire family (and it is a big one). I swear that they (especially the littles) could eat bagels every day and be happy about it They like them so much that we even do bagels at just about all of our special family get togethers, which is fine by me because the get togethers are always at my house and they don’t make as big a mess as lets say spaghetti. They can really make a mess with that. So bagels, they are good.

I made this batch for the littles. (And that is why I made them plain. Can’t go wrong with plain). They have winter break right now so they came over for an afternoon of sledding, hot cocoa, and lunch. I asked them the day before what they wanted me to make for lunch and they said bagels. Big surprise. HA! But really, they all know what they like so why mess with a good things?

A little about these bagels. It is not the fastest recipe you will find. The hands on time commitment is no too much but there is a good amount of time that the dough is spent rising in the fridge. Because they are sourdough the dough needs at least 12 hours to rise so if you want bagels right now then this is not the recipe to use. But the great thing about this bagel dough is that you can make it and leave in fridge for 12 hours but I have left it in the fridge for like 3 days and the dough was still great. If you want bagels anytime in the next few days, then this is the recipe for you. Also a lot of bagel recipes have barely malt and that is not always easy to find or buy in not gigantic quantities but this recipe just uses molasses and the results are pretty close to perfect. So time yes, but fancy ingredients no. And they taste amazing. Plus who doesn't want to make their own bagels and just be that bad ass? Because yes. Bagel making is badass.

Now to the bagels!

The stuff. Flour, water, salt, ripe sourdough started, yeast, and molasses.

Day one. Mix the water with the starter, yeast, and a bit of the molasses until combined. Add in the salt and flour and mix unit it becomes a shaggy dough.

Dump dough onto a floured surface and… get to kneading. About 10 minutes, (a few extra if you are slow). Have about 1/2 a cup of extra four on the side to flour the counter as needed.

soft and suple and kneaded all nice. Place kneaded dough into a clean wet bowl and cover.

Before rise and after rise dough.

Dump risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut into 8-12 pieces. (8 for larger bagels, 12 for smaller)

Shape bagels. Roll each piece of dough into a ball and stick a whole into the middle. Carefully stretch the hole out about twice as big as you think it should be. (it will shrink). Place shapped bagels ontoa lined and or greased baking hseet, giving each a bit of room to groww.

Now it all looks like bagels. Cover and let them sit and proof for about 35-45 minutes.

Before bagels are comeplety done their second proof, prepare the molasses water bath. Just add water and molasees to a big wide pot and bring to a boil.

Once water bath is boil and bagels are done the second proof it is time to boil. Carefully drop bagels inot boiling water and boil for 2 minutes. Flip then boil for another minute. REmove boiled bagelss with a slooted spaturla and place back on lined or greased baking sheet.

boiled bagels. Now pop the into hot oven and bake. 22-25 minutes, until nice and golden brown.

Gorgeous!

Place them on a wire rack to cool just a bit.

And then you serve them up and eat them. How do you eat the bagels is up to you. My people are easy. Plan cream cheese or peanut butter so that is what they get.

-C

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Sourdough Bagels

makes 8- 12 (depending on size)

• 5 1/2 cups al purpose flour

• 1/4 cup active starter

• 1 teaspoon active yeast

• 1 tablespoon molasses

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 cups warm water

  WATERBATH

• 6-7 cups water

• 2 tablespoon molasses

In a large bowl mix the warm water, starter, yeast, and molasses until combined. Add in salt and 5 cups of flour and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Dump dough onto a floured surface and start kneading, dusting counter (you might use 1/2 cup or even a little more) whenever dough gets too sticky, for 10 minutes (add a few extra minutes if you are kind of slow). The dough should be smooth and not sticky and feel dense.

Place kneaded dough into a wet large bowl, cover with plastic or a silicone lid, and place in fridge for 12-24 hours.

After dough had risen in fridge, remove and dump dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 8-12 equal sized pieces. Pinch and roll each piece into a ball then punch your thumb into the middle all the way through. Carefully stretch the hole about an inch in diameter then place the shaped bagel onto a lined and greased baking sheet. Repeat with all dough. Once the bagels are all shapped, lightly cover and let them sit and proof for another 35-40 minutes.

While bagels are proofing, pre heat oven to 450 degrees and get the water bath ready.

For water bath combine water and molasses in a pot as wide as you got and bring it to a boil.

Once bagels are done their second proof, carefully drop bagels (a few at a time so not to overcrowded) into the boiling water. Boil first side for 2 minutes then flip and boil other side for 1 minute. Remove boiled bagels with a slotted spatula and place back on baking sheets. Repeat until all bagels are boiled and once they are, pop them into hot oven. Bake for 22-25 minute, rotating baking sheets half way, until bagels are nice and golden brown.

Remove bagels from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Eat right away or whenever you want. Bagels can be stored in airtight container or bag for 3-4 days at room temperature but if you are not eating them within a day or two, it is better to slice and freeze them. Frozen bagels last a few months and are easy to pop from oven and toast!

