Recipes

Riverbend Farm CSA Recipes

 

Many of these recipes were developed by Ranelle Kirchner (just in case she becomes famous) for our CSA in 2010. Some of them are from our favorite cookbooks. Some of these recipes were provided by local chefs and our CSA members. Some of them were shamelessly lifted from online sources. If you have recipes that you would like to contribute, please let me know.

 

The recipes are divided into categories by vegetable and there are sections for Pasta, Soups, and Salads. 

 

 

 

Beans

 

Green Beans with Caramelized Onions

 

This is an easy side dish, which doesn’t require set amounts. Caramelize onions in a pan. Once finished, add steamed green beans, toasted almonds, fresh herbs of your choosing, salt and pepper.

 

 

Tarragon Green Beans

Tip and tail about a pound of green beans. Cook the beans in boiling salted water until they are tender but still a little firm.  Drain them well. Mix a finely chopped shallot ( or small onion) with a little finely chopped tarragon and 3 Tablespoons of EV olive oil.  Put the beans in a bowl with the oil and herbs. Mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Just before serving add some white wine vinegar ( 1-2T or to taste). From the Greens Cookbook

 

 

Simple Shell Beans

 

Shell beans can simply be shelled, boiled in water (~20 min.) with olive oil, a bay leaf, a little salt, and eaten as a side dish with butter. 

 

 

Shell beans with vegetables

 

A whole bunch of shell beans

salt

water

herb sprigs 

a whole bunch of vegetables cut into bite size pieces, green beans, wax beans, carrots, broccoli and sugar snaps or whatever

butter

salt and pepper

 

Shell all of the beans and feel their weight in your hand and check out their sensual pink and white color. Put them in a heavy kettle and cover with an ample amount of water. Add a splash of olive oil and a herb sprig and a big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for 20 minutes and check the beans. They should be ALMOST cooked (that is tender to the bite). Bring the water up to a rolling boil. Immediately add all of the cut up vegetables. Return to a boil and cook about 1-2 minutes. Strain the vegetables and the beans and return to the pot. Add a knob of cold butter, some salt and pepper and shake the pan.

Lucia Watson

 

 

 

Beans and Greens

 

Balsamic-Glazed Chickpeas and Mustard Greens

 

I’d say this fits into the category of warm dinner salads, but you could serve it as a side dish to up to four people.

 

10 ounces mustard greens

1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced

4-6 tablespoons vegetable broth, divided

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 pinch red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon agave nectar or sugar

1 cup cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained

 

Remove any large stems from the greens and discard. Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces.

In a deep pot or wok, sauté the onion in a tablespoon or two of vegetable broth until mostly faded to pink, about 4 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and red pepper and another tablespoon of broth and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the mustard greens, 2 tablespoons of broth, and cook, stirring, until greens are wilted but still bright green, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the salt, if using. Remove greens and onions from pan with a slotted spoon and place in a serving dish, leaving any liquid in pan.

Add the balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and agave or sugar to the liquid in the pan (if there is no liquid, add 2 tablespoons of broth). Add the chickpeas and cook, stirring, over medium heat until the liquid is reduced by about half. Spoon the chickpeas over the greens and drizzle the sauce over all.

Serve warm, with additional balsamic vinegar at the table.

Servings: 2

 

Bulgur with French Lentils and Veggies

 

This is a salad that can be served as a side or main dish. It is considered to be a complete protein because it contains both grains and legumes. If you have the time, it is best eaten after 30 minutes to an hour of marinating time; add the spinach just before consumption if you choose to marry the flavors.

On another note, immediately try the spinach before adding to any dish. It is unbelievable sweet and tastes too good to be healthy. I guess there’s one thing to be thankful for as a result to the frost, sweeter spinach.

 

1 cup dried bulgur

2 tablespoons shallot or onion, small dice

¼ cup cider vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh ginger grated

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup dried green French lentils (check out this website to read more:  

         http://www.french-green-lentils.com/)

4 cups water

1 bunch spinach, shredded or torn

1 apple, diced

2-3 Tablespoons Olive oil

2 medium beets, peeled, diced

1 Tablespoon of freshly chopped herbs of your choice

 

In a pot, combine lentils and 2 ¼ cups [unsalted] water, cook until tender (about 30 minutes).  After 15 minutes, add the small-diced beets in the same pot as the beans. While that is cooking, boil 1 ¾ cups water and pour in a large bowl with the following ingredients: apple, cider vinegar, ginger, and bulgur. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes to cook grain. When the lentils and bulgur mixture is cooked, combine all into one bowl and add remaining ingredients: shallots, olive oil, spinach, fresh herbs (optional) and more salt and pepper to taste.

 

 

Delicata Squash Salad with Kale and Cranberry Beans

 

1 Medium-Large Delicata squash (about 2 pounds), halved lengthwise and seeded

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 Tablespoons honey

1 bunch kale (about five oz.), large stems removed, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large shallot (or a small red onion if you don’t have any shallots left), finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 can (15 oz) cranberry or cannellinni beans, drained and rinsed

 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut Squash into 1/2 thick semicircles. Toss with 1 teaspoon oil, and spread onto baking sheet. Bake until just tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Mix together balsamic vinegar and honey. Brush some of the mixture onto squash slices and save the rest. Bake slices for 5 minutes more.

 

2. Meanwhile, place kale in large bowl. Heat remaining oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and garlic, and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add red wine vinegar and remaining vinegar-honey mixture and bring to a boil. Immediately pour hot dressing over kale and sprinkle with salt. Season with pepper, and add squash and beans. Cover with plastic and let stand for 5 minutes. Toss until kale wilts slightly.  From Martha Stewart Magazine

 

Peasant Style Beans and Kale

 

Traditionally this dish is made with canned tuna. You can use tofu or simply omit the tuna (we left it out*). You may have to scale this recipe to the amount of beans that you have / want.

 

3-4 cups cooked cannelini (or shell beans. we made about half for two people*)

1 bunch of kale, stem removed and chopped into bite sized pieces

½ small onion thinnly sliced

1/3 cup capers or black olives (go with the capers*), drained

 

Dressing

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 cloves garlic minced

salt and pepper to taste

 

Boil the kale in salted water for about 5 minutes, until tender and bright green. Drain in to a colander and press out excess water.

Stir beans and kale together in a large bowl. Add onion, and capers (if you were using the tuna, add it now*).

Mix the dressing and pour over beans and kale.

 

Serving suggestion: Eat with warm crusty bread.

Serves 4-6  From The Wedge What’s for Supper.

(*) denotes my comments

 

 

 

Beets

 

Moroccan Beet Salad

 

INGREDIENTS

6 to 8 medium beets

Juice of 1 lemon

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon cumin, or to taste

Salt and black pepper

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup diced fresh parsley

 

PREPARATION

1. Place water in a 3-quart saucepan, and bring to a boil. Add beets, and simmer until beets are tender when pierced with a fork, about 45 minutes. Cool, peel, and cut beets into bite-size pieces. Place in a serving bowl. 2. Place lemon juice, garlic, cumin and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil, then toss with beets. Let sit a few hours. Just before serving, sprinkle with parsley.

 

 

Beet Risotto

 

The active time in the recipe is only 30 minutes; however, total preparation time can   be as long as 2 hours if your beets are large. Small beets will only need half the time of larger beets, so be sure to check on them periodically.

I believe this dish would be best paired with a smoked trout and sautéed red mustard. The vibrant-purple red color of the dish is absolutely stunning; you won’t be able to take your eyes off it.

 

Ingredients:

 

2 cups beets, about 4 medium sized

1 yellow onion, small dice

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups Arborio rice

½ cup white wine

3 cups beet water (left over water from the boiled beets)

3 cups vegetable broth

1-2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon pepper

 

Garnish

½ cup Toasted walnuts

1/4 cup Parmesan

2 Tablespoons chopped chives

 

Thoroughly wash/scrub beets and remove any greens from the tops. Cook in boiling water until tender. (About 30 minutes to 1 hour.) Drain beets, but reserve the beet water. Allow to cool before peeling off skin, then cut into small cubes, ½ inch.

While the beets are cooling, mix your beet water with vegetable broth in a pot keeping the temperature at a simmer.

 

In a large 4 to 6 quart pot, melt the butter and cook the onion until translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add the rice, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer until absorbed. Stir in ½ cup broth mixture and allow for it to become completely absorbed before adding more broth. Continue simmering and adding broth, ½ cups at a time, stirring constantly until the rice is tender with a creamy consistency.

Stir in beets, salt and pepper. Cook until heated through.

Serve with optional garnishes and additions below.

 

Optional additions:

Smoked trout

Red mustard sauté or Swiss Chard (see last weeks garlicky greens recipe using the red mustard for the leafy green or the recipe below for a chard recipe)

 

 

Borscht

 

4-5 beets, boiled, being sure to save the beet juice leftover

1 stalk celery, diced

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup onion, small dice

1 tsp. caraway seed

1 cup cabbage shredded

4 potatoes, cubed and boiled

Salt and pepper

 

In a sauté pan, heat oil in a pan, add the onions and caraway seeds. Once the onions are translucent, add the celery and cook for another 3 minutes. When tender, pulse in a food processor with the cooked beats adding the beet water until desired consistency is reached. Salt and pepper or add oil for a varied flavor. Pour in a serving dish, bowl or cup. Saute cabbage in oil, 3 minutes and add in conjunction with the cubed, cooked potato. Season to taste.

