Fruit & Flowers

[Leaves & Stems] [Roots & Tubers] [Recipes Main]

You will find recipes for the following fruit & flowers on this page:

Beans
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cukes
Eggplant
Melon
Peas
Peppers
Squash
Tomatoes
Zucchini

BEANS

Dilly Beans
1 lb green beans, trimmed
4 tsp. chopped fresh dill
1 tbs. minced shallot
1 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. whole-grain mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Bring an inch of water to a boil in a large saucepan fitted with a steamer basket. Add green beans, cover, and cook until tender-crisp, 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Meanwhile, whisk dill, shallot, oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the green beans and toss to coat. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving to blend flavors.

Ginger Beans
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
3 tbs. sugar
3 tbs. fresh ginger, minced
2 tbs. soy sauce
3 tbs. lime juice
1 tbs. water
1 tbs. sesame oil

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the beans. Cook for just 2 to 3 minutes then remove from water and rinse under cold water. Whisk together the remaining ingredients and allow to sit for at least 15 minutes. Shake once more then more the mixture over the green beans.

Green Bean-Tomato Salad with Herbs
2 lbs. green beans
11/2 tsp. dijon mustard
2 tbs. red wine vinegar
1/4 cup plus 1 tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tbs. chopped tarragon
1 tbs. chives
1/2 tsp. chopped thyme
1/2 lb. cherry tomatoes, halved

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook until they are crisp-tender, about five minutes. Drain and rinse the green beans under cold water until they are chilled; pat dry. In a large bowl, whisk mustard and vinegar. Gradually whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper Add the green beans, tarragon, chives and thyme and toss to coat. Add tomatoes, toss gently and serve. (Food and Wine August 2009)

BROCCOLI

Broccoli Salad with Ginger-Miso Vinaigrette
1 large head of broccoli (1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1-inch florets, stems peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tbs. white miso paste
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbs. canola oil
1 tbs. sugar
1 tbs. toasted sesame seeds
One 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli florets and stems and cook until bright green and just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse the broccoli under cold water until cooled; pat dry. In a large bowl, whisk the rice vinegar with the miso paste, sugar, lemon juice and grated ginger. Whisk in the oil and season with salt and
pepper. Add the broccoli and sesame seeds, toss to coat and serve. MAKE AHEAD: The miso dressing can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. The cooked and chilled broccoli can be refrigerated overnight. Toss the broccoli with the dressing and sesame seeds just before serving.

Sesame Broccoli Salad
12 cups Broccoli Florets
2 tbs. Soy Sauce
2 tbs. Rice Vinegar
2 tbs. Sesame Oil
2 tbs. Honey
1/2 cup Sesame Seeds

Whisk soy sauce, vinegar, oil and honey in large bowl. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Steam broccoli florets until crisp-tender; cool. Stir sesame seeds in heavy, large skillet over medium heat until golden, approx.. 5 minutes. Transfer to small bowl; cool. Mix broccoli & 1/4 cup sesame seeds into dressing. Let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Transfer broccoli to platter. Pour remaining dressing over and garnish with remaining sesame seeds.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Roasted Brussels
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
3 tbs. olive oil
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt and serve immediately.

CUKES

Chilled Cucumber Soup
4 cups peeled, seeded, grated cucumber
2 cups water
2 cups yogurt
1/2-1 tsp. salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh dill
1 tbs. honey

Combine ingredients and chill. Garnish with fresh mint and chives.

Tomato, Cucumber, Sweet Onion Salad with Cumin Salt
1 tbs. cumin seeds
1 1/2 tbs. coarse sea salt
2 1/4 lbs. tomatoes, cored and sliced 1/4" thick
1 lb. cucumbers, peeled and sliced 1/8" thick
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbs. fresh lemon juice

In a skillet, toast the cumin seeds over moderately high heat until fragrant, 30 seconds, transfer to a mortar and let cool. Add the salt and grind to a coarse powder. In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle 2 tsp. of the cumin salt over the salad and toss.

Zesty Cucumber Salad
1 large cucumber
1 tsp. coarse cooking salt
4 beets
1 medium red onion
2 tbs. finely chopped fresh mint leaves
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tsp. sugar

Peel, seed, and finely chop cucumber. Place cucumber in colander and sprinkle with salt; let mixture stand 15 minutes. Meanwhile, peel and grate trimmed beets. Chop onion finely. Rinse cucumber under cold water; drain on absorbent paper. Combine cucumber, beets, onion, mint, rind, juice, and sugar in large bowl.

