Dear Dartmouth, 

It’s that time of year again – when everything is new and bursting and bright green and flowering. Farmers’ markets are opening up, so fresh, local produce is usually just a short drive away. How might you avail of these beautiful fruits and veggies? I’m sharing with you some of my favorite spring and summertime recipes where I try to celebrate the flavors of the season in every dish.

Fresh Fennel & Orange Salad

Seasonal ingredients: fennel bulb, orange, mint

A light and zesty salad, perfect for an outdoor picnic or party. I like to go heavy on the mint, so feel free to pare back if need be!

Ingredients:

• 1 fresh fennel bulb
• 1.5 navel oranges
• 1/4 cup spinach, loosely packed
• 3 tbsp finely sliced mint
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tbsp honey or agave

How to make it:

1. Shred the fennel bulb using a mandolin. You should have about 2 cups. Add the sliced fennel to a large mixing bowl.
2. Cut each orange into quarters, parallel to the orange’s natural segmentation. Cut each quarter into 3 orange slices. Using a sharp knife, cut off the rind from each segment. Then, cut each orange slice into 3 smaller segments. You should have about 1 1/4 cups orange segments. Add it to the bowl.
3. Finely slice the spinach and mint, and add to the bowl.
4. Pour the dressing ingredients onto the bowl: the red wine vinegar, EVOO, salt, and black pepper. If your orange is more sour than sweet, add honey or agave syrup too.
5. Toss the salad and serve!

All photos courtesy of the author

Vegan Spanakopita

Seasonal ingredients: dill, parsley, leek, spinach

The perfect dairy-free alternative! This recipe uses firm tofu and sharp spices instead of feta. Just be sure to drain the filling well to avoid any soggy bottoms! (Cue Paul Hollywood.) 

Ingredients:

For spinach filling

• 5 heaping cups sliced leek, whites and pale greens
• ¼ cup roughly chopped dill
• ¼ cup roughly chopped parsley
• 10 oz. spinach
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp red chili flakes or to taste

For vegan feta

• 8 oz. firm tofu
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 5 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 5 tsp salt

For the pastry

• 6 sheets thawed filo pastry
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

How to make it:

1. Preheat the oven to 320F.
2. First, make the spinach filling. In a nonstick pot, heat up a bit of olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced leek, black pepper, and chili flakes and sauté until the white parts turn translucent, 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the dill, parsley, and spinach and stir until the spinach is just wilted. If you overcook the spinach, it’ll turn slimy. Then remove the pot from heat and allow the spinach to fully wilt and cool.
4. While the spinach cools, make the feta. To a bowl, add the tofu, nutritional yeast, vinegar, and salt. Use a fork to break up the tofu block and mix in the spices, until the tofu is crumbled to smaller than pea-sized pieces.
5. Add the tofu to the spinach mixture and stir to evenly distribute the spinach, which has a tendency to clump. Transfer the mixture to a cheesecloth or thick paper towels and squeeze out all the excess liquid so that the spanakopita doesn’t turn soggy at the bottom.
6. Now, it’s time to assemble! Pour olive oil into a small dish. Using a pastry brush, grease the bottom and sides of an 8×8 baking pan with the olive oil.
7. Layer the first filo sheet on the pan (a little overlap is expected.) Lightly brush the filo with olive oil before applying the next layer. Repeat with the third filo sheet. On top of the third filo layer, spread the spinach feta mixture so it evenly covers the pastry. Then add a filo layer on top of the filling. Lightly brush the sheet with olive oil, then add the next filo layer. Brush lightly again, add the last filo layer, and brush the topmost layer with oil.
   1. The layers, simplified: Olive oil on pan, filo sheet, olive oil, filo sheet, olive oil, filo sheet, feta and spinach filling, filo sheet, olive oil, filo sheet, olive oil, filo sheet, olive oil.
8. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the topmost filo layer is golden brown and crispy. Cool on a drying rack for 10 minutes and then serve immediately. Enjoy!

All photos courtesy of the author

Creamy Mushroom Pasta for One

Seasonal ingredients: porcini mushrooms, asparagus, spinach, parsley

I’m a big fan of umami flavors, and with the mushrooms, soy sauce, and mustard (weird, but trust me), this recipe never fails to fulfill my umami craving. Feel free to substitute the asparagus or spinach with whatever spring veggies you like!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sliced porcini mushrooms
• 2 cloves diced garlic
• 3 tbsp diced white onion
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried red chili flakes
• 2 tbsp white wine
• 6 tbsp soy milk or another thick plant milk, like cashew or pea
• 1/2 tbsp besan (chickpea flour)
• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp whole grain dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/2 cup sliced spinach or chopped asparagus
• 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
• 2-3 oz. whole wheat pasta
• Reserved pasta water

How to make it:

1. Cook your pasta according to package instructions until the pasta is al dente. Reserve about ¼ cup pasta water.
2. Heat a bit of olive oil on a pan. Once hot, add garlic and onion and sauté until fragrant over medium heat, about 1 minute. Add black pepper, chili flakes, and sliced mushrooms and sauté until the mushrooms have puckered and browned.
3. At this point pour in the white wine and sauté until the alcohol smell has evaporated and significantly reduced. While the alcohol is reducing, stir together the plant milk, chickpea flower, soy sauce, and mustard. You’ll likely see small clumps of besan, but that’s fine.
4. Once you can no longer see or smell the alcohol, add in the sauce base and stir for a few seconds. Add in nutritional yeast and mustard and mix until evenly distributed. Your sauce is complete!
5. To the pan, add your pasta and stir to coat the pasta evenly. Then take the pan off heat and stir in spinach and dill, allowing the greens to wilt for a minute. At this point, taste your dish and adjust seasoning to your taste.
6. If the sauce is too thick, add in reserved pasta water one tablespoon at a time, stirring in between, until you reach your desired creaminess.
7. Eat hot!

