Many of my summer lunches are alone; children are in camp or playing with friends.  I am come home from a morning of hot dirty labor at the Community Garden. My hunger, the availability of fresh food, and the freedom from caring for other people’s needs allows me to completely lose myself in my simple summer lunches.

Some of my favorites don’t need recipes: slices of Early Bird croton from Looking Glass Creamery eaten chunk by creamy, tangy chunk alongside slices of sweet peaches. The dry whiteness of the cheese next to the golden, wet slices of peach is beautiful to my eye and tastebuds.

Another favorite is a plate of fresh, coarsely chopped purslane, topped with slices of peeled and broiled peaches (takes less than five minutes to peel, slice and broil one or two peaches for the meal), drizzled with a sharp, bittersweet balsamic vinaigrette.

I eat these meals on the front porch, which lies on the West side of the house and is still breezy and cool at this time of day. I keep a red checkered table cloth my mom made on the table. It completes the feeling of grace. And I like the way the red looks against the walls of waxy dark green euonymous bushes and pale green lilac leaves.

Another favorite lunch which leaves me composing restaurant menus in its honor is crepes with sauteed veggies. I start by sauteeing slices of shallot in butter. Then I add assorted chopped vegetables–whatever I harvested that day. For example I might add minced chili peppers, quarter round slices of yellow squash (I keep the vegetables small so I can get a taste of each in each bite), chopped tomatillo, and quartered sungolds. I saute until the squash is tender and the tomatillos and tomatoes have just softened. I lay the saute in my crepe (I usually make extra when I make them for breakfast) and top with chevre chaud. Then I retire to the porch and eat slowly.

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I haven’t a camera, so think of this entry as the radio version of blogging: you’ll have to picture it.

On Tuesday I purchased a generous dozen ears of corn from Mike Sobol’s corn stand on Blue Ridge Rd. not a half mile from my house. Yesterday I stopped by the weekly farmer’s market held by Becki’s Bounty across from the Post Office in Black Mountain and purchased Wahoo. (They ship fish from the coast each Wednesday.)  Today I pulled an arm load of carrots out of my plot at the Black Mountain Community Garden, hand picked a handful of bush beans, and selected one voluptuous tomato–probably a Mortgage Lifter.

Tonight I turned it all into dinner. I took the carrots, composted the tops, washed and chopped them into large chunks. I put them, 1 pound in all,  in a 1 quart pot with water to cover. I boiled them until they were fork tender. I drained them (saving the hot water in another 1 quart pot to use in the next phase on the green beans) and plopped them into my Cuisinart–a hardworking friend which has been my companion since I made off with it from my parents’ house where it had been residing since my 6th Christmas. I added 2 Tbs. olive oil, a dash or two of cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, a generous pinch of ginger, and some Celtic Sea Salt. I pureed it all, scraping down the sides between pulses to ensure an even puree. I scraped the puree into a glass container and placed it in the frig to cool until serving time.

Next I tipped and tailed the green beans, removing any tough strings, cut them into one-inch pieces and added them to the boiling leftover carrot water. I blanched these until bright green then drained them. Meanwhile, I sauteed a minced garlic clove and a finely diced shallot in olive oil. When golden and fragrant I added my large tomato chopped and seeded. When the tomato released it’s juices I added the green beans and a little sea salt and cooked the fragrant loveliness until the beans were tender.

This isn’t how it really happened, but in an ideal world. . . The kids shucked the corn at the back door to the kitchen and handed them in to plop into my ready and waiting pot of boiling water. Each cob was bedecked with my new corn nobs from Pampered Chef. (Which are so cool–you put them on before you cook the corn; they cool faster than the corn–no burnt fingers eating corn or putting the nobs on!) While the corn cooked I dredged the Wahoo (say it with me) Steaks in seasoned flour and pan fried them in equal parts butter and olive oil.

The result: mouth humming, finger licking goodness. The Wahoo Steaks had thick succulent chunks of flesh, firm enough for sopping up tomato juices and pools of olive oil and butter. I took cool, crisp slices of cucumber and dipped them into the carrot puree. I snapped Sobol’s corn under my teeth, sweet as candy. Only a thin veneer of butter needed. And not really even that. But butter, . . .well. I sank my teeth cleanly into each bite of the green beans which paired deliciously with the acid of the tomatoes, the pungency of the garlic and the sweetness of the shallots.

