Just finished Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbra Kingsolver. She is one of my favorite authors already, so an account of her year of living locally was entertaining and inspiring. Not truly a vegan book-she raises chickens and turkeys for eggs and food- but it is an anti-factory farming book.
I've been making a trip to my own local farmers market every Saturday morning since it opened and I've already come across a few things I've forgotten. Lettuce comes with dirt, carrots get limp if you don't cut off the green part that grows above ground, and fresh garlic is about the most awesome thing in the world.
Fresh garlic could easily be mistaken for a large scallion or a small onion, but one whiff of even the green stalk part and you know you'll be keeping the vampires away.
I also save all the peelings, stems, pods, and any other parts you would normally throw away and make vegetable stock, but I'll save that for another time.
Farmer's market Lettuce and carrot salad
Salad:
Lettuce
Carrot
Cut off greens from carrots when you get them home. Wash and cut off tops and tails-probably no need to peel. WASH lettuce thoroughly (dunk in big bowl-dirt will fall to bottom) and actually dry it with a paper towel.
Dressing:
2 Tbs Olive oil
2 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Fresh herbs (from farmer's market)
Optional:
1 clove garlic
1Tbs shallot
1 small italian/plum tomato
Whisk together (mince and blend in optional ingredients) and toss with salad.
Pasta with zucchini
1lb spagetti/linguini
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small zucchini
1 small yellow squash
3-5 cloves fresh garlic minced
1 shallot minced
4-6 fresh plum tomatos or good whole canned ones (save the juice) cut in small pieces
Saute the garlic and shallot in the olive oil. Chop the zucchini and squash into 1/4 inch cubes. Add zucchini and squash to pan. Boil water for pasta. When water boils, cook pasta according to package directions and add the tomatos to the cooking zucchini sauce. Add some of the tomato juice (if using canned) or water/broth if the sauce need some liquid. When pasta is done, drain and add to sauce stirring to coat.
Serve immediately. Enjoy!