 

 

Beet and WheatBerrySalad

 

4 medium beets, julienne cut/grated

2 small carrots, grated

1 green onion, finely sliced

salt to taste

2 cup cooked wheat berries, may substitute quinoa

toasted caraway or cumin seeds

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon mustard

1-2 Tablespoons champagne or balsamic vinegar

 

Add beets, carrots, green onion, wheat berries, salt, and caraway or cumin seeds in a bowl. In a separate bowl mix the vinegar with the mustard, then add to salad mix. Drizzle on the olive oil, using only enough to toss the salad lightly. For variation, add feta or goat cheese.

 

Serves: 4

Beets tartare

 

Cook, peel and cool 3 or 4 beets. In a food processor, chop a large handful
of parsley and some green onions or shallots. Add the beets, cut in large
chunks, a rounded soup spoon of mayo, dash of worchestershire sauce, salt,
pepper and pulse to chop all fine. The recipe serves it as an appetizer on
toast points, but I like it like a salad/relish.

Sara Graffunder

 

 

 

 

 

Broccoli

 

Broccoli with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Pine Nuts

Cut the broccoli top into 1 ½ inch florets. Peel the stems and cut in half lengthwise. Cut into ½” thick half moons.  Mix together in a small bowl 3T balsamic vinegar, 1 clove minced garlic, 5T EV olive oil, ½ t salt, and a little ground pepper. Slice a few sun dried tomatoes ( the recipe calls for the packed in oil ones, which we never have and consequently don’t use.  we don’t use sun dried tomatoes either, we just use tomatoes that we have dried at home and rehydrate in a little hot water ) into thin strips. Toast two tablespoons of pine nuts.

 

Boil water to cook the broccoli. Add ½ t salt. Cook the stems for 3 minutes. Add the florets in the last minute. The broccoli should still be slightly crisp. Pour into a colander and rinse with cold water. Toss the broccoli with the the dried tomatoes, the toasted pine nuts, and the vinaigrette. Check the seasoning and add a little champagne (white wine) vinegar just before serving.  From Fields of Greens

 

This looks like it would be good warm, over pasta too

 

 

Broccoli Bacon Salad

Now, I know I had a broccoli salad recipe last week, but I was so excited to try it with bacon, smoked from Rieder’s  meat market inDelano. In the recipe you will notice yogurt is optional. I just couldn’t decide, and I even had my trusty taste testers (Mary, Ginger, Nate, Shelly, John and Brandon) to help me determine the best. The verdict…was an even split. Give it a try with and without yogurt and decide for yourself.

 

9 Pieces bacon, cooked, julienned (be sure to reserve fat)

16 cups broccoli, washed, cut to bite size

5 scallions, thinly sliced

1 ¼ cup dried currants (may substitute raisins)

1 cup toasted almonds, slivered

1 ½ cup yogurt (optional)

 

Marinade:

Zest and juice of one lemon

1/3 cup bacon fat

¼ cup poppy seeds

2 tbsp. mustard,Dijon

¼ cup oil

1 Tbsp sugar

¼ cup champagne vinegar

2 tsp. salt

 

Add all marinade ingredients in a jar and shake well. Add to bacon, broccoli, currants and scallions. Allow all ingredients to marinate for up to 12 hours. Just before serving toss in the toasted almonds and yogurt.

 

 

Cabbage

 

 

Shredded Cabbage Chickpea Salad, Peanut Sauce

 

1 ½ cup cooked chickpeas

1 tbsp. finely chopped ginger peeled

½ cup peanut butter, smooth

½ cup mirin

3 tbsp. tamari

¼ – ½ tsp. cayenne

few drops chili oil (optional)

¼ cup oil

1 small cabbage, shredded

8-10 radish, halved and cut into half moons

1-2 scallions, thinly sliced on a bias

½ cup roasted peanuts

 

In a blender, combine ginger, peanut butter, mirin, tamari, and spices until smooth and set aside.

 

Put remaining ingredients into a bowl, pour dressing over and toss.

 

 

Coleslaw

 

There is no recipe for coleslaw. You make it the way you like it. Try this and adapt it to your tastes. Slice or shred cabbage. Thinly slice carrots and onions. Add a handful of raisins. For about 6-8 cups of sliced ingredients mix 6 tablespoons of vinegar, 2 tablespoons of sugar, ½ teaspoon of salt, a tablespoon of celery seeds, and 3 tablespoons of oil. Add to cabbage and other ingredients. Mix well. Coleslaw is better after it sits for a while. Stir it occasionally while it sits. You can use any oil and vinegar.

 

Carrots

 

Carrot-and-Red-Pepper Soup

 

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 cups diced onion

1 pound carrots (about 7 medium), peeled and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons white rice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Juice and zest from one orange

6 cups Roasted-Vegetable Stock

PREPARATION

1. Melt the butter in a large pot and add pepper, onion, carrots, rice and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook over medium heat, covered, until onion is very soft, about 10 minutes. Add a few grinds of pepper, the parsley, dill, orange juice, zest and the stock. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until rice is cooked, about 25 minutes. Cool briefly and puree all but 1 or 2 cups of the soup. Return it to pot, reheat and season with salt and pepper.

            YIELD 6 servings

 

 

Potato & Carrot Ginger Soup

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, diced

8 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 pound sweet potatoes

1 pound Bintje Potatoes

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

4 cups vegetable broth

salt and pepper to taste

2 teaspoons sugar

Juice from 1 orange

 

In a large saucepan, heat oil and add onions. Saute until translucent, then add the carrots, both kinds of potatoes, ginger, and broth. Add more water to submerge vegetables if needed. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Puree the mixture in batches using a food processor or batches. You may need to add more liquid (water) for a thinner consistency and easier blending.

Add the sugar, salt and pepper, and orange juice.

 

Garnish options:

Sprig of fresh herb

Dollop of sour cream or yogurt

 

 

 

 

Corn

 

Cornmeal Mush for Breakfast (soft Polenta)

 

Mix one cup of cornmeal with one cup of water. Bring two cups of water to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Stir in the wet cornmeal and continue to stir until the polenta starts to thicken. Reduce the heat until it is just blowing bubbles like a mud pot. Add 3-4 tables spoons of butter and salt to taste. When the corn starts to open up and get a little soft, start frying some good (Rieder’s or Tim Fisher ) bacon. By the time the bacon is done the polenta should be too.  Serve the polenta like hot cereal in a bowl with maple syrup and a couple slices of bacon. 

 

 

Polenta

Mix one cup of cornmeal with one cup of water. Bring four cups of water to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Stir in the wet cornmeal and continue to stir until the polenta starts to thicken. Add 4-6 tablespoons of butter and grated parmesan cheese. Add salt to taste. Reduce the heat and cook until it is thick. Stir the polenta often to keep it from burning. Pour the hot polenta into a greased cake pan and cool.

Cornmeal-Walnut Shortbread

 

Makes 2 Dozen                                 These cookies were born out of my love for

                                                            Greg Reynold’s cornmeal.  I keep trying to

2 C. (1pound) unsalted                  think of ways to use it.  The shortbread is not

Butter, softened                                 dissimilar to the maple corn bread recipe – this

                                                            is just a cookie version.  The walnuts add a

1C. maple syrup                                great crunch and slight bitterness to balance

                                                            the sweetness of the corn and maple syrup.

1 t. vanilla                                           Try with other nuts for yummy variations.

 

3 C whole wheat pastry

flour                                                     Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking

                                                            sheet.

2 to 3 C. cornmeal   

                                                            Cream together the butter, maple syrup, &

                                                            vanilla.  Add flour, 2 C. of the cornmeal, and

1 t. salt                                                salt.  Mix until well combined.  The dough

                                                            should be soft but not sticky. If too sticky, add

½ C. walnuts, finely chopped           more cornmeal, ¼ C. at a time. Gently in-

                                                            corporate the walnuts into dough.  Put dough

                                                            on floured surface and roll it into a log about

                                                            15 inches long and 1 ½ inches in diameter.

                                                            With a sharp knife, cut slices about ½ inch

                                                            thick. Lay the slices on the pan.  The cookies

                                                            will not spread, so you can place them fairly

                                                            close together.  Bake until slightly browned

                                                            and firm, about 15 minutes.

‘Cooking up the Good Life’  Jenny Breen

 

 

Cornbread

 

Preheat oven to 375º. Mix together 1 cup corn meal, 1 cup white flour, 2 Tbsp sugar, 2½  tsp baking powder, ½  tsp salt in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl mix together 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, 2 Tbsp melted butter.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and mix just enough to combine.  Pour into a buttered 8” X 8” baking dish and bake until done, about 25 minutes and a toothpick comes out clean.              Greens Cookbook         Madison and Brown

 

 

 

Cornmeal Pancakes

 

½ cup all purpose flour

½ cup whole-wheat flour

2  tablespoons sweetener (honey, agave, molasses…your choice)

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons ground flax (optional)

½ teaspoon salt

pinch of freshly cracked black pepper

1 egg, beaten

1 ¼ cup milk

 

Preparation:

Combine all dry ingredients into one bowl and mix well with a fork.

In a second bowl, combine all wet ingredients

 

 

Top with thick, tangy yogurt and rhubarb compote. Serve with washed mizuna

 

 

Sweet Corn Relish

 

Here’s an alternative way to eat corn, especially if you have heaps of it lying around and don’t know what to do with it. This recipe can easily be multiplied if you have more corn on hand. You can either enjoy this immediately after preparation or jar it and save it for a cold rainy autumn day.

 

6 ears of corn

1 Tbsp. oil

1 ½ cup red onion

1 1/2 green bell pepper

1/2 cup vinegar

¼ cup sugar

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. mustard

½ tsp. cumin

¼ tsp. celery salt

½ tsp. hot pepper, big bomb variety recommended

 

Heat a pan with oil and add the onions when hot. Once translucent, add corn and bell pepper. Cook until soft and add remaining ingredients. Adjust seasons as desired.

