Smashing cucumbers is an ancient Chinese technique, bringing together the veggie’s coolness with the intense spice of Sichuan cuisine.
Crushing a cucumber produces flavors un-smashed cucumbers can’t. When you crush cells in a vegetable rather than slicing cleanly through it, certain compounds get released and you can get a significantly different flavor.
Use firm-fleshed, fresh cucumbers for this dish. Crushing them can soften them into mush if you start with old, soft ones.
Ingredients
7-10 Persian cucumbers
1 tsp kosher salt
½ bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp chili oil
2 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
Directions
Cut ends off cucumbers, halve lengthwise, and then into 2-inch pieces. Carefully using the flat side of your knife, smash them gently – just enough to break the fruit inside. Toss pieces in salt and drain in colander for 30 minutes.
Mix together the rest of your ingredients, reserving 1/3 of the cilantro, and let sit while cucumbers drain.
Toss cucumbers and sauce together, then right before serving, sprinkle remaining cilantro on top.
Fall is in the air, and we’ve got a treat that’s perfect for the season – Dairy-Free Caramel Apples. Our recipe features a rich, dairy-free caramel sauce that’s perfect for coating crisp apples. Whether you’re enjoying a cozy evening by the fire or hosting a fall gathering, these caramel apples are the ultimate indulgence without dairy. So, grab your apples, roll up your sleeves, and let’s get cooking – it’s time to celebrate the flavors of fall like never before!
Parchment paper cut into squares about 10″, for every apple
Apple sticks or forks
Directions
Wash apples and chill.
Add coconut milk to pot, heat to almost boiling on med-high heat.
Slowly over about 5 minutes add Cocomels to coconut milk while stirring constantly.
Once dissolved, boil sauce on medium heat until its temp reaches 230° F. If you don’t have a thermometer it is about 10 minutes-ish of boiling. Keep stirring!
When sauce reaches 240 ° F (or your best guess), remove from heat.
CAUTION: THIS IS HOT LAVA!
Insert sticks or forks into your apples and dip into sauce, covering apple up to the stick. Put on parchment square, fold up sides to keep as much hot sauce on apple as possible. Let cool fully – about 1 hour. Remove parchment slowly – if still sticky, let cool for longer
Thank you to our friends at NCG for this amazing recipe!
The sweet, mellow, nutty flavor of roasted garlic and a little kick from jalapeno offer a delicious twist to this popular Middle Eastern dip.
In the month of October, we celebrate co-ops. Why? Because they are awesome! We feature recipes from co-ops around the country in our special Co-op Recipe Guide.
Ingredients
4 garlic cloves, peeled and roasted
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons tahini
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
⅛ teaspoon salt
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
Toss 4 peeled garlic cloves in a little oil and double wrap in aluminum foil. In a preheated 350 degree oven, roast the garlic for about 30 minutes or until the garlic is soft but not burnt.
In a food processor, puree the roasted garlic and the one raw garlic clove along with the diced jalapeño. Add the chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, cumin, and salt. Puree until smooth. While the food processor is running, slowly add the olive oil and blend until smooth.
Thank you to our friends at Rainbow Grocery in San Francisco, California for this amazing recipe!
In the month of October, we celebrate co-ops. Why? Because they are awesome! We feature recipes from co-ops around the country in our special Co-op Recipe Guide.
Ingredients
Udon noodles
Vegetables (As many as you like!)
Mushrooms (Whichever ones you want!)
Carrots
Green Onion
Tofu
Bachan’s barbeque sauce
Soy sauce
Sesame seeds
Seaweed
Directions
We used @jbasketusa udon noodles (follow package instructions). Set aside.
Chop veggies. This really depends on how much you want, you can do more or less of each based on your liking. Mushrooms — we used cremini, hon shimeji, maitake, and king trumpet. Cut the trumpets in long pieces and set aside. Grate carrots. Chop green onion.
Marinate slices of extra firm tofu and the trumpet mushrooms in a bowl of Bachan’s. This took about half of the bottle. We used the yuzu, but this dish would be delish with any flavor. (OG, spicy, or gluten free).
Pan fry mushrooms til golden brown, add carrots at the last minute and set aside.
In the pot you cooked the udon in — combine the noodles, 1/4 cup of soy sauce and the leftover marinade from the tofu bowl. Throw in sesame seeds and some seaweed. Stir to combine.
Pan fry the trumpets and tofu on high heat until they are golden brown, but going for longer is great too, if you like that charred taste.
After setting the tofu and trumpets on top of the noodle mixture, sprinkle the green onions on top.
Serve this with Brussels Sprouts Slaw. Thank you to our friends at Davis Food Co-op in Davis, California for this amazing recipe!
In the month of October, we celebrate co-ops. Why? Because they are awesome! We feature recipes from co-ops around the country in our special Co-op Recipe Guide.
Ingredients
¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1½ Tbsp pure maple syrup
1½ Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a jar with a wellfitting lid. Shake for about 30 seconds. You’ll need ¼ -½ cup of this dressing for the slaw. Use immediately to dress, or store in the fridge for up to a week.
Thank you to our friends at Davis Food Co-op in Davis, California for this amazing recipe!
In the month of October, we celebrate co-ops. Why? Because they are awesome! We feature recipes from co-ops around the country in our special Co-op Recipe Guide.
Ingredients
3 lbs Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
Preheat the oven to 350º. Line a baking sheet with parchment and spread out almonds in an even layer. Bake for 5-7 minutes, possibly less if you have a hot oven, until nutty-smelling and a few shades darker. Remove from oven and cool.
Add Brussels sprout halves to a food processor. Pulse until fairly broken down (you don’t want any large chunks). Toss with almonds, cranberries and dressing, starting with ¼ cup and adding more if desired.
Toss dressing and salad together 20 minutes before serving. Can be made a day ahead.
