Macedonian Cuisine - May 2011

Diva:  Lovina

Drinks:  Stacey

Red wines
Perrier with lime

Appetizer: Colleen
Macedonian Feta Cheese Spread

½ lb greek feta cheese -- crumbled

3 T olive oil

2 small dried red chile peppers

3 dashes black pepper

½ lemon, juiced

Place crumbled feta, olive oil, dried red chile peppers, a few grinds of black pepper, and the lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor and blend until very smooth. 

Transfer to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for several hours so that the flavors develop and the cheese spread sets up. 

Bring to room temperature. Drizzle a little extra-virgin olive oil over the top. Serve with kalamata olives and pita. 

Will keep, refrigerated, for up to a week.

(From cdkitchen.com)

Salad:  Erin
Macedonian Salad

1 large eggplant, peeled or not, and cut into 1-inch cubes, or even smaller
a little oil for the baking tray
4 T olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar

1 medium clove garlic, minced
½ tsp salt (more, to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon basil
¼ tsp thyme
¼ tsp marjoram or oregno
1 T fresh lemon juice
¼ c (packed) finely minced parsley
2 small scallions, very finely minced
½ medium red bell pepper, minced
½ medium green bell pepper, minced
1 medium tomato, diced

Optional Garnishes
Olives (Greek, oil-cured, or Nicoise)
Yogurt
Crumbled Feta cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Spread the eggplant cubes onto a lightly oiled baking tray, and roast in the oven about 15 minutes, or until tender enough so a fork can slide in easily. Remove from oven.

Meanwhile, combine the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, herbs, and lemon juice in a medium-sized bowl. Add the still-warm eggplant and stir. Cover, and let sit for at least 2 hours. (At this stage, it will keep in the refrigerator for several days.)
the remaining vegetables within an hour or two of serving. Serve garnished with olives and yogurt or crumbled feta cheese. 


**I doubled the recipe and didn't include parsley or scallions.  I included a slice of feta, a couple of greek olives and two cherry tomatoes on each plate.   

(From Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen)

Soup: Ashley
Macedonian White Bean Soup with Basil-Mint Oil

Basil-Mint Oil:

¼ c whole fresh mint leaves

¼ c whole fresh basil leaves
¾ c olive oil



Bring 2 cups water to boil.  Have a bowl of ice water ready.  Blanch herbs for 20 seconds and immerse in ice water.  Dry and put in a blender.  WIth motor running, add oil in a slow steady stream.  Set aside.

Soup:
3 T olive oil

1 c onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, sliced into 1/8" half rounds

3 15oz cans Great Northern beans, drained

1 28oz can chopped tomatoes with juice
4 c vegetable stock

3 T paprika

¼ tsp chipotle powder

1 tsp each chopped fresh basil and mint

salt and pepper to taste
lemon to squeeze over soup just prior to serving

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion and carrot and sautee about 3 minutes, or until onion begins to soften.  Add garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Simmer partially covered for about 30-45 minutes or until carrots are tender.  Adjust seasoning to your liking.  

To serve:  Ladle soup into a bowl.  Drizzle 3-4 tsp of basil-mint oil over the top and squeeze some lemon juice to add brightness

Entrée:  Aven
Stuffed Cabbage

3 T good olive oil
1 ½ c chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes and their juice
¼ c red wine vinegar
½ c light brown sugar, lightly packed
½ c raisins
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 large head Savoy or green cabbage, including outer leaves

For the filling:
1 8 oz package of tempeh
3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
½ c finely chopped yellow onions
½ c plain dried breadcrumbs
½ c uncooked white rice
1 tsp minced fresh oregano leaves
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ c roasted red peppers, diced
1 tsp paprika

For the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the onions, and cook over medium-low heat for 8 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, brown sugar, raisins, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Remove the entire core of the cabbage with a paring knife. Immerse the head of cabbage in the boiling water for a few minutes, peeling off each leaf with tongs as soon as it s flexible. Set the leaves aside. Depending on the size of each leaf, you will need at least 14 leaves.

