Carote a la Salvia/Carrots and Sage

This is my entry for Kalyn's Weekend Herb Blogging, being hosted this week by Susan from The Well Seasoned Cook.

Here is a simple fall vegetable dish that I threw together the other night. The caramelized carrots are almost like candy and disappear quickly! This would make a lovely and easy Thanksgiving side dish.

I just discovered that sage, one of my favorite herbs, has calcium, vitamins A and C, and also has some amazing healing properties. Sage works as an anti-oxidant and can be used to treat indigestion, poor circulation, depression, anxiety, excessive perspiration, reduce night sweats (especially in menopause) and female sterility. It also supports healthy functioning of the liver and is an excellent memory enhancer. Wow!

Most of you already know that carrots are packed with beta-carotene, but did you know that they also have a good amount of dietary fiber, and are rich in anti-oxidants and minerals? Did you also know that carrots probably originated in Afghanistan and that Holtville, California promotes itself as the "Carrot Capital of the World"? I particularly like the red and purple varieties that one can find at farmers' markets; they have more of an earthy flavor. I also found out through Wikipedia, that the purple-skinned with orange flesh varieties are better at fighting cancers.

In summary, SAGE + CARROTS = One healthy dish!

Carote a la Salvia/Carrots and Sage

Carrots - sliced in bite-sized pieces (approx. 3 carrots per person)

Sage - chopped (approx. one leaf per carrot)

Toss carrots and sage with salt, pepper and olive oil or butter (they don't need much, maybe 1/2 tsp. per 3 carrots) in a baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees until the carrots are caramelized, or about one hour.

Buon appetito!

Please hope on over to Susan's page after October 21st to check out the other entries.

Bean Salad with Mixed Vegetables/Insalata di Fagioli con Vegetali

I have a confession - a love to make new dishes out of leftovers - especially for lunches. Yes, it is a rewarding challenge for me. Admittedly it doesn't always pay off, but when it does, it feels great. To that end, there are always some ingredients I keep in the pantry that when added to other things can transform them into something special. For example, I always keep cans of organic, high-quality beans on hand, especially Ceci/Garbanzos, Cannellini and Bianchi di Spagna/Butter Beans. The latter is my favorite for combining with other things; I particularly love the meatiness of the butter beans. The other day I had some grilled red peppers and grilled asparagus left over from the previous night. I combined them with the Bianchi di Spagna beans, some olive oil, oregano, salt, pepper and a few dashes of red wine vinegar and it was lovely. I tried almost the same thing yesterday, but used grilled zucchini in place of the asparagus and the combination was odd.

Other suggestions: Add canned tuna (in olive oil) to the above dish and/or finely chopped red onions.

This is my entry for Susan's "My Legume Love Affair" over at The Well Seasoned Cook. Susan has a fantastic blog full of a wide variety of recipes, and now this great event. Go on over and check her out.

Buon Appetito!

Zucchini Ripieni/Stuffed Zucchini -or- Pomodori Ripieni/Stuffed Tomatoes

With summer's always abundant zucchini crops, I love to find and create recipes using this versatile vegetable. This is an old-standby, but one that I continually go back to as it is so delicious.

Zucchini Ripieni

serves four as a side dish

2 large zucchini

1/4 cup chopped parsley

3/4 cup breadcrumbs

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

1/3 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

Trim the ends from the zucchini and cut in half in lengthwise. Make a "boat" out of the zucchini using a spoon to scoop out the flesh from the middle, leaving about 1/4" thickness and setting aside the zucchini "meat" to use later. Set zucchini in a baking dish. Finely chop the parsley and the zucchini meat. In a small bowl, combine the parsley, garlic, breadcrumbs, olive oil and zucchini meat along with generous grindings of fresh pepper and some salt. Mix well. The mixture should look crumbly but when pinched should stick together. Fill the zucchini boats with the stuffing pressing down the filling so that it stays put. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the zucchini looks done and the filling is golden brown on top.

This is a great side dish, or a main dish as a vegetarian meal. I find it goes well with a hearty red wine.

Another use for this recipe: Pomodori Ripieni or Stuffed Tomatoes

You can use the same stuffing mixture above, minus the zucchini "meat" to stuff tomatoes. Use Roma tomatoes or small round tomatoes. Cut in half and with a knife carefully remove the internal white membrane, leaving the juices in the tomato. Stuff with the mixture and bake the same, until golden brown and the tomatoes looked cooked. Delicious!!!

Buon appetito!

Carciofi alla Griglia/Grilled Artichokes

Yes, another summer vegetable recipe! Well, acutally in California we have access to artichokes almost year-round. This is one of my favorite ways to prepare this fun food.

Quarter a large artichoke or halve a small one. With a spoon, clean out the hairy choke, or center. As quickly as possible put them into a small amount of salted, boiling water. (The longer they are exposed to air, the centers become dark.) Cook, covered in simmering water until they are almost done - when the hearts are almost soft. While cooking, light grill. Remove and drain well. Coat lightly all over olive oil and grill on a medium flame until they get a little crispy with grill marks on all sides. I like to serve this a basil aioli for dipping.

For Basil Aioli: (make aioli from scratch and blend in some chopped basil, or you can use the shortcut version for aioli that I often make)

By hand mix some high-quality mayonaisse, with a one pressed garlic clove, a light squeeze of lemon and some high-quality olive oil. Crush some basil leaves with a mortar and pestle and add to the aioli mixture. Blend well with a fork or whisk. Taste to adjust ingredients.

Artichokes and wine make a terrible marriage, although with the grilled flavor and bold aioli, rose' is not a bad match.

Buon appetito!

Santa Monica Farmer's Market

There are few things I enjoy more than a good farmer's market, and Santa Monica happens to have a great one. This morning, along with my girlfriend Rebecca, I filled my bag with the bounties of early summer goodies. The most difficult thing is not buying everything that looks good!


And, if I may get on my soapbox for a moment here - please support your local farmer's markets. We all need to buy more locally grown and produced food and goods!


I ran across a few unusual greens and was wondering if anyone out there knew about them or had any experience cooking them. The first one is Huanzontle, or Lamb's Quarters.

The other one was Broccoli Spigarello, which looks like the leaves from the broccoli plant, but I am not sure if that is what they actually are or not. Does anyone have any idea?

Very sadly, the Fava beans are almost out of season. At every farmer's market there seems to be a mad rush to buy the fava beans, and they sell out every time. Meanwhile, if you can find them in the grocery stores, they sit until they wilt and become old. If you find them at your market, buy and enjoy them while you can. Remember, they should be firm and bright green. I think - the bigger the better.

Some Italians eat them raw, but I prefer them cooked lightly and simply. Remove the outer pods and put the beans in a pot of boiling water. Cook very quickly, for maybe 4 or 5 minutes. Remove and rinse under cold water. When cool enough to handle, use your finger nail or a little, sharp knife to make a little slice in the top of the casing and pop the bean out in a bowl. Enjoy plain like that with a chunk of pecorino for an appetizer, or drizzle with a little good olive oil and salt and pepper and serve as a side dish.

Buon appetito!