Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
4-5 medium-sized ramps or 2 yellow onions, minced
2 cups hulled barley or 2 cups carnaroli, arborio or vialone nano rice for risotto
6 cups vegetable stock
3 cups peas, fresh or frozen
3 cups fresh arugula
Salt and pepper
¾ teaspoon saffron threads
1 bunch parsley
2 cups ground pistachio or cashews, to taste
or
2 cups grated Romano or parmigiana cheese, to taste
Process
1. Use a deep stainless-steel skillet to sauté the ramps or onions and garlic in olive oil until softened. Add the barley and cook for 5 minutes until lightly toasted and you can smell its nutty flavor.
2. Add 3 cups of the stock, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding stock as needed.
3. Add the saffron, with some additional broth if needed. Simmer an additional 10-15 minutes.
4. Stir in the peas, the arugula and some of the nuts or cheese and more salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 2-3 minutes more, making sure the peas remain bright green.
5. Serve hot, with fresh ground nuts or grated cheese on the side.
Cook ahead! You can make this the night or day before. Refrigerate overnight. Put about ⅙ cup vegetable stock in a pot, add the cooked risotto. Reheat gently over a small flame for about 5-8 minutes and serve.
Courtesy of youarebecauseyoueat.com
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 watermelon radish
1 yellow carrot, with top
1 purple carrot, with top
1 orange carrot, with top
1 mandarin orange or fresh berries
1 lime
Sea salt flakes
Process
1. Peel and wash the radish. Slice it in half lengthwise, then cut into ⅛-inch-thick half moons. Slice the half moons lengthwise into 3-inch-long matchstick shapes.
2. Cut the leafy green tops off the carrots. Discard about three-quarters of them, wash the remaining quarter and chop them roughly. Scrape any tiny white “hairs” and rough spots from the skin of each carrot. Wash them.
3. Slice each carrot into ⅛-inch thick ovals by cutting on the diagonal. Cut each oval lengthwise into about 6-7 matchsticks.
4. Build each salad on a separate plate by layering the orange, yellow and purple carrot sticks and topping with the pink watermelon radish. Save a few sticks of each color and add them to the top. Garnish with the chopped green carrot tops. Sprinkle the sea salt flakes on top.
5. Peel the mandarin orange (if using) and scatter the sections around the edges of the salad. If using berries, scatter them atop and around the edges. Squeeze the lime juice on top of each salad to taste. Serve.
Courtesy of youarebecauseyoueat.com
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 honeydew melon, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
1 Persian or kirby (small) cucumber, washed and cut into chunks
4 ounces plain organic whole milk yogurt, goatgurt or coconut yogurt (if plain not available you may sub vanilla)
pinch of medium grade sea salt
8-10 fresh mint leaves
4 fresh basil leaves
Dash of white pepper (to taste, if desired)
Maldon salt (finishing salt flakes), if desired
½ cantaloupe melon, balled
2 limes
3-4 tablespoons agar agar (seaweed)
1 tablespoon brown rice syrup (optional)
Process
1. Pour 2 cups water into a small pot. Place 3 tablespoons agar agar flakes and a pinch of sea salt in the pot. Let sit for about 10 minutes so the agar agar begins to dissolve.
2. In the meantime, place the honeydew chunks, cucumber chunks, yogurt, 5 of the mint leaves, 4 basil leaves and the white pepper (if using) into the blender. Blend until everything is smooth. Set aside.
3. If you like a super sweet mousse, add 1 tablespoon brown rice syrup to the water and agar agar in the pot (I find it is sweet enough without the syrup). Heat on a medium flame for about 10-15 minutes, until all of the agar agar has dissolved and there are no clumps. It is OK if it boils briefly.
4. Set out dessert cups. Fill 1/3 of each cup with the cucumber-melon mixture. Now pour a small amount of the hot agar-agar water mixture on top. Then add more of the cucumber-melon mix (juice). Cover with another layer of the hot agar-agar water mix.
Courtesy of youarebecauseyoueat.com
Leave in a cool place in the kitchen to set. Once it has gelled and is solid, put the dessert cups in the fridge, covered with something light like a sushi mat. Leave to cool in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
5. When ready to serve, remove from fridge and sprinkle with lime juice, lime zest and some sea salt flakes (if desired). Garnish with a mint leaf and a cantaloupe melon ball (or other fresh seasonal fruit).
