Recipes for an eco-conscious life

In one sense, the recipes in Louisa Shafia's new book, "Lucid Food: Cooking for an Eco-Conscious Life," might fit into any cookbook that champions locally grown, fresh foods.

But there's an emphasis on making everything from scratch, as well as using sustainable ingredients.

And the accompanying text hits lots of eco-conscious notes - from how to compost vegetable scraps to rediscovering ancient grains, choosing drinking water or starting a beehive.

CUCUMBER AND POMEGRANATE SALAD

2 cucumbers, peeled, halved and seeds removed

Seeds of 1 pomegranate

1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions, green parts only

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Juice of 1 lime

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black

pepper

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Cut the cucumbers into slices 1/4-inch thick. Put the cucumber slices in a bowl with all but 4 tablespoons of the pomegranate seeds. Add the scallions, cilantro, lime juice and olive oil. Toss and season with salt.

To serve, divide the salad among bowls and top with the crumbled feta, a tablespoon of pomegranate seeds and a few grinds of pepper. Serves 4.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH PRUNE PURÉE AND HAZELNUTS

1 cup pitted dried prunes, soaked in 1 cup water

overnight

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 ounces semisweet chocolate

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room

temperature

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, peeled,and pulsed in a food processor until coarsely ground

5 eggs, separated

1 cup maple sugar or brown

sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Drain the prunes and put them in the bowl of a food processor. Add the vanilla extract and puree until smooth. Set aside.

Grease a 10-inch round cake pan or an 8-by-11-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper. Grease the paper.

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, then place the bowl on top of a saucepan of simmering water. Melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally.

When the chocolate has melted, remove it from the heat, stir in the butter and fold in the prune puree and the hazelnuts.

Using a mixer, beat the egg yolks and the maple sugar for 4 minutes, then fold into the chocolate mixture. Using a clean whisk, beat the egg whites with the salt until they hold stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture in 3 batches.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 20 minutes, rotate the pan, and continue baking for 5 to 7 minutes more. The center should still feel slightly soft.

Let cool and serve at room temperature. The cake will keep for a couple of days at room temperature, lightly covered with parchment paper. Serves 8 to 10.

ASH-E-RESHTEH

Persian New Year's Soup with Beans, Noodles and Herbs

1/2 cup chickpeas, soaked overnight in water to cover

1/4 cup kidney beans, soaked

overnight in water to cover

1/2 cup dried fava beans, soaked overnight in water to cover, or 1 1/2 cups frozen lima beans

3 yellow onions

7 tablespoons olive oil

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 cup dried lentils

14 cups vegetable or chicken stock

Salt

1 large handful fresh mint leaves, torn into pieces

6 ounces thin egg noodles or

linguine, broken into thirds

1 bunch leafy greens, stemmed, and coarsely chopped

1/4 cup fresh dill leaves, minced

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced

1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced

2 cups plain yogurt

Dice one of the onions. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add 4 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the onion and saute until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas, kidney beans, and fava beans, and add them to the onion along with 4 of the minced garlic cloves, the turmeric and lentils. Saute for 1 minute, then add the stock and bring to a boil.

Boil the beans, covered, for 1 hour. Tilt the lid so the pot is partially covered and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 hours. Season with salt.

Slice the remaining 2 onions into thin half moons. Heat a sauté pan over high heat and add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onions and fry, stirring frequently, until the onions are brown and caramelized. Add the remaining garlic and the mint and saute for 1 minute. Season with salt and set aside.

Add the noodles to the soup and cook until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. When the noodles are almost done, add the leafy greens and the fresh herbs and cook for 2 minutes.

Serve with a large dollop of yogurt and a few tablespoons of the sauteed onion mixture.

Serves 6-8.