For the filling, in a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, eggs, onion, breadcrumbs, rice, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add 1 cup of the sauce to the meat mixture and mix lightly with a fork.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To assemble, place 1 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a large Dutch oven. Remove the hard triangular rib from the base of each cabbage leaf with a small paring knife. Place 1/3 to 1/2 cup of filling in an oval shape near the rib edge of each leaf and roll up toward the outer edge, tucking the sides in as you roll. Place half the cabbage rolls, seam sides down, over the sauce. Add more sauce and more cabbage rolls alternately until you ve placed all the cabbage rolls in the pot. Pour the remaining sauce over the cabbage rolls. Cover the dish tightly with the lid and bake for 1 hour or until the meat is cooked and the rice is tender. Serve hot.

(Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten)

Dessert:  Colleen
Sutlijash (Rice Pudding)

4 c milk
⅔ c sugar
1 T unsalted butter
1 lemon zest strip
1 cinnamon stick
6 c water
pinch of salt
½ c white rice
3 egg yolks
ground cinnamon for garnish
almonds for garnish, optional

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the milk, sugar, butter, lemon zest and cinnamon stick. Heat until small bubbles appear along the edge of the pan, then remove from the heat. Let stand for 30 minutes to develop the flavor.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the salt and rice, reduce the heat to low and cook slowly until the rice kernels have swelled and are tender (15-20 minutes). Drain.
Place the saucepan holding the milk mixture over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add the rice and simmer uncovered, stirring often, until thickened, 15-20 minutes. Remove the lemon zest and cinnamon stick and discard.

In a bowl, using a fork or whisk, beat the egg yolks until lightly frothy. Gradually add about 1 cup (8 fl oz/ 250 ml) of the hot pudding to the yolks, beating constantly. Gradually pour the warmed yolks into the remaining pudding, stirring constantly. Cook over very, very low heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.

Spoon the pudding into individual dessert bowls or one large serving bowl. Sprinkle with cinnamon and top with toasted almonds (optional). Serve at room temperature.

(From faq.macedonia.org)

Wild Wild West: Divas in the Canyon - July 2010

 Diva:  Mariah

Drinks:  Ashley
Cowgirl Cooler

⅓ c water                          
⅓ c sugar
5 fresh mint sprigs                   
4 c pink grapefruit juice
2 ½ c bourbon                   
12 dashes Angostura bitters
1 c ginger ale

Stir water and sugar together in a small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves.  Increase heat and bring to a boil.  Add mint sprigs.  Remove from heat; cool syrup completely.  Strain syrup into a pitcher.  Add grapefruit juice, bourbon, bitters and ginger ale.  Serve over ice.

(Adapted from Bon Appetit Dec 2007)

Appetizer:  Colleen
Canyon Queso

2 lb shredded Mexican blend cheese

1 beer
4 small cloves garlic, pressed
1 small bunch green onions, chopped
3 T cilantro, chopped
4 oz can diced green chilies
¼-½ c diced, deseeded tomatoes
3 T pickled jalapenos, dices
1-2 T chili powder
1-2 T cumin

flour to cover cheese

Heat beer in a pot with pressed garlic and green onions.  Add tomatoes, chilies, jalapenos, and stir.  Mix chili powder, cumin, flour and coat cheese with mixture.  Add cheese to pot and stir occasionally until melted.  Serve with your favorite tortilla chips!


Soup:  Erin
Vegetable Chili

¾ c olive oil (I didn’t use this much)       
3 zucchinis, chopped
2 onions, chopped                   
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 large red/green bell peppers, chopped       
2 cans tomatoes w/ juice
1 c tomato juice                   
1 c uncooked bulgur wheat

4-5 stalks celery, chopped               
2 T chili powder
1 T ground cumin                   
1 T dried basil
1 T dried oregano*                   
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cayenne                   
1 tsp salt/pepper
½ c chopped cilantro                   
1 ½ c kidney beans
1 c sour cream   
2 c grated cheese       
4 scallions, white bulb and 3 in green

