Every spring I’m so astonished by nature’s power. Trees that looked sad and dry over winter show their energy by blossoming. Fresh, green plants emerge from the soil, one of them is wild garlic. Wild garlic likes to grow at the edge of forests, on sunny slopes often close to a source of water.
…Savory
CHICKPEA AND CARROT SALAD WITH A SESAME DRESSING AND MAKE HUMMUS OUT OF LEFTOVERS!!!
I created this salad on occasion of a friends garden party. The salad goes well in combination with other salads especially quinoa salad, rice salad, and greens.
If you have leftovers, you can add the salad to a blender, add in some garlic, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil and a little salt and you will end up with a delicious hummus.
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BEETS AND GOATCHEESE TART WITH A SPELTCRUST
Tarts are great. They are easy and quick to make and the result is delicious. I suggest making the dough from scratch as the bought ones contain preservatives and unnecessary ingredients. Moreover, by making your own dough you can use alternatives to commercial white flour. I always try to pile lots of veggies onto the tart dough. In winter my tarts are usually heavier and earthier as I tend to use root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, and beets; whilst in summer they are lighter and fresher as I use fresh tomatoes and zucchini.
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AUTUMN LENTIL DAAL WITH POPPY SEED RICE AND AN APPLE CHUTNEY
I have started working at Werkhof102, a great cultural café in the bernese Mattenhofdistrict. If you have never been there, you have to stop by. The offer is great and the ambience is unique. I will cook lunch every Wednesday. I intend to create balanced vegetarian meals, the recipes will follow up on this blog. Two weeks ago I cooked a red lentil dahl with poppy seed rice and an apple chutney, instead of pumpkin, I used sweet potatoes….
OVEN ROASTED CHESTNUTS
Chestnuts are usually roasted in an apposite pan over an open fire. I have tried to bake them and the result was great. The only thing missing is the whole open fire experience and the smoky taste.
The way chestnuts are cut before they are roasted is crucial to make it easier to eat them after cooking. The best way is to cut the chestnut horizontally (from one side to the other). It is important to cut through the peel but not the meat.
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SIMPLE BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
I love autumn – the colors, the smell in the air, the nice weather and all the great vegetables and fruits that the nature brings. One of them are squashes. There are so many different kinds which are suitable for different dishes. For soup, I like to use a sweet and nutty squash. The easiest to find at the market now are butternut squashes. In my opinion a squash soup doesn’t need many fancy ingredients, my aim is to make the squashes flavor shine. I steamed some extra squash in a separate pot for my daughter. Squash is a great vegetable for babies as it helps digestion regulation.
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MEDITERREAN VEGETABLES AND A BUFFALO-MOZZARELLA
My Boyfriend and I love oven roasted veggies. You will realise this as the seasons pass. One of our favorit summer vegetables are eggplants – so many great dishes can be done. I like to get inspired by the Oriental such as the Mediterranean cuisine when I want to create something new with eggplants.
This recipe is as simple as can be. Eggplants, zucchini, tomatoes and sweet potatoes seasoned with Olive oil, lemon and salt. Topped with a buffalo-mozzarella and some balsamic vinegar reduction. This is the kind of food we love on hot summer days.
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“UR DINKEL” SPELT – BUCKWHEAT BREAD
Bread is great, I love it especially when it is flavorful and dens. I eat bread daily, I love it plain, with avocado and scrambled eggs, with nut butter and honey, and with many other toppings. I never use white wheat flour, wheat is everywhere and in most cases highly processed. At NGI I learnt that many people are intolerant without knowing it which when consumed too much enhances inflammation in the digestive track. If you start using other grains you realise how many options you have and how meals get diverse. “Ur Dinkel” is an old Spelt species (urdinkel.ch), spelt is probably the result of natural cross breeding between emmer and dwarf wheat.
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NUT LETUCE SALAD WITH EGG AND A HONEY MUSTARD DRESSING
Once every two weeks I get a bag full of fresh organic produce from farmers of the region. Farmers get to sell what their gardens produce in excess and I get the surprise of fresh and seasonal produce. I like the idea of not knowing what I will get, it makes my cooking more dynamic.
Today, amongst other produce I got a bag full of nut lettuce (Nüsslisalat in Swiss German) and a bag full of watercress. I love nut lettuce in combination with a boiled egg. I made a mustard honey dressing which suited the flavours beautifully.
This salad is ideal for a light lunch or as a starter when having a multi course meal.
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RICH QUINOA SALAD
In my opinion a perfect grain salad has many elements to it, the ratio between grain and the other component should be about 50/50. Further, the grain should have a nice bite to it and the salad shouldn’t be dry.
Quinoa is a great grain for salad. If cooked well it has keeps a nice texture and it has a great flavor. Quinoa is gluten free and rich in protein.
This recipe is great. The roasted vegetables, the feta and the citrus fruits are a perfect combination.
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