Maple and Nutmeg Winter Tea Cookies

It's cookie season, and making cookies with Jaden (2) and Ethan (3 mo) is surprisingly fun, so long as neither of them has a meltdown.  Jaden discovered the joy of licking the mixing attachment on the Kitchen Aid today... At first he was very cautious (we talk A LOT about keeping our hands off the mixer), but it didn't take long for him to really get it clean. He also just got his first apron - it has a bee on it, which he likes to talk about. 

Today we made a delicious little cookie that turned out to be the greatest tea cookie I have ever had. They're just a simple looking cookie with the perfect crunch and a lovely, yet subtle, wintry flavor. In fact, I would say these are a fantastic basic sugar cookie replacement. Seriously, the maple syrup and nutmeg almost knock you off your feet with contentment. The ingredient list is short; you probably have everything you need right in you cupboard this very moment. Adapted from Smitten Kitchen's version, mine is vegan and has a tad less sugar. Just so you know, there is virtually no nutritional value to this cookie, but it is at least less bad for you than many other options.  

• 1 cup buttery spread (like Earth Balance), room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar 
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoons ground flax seed + 3 tablespoons water
• 3 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon sea salt 

1. Mix the flax seed and water together and let stand at least 2 minutes. 
2. Beat butter and sugar together until fluffy in electric mixer. Add flax seed and syrup with mixer running on low. 
3. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the flour, nutmeg, and salt. Add to butter mixture. Mix until just combined (avoid over mixing). 
4. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours and up to four days in the fridge. 
5. Preheat oven to 350F. Roll out the dough on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin to 1/8 inch and cut out in desired shapes. Place on baking sheets (original recipe used parchment, I just set them on the try) and bake 8-11 minutes, until edges are lightly golden. Allow to cool for 2 minutes and transfer to racks to cool completely. 
6. Serve with mint or lemon blossom tea. Really, any tea will do. Keeps in air-tight container for a week or in the freezer for a couple of months. 

Roasted Pumpkin Stuffed with Herby Potatoes

You know those cute little pumpkins they sell at the grocery store? You can eat them! And they are delicious! (As long as they aren't shellacked - look for the ones that look natural rather than super shiny). This little dish is fun, festive, and really good for you. Sincerely, it's JUST a roasted pumpkin with mashed potatoes - super easy! The best part of these cute little treats is that kids love them. Jaden's eyes widened and with a squeal of delight, he ate it right up. Total joy for the mommy. 

Serves 6. 

• 6 mini pumpkins (not the super shiny ones)
• 3 large potatoes
• Olive oil 
• 1/3 cup milk (I used soy milk)
• Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon Italian dried herb seasoning

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F. Slice tops off of pumpkins and gut out the insides. Reserve seeds. Brush insides with olive oil, sprinkle lightly with salt and bake for 45 minutes - lids off. Remove from oven and set aside. 
2. Meanwhile, wash and cube your potatoes. I never peel them, but you can if you want to. Boil them in salted water until tender on medium heat. About 20 minutes. Drain and place into large bowl. Mash together with a generous drizzling of olive oil, milk, generous pinch of salt and pepper, and Italian herbs. Add more oil to taste and consistency. If they are really dry, add more milk. 
3. Stuff the pumpkins with mashed potatoes, top with the pumpkin lid and re-heat in the oven until ready to serve. 

Swiss Chard and Pepita Salad

It's time for winter salads, and this is my new favorite salad ever. It turns out that my summer crop of chard is now my fall crop of chard... and it may even become my winter crop. This is exciting. I love the idea of having garden-fresh greens all year. And these chard are so beautiful - and so low maintenance. You really should plant some chard.  In any case, this simple salad is packed to the brim with nutrients and is perhaps the best salad I've ever had. It's hearty, filling, and sturdy - you can make it an hour before you need it and it's not wilted. Not to mention, it's beautiful. Really - this would be a good one to take to a potluck event. 

• 1 bunch chard, chopped
• 1 small red cabbage, chopped
• 1 ripe plum, peeled and chopped
• 1/3 cup best extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• pinch of salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 avocado, diced 
• 1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds*

1. Rinse and prepare your chard and cabbage. Set aside.
2. Make your dressing: in a food processor, combine plum, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper
3. Toss chard and cabbage with dressing in a large bowl. Arrange greens on a serving platter. Top with avocado and pumpkin seeds. 
4. Serve immediately or cover and chill for up to an hour. 

* To roast pumpkin seeds, rinse them well and pat them 'dry'. Toss them with a splash of butter, salt, and any other seasoning you want - cumin is a great choice. Arrange them on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes or until slightly crunchy on 300F. Check frequently - burnt seeds taste terrible. 

Peach Buttermilk Cake

Peaches may be best eaten freshly sliced by themselves, but if you need to make something to serve for breakfast or brunch, this is a great choice. This is inspired by a recipe in Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Everyday cookbook, which I happily received for my birthday back in May and am just now beginning to use. The cake is lovely - not too sweet, but moist and substantial - just the way you want a cake to be for brunch, or as a snack for the boys. I served it at brunch to a diverse crowd this weekend and it went over well with young and old, junk foodies and organic enthusiasts.

