Plant-Based Recipes for Health and Vibrance
The hotter the weather gets, the more I find myself substituting meals with just a ton of watermelon, mango or papaya, or even some kind of iced and very hydrating smoothie or drink. The heat brings out those strong cravings for all things hydrating, juicy, and cooling, and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in this. For something more substantial and nourishing, but still in line with all the aforementioned requirements for a hot summer day meal, there is this Tropical Soba.
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By the time this post goes up, Paloma and I will be in Russia spending some much anticipated time with grandma. I will try to keep Instagram updated with some snaps from our travels.
I leave you with this salad, made with plenty of nutritious grains, herbs, and two stars of the spring/summer farmer’s market – asparagus and strawberries. It’s a variation on one my all time favorite salads, from our book (Fava Bean, Quinoa, and Mint Salad on pg. 89) – simple, rich in textures, filling and very fresh. Mint is essential to the flavor here, so try not to skip it.
Enjoy the beginning of summer!
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During our recent stay in Russia, we took the time to enjoy our home region of Northern Caucasus and fell in love with it all over again. To orient you in the landscape – there is widespread steppe that rolls Southward into green hills, which eventually transition into the Caucasus Mountains. On clear days, you can see Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe, from an open point in my hometown.
Ours is an agricultural region, known for its fertile, black soil. The steppe is home to many wildflowers and medicinal herbs, like wild thyme and sage. The herbs get steeped into teas, which many people make at home.
Paloma and I frequented the local market, which was just a couple hundred steps away from my mom’s house. There too, mounds of spring greens and herbs – culinary and medicinal alike, were on beautiful display, asking to be taken home.
My mom is an amazing cook and I can never compete with her when it comes to traditional Russian dishes, so I tried my best not to interfere in the kitchen very much. That being said, I can never stay away from cooking for too long, especially once I got the idea to use some of the local herbs in an ice-cream. The bushes of tarragon at the market were especially tempting – the unique flavor of tarragon always intrigues and challenges me.
Our region is known as a melting pot of many ethnic groups – Armenians, Georgians, Azerbaijani, Karachays, Circassians, Russians and more – that have been living there side by side for many generations. Each group has a deeply rooted culinary culture, very often with a strong emphasis on herbs and spices, which make the food bright and distinct in flavor. Tarragon is one of the herbs that is in frequent use, but when I told the vendor lady at the market that I’m going to put it into ice-cream, she was clearly shocked. She hurried to let all of her pals know what she thinks about it all in Armenian. I would have payed good money to have a translator right there and then.
In the absence of an ice-cream machine, I turned to a no-churn recipe, which I learned about from Sarah. As usual, my first choice was to use coconut milk, but the only kind available wasn’t right in quality. I ended up with the recipe below which is very easy and amazingly delicious – you will not typically find these ingredients here at Golubka, but I was working with what I had at the moment. The ice cream was a huge success among friends and family.
Back home, I re-created the ice cream into a much lighter and vegan version that requires an ice-cream maker, so I’ve included both recipes here.
Tarragon and Mint No Churn Ice Cream
1 large bunch fresh tarragon – mostly leaves
1 large bunch fresh mint – mostly leaves
2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream
1 can condensed milk
pinch of sea salt
1. Bruise tarragon and mint with the back of a chef’s knife to help them release their oils. Place herbs into a medium saucepan. Pour the heavy cream over them and bring to a near boil.
2. Remove from heat, cover and let cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Strain the herbs out and cool completely in a refrigerator.
3. Combine the condensed milk with salt in a mixing bowl. Beat the chilled cream by hand or in the bowl of a stand-up mixer on high until stiff peaks form. Gently fold about 1/3 of the whipped cream into the condensed milk until fully combined, followed by the rest of the cream.
