I marvel at the variety of produce we have available in Riverside even while enjoying a real winter. My son says he describes Southern California to his European friends as, “a place that has fresh tomatoes in December”. Strawberries and citrus could be added to that list. I don’t take this bounty for granted. My own garden has broccoli 8” across this year, and lettuce and other greens galore. The cool rains are a garden helper.
The Riverside Food Co-op wishes you all a year of good eating!
Gaytan Family Farm
Artichokes
Broccoli
Carrots
Leek
Romaine Lettuce
Green Leaf Lettuce
Red Lead Lettuce
Onion Bag
RS Farms
Spinach
Fox Farm
Tangerines
Pomelos
RFC Add-In
Lemons
Not a member yet? Why not? Click here to join the co-op at $100 for full membership. Be a member and a co-owner, bringing the power of economic independence to Riverside. Members can subscribe to our crop box too! $27/month with delivery available for $7.50/month. You benefit, your community benefits, and our partner farms and growers benefit.
Cauliflower Steaks with Lemon Herb Sauce
From Pure Wow. Serves 4.
Ingredients
Lemon-Herb Sauce
1 cup parsley leaves
½ cup cilantro leaves
½ cup mint leaves
½ cup roughly chopped green onion
1 garlic clove, smashed
Juice of 1 lemon
⅓ cup olive oil
Cauliflower Steaks
1 large head cauliflower
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 teaspoons smoked paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
1. MAKE THE HERB SAUCE: In a blender or food processor, pulse the parsley, cilantro, mint, green onion, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil until completely smooth. Set aside.
2. MAKE THE CAULIFLOWER STEAKS: With a sharp knife, cut the cauliflower into 1-inch-thick slices. (You should get about 8 slices.) Rub both sides of each piece of cauliflower with about 1 teaspoon olive oil. Sprinkle both sides of each piece with ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
3. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the cauliflower steaks until they are golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. The cauliflower should be easily pierced with a fork but not so tender that it falls apart.
4. To serve, place 2 cauliflower steaks on each plate and top with a generous drizzle of the lemon-herb sauce. Serve immediately.
Note: Leftover sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.
For all of you with clean eating resolutions, try this salad. It even includes vegan Parmesan cheese. Oh my!
The Mean Green Detox Salad
From HalfbakedHarvest.com Serves 4 as a main dish.
Ingredients
Lemon Tahini Dressing
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce or tamari
juice + zest from 1 lemon (use only half of the zest)
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
salt + pepper, to taste
Salad
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cups Tuscan kale, roughly torn
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1/4 head purple cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup fresh parley + cilantro, roughly chopped
hemp seeds + chia seeds, for topping
2 red grapefruits, segmented
2 ripe, but firm avocados, sliced or chopped
Vegan Parmesan
1/2 cup raw pine nuts
2 teaspoons raw sesame seeds
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
salt, to taste
This vegan cauliflower chowder can be added to any meal, or make lunch by itself.
Curried Cauliflower Chowder
From TheKitchn.com Serves 4-6 (about 2 quarts).
Ingredients
1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped, divided
12 oz. of cauliflower florets, divided
1 1/2 cups water
12 ounces red potato (about 3 medium), diced
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1 cup frozen corn kernels
Lime juice, as needed
Directions
Coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, for serving (optional). Open the can of coconut milk without shaking it. Scoop about 6 tablespoons of the thickened coconut cream at the top of can into a large saucepan or small pot; set the rest of the can aside.
Heat the coconut cream over medium-high heat until it begins to bubble. Add the ginger, garlic, and curry powder, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add half of the onion and half of the cauliflower, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the rest of the can of coconut milk and scrape up any browned bits at the bottom of the saucepan. Transfer to a stand blender or use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. Return the soup to the pan over medium heat.
Add the remaining onion, water, potato, soy sauce or tamari, and 2 teaspoons salt. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally and reducing the heat as needed, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining cauliflower and corn and cook until the cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes more. Taste and season with salt or lime juice as needed. Serve topped with cilantro if using.
This casserole is very tasty, combining Harissa with cheese, not a usual combination. I would be fine without the prosciutto, too, but it adds a nice flavor and crunch.
Harissa, Broccoli, Spinach and Wild Rice Casserole with Crispy Prosciutto
From HalfbakedHarvest.com Serves 6 to 8 as a side.
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups cooked wild rice
1/4 to 1/3 cup homemade or store-bought harissa
1 1/2 cups broccoli
12 ounces spinach
1 teaspoon dried dill
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped + more for garnish
good pinch of salt + pepper
4 ounces gruyere cheese, shredded
2 ounces gouda cheese, shredded
5 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
2 tablespoons pistachios, chopped
Instructions
Grease a 2-3 quart casserole dish. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Heat a very large skillet (one big enough to fit all of the rice + spinach) over medium-high heat. Once hot add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the onions and garlic.
Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until the onion is soft and lightly caramelized. Remove from the heat and stir in the cooked wild rice, harissa (I used 1/3 cup), frozen broccoli, spinach, dill, cilantro, salt and pepper. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and mix well to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
Sprinkle the cheeses over the casserole and then add the prosciutto. Bake the casserole for 20-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the prosciutto is crispy.
Sprinkle the casserole with fresh cilantro and chopped pistachios. Serve!
You may have noticed the new “bowl” trend. Bowl eateries are popping up, recipes are all over the blogosphere, and lots of other cafes have added a bowl. I am going to put in a few recipes, but you will quickly see how adaptable and versatile bowls are. Put in a grain, veggies, fruit, something for crunch, and add an egg, fried or hard boiled. You really can’t go too wrong.
Kale, Avocado and Wild Rice Bowl
From Pure Wow. Makes 2 servings.
Ingredients
Rice
1 cup wild rice
3 cups vegetable broth or water
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Topping
1 bunch kale, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
¼ cup pomegranate seeds
1 orange, cut into segments
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
2 hard-boiled eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1. MAKE THE RICE: In a medium pot, stir the rice with the broth (or water, if using) and garlic to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat.
2. Once the liquid is boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the rice is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed, 15 to 17 minutes.
3. Let the rice cool for 5 to 10 minutes and then toss it with the olive oil, vinegar, mint, salt and pepper.
4. BUILD THE BOWLS: In a medium bowl, toss the kale with the olive oil and vinegar. Divide the rice between two bowls and then top with equal amounts of kale.
5. Top each of the bowls with 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds, half the orange slices, 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds and a hard-boiled egg. Season the egg with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Sweet Potato Chickpea Buddha Bowl
From Minimalist Baker via Pure Wow. Serves 2.
Ingredients
Vegetables
2 Tbsp olive, melted coconut, or grape seed oil
1/2 red onion, sliced in wedges
2 large sweet potatoes, halved Winter squash will also work well
1 bundle (227 g) broccoli large stems removed, chopped
2 big handfuls kale, larger stems removed
1/4 tsp each salt + pepper
Chickpeas
1 15-ounce (425 g) chickpeas, drained, rinsed + patted dry
1 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp each salt + pepper
1/2 tsp oregano (optional)
1/4 tsp turmeric (optional)
Tahini Sauce (optional)
1/4 cup (56 g) tahini
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 lemon, juiced
2-4 Tbsp hot water to thin
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and arrange sweet potatoes and onions on a bare baking sheet. Drizzle both with a bit of oil, making sure the flesh of the sweet potatoes are well coated and placed skin side down on the sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven flip sweet potatoes and add broccoli. Drizzle broccoli with a bit of oil and season with a pinch each salt and pepper.
Bake for another 8-10 minutes, then remove from oven and add kale. Drizzle kale with a touch more oil and season with a pinch each salt and pepper. Bake for another 4-5 minutes then set aside.
While vegetables are roasting, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add chickpeas to a mixing bowl and toss with seasonings.
Once hot, add 1 Tbsp oil and chickpeas and sauté, stirring frequently. If they’re browning too quickly, turn down heat. If there isn’t much browning going on, increase heat. I found 10 minutes total at slightly over medium heat was perfect. Once the chickpeas are browned and fragrant, remove from heat and set aside.
Prepare sauce by adding tahini, maple syrup and lemon juice to a mixing bowl and whisking to combine. Add hot water until a pourable sauce is formed. Set aside.
To serve: Slice sweet potatoes into bite size pieces. Divide vegetables between 3 serving bowls and top with chickpeas + tahini sauce.
Best fresh, though leftovers will keep for a few days in the fridge.
A nifty trick for getting dinner on the table with minimum effort, is making it all at once on a sheet pan. Again, this recipe is easily adaptable to what you have on hand, and a variety of proteins: chicken thighs, chicken breasts, or sausage. Cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, peppers and onions are all good additions.
Chicken and Roasted Vegetable Sheet Pan Meal
From TheKitchn.com Serves 4.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs, skin on but bones removed
1 pound small red potatoes, halved
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 pound broccoli, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Equipment
Rimmed baking sheet
Measuring spoons
Small bowl
Brush
Instructions
Heat the oven and baking sheet: Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F. Place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven while the oven is heating. This crisps the skin.
Season the chicken and potatoes: Season the chicken and potatoes all over with the salt.
Start roasting the chicken and potatoes: Place the chicken skin-side down in the middle of the hot baking sheet. Add the potatoes around the edge of the baking sheet, immediately return the sheet to the oven, and roast for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the maple syrup and mustard in a small bowl.
Add the broccoli: Flip the chicken skin side up. Brush the chicken with the maple-mustard mixture. Add the broccoli to the baking sheet.
Bake until crispy: Bake until the chicken and potatoes are crispy, about 15 minutes more. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before serving.