The main difference in my version is that I used non-dairy ingredients and I had to bake it for quite a long time. I'm beginning to think I may have a pretty crappy oven. So to make buttermilk, add one teaspoon vinegar per cup of milk used and allow to set for 15 minutes. I used coconut milk and it became a bit curdled - the perfect reaction.  I replaced the eggs with ground flax - works like a charm. I made it the day before serving, covered tightly with plastic wrap, refrigerated it, and then re-heated it in the oven and found that it tasted perfectly fresh. You could certainly bake into little muffins for snacks or individual treats.

• 2.5 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain salt 
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seed + 6 tablespoons water (combine and set aside)
• 1.5 cups milk of choice + 1.5 teaspoons white vinegar (combine and set 15 min)
• 1/4 cup butter of choice, slightly melted 
• zest of 2 lemons 
• 4 cups peaches, pitted and chopped
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 
2. Combine dry ingredients and mix well in a large bowl or Kitchen Aid.
3. In a smaller bowl, combine flax+water, milk+vinegar, butter, and lemon zest. Add to dry mixture and combine, but don't over mix. 
4. Gently add peaches to cake batter an pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle brown sugar on top. 
5. Bake until set and toothpick comes out clean from the center - about 30 minutes. 
6. Cool on wire rack and serve or store for later.

Ruby Red Summer Swiss Chard Salad

Ruby Red Swiss Chard fresh from the garden is amazing and delicious. Since this is the first year I've grown it, I admit that I am a bit overwhelmed by how much of it I have. I've been giving it away like crazy to neighbors and family - but by now it's high time I take better advantage of this dark leafy green rich in vitamins C, K, A and Iron. This salad is a the result of me testing out new ways to eat, and enjoy, chard.

I suppose the basis of this recipe is inspired by living in Spain, where we learned that everything tastes great with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and this salad is no exception. I also wanted to work out a raw dish to best utilize the nutrients of our garden greens.

Serves four for salad, two for dinner.

Best fresh, but keeps refrigerated for 2 days.

• 1 bunch Swiss Chard, washed and chopped
• 2 ears fresh corn, husked and kernels removed - no need to cook them. Or one cup frozen corn - allow to defrost on the counter or in the salad - don't microwave it!
• Highest quality extra virgin olive oil
• Your favorite balsamic vinegar
• Parmesan cheese
• Dried cranberries
• Freshly ground salt and pepper

1. In a large bowl, generously drizzle olive oil and vinegar over the chard. Toss well.
2. Arrange on a serving platter or dinner plates.
3. Sprinkle with corn, cranberries, and cheese.
4. chill and/or serve immediately.

Italian Chocolate Zucchini Cake

For those of you who planted zucchini in their gardens as I did, you maybe looking for a way to thoughtfully use up your plentiful bounty without driving your family crazy with variations of zucchini main dishes. This is where chocolate zucchini cake comes in perfectly. This is an Italian recipe, and like so many Italian dishes, this one is perfect. It's not too sweet, which to me makes it perfectly Italian - at least in my experience of eating in Italy.

The recipe is inspired by The Italian Dish (an exceedingly beautiful food blog), but my version uses egg and milk alternatives. I baked the batter into muffins and froze them instead of a full-size cake so that I could pack them into Joey's lunch - we really don't finish cake quickly enough around here. The cake is moist and satisfying, with a subtle sweet and chocolate flavor. It really is delightful and would be wonderful served at a dinner party.

• 1 large zucchini from your garden, trimmed and grated (use medium holes on a box grater)
• 8 tbsp butter - room temp.
• 2 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seed + 6 tablespoons water (combine and set aside)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 organic soy milk + 1 teaspoon whit vinegar (combine and allow at to set at least 15 minutes)
• Powdered sugar for dusting

1. Working in batches, drain the zucchini by wringing it out in a mesh cloth, cheese cloth, or tea towel. Transfer to a bowel and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 325 F / 160C. Grease a 9-inch cake pan or muffin tin (or use cupcake papers in your muffin tin).
3. Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together into a bowl. Set aside.
4. In your KitchenAid (or whatever mixer you use), beat together butter and sugar until fluffy - 3-4 minutes. Add oil, mixing well. Add flax and water mixture and vanilla.
5. Reduce mixer speed and alternately add flour mixture and milk. Stirn in zucchini.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 50 minutes for muffins, 1 hour and 15 minutes for cake. When finished, allow to cool 15 minutes before removing from tin to cool completely on wire racks.
7. Dust with powdered sugar and serve or freeze.

East Indian Zucchini Dip

This recipe was born from me being unprepared to bring an appetizer to a party and looking through my pantry to see what could be quickly thrown together. It was a lucky and delicious break. Kind of sweet, kind of tangy. Kind of like hummus, but totally different. This dip is nutritious and a great use of zucchinis for those of you with gardens full of them right about now. Jaden and Joey loved it, as did people at the party. We'll certainly be making this one again!

Serve with crackers or veggie sticks.

Keeps 5 days refrigerated in an air-tight container.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or agave)
• 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
• Generous pinch of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon garam masala spice
• generous splash of line juice
• generous pinch of dried mint
• Shake or two of garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1 small zucchini, chopped
• 1 can organic chick peas/garbanzo beans, rinsed

1. Combine all ingredients together in a food processor until smooth. Add small amounts of water or olive oil to improve smoothness as needed.
2. Taste and add more salt or pepper as desired.
3. Serve immediately or reserve for later.