The Purloined Recipe

Janet Grossman

This is a great way to use tomatillos and Poblano peppers if you don’t want to make salsa. We think it tastes like a stroganoff sauce, and I always add lots of sliced mushrooms. Serve over pasta, baked potatoes, grains and vegetables. I put it over pasta and steamed purple green beans this week.

2/3 c. cashew pieces (raw)
1 1/2 lbs fresh tomatillos
1 fresh Poblano pepper, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup unsweetened soy milk

Grind cashews to powder in blender or small coffee grinder and set aside.

Removed and discard outer husks from tomatillos, wash thoroughly, and chop tomatillos. Put tomatillos into a large skillet or flat-bottomed wok.

Add Poblano pepper, garlic, onion, salt, cumin, and pepper to skillet. Cook over high heat about 6 or 7 minutes, stirring to cook evenly.

Add soy milk to skillet and stir well. When mixture begins to bubble, add ground cashews a little at a time. Stir until thickened and smooth, about 2 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

Recipes By Ingredient, The Recipes, garlic, onions, peppers, stews, tomatillos

Serves 6

All the nightshades are braised together in a sauce of basil and cilantro, two herbs that are quite possibly even better in combination than they are separately. Serve warm or at room temperature with a spoonful of garlic-infused yogurt or a wedge of lemon.

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1½ pounds Yellow Finn, Russian Banana, or other waxy potatoes
2 large peppers, red and/or yellow bells or cubanelles
vegetable oil
1 cup packed basil leaves
1 cup packed cilantro leaves
3 large garlic cloves
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon roasted ground cumin
2 large onions, peeled and cut into eighths, or 16 very small onions
1 pound short oblong eggplants, such as Ichiban, quartered lengthwise
2 or 3 large meaty red tomatoes peeled, seeded, and diced
1½ cups cooked chickpeas (1 15-ounce can, rinsed)

Preheat the broiler. Bring 6 cups water to a boil and add 1 teaspoon salt. Slice the potatoes lengthwise about ½ inch thick, boil them for 5 minutes, and drain. Halve the peppers lengthwise, press to flatten them, then brush with vegetable oil. Broil, cut side down, on a baking sheet until blistered but not charred. Stack them on top of one another and set aside to steam. When cool, remove the skins and cut the pieces in half. Set the oven temperature at 350°F.

Coarsely chop the basil, cilantro, and garlic, then puree in a small food processor with olive oil, cumin and ½ teaspoon salt.

Toss all the vegetables with 1 teaspoon salt, some freshly ground pepper, and the herb mixture. Using your hands, rub the herb mixture into the vegetables, especially the eggplant, then add the chickpeas and toss once more. Transfer everything to an earthenware gratin dish. Rinse out the herb container with ½ cup water and pour it over all Cover the gratin dish tightly with foil and bake until tender, about 1½ hours. Remove the foil, brush the exposed vegetables with the juices, and bake for 20 minutes more. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Recipes By Ingredient, The Recipes, basil, cilantro, eggplant, entrees, garlic, onions, peppers, potatoes, salads, side dishes, soups, stews

(recipe from the book Local Flavors used with permission of the author, Deborah Madison)

Serves 2 - 4.

2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 big onions
a few thyme sprigs
3 tablespoons chopped oregano
4 skinny eggplants, cut into 2 inch lengths
1 ½ pounds summer squash, cut into large wedges or lengths
2 tablespoons tomato paste
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup white wine or water
vinegar, optional

Heat the oil in a dutch oven or other deep pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add the onions, thyme and oregano and cook over medium-high heat, shaking the pan
occasionally while you prepare the rest of the vegetables. Cook until the onions wilt and start to color in places.

Add the vegetables, give them a stir and cook, keeping the heat high and shaking the pan occasionally, until they begin to give off an enticing smell about 10-15 minutes). Stir in the tomato paste, add the salt and the wine or water. Cover the pan, turn the heat to low, and cook for about 10 minutes. The vegetables should have an invitingly tender appearance and be blushing with a faint glaze of red from the tomato. Season with pepper. Add a few drops of vinegar for sharpness if you like.

eggplant, oregano, squash - summer, stews