Lentil Soup with Parsley Root and Carrots

Serves 4-6

1 lb  Dried lentils, -washed and drained
1/4   c  Lard, bacon drippings, -or oil
2 md  Onions or leeks, chopped
1 parsley root or parsnip, chopped
2  md Carrots, sliced
1 c  Sliced fennel or celery
8 c   Water
1 t Salt to or to taste
Several whole black pepper-corns
2  Whole cloves
2  Bay leaves
1 lg Potato, peeled and grated
2  lg Links (or 4 small) smoked -sausage, skin pricked-with fork
 2 tb Good vinegar
In a large pot, heat fat and add carrots, root vegetable and onions. Saute until onions are golden. Add lentils, water, celery, and seasonings. Grate the potato into the mixture and add sausage. Simmer covered 1 hour until lentils and vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaves. Add vinegar just before serving and adjust salt. Serve with a crusty bread and salad.  

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Eggplant, Onions, and Potatoes (Patate, Cipolle, e Melanzane)

Serves 6

2 small eggplant
1 pound red onion
1 pound russet potatoes
1½ cups red-wine vinegar, plus 2 tablespoons
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, shredded
½ teaspoon dried oregano
Trim the ends from the eggplants, and shave off some lengthwise strips of the skin with a vegetable peeler, leaving some strips on, creating a striped appearance. Slice the eggplants lengthwise into 6 or more long wedges, about 1 inch thick. Peel the red onions, and slice them lengthwise into quarter-round wedges, not cutting at the root; you want the wedges attached. To poach the eggplants and onions, put 1 1/2 cups of the vinegar and 2 quarts cold water in a shallow saucepan, and heat to a boil. Drop in the eggplant wedges and the split-open onions, cover the pan, and return to a boil. Set the cover ajar, and adjust the heat to maintain a steady gentle boil. Cook about 30 minutes, occasionally tumbling the vegetables over and moving them to poach evenly, until quite soft and tender. Meanwhile, put the potatoes in another pot, with water to cover them by about 2 inches, and cook just until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork or sharp knife blade (don't let them get mushy). Drain the potatoes, and let them cool briefly. Peel off the skins, and cut them in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 1/2-inch thick half-rounds. Put the potato pieces in the salad bowl, and cover to keep them warm while you finish the eggplant and onions. When the eggplant and onions are fully cooked, gently lift them out of the poaching liquid with a spider or strainer, and lay them out on a tray or baking sheet in one layer. While the eggplant is still warm, scoop out the central clumps of seeds from the wedges, then cut them crosswise into 2-inch chunks. Separate the onion wedges, and then the layers. Put all the vegetable pieces (they should still be warm to the touch) in the bowl with the potatoes. Dress the salad by drizzling the olive oil and remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar over the salad, sprinkle the salt on it, scatter in the shredded mint, and crumble the dried oregano over all. Gently toss the vegetables pieces to coat them all with dressing without breaking them apart. Serve immediately.
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Stuffed Bell Peppers

Makes 6 stuffed peppers
900g ground grassfed beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 red sweet potato, cut into tiny cubes (the standard orange variety would also do the trick if you can’t find the red)
1 fresh tomato, cut into small cubes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
½ tsp white pepper
1 tsp onion powder
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp chili pepper flakes
2 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried thyme
2 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp ground coriander seeds
Generous grating fresh nutmeg (a little more than half a nut)
¼ cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 whole eggs
6 bell peppers (I used orange but you can use whatever color you like)
6 slices pastured bacon, cut in half crosswise
Preheat the oven to 375F. In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients except for the bell peppers and bacon; mix really well with your hands, kneading until very well combined. Set aside. Cut the tops off each pepper and pull out the stems and seeds. Cut off a very thin slice off the bottom of each pepper to level it so it stands up straight. Be careful not to cut a hole in the pepper: you really don’t need to remove much at all! Stuff the meat mixture into the cavity of each bell pepper, making sure that you pack it down real tight. Don’t worry if you have too much stuffing, you can shape little mounds on top of your peppers; they’ll only look that much better! Top each stuffed pepper with 2 half slices of bacon, in a cross pattern, then place the peppers in a shallow baking dish lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven, uncovered, for 45 minutes then kill the heat and let the peppers sit in there for 10-15 minutes before serving.
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Summer Squash Casserole

Serves 6

1 medium zucchini, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 medium yellow zucchini, ribbons
Fresh cilantro or basil or dill, chopped (or all 3)
2 cups cheese
3/4 cup pesto
1/2 red onion, sliced
3 medium tomatoes, sliced
Salt and pepper
Opptional: 2-4 cups rotisserie chicken, or tofu sausage, chopped

Preheat oven to 400. Grease or spray a 9×13 pan. Layer the bottom with sliced squash. Spread 1/2 the pesto over the sliced squash, 1/2 of the chopped chicken, 1/2 of the zucchini ribbons (use a potato peeler to make these), 1 cup of cheese, 1/2 of the fresh herbs, and salt and pepper. Repeat above step, ending with sliced tomatoes on top. Place a large piece of foil over the pan to seal. Bake at 400 for 35-40 minutes, until squash is tender but not overcooked. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

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Zucchini with Tomatoes

Serves 4
2 medium zucchini (or summer squash)
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
4 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. pepper
Peel tomatoes, by dipping them into boiling water with a slotted spoon, for about 5 seconds each. Cut in half around the equator, hold tomato half in the the palm of your hand and gently squeeze out the seeds. Cut ends off of squash, slice into quarters lengthwise and slice thinly. Mix with sea salt and let stand about an hour. Rinse in a colander and pat dry. Saute squash in butter and olive oil in batches over medium-high heat until golden. Set aside. Saute onion in butter and oil until tender. Add tomato, raise heat and saute a few minutes until liquid is almost all absorbed. Add zucchini, garlic, thyme and pepper. Saute about one more minute until flavors are amalgamated. Don't let squash overcook!

From "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon, page 411