Call me a Mountain Mama but the trouble (or the ease) of my recipes is that I hardly every USE a recipe. Did I mention that already?? I just gather what's there and start cooking.  

A while back I was going to write a cookbook with another friend who also cooks this way and we were going to title it "The Approximate Chef". That was also going to be the title for this blog, but then I saw that someone else had already taken the name. That doesn't however, prevent me from being an approximate chef.

So, here are a few more approximate recipes that use up garden goodies. 

Quinoa Goat Cheese cakes with herbs:

Rinse quinoa (however much you want)  thoroughly then add twice as much water as quinoa. and bring to a boil. Turn down to low, cover and cook 15 minutes till water is gone. Let sit a few minutes. Add some chèvre, maybe a 4 oz. log for every cup of quinoa cooked, and some chopped fresh herbs, whatever you like. A few tablespoons of rosemary works really well. My favorite, though, is lemon thyme. A nice big handful of leaves tossed in gives a lemony flavor that is perfect with the goat cheese. By the way, IF YOU HATE GOAT CHEESE (as a friend of mine does) you can do this with cream cheese instead. Mix thoroughly while quinoa is warm then let cool a little. Form into patties and cook in olive oil till nicely browned on each side. Serve topped with a slice of tomato, a teaspoon of pesto (cilantro pesto is divine with this), and a dollop of greek yogurt.

Mango Kale salad (goes really well with the Quinoa Goat Cheese Cakes):

De-stem and chop a bunch of your favorite kale

Massage with a few tablespoons of olive oil and some salt (Malden is terrific for this)

Add a peeled and diced fresh and juicy mango

Add 1/2 - 1 squeezed lime (depending on how much kale you have used)

Sprinkle toasted pumpkin seeds or almonds on top

Grated potato cake (also yummy with kale mango salad)

Grate a few potatoes

Heat about 4 T. oil in a  pan

Spread 1/2 potatoes in the hot oil to cover bottom completely and then some

spread Goat cheese (or other cheese if you prefer) on potato

sprinkle on fresh herbs of your choice

spread remaining potato over top and press down firmly

Cook till brown on bottom

Loosen from bottom with long blade spatula 

Put a plate over top of pan and flip cake out onto the plate then slide back in pan to cook other side.

Any fruit pie with honey (to finish off your dinner)

Make crust - For a 2 crust pie I put 1 cup white flour and 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour in a food processor along with 12 T. butter and pulse till like cornmeal. Add 6 T. water and pulse till it forms a ball. Cut in two parts and roll out separately in enough flour so it won't stick.

Filling: 4 c. of whatever fruit you want (sliced if not a berry),  1/3 c. honey. 1/3 cup white flour or tapioca starch. Cinnamon if you want (for apples definitely),  a squeeze of lemon, perhaps if the fruit is very sweet like ripe peaches or blueberries. Fill pie plate lined with one crust. Dot top with butter if you want a richer taste. Top with second crust and sprinkle with brown or turbinado sugar if you like it sparkly and crunchy on top. 

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes, then turn down to 350 and bake another 30-45 minutes till golden brown.