ColumnDon’t let the boredom of root vegetables set in.

There’s that time around October, when the last of the late summer harvest has come to an end, the days are getting a bit colder, and you’re so looking forward to winter cooking. The cozy soups, the warm mugs of cider.

And then February rolls around. You’ve put up with several months of winter and if someone offers you yet another meal of roasted root vegetables you might just bash them over the head with a turnip. It’s gray outside, probably raining – or maybe you’ve got some of that nasty, wet snow slush – and you’re cranky, haven’t seen sunlight for at least a week. Quite frankly all you can do is dream of a brighter time when stone fruits were in season and all you had to do to make dinner was slice a tomato and drizzle olive oil over it.

I feel your pain. The CSA vegetables come every Monday and it’s hard to get myself to think, “oh great, carrots! Whatever will I do with them this week?”

But if you have committed to eating more locally, and in season, then culinary boredom is something you just have to force yourself to work past.

Bored of root vegetables? We just need to think out of the box of the usual winter dish of roasted potatoes. In order to help you avoid seasonal depression this winter, here are a few tips to help you endure root vegetable season.

Go for the lesser known, possible more boring, root vegetables

When was the last time anyone announced that rutabagas were the New Kale? Let’s just go ahead and change that now. You need to dive deep and buy up all those seemingly boring root vegetables? Why? Because it will push you out of your culinary comfort zone. Because I had no other idea of what to do with them, last week I put an abundance of turnips to use in a Dutch Baby recipe. Paired with apples, it was delicious. A few nights later i sliced them thinly and threw into a batch of nachos. Because, why not? Let 2015 be the Year of Turnips, Rutabaga and Parsnips. Because the boring root vegetables deserve your love too.

Do more than just roast

Roasting root vegetables is the go-to cooking method because it’s so easy. Drizzle in olive oil, sprinkle some salt and pepper, maybe even some dried rosemary or thyme, put in the oven and take out when finished. But there is so much more that you can do with root vegetables. Sauté, steam, puree, or blanch. Cut them thinly and throw on a pizza. Make fritters. Or even eat them raw; I’m looking at you, beets.

Break out of the savory box

Because of their deep, often sweet flavor, root vegetables can be used in sweet dishes just as well as they can savory ones. Spiced parsnip cake, turnip muffins, carrot halwa, an Indian dessert made with carrots and cardamom; the options are endless.

Make fries with something other than potatoes

In winter we crave comfort food, and what better comfort food than the good ol’ fry? But potatoes are your only fry option. You can make them with sweet potatoes, celery root, rutabaga, carrots and more.

Get to pickling

An easy way to switch up the flavor of root vegetables is to lightly pickle them. A nice salt brine with some spices and you are good to go, never to be bored by a root vegetable again.

Related on EcoSalon

For the Love of Roots and Cookbooks: Foodie Underground

10 Boring Foods That Should Be Trendy: Foodie Underground

Scalloped Sweet Potato Gratin with Butternut Squash and Cashew Cream

This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’ weekly column at EcoSalon: Foodie Underground, an exploration of what’s new and different in the underground movement, and how we make the topic of good food more accessible to everyone. More musings on the topic can be found at www.foodieunderground.com.

Image: Chris Martino

The post How to Endure the Neverending Season of Root Vegetables: Foodie Underground appeared first on EcoSalon.

What most people fail to realize about the pumpkin spice craze is this: most pumpkin spice flavored things don’t even involve real pumpkin.

Food companies have found the perfect elixir of synthetically made flavors to invoke that cozy flavor of fall, and they do it well. Pumpkin spice makes its way into everything from Oreos to waffles, but if there’s one item that seems to be the leader of the craze, it’s the pumpkin spice latte.

And who wouldn’t want a caffeinated drink that tastes seasonal? The reality is that your average coffee shop pumpkin spice latte isn’t so good for you, what with all the additives, sugar and calories involved.