Heat the tomato juice to boiling.  Add it to the bulgur in a small bowl, cover, and let stand 15 minutes.  Heat ½ cup of the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add the zucchini and sauté until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes.  Transfer the zucchini to another bowl.  Heat the remaining ¼ c oil in the soup pot over low heat.  Add the onions, celery, garlic, and bell peppers.  Saute until just wilted about 10 minutes.  Place over low heat.  Add the canned tomatoes and their juice, chili powder, cumin, basil, oregano, pepper, salt.  Cook (I simmered) uncovered, stirring often, for 30 minutes.  Stir in the kidney beans and bulgur.  Cook for another 15 minutes.  Stir well and adjust the seasonings to taste.  Add cilantro.  Serve with bowls of sour cream, grated cheese and sliced scallions alongside.

Salad:  Tamara
Cowgirl Coleslaw

1 head of red cabbage, shredded or sliced
2 carrots, shredded
2 apples, cut in match sticks (I used Fuji)
1 T Dijon mustard
¼ c balsamic vinegar**
4 cloves of garlic, minced
6 T olive oil
salt and pepper

Mix mustard, balsamic, olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper in a jar and shake to mix well.  Toss with cabbage, carrots and apples.  Serve cold.

**Note:  Next time I make this, I would use white balsamic or cider vinegar instead to keep the crisp white color of the apples.  The red balsamic darkened the apples too much.

Side Dish:  Stacey
Not-too Sweet Baked Beans

1 15.5 oz can great northern beans
1 15.5 oz can navy beans
1 15.5 oz can baby butter beans
1 15.5 oz can pinto beans
2 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes
⅓ c molasses
2 T light brown sugar
2 T prepared mustard
1 tsp Kosher salt
½ tsp Tabasco or other hot sauce
6 oz bacon
1 medium onion, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350.  Reserving two sliced of bacon, cook the remaining bacon in a large skillet.  While it’s cooking, place all beans in a colander and rinse and drain.  Transfer to a large baking dish. 

Pour tomatoes over beans.  Add molasses, brown sugar, mustard, salt and pepper.

When the bacon has cooked, remove bacon from the pan and cook the onions in the bacon drippings stirring frequently.  While the onions are cooking, crumble the cooked bacon over the beans.  Add onions and combine all the ingredients well.  Cover and bake for 1 hour.  Allow to stand for 5 minutes and serve.

Adapted from The Big Book of Backyard Cooking.

Entree:  Sara
Buckaroo Stew

I cooked both stews partially on the stovetop and partially with charcoal outside.

Vegetarian:
6-quart cast iron Dutch oven

¾ large white oven chunked
2 carrots chopped
2 potatoes (I used red and russet)
2 celery sticks chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
½ can kidney beans
½ can black beans
1 c red wine
1 c veggie stock

Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onion. Add potatoes and carrots and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the beans and tomatoes, wine and stock. Put about 5 hot coals on the bottom, and 5 hot coals on the top. Cook until potatoes are done and folks are hungry!

Meaty:

12-quart cast iron Dutch oven
1 lb bacon, chopped into 1-inch chunks
1 ½ lbs London broil beef, chopped into 1-inch chunks

1 ½ large white oven chunked
4 carrots chopped
3 potatoes (I used red and russet)
4 celery sticks chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
½ can kidney beans
½ can black beans
1 ½ c red wine
1 ½ c veggie stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Fry bacon in Dutch oven, remove. Sear beef, remove. Sauté onion in olive oil. Add potatoes and carrots and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the beans and tomatoes, wine and stock. Put about 8 hot coals on the bottom, and 10 hot coals on the top. Cook until potatoes and beef are done and folks are hungry!

