from Foodnetwork.com

2 cups vegetable oil
1 large leek
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup all-purpose flour
Fine sea salt

In a medium sauce pot heat oil to 350 degrees F.

Clean and julienne leeks. Sift cornstarch and flour together. Dust leeks in flour/cornstarch and fry until golden brown, about 30 seconds. Drain on a paper towel, season with salt. 

from Veganyumyum.com
Serves 4 large bowls, 6-8 Cups

Note: Several of our (carnivorous) Professional Foodies frequent Veganyumyum.com for cooking ideas. If vegan cuisine is not your thing, no worries. Just substitute chicken stock in the recipe below. But if you're feeling adventurous, follow the recipe; it's delicious!

3 Pounds Squash, (2 pounds after prepping)
Oil for roasting
4 Cups Kitchen Basics Vegetable Broth
1 teas. Thyme
Lots of Black Pepper
1 1/2 tsp Salt, more or less to taste

Cashew Cream:
1 Cup Raw, Unsalted Cashews
1 Cup Kitchen Basics Vegetable Broth, divided

Preheat oven to 400º F. Peel squash and chop off the ends. Halve the squash and scrape out the seeds. Place on a baking sheet cut-side down and brush lightly with oil.  Bake for 30-40 minutes until tender and beginning to brown. Flip squash before the baking is finished if needed to prevent burning.

Meanwhile, add the cashews to your blender and 1/2 cup of veggie broth. Begin pulsing to incorporate, eventually turning the blender all the way on while slowly adding the other 1/2 cup of broth. Once all the broth is added (1 cup total), let the blender run for 1-2 minutes until very, very smooth. Set cream aside. If your blender can’t get the cream completely smooth, strain before adding it to the soup.

Remove squash from the oven. Using a spatula, transfer it into a large soup pot. Break up the squash into chunks with a spoon or your spatula and add 4 cups of veggie broth, thyme, and black pepper. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat and let simmer for 20 minutes, covered. Working in batches if needed, blend the soup until very smooth, being careful not to overfill your blender.

Return the blended soup to the pot and add all but 1/4 cup of the cashew cream. Season with salt and more pepper. Remove soup to bowls and garnish with extra cashew cream drizzled on the top and some fresh black pepper. 


from The Observer, August 24, 2008

2 large, or 3 medium-sized, heads of fennel
3 TB. olive oil
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 LB. beef tomatoes, or equivalent tasty tomatoes
1/2 LB. Miceli's Buffalo Mozzarella
1 TB. balsamic vinegar

Salmoriglio:

6 TB. fresh oregano or marjoram leaves
1 teas. flaky sea salt or ½ tsp fine sea salt

4 teas. lemon juice
4 TB. extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil (optional)
vegetable oil for brushing

Trim any stems off the top of the fennel bulb, retaining any feathery leaves to scatter over the finished salad. Discard any bruised leathery outer layers. Retain the root and hard heart of the fennel to hold your finished wedges together; if the root end has discolored, clean it up by taking off the thinnest of slices. Cut the fennel heads in half then slice each half into 3-4 mm thick wedges, each time cutting through the root and heart to keep the fan in one piece. Place the fennel in a bowl, drizzle over the olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.

Salmoriglio: Pound the oregano or marjoram in a pestle and mortar with the sea salt until dark in color and well broken down. Add the lemon juice and combine well. Slowly pour in the olive oil, stirring as you do so. Add a few twists of pepper and set aside for at least 30 minutes to let the flavor settle. Keeps well for several days in a lidded jar.

Grill: Pre-heat the grill to medium, or 'cook', temperature. Clean and lightly oil the rack. Place the fennel on the grill and cook slowly for up to 20 minutes, or until softened. If the fennel is picking up too much color, move it to a cooler area of the grill, or place on a piece of foil on the grill. If fennel is not cooked for long enough, it will be stringy and chewy.

To serve: Leave the fennel to cool. This salad is best served at room temperature. Slice the beef tomatoes and mozzarella into rounds. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper and drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil if desired. Arrange the tomatoes, fennel and mozzarella on a serving plate and drizzle sparingly with salmoriglio.