Still craving a hot autumn drink? There are plenty of seasonal lattes you could be making at home. Here are 10 ideas for fun seasonal latte drinks

1. Actual pumpkin

While the corporate world is busy making pumpkin spice lattes with no real pumpkin in it, that doesn’t mean you have to. Buy a pumpkin, bake it, make a syrup and you’ll be on your way to homemade pumpkin spice latte bliss.

2. Cinnamon

One of the main spices in an actual pumpkin pie, making a cinnamon syrup and adding to a latte gives your drink that extra spicy kick.

3. Maple syrup

A maple flavored latte will have you feeling like you’re in a forest of maple trees.

4. Cardamom

If cinnamon is a bit too average for you, then a cardamom latte may do the trick. How about a coconut cardamom spiced latte?

5. Ginger

We’re not quite into gingerbread season yet, but a gingerbread latte, made with fresh ginger, is easy to make at home.

6. Apple cider

Sure, it sounds like a bit of an odd combo, but a dash of apple cider in coffee gives you the sensation that you’re drinking an apple pie.

7. Butternut squash

Oh hey now, squash in a latte? It’s not weird when it’s pumpkin, now is it? Butternut puree and butterscotch come together for this autumn latte that’s certainly a bit out of the ordinary.

8. Rum

Spike that latte my friends.

9. Sweet potato

This Korean recipe actually doesn’t involve coffee, but it’s warm, creamy and full of seasonal flavor.

10. Salted caramel

Make your own salted caramel and serve up a caramel latte to all your friends, then let the caffeine and sugar kick in.

Related on EcoSalon

What’s Worse for the Environment: Lattes or Facebook?

15 Pumpkin Recipes (That Aren’t Pumpkin Pie) To Try Right Now

The Best Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe for Fall

Image: Basheer Tome

The post Forget Pumpkin Spice, Here are 10 Other Fall Flavors to Put in Your Latte appeared first on EcoSalon.

Whether it’s winter, spring, summer, or fall, fresh food art is always in season. From juicy fruits to earthy acorns, we’ve got you covered with five delectable pieces to incorporate into your closet this season.

1. Lemon Print Pointed Hem Skort by Topshop, $68

A little sweet, a little bit tart, this adorable skort (pictured above) is the perfect addition to any wardrobe. Its color palette harmoniously complements any season with pops of sprightly-hued yellow and muted shades of green. Edgy  but tasteful, the chic pointed faux-wrap hemline gives the wearer all the sass and none of the worry that can come from a gusty breeze. When life gives you lemons, wear them.

2. Apple of Abundance Charm Bangle by Alex and Ani, $28

Fruit charms on jewelry never seem to go out of style. Year after year, we see these cute, little fresh foods dangling from earrings and necklaces, adding just the right amount of sweetness to an ensemble. This Alex and Ani bangle is no different. It’s simple and versatile enough to be worn with any outfit either alone or stacked with multiple bracelets. It has a super easy adjustable clasp that slides for the perfect fit and is available in a silver or gold tone. Be sure to rock this bangle on a trip to the apple orchards this fall!

3. After 5 Clutch by Mary Frances, $285

Grapes are inherently fancy. They were fed from the vine to gods and goddesses of millenia past and they’re the main ingredients in most bottles of wine today. So it’s only appropriate that they would be highlighted in a food art design on this most lavish clutch by Mary Frances. Embroidered with floral accents and heavily embellished with prestigious, three dimensional bead-work, this clutch is the absolute perfect accessory to take out on the town á la Carrie Bradshaw. It features a clasp closure, is fully lined inside, and also comes with a beaded shoulder chain for hands-free comfort.

4. Cold Shoulder Print Dress by Jean Paul Gaultier, $550

This sleek, sophisticated dress has all the makings of nature’s bounty: fresh foods and florals. Made in Italy, it’s graceful silhouette is balanced nicely with the modern shoulder cut-out detail and sheer overlay. It’s fully lined and slips right on which is ideal if you need to look sharp and are in a rush to get out the door. The flashy yellow of the lemons and roses accompanied with deep tones of red and slate-blue make this dress an amazing transitional piece to have in any closet.