 

Process the relish: Sterilize 3 1-pint jars and keep hot. Pour the hot corn relish into the hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles, securely cap each jar, and process using the boiling-water canning method (see Related Links) for 15 minutes. Cool jars, check for proper seals, and store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.

 

 

 

Columbian Empanadas

 

Well, I haven’t made much Columbian food, but this was fairly simple to create. If you’re vegetarian, try it with a potato filling and skip the meat. The filling should not be too complex in flavor, for the aji sauce adds quite a bit of kick.

 

This recipe will also need vegetable oil for frying and lime and aji to accompany.

Serving: about 20, 3 inch empanadas

 

Dough or Masa

1 ½ cups precooked yellow cornmeal (masarepa)
2 cups water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ tablespoon garlic, minced

½ tablespoon cumin

½ teaspoon Salt

 

Filling

2 cups peeled and diced white potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup chopped white onions
1 cup chopped tomato
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup chopped green onions
1 chopped garlic clove
2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoon chopped red bell pepper
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ pound ground pork and beef

1 pinch of saffron, optional

 

Directions to prepare the dough:

1. Place the masarepa in a large bowl. Add the garlic, cumin and salt and stir to mix well. Add the water and oil and mix to form dough. Pat the dough into a ball and knead for 2 minutes or until smooth. Cover with plastic and set aside for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, to make the filling, cook the potatoes in a pot with water with a pinch of salt for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Drain and gently mash the potatoes. Set aside.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet. Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, green onions, garlic, bell pepper, cilantro, salt and black pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes.

4. Add the ground pork, beef, and saffron. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, for 10 to 15 minutes or until the mixture is fairly dry.

5. Transfer the meat mixture to the mashed potatoes bowl and mix well to combine.

6. Break small portions of the dough, about 1 ½ tablespoons each one, and form each portion into a ball by rolling between the palms of your hands.

7. Place the balls of dough between two pieces of plastic and roll each out very thinly to form a circle. Remove the top plastic and place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of each.

8. Then using the plastic underneath, fold the dough over to enclose the filling, forming a half circle. Tightly seal the edges by crimping with the tines of a fork.

9. Fill a large pot with vegetable oil and heat over medium heat to 360° F.

10. Carefully place 3 or 4 empanadas at the time in the heated oil and fry for about 2 minutes until golden on all sides.

11. Using a slotted spoon transfer the empanadas to a plate lined with paper towels. Serve with ají (hot sauce, recipe follows) and lime wedges on the side.

 

Aji (Columbian hot sauce)

 

 

 INGREDIENTS

1 seeded small red habanero pepper
½ cup white vinegar
¼ cup water
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ cup chopped scallions
½ cup chopped tomato

 

DIRECTIONS

1. Put the vinegar, water and habanero pepper in a blender for 2 minutes.

2. Place the remaining ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix. Add the vinegar and habanero mix to the bowl and mix well.

3. Pour in a glass jar and cover. Refrigerate up to 10 days.

 

 

Arapas

Mea Culpa. I had asked Ranelle to come up with a recipe for empanadas, and she did. Once I saw it, it was not what I was thinking of. I was thinking of the arapas that Piedad made the summer that she worked here. As I recall she cut the kernals from the cob and put them in a blender with a little milk, some unbleached white flour, a little salt, and a pinch of sugar. Piedad buzzed up the ingredients, added more flour to make a thick batter and then fried little pancakes in butter. They did not hold together very well, but there were no leftovers.

 

I found a recipe online and I’m sure that it will be fine. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Corn-and-Cheese-Arepas-102874  Obviously, you don’t have to freeze and then thaw the corn kernals…

 

Ingredients

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1/3 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (about) boiling water

2/3 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

Preparation

Finely grind cornmeal in blender, 1/4 cup at a time (or use masarepa). Transfer to large bowl. Mix in cheese, 2 tablespoons butter and salt. Add enough boiling water to mixture to make very thick batter. Stir in corn.

Heat griddle or large skillet over medium heat with some of remaining melted butter. Working in batches and using 1 tablespoon batter for each corn cake, drop batter onto skillet and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Serve hot.

 

 

 

 

Cucumbers

 

Refrigerator pickles

 

Slice cucumbers, salt and pepper to taste, add a pinch of sugar, a little minced tarragon, and cover with white wine vinegar. Alternative addition: sour cream.

 

Canned pickles

 

Cucumbers

Dill heads with (seeds formed)

Grape leaves (optional)

Garlic, broken into cloves and peeled

Hot peppers (optional) slit from seeds to tip

Cider vinegar

Kosher or Canning salt

Water

 

 

Wash cucumbers, grape leaves, hot peppers, jars, rings, and new lids. Rinse dill heads. Put jars in water bath canner and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Put lids in small sauce pan, cover with water and bring to a simmer (when you are ready to fill jars).

Mix 5 cups vinegar, 5 cups water, and ½ cup salt.  Bring to a boil.

Remove a jar from the hot water. Place a grape leaf,  a dill head (one year I used fennel heads and they were good too), 2-3 good sized garlic cloves, a hot pepper, and pack in cucumbers. Sliced cucumbers pack the best. Spears work well, whole cucumbers take up the most space.

Fill jar with hot brine. Leave ¼”-½” head space. Wipe rim with a clean cloth. Cap with lid and ring.  When all the jars are filled place them in the canner and bring the water back to a boil. Process for 10 minutes (consult Extension for more information).  Remove jars from hot water and let cool on a towel. Check to see that the lids sealed (the middle will suck down).  If a lid does not seal, store the jar in the refrigerator. Admire sealed jars on counter top for a few days. Store in a cool dark place.

 

Bread and Butter Pickles
Phillip Becht

1 cup kosher salt
1 1/2 gallons water
5 1/2 pounds pickling cucumbers, sliced as you like
5 cups cider vinegar
5 cups sugar
1 1/4 pounds onions, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. yellow mustard seeds
1 Tbsp. celery seeds
1 Tbsp. curry powder
1 Tbsp. coarsely cracked black pepper

1.  
In a very large bowl or pot, dissolve the salt in the water. Add the cucumbers, cover and soak overnight in the refrigerator
 
2.  In a large, heavy pot, combine the vinegar and sugar and cook until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Drain the cucumbers and add them to the pot. Stir gently and bring to a boil, then turn off the heat. Ladle the hot cucumbers and their liquid into 6 hot 1-pint glass canning jars, leaving a 1/2 inch of space at the top. Close with the lids and rings. Store in refrigerator or process to keep on the shelf.

3.  
To process, boil the filled jars for 10 minutes. Cool the pickles to room temperature and serve immediately or store them in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year. Refrigerate after opening.
 
Makes 6 pints

 

 

 

Desserts

 

“Pumpkin” Pie

 

This is one of my favorite fall recipes; it has the most amazing flavor that just pops out at you from the butternut squash. You can use just about any squash if you’d like, but I find butternut to be just the right sweetness. It takes a while to prepare, but boy is it worth it.

 

4 pounds butternut squash

Single crust fro a 9-inch pie (recipes follows)

3 eggs

1 ½ cup heavy cream

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons molasses

¼ cup water

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

 

Preheat oven to 350. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Place on a baking sheet with one inch of water. Bake for 1 ½ hours or until the squash is soft and falling a part. While the squash is baking, prepare the dough for the piecrust and refrigerate for one our. Remove the squash from the oven and raise the temperature to 425. When the squash is cool enough to handle, remove any tough browned or burnt skin and spoon out two cups of the soft meat and reserve (for another use).

Roll the dough into a circle about 1/8 inch thick and 12 inches in diameter. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan. Trim the edges ½ inch larger then the edge of the pan and crimp with the back of the fork.

Line the dough with wax paper, then fill with pie weights or dry beans to weigh down dough. Bake for ten minutes. Remove weights and wax, return to oven and bake for 4 minutes, until crust is golden brown.

While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. In a large bowl, combine two cups squash, three egg yolks, cream, brown sugar, water, molasses, spices, vanilla, and salt and mix well.

Using an electric mixer, beat the whites until soft peaks form. Fold into the squash mixture. Fill the prebakes crust to within half inch of the top of the crust.

Bake the pie for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a butter knife inserted in the center of the pie comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool.

 

Single crust for 9-inch pie

 

1 cup all purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons butter, chilled

¼ cup ice cold water

 

Mix flour and slat in a bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces (pea size) and add them into the flour until the pieces of butter are smaller than peas and the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Add 3 tablespoons of water and toss the mixture lightly using tow forks. Add more water if needed so that you can press the mixture together into a ball that retains its shape. Refrigerate for at least a half hour before rolling.

 

Rhubarb Pie with Cinnamon Crust

Rhubarb Filling:

4 cups chopped rhubarb

3/4 cup all-purpose Flour
1 1/4 cups white sugar
3 tablespoons orange juice

1/2 tablespoon butter

 

Cinnamon Crust:
1 1/4 cups  all-purpose flour

1 cup whole-wheat flour
3  tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
12 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon cold vanilla extract
4 tablespoons ice water

1 egg beaten (glaze for crust)

 

DIRECTIONS:

Cut butter  and chill while preparing other ingredients. Combine first 4 ingredients and whisk so they are well combined. Cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Add vanilla and ice water and combine with hands to form two dough disks. Wrap in plastic wrap in chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes

 

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Wash rhubarb and cut into 1/2 inch slices. Combine flour and sugar. Sprinkle over the rhubarb. Add orange juice and stir rhubarb until flour and sugar are moist and let it sit in its juices while rolling out the pie.
Roll out bottom crust into a 12-inch round. Line pie pan with crust and fill with rhubarb and top with the butter. Roll out top crust and cover rhubarb filling with crust. Cut vents and bush the top with egg.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes (until juices bubble thickly).

