Recipes

Italian Style Sauteed Peppers and Potatoes

This is an easy vegan recipe, but you can also add sausage or grated cheese. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, then add 2 lbs. of whole potatoes, scrubbed.  Simmer for 8-10 minutes, until fork tender.  Drain, … Continue reading →

Baked Feta with Summer Veggies

This is a quick and easy vegetarian summer meal that can be cooked in the oven or on the grill and served alongside steamed couscous.  One sheet pan is enough food for 2 people. Preheat the oven or grill to … Continue reading →

Ricotta-Stuffed Heirlooms

Yes, this recipe from the New York Times does bake part of the tomatoes but it  also uses the insides raw in a dressing.  This preserves the incredible umami flavor of heirloom tomato juices. Cut the tops off 4 or … Continue reading →

Sauteed Zucchini with Fresh Tomatoes

Most of the specialty and heirloom tomatoes we grow are best eaten raw.  Their juices have a rich umami flavor that can range from intensely sweet to fairly acidic, but which is generally destroyed by cooking for more than a … Continue reading →

Corn, Tomato and Red Onion Salad

A simple, quick and filling dish. This recipe sautes raw corn in olive oil with garlic, but you can also use leftover cooked corn and add sauteed garlic. Peel red onion and then very thinly slice it to make 1 … Continue reading →

Grilled Sweet Corn in the Husk

For your socially-distant backyard BBQ, try grilling whole ears of corn in their husks instead of boiling it and let your family or guests shuck the ears themselves.  The kernels will steam but you’ll get a slight hint of smokiness, … Continue reading →

Terra Firma Potato Salad

No mayo in this tangy, slightly spicy version of the summer classic.  The yellow potatoes absorb the flavors better than red ones but stay firm and creamy. I often add parboiled green beans to it. Wash 1 lb. of potatoes.  … Continue reading →

Tomato, Green Bean & Red Onion Salad

A salad made with good, vine-ripened tomatoes doesn’t need traditional dressing.  Salt and high-quality olive oil will turn the tomatoes’ natural juices into a divine sauce that you will want to drink from the bottom of the bowl when the … Continue reading →

Vegetable Saute with Cherry Tomato Salsa Cruda

Cherry tomatoes can be cooked, but it dramatically changes their character and flavor — essentially turning them into vegetable candy.  I prefer to add them to cooked dishes just before serving, allowing them to contribute their incredible complexity of flavor … Continue reading →

Chilled Zucchini-Spinach Salad with Sesame & Pickled Ginger

A refreshing salad for a hot day, you wilt the spinach first and “cook” the thinly sliced zucchini by salting.  You can add noodles to it to make it a more filling entree. Very thinly slice onion to make 1/4 … Continue reading →

Beet Burgers

Beets add nice color, moisture and flavor to a vegan burger.  There are lots of beet burger recipes out there but this one dices and roasts the beets and then adds meaty garbanzos and chewy brown rice.  I have canned … Continue reading →

Stir-Fried Chow Fun Noodles with Spinach

The chewy texture of spinach stands up well to these wide noodles.  Traditionally served with beef, this vegetarian version instead relies on mushrooms and caramelized onions to provide the rich flavor.  It is normally made with fresh (not dried) noodles, … Continue reading →

Baked Ziti with Greens & Mushrooms

This filling and greens-rich dish is faster to make than lasagne with a similar appeal.  You can use kale or spinach, or a combination of the two. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Preheat the oven … Continue reading →

White-Bean Salad with Spring Onion Vinagrette

You can make this salad with asparagus, snap peas or English peas or some of each. Soak 1 C. cannellini or other large white bean in water overnight. Drain and cook in salted water until just tender. (Or drain and … Continue reading →

Spring Vegetable Red Thai Curry

This is a delicious and filling all-vegetable curry but you can easily add a protein of your choosing, seasoned and cooked separately and then added at the end of cooking. Slice spring onions to make 2 C. of white parts.  … Continue reading →

Spring Vegetable Stir-Fry

This is a simple recipe but you need to pay attention to the cooking time of each ingredient.  One easy way to do that is to cook the items separately, and then combine at the end with the sauce.  This … Continue reading →

Roasted Vegetable Couscous with Cilantro Pesto

The intense flavor of the pesto is mellowed a bit by adding it to the vegetables in the oven for a few minutes. Heat the oven to 375. Slice 6 carrots in half lengthwise, then cut into 2″ pieces and … Continue reading →