To finish, I sipped on a cool cup of nettle-licorice tea which I had brewed earlier and nibbled slowly an UliMana Hemp Nib Brownie. Mmmm, sigh.

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This weekend on behalf of Eat Smart Black Mountain I will be demonstrating the following recipes at the Black Mountain Tailgate Market located on Montreat Road behind the First Baptist Church. The demonstration is free and open to the public. To schedule private or group cooking demonstrations with me write to: diana@goddessinthekitchen.com.

Yellow Squash Saute

I like this dish best with shallots–the buttery, smokiness of them makes yellow squash taste and smell like a gourmet side dish.

to serve 4

2 Tbs. butter or olive oil

2-3 medium yellow squash, coarsely grated

1 small shallot, minced or 1/4 cup minced green or sweet onion or thinly sliced leek

salt and pepper to taste,

freshly minced herbs (optional)

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium low heat. Gently saute the shallot, onion or leek until fragrant and golden.  Add the squash and continue to saute, stirring occasionally. Saute 5 to 10 minutes until squash is tender. I like the squash to still have a little bite to it, but you may prefer to cook it to a softer consistency–dare I say, mushy? Season to taste during the last few minutes of cooking with salt, pepper and freshly minced herbs. I recommend basil or garlic chives.

This is delicious as a side to new potatoes and roast chicken from Foothills Family Farms. It also serves as a delicious filling for an omelet.

Asian Cucumber Salad

8 side dish servings

This is nice served with lightly broiled salmon filets from The Salmon Guy, available at the Black Mountain Farmer’s Market on the corner of Sutton and South Ridgeway. If available you could also add grated carrot and finely shredded cabbage to the salad.

4 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and thinly slice into half moons

• 1/2  cup  rice vinegar
• 1  tablespoon  Asian fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla)
• 1  tablespoon  Asian (toasted) sesame oil
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  soy sauce
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  sugar
• 1  fresh jalapeño chili, stemmed, seeded, and minced
• 1  clove garlic, minced
• chopped fresh cilantro or basil to taste
• toasted sesame seeds or chopped roasted peanuts (optional)

Mix all dressing ingredients together and toss with cucumbers. Chill if possible to integrate flavors. Top with sesame seeds or peanuts and fresh herbs just before serving.

This recipe also is complemented by seaweed. I use alaria which I coarsely chop using a scissors. If I make the salad ahead of time, I add it directly to the salad to soften as it marinates. If you need to serve the salad immediately, marinate the chopped alaria in the dressing for 15 minutes to soften it before tossing the salad and dressing together.

Cucumber salad keeps well and improves with flavor. In the summertime I often keep adding new cucumbers to any leftover dressing so that we always have a supply of cucumber salad to accompany dinner.

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Pictures and a recipe will be on their way soon from our delicious evening. Lots of sighs and swooning at the dinner table during tasting time.  Thank you to all you lovely ladies –and my very supportive husband (who filmed and added mint leaf and raspberry garnish to the dessert)–who shared the evening with me.

I will hold the Pampered Chef show open until Wednesday June 16. If you would like to place an order go to www.pamperedchef.biz/goddessinthekitchen. Go to Shop Online. Type in “Brett McCall” under Host/ Organization name to be included in this show. If you are out of town, have your product shipped directly to you. Unless specified, orders will ship to me.

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I see you’re on the fence about coming. Let me assure you, I’m “better than Rachel Ray” according to previous students. Now, I’ve never seen Rachel Ray in action, but I promise to provide an entertaining and delicious two hour experience that you’ll be glad you paused from your busy week for.

Contact me for more information: diana@goddessinthekitchen.com.

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We are hosting a cooking show right in our back yard!!

During the show you will

The show will take place in Black Mountain at our house on Thursday, June 10th starting at 6:00pm and ending around 8:00pm.

Pre-purchase your equipment by May 30th to be entered into a special drawing AT the cooking show!!

To make an advanced purchase

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Every year since 2005, when my son True was just three weeks old I have been teaching at the Swannanoa School of Culinary Arts on the campus of Warren Wilson College. This year I will be teaching a session with Laurey Masterson on diet related to Cancer and Hormonal Changes.

Around 15 chefs highlight each weeks classes and contribute their recipes to a cookbook, available for sale with each year’s course.