 

Amelia 
 

 

 

 

Eggplant

 

An easy and good way to prepare eggplant is to slice it into ½ inch thick rounds, rub both sides with olive oil, and bake it (350F) on a cookie sheet.  When it is mostly done, turn it over so the other side gets a little brown. When it is completely cooked, give it a few more minutes. Remove and top with blue cheese. Eat while hot.

 

 

Curried Eggplant

 

Earlier last week, we were fortunate to have Alma, one of the best restaurants inMinnesota, come to the farm to prepare us lunch. Brian, the Sous Chef, brought his crew to prepare for us an extravagant dinner. It was his main course, which inspired me to create such a dish. Never would I have thought to add cucumber in a cooked meal, until now that is.

 

4 cups eggplant, medium dice

2 medium cucumbers, matchstick length

1 cup yellow onion, medium dice

1 red pepper, small dice

1 Hungarian hot pepper, optional, small dice

3 Tbsp. curry powder

2 pinches sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups brown rice

¼ cup wild rice

1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

2 Tbsp. butter

½ cup milk

 

First things first, cook your brown rice and wild rice in separate pots. While that is cooking, heat a sauté pan and add the butter. Once hot, add the onions and cook until translucent. Add the peppers and eggplant, cooking until soft. Stir in the curry, sugar, cucumbers, salt and pepper. Once everything is mixed well, add the milk and keep on low heat, simmer until the rice is finished cooking. When the rice is soft, combine both varieties of rice and add the walnuts. Either combine the curry eggplant mixture with the rice or serve separately. 

 

 

Eggplant Sandwiches

 

This is very easy and quick to make when your tired and it’s getting too late to cook. In fact, I prepared this immediately after arriving from a late night’s harvest.

Serves 1

 

Ciabattta bread

4 eggplant, ¼” sliced rounds

1 Tablespoon cream cheese

1 Tablespoon Pomegranate molasses

4 basil leaves

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper

Mustard greens

Tomato slice

 

In a 350 degree oven, place the eggplant on a sheet pan with salt and roast for 10 minutes. During this time, prepare the remaining ingredients. Remove the eggplant from the oven, add the balsamic vinegar being sure to evenly distribute, and turn over the eggplant so that each side cooks similarly. Put back in the oven and roast for an additional 10 minutes or until soft and cooked completely.

 

In the mean time, toast the bread and prep the veggies. Mix the cream cheese with the pomegranate molasses and apply onto the bread. Add remaining ingredients to sandwich layering each in the order as follows from bottom to top: eggplant, basil, greens, tomato, and cream cheese to the top slice of ciabatta.

 

 

EASY EGGPLANT PARMESAN
1 or 2 eggplants
1 or 2 eggs, beaten
2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
1.5 jars of your favorite spaghetti sauce (highly recommend the vegetable ones or the mushroom ones for this recipe)
1 to 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
fresh or dried basil

Preheat the oven to 350.  Slice eggplant to 1/4″ to 1/3″ rounds.  Dip slices thoroughly in egg, then dredge through breadcrumbs.  Put slices on cookie sheet and put in oven for 14 – 16 minutes, flipping them halfway through. 

In lipped cookie sheet, arrange slices of eggplant in a single layer.  Spread spaghetti sauce across entire cookie sheet and over the eggplant.  Sprinkle with Mozzarella and then Parmesan cheese (adjust cheese amount to your liking).  Sprinkle basil over top (use liberally if it’s fresh).

Bake in pre-heated oven for 35 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.  Serve over cooked spaghetti.
Heather Thornton

 

Eggplant Tahini

 

This can be served either as a dip for raw veggies or as a sauce when thinned out with additional olive brine or water. Either way, this is a nice way to accent the robust flavor of the eggplant. Personally, I like to flame roast the eggplant using a grill or gas oven, but for those who like things a bit cleaner and less messy, try roasting in the oven. If choosing to do the later, pre-heat your oven to 350.

 

Prepares 1 cup

 

1 medium eggplant

1 Tbsp. oil

1 Tbsp. olive brine

¼ cup olives, kalamata without pits

¼ cup tahini

1/8 cup fresh chopped basil (optional)

 

On a sheet tray, place the eggplant on top and cover with the oil. Put in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until cooked completely. Remove the outer skin as soon as it is cool enough to handle without burning your fingers. Put the innards in a food processor and blend with remaining ingredients. Salt if you feel it needs more. However, the olives do a wonderful job.

 

 

 

Greens

 

Arugula Quesadillas

 

Lay out one Stacy’s flour tortilla. Cover with sliced swiss cheese. Cover that with washed and dried arugula. Place another tortilla on top. Fry on the cheese side until the cheese melts. Fry on the arugula side until the arugula is wilted. Eat with salsa.

 

 

 

Sauted Mustard Greens

 

Mary sauted some onions and garlic, added the mustard greens and about the time they were done, she added a little red wine vinegar. They were great.

 

Grandma Valenziano Pork Chops and Escarole

 

Wash and lightly chop the escarole. Use an ovenproof pan and saute the escarole with onions and garlic in olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the escarole from the pan and set aside. Sear the pork chops in the same pan. Salt and pepper to taste. Flip, sear the other side and bake in the oven. When the pork chops are just about done add the escarole, cover,  and cook (in the oven or on top of the stove) until done.

Note: Mark tells me that this his favorite is his favorite way to have kale…

 

Recipe courtesy of Lori at Lucias

 

 

Mustard greens are delicious as a base for fried pork chops. Wash, dry, and stem a bunch of mustard greens. Fry pork chops. Put a pile of mustard greens on each plate. Set a sizzling hot pork chop on top of each pile. The heat and the grease from the pork lightly cooks the mustard. The slight horse radish taste of the mustard compliments the pork chops perfectly.

 

 

 

Rapini: Wash the rapini and chop up the leaves, buds and tender stems. The course parts of the stems will take forever to cook. Fry some onions in olive oil . When the onions are just starting to brown add some minced garlic. Fry for just a minute being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the chopped rapini, touch of hot pepper (if you like it), and a half a cup of water.  Stir, cover and cook until the rapini is tender. Add more water if necessary. Add a tiny splash of red wine vinegar, stir, and serve with the warm polenta.

 

 

Garlicky Greens Recipe

Yield: 4

 

Basically, any green can be used in place of rapini if you have others on hand. For instance, kale, chard or spinach would also substitute nicely.

 

    1 large bunch of rapini

    2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

    Fine grain sea salt

    3 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped

    1/8 cup Parmesan cheese (opt)

    Crushed red pepper flakes

 

Wash the greens in a big bowl (or sink) full of clean water, rinsing and swishing to rinse away any stubborn grit and dirt. Drain, rinse again, and set aside.

 

Hold off cooking the greens until just before eating. Then, in a large skillet heat the olive oil. Add a couple big pinches of salt and the greens. They should hiss and spit a bit when they hit the pan. Stir continuously until their color gets bright green, and they just barely start to collapse – two, three, maybe four minutes, depending on how hot your pan is and how much structure your greens have. Then, just thirty seconds before you anticipate pulling the skillet off of the heat, stir in the garlic. Sauté a bit, remove the pan from the heat, stir in the Parmesan, and add a big pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Taste, add a bit of salt if needed, and serve immediately if not sooner.

 

Swiss Chard With Currants and Pine Nuts

This is a popular dish throughout the Mediterranean, particularly inCatalonia,Provence, and along the Italian Riviera. It is often made with spinach, but I prefer to use Swiss chard, because the chard stands up to the cooking but still has a delicate flavor.

3 tablespoons currants, raisins, or golden raisins

2 pounds Swiss chard, stemmed and washed in several changes of water, stems diced and set aside

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), minced

3 tablespoons pine nuts

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Place the raisins or currants in a bowl and pour on hot water to cover. Soak 10 minutes and drain.

2. Fill a bowl with ice water. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add the chard. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until just tender. Transfer to the bowl of ice water and let sit for a few minutes. Drain and squeeze out as much water as you can. Chop coarsely.

3. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the chard stems and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until tender. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring, until they begin to color, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, about 1 minute or just until the garlic begins to smell fragrant. Add the chopped greens and raisins or currants and toss together until they are well coated with oil and heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve, or allow to cool and serve at room temperature.

Yield: Serves 4

Advance preparation: You can make this several hours before serving. Reheat gently on top of the stove if you want to serve it hot. The blanched greens will keep in a covered bowl in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days.

 

This is really good warm over pasta

 

 

Swiss Chard Egg Bake

 

Alright, wait no further. It’s what I promised weeks ago, Swiss Egg Bake. The Swiss chard can be replaced with kale or arugula to try a slight variation.  Enjoy!

 

1 bunch Swiss chard

1 ½ cup potatoes, parboiled and sliced 1/4”

¼ cup grated cheese, Parmesan or Swiss

8 eggs

1 Tbsp.Dijonmustard

1 bunch Swiss chard

1 scape, cut thinly

2 purplette onions, small red onions about 1/8 cup, diced

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 Tablespoon milk

Salt and Pepper

(Serves about 6)

 

Preheat oven to 350

In a sauté pan, heat the oil. Add the scape, and onions. In the mean time, remove the rib from the chard and cut into small dice size. Add to the pan and cook for about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

 

With the remaining chard, cut the leaves and set aside.

