We are in the midst of a cucumber surplus.

Cucumber with Olivada and Goat Cheese
Serves 5 as an Appetizer

2 Cucumbers
1/2 Cup Olives, chopped (Pimento Stuffed works fine)
1/2 Cup Capers
2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 Cup Goat Cheese
3 tbsp chopped Fresh Parsley
Salt and Pepper
1 Small clove of Garlic
Olive oil

Thinly slice cucumbers, arrange on a plate with each slice overlapping the other.  Roughly chop the olives and capers.  The latter is a pain in the a, but its okay if some are left whole.  Finely chop the parsley and mix in with the capers and olives.  Mince the garlic and then using the side of a knife, make it into pasta and mix in with the balsamic, salt and pepper.  Drizzle in olive oil until the mixture isn’t dry.  Sprinkle some goat cheese over the cucs,  add the olivada, and then some more goat cheese.

I massacred my egg a bit- when I put it into the poach pod the yolk separated, so it’s a bit of a mess. After the tian and the napoleons the other day, I had a couple extra slices of sweet potato, red skinned, and butternut squash to use up, so I thought a hash would be good, especially since I didn’t get my egg this weekend.

Poached Egg over Mixed Root Hash
Serves 1

1/2 Potato
1/2 Sweet Potato
2 Slices Butternut Squash
1/2 Onion
2 tsp Parsley
2 tsp Paprika
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Egg

Chop up the root vegetables into small rectangles. If you can be bothered to grate them, go ahead. Chop up the onion and saute in some olive oil for a few mins, then add the parsley and root vegetable mix. Cook over medium low for a few minutes, to speed the process up cover the pan for 3 minutes or so, stirring intermittently. Once the root vegetables are almost done, poach the egg. Season the root veggies with salt and pepper and when crisp and brown, remove and arrange on a plate. Place poached egg over the hash.

Butternut Squash, Drunk Mushrooms and Goat Cheese Napoleons
Makes 6 Napoleons

1 Butternut Squash
Tube of Goat Cheese
12 Mushrooms
3 Tbsp White Wine
Fresh Parsley
Glug of Olive Oil

Skin the butternut squash and cut into rounds about 1 cm thick. Brush with olive oil, season, and roast in the oven at 400 for about 30 minutes, flipping half way. Heat up some more olive oil in a frying pan, and cook sliced mushrooms a few minutes, add wine, and allow wine to absorb into mushrooms. Once squash are done, layer squash, then goat cheese, then mushrooms. If you have fresh parsley chop it up and add it in with the goat cheese.

This Tempeh Bourguignon recipe comes from the Moosewood cookbook.  It was so delicious and very easy.  I made very few adaptions, only substitutes due to a lag in some ingredients.   The recipe calls for fresh thyme which I didn’t have, so I compensated with a dried herb mix.  It also recommends dijon mustard, which I substituted with mustard powder.  To get a bit more flavour, I added some tomato paste and in order to get some greens in, I added some  Spinach.  While serving this with some crusty French bread would be very satisfying, I made some parsley chive dumplings to accompany it instead.

Does it taste much like Beef Bourguignon?  It certainly has a hint of the French classic, and is a very satisfying meal, but I don’t find it incredibly reminiscent of stew.

Tempeh Bourguignon with Parsley-Chive Dumplings
Serves 4

Olive Oil and butter
8 Ounces Tempeh
15 Ounce Can Tomatoes
1/2 Cup Red Wine–> I stepped it up a bit and added about 3/4 cup Red Wine
1 Tbsp dried herbs: Thyme, Oregano, Basil, Sage, Rosemary
1 Bay Leaf
1 1/2 Cups of Onion
3 Cloves Garlic
Veg Broth for deglazing
1/2 Cup chopped carrots
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 Cup Chopped mushrooms
1 tbsp mustard powder
1 tbsp soy sauce
Cracked pepper
1 tbsp Tomato Paste
Fresh Parsley

Parsley-Chive Dumplings:

1/2 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Milk
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1 1/2 Tbsp Butter
1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley
1/4 Cup Fresh Chives
Parmesan
Nutmeg
Salt and pepper

Dice onions and garlic, saute in olive oil with bay leaf for about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and dried herbs, cook a few minutes and add celery, carrots, and mushrooms- all chopped up.  Saute about 10 mins, deglaze with veg broth if the onions are stuck on the pan.  Add tempeh cut up into 1/2″ cubes, tomato, red wine and tomato paste.   Cover and simmer about 15 minutes.  During this time make the dumplings (see below).  Once the tempeh is done simmering, add mustard powder, soy sauce, and black pepper. Cook another 5 mins or so, arrange dumplings over stew and garnish with fresh parsley.

For the dumplings:

Mix together flour, baking powder, salt, parmesan, herbs, and nutmeg. Create a well in the middle. Microwave butter and milk for about 30 secs, and whisk together. Add into flour mixture and stir until a doughy ball. Create little dumplings- they will puff up once boiled so don’t make them too big. Boil water in a sauce pan, and drop dumplings in. When they have risen to the top, allow them to cook for another 4 mins, then remove. Heat olive oil and butter in a nonstick pan and fry the dumplings until crisp and golden.