(Adapted from Grandpa Bob’s recipe)

Dessert:  Aven
Wild Berry Honey Buckle with Honeyed Cream

Cake
¼ c unsalted butter
1 c honey
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 c berries (I used raspberries and blackberries)
1 ½ c milk
5 c flour (I used 6 ½ whole wheat pastry & 1 white)
2 c oats
2 tsp baking soda
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt

Streusel
⅔ c flour
⅓ c brown sugar
4 Tbsp salted butter

Cream
2 c cream
6 T honey
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.  Cream butter and honey, add eggs and vanilla and beat well.  Stir in milk and dry ingredients until just combined.  Fold in 2 cups of berries.  Grease a 10” springform pan, pour in batter and sprinkle with remaining cup of berries.  Sprinkle streusel on top of berries.  Bake for 60 minutes (if center is still slightly gooey turn oven off and leave cake in for another 30 to 60 minutes. 

Whip cream until soft peaks form, gently stir in honey and vanilla.

Lottery:  Lovina

Namesake - July 2009

Diva: Sara

Drinks: Stacey
Sykes' Salty Dog Cocktail

John and I perfected the drink a couple of years ago...Sykes family favorite!!

makes one drink:
1 and ½ ounces Absolut Mandarin Vodka
6 ounces ruby red grapefruit juice
kosher salt for rim of glass
fresh grapefruit slices for garnish

***without the salt it is called a greyhound, without the vodka it is called a salty puppy!!***

Appetizer: Mariah
Crump's Canyon Caviar

This very special dish is loved by all Crumps and is an easy breezy creation while on a river trip or simply just enjoying the river from the beach!

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 (15 ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 (15 ounce) cans white corn, rinsed and drained
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles, undrained
1 jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 red bell pepper - cored, seeded and finely chopped
1 green bell pepper - cored, seeded and finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 bunch cilantro leaves, finely chopped
½ c rice vinegar
½ c olive oil
1/3 c white sugar
½ teaspoon garlic powder

Mix the black beans, pinto beans, white corn, green chiles, jalapeno pepper, red and green bell peppers, red onion, and cilantro together in a large bowl.

To make the dressing, stir the rice vinegar, olive oil, sugar, and garlic powder together in a pan. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat, and cool. Pour dressing over bean mixture, and toss to mix evenly.

Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
One bunch cilantro mixed with desired amount of plain yogurt.

Serve Crump's Canyon Caviar with Cheesy Quesadilla and top with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce.

Salad: Aven
Great Grandma Mae's Frogeye Salad

My great-grandma Mae used to make this salad every summer when we would get together for little mini reunions in her backyard in Casper Wyoming. It was always my favorite. I don't know if she had her own recipe or used one from the pasta box. This recipe I found has all the same ingredients as hers - I left out the marshmellows and cool-whip and used one tub of Ricemellow creme instead.

1 lb Acini di Pepe package
1 medium Egg
½ c Sugar
1 T Flour
¼ tsp Salt
16 oz Crushed pineapple drained, reserving juice
16 oz Fruit cocktail drained
16 oz Mandarin Oranges drained
1 c Marshmallows
12 oz Cool Whip

Cook Acini di Pepe as package directs. Drain.

In a heavy saucepan, beat egg with wire wisk until foamy. Stir in sugar, flour, salt, and reserved pineapple juice. Over low heat, cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

In a large bowl, combine Acini di Pepe with egg mixture. Chill thoroughly about an hour.

Stir in pineapple, fruit cocktail, mandarin oranges, and marshmallows. Fold in Cool Whip.

Cover and chill thoroughly. Stir before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

Soup: Tamara
My name, Tamara, means "date palm" in Hebrew so I made a soup using dates.

Pumpkin, Red Lentil and Date Soup

100 grams red lentils
500 grams pumpkin, de-seeded cut in pieces
250 grams (1 can) crushed tomatoes
1 T oil
1 T fresh rosemary, chopped
1 T fresh thyme, leaves only
1 onion, chopped
1 liter water
1 vegetable bouillon cube
pinch of cayenne
10 dates, de-seeded and chopped
splash lemon juice

Heat the oil in a large pot.
Add the chopped onions and saute until glassy.
Add the rosemary and thyme, the pumpkin pieces and the red lentils.
Add the vegetable bouillon and cook the soup until the pumpkin is soft and the lentils are done.
Check from time to time and stir, as the soup becomes quite thick.
Add the tomatoes and the dates and puree the mixture until smooth.
Add a splash of lemon juice and season to taste with a pinch of salt and cayenne.
Garnish with coriander leaves or chili oil and serve hot.