 

In a bowl, whisk eggs with ¼ tsp. salt and pepper, mustard, cheese and milk.

 

Prepare a spring form pan (lay parchment paper down for ease of removal) or cast iron 12” pan, and layer the potatoes on the bottom. Then top with the onion, chard sauté and lastly leaves of chard. Pour the egg mix on top and put in oven for 30-35 minutes.

 

 

Tagliatelle con Rucola (arugula) e crèma di limone (serves 6)

 

1 cup crème fraiche

finely grated rind and juice of two lemons

11 ½ ounces egg tagliatelle

2 ½ cups arugula leaves  – coarsely chopped

1 2/3 cups parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

 

Pour crème fraiche into a bowl

Stri in lemon rind and juice, season with salt and pepper

cook tagliatelle with a pinch of salt  to al dente. drain and return to pan

pour lemon / cream sauce over pasta

add arugula and half of the parmesan. toss to combine. Serve with remaining parmesan
Kellee Magee

 

 

Arugula Garlic Scape Pesto

 

This can be quite garlicky, so adjust the number of scapes accordingly to your liking. Being pesto is versatile, you can increase this recipe and freeze it for days on end. I like to use ice cube trays to freeze individual portions and thaw as needed. Some of my favorite pesto accompaniments include pasta with bell peppers, sandwiches and poached eggs with fresh mozzarella served on crumpets.

Prepares 2 cups

 

3-4 scapes, rough chop

1 cup toasted walnuts (400 °F, 7 minutes)

1 bunch arugula

¼ cup water

½ – 2/3 cup olive oil

½ cup parmesan cheese, grated

Salt and pepper to taste

 

In a food processor, add the walnuts and blend. Add the scapes and process once more. Continue with the arugula and process after each handful until all is mixed. Stream in the olive oil a little at a time. Depending on your preference, you may decide to skip the water using only olive oil. However, I find it more refreshing to use water after adding the oil to my pesto, so if you would like to try it with water, proceed to stream it in while the processor is on. Then, add the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

 

Kale Caesar

I like this recipe.  First of all the name is funny and secondly it’s a good way to enjoy the almost over-abundance of kale I have in the summer.  Most vinaigrette recipes will tell you to whisk the oil in by dribbles to make a creamy emulsion.  I cheat and use an electric blender with excellent results.  

Juice from 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup)

4 teaspoons anchovy paste (or 8 fillets)

1 large garlic clove

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan

salt and pepper

1 pound kale, center stalks removed and thinly sliced (about 8 cups)

 

1.  Place lemon juice, anchovy paste, garlic, mustard and olive oil in a blender jar (an immersion style stick blender works well, too).  Blend about 10 to 20 seconds or until creamy.  Add half of the cheese and pulse twice to blend.  Taste and season with a little salt (anchovies are salty) and plenty of pepper.

 

2.  In a large serving bowl toss the kale with the dressing.  Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over all and toss again. 

 

3.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.  This salad keeps for a day, but the dressing will continue to soften and “cook” the kale a bit. 

 

Tips:  To shred the kale for this salad, stack up a handful of leaves after you’ve taken out the center rib.  Then roll them up like a jellyroll and slice thinly. 

 

The strong flavors of the dressing make this a perfect place to use inexpensive Parmesan cheese.  Save the good stuff to shave over the top.

 

Yes, you can leave out the anchovies if you must.

 

Makes 6 servings

 

 

Pasta and Rice

 

Fettucine with Broccoli, Roasted Peppers, and Olives

 

Roast and peel one medium size red bell pepper (the sweet peppers taste better). We do them on top of the burner (gas stove), turning them until the skin is uniformly blackened. You can roast them on a grill, in the oven, etc.

Chop up 3 cups of broccoli stems and florets. Cut the florets into into 1” pieces. Peel and slice the stems thinnly on the diagonal.

Finely chop 3 cloves of garlic.

Pit and chop 8 (or more) Nioise orGaeta(or any other good ) olives.

 

Boil a pot of water. Slice the roasted pepper into thick strips, saving the juice (if any) to marinate it with. Heat 2 Tbs olive oil in a large saute pan, add the garlic and saute over medium-low heat for a couple minutes, until it smells good. Be careful not to brown it. Reduce the heat and add the peppers strips, olives, 1 Tbs fresh lemon juice, and ¼ tsp salt.

When the water boils add 1 tsp salt and ½ pound of fettucini.  A minute before the pasta is done add the broccoli to the pasta water. Just before you drain the pasta add ¼ cup of the pasta water to the peppers and olives.  Drain the pasta and broccoli, shake off any excess water. Add the pasta to the saute pan along with 1 Tbs olive oil, ¼ tsp salt, and 2 Tbs (total) chopped marjoram, parsley, and thyme. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.  Fields of Greens.

 

Buckwheat Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms, Bok Choy, Ginger, and Green Onions

 

¼ pound fresh shiitake mushrooms ( we use dried and soak them in hot water)

half a bunch of bok choy

salt

6 oz dried buckwheat noodles

2 Tbs vegetable or peanut oil

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1-2 jalapeno peppers halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 Tbs grated fresh ginger

1 green onion thinly sliced

1 Tbs dark sesame oil

2 Tbs mirin

2 Tbs tamari

2 Tbs chopped cilantro

1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

 

Boil a large pot of water. Remove and discard mushroom stems slice caps into ½” slices. Slice bok choy stems lengthwise, leaving leaves and stems together.  When water boils add 1tsp salt  and noodles, boil until noodles are just tender (~8-10 minutes), then drain. While the noodles are boiling, heat the oil in a large skillet, add the mushrooms, ¼ tsp salt and saute over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, jalapenos, and bok choy, saute 2 minutes more.  Reduce heat and add the green onion, sesame oil, mirin, and soy sauce. Add noodles and heat through. Be careful not to overcook the bok choy (the stem should still have a little crunch). Remove from heat, toss with cilantro and salt to taste. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top. From Fields of Greens

 

Spaghetti with Zucchini and Lemon           

 

1 pound spaghetti or linguine

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic minced or pressed

4 cups sliced zucchini

salt and pepper

juice from 1 lemon

6 large fresh basil leaves cut into strips

3-6 ounces grated pecorino (I like parmesan better)

 

Boil water in a large pot. Add pasta, stir, cover until water boils over. Uncover pot. While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in heavy skillet, add garlic and zucchini. Saute over medium-high heat until zucchini begins to brown ( I add the garlic at the end to keep from burning it). Salt and pepper, add lemon juice, and basil. Stir. Remove from heat. If your timing is right the zucchini will be done just before the pasta. When the pasta is al dente, drain and toss in a large, warmed, serving bowl with ½ of the cheese.  Top with zucchini and serve.  Add extra cheese at the table if desired. From Moosewood Cooks at Home.

 

 

Penne with Green and Gold Zucchini

 

Put water on to boil for the pasta ( about 1 pound of penne). Take the whole milk ricotta ( 1 cup) out of the fridge and let it warm to room temp. Slice about 1½  pounds of zucchini ( or patty pan) on the diagonal into 3/8 inch slices. Slice the ovals into strips that are about the same size as the penne. Fry the squash in a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until golden.  Add a few cloves of chopped garlic and 3 tablespoons of chopped marjoram or basil. Toss and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.  When the pasta is al dente, drain it and add it to the zucchini, check the seasoning. Add the ricotta by spoonfuls. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.   From Local Flavors Cookbook

 

 

Pasta With Herbed Ricotta, Tomatoes and Spinach

 

INGREDIENTS

4 cups of fresh spinach, well rinsed and tough stems removed

2 cups fresh ricotta cheese

4 scallions, trimmed and minced

1/3 cup packed basil leaves, minced

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 tablespoons flat parsley, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 pound penne

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

PREPARATION

1. Blanch the rinsed spinach leaves in a large pot of well-salted boiling water until limp, about 1 minute. Drain the spinach and cool completely under cold running water. Pat dry and chop. 2. Put the ricotta cheese in a large bowl and beat with a fork until smooth. Stir in the spinach, scallions, basil, tomatoes, parsley and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. 3. Cook the penne until tender in well-salted boiling water. Drain, toss with the ricotta mixture, garnish with the pine nuts and serve immediately.

                        YIELD 6 servings

 

 

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage

 

This recipe has been a huge hit amongst among my friends and cooking class attendees. I have been waiting patiently to release this recipe to all of you, so here it is….Sweet potato gnocchi.

 

Yield: Makes 10 to 12 servings

These dumplings have a light texture, thanks to the addition of fresh ricotta cheese. Drain the ricotta in a sieve for two hours before starting the recipe.

 

Ingredients

    * 2 1-pound red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), cooked

    * 1 12-ounce container fresh ricotta cheese, drained in sieve 2 hours

    * 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)

    * 2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar

    * 2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons salt

    * 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

    * 2 3/4 cups (about) all purpose flour

    * ¼ – 1/3 c. butter

    * 6 tablespoons chopped fresh sage plus whole leaves for garnish

    * Cooked bacon, lardon cut (save bacon fat)

 

Preparation:

Scrape sweet potato flesh into medium bowl and mash; transfer 3 cups to large bowl. Add ricotta cheese; blend well. Add Parmesan cheese, brown sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, and nutmeg; mash to blend. Mix in flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, until soft dough forms.

 

Turn dough out onto floured surface; divide into 6 equal pieces. Rolling between palms and floured work surface, form each piece into 20-inch-long rope (about 1 inch in diameter), sprinkling with flour as needed if sticky. Cut each rope into 20 pieces. Roll each piece over tines of fork to indent. Transfer to baking sheet.

