In 1492 or so, the kidney bean sailed the ocean blue. Christopher Columbus and that meaty red bean probably tipped their hats at each other as they passed. This is a recipe that marries Punjabi Rajma, a kidney bean gravy dish from northwestern India, with a West Indies suite of spices, set off by a bed of fragrant Basmati rice. Taste 500+ years of global cultural exchange when you eat this hearty all-seasons meal.

Serves 6

Melt 1 Tbs. extra virgin coconut oil on low-medium heat, then add and saute for 10 minutes, being careful not to burn onions:
1 onion, diced
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 carrots, sliced

Add spices and continue sauteing for 5 minutes:
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. rubbed sage
1 tsp. paprika

Add and simmer until liquid thickens to a gravy, increasing heat moderately and adding additional liquid, if necessary. Avoid overcooking.
1 red pepper, diced
3 cups cooked kidney beans
1/2 cup kidney bean cooking liquid

Add final ingredients, stirring greens just until wilted, and serve on a bed of basmati rice.
5 collard leaves, ribbed and chopped
1 or more tsp. Herbamare or sea salt, to taste 

We have ramps, also known as wild leeks, growing on our hillside these days. They are a member of the lily family and the whole plant, from bulb to leaves, is edible. They are perfect in any recipe where you might otherwise use regular leeks, garlic scapes, scallions, or shallots. We often eat them sauteed, or you can have them raw in a salad, or ground up into a pesto. Here is a simple, pureed soup recipe that is perfect for incorporating more seasonal local foods into your diet.

Springtime Ramp Soup
Serves 4-5

Saute in 2-3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil for 10-15 minutes until fragrant and soft:
2 cups coarsely chopped ramp bulbs (set aside greens)
2 medium potatoes, chopped (use local potatoes!)

Add 3 1/2 cups water and simmer for 10-15 minutes, then remove from heat and stir in reserved ramp greens until wilted.

Finally, add and puree:
Sea salt or Herbamare to taste (1-2 tsp.)
1 Tbs. fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 1/4 of a lemon) 
Add additional water to thin soup, if desired. 

Gobi is the Indian word for cauliflower, so this recipe is for a faux mac-n-cheese pasta dish tossed with creamy, pureed cauliflower. My husband came up with this great name for the lunch we ate today. It was so simple and delicious that I figured everyone in the vegan blogosphere must have come up with this recipe already. But in my search, I only found a traditional, dairy-heavy gratin dish in England called "Cauliflower Cheese." I'm glad Steve didn't think of calling our lunch that, not only to provide some distinction, but also because it sounds like a fungal growth on the toes in the damp clime of the British Isles. Actually, I think there was an unpublished Jane Austen manuscript I came across mentioning it. Here is an excerpt:

I was gouty and had a case of cauliflower cheese, and so I retreated to Bath for the season, whereupon I met a handsome barrister with a residence in Cheapside, a Mr. Smithson, who was similarly afflicted and, in the course of his addresses to me, came to learn that his sister's late husband's cousin, a common vicar from ____shire with barely 25 pounds per annum, had recently perished from these same ailments. Our common suffering, Mr. Smithson's and my own, and the idea that we may both soon know the underside of a grave, brought forth from my breast a rapturous passion hitherto unknown in myself or any in my acquaintance (with the exception of the youngest of my sisters who had recently and foolishly eloped to Gretna Green with a itinerant soldier). After a heady courtship, we were married within a fortnight and took our wedding tour on the sunny Continent where, to our delight, our burdens of gout and cauliflower cheese were lifted, and we celebrated with new shoes fashioned from Italian leather, the likes of which my youngest sister will never have, I am quite certain. 

Hm. Now that I've made a connection between cauliflower and foot fungi, I think I never want to eat cauliflower again. Let me try and salvage this with a less disgusting literary reference: If I lived in the town of Chewandswallow where the food falls from the sky three times a day, and it happened to be cauliflower day, I would definitely make this recipe.

Mac and Gobi Cheese
Serves 4

Heat 2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil or extra virgin coconut oil in a sauce pan and add:
1/2 onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup raw pine nuts or raw cashews

Saute on low-medium heat until onions are translucent, then add: 
1 head cauliflower, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup water

Cover the pan and steam for 10 minutes, adding more water as necessary to keep the cauliflower from burning. Steam until the cauliflower is mashable with a fork. 

Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture. Add sea salt or Herbamare (at least 1 tsp.) and pepper to taste.

Mix with 8 oz. of cooked gluten-free pasta, such as Andean Dream, and top with parsley and grated parmesan or Daiya cheese (optional).

 

Prunes conjure up a variety of reactions in people. Mine are mostly pleasant, especially when I think of my 2-year old in the bath looking at his hands saying, "I have pruneez!" But there was that time my sister-in-law and I worked hard all day on her farm only to find there was nothing to eat on the whole seventy-seven acres except a big box of prunes. And we shared it. The whole thing. And there was no plumbing. Now that I've been enjoying Ali's prune-sweetened baked goods as part of this month's Adopt- A-Gluten-Free-Blogger event at the Book of Yum, my reaction is quite positive indeed!

And actually, even that run-in with the farm prunes ended up very positively. The prunes bonded us even closer together as not just sisters-in-law, but sisters-for-life. In the spirit of prunes as relationship-builders, these recipes I reviewed from Ali at The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen serve as the binding fiber in my (already high) esteem for her! This week, my family enjoyed Ali's Gluten-Free + Vegan + Sugar-Free Chocolate Cake and Gluten-Free Gingerbread Muffins.

A quick poll of our reactions to this prune experience is as follows:

• Oliver - dramatic sighs of pleasure while eating a muffin;
• Galen - jumping around the kitchen shouting, "Yes! Yes! Yes!";
• Dad - seconds and then thirds on the chocolate cake;
• Me - hypnotized while ogling the smooth, pudding-like consistency of the prune mix silkily pouring out of the Vitamix container. 

Both treats are not overly sweet, and both have a long shelf life. I didn't store the muffins in a tightly closed container, just a bread box, and on the third day they were still perfect. Both treats also hold their shape really well, and of course I used Ali's chia substitution asterisked in the chocolate cake recipe in place of xanthan gum. These recipes hold together so well that I was able to make a train-shaped cake. I put half the chocolate cake batter into a greased bread pan, and created this sturdy steamie:

These prune-sweetend treats are great, simple-yet-delicious recipes that need to be in a classic tome of gluten-free baked good staples. Thanks, Ali! We're smiling at you over there in Bellingham, WA with prunes on our chins.

Here is a heart-healthy comfort soup made with fresh almond milk. I use basic potatoes, celery and carrots for this recipe, but you could add cauliflower, leafy greans, winter squash, mushrooms or anything else that jumps out of the crisper. This is an easy one-pot dish that can simmer on a back burner while you prepare the rest of the meal.

I use a couple special seasoning mixes from Penzeys Spices in this recipe. The Penzeys Forward! seasoning could most likely be replaced with Old Bay Seasoning, though Old Bay might not be gluten-free. Penzeys Bouquet Garni is a mix of tarragon, savory, dill, basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, and sage, so if you had a few of those on hand to throw in, it should be a suitable substitute.

How to Make Fresh Almond Milk
Soak 1 cup raw almonds for 8 hours or overnight. Drain. Bring small pot of water to boil, then turn off heat. Immerse soaked almonds in hot water for less than a minute to blanch. Drain into a colander. The quick blanch makes the skins of the almonds easy to remove. Pinch each almond to pop it out of its skin (be careful because they can really fly!). Rinse skinned almonds and place in blender or Vitamix with 4 cups water. Blend until almonds are finely ground. Strain liquid through cheese cloth or nut milk bag to remove fibers. Add sweetener or vanilla, if desired. For this recipe, however, use plain fresh almond milk.

Hearty Vegan Chowder
Serves 4

Heat in medium soup pot on medium-low heat.
2-3 Tbs. olive oil

Add vegetables to pot and saute until onions are translucent. Keep heat at medium-low to avoid browning vegetables already in pot while you chop.
1 onion, finely diced
1 large russet potato, diced into centimeter-size cubes
3 stalks of celery, chopped
3 large carrots, diced 

Add spices and saute for 3-5 minutes to allow the flavors to come together.
1 tsp. Penzeys Bouquet Garni
1 tsp. Penzeys Forward! (use more here to increase pepperiness - I used less for the kids)
1/2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. Herbamare or sea salt

Add 3 cups fresh almond milk and simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are soft and have caused the milk to thicken. Serve and enjoy! 

Oliver licks the chocolate cake bowl instead of eating his dinner.