EGGPLANT

Eggplant Lasagna with Herbed Ricotta
1/2 lb. plum tomatoes, halved and seeded
1 clove garlic
4 tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper
2 eggplants (3 lbs.), sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick
1 cup ricotta
1 large egg
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese
4 cups mixed greens

Heat broiler. Puree tomatoes, garlic, 1 tbs. olive oil and 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper in food processor. In two batches, arrange eggplant on baking sheet, brush with 2 tbs. olive oil, and season with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp.
pepper. Broil until charred and tender; 3-4 min. per side. Combine ricotta, egg, basil and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper in small bowl. Spread half the tomato sauce in the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. Layer a third of the eggplant and half of the ricotta mixture. Repeat. Top with remaining eggplant and tomato sauce. Sprinkle with Asiago or Parmesan. Reduce oven to 400-degrees F and bake until bubbling, 15-20 min. Let rest for 10 min. before serving. Divide greens among plates. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve with lasagna. Serves 4. (Real Simple September 2009)

Simple Roasted Ratatouille
1 medium eggplant
1 large zucchini
3 large onions
2 medium tomatoes
2 bell peppers
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450-degrees. Cut all veggies into 1" chunks and place in large bowl (Need 12-14 cups veggies total). Add garlic and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper & spread on baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes, then stir. Contine to roast for 25-30 minutes, stirring again after 20 minutes until veggies are fork tender. Place veggies in bowl, garnish with chopped basil, and serve with grated cheese.

Summer Casserole
3 tbs. olive oil, plus more for brushing
3 medium zucchini (1 1/2 lb.), sliced lengthwise 1/4" thick
2 long, narrow eggplants ( 1 1/2 lbs.), peeled and sliced lengthwise 1/3" thick
Salt and pepper
1 large shallot, minced
1 lb. tomatoes cut into 1/2" dice
3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 chopped basil
1/3 cup panko or coarse, dry bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 425-degrees. Oil 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Put the zucchini slices on one sheet and the eggplant on the other. Brush slices all over with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange slices on each sheet in a slightly overlapping layer. Bake for 15 minutes until tender. In a large skillet, heat 2 tbs. olive oil. Add the shallot and cook over moderate heat until softened, 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook over high heat until slightly softened and bubbling, 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Oil a large, shallow baking dish, approximately 10 x 15". Lay half of the eggplant in the dish and spread one-fourth of the tomatoes on top. Scatter with half of the feta and basil. Layer half of the zucchini on top, followed by another one-fourth of the tomato and the remaining basil, eggplant, and zucchini. Top with the remaining tomato and feta. Mix the panko with the remaining 1 tbs. of olive oil and sprinkle over the casserole. Bake in the upper third of the oven for 20 minutes, until bubbling and crisp. Let stand for 5 minutes, then serve hot or warm.

MELON

Cantaloupe & Avocado Salad
3 Tbs. fresh lime juice
4 tsp. honey
1 tbs. plus 2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1 cantaloupe (3 pounds), quartered and seeded
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and skinned
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

In a large bowl, whisk together lime juice, honey, oil, and salt; set aside. Cut each cantaloupe quarter in half lengthwise. Run a knife between the flesh and the skin of the melon; discard skin. Slice each wedge lengthwise into 1/2-inch pieces. Cut each avocado half again lengthwise and then into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Add cantaloupe, avocado, and grape tomatoes to bowl with dressing and toss to coat.

Melon Slaw
1 medium red onion; halved and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 firm, ripe cantaloupe, cut into matchsticks
1 tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1 tbs. dill
1/2 tsp. paprika

Soak the sliced red onion in ice water; drain. Tos the cantaloupe, lemon juice, 1 tsp. salt, onion slices, dill and paprika in a bowl. (Food Network September 2009)

Melon Sorbet
Enjoy this frozen fruit dessert without a lot of bother or even an ice-cream maker. All you need are a few fresh melons and a food processor. First, cube a melon and freeze it in a food-storage bag. When you're ready to make sorbet, place frozen melon in the food processor, and puree. You may need to add water to smooth. Add sugar to taste, and puree again. Serve immediately, or store in the freezer in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

Summer Salad
2 tsp. minced or grated fresh ginger
1 tbs. rice-wine vinegar
2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 tsp. coarse salt
3 scallions, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 small jicama (about 4 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick matchsticks
1/2 honeydew melon, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
1 orange bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (about 1/2 pound), picked over and rinsed
4 ounces baby arugula
2 tsp. oil
Freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together ginger, vinegar, lemon juice, and salt. In a serving bowl, combine scallions, jicama, honeydew, bell pepper, and blueberries. Pour ginger mixture over salad, and toss to combine (salad can be made up to this point 30 minutes ahead of time). Just before serving, add arugula to salad mixture; drizzle with the oil, and season generously with black pepper.