5. Cable Collectibles Acorn Charm with Pearl by David Yurman, $150

Nothing says fall quite like this stylish acorn necklace charm. Wear it and bring on the nostalgia of total coziness and pumpkin spice everything. The humble acorn has been given a major makeover in this charm featuring a bleached white cultured freshwater pearl set in sterling silver. With great adaptability, this charm is a clip-on and can be worn on any chain to complement any style or outfit choice.

Browse and shop all of the foodie inspired pieces here:

What’s your favorite way to incorporate food art into your wardrobe? 

Related on EcoSalon

Qmilk’s Milk Fiber Fabric: Turning Food into Fashion Using Renewable Resources

Fall Trending: Mad for Plaid and Tartan

Color Blocking in Natural Tones: Gorgeous Must-Wear 2014 Fall Trend

Top image via Nordstrom

The post 5 Food Art Inspired Stylish Wardrobe Ideas to Bring the Table to Your Closet appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnIs there anything better than all the good food that spring brings us?

Spring represents many things. The end of winter. A time of rebirth. A countdown to summer.

For me, it’s a celebration of good food. Certainly, there is good food to be had all year around, but there is something extra special about spring.

Now is the time when the root vegetables are replaced by more exciting ingredients; a time when every week that you go to the market, a new vegetable that you had almost forgotten about pops up. It’s a time when we come out of our hibernating slumber and shake off the desires of heavy comfort food and start to turn towards fresher dishes. Things start to grow. Fresh herbs come back into our kitchen pots. We start dreaming of dinners outside.

Summer is a time when good weather is a given, when berries and vegetables abound and everything tastes good. Spring is more subtle, a gentle surprise. It comes slowly, certain foods quietly making their way back and into our everyday meals. A radish here, some asparagus there. The culinary cobwebs of winter are dusted off and you experience a new found feeling of inspiration. You want to chop, you want to mix, you want to pull things from the garden.

Spring is a glorious season for food, and it’s a season that begs for simplicity.

Time and time again I come back to my core concept of good food, with good people, from good places. It doesn’t have to be complicated, in fact, most of the time, I don’t even want it to be. When a dish is simple, there’s nothing to hide behind. If the ingredients are bad, then so is the food.

And why make spring food complicated? There are artichokes. There is asparagus. There are leeks. The options are endless, with only a few ingredients. Spring is a time where food preparation doesn’t need to be much more than dusting off the dirt from the ends of the radishes.

Spring is a season where sometimes a dinner table is no more than an open space on the ground. A season where the ray of sunshine shining through the window onto your morning coffee cup feels like the start of something completely new. As the vegetables come back, we too are renewed. Refreshed.

So, if you’ve been considering changing how you eat, now is the time to start. Now is the time to embrace seasonality. Now is the time to start learning about where your food comes from. Now is the time to give up the processed foods. Because spring is the perfect reminder of all the good, natural food that there is around us.

Good food is as close to you as the nearest garden. Somewhere, something is growing. That is the beauty of spring. So make time to go out and celebrate. Go into the season with abandon. Eat well and eat often; spring is begging you to do so.

Related on EcoSalon

Spring into Seasonal Vegetables: Marinated Vegetable Salad

50 Pick Up Lines for Farmers Market

21 Radish Recipes for Spring

This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’ weekly column at EcoSalon: Foodie Underground, an exploration of what’s new and different in the underground movement, and how we make the topic of good food more accessible to everyone. More musings on the topic can be found at www.foodieunderground.com.

Image: Anna Brones

The post Spring, a Season for Good Food: Foodie Underground appeared first on EcoSalon.

Fifteen healthy and delicious pumpkin recipes, from toasted seeds to mini cakes.

With pumpkin season in full swing, you’re probably wondering what to do with all the orange squash. Trust us, there’s plenty more to pumpkin recipes than variations on the same old pumpkin pie.