3 bunches of Little Finger and Parmex Carrots
1/2 LB. green beans
1/2 LB. wax beans
2 bulbs fennel, sliced
1 TB. olive oil
1/4 cup honey
2 TB. whole grain mustard
1 teas. dried ginger
1/4 cup Ohio Butter
salt & pepper, to taste

Boil carrots until tender, approximately 6 minutes. Boil beans until al dente, approximately 3-5 minutes. Slice fennel and sauté in olive oil for approximately 3 minutes. Add honey, mustard, ginger and butter. Sauté for 1 minute. Toss vegetables in glaze. Garnish with flat leaf parsley.



from Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special

 4 cups thinly sliced or coarsely grated fennel bulb
1 TB. fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
chopped fennel fronds

Dressing:

1/3 cup sour cream
3 TB. cider vinegar
2 teas. ground fennel seeds
1/4 teas. coarsely ground black pepper
1 to 2 teas. dried tarragon
2 TB. crumbled blue cheese
salt to taste
2 to 3 TB. Snowville Creamery Milk (optional)

In a large bowl, toss the sliced or grated fennel bulb with the lemon juice, parsley and fennel frongs until evenly distributed. Set aside.

In a blender or food processor, whirl all of the dressing ingredients for a few seconds until blended but not perfectly smooth. Add a little milk if the dressing is too thick. Stir the dressing into the salad and mix well. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.



4 ounces 1/4- to 1/3- inch-thick slices pancetta5 1/2 cups 1-inch broccoli florets
1 bag Rossi Pasta Classic Fettucini
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1/4 cup olive oil
1 TB. finely grated lemon peel
2 teas. fresh lemon juice
2 teas. fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Sauté pancetta in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat until almost crisp and brown. Transfer to paper towels. Cook broccoli in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender but still bright green, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer broccoli to medium bowl. Add pasta to same boiling water; cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta; return to same pot. Add next 5 ingredients. Toss over low heat to coat. Add pancetta, broccoli, and cheese; toss to blend. Season pasta with pepper.



 from Bon Appetit, January 2005

Vinaigrette:

1 TB. whole coriander seeds
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 TB. white balsamic vinegar
1 small garlic clove, peeled
1/2 teas. coarse kosher salt
1/2 teas. freshly ground black pepper

Pesto:

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 bunch fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
1 bunch fresh chives, coarsely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1/4 cup (packed) fresh mint leaves
1 TB. chopped seeded jalapeño chile
1 small garlic clove, peeled
1 teas. (scant) coarse kosher salt
1/2 teas. freshly ground black pepper
3 TB. fresh lime juice

Beets:

2 lbs. 1-inch-diameter baby beets
1 TB. olive oil
Coarse kosher salt
6 cups assorted red baby lettuces

For vinaigrette:

Stir coriander in small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Cool. Coarsely grind coriander in mortar with pestle or in spice mill. Transfer to small bowl. Heat 1 TB. oil in same skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl with coriander. Add vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper. Gradually whisk in 7 tablespoons oil. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill; discard garlic after 1 hour. Let vinaigrette stand at room temperature 1 hour before using.)

For pesto:

Puree first 9 ingredients in blender until smooth. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Reblend before continuing.) Whisk in lime juice.

For beets:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Wash and dry beets. Cut off beet greens 1 inch from top of beets; reserve for another use. Rub beets with oil. Place light-colored beets in 1 roasting pan and red beets in another; sprinkle with coarse salt. Cover pans tightly with foil. Roast until beets are just tender, about 55 minutes. Cool slightly. Using towel, rub off peel and stems from beets. Cut beets in half. Place light-colored beets and red beets in 2 separate bowls. Toss beets in each bowl with 2 TB. vinaigrette. Let stand 30 minutes. Toss lettuces in bowl with some of vinaigrette to coat lightly; divide among plates and top with beets. Drizzle pesto around salads and serve.