Recipe: Summer squash carpaccio, mojito melon balls, roasted cauliflower, stir-fried bok choy

Summer Squash Carpaccio With Arugula, Pecorino and Almonds Serves 4.

Note: When shaved thinly, vegetables that you might not normally eat raw present new possibilities. From "Eating Local," by Sur la Table and Janet Fletcher. Pecorino is a hard cheese, similar to Parmesan. Arugula is a slightly bitter salad green.

• 1/4 c. sliced almonds

• 1 lb. small zucchini, preferably a mix of green and yellow varieties, no more than 5 in. long

• 11/2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• 11/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

• 1 small garlic clove, minced to a paste

• 2 handfuls arugula (about 3 oz.)

• Chunk of medium-aged pecorino cheese, for shaving (see Note)

• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast almonds on a baking sheet until golden brown and fragrant, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool.

In small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt to taste. Add to shaved zucchini and toss with your hands to coat it evenly. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Let stand for 5 minutes to allow zucchini to soften.

Add arugula to zucchini. With a vegetable peeler, shave as much cheese as you like into the bowl. Add several grinds of black pepper, then toss gently with your hands. Transfer salad to serving platter, leaving any watery juices behind. Top with toasted almonds. Serve immediately.

Nutrition information per serving with 1 tablespoon cheese:

Calories130Fat10 gSodium130 mg

Carbohydrates6 gSaturated fat2 gCalcium150 mg

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 vegetable, 1/2 high-fat meat, 1 fat.

Mojito Melon Balls

Serves 6 to 8.

From "Farmers' Market Desserts," by Jennie Schacht.

• 1/2 c. sugar

• 1/3 c. firmly packed fresh spearmint leaves or mixed mint and lemon verbena leaves, coarsely chopped, plus 8 mint leaves for garnish

• 2 tbsp. light rum, optional

• 1 personal-size seedless watermelon, or 1/4 large seedless watermelon

• 1 small to medium Crenshaw, Sharlyn, honeydew, cantaloupe or other melon

• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime, plus 1 lime for garnish

Bring sugar and water to boil in small saucepan over medium heat, swirling pan to dissolve sugar. Boil for about 1 minute until sugar is completely dissolved, then remove from heat and stir in 1/3 cup mint leaves and rum. Let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

While syrup cools, cut melons in half. Using a melon baller, scoop out 8 cups of melon balls, placing them in large bowl. (Or cut melon into about 1/2 -inch cubes.)

Pour cooled syrup through a fine-mesh strainer held over melon balls, pressing on leaves to extract as much flavor as possible. Add lime zest and juice, and toss to coat. Cover tightly and refrigerate until very cold.

Toss melon balls again to coat. Scoop balls into dessert glasses along with a spoonful or two of juices. Stack mint leaves for garnish, roll up tightly lengthwise, and cut crosswise into fine ribbons (chiffonade). Thinly slice lime crosswise into rings. Just before serving, scatter mint over melon and decorate with lime slices.

Nutrition information per serving of 8:

Carbohydrates28 gSaturated fat0 gCalcium15 mg

Protein1 gCholesterol...0 mgDietary fiber1 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 fruit, 1 other carb.

Curry-Scented Roasted Cauliflower

Serves 4 to 6.

• 6 tbsp. butter for ghee (see Note and directions below)

• 2 small heads cauliflower (3 to 31/2 lbs. total), cored and cut into medium florets.

• 2 tsp. kosher salt

• 2 tsp. curry powder

• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

To make ghee: Melt butter over low heat; remove pan from burner. Pour off the lighter top liquid (that's the ghee) and discard the milky white solids at the bottom.

To prepare cauliflower: Place cauliflower in large mixing bowl.

In smaller mixing bowl, combine ghee, salt, curry, cayenne and garam masala. Stir to blend well, and then pour spice mixture over cauliflower. Toss until cauliflower is thoroughly coated with ghee and spices.

Nutrition information per serving of 6:

Calories146Fat13 gSodium560 mg

Carbohydrates7 gSaturated fat8 gCalcium32 mg

Protein3 gCholesterol33 mgDietary fiber4 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 vegetable, 21/2 fat.

Serves 6.

From "Melissa's Everyday Cooking With Organic Produce," by Cathy Thomas.

• 12 baby bok choy

• 2 tbsp. dry sherry

• 2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce

• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tbsp. minced fresh ginger root

• 1 medium-small jicama, peeled, cut into 1- by 1/4 - by 1/4 in. sticks

• Hot cooked rice, for serving

Directions

In small bowl or cup, combine sherry and soy sauce. Set aside.

Place wok or large, deep skillet on high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. When oil is hot, carefully add bok choy (so oil doesn't spatter on you). Stir-fry, tossing bok choy quarters until they begin to wilt, about 4 to 5 minutes. If pan seems dry, add remaining oil.

Add garlic and ginger; stir-fry 1 minute. Add jicama and sherry mixture; cook until heated through. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Nutrition information per serving without rice:

Calories95Fat5 gSodium235 mg

Protein2 gCholesterol0 mgDietary fiber5 g