Let me start by saying I love the title of this cook book:  Seasonal Recipes for Delicious Homegrown Food THE ZERO-MILE DIET COOK BOOK by Carolyn Herriot. (please forgive my pictures...we do have a new camera which I have yet had the time to learn.)
Carolyn Herriot is a local author from our hometown of Victoria, British Columbia.  She is an advocate for eating local, home grown organic food, and has written a few books now - The Zero-Mile Diet Cook Book being her most recent.
This is a book that is true to my heart.  Eating local, organic (as much as possible) for me is the only way to go.
Carolyn also has a most beautiful garden:  The Garden Path, growing her own organic food.  She speaks publicly at various venues, radio talk shows through out the year, where she spreads the word on growing and eating local organic food.  I have seen Carolyn give talks both here and on Salt Spring Island, B.C. - a true inspiration.
Most of the recipes in The Zero-Mile Diet Cook Book are vegetarian - recipes I am always looking for to compliment the other foods my family eats.  The recipes are categorized into Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter with gorgeous pictures.  Included in the book are sections on preserving, home canning and fermenting as well.
If you are interested in purchasing this lovely cook book check it out here.
I will show case a few recipes I have made in the past couple of days - they have all been delicious!  (Carolyn graciously gave me permission to print some of the recipes I have chosen here).
The first recipe I made is from the Spring section of the cook book:  HEALTHY HARVEST WRAPS page 126.
It turned out that I had every ingredient in my refrigerator, what luck!  These Healthy Harvest Wraps are now my new favorite lunch.  In fact - I could eat the filling right out of the bowl - so delicious!  I used Food For Life Gluten Free Brown Rice Wraps, and did a slightly different method.
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1-2 Tblsp. Tamari Soy Sauce
1/2-1 cup  cooked Quinoa
1/2-1 cup leftover salad
Food For Life GF Brown Rice Wraps
Dressing:
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tblsp. Tamari Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
1 Tblsp. liquid honey
fresh cracked pepper
In a cast iron skillet on medium heat, lightly toast the sunflower and pumpkin seeds.  When lightly golden, remove from the heat and add in the Tamari Soy Sauce, tossing to coat, then set aside.
Make up the dressing, whisking all of the ingredients well. (you will have extra to use through out the week on your favorite salads)
Blend 1/2 - 1 cup of the cooked quinoa with the salad and toasted nuts.  Season with 1-2 Tblsp. of the dressing or more to taste.
Heat up a cast iron pan on medium heat with a light drizzle of olive oil.  Place in the GF Brown Rrice Wrap and cook to a lightly golden color, then flip.  I leave the second side down just for a minute or two.  Remove from the heat, and place the wrap onto a plate.  Add in the filling and extra lettuce if you wish, wrap up and cut in half.  I will be having this for lunch again tomorrow - so so tasty.
Next up:  From the Fall section CREAMY CHANTERELLE MUSHROOM SOUP page 193
I would have LOVED to have used fresh Chanterelle Mushrooms - they are my favorite mushroom.  Wow, despite not having  chanterelles this soup was amazing.  I ended up using some fresh organic crimini mushrooms, as well, I rehydrated a wild mushroom mixture of: chanterelle, porchini, shiitake and oyster mushrooms.
Next time I make this soup, I will make a double batch - to have on hand in the refrigerator for recipes that call for cream of mushroom soup - so good!
2 Tblsp. butter, 2 Tblsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or use only EVOO for Vegan)
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 dried Bay leaves
1 lb. chanterelle or seasonal mushrooms, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cups Vegetable stock (I used homemade vegetable stock)
fresh cracked pepper
1 Tblsp. Worcestershire sauce (I did not use this as it is not gluten free)
1 Tblsp. dried herbs:  I used a combination of Savory, Basil, Greek Oregano
2 cups soy milk (I use an unsweetened neutral tasting Soy Milk)
2 Tblsp. corn starch
1/4 cup of cooled soup broth to make a slurry
salt to taste
Heat the butter and the oil on medium heat in a cast iron pan.  Saute the onions, garlic, and bay leaves for 5 minutes.  (if using dehydrated mushrooms, chop, and rinse in a sieve.  Add to a bowl and cover with water or vegetable stock to rehydrate - 45 minutes).
Add the chopped fresh mushrooms to the frying pan, saute another 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat up the vegetable stock on low medium heat to a light simmer, and add the rehydrated mushrooms including the liquid.
Then add the sauted onion/mushroom mixture to the vegetable stock, add in the dried herbs, and season with salt and pepper.  Do not boil, but keep on a light simmer.
Whisk in the milk.  Make a paste with the cooled soup broth and cornstarch.  Pour in the slurry whisking well until nicely thickened.  Remove the bay leaves, and check for seasonings.  A very savory flavorful soup plus it was quick and easy to make too.
(I have made this soup twice now.  I made a double batch so another meal awaits in the refrigerator - yum!)
The next recipe we had was from the Winter section:  AMBER'S VEGAN PATE page 222.
A most delicious and nutritious pate it was.  I made a couple of changes such as using finely ground almonds in place of buckwheat flour, I also included 1 1/2 Tblsp. toasted sesame seeds. We had this lovely dish with a Quinoa Greek Salad...recipe pending.