The trick of cooking this way is to combine ingredients that have roughly the same cooking time.  I parboiled the sweet potatoes beforehand, but  I had to reuse that pot for the couscous anyway.  As for the spinach- I used that as a layer on which the veggies sat in the foil in order to prevent burning.  Then i decided to throw them in the dish because I love spinach, but as you can tell spinach has a different cooking time, hence the yucky overcooked color of it.  The Almond Parsley pesto isn’t necessary, it definitely overshadows the nice flavor combination of the veggies, but I wanted to use up some parsley.

Vegetables en Papillote over Israeli Couscous with Almond-Parsley Pesto
Serves 3

1 packet of Israeli Couscous- I used that Near East Brand with a basil spice pack
1 Sweet Potato, peeled and cubed
1/2 Onion, sliced into thin strips
1 Clove of garlic
1 Tomato
1/2 cup Cauliflower
1 cup Spinach
5 Mushrooms
Pecorino Cheese
2 Tbsp Butter
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 tsp White Wine
1/2 Lemon, juiced

Pesto:
1/4 Cup Almonds
1/2 Cup Fresh Parsley
1 Clove garlic
1 tbsp Parmesan
1 tbsp Goat Cheese
1/2 Lemon, Juiced
Salt and Pepper
1 tbsp Olive Oil

Boil the cubed sweet potato until half cooked, remove from heat.  Cut foil into three rectancles, 12 inches long.  Fold in half and oil the surfaces a bit.  Arrange Spinach in about 4-5″ circles.  Divide sweet potatoes among three foil circles, and place thinly sliced onions, shaved garlic, diced tomatoes, small cauliflower florets, and chopped mushrooms in each circle.  Drop a blob of buter on top, drizzle with olive oil, lemon and white wine.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bring the folded bit of the foil over so there are now three open sides.  Roll the open sides so to create a half moon parcel of foil.  Cook in the oven for about 25 mins at 400F.

Meanwhile, cook the couscous and create the pesto.  Grind almonds, parsley, and garlic together in a mortar- or using a food processor.  Add in olive oil, goat cheese, lemon, and parmesan.  Season to taste.

Remove parcels from the oven and arrange over couscous.  Sprinkle with pecorino and eat alongside the pesto if desired.

This is a simple pasta dish, make it with something like Orecchiette or Wagon Wheels (I can’t remember their fancy Italian name).   Use whatever greens you want- Rappini, Kale, Spinach or Dandelion.  Fresh parsley works will, but could be substituted by fresh oregano if you have that on hand instead.

Lemony Wagon Wheels with Goat Cheese, Spinach and Sun dried Tomato
Serves 4 Hungry Beasts

Pasta for 4
Juice of 1 Lemon
1-2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
Handful of fresh Parsley, chopped
Fresh Spinach
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
10 Sun dried tomatoes, chopped up
2 ounces of goat cheese
Red Chili Pepper flakes

Cook pasta. Place spinach or greens in a strainer, rinse, and then pour over boiling water from a kettle to wilt. Once pasta is cooked, add in Spinach, sundried tomato, garlic, olive oil, lemon, and fresh parsley. Mix well, season with cracked pepper and crushed sea salt, pour into a serving bowl and top with red chili pepper flakes and goat cheese blobs.

Potato and Leek Soup is one of my favourite soups, ever.   It’s simple to make, serve with some cheesy toasts and fresh parsley.  Last night I also made goat cheese, onion, mushroom and sun dried tomato tartelettes, I had left over mushroom and onions which I arranged on top of the soup, they were sauteed with lemon and thyme so gave the soup a nice acidic dimension.

Potato and Leek Soup
Serves 4

2-3 Large Leeks
6-7 Small Red Skinned Potatoes
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 tbsp Dried Herbs: Oregano, thyme, basil, sage, rosemary
1 Cup Milk
3 Cups of Veg Broth
2 tbsp White Wine
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 tbsp Butter
1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley

Clean leeks and chop  into 1 cm rounds.  In a large pan, heat olive oil and butter, once butter melted, add leeks over medium heat.  Cook until soft, but not browned.  Add Garlic, herbs and white wine.  Once wine has evapourated, add potatoes, broth, milk, and chopped up parsley.  Simmer over low, don’t bring to a boil.  Cook covered about 20 minutes until potatoes are soft.  Season to taste and blend.

I don’t know the difference between zucchini and green squash, I had assumed they were the same thing but for some reason they are sold separately at the supermarket.  I will have to have a look in my Food Lover’s Companion later! The point is, this dish will work with zucchini… but if zucchini is the equivalent of green squash, then that goes without saying.  This might be my new favourite egg dish, it was so yummy.

Poached Egg over Hashed Green Squash
Makes 1 Serving

1 Egg
1 Zucchini/Green Squash
1/2 Small Onion
1 Clove of Garlic
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Butter
Fresh Parsley
2 tsp of herbs- sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil.
Red Chili Pepper Flakes
Pecorino Cheese, or Parmesan Reggiano
1 Tbsp Bread Crumbs

Grate Zucchini, place in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze so to drain liquid.  Saute onions in olive oil and butter until soft, add garlic (sliced thinly) and dried herbs.  Cook a few minutes and add in zucchini and bread crumbs.  Meanwhile, poach eggs.  Once the zucchini has started to brown, stir in parsley and remove from pan, arrange on a plate.  Place poached egg over the hashed zucchini, and sprinkle with some Pecorino cheese and Red Chili Flakes.  Eat with crunchy toast.