Side Dish: Ashley
Pita pizzas with tomatoes, olives and feta inspired by Maggie's tomato salad, which she served to me during a meeting that inspired me to make a leap of faith.

Pitas (makes 8 regular sized)

3 c flour
1 ½ tsp salt
1 T sugar
1 packet yeast (or, if from bulk, 2 teaspoons yeast)
1 ¼ to 1 ½ c water, roughly at room temperature
2 T olive oil

If you are using active dry yeast, follow the instructions on the packet to active it. Otherwise, mix the yeast in with the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the olive oil and 1 1/4 cup water and stir together with a wooden spoon. All of the ingredients should form a ball. If some of the flour will not stick to the ball, add more water.

Once all of the ingredients form a ball, place the ball on a work surface, such as a cutting board, and knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes (or until your hands get tired). If you are using an electric mixer, mix it at low speed for 10 minutes.

When you are done kneading the dough, place it in a bowl that has been lightly coated with oil. I use canola spray oil, but you can also just pour a teaspoon of oil into the bowl and rub it around with your fingers. Form a ball out of the dough and place it into the bowl, rolling the ball of dough around in the bowl so that it has a light coat of oil on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and set aside to rise until it has doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.

When it has doubled in size, punch the dough down to release some of the trapped gases and divide it into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, cover the balls with a damp kitchen towel, and let them rest for 20 minutes. This step allows the dough to relax so that it'll be easier to shape.

While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. If you have a baking stone, put it in the oven to preheat as well. If you do not have a baking stone, turn a cookie sheet upside down and place it on the middle rack of the oven while you are preheating the oven. This will be the surface on which you bake your pitas.

After the dough has relaxed for 20 minutes, spread a light coating of flour on a work surface and place one of the balls of dough there. Sprinkle a little bit of flour on top of the dough and use a rolling pin or your hands to stretch and flatten the dough. You should be able to roll it out to between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. If the dough does not stretch sufficiently you can cover it with the damp towel and let it rest 5 to 10 minutes before trying again.

Open the oven and place as many pitas as you can fit on the hot baking surface. They should be baked through and puffy after 3 minutes.

Tomato Topping:

2 c diced seeded tomatoes
1 c pitted coarsely chopped olives
½ c chopped red onion
4 T olive oil, divided
3 T chopped fresh mint
3 T chopped fresh basil
3 cloves minced garlic
1 c crumbled feta cheese

Mix topping together, mound on top of pitas and place under broiler until cheese gets warm.


Entree: Lovina
Leg of Lamb

My entree was inspired by my sister Adela. She has been on my mind a lot lately because she is going to have another baby in the next couple of weeks. The meaning of her name means "noble", thus I wanted to make something that was inspired by the definition of the word noble. I took it to mean something impressive in appearance, splendid to the senses, and of bold flavor. Having never cooked a leg of lamb and wanting to challenge the majority of people's impression of lamb as a meal choice, I decided to give honor to my sister my barbecuing a fantastic leg of lamb.

1 sirloin end leg of lamb, boned, and trussed
4 cloves garlic
8 fresh mint leaves
1 T brown sugar
1 T kosher salt
2 tsp black pepper
5 T strong mustard, such as Dijon
2 T canola oil
2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Roughly chop the garlic cloves in the food processor. Add the mint and repeat. Add the brown sugar, salt, pepper, mustard, and oil and blend to a paste. Spread the paste evenly on the meat side of the roast. Roll the leg into a roast shape and tie with cotton butcher's twine. Fire 2 quarts (1 chimney's worth) of charcoal (natural chunk is best). When charcoal is lightly covered with gray ash, split the coals into 2 piles and move them to the far sides of the cooker. Close the lid and allow the grate to heat. Then, place the lamb, skin side up, on the middle of the hot grate. Add the rosemary sprigs to the charcoal briquettes and close the lid and grill. After 20 minutes, flip the roast and rotate it 180 degrees. Insert the probe thermometer into the roast and continue to grill until it reaches an internal temperature of 135 degrees, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the roast at 135 degrees. Remove the butcher's twine from the roast. Cover with foil and rest it for 15 minutes before serving.