1/2 cup finely ground almonds
1/2 cup cup nutritional yeast (I used 1/4 cup)
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried savory
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 tsp. dry mustard powder
1 tsp. ground dried chili peppers (in place of I used 1 Tblsp. dried Greek Oregano and 1 tsp. dried Parsley)
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 1/2 Tblsp. toasted sesame seeds
1 large grated carrot
1 onion, chopped small
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 stalk of celery, diced small
1 potato, peeled and diced small
1 cup water (I used 3/4 cup water)
1/2 cup vegetable oil  (I used grape seed)
2 Tblsp. fresh lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients and seasonings, blending well.
Prepare the vegetables transferring into a bowl, and mix in the sunflower seeds.  Add the vegetables to the dry ingredients and toss well to coat.  Add the wet ingredients, mixing well.  Use a spatula to spread the pate in an 8 inch baking dish.  (mine was a 9 inch rectangular pan)
Bake 1 hour.  When done it will be firm to the touch and lightly browned.  Very tasty and filling!
Included in the Zero Mile Diet Cookbook is the recipe from Nourishing Traditions:  Kim Chi, which now sits on my counter fermenting.  Can't wait to give that a try.
We had a "teaser" of a couple of weeks of warm weather...which made us think summer was  already here.  Sooo not...we are back to cloudy, rainy, cool weather with the odd hour or two of sunshine.  As soon as the fresh summer vegetables are here - I am back in the kitchen to cook up some wonderful summer recipes with The Zero Mile Diet Cookbook. Thank you Caroline... for spreading the word about growing your own organic food, plus the recipes you have shared... and best of all...I luv your food!  🙂

Here is another pasta dish...I seem to have a few pasta dishes accumulated in my draft posts...but this one was so dang yummy just had to share right away!
This is a pasta dish that never really appealed to me....the whole raw egg thing.  Until I saw Jamie's 15 Minute Meals.  Traditionally Carbonara is made with cream - Jamie used yogurt.  Plus I discovered the egg actually cooks in the hot pasta.  And you bet - I sooo did not make this in 15 minutes. I guess I am just too slow in the kitchen, no matter how organized I feel I am.
The sauce was rich and creamy - so delicious!   So here  is my take on Jamie's Carbonara.
4 cups Gluten Free Penne Pasta - cook as per directions
1 large shallot, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 slices of bacon, chopped and cooked until brown
2 large crimini mushrooms, diced
2 big Tblsp. fresh flat leaf Italian Parsley, finely chopped
4 heaping Tblsp. Organic whole plan yogurt
1 large jumbo organic egg - bring to room temperature
salt and pepper
lots of Parmesan cheese
Heat up a saute pan on medium heat and cook the bacon bits.  Once cooked, remove to a bowl.  Turn down the heat to low and saute the shallots, mushrooms and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper.  Meanwhile cook the pasta as per directions.  Reserve a cup full of the cooked pasta water and set aside.
Add the egg to the yogurt, 1/2 a cup of Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper, mixing well.  Remove 1 cup of the pasta water, drain the pasta, and add 1/4 - 1/2 a cup of pasta water to the saute pan of mushrooms and shallots.  Scrape up any brown bits, then add in the pasta.  Take the pan off of the heat and add the yogurt/egg mixture - stirring quickly to mix well.  Add the bacon and fresh parsley then transfer to a platter.
Serve while hot and add extra Parmesan Cheese.  So so good.  Seriously, you can not go wrong with Jamie's recipes - they always end up great!

I finally got a day off - the first in ten days!  So I headed to the kitchen to make this tasty side dish for the BBQ we are having tonight.
I still do not know how much I will be on this blog this summer, but will give it the best I can given my busy work season. (Janet asked...bless her heart, so this summer I will do what I can).  xoxo
This recipe is a take on homemade "baked" beans, but quicker, and done on the stove top.  A great vegetarian dish, or as a side dish for any Barbequed meats.  It is also tasty with cooked natural hot dogs.  You could soak pinto beans over night and cook them the next day, but for a quicker version, I used canned pinto beans for this dish.
2  398 ml. cans of pinto beans - drain, but save some of the liquid
1 onion - chopped
4 garlic cloves - minced
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1  28 oz. can of whole tomatoes
1  small can of tomato paste
2 Tblsp. Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tblsp. Black Strap Molasses
1/2 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 large bay leaf
salt and fresh cracked pepper
grated cheddar cheese (optional)
Add the whole tomatoes and liquid to a food processor to puree.  Then add in the tomato paste, and pulse until combined.
Heat up a dutch oven on low medium heat with 2 Tblsp. EVOO.  Add in the onion and garlic, sauteing until soft.  Season with salt and fresh cracked pepper.
Pour in the tomato sauce and add in the balsamic vinegar, black strap molasses, allspice, rosemary, bay leaf, and season again with salt and fresh cracked pepper.  Mix well, and bring to a light simmer.
Simmer for 30 minutes to reduce stirring occasionally.
Add in the canned beans, stir well, and simmer for another 10 minutes.
We had this with BBQ'd Turkey Ranch Burgers and potato salad...it feels like summer is finally here!