PEAS

Curried Potato and Pea Salad
2 lbs. mini new red potatoes, each halved or quartered, depending on size
3/4 cup mayonnaise or plain yogurt
3 tbs. chopped fresh mint
2 to 3 tsp. mild or medium curry powder
2 tbs. fresh lime juice
2 tsp. honey
1 medium garlic clove, minced
salt to taste
1 1/4 cups freshly shelled peas (see Note)

Gently boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until just tender. Drain well, spread on a baking sheet and cool to room temperature. Combine the mayonnaise or yogurt, mint, curry powder, lime juice, honey, garlic and salt in a bowl. Mix in the potatoes and peas, reserving a few of the latter to sprinkle on the salad when ready to serve. Cover and refrigerate the salad until needed; can be made several hours in advance of serving. When ready to serve, spoon the salad onto a decorative platter, sprinkle with reserved peas and serve.
Note: I shelled a half-pound of pea pods to get the 1 1/4 cups of peas required for this recipe.

Quinoa Salad with Sugar Snap Peas
1/2 lb. Sugar Snap Peas
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup plus 1 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. white wine vinegar
salt and pepper
1/2 cup salted, roasted pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup minced chives

In small pan of boiling, salted water, simmer peas until bright green and crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Drain and spread out on large plate to cool and dry. Cut peas on the diagonal into 1 inch pieces. In a small saucepan, combine the quinoa with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat until all the water and evaporated and quinoa is tender, approx. 15 min. Uncover and fluff quinoa. Transfer to bowl and let cool to room temp. In a bowl combine the oil and vinegar, season with salt and pepper. Add peas to quinoa with pumpkin seeds, chives, and dressing. Stir and season with salt and pepper. Serve at room temp or slightly chilled. (Food and Wine August 2009)

Snow Pea & Radish Slaw
1-2 lbs. snow peas, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 bunch radishes, thinly sliced
4 tsp. rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. sugar
2 tbs. canola oil
1/2 tsp. sesame oil

Soak radishes and red onion in ice water for 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Whisk rice vinegar, mustard and sugar in a bowl. Whisk in canola and sesame oil. Add snow peas, onion, and radish. Season salt & pepper.

PEPPERS

SQUASH

Butternut Squash & Orange Cream Dessert
2 lbs butternut squash
1 tbs. canola oil
6 oz silken tofu
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup vanilla soy milk
2 tbs. grated orange zest
1/2 cup raspberries or other seasonal fruit
1/8 tbs. grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Cut squash in half, scoop out seeds, brush with oil, and bake for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Scoop out 1 cup of flesh and transfer to blender or food processor. Add tofu, syrup, orange juice, soy milk and orange zest and process until smooth. spoon equal portions of berries into chilled dessert cups. Pour cream over the fruit and sprinkle nutmeg over top. Chill for 30 minutes and serve.

Pumpkin, Banana & Chickpea Curry
3 tbs. sunflower oil
1 small onion, sliced.
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/4 lb. pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed
2 tbs. hot curry paste
2 ripe tomatoes chopped
2 dried red chilies
1 1/4 cup vegetable stock
1 3/4 cups canned chickpeas, drained
1 large banana
1 tbs. chopped cilantro or parsley.

Heat 2 Tbs. of oil in a saucepan, add the onion, garlic, ginger and ground spices, and sauté over a medium heat for 5-6 min. until the onion is lightly browned. Place the pumpkin in a bowl, add the curry paste and toss well to coat the pumpkin evenly. Add the tomatoes, chilies and stock to the onion mixture, and bring to the boil, simmering gently for 15 min. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a frying pan, add the coated pumpkin and fry for 5 min. until golden.
Add to the tomato sauce with the chickpeas, cover and cook for 20 min. until the pumpkin is tender. Peel the banana, slice thickly and stir into the curry 5 min. before the end of the cooking time. Stir in the chopped cilantro or parsley, and serve immediately.

Stuffed Ronde de Nice Squash
2 Ronde de Nice squash
1/2 cup white wine
2 tbs. unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1/2 lb. ground pork (can sub this for 1 cup of lentils)
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1 tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp fresh marjoram
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped carrot
Generous pinch kosher salt
1/4 cup chopped celery
Freshly ground black pepper.

Preheat the oven to 400-degrees F. Cut 1-inch off the top of each squash and scoop out the seeds. If necessary in order for the squash to sit upright, cut off a small portion of the bottom. Put 1 of the 4 pieces of butter in the cavity of each squash. Set
squash on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Set aside. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, brown the ground pork until no longer pink. Remove the meat from the pan, add the olive oil and sauté the onion, celery, and carrot until they begin to soften, approximately 7 to 10 minutes. De-glaze the pan with the white wine. Return the pork to the pan along with the cooked rice, pine nuts, marjoram and salt and pepper, to taste. Stirring constantly, heat mixture thoroughly, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Divide the mixture evenly among the squash, top each squash with its lid and bake for 1 hour or until the squash is tender. Serve immediately.