Dessert: Colleen
Stephanie's Summer Crisp

My neighbor Stephanie used to make Alex and I an amazing nectarine and raspberry crisp in the summer time when we lived in Tucson. I think of her often, especially in regards to her wonderful recipes - she always fed us so well! So, for a summertime namesake dessert, Stephanie's Summer Crisp had to be the winner.

Nectarines and Raspberries - I used ~20 peaches and 3/4 lb raspberries. Put stone fruit on bottom of dish and top with raspberries.

For the crisp topping:

¾ c light brown sugar
½ c butter
¾ c white sugar
1 c flour
1 t cinnamon
1 c oatmeal (not instant)

Mix butter, sugars, cinnamon until well combined. Add the flour and oatmeal. Crisp topping should be fairly dry but when pinched together it should stick. Sprinkle on top or fruit. Bake at 350 for ~ 1 hour.

Lottery: Bonnie

Yin and Yang - June 2009

Diva: Mariah

Drinks: Erin
Salty Dog

2 oz vodka
5 oz grapefruit juice
salt rimming
Garnish: lime wedge

Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a salt rimmed martini glass and garnish with lime wedge.


Fuzzy Navel

1 ½ oz peach schnapps
orange juice to fill

Pour the peach schnapps into an highball glass filled with ice cubes.
Top with orange juice. Stir well.

Screwdriver

2 oz vodka
5 oz orange juice

Build the ingredients in a glass with ice.
Stir well.

Woo Woo

1 ½ oz peach schnapps
1 ½ oz vodka
3 ½ oz cranberry juice

Build the ingredients in a glass with ice.
Stir well.

Appetizer: Sara
Chipotle Edamame Dip

Dip

1 ½ pounds shelled edamame
¼ c cultured sour cream
¾ c non-fat plain yogurt
4 ozs fresh goat cheese, crumbled
2 oz hard cheese (Asiago, Parm, etc.)
3 chipotles in adobo, chopped, plus 2 tablespoons of adobo sauce from the can
¼ c fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, chopped
2 tsp kosher salt
1 T chopped oregano
2 T or more nutritional yeast

Pepitas

½ c raw pumpkin seeds
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp chopped oregano

Make the dip: In a medium pot of boiling salted water, simmer the edamame until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a food processor. Add the sour cream, goat cheese, chipotles, adobo sauce, lemon juice, garlic and salt and puree until smooth, scraping down the side of the bowl. Stir in the oregano and transfer the dip to a serving bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Make the pepitas: Preheat the oven to 375°. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the pumpkin seeds with the olive oil, salt, coriander and crushed red pepper. Bake for 7 minutes, until the seeds begin to brown. Transfer the pepitas to a bowl and toss with the lemon zest and oregano.

Serve the dip at room temperature, topped with the spiced pepitas.

Salad: Ashley
Asian Slaw

Dressing
2 c vegetable stock
2 T cornstarch
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
1 clove garlic
½ shallot, chopped
½ c chopped fresh cilantro
¼ c Thai chile sauce
¼ c apple cider (or rice wine) vinegar
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Slaw
¼ c pecan pieces
½ tsp dark chili powder
¼ tsp cayenne
1 T olive oil
¼ c halved macadamia nuts, not toasted
¼ pound red cabbage, shredded
¼ pound green cabbage, shredded
1 small green bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced
1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced
1 small yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced

Stir ½ cup vegetable stock with cornstarch in a measuring cup until blended. Bring remaining 28 ounces stock to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and slowly whisk in stock-cornstarch mixture. Stir rapidly until stock is the consistency of olive oil. (It should cling to the back of a spoon.) Cool to room temperature, skim off and discard any film on top. Place cumin seeds in a dry sauté pan over medium-high heat. Stir until aroma of seeds is released, about 1 minute.