Banana and Blueberry Smoothie Bowl

Seasonal ingredients: blueberries, banana

When you wake up and it’s 90 degrees outside, only an icy sweet breakfast has the power to revive me. That’s when I reach for the stack of frozen bananas I always keep in my freezer. If you don’t have blueberries, frozen strawberries, peaches, or cherries would taste great here too!

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe banana, sliced and frozen overnight
• ½ cup frozen blueberries
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 3–4 tbsp. soy milk
• 1 ice cube
• 1 tbsp protein powder, optional
• Sweetener to taste, optional
• Toppings: granola, nuts, seeds, sliced fruit, nut butter

How to make it:

1. To a small food processor, add the banana, blueberries, vanilla, and optional ingredients. Add two tablespoons of plant milk, leaving the third one to the side.
2. Turn on the food processor and stop every thirty seconds or so to scrape the sides town with a spatula. You will probably have to use the spatula to stir if the banana slices gets stuck to the blades.
3. If the mixture has not blended after a minute and some stirring intervention on your part, add in more milk one tablespoon at a time to reach the consistency you want. The more milk you add, the easier it will be to blend, but the thinner the smoothie bowl will be.
4. Once blended to your liking, drop in the ice cube and blend once again. Then, spoon into a bowl and add your desired toppings. Enjoy!

All photos courtesy of the author

Lemon Berry Galette

Seasonal ingredients: berries, lemon

I like my galettes with a snappy crust that’s simultaneously tender and buttery under the fruit. That’s why I’ve made this crust with a combination of all-purpose flour, almond flour, and vegan butter. I love galettes in the summer, so here are a few tips I’ve learned along the way. Always use juicy, perfectly fruit, or the filling will come out dry and uninspired. You have to refrigerate the crust to attain maximum flakiness! And orange or lemon zest always makes everything better. Also, to use this crust for a savory galette, omit the sugar and vanilla and add in 1/2 teaspoon salt instead, along with some dried herbs.

Ingredients:

For crust

• 3/4 cup all purpose
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• Pinch salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2.5 tbsp cold, stick-style vegan butter (I use Country Crock sticks)
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 1.5–2 tbsp cold water

For fruit

• 1.5 cups berries, sliced if necessary
• 1 tsp corn starch
• ½ to 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1/8 tsp almond extract
• ½ tsp lemon juice

How to make it:

1. To make the crust, stir together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, lemon zest, sugar, and salt. Cut the butter into small cubes and cut it into the flour using your fingers or a fork. Work quickly because you don’t want the butter to melt, and keep cutting until the crust resembles small crumbs.
2. Add the vanilla and 1.5 tbsp of water, and mix with a spoon until the dough just comes together. Add up to 1 additional tablespoon if needed. The dough should be somewhat firm and not sticky. If it is stick, add in an additional tablespoon of all-purpose flour.
3. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 45 minutes.
4. During this time, prepare your fruit. If using larger berries, like strawberries or big blackberries, slice them into thin slivers. Stir together the rest of the fruit ingredients and let the berries marinate.
5. Taste the berries. If the filling is too tart, add a bit more sugar. If it’s too sweet, add some more lemon zest and juice.
6. Preheat the oven to 400F.
7. Take the crust dough out of the fridge and onto a large, flour-dusted chopping board. Roll out the dough into a 9-inch circle. No need to be precise here! The rougher the circle, the more rustic the galette!
8. Pour the fruit into the middle of the galette and spread it out gently, leaving a one-inch margin around the edges. Fold the edge dough over the fruit and press down gently. If the dough tears, pinch it together.
9. Optional: brush the crust with a bit of plant-based milk.
10. Bake at 400F for 10 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 375F and bake for 15 to 25 more minutes until the crust is hard to the touch and evenly browned. Some fruit juice may leak out, but no fear if it does! The crust will hold up. Turn halfway to ensure even browning!
11. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving with coconut whip.

All photos courtesy of the author

Sweet Ricotta and Stone Fruit Toast

Seasonal ingredients: stone fruit, orange

When you’re in the mood for a quick, easy, flavorful snack, give this toast a try! This recipe uses tofu and spices to emulate ricotta. Use the juiciest, ripest plum, nectarine, or peach you can find!

Ingredients:

• 2 slices crusty Italian baguette
• 1 ripe and juicy plum, peach, or nectarine
• Balsamic glaze
• 2/3 cup firm tofu
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1 tbsp honey or agave nectar
• 1/8 tsp salt plus more to taste

How to make it:

1. Place the baguette slices in the toaster and toast until crisp.
2. In the meantime, slice the plum into thin slices.
3. Make the sweet ricotta. Add the tofu, spices, orange zest, sweetener, and salt to a small bowl and, using a form, mash and mix until you have a smooth mixture. If you want a fully smooth ricotta, throw it all in a blender.
4. After the toast is done, layer plum slices along the tip and then spoon half of the ricotta onto each slice. Optional if you want a warm toast: place back in the toaster oven to broil on high for 2 minutes.
5. Drizzle a generous (and I mean generous!) amount of balsamic glaze on top. Ready to eat!

All photos courtesy of the author

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