This "recipe" is yet another choose your own adventure, and it doesn't require turning on a single kitchen appliance. These vegetable summer rolls are super fresh, and can change with the seasons in regards to what veggies are included. 

When building summer rolls I always like to include a few categories of components: crunchy vegetables, fresh herbs/aromatics, and protein. These ones are loaded with cucumbers, tofu, mint, basil, and more... all complimented by a peanut dipping sauce. 

Don't be afraid to branch out and make this your own. Try adding cooked and cooled shrimp instead of tofu, or rice noodles instead of greens. 

Ingredients:

1 package of rice spring roll wrappers
1/2 bag of mixed greens or lettuce
4 cucumbers, sliced thinly
3 cups sliced crunchy vegetables - peppers, carrots, radish, salad turnips etc
1 block of firm tofu
2 cups of fresh herbs- basil, cilantro, mint, and/or green onion

Quick & Easy Peanut Sauce: 
3 parts peanutbutter (crunchy or smooth)
2 parts soy sauce or tamari
1 part sesame oil
1 part rice wine vinegar
maple syrup & sriRAWcha to taste
optional: minced ginger & garlic

Method of Preparation: 

1. Prepare all of the fillings before you begin- drain and slice tofu into matchsticks or small planks, slice or julienne the vegetables, and pick the herbs from their stems. If using green onions, slice into 3 inch pieces. 

2. To assemble: Fill a large, shallow bowl with warm water. Soak one rice paper wrapper in the water until it begins to soften. Lay the wrapper on a plate and fill with a handful of greens, some tofu, a few pieces of vegetables and a few pieces of fresh herbs.

3. Fold the sides inward and wrap snugly like you would with a burrito. Wrap tightly but also gently to avoid ripping the softened rice paper. Repeat with the remaining rice paper, soaking and wrapping just one at a time. These can be wrapped a few days in advance and kept in the refrigerator. 

4. Serve with your favorite peanut sauce, or make your own by combining the ingredients listed above together, thinning with warm water until you reach your desired consistency. 

This year we've been blessed with a nice, cool spring. The greens are abundant and just begging to be turned into a comforting meal. As the weather starts to warm up I wanted to include one more cozy recipe before leaning on low or no cook dishes that will keep our kitchens cool.

A classic pot of greens and beans doesn't need to be complicated or serious. Choose your favorite greens, choose your favorite beans... you're basically done. You can bump up the flavor and nutrition on this recipe cooking with bone broth or adding protein that suits you. Enjoy it as a main dish, or as a side. Flexibility is the name of the game with this one. 

Ingredients

1 bunch of greens (kale, collards, swiss chard etc)
1 can drained or 2 cups of cooked beans (cannellini, navy, great northern, etc)
1/4 cup vegetable stock or bone broth
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp vinegar (sherry, apple cidar, etc)
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
salt & pepper
optional: red pepper flakes/parmesan cheese

Method of Preparation: 

1. Rinse the greens and remove the stems. Tear leaves into bite sized pieces and chop the stems if using something tender like swiss chard. 

2. Add olive oil to a deep pan and heat on medium before adding the sliced garlic. Cook until fragrant and then remove once browned slightly. If using tender stems, add to the same pan and cook for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften.

3. Add the torn leaves and cook down until wilted. Add the remaining ingredients- vinegar, stock, cooked beans, and red pepper flakes if you like some heat. 

​4. Turn down the burner and simmer on low until the liquid is absorbed. Add back the cooked garlic if you'd like and top with optional parmesan cheese.

The real star here is the berry mixture- I encourage you to use whatever "shortcake" base that you like. A spongy vanilla cake or a buttery biscuit could work really well... or just make the strawberries and eat them with fresh whipped cream. 

The secret ingredients in these strawberries are basil and red wine. There is just a small amount of wine used to macerate the berries with the herbs. This recipe is uncooked, so if you are worried about the alcohol content, feel free to cook this down for a few minutes by simmering on a stovetop.

Ingredients

2 cups of whole strawberries
1/4 cup of red wine
1 Tbsp fresh basil, chiffonade (aka sliced into thin strips) 
2-4 tbsp brown sugar or maple syrup
1 cup of whipped cream of your choice
1 lemon, zested
optional: whole black or pink peppercorns

Method of Preparation

1. Wash the strawberries and trim off the green tops.

2. Slice or quarter the berries and add to a bowl with wine, sugar, basil and a few whole peppercorns if you like (this is highly recommended, don't be scared). Feel free to adjust the amount of sugar you add based on the sweetness of the berries and wine. 

3. Let the berries macerate with the other ingredients for at least 30 minutes. It will create it's own syrup the longer you let it sit. You can leave it to sit overnight in the refrigerator too, but I like using it when it's super fresh and still room temperature

4. Remove peppercorns before serving and mix the lemon zest into your whipped cream to really brighten up the whole dish.