Leek, Asparagus and Chard Risotto

Risotto is simple to make, and the constant stirring can be a meditative and relaxing task if you aren’t in a hurry.  Sauteing the leeks until they are caramelized takes a little while, but provides a flavorful basis for the … Continue reading →

Spinach-Walnut Pesto

I’ve heard on the news that people have been stocking up on old-fashioned pasta.  So here’s a quick and delicious recipe that you can toss with a pot full of whatever noodles you happen to have. Remove the stems from … Continue reading →

Spaghetti Squash & Spinach “Lasagne”

This recipe uses Spaghetti Squash instead of lasagne noodles.  Bake the squash in advance if possible. Heat the oven to 350.  Cut 1 large or 2 small spaghetti squash in half width-wise and scoop out the seeds and seed membranes. Place … Continue reading →

Spinach, Leek and Mushroom Noodle Bowl

I use my salad spinner to give spinach a bath: place the spinach inside the sieved inside part and then fill the entire thing with cold water.  Lift the inside part of the spinner out, then drain the water.  Repeat … Continue reading →

Cauliflower Gnocchi with Spinach

Make this recipe with regular flour or with the gluten-free substitutes I put in parentheses.  You can prep the dough in advance and then freeze it for later. Trim cauliflower heads, then cut into florets.  You want 4 C. total. … Continue reading →

Marinated Cauliflower with Poached Eggs & Leek Vinagrette

You can make the dressing and cauliflower ahead of time. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Clean and slice 2 small or 1 medium leek.  Heat 5 T. olive oil in a small skillet and saute … Continue reading →

Cauliflower-Fennel Saute with Spinach and Olives

Cauliflower is very popular right now as a rice substitute, but it also makes a nice substitute for meat or tofu.  I like to chop it up small — but not as small as rice — and saute it over … Continue reading →

Miso-Orange Glazed Beets and Carrots

This recipe balances the sweetness of the citrus and roots with hot chili oil and lots of ginger.  You can substitute regular sesame oil and cut the ginger in half if you prefer it mostly sweet. Preheat the oven to … Continue reading →

Italian Shaved Celery and Mushroom Salad

I’m not a big fan of the way most people traditionally use celery in salads — diced thickly in big chunks.  This unusual salad slices the celery very thinly, on a bias, and transforms it into something more elegant yet … Continue reading →

Greek Cabbage Salad

Cabbage Salads are a staple of winter eating in Greece, and they should be at your house too.  This one has capers, roasted red peppers and of course, feta cheese.  The trick to making this salad great — as with … Continue reading →

Kabocha Mole Stew

This is a simple mole made with mild dried chiles.  The squash simmers in it and absorbs the complex flavors.  You can just eat the stew over rice or quinoa, or stuff it into corn tortillas and make enchiladas. Place … Continue reading →

Chard & Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie

We don’t grow mushrooms at Terra Firma, but mushroom hunters know this is the best time of year to find them growing wild in Northern California and they are abundant at markets as well.  They pair beautifully with chard.  This … Continue reading →

Solstice Soup

The first step in this recipe is to make a big pan of roasted veggies.  The challenge is not eating most of them before you make the soup. Heat the oven to 375.  Scrub and then chop 2 lbs. of … Continue reading →

Potato-Leek Gratin

The Leeks in this recipe melt into a caramelized crust under the potatoes and cheese.  A slice of this with a heart salad is a great lunch, or serve it with poached eggs for brunch.  You can make this using … Continue reading →

Vietnamese-Style Spaghetti Squash

This recipe uses spaghetti squash in place of traditional rice noodles.  It is a mostly vegetarian recipe but you can use whatever protein you prefer, or none at all. Cut a spaghetti squash in half width-wise.  Remove the seeds, then … Continue reading →

Butternut-Chevre Crostini with Saute Beet Greens

The tang of the goat cheese helps balance out the sweetness of the squash and the slightly chewy beet greens pair well with the creaminess of the spread.  This recipe only uses half of a medium-sized butternut.  You can roast … Continue reading →

Broccoli-Stem Mashed Potatoes

This recipe is specifically targeted to folks who are still throwing away their broccoli stems and only eating the florets.  You can make this recipe using both parts, or just use the stems.  Adding the broccoli to the potatoes makes … Continue reading →

