Garlicky greens with cannellini beans

This recipe was remixed from One Bite At a Time cookbook by Rachel Katz, a gift from Fridy (Thank YOU). You can use any bunch of green leafy vegetables from your favorite farmer at your local market. I prefer to use red swiss chard because of the color and because it takes less time to cook than say kale or collard greens.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of swiss chard, roughly chopped with stems cut off (save the stems for veggie stock or soup)

1 yellow onion, finely diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 can of cannellini beans, rinsed

lemon juice

olive oil

salt

pepper

cayenne (if you like)

Saute the onion in plenty of olive oil until it is translucent with hints of golden brown. Add garlic and continue to saute for 30 more seconds. Reserve the onions with the oil. Deglaze the onion pan with some water. Add the swiss chard, salt, pepper and cayenne. Cover and let cook until all of the swiss chard has wilted. Drain the swiss chard. Combine the caramelized onions and the oil they were cooked in, swiss chard and cannellini beans. Mix and add lemon juice. Enjoy cold as a salad or warm as the main dish.

Rainbow roasted vegetable salad

Yesterday, while working in my garden, I noticed that the house next door has a lemon tree full of large ripe lemons. I convinced my husband to go next door. He came back with 3 really large lemons. When I cut one in half, I realized that it was not a lemon - it was a grapefruit. I went ahead and used grapefruit juice in lieu of the lemon juice for the dressing. So, if you don't have lemons, use grapefruit... and if you don't have grapefruit, use rice, apple cider or pomegranate vinegar. And if you don't have a butternut squash or don't want to go through the trouble of trying to cut it in half, substitute with 3 white potatoes or leave it out.

Ingredients:

3 Beets, washed and ends trimmed (wash the greens well, wrap with a paper towel and put into a plastic bag to use in soup or to saute with garlic and onions)

3 sweet potatoes, washed

1 small butternut squash, washed and cut in half lengthwise

1/4 bunch of fresh or 3 teaspoons dry dill

olive oil

lemon juice, or grapefruit juice or vinegar

salt

pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 or 400. Put all the veggies into a lasagna type ceramic or stainless steel pan. Cover the bottom with 1 inch of water. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake until you are able to pierce the veggies with a knife with no resistance. Take out of the oven and let cool. Peel and cut into 1/2 - 1 inch cubes. Add olive oil, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper and mix. Enjoy!

Water Conservation and LADWP

Over this summer, I watched my lawn go from its spring shade of yellow thirst to a scorched and brown shade of a parched desert, as Southern California is experiencing its third year of drought. Each time I step barefoot outside and feel the sharp needles that used to be grass under my feet, I am reminded of just how bad the drought is.

Water conservation is on my mind in times of drought and in times of abundant water supply. These are some steps that I use to save water, our most precious resource:

• Take shorter showers
• Turn off the water while brushing my teeth
• Fill my clothes washer completely
• Wash and rinse my dishes in batches by filling the sink with water

I am always looking for new ways to conserve water and preserve the environment. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has delighted me with their water conservation programs. Over the summer, the LADWP has come up with amazing incentives to taking water conservation to another level. These are some of the elements of the program:

• Rebates for purchasing high efficiency clothes washers and high efficiency toilets

• Residential drought resistant landscape incentive program: the LADWP pays 1$/square foot for you to rip out the grass and replace it with drought tolerant plants. This will allow you to save substantial amounts of water in years to come and get paid to do it.

• Tree planting programs: Online tutorials and guides with planting guidelines and tree species suitable to Southern California. It has everything you need to know – type of plant, shape, size, growth rate, climate, water use, tree care and other considerations.
• For more information email: Tree program@ladwp.com or call 800.473.3652

• Residential shade trees: The LADWP in partnership with million trees LA is also offering street trees to residents who complete an online workshop and fill out a online form.

• Mulch or compost for your yard
• 6000 W Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90016
• Monday – Sunday 7am-5pm
• For more information call 818.834.5128

• California friendly landscape workshops
• For dates and locations and to RSVP call 800.544.4498

I am off to study the LADWP Home Tree Guide and RSVP for the October 17^th CA friendly landscape workshop! I am eager to hear from my fellow Angelinos who have participated in these programs. What did you learn at the workshops? Did you tear out your lawn and replant it with drought tolerant plants?