Peanut Love: 3 Delicious Meals For When the Fridge is Bare

Lately I've been on the lazy train when it comes to writing. It's hard to sit indoors when there's so much fun stuff to do in the garden right now. Our new house doesn't have a large, sunny spot for vegetable gardening yet, so the plants and seedlings are scattered wherever the conditions are right. I'm finding out that some parts of the yard have more pests than others! But it's all good and I can't wait until we have more than just herbs and salad greens to eat.


Perry the Peacock watches over oregano, thyme, rosemary, arugula, chard, chives, mint, pear tomatoes, basil...



This lazy business has also extended to my food shopping. I always find it hard to be motivated in the grocery store this time of year, when all the produce is coming from either California, Florida or another country altogether. Our local farmer's market has officially opened, so we are getting baby boc choi, dandelion leaves, arugula, mustard greens, some baby kale, etc. You know I love the green stuff, but I still get antsy waiting for the first bite of a tomato warm from the sun.



Hens and chicks happily ensconced in our long-abandoned bonsai pots

Anyway, with little fresh produce in the house and a decidedly "whateveh" attitude to cooking, lately I've been reaching back to some of the foods I used to make a decade ago while I was living in a little village in Ghana, West Africa. Since we didn't have electricity and the local farmers didn't have irrigation, I got used to making the most of canned goods for much of the year and eventually developed quite a repertoire. Some of the things that did store well were locally grown peanuts (called groundnuts), rice, millet, sorghum, garlic and onions. We also had dried tomato powder, dried alefi leaf powder (like spinach), and tomato paste and boullion cubes were always around. Here are a couple of very good recipes that are similar to what I used to prepare while I was there. Happily, I no longer have to do things like store my precious carrots in a clay pot filled with wet sand to keep them from turning into gumby carrots within one day!



Groundnut soup over brown rice



Groundnut Soup

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 T canola or peanut oil
• 4-5 smallish tomatoes, crushed (about 1 -1/2 cups; if using whole canned tomatoes just break them up with your fingers)
• 3 large spoonfuls natural peanut butter (unsalted if you have it, otherwise don't add salt later)
• 1 cube boullion
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup frozen chopped spinach, or about 5 ounces of fresh leaves, chopped

In a medium saucepan, saute the onion in oil over medium heat for several minutes. Add the tomatoes and stir, cooking another couple minutes. Mix in the peanut butter and let simmer for about five minutes on medium-low heat. The oil may separate and that's just fine. Add water and boullion and bring to boil. Stir in spinach, turn down heat a bit and simmer for five more minutes. Taste for salt.

Traditionally, groundnut soup is served over rice balls, which are made when you overcook the rice (white rice) until it is very mushy, then shape into round or oblong balls about 2 inches in diameter. Ideally this process takes place while the rice is still very hot, the rationale for the balls being that they allow rice to better retain its heat. But unless you are raised doing this on a regular basis, your palms are going to burn like crazy, take my word for it...

Groundnut Burgers

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 T canola or peanut oil
• 1 cup ground peanuts
• 1 cup fresh whole wheat breadcrumbs, coarsely ground
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 egg
• 1 T tomato paste or marinara sauce from a jar
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro or other fresh herb (chopped leaves and stems can be stored in a ziplock in the freezer for emergencies)

In a small skillet, saute the onion in oil for about five minutes until it's browned a bit. While it cooks, heat a non-stick skillet or griddle (ideal) on medium heat. Place the rest of the ingredients into a food processor, pulsing briefly between each item. Add the onion at the end and pulse for a few seconds. The mixture will have a thick consistency. Drizzle the griddle with a little oil, then drop large spoonfuls onto it. There should be enough for six burgers. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side, pressing down on the second side so the thickness is about 1/2". Servie with a dollop of aioli, with a bun or without.

Aioli

• 1 cup storebought or homemade mayonnaise
• 1 small clove garlic, pressed
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 tsp salt

Mix ingredients together and let sit for a little while to meld the flavors. This also makes a nice dip for roasted potatoes, mmm...

Peanut Sauce (for spaghetti, rice, spring rolls...)

• 1 large spoonful natural peanut butter
• 2 T Braggs liquid aminos or soy sauce
• 1 T sugar
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 T grated fresh ginger
• 1 small garlic clove, pressed
• 1/2 cup water

Combine all the ingredients in a microwave-safe dish or small saucepan. Microwave for 1 minute or bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir. The mixture should be creamy and taste delicious. Add a little more of any one ingredient to make it just right for your palate. While still warm, stir into cooked noodles or rice (steamed broccoli and tofu cubes make it a balanced meal). Serve the sauce at room temperature as a dip for cold spring rolls.

Only a few more weeks left for us New Englanders to start enjoying the summer harvest!

Unrelated Side Note: Here's proof that you can get kids to eat collard greens - you just need the right incentive!
(in this case, homemade mint chip ice cream)