4 T vegetable oil
1 1/2 c chopped onion
1 1/2 c chopped or sliced carrots
3 – 4 c garlic, minced
1 t dried thyme, or 5 sprigs fresh thyme; or other herb(s) of choice
1 bay leaf
4 c broth, stock, or water; or a combination, divided, plus more if preferred
4 c chopped turnips
1 1/2 c diced potatoes
1 bunch greens, fresh or frozen, thawed if frozen, stemmed if necessary and chopped
3 c cooked beans
salt and pepper, to taste
grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, for serving, optional

1. Heat oil in a soup pot. Sauté onion and carrots for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and bay leaf and sauté another minute or two.

2. Add 3 c of the broth, and bring to the boil. Add the turnips and potatoes. Bring back to the boil, then turn heat down and simmer until all the vegetables are tender.

3. Add greens, beans, and remaining cup of liquid, if you like. Not adding anymore liquid will result in a more stew-like dish. You can also add more than the remaining cup of liquid if you like. Simmer until the greens are tender and the beans are heated through.

4. Add salt and pepper. Taste for seasonings. Serve, with grated cheese, if you like.

2 c or so, cooked or raw, peeled beets, cut into dice
1 c peeled apple, cut into dice
1 1/2 c thinly sliced onion, in half moons; or chopped instead
1/4 c sugar or other sweetener, or to taste
1 – 2 t peeled, finely chopped fresh ginger; or 1/4 t powdered ginger
1/2 c vinegar, your call, plus more if necessary
1/2 t salt
1/2 t black pepper, or to taste
water or vegetable stock, if necessary

1. Combine all ingredients in a pot. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes, or until it has reached a consistency you like. If the mixture is drying out, add a splash of water or stock. You could add more vinegar in this case,  but the chutney will be more tart, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

daikon, as needed

Ponzu Sauce
3 parts ponzu sauce
1 part dark (toasted) sesame oil

1. Grate daikon on the side of the grater that you would use to zest citrus, or use a microplane grater. You want very fine, clumpy daikon. Put into a fine mesh strainer, the size of which will be determined by the amount of daikon you’ve grated. A tea strainer works great for a small amount. Gently press on the daikon to remove excess liquid. Or, put into a kitchen towel and gently press out liquid.

2. Put into a serving bowl. Pour sauce over just before serving.

3. Sauce: Combine 3 parts ponzu sauce to 1 part dark or toasted sesame oil. For example, 1 T of ponzu sauce to 1 t of sesame oil.

Homemade Ponzu Sauce:

1/2 c tamari or shoyu
1/4 c lemon juice
2 T lime juice
3 T rice vinegar (unseasoned)
1 T mirin
3 T dried bonito flakes, optional
1 or 2 inch piece of kombu, optional

1. Combine all ingredients. Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours then strain. If not using bonito flakes or kombu, then let stand for about 8 hours, no need to strain.

3 T butter or vegetable oil
1 1/2 c chopped onion
4 c thinly sliced cabbage
salt, to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T paprika (smoked paprika is great here!)
1 t dried dill, or to taste
6 c broth or stock
1 large carrot, (peeled) grated
2 T tomato paste or 1/2 c chopped tomatoes (canned are fine)
2 T lemon juice
2 t sugar or other sweetener, optional
pepper, to taste
sour cream or yogurt, for serving, optional (but good and Eastern European authentic)

1. Melt butter or heat oil in a soup pot. Sauté onion gently for about 8 minutes, then add cabbage and some salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, paprika, and dill and cook, stirring, for another minute.

2. Add the broth, carrot, tomato paste or tomatoes, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

3. Add the lemon juice, and, if you’d like to make this a soup with a sweet-and-sour edge, the sugar. Grate in some pepper. Taste for seasonings, and serve, with a dollop or two of sour cream in each bowl.

4 c roots, sliced, diced, chopped
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/4 c finely chopped onion
2 T prepared horseradish
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 fresh breadcrumbs
2 t dried herb, or 2 T fresh, chopped herb
1 T softened butter or oil
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Lightly grease an 8″ x 8″ baking dish or other suitable baking vessel.

2. Cook vegetables by your preferred method until crisp tender. Drain, reserving 1/4 c of the cooking liquid. Put vegetables and reserved liquid into prepared dish.

3. Combine mayo, onion, horseradish, salt, and pepper. Spoon evenly over vegetables.

4. Combine breadcrumbs, herb, and butter. Sprinkle over vegetables. To gild the lily, sprinkle with some grated cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, until heated through.

