Shiny Cooking is all about delicious, mostly vegetarian recipes that use whole grains, natural foods, local foods, and fresh food from the garden, with an emphasis on heirloom (non-hybrid) variety seed stock. Check the "about" page for more about me, and subscribe now to the RSS feed to get automatic updates.
August 31, 2009 in 100 calorie snack, appetizers, gluten-free, vegetarian • 3 comments
Want an easy, colorful, summery, fancy-schmancy looking appetizer to serve guests? These little fellas fit the bill, the bright crunch of juicy tomato mingling with sweet basil and fresh mozzarella, all drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette.
There. The food porn description is out of the way.
We threw a surprise party for Mom Saturday. As I apparently [...]
August 27, 2009 in canning and freezing, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian • 4 comments
Dad plants sweet corn for all of us every year, staggered a week or two apart so we have sweet corn for longer. I don’t know exactly how far apart; I’m sure someone will read this and correct me since I seem to get something wrong in every post.
It’s like when there’s a story [...]
August 25, 2009 in PIE, desserts, gaming porn, gluten-free, travel porn, vegan, vegetarian • 5 comments
Blueberry pie ranks right up there. Number two after sour cherry pie, for sure. I’d always had blueberry pie that was baked, but the blueberries this year are so fabulous — large, and the perfect sweet-tart combination — that I wanted to do one that was more strawberry pie-style.
In other words, blueberries mixed with [...]
August 23, 2009 in PIE, desserts, gluten-free, vegetarian • 13 comments
Now there’s a mouthful. Know why? Because it’s so versatile. It works for the gluten-free folks. It works for the pie folks. It works for the tart folks. It works for the don’t-make-me-get-out-the-rolling-pin folks.
Even better, this walnut-oat pie crust recipe is just a prelude to the fresh blueberry pie I made it with, coming up [...]
August 19, 2009 in canning and freezing, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian • 2 comments
Skip ahead to to the blue text if you want the instructions without the incoherent babbling.
Flash freezing has been done in the food industry for ages to quickly preserve and seal in nutrients and freshness. It’s why nutritionists say frozen seafood, vegetables, and so forth are technically “fresher” than their fresh cousins you find [...]
August 17, 2009 in appetizers, breakfast / brunch, salad, vegan, vegetarian • 4 comments
I have a confession to make.
I cannot bring myself to bake or cook with fresh berries.
Why not? Their season is so short, it seems such a waste to transform them with heat, when frozen berries will do the job just as well. And you can whip out frozen blueberries in the dead of winter, anytime.
But [...]
August 15, 2009 in garden porn • 6 comments
Hell yeah. Time to inaugurate the “tomato” tag.
I’d go on about heirlooms and brandywines and tell cute little stories involving one of my grandmas, or, if it were of special import requiring massive genetic support, both grandmas.
August 13, 2009 in 600 calorie death spiral, cake, desserts, vegetarian • 4 comments
Today is Mom’s birthday. Go Mom! I won’t tell you which birthday it is, since she’s a tad shy about that. I’m just gonna say she had me when she was very very young. Nearly criminally young. Not that she’s a criminal. I don’t think.
Got anything to confess, Mom?
Grandma used to make this, her [...]
August 11, 2009 in garden porn • 4 comments
Warning: massive photo post ahead. Like, 30 photos. All of my garden. Yeah, real exciting.
Inspired by the lovely Diana and her garden porn.
First, let’s try and get an idea of the scope of this garden. It’s roughly triangular.
Sheesh, it’s so big you can’t pick anything out.
At least now we can pick some stuff out. Looks [...]
August 10, 2009 in 100 calorie snack, appetizers, gluten-free, vegetarian • 6 comments
Oh my. The garden asplode. Zucchini, broccoli, carrots, green beans, broccoli. And the broccoli isn’t sporting those horribly invisible green worms yet. I think.
There’s still lettuce and peas, though that’s ending now that hot temps have arrived, and cucumbers coming along, and some poblanos that are looking mighty big, and swiss chard with leaves 2 [...]
