Fresh Summer Herbs - Dressing Up the Dullness of Winter

        Ah summer! Veggies in season! Fresh herbs for some culinary alchemy?  Basil plants have particularly had a good year. Olive oil infusions - every day! yes!!! to dress up the bean and the grain!!! Dismiss that feeling that a long winter brings on your food choices.  Garden plan early in february or march or later!! in a pot, a bird bath, window, you decide, and go for it!  A summer herbal smorgasbord of fresh basil, parsley, thyme, cilantro, dill, and mint is divine!!!  Everything tastes ... Mmmm, mmmm! If growing isn't an option, then shop! it's all here, now it's comparably fresher!!!

Here are some easy July staples from the Grasshopper Kitchen.

Golden Beets - peeled, quartered, and steamed - served warm with fresh dill weed

Black-Eyed Peas Salad - cooked beans, celery,  grate a radish peeled beet and garlic clove, add chopped green beans (or substitute carrot for example...go for texture and crunch), a handful of pumpkin seeds,  chopped basil, cilantro and parsley, ground or grated fresh ginger, black pepper, salt, cumin -  olive oil and vinegar (your choice) Mix all together, cover and let flavours meld in the fridge for a couple of hours. Serve cold or at room temperature.

                  AND

Easy Fall Herbal Medleys

String Beans in Herb Vinaigrette - Wash and lightly steam green beans along with cauliflower florets, quickly cool and toss in a bowl. Add thinly sliced red onion or chives, sprigs of dill, chopped basil, cilantro or parsley, and halved grape tomatoes. A glug of balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, with a pinch of salt and black pepper to finish.  

Delicata Squash and Cilantro - the squash is washed, sliced, and roasted at 400* for 15 minutes each side. Chill, peel if desired. Serve with lots of fresh chopped cilantro. Mmmm!

Love Grasshopper

Roasted Snack Beans

    Grasshopper has discovered a way to reinvent the bean into a tasty, crunchy mid-day snack food. Any bean, any size, will roast (time is adjusted for size) and voila, an excellent topping for salads or satisfying the munchies, while retaining protein and mineral content.
   Chick peas, whole green peas, and black-eyed peas each have there own amazing texture. the smaller beans like navy, black bean, and adzuki tend to 'explode' and burst their skins, producing a dry crunchy crouton sensation. The cooked beans are dried and spread over a baking sheet, so grasshopper finds the easiest way to do this, is to roast the beans just after cooking them. They dry up naturally from being hot and steamy, fresh from the pot. Otherwise, a paper towel will suffice to dry the beans.
   Spices to use are from your own creativity and taste. Choices are endless. Grasshopper enjoys salt and herbs de provence, or an indian spice blend (slow-heated in a pan first to release flavours into the oil). Make big batches of these, as they don't last. From a crunchy snack perspective, these are the ultimate tastiest way to eat large handfuls of beans. Enjoy!

Roasted Snack Beans
Preheat oven to 400*
-cooked beans (dry with a paper towel)
-a drizzle of olive oil
-salt (choice of spices)

Dry the cooked beans, spread on a baking sheet (don't layer), drizzle with oil, stir in spices and roast for 15-30 minutes. Keep an eye on these, as they will tend to burn in some ovens and pans if not stirred. Grasshopper stirs every 5-7 minutes. Larger beans take a longer time. 
 When beans are cooled down, keep at room temperature for 24 hours to keep their crisp, then store in a glass container. Avoid storage in plastic as it may soften the bean.

Love grasshopper