Tasting Week Wrap Up!

Short grain Brown rice for sushi
Yields 4 servings
This is a more nutritious alternative to common white sushi rice. Sweet brown rice is very sticky and sweet, and short grain rice is less of both. I like a half and half combination of the two. It’s important to dissolve the sugar by adding it to the rice while it’s still warm.

Combine in a medium pot:
1 cup sweet brown or short grain brown rice
2¼ cups water
1-3 sticks kombu
Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork, then allow to stand, covered, for about 5 minutes.

Toss while warm with:
1½ tsp sugar, optional
½ tsp salt
1 Tbl + 1 tsp rice vinegar
Cool to room temperature before using for sushi.

Sushi Salad
Yields 4 servings
Invite guests to make small hand rolls at the table with this simple and easy way to serve sushi. The variations are endless. Use the vegetables you have in whatever quantity looks good to you.
Combine in a large bowl:
1 recipe Sushi Rice (recipe follows)
2 medium carrots, shredded
1 small daikon radish, shredded
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 avocado, cubed
1 cucumber, shredded or diced small

Stir in:
Pickled ginger, chopped (as much as you like)
2 Tbl black sesame seeds, toasted (see Specific Techniques)
10-12 large Roasted Shiitakes (Roasties), sliced
Sprouts (sunflower, mung, pea shoots, etc.)
Serve with sheets of nori and wasabi or ume plum paste.
Note

• Pickled ginger often has artificial colors and preservatives, so read the label to be sure yours is a quality product.

Kinpira
Yields 4-6 servings
Burdock is an awesome liver cleanser, especially important in the Spring but always beneficial. I eat this with rice or in sushi, or just alone in a big heap. It looks very pretty served with chopsticks!
Combine in a large, wide pan:
5 carrot-sized burdock roots, cut into matchsticks (see Specific Techniques)
4 carrots, cut into matchsticks
2 parsnips or turnips, cut into matchsticks
2” ginger, grated
A pinch of salt
2 Tbl light oil
Cook over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, then add just enough water to cover the bottom of the skillet— do not cover the vegetables, just the bottom of the pan. Also add:
2 Tbl rice vinegar or mirin
Cover and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are almost cooked, then add:
2 Tbl tamari or shoyu
1 Tbl toasted sesame oil
Stir to combine, cover, and cook 2-3 minutes. Remove the cover and cook off the excess liquid, taking care not to burn the tamari.
Variation

• Add 1-2 Tbl dried hijiki seaweed with the rice vinegar to add lots of calcium to this nourishing dish.
• Stir in a few tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds at the end (black seeds are particularly stunning)

MIELLE CHENIER-COWAN ROSE recently transplanted to Nevada County from the Bay Area, where she helped to develop Cafe Gratitude of SF/Berkeley. She also cooked at Greens Restaurant, Urban Forage, and the Macrobiotic Cafe after training as a Natural Foods Chef at Bauman College in 2000. Her self-published book “Piece of My Heart: A Collection of Vegan Recipes and Cooking Techniques” will be re-released next Fall under the title “The Omnivore’s Guide to Plant-Based Cooking”. She enjoys teaching people how to enjoy eating healthy food, and her meals have been compared to the thrill of being on an amusement park ride. She strives to live up to the compliment. She can be reached at pieceofmyheartkitchen@gmail.com.