This salad is so simple and colorful. Just slice or chop 2 carrots, 1 purple cabbage, 5 radishes and 2 blood oranges. Toss together with a handful of golden raisins. Make a simple dressing of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and the juice from one more blood orange. Use a couple of the outer cabbage leaves as bowls for a pretty look. A wintery citrusy delight!
Photos and Illustration © Erin Gleeson
Sunchokes (a.k.a. jerusalem artichokes) are a gnarly looking vegetable, but quite tasty! They are similar to potatoes, but less starchy. This roasted combo goes great with soup on a winter day.
Photos and illustrations © Erin Gleeson www.theforestfeast.com
This Persimmon Pear Cake is a nice twist on the traditional pumpkin bread. It’s denser than cake, which is why you don’t need icing. Peel, cube and cook persimmons and pears in a small pot on the stove (add a bit of butter and water to get it simmering). Mash it up until you get about 1 cup of puree (depending on the size of the fruits, you may need another persimmon or pear). Combine this fruit mixture with all the other ingredients and bake in a round spring form pan. A light drizzle of honey, plus nuts if you like… and serve it warm!
Photos and Illustrations © Erin Gleeson
Foragers, alert! Mushrooms are everywhere right now. I was in Santa Cruz recently and met a forager who showed me all the edible mushrooms he’d found on his walk and gave me tips on how to spot them. Often they are just little bumps under leaves…who knew!? Most of the ones he pointed our were types of Russula mushrooms. For this Mushroom Quinoa Risotto recipe I used Oyster mushrooms.
As always, forage with an expert and use an identification book. Be sure to check with an expert before eating anything. Happy hunting!
In honor of this last day of Hanukkah, I made Sufganiyot (jelly donuts). Believe it or not, this is a Hanukkah tradition, right along with latkes. This was the first time I’d made them so I used Martha Stewart’s recipe and they came out great!