Roasted Broccoli and Spinach Sesame Noodles

Roasted Broccoli is something you can prepare ahead of time, then pull out of the fridge and add to salads, pasta, pizza, sandwiches — hot or cold.  This recipe uses Sambal Olek — a prepared chili paste that is quite … Continue reading →

Spinach-Carrot Rice Stew

This recipe uses diced carrots as a type of rice to make a risotto-like dish, creamy and thick.  It could be called “Carrot-to” Rinse 1/2 lb. of carrots, trim the ends, then cut into 1/4″ dice.  Combine with 6 C. … Continue reading →

Spicey Acorn Squash Tacos

Roast the squash while you make a tangy slaw with cabbage, carrots and cilantro.  When cooked this way, acorn squash skin is edible and tasty — no need to peel it. Preheat the oven to 425. Cut 1 Acorn squash … Continue reading →

Arugula-Delicata Bowl with Home-made Pepitas

Making your own Pepitas — toasted pumpkin seeds — is simple. Cleaning them takes a little time, but covering them with water to do it makes the process quicker.  The hardest part is not eating them all before you finish … Continue reading →

Green Beans a la Diabla

This is a vegan version of a dish normally made with shrimp, but the sauce lends itself perfectly to a crunchy, succulent vegetable like green beans.  And the spinach soaks up the flavors as well.  This sauce is spicy; you … Continue reading →

Green Bean Salad with Roasted Peppers

This recipe keeps the green beans crunchy by quickly blanching them, while the peppers are roasted and then tossed with tomatoes. Heat a grill or turn on the broiler in your oven. Trim 1/2 lb. of Green Beans and bring … Continue reading →

Delicata-Green Bean Gratin

Peel and slice 1 onion.  Core 2 peppers and then thinly slice. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat 2 T. olive oil and add the onions.  Saute until they are tender, then add the peppers along with 1 minced clove … Continue reading →

Green Beans and Peppers with Ginger and Garlic

An old favorite in my house, this recipe is dead easy to make but very tasty.  You can add  or substitute zucchini for the peppers, but it will cook more quickly so add it even later.  You can do this … Continue reading →

Melon-Tomato Feta Salad

I offer this recipe in both vegetarian and omnivore versions, but you may want to try using something other than the grilled zucchini as a substitute for the prosciutto.  You could also make the salad with both ingredients. Core, then … Continue reading →

Lazagne Caprese

A cross between vegetarian lasagne and a Caprese Salad, there is no pasta in this recipe.  You can make the pesto in advance. Heat a grill on high for 10 minutes. Remove the leaves from 1 bunch of Basil.  Puree … Continue reading →

Best Ever Gazpacho

Whether or not you love Gazpacho, you should try this recipe.  The texture is slightly creamy but there are no chunks of vegetables:  you can drink it from a glass.  It uses a large quantity of olive oil, no bread, … Continue reading →

Zabaganoush

The Z Recipe Series is back! This week, the Middle Eastern classic eggplant dip gets a makeover.  If you love Babaganoush, you will almost certain love this version in all of its smokey, creamy goodness.  And if you don’t like … Continue reading →

Tomato Sushi

This is admittedly a fairly labor intensive recipe, but it is a wonderful vegan appetizer that shows off the amazing flavor of tomatoes.  For more variety, you can make a simple cucumber/avocado roll, and serve slices of that alongside the … Continue reading →

Pan-Roasted Zucchini Salad with Fresh Tomatoes

The juice of fresh, vine-ripe tomatoes is the world’s best salad dressing ingredient, with it’s combination of sweetness, acidity and umami.  But it’s also amazing when just slightly cooked, enough to distill its essence but not lose its juicy goodness.  … Continue reading →

Cucumber-Potato Salad

This recipe follows the formula of combining potatoes with a crunchy vegetable and a creamy dressing, but uses cucumbers instead of celery and yogurt instead of mayo.  Leave out the dairy for a vegan dish. Slice 1 Painted Serpent cucumber … Continue reading →

Fattoush with Queso Fresco

Cucumbers are grown and eaten the world over, including in the Middle East.  This recipe might seem similar to a Greek Salad, but it with lots more fresh herbs and spices. Preheat the oven to 350. In a small bowl, … Continue reading →