Blend ¼ cup stock in a blender with cumin seeds and remaining dressing ingredients until smooth. (Refrigerate or freeze leftover stock.) Heat oven to 350°F. Combine pecans, chili powder, cayenne and oil in a mixing bowl; toss to coat pecans. Place nuts on a cookie sheet and roast until the aroma of the chili powder is released, 3 to 4 minutes. Combine dressing and slaw ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Soup: Aven
Beet and Fennel Soup

6-8 med beets
1 fennel bulb
1 med onion
1-2 med carrots
3 T fennel seeds
1 32oz box veggie broth
~2 quarts water
sour cream

boil beets, carrots and 2 Tbsp fennel seeds in water until soft, mash with fork or potato masher, reserve water
dice and saute onion and fennel until soft
combine veggies with broth and the water used to boil the beets
add salt to taste
simmer for 20-30 minutes
toast remaining fennel seeds in dry skillet or oven
garnish soup in bowls with sour cream and toasted seeds


Side Dish: Lovina
Black Bean and Espresso Chili

Serve this over the Baked White Polenta with Two Cheeses, and season with any — or all — of the suggested toppings (chocolate adds mole flavor).

½ c olive oil
5 large onions, chopped
¼ c instant espresso powder
¼ c chili powder
¼ c ground cumin
¼ c dried oregano leaves
2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes with added puree
1/3 c honey
6 large garlic cloves, minced
7 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed, drained
2 c water
1 T salt
¼ tsp chipotle chili powder or chili powder
Large pinch of ground cinnamon

Assorted toppings: sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped green onions, shredded cheese, sliced jalapeños, and shaved bittersweet chocolate
preparation

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Mix in espresso powder, 1/4 cup chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Cook 1 minute. Mix in tomatoes, honey, and garlic. Bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Add beans, 2 cups water, salt, chipotle chili powder, and cinnamon. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until mixture thickens slightly, stirring often, about 30 minutes. Season with salt. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before serving.)

Place toppings in individual condiment bowls. Ladle chili into bowl and serve toppings alongside.
(from Bon Appetit)

Entree: Colleen
Lettuce/Cabbage Wraps

Spicy Sauce

1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp chinese mustard
1 T water
1 tsp Chinese chili sauce

Filling

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 thumb-size piece galangal (or ginger), grated
1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely sliced (omit altogether if you prefer very mild wraps) - I used a serrano chili

2 shallots, sliced finely
½ c firm tofu, (I cubed some baked tofu)
1 carrot, grated or cut into thin strips
4-5 mushrooms, thinly sliced
water chesnuts
3 spring onions, sliced lengthwise into matchstick-like pieces
approx. 2 c bean sprouts
2 T lime juice
oil for stir frying
cilantro to top

Saute filling ingredients. garnish with cilantro. fill lettuce or napa cabbage leaves with stir-fried mixture and top will sauce. Yum!
(from recipezaar)

Dessert: Stacey
Raspberry Buttermilk Cake

2 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
½ tsp salt
1 stick butter, softened
1 1/3 c sugar, plus 3 T. sugar for sprinkling on top of cake batter
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 c well-shaken buttermilk
2 c fresh raspberries (about 12 ounces)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter and flour a 9X13 cake pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder, soda and salt then set aside. Beat butter and 1 1/3 cups sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes, then beat in vanilla. Add eggs and beat well. At a low speed mix in flour mixture and buttermilk, alternating half the flour mixture, then half the buttermilk, then the rest of the flour, then the rest of the buttermilk. Mix until just combined. Spoon batter in cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter fresh raspberries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 3T. sugar. Bake until cake is golden and a toothepick in center comes out clean, 25-30 mins. Serve with whipped cream. Enjoy!!

Lottery: Sara