Leftover roasted root vegetable soup

You can make this recipe dairy free and vegan if you substitute coconut oil for butter and full-fat coconut milk for the cream.

If you don't have leftovers you can roast up some cauliflower, parsnips and carrots

Leftover roasted root vegetable soup with caramelized onions and apples

• Roasted root veggies
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (uless there's already garlic in your roasted veggie mix)
• Enough vegetable broth to cover your veggies
• 1/2 cup cream (or more, to taste, especially if you're making a big pot of soup)
• 1 large yellow onion
• 1 large apple, diced
• 1 teaspoon oil of your choice (or butter)
• Salt and pepper

Hot spiced cider

Hot Spiced Cider

• One small apple (optional)
• 1/2c brown sugar or dark honey
• 8c apple juice or local cider
• 1tsp whole allspice (I never have it around, but it's yummy if you do)
• 1tsp whole cloves
• 4-6 whole cinnamon sticks

Rhubarb crumble

I have waaaay too much rhubarb in the freezer and it needs to get used up.

Rhubarb Crumble

• Enough roughly chopped rhubarb to cover the bottom of your baking dish to a depth that makes you happy (but not too thick or it's going to be quite sour- unless you like that)
• 1/3c unsalted butter or butter substitute (unless you have salted on hand- no biggie)
• 3/4c ground almonds
• 1/3c honey, preferably local (non-store-bought has more flavour) or use a syrup of your choosing for the vegan option
• 1tsp vanilla extract (optional unless you have something gf)
• 1tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2c flaked almonds (if you can find unbleached all the better)

Herbal hot chocolate

Herbal Hot Chocolate 

• 3 oz really good chocolate (the best you can afford)
• 2c milk of your choice (cow, almond, rice, coconut, etc)
• 1/4c cream (optional- cow or coconut)
• 2tsp dried herbs (combinations suggested below, or experiment)

Method

• Put your milk and herbs in a small sauce pan and heat gently and slowly (you don't want to scorch the milk and have it stick to the bottom of the pan
• Take it off the heat and let it cool while you chop the chocolate
• Strain the herbs out of the milk and back into the sauce pan. Add the chocolate.
• Heat again very slowly and over a low heat. The chocolate will melt. Whisk very frequently.
• Pour into a mug when it is quite warm to the touch, but not boiling.

List of good herbs and other ingredients- mint, bee balm, lemon balm, lemon verbena, sweet violet, rose, citrus (from organic peels), ginger, lavender, raspberry leaves

Herb combination suggestions- White chocolate and lavender, milk chocolate with citrus and ginger, white chocolate with sweet violet and rose, dark chocolate with raspberry leaves and mint, dark chocolate with lemon balm and ginger.

Hopefully this will help you get through the long, dark teatime of the soul in January and February... Along with garden catalogues.

Apple peel chips and apple cider vinegar

Apple Peel Chips

• Some apple peels
• Cinnamon and sugar to taste
• 1/2 Tbsp melted butter or other neutral oil
• Pinch of salt

Pumpkin soup

Pumpkin Soup

• 2lbs pumpkin (pie variety NOT carving type)
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• butter or butter substitute
• salt and pepper
• cinnamon and nutmeg
• milk
• 1 litre of vegetable stock

Kitchen sink stew

Kitchen Sink Stew


Ingredients

• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 leek or small onion
• 2 Tbsp flour or thickener of your choice (I use tapioca flour)
• Enough stock to cover the contents of your pot
• 1 cup beans, fresh or tinned (kidney, lima, etc.)
• 1 cup chopped, cooked meat (optional)
• 4-5 cups chopped vegetables of your choice- whatever you have in season in your garden- kale, carrots, beans, potatoes, etc.
• Salt and pepper
• Mixed culinary herbs- fresh or dried to taste (dill tastes good with fish, rosemary tastes good with everything else, but I like to put in a bit of parsley, sage and thyme as well).
• Milk or cream (optional)

Wildcrafted local mustard

Garlic Mustard-Mustard               
makes about 1/2 c.

7 Tb ground garlic mustard seeds
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
6 Tb water
2 tsp honey or 3 tsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp turmeric

1. Grind the seeds using either a mortar and pestle or clean coffee grinder, then stir together with the salt and turmeric. Add the water, honey and vinegar and stir until smooth.


Let it sit, covered, in the fridge for a week, and then stir before use. It will darken up a bit. Keep it covered, and use within seven months.

The only ingredients which aren't possibly local are the salt and turmeric. Not bad!

Thrifty garden goodness- pea pod soup

Pea Pod Soup

Ingredients
a colander's worth of empty pea pods (use fresh pods from your garden)
water
1 large onion
1 large or 2 small potatoes
a handful of fresh mint leaves (from your own garden if possible)
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
garnish with chopped green onions and/or cream or yoghurt

Garlic mustard hummus and falafels

Garlic mustard is an incredibly invasive species. I'll call them 'weeds', but they're actually incredibly edible, so maybe we should call them 'free food'... It grows everywhere.

So, here are a couple recipes you can use them in. Blanch the plants in a bit of boiling water if you find them too bitter when used raw.


Garlic Mustard Hummus 
makes about 2 1/2 c.

2 cups washed, chopped garlic mustard leaves
1 cup washed, chopped ramps greens, or 1/2 cup onion
2 cups cooked chick peas
5 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp tahini
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp cumin

1. Put everything into your food processor and blend until a nice consistency. Add more olive oil if you like it smoother.


Green Falafels            
makes about 35 falafel patties

1 cup packed, chopped raw garlic mustard greens
10 green ramps leaves, or 1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
2 cans chickpeas, or about 3 cups raw, soaked chickpeas
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp ground coriander
2 Tbsp flour of your choice- choose something with a bit of sticking power like tapioca or corn starch if wheat isn't your thing
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 c. breadcrumbs (gluten free if you like, or more tapioca starch)

1. Heat the oven to 375°.
2. Blend everything in a food processor until a slightly chunky paste forms. You may need to add more olive oil as you want the mixture to be scoopable.
3. Form the mixture into patties, about 2 Tablespoons for each patty. Coat the falafel in the breadcrumbs and place on a baking sheet. Spray the falafels with a light coat of olive oil cooking spray.
4. Bake for 20 minutes, flip over and bake 10 minutes longer. Serve with pitas and fillings.