While there are many great kinds of organic canned pumpkin out there, take this list as a challenge to start making your own (it’s easy). And don’t worry, we wouldn’t leave you without a pie recipe – you’ll find a raw and vegan one among the pumpkin recipes below.

1. Homemade Pumpkin Puree

This will be your new go-to recipe for making your own puree at home. Then add to any pumpkin recipes you can think of, from pie to muffins, scones, soups and beyond.

2. Pumpkin Seed Mole Sauce

Yes, pumpkin recipes can be savory too! From tofu to chicken, this versatile sauce can be used on pretty much anything, even for making your own tamales.

3. Raw Pumpkin Cheesecake

Gluten-free and vegan, this is one of those rare pumpkin recipes that won’t require you to turn on your oven.

4. Buckwheat Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Made with hearty buckwheat flour and gluten-free oats, you can almost excuse eating these cookies for breakfast.

5. Quinoa Salad with Dried Cranberries and Pumpkin Seeds

The seeds are pretty much the healthiest part of a pumpkin, and they make an excellent addition to this quinoa salad.

6. Heirloom Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread

No list of pumpkin recipes would be complete without a tasty pumpkin bread.

7. Pumpkin Seed Cakes

These mini cakes are so simple you’ll wonder why you never thought of them yourself: pumpkin seeds and dates, that’s all. Then top them off with a lime yogurt mousse.

8. Pumpkin Bisque

A creamy bisque that’s healthy and savory.

9. Pumpkin Guacamole

Add a bit of pumpkin puree to your avocados and you have a whole new kind of guacamole.

10. Pumpkin Pancakes

Savor a fall morning with these pumpkin pancakes, drizzled in honey-nutmeg butter.

11. Warm Pumpkin and Coconut Muffins

Made with almond, coconut and buckwheat flour, these muffins are 100% gluten-free.

12. Pumpkin Spice Quinoa Breakfast Cookies

These dense cookies are perfect for breakfast, a snack or even fuel for a fall hike.

13. Salted Pumpkin Caramels

Who needs store-bought Halloween candy when you can make these?

14. Pumpkin Chai Smoothie

Put all your favorite flavors into one delicious vegan drink.

15. Ginger-Orange Zest Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

When you’re done pureeing your own pumpkin, don’t let the seeds go to waste. With ginger and orange, these ones get a nice citrusy flavor.

Related on EcoSalon:

17 Butternut Squash Recipes for Fall

21 Seasonal Apple Recipes

17 Vegan Halloween Recipes to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

Images: justgrimes, Anna Brones, Green Kitchen Stories, Big Girls Small Kitchen, Pseph

The post 15 Pumpkin Recipes (That Aren’t Pumpkin Pie) To Try Right Now appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnThe simple pleasures of eating seasonally can enhance your enjoyment of healthy food.

I get excited about fresh figs.

No, really excited. Some may even say overly so. Watch me go to a market or a store that has local figs, and I may look a bit like a madwoman, frantically stuffing dozens of figs into a bag. I have been known to buy all the figs in the store (ok, they were low on them to begin with). Normally there’s no recipe in mind, just the feeling that fig season is fleeting, and I better take advantage of it while I can.

I always eat one fig straight from the fruit bowl. I don’t have to do anything to it, it’s perfect enough to eat by itself. It’s sweet and succulent. Mind blown.

I’ve always liked fruits, but recently I made a commitment to eating seasonally, as well as local, and the result is that everything tastes better. When pears came to the market, it was like eating a pear for the first time. Same with the figs. The tastes are so particular and so special, you’re amazed that you’re just eating fruit.

Why? When eating seasonally, we only eat the foods that are available, and in doing so there are many things that we go without. Eating seasonally inevitably induces a craving, and one that can’t be solved with a quick fix. You can’t go buy a fresh fig just because you want one.

