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Recipes

I learned to cook as a founding member of the Greenhouse Commune where each adult was responsible for the evening meal for 10 adults and eight children once every two weeks. Since then I have occasionally developed recipes and collected others that I particularly like.

Farmers Market Beans

This recipe was inspired by the bags of mixed beans and chipotle peppers that we buy at the San Luis Obispo Farmers Market. I researched many recipes and developed this personal variation.

• 1 lb of mixed beans (Pinto Beans, Small Red Chili Beans, Great Northern Beans)

Bring the beans to a rolling boil and then turn off the heat and let them stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse the beans and put them in a crock pot. Add the following ingredients.

• 4 cups of water
• 2 tablespoons of McKay's Chicken Style Instant Broth and Seasoning (this specific brand is important)
• 2 teaspoons of sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Crushed Chipotle Chili Pepper (The Spice Hunter)
• 1 table spoon of liquid smoke (Wright's All Natural Hickory Seasoning Liquid Smoke)
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 cup diced sweet onion (one medium sweet onion)
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro minced (can substitute 1 table spoon dry cilantro)

Cook on high until the beans are done (about 5 hours). Do not let the beans get mushy.

The basic recipe has no meat but I have added one diced thick boneless center cut pork chop or some diced smoked bacon at times as variations.

Watermelon Tomato Gazpacho

One of my favorite summer dishes is gazpacho. In fact it is my favorite anytime. This elegant recipe is from Raw Food/Real World: 100 Recipes to Get the Glow by Matthew Kenney and Sarma Melngailis.

• 3 cups watermelon

Seedless watermelons are not a good as ones with seeds so get a good one and take the time to pick out the seeds. Pure the watermelon in a blender and place in a large bowel. Add the following to the pure.

• 1 cup seeded watermelon, diced small
• 1 cup tomato, diced small (2 medium tomatoes)
• 1 cup peeled cucumber, diced small (about 1/2 English cucumber or 1 or 2 whole kirbys)
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced small
• 2 tablespoons lime juice (preferably from the tree in your back yard)
• 1/8 cup cilantro leaves sliced thin (hold the bunch together and slice until you have a wad)
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1/2 small jalapeño, seeded and minced (increase to taste)
• 1 green onion, minced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• Fresh ground black pepper

Stir and refrigerate to chill if you can wait. It will be best with a little time to marinate. Serve and enjoy.

Yogurt Biscuits

When I was talking with Janis about which recipes to include she said that she married me because of these biscuits.

Preheat the oven to 375°

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowel and then add the following.

• 1 cup vanilla yogurt
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup milk added gradually to check for consistency

Mix the ingredients together. The mixture should be very moist.

Spoon the mix onto a greased cookie sheet (should make about 8 to 10)

Bake for 16 minutes

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

I do not remember where I found this recipe but it is a good one that all the kids loved.

• 6 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups small curd cottage cheese
• 2/3 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Dash cinnamon

Mix ingredients and cook on a buttered skillet. The pancakes will be thin.

Top with a dollop of sour cream with a tablespoon of raspberry preserves in the middle. Substitute your favorite preserve. So good.

Greenhouse Gazpacho

This one was developed from many and scaled it up to serve 20. You can tell this recipe was developed before there was such a thing as organic or raw food cookbooks.

• 2 large cans of V8 juice (chill the cans over night and pour into a large pot)

Add the following to the pot.

• 12 large tomatoes, diced
• 6 medium cucumbers, peeled and diced
• 3 red bell peppers, diced
• 2 red onions, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 8 ounces pimento, diced
• 1 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 5 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce

Stir and chill before serving.

Hot & Sour Soup

This was my most requested meal at the Greenhouse. I developed this from many and scaled it up to serve 20.

Place 2 ounces of Tree Ears and 1 ounce of dried chinese mushrooms in water to soak.

Place a large pot on the stove and add the following as it heats.

• 6 quarts of water
• 1 cup wine vinegar
• 1 cup rice wine
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 24 chicken bullion cubes
• 2 tablespoons hot sesame oil
• 1 table spoon salt
• 2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 table spoon sugar

• 2 thick boneless center cut pork chops cut into short thin strips
• 6 green onions sliced into small sections
• 19 ounces bamboo shoots
• 20 ounces bean curd cut into 1/4" cubes
• 2 ounces of Tree Ears drained and diced
• 1 ounce of dried chinese mushrooms drained and diced

Once it has come to a boil, reduce heat to produce a slow boil for 10 minutes

Add 1 cup of corn starch to 1 cup of cold water and gradually stir the mixture into the soup.

Let it slowly boil for 20 minutes

Beat 4 eggs together and slowly stir them into the boiling soup. They should instantly cook into feathery strands.

Serve and enjoy.