The Half-Empty Cornucopia #2
Summer, summer, summer slowly turns into fall…
Ah, global warming. It's screwing with the seasons so we have cold and windy November in August, then broiling-hot August in September. And yet, even with normal weather patterns, this month is the magical time where it's summer and fall simultaneously. Tomatoes and winter squash and pears and watermelon-all at the farmer’s market at the same time. After seven days of 100% raw eating, my body didn’t want to go back to cooked food. Especially once it changed from soup weather to sorbet weather. So here are a few more raw recipes to keep your kitchen cool.
Hot, Raw Squash On Squash Action (inspired by Jessica Jewel)
1/2 raw spaghetti squash, seeds removed, flesh pried out of the shell and separated into strands (this takes a bit of wrestling but it will work! Use a sturdy fork to do the prying, then separate strands with your fingers.)
1 medium to large zucchini, julienned into long, thin, linguini-like strands
1/4 of a red torpedo onion, sliced lengthwise into very thin, noodle-like strands (a mandoline is good for this)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Combine the two squashes, the onion, and about 1 teaspoon salt in a colander. Toss, rub, and squeeze the squash so the salt can draw out the juices. Let sis in the sink for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, you can prepare the sauce-in your serving dish, combine the olive oil, tomatoes, oregano, garlic, and more salt and pepper. Toss well and let sit at room temperature. Now, back to the squash. Rinse off the salt, then grab the squash a handful at a time and very firmly squeeze out all the excess liquid. Throw the wrung-out squash into the serving bowl. Toss again to combine sauce and noodles. Serve at room temperature if the weather’s warm, or heat gently in the oven at 105 degrees for an hour if it’s cold outside. This is a pleasant-textured, fresh-tasting dish that will make you feel great. I made a raw version and a cooked version using the same ingredients for each, and the raw version was way better. Really!
And if the weather’s warm, whip up a batch or ten of my favorite treat from Thailand to go with the squash-fest-fruit shakes! These are nothing but pure fruit and ice whipped in a blender to make a refreshing cross between juice and sorbet. Watermelon shake is my favorite (combine 1/4 of a small seedless watermelon with 6 ice cubes and a squeeze of lime in a blender; blend until smooth and serve), but watermelon-strawberry, watermelon-peach, peach with raw honey, honeydew-blueberry with fresh mint, canteloupe, pineapple, and even banana are fantastically delicious. Watermelon is the most thirst quenching of them all. It’s easy to drink an entire watermelon this way. These drinks are nice served in wine glasses garnished with mint leaves. They're also good with alcohol, if that’s your thing.
Ah, global warming. It's screwing with the seasons so we have cold and windy November in August, then broiling-hot August in September. And yet, even with normal weather patterns, this month is the magical time where it's summer and fall simultaneously. Tomatoes and winter squash and pears and watermelon-all at the farmer’s market at the same time. After seven days of 100% raw eating, my body didn’t want to go back to cooked food. Especially once it changed from soup weather to sorbet weather. So here are a few more raw recipes to keep your kitchen cool.
Hot, Raw Squash On Squash Action (inspired by Jessica Jewel)
1/2 raw spaghetti squash, seeds removed, flesh pried out of the shell and separated into strands (this takes a bit of wrestling but it will work! Use a sturdy fork to do the prying, then separate strands with your fingers.)
1 medium to large zucchini, julienned into long, thin, linguini-like strands
1/4 of a red torpedo onion, sliced lengthwise into very thin, noodle-like strands (a mandoline is good for this)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Combine the two squashes, the onion, and about 1 teaspoon salt in a colander. Toss, rub, and squeeze the squash so the salt can draw out the juices. Let sis in the sink for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, you can prepare the sauce-in your serving dish, combine the olive oil, tomatoes, oregano, garlic, and more salt and pepper. Toss well and let sit at room temperature. Now, back to the squash. Rinse off the salt, then grab the squash a handful at a time and very firmly squeeze out all the excess liquid. Throw the wrung-out squash into the serving bowl. Toss again to combine sauce and noodles. Serve at room temperature if the weather’s warm, or heat gently in the oven at 105 degrees for an hour if it’s cold outside. This is a pleasant-textured, fresh-tasting dish that will make you feel great. I made a raw version and a cooked version using the same ingredients for each, and the raw version was way better. Really!
And if the weather’s warm, whip up a batch or ten of my favorite treat from Thailand to go with the squash-fest-fruit shakes! These are nothing but pure fruit and ice whipped in a blender to make a refreshing cross between juice and sorbet. Watermelon shake is my favorite (combine 1/4 of a small seedless watermelon with 6 ice cubes and a squeeze of lime in a blender; blend until smooth and serve), but watermelon-strawberry, watermelon-peach, peach with raw honey, honeydew-blueberry with fresh mint, canteloupe, pineapple, and even banana are fantastically delicious. Watermelon is the most thirst quenching of them all. It’s easy to drink an entire watermelon this way. These drinks are nice served in wine glasses garnished with mint leaves. They're also good with alcohol, if that’s your thing.