 

Bring large pot of water to boil; add 2 tablespoons salt and return to boil. Working in batches, boil gnocchi until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer gnocchi to clean rimmed baking sheet. Cool completely. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

 

Preheat oven to 300°F. Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until butter solids are brown and have toasty aroma, swirling pan occasionally, about 5 minutes.

 

Heat half the butter and add half of gnocchi. Sauté until gnocchi are heated through, about 6 minutes. Empty skillet onto rimmed baking sheet; place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining sage gnocchi. Finish with chopped sage.

 

Divide gnocchi and sauce among shallow bowls. Garnish with sage leaves and leave julienned bacon on the side for the vegetarians.

 

 

Beet Risotto

 

The active time in the recipe is only 30 minutes; however, total preparation time can   be as long as 2 hours if your beets are large. Small beets will only need half the time of larger beets, so be sure to check on them periodically.

I believe this dish would be best paired with a smoked trout and sautéed red mustard. The vibrant-purple red color of the dish is absolutely stunning; you won’t be able to take your eyes off it.

 

Ingredients:

 

2 cups beets, about 4 medium sized

1 yellow onion, small dice

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups Arborio rice

½ cup white wine

3 cups beet water (left over water from the boiled beets)

3 cups vegetable broth

1-2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon pepper

 

Garnish

½ cup Toasted walnuts

1/4 cup Parmesan

2 Tablespoons chopped chives

 

Thoroughly wash/scrub beets and remove any greens from the tops. Cook in boiling water until tender. (About 30 minutes to 1 hour.) Drain beets, but reserve the beet water. Allow to cool before peeling off skin, then cut into small cubes, ½ inch.

While the beets are cooling, mix your beet water with vegetable broth in a pot keeping the temperature at a simmer.

 

In a large 4 to 6 quart pot, melt the butter and cook the onion until translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add the rice, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer until absorbed. Stir in ½ cup broth mixture and allow for it to become completely absorbed before adding more broth. Continue simmering and adding broth, ½ cups at a time, stirring constantly until the rice is tender with a creamy consistency.

Stir in beets, salt and pepper. Cook until heated through.

Serve with optional garnishes and additions below.

 

Optional additions:

Smoked trout

Red mustard sauté or Swiss Chard (see last weeks garlicky greens recipe using the red mustard for the leafy green or the recipe below for a chard recipe)

 

 

Sage walnut pesto

 

1 handful (about 1 c LOOSELY packed?) of fresh sage (de-stemmed – as tender / young as possible)
2 cloves of garlic (I LOVE garlic. you may want to go a little easier)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
pinch of Sicilian sea salt
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I usually go heavier).
1/2 cup minced walnuts
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (**important – use GOOD, extra virgin olive oil.)

Chop up the sage leaves (tiny tiny pieces!) by hand – if you use a food processor, it gets all lumpy and gooey. You can chop the walnuts mechanically, but I personally think it’s easier just to keep going with the sharp knife rather than having something else to clean. Important to get tiny pieces, though.)

Finely mince the garlic and put everything together in a good mixing bowl. Mix well with a fork, adding salt and cheese to taste. This will be pasty and thick. I myself like a half-lemon squeezed in here, it eases the sage a little, but this is a personal thing.

The secret to most Italian pasta sauces, so my chef friends tell me, is adding a little bit (half ladleful or so) of the pasta water from cooking, which this recipe needs anyhow to thin the paste a little.

Italians select pasta shapes for a purpose: how it has to ‘hold’ the sauce you’ve made. Pesto is a relatively even sauce, so you don’t need something with nooks and crannies or curves. A flat fettuccine will work, but I have always liked farfalle (which is the Italian word for butterfly, better known in the US as “bow tie” pasta.), or orechiette (the Italian word for “ears”.)   Add drained pasta of your choice (still hot) and toss.

This recipe serves 4 medium (starter) servings of pasta, not terribly heavily ‘pestoed’. Most Italian pastas come lighter-sauced than we would expect in the states. If you are serving four but prefer a more heavy sauce plus some on the plate to sop up with bread, I would double this recipe.

EDITORIAL ADDITION: I forgot to mention that Italians usually serve pasta as a “starter” (primo) before a main course. If you intend to eat this as a main course, this recipe only serves two. If this is all you’re eating and you want a little protein, I have added “Italian style” mild large link sausage, estimating 1 1/2 links per person (break into free-style chunks of sausage that you cook to very brown in advance, then add the pesto to sausage. Heat together for a moment, adding your ladle of pasta water, then add hot pasta to entire mix.) The sage/sausage mix is divine.

Before serving, grate another splash of parmesan on the top, garnish with a whole leaf of sage if you’re feeling gourmet.

 

You can also make this pesto in advance or in bulk and keep in fridge / freezer (just thaw early enough to decongeal all the oils and add room temperature to your pan).  It’s a perfect fall / winter meal!

Kellee Magee

 

 

Tagliatelle con Rucola (arugula) e crèma di limone (serves 6)

 

1 cup crème fraiche

finely grated rind and juice of two lemons

11 ½ ounces egg tagliatelle

2 ½ cups arugula leaves  – course;y chopped

1 2/3 cups parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

 

Pour crème fraiche into a bowl

Stri in lemon rind and juice, season with salt and pepper

cook tagliatelle with a pinch of salt  to al dente. drain and return to pan

pour lemon / cream sauce over pasta

add arugula and half of the parmesan. toss to combine. Serve with remaining parmesan
Kellee Magee

 

 

 

Peppers

 

Baked Chili Rellenos

 

If you use a mix of bells and anaheims this dish will come out a  little spicy, but not really hot.

 

Roast, peel, and seed (8 to 10) 5 to 6 inch long green chilis. Grate 10 ounces of jack cheese (almost any cheese will work). Layer the roast chilis with the grated cheese in a buttered 1½  quart casserole dish. Beat 5 eggs and mix in 2 Tbs melted butter, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, and ½ tsp ground cumin. Pour the egg mixture over the chilis and cheese. Bake 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees.  We have it with either salsa or sour cream, depending on how hot the chilis are. From The Deaf Smith Country Cookbook

 

 

Stuffed Green Peppers

-serves 4-
Adapted from Jacques Pepin’s Kitchen: Cooking with Claudine.

Ingredients

4 large green bell peppers
About 2/3 pound ground turkey breast 
2 cups cooked millet (or fresh bread crumbs)
1 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 sweet potato, roasted and roughly mashed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups water

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut around the stem ends of the peppers to remove a “hat” from each one with the stem in the center. Trim these hats at the base so they are about 1/2 inch thick. Remove and discard interior seeds and ribs. Stand the peppers upright side by side in a gratin dish. (I put a ramekin in the center of the dish to help them stand up, and they were still leaning against but not over the side of the baking dish, which was OK.)

2. In a bowl, combine the turkey, millet, onion, sweet potato, salt, and pepper and mix well. Stuff the peppers with this mixture and put each pepper’s hat back on top. If you have any extra stuffing, you can put it in a ramekin in the baking dish.
3. Drizzle the olive oil over the peppers and pour the water into the dish around them. Bake for 1 1/4 hours.

 

 

Six Pepper Slaw

From “The New Basics Cookbook” by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins

Serves 6

 

Fresh orange, yellow, red, green, and purple peppers sparkled with a toasted caraway and jalapeno pepper dressing.  

It’s vivid in both look and taste–yummy!

 

Salad ingredients:

1 red bell pepper

1 orange bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 purple bell pepper

1 red onion

 

Core, seed, and slice all the peppers into long julienne strips.  Cut the red onion lengthwise into thin strips.  Toss the pepper strips and onion together in a medium-size bowl.  Set aside.

 

Dressing ingredients:

1 fresh jalapeno pepper, cored, seeded and minced

2 Tbs tarragon vinegar

1 Tbs Dijon mustard

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/4 tspTabascosauce

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 Tbs peanut oil

1 Tbs caraway seeds, toasted and crushed

2 tsp finely grated lime zest

 

In a medium-size bowl, stir together the jalapeno pepper, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt,Tabascoand black pepper.  Slowly add both oils, whisking until the dressing is smooth and thick. Toss the vegetables with the dressing.  Sprinkle with the caraway seeds and lime zest, and toss until blended. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours.   Stir before serving.

Debbie Mackamans

 

 

Potatoes

 

Potatoes with Fenugreek

 

1 small onion chopped

5-6 medium potatoes boiled and cut into pieces

¼ cup fenugreek leaves chopped

1/8 tsp turmeric

2-3 cloves garlic  and ½” ginger root blended together in a paste

oil – 1 tbsp or so
salt and hot pepper (red chili) to taste

 

Fry onion until translucent. Add ginger / garlic paste and fenugreek leaves. Fry until it smells good ( the raw smell is replaced with a cooked smell).  Add turmeric, salt and pepper. Wait a few minutes and throw in the potatoes. Stir until the spices are mixed. Serve hot with lime juice and chopped cilantro.

Preeti Mathur

 

 

 

Potato Pizza Crust topped with chard

Makes one large pizza or two mediums

 

1 cup mashed potatoes

2 tsp. yeast

1 cup water

1 Tbsp wheat germ

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. sugar

3 cloves roasted garlic

2 cups whole-wheat flour

¾-1 ½ cup all purpose flour

 

In a small bowl or cup combine water (warm to the touch), sugar and yeast. After fifteen minutes, combine in a stand mixer with the remaining ingredients being sure to start with ¾ cup all-purpose flour. If the dough is too sticky, then adjust by adding more of the all-purpose flour.