4. Pour into a loaf pan or another freezer appropriate dish. Cover and freeze until firm – about 6 hours or overnight. Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Vegan Version
2 cans full fat Thai coconut milk
1 large bunch fresh tarragon – mostly leaves
1 large bunch fresh mint – mostly leaves (you can use just one type of herb if you wish)
pinch of sea salt
1/3-1/2 cups light agave syrup
1/2 teaspoon xanathan gum or 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
1. Bruise tarragon and mint with the back of a chef’s knife to help them release their oils. Place the herbs into a medium saucepan and pour the coconut milk over them. Bring to a near boil.
2. Remove from heat, cover and let cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Strain out the herbs, pour the infused milk into a blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend until fully combined.
3. Chill completely in the refrigerator, preferably overnight. Churn in an ice-cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions – about 25 minutes.
4. Transfer into a loaf pan or another freezer appropriate dish. Cover and freeze until firm, about 6 hours or overnight. Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before serving.
This post is also available in: French
As a child, I always felt a persistent sadness come over me at the end of summer. It’s not that I didn’t like the beautiful autumn colors that overtook the crowns of the trees, or those walks in the park, when the dry leaves made a pleasant crunching noise with each step I took. I loved all of that, along with the smell of fire and wet forest while mushroom foraging with my father, and bundling up in a newly knitted wool scarf. But whichever way you look at it, the end of summer will always represent the end of warmth, the end of vacations, and, to an extent, the end of freedom. Back to school, how I hated those words. I was always a good student, and once school got going, I didn’t mind it that much, but it was that transitional period between summer and fall that always gave me the blues.
Even now, in my adult years, those feelings manage to come back during this time of year. Although the end of summer in Florida represents relief from exhausting heat, I still cringe when I see too many school buses on the road. Paloma started kindergarten this year, and although it is just kindergarten (that’s what I keep telling myself), there are all of a sudden all these rules and restrictions that have to be followed, and I was never a fan of that aspect of school. Luckily, Paloma doesn’t share my feelings and is very excited about a new environment. After only two days as a kindergartener, I noticed how friendly she’s managed to become with all of her teachers and other school staff, greeting everyone by name in the morning with a big shining smile. I am jealous and not ready to let summer go.
Before summer tomatoes disappear until next year, I want to share this hearty salad recipe with you. I’ve made it with different grains, beans and even orzo over the course of the summer and loved it every time. This variation with barley and forbidden black rice is particularly pretty when combined with multicolored heirloom tomatoes and herbs. Aside from eating them raw, slow roasting tomatoes is my favourite way of preparing them. Their caramelized juices work beautifully with any grains and eliminate the need for additional dressing. This dish is substantial enough to serve as a meal on its own and becomes even better the next day, when the flavours are further incorporated.
Barley Tomato Salad
1 lb tomatoes on the vine
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more for cherry tomatoes
3 garlic cloves – minced
2 cups yellow or red cherry tomatoes – cut in half
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup pearled barley – soaked overnight and cooked for about 20 minutes, until soft, drained and cooled
1/2 cup heirloom forbidden black rice or other black rice – cooked according to package instructions, cooled
assorted 3-5 heirloom tomatoes – sliced
3 tablespoons chopped mint leaves
handful basil leaves – torn
about 2 tablespoons each minced dill and parsley – optional
1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Place your tomatoes on the vine into a baking dish. In a small, bowl whisk together 1/4 cup of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, coconut sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and garlic. Pour over the tomatoes, place in the oven and roast for 1 to 11/2 hours until they are soft and appear cooked.
2. Increase oven temperature to 400 F. Spread the cherry tomatoes on a parchment paper-covered baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and cook for about 12 minutes.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the barley, rice, both types of roasted tomatoes and their juices, fresh sliced heirloom tomatoes and herbs. Gently toss to combine. Season with more salt and pepper if desired and add more olive oil if needed.
4. Serve immediately or let cool completely and store covered in a refrigerator.
Note: Substitute the barley and/or rice with any other grains, beans or pasta. You don’t have to use 2 types, just one will be very good as well.