Black eyed Pea-Sweet Potato and Tangerine Stew

I guess black eyed peas are good to eat on New Years because they bring you good luck or money or something. I have heard this and a lot of other food traditions but I don’t really do New Years so I have never really actively thought about what I consume on the day. But when I went to ponder my bean selection ( I have so many varieties) I figured what the hell, why not make the stew I was about to make into a good luck black eyed pea stew. I mean I was already making it (I was leaning towards black beans) but If there is a chance that eating these delicious beans will give me a little extra luck (and or money) this year, well by all means I’ll take it. And the stew because that is really what I was after.

This stew. It is thick and creamy from the sweet potato and beans, bright and light from the ginger and tangerines, and hearty because it is stew. It is a perfect stew situation to eat on any given day but especially nice on a cold winter evening. And I guess on New Years. Like today.

Now to the black eyed pea stew!

The stuff. Cooked black eyed peas. a sweet potato, some kale, a few tangerine, an onion, some garlic and ginger, tomato puree, and salt and pepper.

Start with chopping up the onion, mincing the garlic and ginger, and dicing up the sweet potato.

Toss the onion, garlic, and ginger into a big pot and add in a splash of water or oil and a pinch of salt. Place on medium heat ans cook until tranlucent and fragrant. Add in the sweet potatoes, tomato puree, and enough water to completely submerge it all. Keep on medium heat and cook until sweet potties are fork tender. Add more water if needed.

In he mean time chop up the kale.

And juice the tangerines.

Once potatoes are tender, add in the black eyed peas, the kale and the tangerine juice. Add more water to completely submerge again. And keep on medium high heat and cook for another 10-15 minutes or went everything is all melded and cooked together.

Like this. A pot of good goodness.

All that is left is to scoop the stew into blows and eat it. Squeeze more tangerine juice on top too, it makes it nice.

Good luck all year long!

-C

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Black eyed Pea-Sweet Potato and Tangerine Stew

• 2 cups cooked and drained black eyed peas

• 1 medium sweet potato

• 2-3 tangerines

• 1/2 cup tomato puree

• 1 small onion

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1/2 inch fresh ginger root

• a few leaves of kale, chard, or collard greens

• 4-6 cups water

Start by dicing up onion and peeling and mincing up the garlic and ginger. Place into a large pot with about 1/4 cup of water or a splash of oil and stick on stove on medium heat. Cook the mixture for 5-8 minutes or unit fragrant and translucent. While that is cooking dice up the sweet pot into small 1/2 inch cubes then add them into the pot once onion mixture has cooked, along with the tomato puree and enough water to completely submerge in all. Stir and and keep on medium heat and cook for another 20 or so minutes or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender.

Chop up kale and juice tangerines.

Once the sweet potato is tender add in the rinsed and drained black eyed peas, the chopped kale, and the tangerine juice. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper and more water to submerge it all again and keep on medium heat. Cook for another 20 minutes so that all the flavors have time to meld and turn into a great pot of stew. Depending on your preference for thickness, cook down more for thicker stew, or add more water to keep it brothy.

Once cooked, scoop into bowls, season with more salt and pepper, and if you have an extra tangerine, squeeze a little more fresh juice on top.

Sweet Corn and Blueberry Cake with Lemon Blueberry Glaze

Do you really need a reason to make cake other then you want cake or you just want to bake something? Nope. Cake is a anytime event. Make it when you want it, or like me, want to not think about anything other than that. Making cake.

This cake. Made it with what I have too much of at the moment, which is corn. And while I love fresh corn on the cob, I, as one person, cannot eat the 12 ears that I have been getting weekly at farm share. So besides trying to eat as much of it myself, (the mr won’t eat corn on the cob and the little haven’t been over in a bit cause they are sick) so I give it to people or I make it into things, like cake.

Add in blueberries and a bright pinkish purple lemony glaze and you got yourself a cake that is all sorts of delicious. Fresh corn makes itself known without being overly corny. The blueberries are, as always, right there to taste like a good berry should. Then it’s topped with a nice bright lemony blueberry glaze. A cake fit for a party or a bbq or a good old sit on the back porch while hiding from the world while eating cake, type of cake. Eat it for breakfast, eat it for lunch, eat it whenever the heck you want because, well because you can. And should.

Now to the cake!

The stuff. Fresh corn and frozen but thawed blueberries. Flour, baking soda and powder, salt, and cornmeal. Oil, plant milk, sugar, and apple cider vinegar. And lastly powdered sugar, a little plant butter, and a lemon.

Start by cutting the corn off the cob.

Dump corn and milk into a pot. Bring to a boil then cook for a few minutes. Let cool for minute then puree the mixture. It might be slightly chunky but thats all good.

Pour warm corm mixture into a bowl with the oil, sugar and vinegar. Mix until combined.

In a large bowl mix together all the dry ingredients. Toss in the blueberries and coat with the mixture then fold in the wet mixture until everything is incorporated.

Pour batter into a well greased bundt pan and pop into the hot oven.

After 45-50 minutes it be done. Once cooled enough to handle, pop cake out of tine and place on a wire rack to cool.