 

Once kneaded for 5 minutes in the machine, place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a towel for a minimum of one hour (a warm environment is preferred). Preheat oven at 450 in the mean time.

 

After one hour, mold to a baking sheet in a flat circle or square.

Add desired toppings. (see below)

 

Swiss Chard topping

(one medium sized pizza)

 

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 ½ c. thinly sliced chard

2 cloves of roasted garlic

2 ounces of swiss cheese grated

2 eggs

Salt and pepper

 

Top the pizza dough as follows: garlic spread as even as possible, chard, 2 eggs cracked (on top the bed of chard diagonal from one another), swiss cheese, salt and pepper.

 

Kohlrabi Bacon Mash topping

 

2 kohlrabi, softball sized trimmed, peeled and diced

5 strips of bacon, thickly sliced

1 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. milk

¾ cup broccoli, thinly sliced with stems

2 cloves garlic

2 ounces swiss cheese, grated

salt and pepper

 

Boil the kohlrabi and mash with butter and milk once it has cooked thoroughly. Add the roasted garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook the bacon frying pan and reserve bacon fat. Once cooked and sizzling, put to the side.

Top the pizza as follows: kohlrabi mash, bacon, drizzle bacon fat, add broccoli and lastly the cheese.

 

Lower the oven to 425 and bake for 15-20 minutes, being careful not to burn the crust.

 

 

 

 

Pan-Crisped Potatoes

Yield 4 servings

Time 45 minutes

You can cook cubed potatoes in oil without parboiling, but keep the heat low and allow plenty of time. In any case, the best potatoes for this dish are waxy, low-starch, “new” potatoes.

Ingredients

1 1/2 to 2 pounds waxy red or white potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

About 1/4 cup olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon minced garlic

Method

1. Place potatoes in a pot of salted water, bring to a boil, and simmer until nearly tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain well.

2. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a 12-inch nonstick skillet for 3 or 4 minutes. Use more oil for crisper potatoes, less oil to cut fat. (You can also use butter, or a combination.) Add potatoes along with a healthy sprinkling of salt and pepper and cook, tossing and stirring from time to time until they are nicely browned all over, 10 to 20 minutes.

3. Add garlic and continue to cook for 5 more minutes, stirring frequently.

 

 

Potato & Carrot Ginger Soup

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, diced

8 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 pound sweet potatoes

1 pound Bintje Potatoes

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

4 cups vegetable broth

salt and pepper to taste

2 teaspoons sugar

Juice from 1 orange

 

In a large saucepan, heat oil and add onions. Saute until translucent, then add the carrots, both kinds of potatoes, ginger, and broth. Add more water to submerge vegetables if needed. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Puree the mixture in batches using a food processor or batches. You may need to add more liquid (water) for a thinner consistency and easier blending.

Add the sugar, salt and pepper, and orange juice.

 

Garnish options:

Sprig of fresh herb

Dollop of sour cream or yogurt

 

 

Lemon Potatoes

 

While traveling toCalifornialast week, I ate at an authentic Lebanese restaurant where I discovered cilantro lemon potatoes. They were phenomenal I tell you, and my mum even enjoyed them. This is my attempt at recreating the dish.

 

4 Large potatoes, preferably starchy

2 tablespoons olive oil

 

For the sauce:

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons minced garlic

½ cup minced cilantro

2 tablespoons paprika

salt and pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Lemon zest from one lemon

 

Cut the potatoes into bit size pieces and put in a pot of water, bringing it to a boil. Cook the potatoes until slightly tender and drain. Allow to and dry before advancing.

 

In the mean time, prepare the sauce by adding all the ingredients to a bowl, being sure to mix well.

 

Then, in a frying pan, when the potatoes are cool, heat olive oil and add potatoes allowing them to brown slightly.

 

Pour the sauce on top, taste to adjust seasoning and eat!

 

 

Potato and Swiss Chard Egg Bake

 

Alright, wait no further. It’s what I promised weeks ago, Swiss Egg Bake. The Swiss chard can be replaced with kale or arugula to try a slight variation.  Enjoy!

 

1 bunch Swiss chard

1 ½ cup potatoes, parboiled and sliced 1/4”

¼ cup grated cheese, Parmesan or Swiss

8 eggs

1 Tbsp.Dijonmustard

1 bunch Swiss chard

1 scape, cut thinly

2 purplette onions, small red onions about 1/8 cup, diced

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 Tablespoon milk

Salt and Pepper

(Serves about 6)

 

Preheat oven to 350

In a sauté pan, heat the oil. Add the scape, and onions. In the mean time, remove the rib from the chard and cut into small dice size. Add to the pan and cook for about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

 

With the remaining chard, cut the leaves and set aside.

 

In a bowl, whisk eggs with ¼ tsp. salt and pepper, mustard, cheese and milk.

 

Prepare a spring form pan (lay parchment paper down for ease of removal) or cast iron 12” pan, and layer the potatoes on the bottom. Then top with the onion, chard sauté and lastly leaves of chard. Pour the egg mix on top and put in oven for 30-35 minutes.

 

 

There are endless possibilities with potatoes For something quick, one could always boil potatoes, allow them to cool completely and toss in fresh herbs and vinaigrette. 

 

 

Gratin Dauphinois, Kale and Farro

 

It is a French classic with an Italian flare. I was inspired to prepare this gratin style dish when Nate, another worker from Riverbend, cooked a wild rice, sausage gratin. It was absolutely brilliant. The problem I find with traditional Gratin Dauphinois is the richness. My version has broth instead of cream with added veggies and grain. Traditionally, the dish is made with potatoes, onions, cream and butter. Being I like to mix things up put a spin on things, I decided to add an Italian grain called farro. Farro is a older form of wheat with the husk still intact and displays a firm, chewy texture giving versatility in cooking. In the end, the final product came out elegant with a beautifully browned topping. Serve it with a salad to bring freshness to your palate.

 

1 pound potatoes

1 cup farro or wheat berries

1 bunch kale

1 tbsp. garlic

¼ pound fontina Val D’Aosta cheese (can be purchased at Surdyk’s, or  simply choose another variety of fontina or swiss), cut into several small, thin squares

1 small onion, diced

1 ½ cup milk

1 ½ cup broth

1 tbsp. butter

Salt and pepper

 

Preheat the oven to 375 ° F

 

In a sauce pan, add about 2 ½ cups salted water and one cup farro. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer the grain with the closed lid for 15-30 minutes until tender. Drain off water if any remains and set aside.

 

Prepare the veggies as such: wash and thinly slice the potatoes with the skins on to 1/8 inch rounds (may use a mandolin if one is available). Cut out the rib of the kale and dice; the remaining leafy bits should be shredded as well, but kept separate. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

In a cast iron 12-14 inch pan, heat butter and sauté onions, garlic, and kale ribs. Once the kale ribs are tender, add the kale leaves. Then, layer the cooked farro on top the kale/onion mixture.  Fan out the potatoes on top in a layered fashion and proceed to add the cheese, laid out randomly. Sprinkle salt and pepper once more. Once everything is assembled, add the milk and broth to the pan, bring to boil and put in oven for 25-30 minutes.

 

 

Potato Basil Salad

 

Being basil is the theme of this week, I thought to try a potato vinaigrette salad. It’s quick, easy and tasty. You can mix it up any way you choose by adding different vinegars or herbs.

 

4 cups potatoes, boiled, cooled and diced

1 T. toasted mustard seeds

1/8 cup minced fresh basil

1/8 cup olive oil

1 T. champagne vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Add all ingredients in one bowl and mix well. Set aside for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator for flavors to combine and imbue with the potatoes.

 

 

Radishes

 

Birchwood Cafe Radish Butter

 

¼ # butter, softened

1 tsp shallot, minced

Zest & Juice of ¼  lemon

1/3  cup chives, minced

3 radishes, washed & minced

 

Mix well. Serve on baguette slices or crackers.

 

Thanks toMarshallat the Birchwood for this recipe. It is really good. They have it on the menu, but should have it in the deli case…

 

Daikon radishes
“Daikon radishes are thought to aid in digestion, especially the digestion of fatty foods. It is a common ingredient in Japanese cooking and is always grated and added to tempura dipping sauce. Young daikons can be eaten raw but the larger (more than 8 inches long) ones must be cooked. Always peel daikons. Cut up and simmered in stews and soups, daikon tastes light and refreshing rather than heavy or starchy. Daikons are often cut into paper-thin slices by talented Japanese chefs.

Daikon greens are delicious too. They can be washed, stacked, rolled into a scroll, and cut crosswise. This produces thin julienne strips which are traditionally salted and left standing for an hour. The moisture is squeezed out. The leaves are then chopped and stored in glass jars for up to a week in the refrigerator. The Japanese stir them into warm rice, they can also be added to soups and other recipes.”

The same salting technique described above is what I used for the salad turnips and those greens, mixed together.

I’m sure the larger daikon can be eaten raw as well – they just may be a little tougher or more stringy. Certainly, if they are grated, it shouldn’t matter what size they are!

 

Braised Daikon is another wonderful way to enjoy it. Cut the daikon into one inch rounds and simmer gently in dashi stock (or salted water) with a piece of kombu, if available. Simmer covered for 20-40 minutes, until it is soft. Serve hot or room temperature with a sesame-miso sauce on top (combine 1/4 cup ground sesame seeds or tahini, 2 T white miso, and 2 t mirin or sugar).