The craving grows and grows, and when the taste buds are finally satiated, they appreciate that taste and flavor so much more. It’s an experience that can be equated to if you have ever given up eating something for a certain amount of time. You stopped chocolate for a month just to see if you could do it, and the first bite upon re-entry was like no chocolate you had ever eaten before.

In a time of mega-supermarkets, we’re used to most products being available year round. Our brains are fooled into thinking that it’s completely normal to eat tomatoes all year round (for most regions, it’s not). Unless you live in New Zealand, your apples shouldn’t be from there. It’s not hard to see why: the carbon footprint of shipping thousands of pounds of apples around the world every day is obvious.

In fact, we are so brainwashed by the illusion of choice, that we don’t question buying a tomato in January. But you know what happens when you start eating seasonally? Buying those tomatoes out of season isn’t even an option, so you never even try to fulfill the craving with some GMO-induced, bland, reddish blob. You wait until tomato season rolls around, and you get ones that were freshly picked, not carted up from god-knows-where in a truck. Instead, you get satisfaction that comes from fulfilling a craving that has lasted for months. And you eat food when its meant to be eaten.

Certainly, eating seasonally 100 percent of the time is difficult. Even I can’t commit to that, and I’m the first to admit it. I love coffee, and eating root vegetables all winter long could make for a pretty boring few months (although it would inspire creativity in the kitchen, hello beet and carrot tacos). That being said, we could all make a better effort to create a diet that’s more in tune with where we live and what season we’re in. The payoff is a delicious one.

Related on EcoSalon:

Eating Local and Organic By the Seasons

21 Fig Recipes to Make Right Now

This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’ weekly column at EcoSalon: Foodie Underground, an exploration of what’s new and different in the underground movement, and how we make the topic of good food more accessible to everyone. More musings on the topic can be found at www.foodieunderground.com.

Image: Anna Brones

The post The Joy of Eating Seasonally and Locally: Foodie Underground appeared first on EcoSalon.

From parsnips to pumpkin, 50 soup recipes using delicious fall ingredients. 

Colder weather calls for warmer dishes, and what better way to heat up than a delicious bowl of soup? Taking advantage of seasonal ingredients, there are plenty of different options to keep your palate entertained. Want to try more soup recipes than you can eat on your own? Host a soup swap.

Separated into several seasonal ingredients, here are 50 soup recipes that will make your fall a delicious one.

