Here is the perfect warm-weather solution to dinner from my latest cookbook, The Forest Feast Road Trip. It’s vegetarian, but can easily be made vegan by using a non-dairy yogurt and skipping the Feta. this is also a great picnic food, as it can easily be assembled on-site outdoors. Protein-packed and very easy to assemble, this is an easy snack or light meal! Use my ideas as a starting point and swap in your favorite toppings.
Citrus Spotlight
Living in the Bay Area of California like we do, many people we know have citrus trees bursting with fruit right about now. (I wish we did!!) A friend gave us a big bag of Meyer lemons from her tree this week and I’ve been zesting everything! It is just the thing to add brightness and a little kick to get through these final winter months before spring arrives.
When life gives you lemons, you might as well cook up something tasty with them! Here are a few favorite citrus Forest Feast recipes from over the years.
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Sparkling Cucumber Basil Lemonade (via Kale & Caramel)
XX
Erin
Clementine Cake
Citrus Salad
Blood Orange Cabbage Salad
Lemon Ricotta Crostini
Balsamic Grilled Radicchio + Strawberries
Summer is officially here! And we just got a new gas grill. We’ve never had a gas BBQ (always charcoal) and I love the ease of just walking outside and throwing something on for a few minutes.
We got radicchio and strawberries in our farm box this week and I put them on the grill together tonight (I love purple and red together on my plate!). The result was tasty! I put them over a bed of quinoa, but they could be served alongside almost anything. To offset the radicchio’s bitterness, I used honey in the marinade and sprinkled the final plate with strong salty Parmesan shavings.
Balsamic Grilled Radicchio + Strawberries
1. Cut a radicchio into 6 wedges, leaving a bit of the core at the bottom of each slice to keep them intact. Lay the pieces out on a platter and drizzle/sprinkle with the following items on one side. No need to measure (you’ll be fine!), just go easy on the Braggs to ensure it’s not too salty.
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
Braggs Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)
sesame oil
honey
black pepper
2. Thread fresh strawberries (stems removed) onto kebab sticks. Sprinkle the berries with olive oil, balsamic and coarse salt.
3. Place everything on the BBQ (gas grill on medium heat) for a few minutes on each side. I like the radicchio leaves to get a bit charred and crispy on the edges. Pull the strawberries off if they start to get to soft. (The strawberries may need a bit less time than the radicchio depending on size and ripeness)
4. Place the radicchio and berries on a bed of quinoa. If there is leftover marinade on the platter, feel free to use it as dressing. Sprinkle each plate with a hard, sharp cheese like Parmesan, if you wish.
Serving suggestions: To make this a side dish, you could serve one wedge per person, in which case it serves 6. I’d budget about 1/2 cup quinoa and 3 strawberries per person.
Enjoy warm!
Grapefruit & Thyme Aperol Spritz
The days are getting warmer and with travel plans on hold for the foreseeable future, I am imagining myself in Italy again like we were last summer. Bring on the spritz!
This spritz recipe comes from The Forest Feast Mediterranean (page 50).
Grapefruit & Thyme Aperol Spritz
Grapefruit & Thyme Aperol Spritz
(serves 1)
2 oz. Aperol
2 oz. Prosecco
2 oz. Seltzer
Mix spirits in a cocktail shaker until cold.
Serve in chilled glass with ice.
Garnish with a slice of grapefruit and a fresh thyme sprig.
Cheers!
xx
Erin
No-Cook Mediterranean Tostadas
This tostada is great for those nights when you just don’t feel like cooking but still want something balanced and fresh. This is not a traditional preparation of the tostada (which is often seen in Mexican cuisine), but an adaptation using more Mediterranean-style ingredients which makes for an easy weeknight meal.
Find this recipe, with a few other variations in my cookbook The Forest Feast Road Trip.
No-cook mediterranean tostadas
makes 4 tostadas (*divide the ingredients below among the 4 pita breads)
4 pita breads (whole wheat or regular, left whole)
1 c hummus
1/2 c babaganoush
1 tomato, diced
1 small cucumber, diced (peel on)
2 green onions (chopped)
1/4 c crumbled Feta cheese
1/4 c garbanzo beans (from a can)
lemon wedges (for serving)
Using the hummus as the base, layer all other ingredients in the order above onto the pitas. Slice in half, if you wish, or enjoy the whole thing hand-held.
*I prefer my pita soft, but if you'd like to stick with the typical tostada crunchiness, bake your pitas at 375F for 10 minutes before adding the toppings.
Enjoy!
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xx
Erin