1 lb Roma tomatoes

1 white onion, coarsely chopped

1 to 2 limes, juiced

1 bunch cup chopped cilantro

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut ends off of tomatoes, then chop into small pieces.  Chop onion into small pieces.

Mix ingredients together and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

1 fennel bulb

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup half-and-half cream

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Cut the base off of the fennel bulb, and cut a cone shape into the base to remove the core. You can see the core because it is whiter than the surrounding green. This is optional, but helps the fennel cook faster. Slice the fennel vertically (upright) into 1/4 inch thick slices.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the fennel, and fry for about 5 minutes. Stir in the half-and-half and sour cream until well blended. Transfer to a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden brown and the fennel is tender enough to pierce with a fork.

1 leek

Salt and pepper

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or butter

2 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed

1 tomato, minced

1 pound spaghetti, linguine or other long pasta

3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

Optional

2 or 3 dried red chilies

½ bell pepper

Trim root end of leek, then cut off hard green leaves, leaving a bit of green where they meet the white part. Split leek down the middle, then chop them, not too finely. Wash very well, and spin or shake dry. Set a large pot of water to boil, and salt it.

Put half the butter or oil in a large skillet, and turn heat to medium-high. A minute later add garlic and chilies, and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic browns; remove chilies (and garlic if you prefer). Add leek, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they wilt, about 10 minutes. Add tomato and pepper if using, and lower heat; continue to cook, stirring once in a while, until leeks begin to brown.

Cook pasta until tender but not mushy. When it’s done, drain it, reserving about 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Toss pasta and leeks together with remaining butter or oil, a few sprinklings of black pepper and all but a little of the parsley, adding a bit of cooking liquid if mixture seems dry. Taste and adjust seasoning, garnish with remaining parsley, and serve.

3 tablespoons and 1-3/4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons flour
2/3 cup sliced fresh strawberries
2/3 cup diced rhubarb
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons and 1-3/4 teaspoons packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons and 1-3/4 teaspoons butter
3 tablespoons and 1-3/4 teaspoons rolled oats

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix white sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, strawberries, and rhubarb. Place the mixture in a 9×13 inch baking dish.
Mix 1 1/2 cups flour, brown sugar, butter, and oats until crumbly. You may want to use a pastry blender for this. Crumble on top of the rhubarb and strawberry mixture.
Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crisp and lightly browned.

1tablespoon olive oil

1 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1 cup chopped fresh bok choy

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Salt and ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute. Add bok choy and soy sauce cook 3 to 5 minutes, until greens are wilted and stalks are crisp-tender. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.  Serve warm as is or over rice.

1 cup sliced parsnips
2 tablespoons water
1 cup fresh snow peas
1 green onion, sliced
1-1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/8 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
1lb baked chicken or Tofu (Optional)

This is a great side dish or you can easily turn it into a main dish by adding baked chicken or tofu. Also this dish can be served over cooked rice or noodles if desired. Place parsnips and water in a microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add snow peas and onion and chicken or tofu. Cover and microwave for 45 seconds or until tender; drain. In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, cornstarch, butter, salt and pepper until smooth. Stir into vegetables. Microwave, uncovered, for 45-60 seconds minutes or until bubbly around the edges, stirring once.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups onions (diced)
3/4 cup celery (diced)
1 bell pepper (diced green red and/or yellow)
2 tbsps minced garlic
12 ozs stout (beer)
2 bay leaves
8 cups chicken or vegetarianstock (water)
1 tsp dried thyme (leaves)
4 tsps essence (creole seasoning)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 lbs smoked turkey (optional)
2 1/2 tbsps paprika
2 tbsps salt
2 tbsps garlic powder
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 bunch collard greens (destemmed & roughly chopped)
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves (chopped)
3 cups white rice (steamed)

Heat a 6-quart wide-mouthed Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the flour and oil to the pan and stir to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, until the flour mixture is a deep brown color, about 20 minutes. Add the onions, and pepper to the pot and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, stir, and cook for 1 minute. Add the beer to the pot, stir, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the stock, thyme, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons of Essence, salt, and cayenne to the pan. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the turkey legs to the pan. If using turkey cook until the legs are falling-from-the-bone-tender, about 3 hours. Remove the turkey from the pot and transfer to a plate to cool. Add the collard greens to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 1 hour. When the turkey is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and tear into bite-size pieces. Discard the skin and bones. Return the turkey meat to the gumbo. Taste the gumbo, re season if necessary, and add the parsley to the pot. Serve with steamed white rice.  Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

What is it? This spring delicacy can come from cabbage, kale, collards, and broccoli. “raab is the result of over-wintered plants in the brassica family flowering and sending out their seed shoots. A delicious spring treat in stir-frys, raw in salads, added to soups, or on the grill.”

This recipe is simple and quick. The recipe takes just 15 minutes to prepare and serves 4 to 6 people.

1 bunch cabbage raab
½ cup water
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 teaspoons soy sauce

Wash the cabbage raab, chop, and set aside.
Combine the water, garlic, and soy sauce in a pan. Bring to a boil, and then ease in the cabbage raab.

Cover and cook for 5-8 minutes, until crisp-tender.

Serve warm alone as a side dish or over rice.
Note: Broccoli raab may be substituted for cabbage raab.

3 tablespoons and 1-3/4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons flour
2/3 cup sliced fresh strawberries
2/3 cup diced rhubarb
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons and 1-3/4 teaspoons packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons and 1-3/4 teaspoons butter
3 tablespoons and 1-3/4 teaspoons rolled oats

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix white sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, strawberries, and rhubarb. Place the mixture in a 9×13 inch baking dish.
Mix 1 1/2 cups flour, brown sugar, butter, and oats until crumbly. You may want to use a pastry blender for this. Crumble on top of the rhubarb and strawberry mixture.
Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crisp and lightly browned.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 cup chopped fresh bok choy
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Salt and ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute. Add bok choy and soy sauce cook 3 to 5 minutes, until greens are wilted and stalks are crisp-tender. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Serve warm as is or over rice.