Parsnip Soup Recipes

1. Curry Spiced Cauliflower Parsnip Soup

2. Carrot Fennel Parsnip Soup

3. Swiss Chard and Parsnip Soup

4. Apple and Parsnip Soup

Squash Soup Recipes

5. Kabocha Squash Soup with Pomegranate and Pepitas

6. Creamy Red Kuri Squash Soup with Cinnamon

7. Roasted Garlic and Delicata Squash Soup

8. Pear, Shallot and Delicata Squash Soup

9. Black Bean and Butternut Soup

10. Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk

11. Butternut Beet Soup

12. Squash and Fennel Soup with Candied Pumpkin Seeds

Soup Recipes with Greens

13. Kale Spinach Ginger Miso Soup

14. Nutty Vanilla Sweet Potato and Kale Soup

15. Kale Parsley Soup

16. Chard and White Bean Stew

17. Navy Bean Soup with Kale, Preserved Lemon and Harissa

18. Chard, White Bean and Tamarind Stew

Pumpkin Soup Recipes

19. Pumpkin Soup with Chocolate and Chipotle

20. Spicy Southwest Pumpkin Soup

21. Pumpkin and Ginger Soup

22. Vegan Creamy Curried Pumpkin Soup

23. Pumpkin and Rice Soup

24. Pumpkin Tortilla Soup

Soup Recipes with Grains

25. Lentil Soup with Chipotle Yogurt

26. Chickpea and Rice Soup with a Little Kale

27. Smoky Spicy Black Bean and Quinoa Soup

28. Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Quinoa Salsa

29. Toasted Quinoa Mexican Soup

30. Minnesota Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup

Beet Soup Recipes

31. Roasted Red Beet, Blood Orange and Ginger Soup

32. Beet and Fennel Soup with Kefir

33. Five Spice Beet Soup

34. Quinoa Soup with Beets and Fresh Dill

Chanterelle Soup Recipes

35. Creamy Vegan Chanterelle Mushroom Soup

36. Pumpkin Soup with Chanterelles

37. Chanterelle and Lentil Soup

Cauliflower & Broccoli Soup Recipes

38. Cumin Roasted Cauliflower Soup

39. Cauliflower and Leek Soup

40. Roasted Cauliflower and Onion Soup

41. Vegan Cream of Broccoli

42. Broccoli and Zucchini Soup

Celeriac Soup Recipes

43. Curried Celeriac Soup

44. Reverse Universe Soup with Garlic and Celeriac

45. Gingered Carrot Soup with Avocado

Sweet Potato Soup Recipes

46. Black Bean, Sweet Potato and Quinoa Chili

47. Lentil Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach

48. Sweet Potato and Purple Cabbage Soup with Peanut Butter

49. Sweet Potato Soup with Walnut Pesto

50. Sweet Potato and Orange Soup with Smoky Pecans

Related on EcoSalon:

How to Make Miso Soup

10 Best Winter Vegetarian Soups

Image: Le living and co

The post 50 Awesome Soup Recipes to Make This Fall appeared first on EcoSalon.

In need of a new eco-friendly outfit? Send us your recipes!

Our friends at Horny Toad are as food obsessed as we are, so to celebrate the start of autumn, we’ve teamed up to put together a fun food contest that’s inspired by celebrating fall days with friends, steaming cups of coffee on crisp mornings and new recipes with seasonal goods.

All you have to do to enter is send a recipe that is influenced by the photo:

• For the Adjunct Hoodie (top photo): Your best pie recipe that you simply can’t live without.
• For the Heartfelt Sweater (middle photo): A delectable breakfast pastry or baked good.
• For the Women’s Mixologist Shirt (bottom photo): Pomegranates are in season October – January, put them to use any way you please!

Send your submissions to food@ecosalon.com, with “Food Contest” in the subject line, by Thursday October 4, 2012.

The winning culinary masterpiece for each recipe theme wins the product featured in the picture, and you’ll get your recipe on EcoSalon and Horny Toad. Note that we can only ship to U.S. addresses.

As an added bonus, Horny Toad will offer free ground shipping to EcoSalon readers on all online orders until 9/30 with the code “ECOSALONSHIP.”

Good luck!

The post Recipe Contest: Send Us Your Favorite Seasonal Dishes appeared first on EcoSalon.

 

Visions of sugar plum fairies waif through the air with these simple, seasonal and nutritional treats.

Scones, experience says, can be either bland as a dog biscuit or so chock full of sugar and butter that they consume a whole day’s food fulfillment. With this fresh take on the Scottish staple, seasonal, local and wholesome lead the way.

Full of vitamin C—just one plum (in season from the summer to early Autumn) contains 10 percent of the typical daily, recommended value—and vitamin A, these low sugar treats provide the perfect jam-and-scone-in-one blend. Part plummy, part citrusy, part caramely, the sugar plums bring a sweet surprise to tea-time or Sunday brunch.

Make these gluten-free as I have, and you’ll get the dietary diversity of millet, brown rice and sorghum flours—full of fiber, protein, iron and other critical minerals. Add walnuts, and you’re in store for an extra dose of fiber, protein, vitamin Bc (which helps your body convert protein into energy) and omega-3 fatty acids for a healthy body and complexion.

Beauty from a baked good? You just may be in luck.