TOMATOES

Fresh Bloody Marys
Garnish:
2 small celery ribs, minced
2 tbs. minced onion
1 medium heirloom tomato, minced
1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
salt
Bloody Mary:
1 1/2 lbs. chilled red tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chilled vodka (optional)
1 cup ice cubes
1 tsp. tomato paste
1/2 small red chile, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp. celery salt
4 medium celery ribs and 4 thin green chiles (optional), for serving

Prepare Garnish: In a bowl, toss the celery with the onion, tomato, lemon zest and juice and season with salt. Refrigerated while you make the drinks. Make the Bloody Mary: In a blender puree the tomatoes, vodka, ice, tomato paste, chile and celery salt; pour into glasses. Spoon the garnish on top, add a celery rib and chile to each glass and serve. (Food and Wine August 2009)

Fresh Tomato Tart
6-8 tomatoes; cut lengthwise into 1/2" slices
1 large garlic clove, diced
3 tbs. chopped fresh basil
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 tbs. olive oil
1 prepared pie crust
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Place pie crust in a 10" tart pan. Prick bottom and sides of pastry with a fork. Bake for 5 minutes. Sprinkle cheese into shell. Top with 2 Tbs of basil. Sprinkle garlic & arrange tomato slices. Brush with olive oil & add salt and pepper. Place on baking sheet and on the lower oven rack. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove and garnish with remaining basil. Let stand for 5 min before serving.

Golden Gazpacho
from Golden Door
4 yellow tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
1/2 small red onion, minced
1 ear of fresh corn, shucked & rinsed, kernels cut off cob
1/2 large yellow bell pepper finely diced
1/2 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely diced
1/4 vegetable broth
1 tbs. chopped fresh parsley
2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup almonds

In large bowl combine tomatoes, onion, corn, bell pepper, cucumber, broth, parsley, oil, salt & pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Before serving, toast almonds (10 min in a 350-degree oven). Serve soup cold and garnish with almonds and fresh parlsey sprigs.

Stuffed Oven-Roasted Tomatoes
12 medium tomatoes (3 lbs.)
1 2/3 lb. fresh goat cheese
1 large egg
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbs. finely chopped basil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 425-degrees. Slice off the top 1/2 " of each tomato and reserve the tops. Scoop out the tomato cores and seeds. Cut a very thin sliver off of the bottom of each tomato to help them stand up straight. Arrange the tomatoes in a 9 x 13" baking dish. In a bowl, combine the goat cheese with the egg, garlic, basil, salt, pepper and 2 tbs. of the olive oil. Spoon the mixture into the tomatoes, mounding the filling 1/2" above the rim. Cover with tomato tops and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Bake for 35 minutes, until tender and browned in spots and the cheese is hot. Let stand for 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Food and Wine August 2009)

Summer Casserole
3 tbs. olive oil, plus more for brushing
3 medium zucchini (1 1/2 lb.), sliced lengthwise 1/4" thick
2 long, narrow eggplants ( 1 1/2 lbs.), peeled and sliced lengthwise 1/3" thick
Salt and pepper
1 large shallot, minced
1 lb. tomatoes cut into 1/2" dice
3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 chopped basil
1/3 cup panko or coarse, dry bread crumbs

ZUCCHINI

Potato, Leek and Feta Tart
1 tbs. olive oil
2 leeks (white and light green parts), cut into half-moons
2 small zucchini, cut into half-moons
kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled feta (2 oz.)
2 tbs. chopped fresh dill
8 oz. thinly sliced potatoes
9-inch pie crust

Heat oven to 375-degrees. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks, zucchini, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the feta and dill. Add the potatoes and toss to combine. On a piece of parchment paper and roll the pie crust to a 12-inch diameter. Slide the paper onto a baking sheet. Spoon the potato mixture onto the pie crust, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the edge of the pie crust over the edge of the potato mixture. Bake (covering with foil if the crust gets too dark) until the pie crust is golden brown and the potatoes are tender, 50-60 minutes. (Real Simple September 2009)

Zucchini Pancakes
2 small zucchini or 1 large, grated
1 egg, beaten
scant tsp. baking soda
salt & pepper
Some or none of the following:
grated romano cheese
chopped chives
basil

Combine ingredients. Add enough flour to make a somewhat stiff batter. Fry over medium heat to gently brown in olive oil and until pancakes are cooked through. (Pancakes should be approx.. 1/2" thick and 4-5" diameter). Serve with butter & more grated cheese if desired.