Green Bean Extravaganza

from The New Natural Foods Cookbook

1/4 c butter, softened
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried chervil (I do not even know what this is, so never have used it)
1 tsp chopped parsley (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1 tsp chopped chives
1/8 tsp dried savory
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1 lb green stringbeans
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
boiling salted water
1/4 c sunflower seed kernels
salt and pepper

Mix first 8 ingredients together.
Wash beans, remove ends. Put onion and garlic in boiling water (just enough to cover the bottom) in a large skillet. Add beans, cover, and cook at medium heat until crisp-tender (about 8 minutes).
Pour off excess liquid. Add the herb butter and sunflower seeds and mix. Add salt and pepper to taste and toss over medium heat for 1 minute.

Cauliflower Pasta Casserole

(a variation of a recipe called Cauliflower Cheese Pasta, from Jean Paré's pasta cookbook)

2 c pasta, any kind but spaghetti
boiling water
1/2 c chopped green pepper
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 c sliced fresh mushrooms
5 tb butter
3 tb white flour
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 and 1/2 c milk
1 c grated cheddar cheese
2 c coarsely chopped cauliflower
1/2 c breadcrumbs
2 tb butter

Preheat oven to 350F.
Boil pasta and set aside. Steam cauliflower at medium heat about 8 minutes or until tender, in a half-inch of boiling water. Drain both and mix together. (You can cook them together in one pot as long as your cauliflower is coarsely enough chopped). Sauté onion, pepper and mushrooms in a tablespoon of butter in another pot, then add to the pasta and cauliflower and set aside.
Melt 3 tb butter in pot, add salt, pepper and flour, stir over medium heat and add milk. Stir until sauce comes to a boil and thickens; add grated cheese. Mix with veggies and put into greased casserole dish.
Melt 1 tb butter and stir in bread crumbs. Sprinkle on top of mixture in casserole and bake uncovered for 25 minutes.
If you have no bread crumbs handy, sprinkle top of casserole with chili powder.
Double this recipe if you have teenagers.

Winter Vegetable Medley

This stew recipe, with very minor variations, has been taken from Slow Cooker, by Linda Doeser

2 tb oil
2 onions, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 parsnips, chopped
2 bunches celery, chopped, leaves reserved
2 tb chopped fresh parsley
1 tb chopped fresh cilantro
1 and ¼ c vegetable stock
salt and pepper

Heat oil in lg, heavy pan. Add onions and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until softened. Add carrots, parsnips and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes more. Stir in the herbs, season with salt and pepper, and pour in the stock. Bring to a boil.

Transfer veggies to slow cooker, cover, and cook on high for 3 hours or until tender. Garnish with a few of the reserved celery leaves.

Variation:
For a more substantial dish, sprinkle thinly shaved Parmesan cheese over each portion or drizzle with 2 tb heavy cream.

To use dried cilantro and parsley instead of fresh, cut amount by 2/3. I’ve sometimes substituted turnip for parsnips. When there is no vegetable stock on hand, I use a teaspoon of miso paste with water instead.

Baking powder biscuits are delicious with this stew but why wouldn’t dumplings be equally so?