In the meantime make the glaze. Powdered sugar, zest of the lemon, and a little of the juice left over from the defrosted blueberries. Mix until completely combined and the glaze is pourable but not too thin.

Once cake is cooled, pour on the glaze. And yes, you want to you it to drip down the sides cause it looks cool.

And then you eat the cake.

-C

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Sweet Corn and Blueberry Cake with Lemon BLueberry glaze

makes a bundt cake

The cake

• 2-3 cobs of fresh corn (2 cups corn kernels)

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 1/2 cup cornmeal

• 1 cup plant milk

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 cup neutral oil

• 3/4 cups white sugar

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 1 cup frozen and thawed and stained blueberries (reserve the juice)

  the glaze

• 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

• 1tablespoon vegan butter

• zest from a lemon

• juice left from frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 375

Remove corn kernels from cobs until you have 2 full cups. Place corn into a pot with the milk and bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook for about5 minutes. Turn heat off and let cool a few minutes then either pour mixture into a blender or use as hand blender and blend until semi smooth.

In a medium bowl mix the sugar, oil, vinegar, and warn corn mixture together until completely incorporated.

In a large bowl mix together all the dry ingredients. Toss the drained blueberries into the dry mixture until covered then pour and fold in the wet mixture until everything is just incorporated. Do not over mix!

Grease a 10-12 inch bundt pan then pour mixture in. Level it out with a spatula the n pop the bundt into the oven to bake for about 45-50 minute or until a nice deep golden brown and when poked with a tester, it comes out clean. Once bakes, remove from oven, let cool enough to handle, then pop cake from bundt tin and place on a wire rack to cool.

In the meantime make the glaze. Mix together the soft butter, powdered sugar, zest from the lemon, and a tablespoon or two of the blueberry juice until completely combined and is of a pourable, but not to thin consistency. It too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. Too thick, a little more blueberry juice.

Once cake is cooled, drizzle the glaze all over the top, letting it drip down the sided.

And that is that, You eat it now.

Store left overs in airtight container or cake dish for 3-4 days at room temperature. If it is busting hot out, maybe stick in the fridge.

Ginger Mustard Roasted Turnips

The turnips in my garden are doing me right and have gotten all nice and big and beautiful and just did a really good job growing this year. I (my stomach) am really appreciating it. So is the mr. He is a huge turnip fan too!

Now if you are not a turnip fan, well first off, why the heck not? But also have you even ever tried them? I have found that sometimes people say they don’t like something when in fact they have never tried it. Don’t be like that. Try the dang turnip. They are awesome. For those who don’t know, they taste basically like a big radish. Kind of spicy and crispy when raw, sweet and tender when roasted. These particular ones are roasted and tossed in a gingery mustard sauce and then roasted a little more so they are sweet and spicy and mustardy and just so good. I made a batch to share with the mr for dinner but I actually just ended up eating all of them to my face. Yup, and not shame there. I just cut up a couple of raw ones for the mr and threw them on his dinner plate. He did’t really notice. Ha!

Now to the turnips!

The stuff. Turnips, dijon mustard, ground ginger, balsamic vinegar, pepper. and a splash of water.

Dice up the turnips into small cubes. I never peel a turnip but if you get yours from a store and they cover it in wax, well you might want to.

Place cut up turnips on a baking sheet. You can also drizzle the turnips with a little oil here if you want. (I prefer to roast without oil and use a baking mat.)

And place them into a hot hot oven to roast.

While turnips are getting hot, mix up the ginger mustard sauce. Place mustard, ginger, balsamic vinegar and a splash of water into a bowl and mix it all together.

Once turnips are fork tender (about 1/2 hour) remove pan, gather all the turnips into a pile, and drizzle on most of the sauce. Toss around until evenly coated then re-spread them around and pop them back into oven for another 12- minutes or so or unit golden brown and nice and roasted.

Once they are roasted to your liking, remove from oven ,drizzle oin remaining sauce, add lots of cracked black pepper and some fresh parsley if you got it. And that is it.

Eat your turnips.

-C

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Ginger Mustard Roasted Turnips

seves 2-3 as a side

• 4 medium sized turnips

• 4 hefty tablespoons dijon mustard

• 1 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

• 2 teaspoon water

• black pepper

• oil (optional)

Preheat oven to 425

Prepare turnips. Wash them really well and then dice into small cubes and pace them on a baking sheet. You can toss them in a little oil if you want (I do not roast them in oil), then pop them into hot oven.

While turnips are roasting, grab a small bowl and mix up the ginger, mustard, and balsamic vinegar. Add about 2 teaspoons of water to thin it out a little bit.

After about 25-30 minutes the turnips should be fork tender and starting to brown a bit. Remove pan from oven and carefully gather the turnips into a pile on the baking sheet. Drizzle about 3/4 of the mustard sauce on turnips and toss around (carefully). Once all the turnips are coated, sprinkle with black pepper and re-spread them on the baking sheet and pop the back into the oven to bake for another 15ish minutes or until they are a nice golden brown.

Once roasted to your liking, remove from oven, drizzle on remaining sauce, and then eat.