5. Serve the berries on top of your preferred shortcake vessel, or just eat the berries and cream on their own!

I was lucky enough to spend my childhood years in Nice, France where local produce is abundant and fresh vegetables make up a big part of the diet. The classic salad Nicoise always features fresh tomatoes, briney olives, hard boiled eggs + tuna or anchovies dressed in vinaigrette. More modern versions add additional ingredients like cooked potatoes, green beans, capers or radishes...so this really can be a choose your own adventure style salad. I especially like to make this when summers start to heat up- only about 15 minutes of active cooking time, and you only need one pot of water to get it done. 

A mixture of cooked and raw vegetables plus multiple protein sources really make this salad a complete meal. By cooking the vegetables and eggs ahead of time, and keeping them in the refrigerator, this meal comes together in just minutes whenever you need something fresh and filling. If you can find Nicoise olives, definitely use those- but most of the time I will make this with whatever I have access to. This recipe will make 2 large meal-sized salads or 4 smaller salads.

Ingredients

1/2 bag of salad greens or arugula
4 eggs, hard or soft boiled
1 lb yellow or purple potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 lb green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup kalamata or green olives 
1-2 cans of tuna packed in olive oil
1/2 cup of your favorite vinaigrette

Method of Preparation

1. Start by cooking the potatoes and blanching the green beans- usually I do this in the same pot. Starting with cold water I cook the potatoes for 10 minutes, then add the green beans and cook for 2-3 more minutes. You can also cook your hard (or soft) boiled eggs at this point too! 

2. Remove the green beans with a slotted spoon and put into an ice bath to stop the cooking and keep them crunchy and green. Drain the potatoes and chill in the refrigerator until you're ready to make the salad. 

3. To assemble: toss potatoes and green beans with half of the vinaigrette, and the salad greens with the remaining. Add the greens to your plate, topped with the beans and potatoes. Pile on the remaining ingredients - tuna, tomatoes, olives, and sliced hardboiled eggs + any additional fresh vegetables that are in season. 

We will forever encourage people to make fridge pickles...they're quick, easy, and a great place to start if fermented or canned pickles seem intimidating. 

We've shared recipes for carrots and radishes, but today asparagus gets the spotlight. Asparagus has a short growing window, so preserving this harvest for future days is a great idea. These fridge pickles won't last too long because they're so delicious.

You can customize the flavor by adding your favorite dried spices...try red pepper flakes or even some fresh or dried chilis if you want to make these hot and spicy. 

Ingredients:

1 bunches of asparagus, trimmed to fit in a pint sized jar
1 cups of water
1 cups of white distilled vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1/2  tbsp salt or pickling salt
3 garlic cloves, whole
3 sprigs of dill
optional: red pepper flakes, black peppercorns, mustard seed, dried chili peppers etc

Method of Preparation

1. Add whole garlic cloves and fresh dill to the bottom of a pint jar. Then pack the jar with trimmed asparagus vertically, fitting as many as possible without crushing them. Add optional dried spices/seasonings to your taste. 

2. To make the brine: in a small saucepan heat water, vinegar, salt & sugar on medium heat. Stir and simmer until everything is dissolved. 

3. Carefully pour the hot brine over the asparagus, ensuring they are completely covered by the liquid. 

4. Cool to room temperature before storing in the fridge for up to two weeks. You can eat them right away, but they're best after 2-3 days once they've sat in the brind for a bit. 

Arugula's peppery bite is great in fresh salads, but slightly wilting it in a pasta dish gives it a whole new dimension. Simple ingredients make this pasta really quick to assemble, with just a few minutes of cooking time. This dish is great with added protein like chicken or white beans, and you can add a garnish like extra cheese or breadcrumbs.  Use whatever pasta shape that you like. The recipe below serves about 4 people- but use a whole pound of pasta and double it to feed a crowd.

Ingredients
½ pound of your favorite pasta
2 Tbsp olive oil or butter
3 cloves of garlic
1 lemon zested and juiced
4 big handfuls of chopped arugula
1 handful of grated parmesan cheese or a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast
salt + pepper + red pepper flakes to taste
​
Method of Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook your pasta as you assemble the sauce. Make sure to reserve some pasta cooking water that you will later add to the sauce.
2. Heat a large pan over medium heat and add your oil or butter (or a combination of both). Cook your garlic until it just starts to soften and get fragrant. 
3. Add your lemon juice, zest, red pepper flakes and cheese to the garlic along with ½ cup of pasta water. Cook together for just a minute before adding your cooked and drained pasta. 
4. Stir pasta and sauce together before adding in your arugula. The arugula will wilt down quickly and once it has you’re ready to serve.

Microgreens pack a huge punch of nutrients when added to any dish, but I especially like using them in a fresh pesto. Instead of using microgreens as a garnish or topping, this recipe calls for a few big handfuls of any variety. Use a mix of them, or add additional greens like pea tendrils or spinach. I purposefully left cheese out of this recipe so that it can be frozen and used at a later time. If you're making this to eat right away, feel free to add some grated parmesan or even nutritional yeast if you're dairy-free. 

What are microgreens? You guessed it….tiny greens, they're just one or two week old sprouts! They’re tiny, tender, and contain concentrated amounts of the antioxidants that would be found in the adult plants. And lots of plants can be harvested as microgreens like radish, basil, kale, arugula, and sunflower. ​