The Original –  Sugar Plum Scones

From Serious Eats

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, diced
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup chopped prunes
• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
• about 1 tablespoon water

The Vegan & Gluten-Free Version – Sugar Plum Scones

Inspired by the above recipe and The Best of Vegan Cooking

Makes 6-8 scones

Ingredients

• 2 cups gluten free flour
• (3/4 cup sorghum flour, minus 2 tablespoons)
• (1/2 cup brown rice flour)
• (1/4 cup millet flour)
• (1/2 cup tapioca flour)
• (2 tablespoons almond flour)
• (1 tablespoon xanthan gum)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup + ¼ cup (for glazing) agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup cold water
• 1/3 cup oil (canola, sunflower or safflower are ideal)
• ½ cup walnuts (optional)

Caramelized Sugar Plums

• 4 fresh plums (a local, fresh variety of your choice)
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon rind
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon orange rind
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. To prepare the Sugar Plum mixture, thinly slice the fresh plums, removing the seed. Gently heat the coconut oil in a skillet, until dispersed across the cooking surface. Add the slide plums, the fruit rinds and juices, the sugar and vanilla extract. Mix together over medium heat, stirring often, for about 5 minutes until the plums are soft but still intact. Remove from the stove top and cool.
3. Place the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt) in a bowl and mix.  Add the oil, ½ cup agave nectar, cold water and vanilla and mix for about 1 minute.
4. Gently fold in the sugar plums and walnuts, if using.
5. Form the scones by hand. Begin by dividing the dough into 8 parts. Then make each section into a ball.  You can form a ball into either a circle, a square or a triangular shape, using your hands. Place on the lined cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes.  Remove from the oven and brush with the remaining agave nectar, then return to the oven for 4 minutes, until lightly browned.
6. Cool before serving & enjoy!

Images: Jennifer Barckley

The post Vegan This: Sugar Plum Scones to Better Your Complexion appeared first on EcoSalon.

Watermelon: off of the rind and onto your plate.

Nothing screams warm weather quite like watermelon. And while it’s enough to enjoy the fruit in its simplest form, it’d be a shame not to explore watermelon’s versatility.

The juxtaposition of the flavors in watermelon salad is really what makes it so special – not because of the thrill offered by a quirky combination, but because the pairing of these contrasting characters actually works. The sweetness of the watermelon brings a summer overtone of lightness to the otherwise grounding and earthiness of the tomatoes, onion, and goat cheese – to say nothing of the refreshing effects of fresh mint leaves! Combined with apple cider vinaigrette, the salad gets yet another whiff of fruity goodness, averting any suspicions of a train wreck and coming together as a decidedly balanced dish, each ingredient enhancing the flavor of the other. For this reason, variations of this watermelon salad are breaching “summer staple” status.

Do not be fooled by watermelon’s 92-percent water content. There is more to the fruit than thirst-quenching, poolside goodness. It is an excellent source of vitamin A, C, ad B6, maintaining eye health, strengthening immunity and promoting brain function, respectively. It is also a great source of cancer-fighting lycopene, an antioxidant we often hear about with regards to tomatoes and of which watermelon has the highest concentrations among all fresh fruits and vegetables. It is also a great source of potassium, which contributes to healthy muscles and nerve functions, and the heart-healthy amino acids citrulline and arginine.

And – I plead – don’t chuck the rinds! They are packed with nutritional benefits. Hide them in your favorite fruit juice or chop and sauté them into a stir fry or stew. Experiment until you find a way that makes them palatable to you. As for the pink part, I’ve got you covered:

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Dash of sea salt and freshly ground pepper

For the Salad:

• 3 cups watermelon, seeded and chopped
• 2 plum tomatoes
• 1/2 red onion
• Handful of fresh mint leaves

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Set aside.

Chop the watermelon, removing any seeds, chop the cherry tomatoes, and cut the onion from stem to bud into thin slices.

Combine the salad ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and toss with the vinaigrette. Serve immediately or let sit for at least a half hour in order to let the flavors intensify.

Before serving, garnish with chopped mint leaves and pieced goat cheese. The vinaigrette wilts the mint leaves and thins and spreads the goat cheese, so I like to add them last to ensure that they are robust and distinct upon serving.

Serve and enjoy!

Bon Appetit!

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

The post Recipe: Spring Watermelon Salad appeared first on EcoSalon.