Even better than how good they taste is how easy they are to make. Cutting the carrots into pieces is the most time-consuming part, and if you make a big batch, they’ll keep in the fridge for weeks.

If you like these, but aren’t so big on the spices, you might also want to try these marinated carrots from my grandmother Pat. They’re another great refrigerator staple to keep around in the summer.

Spicy Carrot Pickles
These quick pickles are a takeoff on this recipe from Bon Appetit, but with different spices. In terms of the spices, I really just used whatever I found in my cabinet, and encourage you to do the same. I think the carrots, garlic, lemon, and vinegar are about the only things essential for this recipe.

6-8 medium carrots (or about 5 large ones), cut into thin sticks, about 2″ long, or whatever shape you like, such as quarter or coins
peel from one lemon (removed in strips)
4 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
3″ piece of ginger, cut into thin sticks

1 cup water
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon chili flakes (or more if desired; with 1 teaspoon my pickles had a very mild kick, but the chili flakes I have on hand right now are pretty mild themselves)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon dried savory
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Pack carrots, lemon peel, garlic and ginger into a one quart jar.

Combine water, vinegar, sugar, salt, and spices in a microwave safe container. Bring to a boil in the microwave, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar and salt.

Pour the brine and all the spices over the carrots (they should be covered). Let cool, close tightly, and refrigerate at least overnight. Pickles will keep for several weeks in the fridge. However, they will get spicier with time.

I have to tell you about my new favorite salad, and I’m sorry it’s taken me so long.  I know it’s getting too hot to turn the oven up to 400 degrees, and if that’s the case where you are, at least promise me you’ll bookmark this and come back to it this fall.  We (or at least I) love this so much that I think I’ve made it at least 6 times in the past two months (including twice the first week I tasted it), and I’m not usually someone to get hooked on one dish and make it over and over again.  

It’s the perfect one dish meal.  It all comes together in about a half hour – there’s just enough time to get everything else together while the cauliflower roasts.  It’s pretty balanced, with plenty of protein from the beans and cheese, so it sticks with you.  But at the same time it’s pretty healthy and tastes very fresh from the lemon juice.  And if cauliflower and fennel are in season (I know, we’re probably getting late for that, but just bookmark it, ok?), then it’s really pretty cheap, too.  So see, what are you waiting for?

My inspiration here was this recipe from The Kitchn, which was in turn inspired by a recipe from Bon Appétit.  I wasn’t sold on raw cauliflower though, so I took essentially the same ingredients but roasted the caulfilower.  I’ve also switched out the cheese for whatever I have on hand, including feta, blue cheese, goat cheese, or parmesan.  It’s all delicious. I’ve also eaten it warm (when it’s fresh, the roasted cauliflower warms up the other ingredients just enough), room temperature, and cold. I usually like it best at whatever temperature it’s at when I’m eating it.

Oh and one last thing – even if you think you don’t like cauliflower, you’ve got to try it roasted.  It’s a totally different thing – it becomes sweet and caramelized and a tad crunchy – delicious!

Cauliflower, Fennel, and White Bean Salad

adapted from The Kitchn

1 large head cauliflower
smoked paprika, optional
3 cloves garlic
1 bulb fennel (plus, optionally, some of the leaves)
1 can white beans
1/2 cup crumbly cheese, such as feta, blue, goat, or even shaved parmesan
1 lemon
a few tablespoons fresh chopped herbs, such as parsley, chives, or thyme
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (the good stuff if you’ve got it) + more (not the good stuff) for the cauliflower
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
arugula or other greens for serving, optional

Preheat oven to 425 F. Chop florets of cauliflower into pretty small, bite-size pieces (it’ll cook faster the smaller the pieces). Spread on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and, if desired, smoked paprika. Roast at 425 F, giving it a good stir every ten minute or so. When it’s starting to get soft, add 3 cloves of garlic, minced. (If you add the garlic at the beginning, it gets too browned.)

You want the cauliflower to get nice and browned around the edges, which will take about half an hour if it’s in pretty small pieces. That leaves you plenty of time to get the rest of the ingredients ready, make the dressing, and have a glass of wine.

Cut the fennel bulb into very thin slices. I use a mandoline for this and set it to 1/8″ or 1/16″ slices, but if you don’t have one you can use a sharp knife. Place fennel in a large bowl. I usually snip some of the fennel fronds in there, too. Rinse the white beans and add them to the fennel. Crumble the cheese over the beans. Zest the lemon into the bowl, too. Add the chopped herbs, and toss all this gently together.

Prepare the dressing: whisk together 1/3 c olive oil, the juice from the lemon, the red wine vinegar, and the mustard. (The mustard will allow the oil and vinegar/juice to emulsify.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Once the cauliflower is roasted and browned, add it to the bowl with the fennel and beans, pour the dressing over, and toss everything together gently. Serve alone, or on a bed of greens.

Sorry for the long hiatus — hopefully I’ll be back around here a bit more!

This is another recipe that comes from the cookbook I made for Jessica.  It was sent to me by her friend Carrie Geddie, who found the original recipe at All Recipes. It’s a delicious vegetarian lasagna, and was one of Matt’s favorites of the recipes we sampled. I’m sure it would also be a great make-ahead and freeze to cook as needed type of meal. Thanks for sharing, Carrie!

Artichoke Spinach Lasagne

9 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 (14 ounce) can marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
1 (28 ounce) jar tomato marinara sauce
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 (4 ounce) package herb and garlic feta, crumbled

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish with cooking spray or butter.

Boil a large pot of salted water. Cook noodles according to package directions or until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic for a few minutes, until onion is translucent. Add in broth and fresh rosemary. Bring to a boil. Stir in artichoke hearts and spinach. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in jar of marinara sauce.

Spread 1/4 of the sauce mixture in the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Top with 3 cooked noodles. Sprinkle 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese over noodles. Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with tomato sauce mixture. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top.

Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, and bake 15 minutes more, until hot and bubbly and the cheese is beginning to brown. Let it rest 10 minutes before serving.