I was discussing various herbs and grains with my locavore friend Carol the other day. She grows many plants in her vegetable/herb garden including amaranth. She asked me if I had any amaranth recipes. I replied, “I know of it but have not cooked with it”. She said, “I need a few new recipes. You should create a new recipe for me”. I gladly accepted the challenge. If you have…
This 274 page book is a collection of the 120 most popular recipes from the first two years of posts to my Valley Vegetarian blog. There’s nothing fancy here, just plain good home style cooking that appeals to everyone without regard to specific diet. The recipes tend toward comfort food with a taste of Ojai. Many have been published in the Ojai Valley News under the header Chef Randy. All…
Escabeche is typically a Mediterranean cuisine,...…
I was wondering how to fix a healthy burrito that would satisfy my tastes as well as those of my vegan friends. “It would even be better”, I told my wife, “if I could make it without flour tortillas so my gluten-free friends could enjoy it too”. I had already decided to use a quinoa filling but needed something to replace the tortilla. My friend, Kris, shared his fresh collard…
What are worm castings and why are they important? Let’s start with a definition. Worm castings are simply undigested material, soil and bacteria deposited by a worm. There’s even a word for it: vermicompost. Vericompost means organic material that has been composted by worms. In other words, worm manure. Why are worm castings important for the home gardener? For one, they are biologically safe, contain no pathogens and are an…
“We hope that our simple method of making this valuable cultured soy food will lead to both an increased demand for organically grown soybeans and more local and regional food production. This will result in healthier people and a healthier planet.” – Betsy Shipley and Gunter Pfaff Tempeh, or tempe in Indonesian, is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into cake form. It is unique…
by Randy Graham Next time you prepare a meal for yourself or your family, pay attention to how many processed or pre-packaged food items you use. Grab the macaroni and cheese box off your shelf or the frozen waffles from the freezer and read the ingredients. It’s likely you’ll find food additives in each one. This can’t be healthy in the long run. Our bodies were made to eat fresh,…
I was doing research on genetically modified organisms (GMO) and found an article in the recent winter edition of California Alumni Magazine titled Dinner by Design. It is an interesting read. In the article, the author presents arguments on both sides of the GMO debate ultimately siding with the argument for GMOs as he believes GMOs are best at “beating pests to extending shelf life to creating prettier apples.” He…
by Randy Graham I always thought matzo ball soup was just flour dumplings in chicken soup. As a vegetarian I never tried it. I didn’t understand that it is truly comfort food so for 58 years I avoided it not thinking to look for a vegetarian version. While in the market the other day I found myself looking at various foodstuffs including a package of Manischewitz “Matzo Ball & Soup…
The common carrot has existed for over 5000 years with documentation tracing back to Asian and Middle Eastern cultures. You may know that carrots grow in a multitude of colors including white, green, red, purple, yellow and even black! What you may not know (I certainly did not) is that the orange carrot as we know it today did not always exist. It is a hybrid created 500 years ago…
In early May, Rio Gozo Farm owner Steve Sprinkel announced the expansion of his Ojai Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program “down river” to residents in Ventura. CSA is a relatively new movement in the United States starting in the mid-80’s. It is a farm program offering subscribers a weekly box of seasonal, fresh produce and a chance to have a direct connection to the food put on their table. Four…
by Randy Graham Some still think vegetarianism is a fad as opposed to a lifestyle. While it is true that it came to national attention in the 1960s here in the United States, its origins are hundreds if not thousands of years older than that. Make no mistake, vegetarianism is a lifestyle and has been for a good long while. In the western world alone, vegetarianism began to take hold…
by Randy Graham Edible centerpieces? Why not? When we make dinner for our friends and family we like to have a centerpiece on the table that is edible. A nice small bouquet of flowers is fun but an “edible” centerpiece is novel, unexpected and can generate interesting discussions while eating. One time we had a small bouquet of nasturtiums in the middle of the table. Our friend, Lol, asked if…