Archive | Featured

French Lentils

By Kristen Desmond on March 9, 2014 in Featured, Side Dishes

Served warm, this dish is tangy and satisfying. It makes a great side kick to chicken, fish, or a hunk of crusty bread. It would also be delicious as part of a composed salad that included grilled vegetables, feta cheese and greens. Lentils are a legume, low in fat and high in fiber. The dark green French lentils called for in this recipe, commonly called “Le Puy” lentils, take a little longer to cook than other varieties, but they hold their shape well. I use milder brown lentils for soup, stew and other side dishes. Read more for recipes!

Lunchtime! Mediterranean Barley Bowl

By Kristen Desmond on March 2, 2014 in Featured, Main Dishes

This is my latest favorite thing to do. For lunch, I take whole grains and toss them with whatever veggies, cheese, and protein I have on hand. This is a great way to use up leftover brown rice, quinoa, or in this case, barley. I buy pearl barley. It cooks faster than whole groat barley and is more typically found at the store. I use it in soup a lot. This Mushroom Barley Soup is a favorite! I digress. Back to my lunch. It was so good that I decided to make it a post so you can enjoy it too. Please forgive the lack of specific amounts in the recipe. Everything is to taste here. This is less about measuring and more about creating a delicious lunch from refrigerator and pantry staples…

More Polenta, Please!

By Kristen Desmond on February 23, 2014 in Breakfast, Featured, Main Dishes, Side Dishes

Polenta is basically medium-grind cornmeal boiled in water and/or milk and salt. It becomes a thick, porridge-like mixture. Incredibly quick and versatile, polenta can be served creamy, like mashed potatoes. Add grated Parmesan cheese to the mix and some fresh herbs – oh my. Or, you can spread it out in a sheet pan and chill it, then slice it and grill it with a little olive oil and salt. It can also be spread into thin layers like lasagna noodles (a great gluten-free alternative!). Read more for the recipes…

Pure Vegan: Garbanzo Bean and Tomato Soup

By Kristen Desmond on February 16, 2014 in Featured, Soups/Stews

This recipe comes to you from Pure Vegan, a cookbook written by Joseph Shudliner. Joseph is a culinary whirlwind, running a farmer’s market, creative directing marvelous new food spaces, and directing the Institute of Domestic Technology. That’s where I met Joseph. He was teaching a class on Fall Preserving that had nothing to do with preserves. It was a wonderful twist on using fall’s bounty to make apple sauce, grenadine, and dried fruit rolls. The Institute offers courses on Foodcrafting, Breadcrafting, Coffee Roasting, Cocktail Crafting, and Bread Camp (just to name a few!). I was thoroughly taken by the historic Zane Grey estate, the resident cat Thomas, and the little goats snuggling with one another out back. I was also thoroughly taken with Joseph, a creative mind, a fine cook, and a generous spirit. I hope you like his soup – I love it!

From the Archives: Black Bean Burgers

By Kristen Desmond on February 9, 2014 in Featured, Main Dishes

A few weeks ago, a Flagstone Pantry friend sent in a question about my recipe for Black Bean Burgers. I had managed to not specify the quantity of black beans. Sheesh. She’s been making them for years anyway, playing around with quantity. I am so glad she contacted me (thanks, Jen!), and invite any of you to send feedback, questions and requests for recipes using the contact form or comment box below each post.

Since it had been a while, I made them this week and was reminded how tasty and satisfying they are. I skipped the bun and served them topped with guacamole and accompanied with grilled vegetables and brown rice. Rice and beans – a complete protein combo for the ages. Delicious!

Cooking with Quinoa

By Kristen Desmond on February 2, 2014 in Featured, Main Dishes, Salads, Side Dishes

Since I published my recipe for Superfood Salad, I’ve gotten quite a few inquiries about quinoa (pronounced keen-wa). Quinoa is an ancient (gluten-free!) food, more closely related to spinach than rice. Widely available these days, quinoa is treated like a grain and is one of the few vegetarian sources for complete protein. When cooked, the grains “unravel,” triple in size, and become translucent.

This week’s post includes instructions for cooking one cup of quinoa and a collection of recipes showcasing its versatility. Enjoy!

Power to the Lemon

By Kristen Desmond on January 19, 2014 in Featured, Sweets/Desserts

My little tree out back is loaded (and I mean loaded) with big delicious Meyer lemons! Sweeter than other lemons, intensely aromatic, and thin-skinned, Meyer lemons are great for cooking. I am making everything lemon — lemon vinaigrette, preserved lemons, roast chicken with lemons, lemon herb cheese, and this totally fabulous lemon curd. Read more for recipes!

Spiced Persimmon Bread

By Kristen Desmond on January 12, 2014 in Bread, Featured

This recipe was inspired by a day volunteering at the Santa Barbara Farmer’s Market with the Santa Barbara County Foodbank. What a great community partnership! Growers, volunteers and community offering their energy and resources to support hunger relief in their own backyard. I left the market with some new friends and ripe Hachiya persimmons. The pulp from ripe persimmons is a natural purée and perfect for baking. For recipes, including Chocolate Persimmon Muffins, read more…

805 Living: Superfood Salad

By Kristen Desmond on January 5, 2014 in Dressing, Featured, Press, Salads

We’re excited to have our Superfood Salad featured in the January/February issue of 805 Living Magazine (see page 72)!

Super foods offer nutritional benefits that help boost our immunity and prevent disease. This salad features broccoli, walnuts, apple, and spinach – all nutritional powerhouses. Quinoa is a gluten-free whole grain and one of the few complete vegetarian sources for protein. This is the type of delicious healthful food we plan on preparing for you once our space opens at the Santa Barbara Public Market this spring. Enjoy it in good health!

Slow Cooker: Chicken and Chickpeas

By Kristen Desmond on December 29, 2013 in Featured, Main Dishes

When you braise chicken thighs, the meat just falls off of the bone. They are simply delicious. In this recipe, after some quick browning and sautéing, the slow cooker does the work. Removing the skin reduces the fat, but you don’t miss it. The warm spice profile makes this dish deliver a comfort food fix. Serve it over brown rice or couscous with a seasonal green salad. It will only taste like you cooked all day!

← Previous 1 … 9 10 11 … 17 Next →

Navigation