Roasted Eggplant and Garbanzo Bean Stew

1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes                                              2 Green or red peppers

Vegetable or olive oil                                                            Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup packed basil leaves                                         1 cup packed cilantro leaves

3 large garlic cloves                                                  2 large onions, peeled and cut

½ teaspoon ground cumin                                      into eighths

1 pound small eggplant                                              2 or 3 tomatoes

1 15.5 can garbanzo beans or 1 ½ cups cooked garbanzo beans

Preheat the broiler. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 pan.  Bring 6 cups of water to boil with 1 teaspoon salt.  Slice the potatoes lengthwise about ½ inch thick and boil them in  water for 5 minutes, and drain.  Halve the pepper lengthwise and cut in strips, press to flatten them and brush with oil.  Broil the peppers, cut side down on a baking sheet until blistered and just beginning to char.  Set the peppers aside to cool.  Turn the oven down to 350 degrees.

Coarsely chop the basil, cilantro and the garlic in a food processor or blender. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil, cumin and ½ a teaspoon of salt the pulse until the mixture is pureed.

Toss all the vegetables with 1 teaspoon salt and some ground pepper and the herb mixture.  Rub the herb mixture into the vegetables, especially the eggplant, then add the garbanzo beans and toss again. Transfer the vegetable mixture to the prepared pan.  Rinse out the food processor container with ½ cup water and pour it over all the vegetables.  Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake until the vegetables are tender, about 50 minutes.  Remove the foil and brush any of the exposed vegetables with juice and bake for 20 minutes more.  Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

This recipe has been adapted from Local Flavors, Cooking and Eating from America’s Farmers’ Markets by Deborah Madison

February 04 2010 | Recipes | No Comments »

Soy-Glazed Sweet Potatoes

2 or 3 large sweet potatoes                     1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon roasted sesame oil                 3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar               ¼ cup water

2 tablespoon mirin or sweet sherry  1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Scrub the sweet potatoes, peel them if you prefer them peeled, and cut them lengthwise into quarters or halves.  Place them in a large baking dish that is roomy enough to hold them in a single layer.

Combine the sesame oil, brown sugar, mirin, minced garlic, soy sauce and water.  Brush the sauce over the sweet potatoes.  Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake them at 400 degrees until they are nearly tender, about 50 minutes.  Remove the foil and baste the sweet potatoes with their juices.  Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and bake until the liquid has reduced to a glaze about 15 minutes.  Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve.

This recipe has been adapted from Local Flavors by Deborah Madison

February 04 2010 | Recipes | No Comments »

Cajun-Roasted Sweet Potatoes

1 to 1/14 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

2 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil

2 tablespoons bottled Cajun seasoning

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Toss the sweet potato chunks with the oil and the seasoning. Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Roast the potatoes until cooked through and starting to brown, about 35 minutes.

This recipe is adapted from Asparagus to Zucchini.

February 04 2010 | Recipes | No Comments »