Here are some of the recipes I will be contributing this year:

Dark Chocolate Chia Seed Brownies 

Ingredients: 

4 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, such as Dagoba Organic Chocolate 
6 tablespoons organic butter 
2 local or organic eggs 
1 scant cup organic sugar, Sucanat, or Rapadura 
2 tsp. Organic vanilla 
1 cup brown rice flour (or spelt or other grain) mixed with 2 tablespoons chia seeds 
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon 
a few grinds of black pepper 

Preparation: 

Preheat the oven to 350º. Gently melt the butter and chocolate together in a double boiler or the 
microwave. Allow to cool and then stir in eggs, sugar and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine the flour, salt 
and optional spices. Fold the flour mixture into the chocolate batter. Pour into a buttered 8”x8” baking 
pan (stoneware works nice) and bake for 20 minutes or until the cneter is just set and a toothpick comes 
out with no liquid batter on it. 

Cool completely (in an ideal world) before slicing and eating. 

And also:

GREEN MUNG BEAN SOUP
 
Ingredients:
1 cup whole green mung beans – soaked overnight
8 cups water
1 tbs. sunflower oil/or ghee
½ tsp. mustard seeds
1 pinch. asafoetida (called hing in Asian stores) (get @ health food store in the frontier herb section)
1 bay leaf
½  tsp. turmeric
½ tsp. ground cumin
½  tsp. ground coriander
1½ tsp. chopped ginger root
1 tsp. salt
1½ tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. raw sugar cane or jaggery (available in Indian grocery stores) I use rapadura
1 pinch garam masala powder  (see recipe below for this spice mixture)

Preparation:
Soak the mung beans overnight in water.  Drain and wash the beans two times with fresh water. Cook beans in large covered pot with 3 cups water until tender, bring the beans to a boil, and then simmer for 30-40 minutes, until the skins have broken.
Heat the oil in large deep saucepan and add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds pop, add asafoetida, bay leaf and stir. 
Add the spice mixture to the cooked beans.  
Add 1 cup water, bring to a boil and add all remaining spices. Simmer for a few minutes more.
Benefits of Mung Bean Soup:
Mung bean is used in Ayurveda to balance all three doshas and eliminate toxins. Spices are used medicinally to create a delicious and nourishing soup.  When eaten daily over a period of time, it will have a powerful detoxifying effect that is quite remarkable. 
Garam Masala To make your own garam masala: roast 1 tablespoon each of cardamom, cloves, cinnamon bark and black pepper. Grind to a powder and store in an airtight container.

This recipe is shared courtesy of Naomi Scott LMBT, NC# 09102, Surya Practitioner, Meditation Instructor, Holistic Lifestyle Consultant-www.bodyworkforwholeness.com.

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For three years our family ate half of our weekly meals with a food cooperative on the campus of Warren Wilson College. This vinaigrette came from one of the members and ever since has been the dressing you’ll find in our refrigerator.

Ingredients:

1 to 2 Tbs. barley miso

1/4 medium onion or 1 shallot

1 to 2 cloves garlic

1 to 2 Tbs. honey

salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

oregano, basil, thyme or other garden herbs to taste

1 to 2 tsp. dry or prepared mustard (I use a homemade coarse grain)

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups olive oil

Puree all ingredients except olive oil in a blender or food processor. Keep blender running while you slowly drizzle in olive oil. Adding olive oil in this way will emulsify the mixture and keep the oil separating from the vinegar and water.

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This past weekend I shared at a Master Gardener workshop in Marion, NC a few of my favorite recipes for using fresh vegetables from the garden and farmers market. Here is a recipe from the cookbook Hollyhocks and Radishes by Bonnie Stewart Mickelson.

1 cup chopped onion

4 Tbs. butter

1/2 cup dry white wine ( I used Chardonnay)

1 pound carrots, organic or locally grown, sliced thin

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

4 cups chicken broth

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large heavy saucepan, saute onion in butter until soft. Add wine and carrots. Cover tightly and cook over low heat stirring occasionally. Cook for 30 or more minutes until  you can mash a carrot with the back of a fork.

Either blend the soup with an immersion blender with all of the stock or transfer the vegetables to a blender. Add a little stock to blend then return to the soup pot with the remaining stock.  Whisk in the coriander and season with salt and pepper. Reheat, but do not boil.

This soup is lovely any time of the year hot, cold or room temperature.

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Join me for Awakening to Your Ten Bodies, a kriya for your whole being. Deeply stretch your body, deeply rest, and experience a Laya Yoga Meditation.

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