4 largish potatoes, or equivalent, quartered or chunked
2 T vegetable oil
1 c chopped onion
1 fresh chile, seeded and sliced, or 1/2 t dried red pepper flakes, or to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 c cooked beans
2 T soy sauce
1 T sesame oil
1 T sesame seeds
chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish, optional, but really ties the dish together

1. Boil or roast potatoes until just tender. They will cook more later in the recipe. Drain if necessary. Reserve.

2. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet. Add onion (and dried red pepper flakes, if using) and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add fresh chile, if using, along with garlic and sauté for another minute or two.

3. Add beans and reserved potatoes, stirring to coat with the onion mixture. Stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil. Cook until the beans and potatoes are heated through. Serve, sprinkled with the sesame seeds and garnished with the cilantro.

2 T vegetable oil or butter
1 1/2 c sliced onion
3 – 4 c (peeled), diced turnips
salt and pepper, to taste
1 t paprkia
1/2 c water, broth, or stock
1/3 c raisins or other dried fruit
pinch of cayenne pepper or chile powder

1. Heat oil or melt butter in a lidded skillet. Add onion along with a good pinch of salt and sauté for about 5 minutes.

2. Add turnips, a bit more salt, pepper, and paprika. Stir to combine with the onion and cook for a minute or so. Add the water, turn down the heat, cover and cook until the turnips are tender, about 15 minutes or so. Uncover and stir a few times, and add a bit more liquid if the pan is becoming dry.

3. Add raisins, and cook for a few more minutes, uncovered if there is a lot of liquid in the pan–by this point you want most of the liquid to be evaporated. Remove from heat and stir in the cayenne. Taste for seasonings and serve.

2 t finely grated orange zest
1/2 c orange juice, plus extra if needed
2 1/2 c dice or matchsticks of peeled celeriac
1 garlic clove, crushed or minced
1/3 c walnuts, chopped; or pecans or pine nuts
salt and pepper, to taste
2 oranges, peeled, cut into thin rounds or chopped up, and seeded, if necessary
fresh, chopped parsley, cilantro, rosemary, etc., for garnish, optional

1. Combine zest and orange juice in a serving bowl. As you cut up the celeriac, add it to the orange juice to prevent browning. You may need to add a bit more juice if the celeriac is not all coated.

2. Add the garlic (minced if you don’t mind eating raw garlic), walnuts, salt and pepper. Just before serving, stir in the orange slices. Sprinkle with fresh chopped herb, if using.

2 1/2 lbs potatoes, scrubbed
1/4 c dry bread crumbs or toasted wheat germ
3 T butter or vegetable oil, or a combination; plus extra for greasing baking dish
1 c milk or potato cooking liquid
1 c plus 2 T grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 t (freshly) grated nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste
8 oz (fresh) mozzarella or other cheese, chopped or grated
4 – 8 oz salami or similar, such as chopped ham or proscuitto, or vegetarian alternative

1. Cut potatoes, if large, into pieces. Put into a pot and cover with cold water. Salt the water if you like. Bring to the boil and cook until the potatoes are tender. Drain, reserving the cooking water if you intend to use it in place of milk, or for use as a stock. Cool slightly.

2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a baking dish. Sprinkle the bottom and sides with the bread crumbs.

3. Peel the potatoes if you like. In a large bowl, mash the potatoes. Stir in the 3 T of butter, the milk, 1 c of the Parmesan, the beaten egg, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Combine well. Fold in the mozzarella and salami.

4. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 T of the Parmesan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is browned. Allow to stand for 5 minutes or so before serving.

Onion, Mushroom, and Blue Cheese Dressing

1/2 c extra-virgin olive oil, or other salad oil
2 T lemon juice
1/2 t salt
1/2 t sugar
dash black pepper
dash paprika, sweet, hot, or smoked; or cayenne
1 c crumbled blue cheese
1 1/2 – 2 c thinly sliced onions, in half-moons
1/2 c fresh, sliced mushrooms

1. Combine oil, lemon juice, salt, sugar, black pepper, and paprika. Add cheese, onions, and mushrooms. Stir gently to combine. Refrigerate for several hours. Bring to room temperature before using–especially if you used extra-virgin olive oil which congeals when cold (that’s how to tell if you have authentic extra-virgin olive oil!).

Onion and Blue Cheese Sauce

1 T vegetable oil
2 c thinly sliced onions, in half-moons
2 T water, stock, or broth
1 t (brown) sugar
1/2 c crumbled blue cheese
salt, to taste

1. Heat oil in a lidded skillet. Add onions and stir to coat with the oil. Add the water and sugar. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 – 10 minutes, until the onions are golden brown and the liquid has evaporated. If the onions look like they may be on the verge of burning, add more water by the tablespoon and turn down the heat some.

2. Remove from heat and stir in the blue cheese and salt. Transfer to a bowl, or not, and serve.