Vickie Albright

 

 

My suggestion is daikon with sweet miso and mustard greens.

saute the daikon in a little soy sauce and a little mirin until soft. i like some chili pepper maybe in there too.
cut up the mustard greens and just throw them in at the end while cooking the daikon. the daikon is not fragile, so do not worry that it is going to overcook. you can cook it forever and the flavor just keeps getting in there.

the sweet miso sauce is honey and miso and some soy sauce, maybe some lemon juice or rice vinegar.

i love this simple easy dish with rice.

the other thing we like to do with daikon is to finely grate it and serve it with soy sauce with any rice dish, although it is traditionally served with tempura. it kind of cleans the palette and changes your oil while eating fried foods!

the japanese generally think of daikon as a heating food, good for the fall and winter to keep you warm.

Corey Hess

 

Quick Radish Pickles

 

Lately, I’ve been on a canning/pickling kick. Most of my free time has been spent on such activities. However, since canning can be time consuming, I thought I would include this recipe where you can store the pickles in the refrigerator and spend less time in the kitchen.

 

1 bunch of radishes, about 8, quartered

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

1 (1 inch) piece peeled ginger, cut into matchsticks

 

Toss radishes with 1 tsp. salt in a bowl and let stand 30 minutes. Drain in a sieve  but do not rinse.

Heat vinegar with sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and add radishes, then stir in ginger. Transfer to a small bowl and marinate, chilled, at least 2 hours.

Soft Polenta: Cover 1 ½ cups corn meal with 1” of water in a shallow bowl. Stir, Skim off floating bits.  Boil 3-4 cups water. Add wet corn meal to boiling water. Return to aboil and stir frequently to minimize scorching. Cook over low heat until the hard parts of the corn meal ‘open up’. The polenta will look kind of volcanic ( and will be very hot if it erupts on your hand). Restaurants will cook polenta for hours. nobody that I know has that kind of time for supper. Add butter and salt to taste, typically a few tablespoons of butter and a teaspoon of salt. It is hard to go wrong with too  much butter.  Optional, add a generous amount of grated parmesian cheese. Keep warm.

 

Braised radishes: Remove the stem and tails from the radishes.Wash.Cut large radishes in half. Melt a couple tablespoons of butter in a frying pan. Add the radishes to the melted butter and cook for a minute. Add 2 tablespoons chicken stock and 2 tablesspoons of rice wine or balsamic vinegar. Cover and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes. Remove cover and increase heat. Cook until liquid is syrupy.

 

Rhubarb

 

Hot Sour Rhubarb and Pork with Noodles

 

Serves 4

 

Ingredients:

1 pound pork

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

13 ounces/375g egg noodles

4 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced

1 fresh red chili deseeded and finely sliced

2 bunches/containers of cress (coriander, shiso or basil will do)

1 bunch fresh coriander

2 limes

 

For the marinade:

1 cup rhubarb

4 tablespoons honey

4 tablespoons soy sauce/ tamari

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1-2 fresh red chillies, halved and deseeded

1 heaped teaspoon five-spice

Thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and chopped

 

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the pork pieces (cubes) in a roasting tray and put to one side. Chuck all the marinade ingredients into a food processor and pulse until you have a smooth paste, then pour this all over the pork, adding about 1 to 1.5 cups water. Mix it all up, then tightly cover the tray with tinfoil and place in the preheated oven for about an hour and 30 minutes, or until the meat is tender, but not colored.

(If you desire a vegetarian option, forgo the pork and heat marinade ingredients; bring to a simmer on the stove for 1 hour)

 

Pick the pieces of pork out of the pan and put to one side. The sauce left in the pan will be deliciously tasty and pretty much perfect. However, if you feel it should be thicker, simmer on a gentle heat and reduce. Season nicely to taste with salt and pepper and maybe extra soy sauce if need be, then remove from heat and put to one side.

 

Put a pan of salted water on to boil. Get yourself a large pan or wok on the heat and pour 2 tablespoons of oil. Add your pieces of pork to the wok and fry for a few minutes until crisp and golden (multiple batches may be required, since it is imperative you do not overload the pan). At the same time, drop your noodles into the boiling water and cook for a few minutes, then drain.

 

To finish, spoon over a good amount of the rhubarb sauce. Divide your pork on top, and add a good sprinkling of spring onions, chili, cresses and coriander. Serve with lime wedge.

 

 

 

Salads

 

Balsamic-Glazed Chickpeas and Mustard Greens

 

I’d say this fits into the category of warm dinner salads, but you could serve it as a side dish to up to four people.

 

10 ounces mustard greens

1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced

4-6 tablespoons vegetable broth, divided

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 pinch red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon agave nectar or sugar

1 cup cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained

 

Remove any large stems from the greens and discard. Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces.

In a deep pot or wok, sauté the onion in a tablespoon or two of vegetable broth until mostly faded to pink, about 4 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and red pepper and another tablespoon of broth and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the mustard greens, 2 tablespoons of broth, and cook, stirring, until greens are wilted but still bright green, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the salt, if using. Remove greens and onions from pan with a slotted spoon and place in a serving dish, leaving any liquid in pan.

Add the balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and agave or sugar to the liquid in the pan (if there is no liquid, add 2 tablespoons of broth). Add the chickpeas and cook, stirring, over medium heat until the liquid is reduced by about half. Spoon the chickpeas over the greens and drizzle the sauce over all.

Serve warm, with additional balsamic vinegar at the table.

Servings: 2

 

Bulgur with French Lentils and Veggies

 

This is a salad that can be served as a side or main dish. It is considered to be a complete protein because it contains both grains and legumes. If you have the time, it is best eaten after 30 minutes to an hour of marinating time; add the spinach just before consumption if you choose to marry the flavors.

On another note, immediately try the spinach before adding to any dish. It is unbelievable sweet and tastes too good to be healthy. I guess there’s one thing to be thankful for as a result to the frost, sweeter spinach.

 

1 cup dried bulgur

2 tablespoons shallot or onion, small dice

¼ cup cider vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh ginger grated

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup dried green French lentils (check out this website to read more:  

         http://www.french-green-lentils.com/)

4 cups water

1 bunch spinach, shredded or torn

1 apple, diced

2-3 Tablespoons Olive oil

2 medium beets, peeled, diced

1 Tablespoon of freshly chopped herbs of your choice

 

In a pot, combine lentils and 2 ¼ cups [unsalted] water, cook until tender (about 30 minutes).  After 15 minutes, add the small-diced beets in the same pot as the beans. While that is cooking, boil 1 ¾ cups water and pour in a large bowl with the following ingredients: apple, cider vinegar, ginger, and bulgur. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes to cook grain. When the lentils and bulgur mixture is cooked, combine all into one bowl and add remaining ingredients: shallots, olive oil, spinach, fresh herbs (optional) and more salt and pepper to taste.

 

Delicata Squash Salad with Kale and Cranberry Beans

 

1 Medium-Large Delicata squash (about 2 pounds), halved lengthwise and seeded

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 Tablespoons honey

1 bunch kale (about five oz.), large stems removed, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large shallot (or a small red onion if you don’t have any shallots left), finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 can (15 oz) cranberry or cannellinni beans, drained and rinsed

 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut Squash into 1/2 thick semicircles. Toss with 1 teaspoon oil, and spread onto baking sheet. Bake until just tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Mix together balsamic vinegar and honey. Brush some of the mixture onto squash slices and save the rest. Bake slices for 5 minutes more.

 

2. Meanwhile, place kale in large bowl. Heat remaining oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and garlic, and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add red wine vinegar and remaining vinegar-honey mixture and bring to a boil. Immediately pour hot dressing over kale and sprinkle with salt. Season with pepper, and add squash and beans. Cover with plastic and let stand for 5 minutes. Toss until kale wilts slightly.  From Martha Stewart Magazine

 

 

Moroccan Beet Salad

 

INGREDIENTS

6 to 8 medium beets

Juice of 1 lemon

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon cumin, or to taste

Salt and black pepper

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup diced fresh parsley

 

PREPARATION

1. Place water in a 3-quart saucepan, and bring to a boil. Add beets, and simmer until beets are tender when pierced with a fork, about 45 minutes. Cool, peel, and cut beets into bite-size pieces. Place in a serving bowl. 2. Place lemon juice, garlic, cumin and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil, then toss with beets. Let sit a few hours. Just before serving, sprinkle with parsley.

 

Apple, Celery and Blue Cheese Salad

 

Core and cut an apple into thin slices. Thinly slice 2-3 stalks celery. Combine apples, celery, and 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese in a serving bowl. Add a couple handfuls of salad greens or lettuce. Whisk together 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar or fresh lemon juice, 1Tbs olive oil, and 1 tsp honey. Toss dressing with salad, add salt and pepper to taste. From Moosewood Cooks at Home

 

 

Apple Celery Salad

 

Yield: 8

 

Ingredients

3 apples, small dice

8 ribs celery, cut into 1 1/2-inch matchsticks, plus celery leaves for garnish

2-3 pinches of sugar, to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

2 TDijon

3 c. apple juice

 

Dressing

4 ounces Basic Mayonnaise

Sometimes referred to as the mother sauce of the kitchen with several variations.

(See recipe below) Note: This recipe calls for raw egg. I strongly recommend that you don’t use raw eggs. Get some Mrs. Clarks’ or Helmanns instead and add a littleDijonmustard.

 

 

1. Prepare the vegetables by first rinsing, then cutting to appropriate size. Immediately submerge the diced apples and celeriac in apple juice and water after cutting.

2. Prepare the dressing:

3. Mix the dressing with the additionalDijonand sugar.

4. Drain the vegetables and fruit from the apple juice and water concoction. Be sure to save the liquid.

5. Toss everything together and add additional salt, pepper or sugar if necessary.  If the dressing is too thick, add apple juice to thin.

6. Refrigerate.

 

 

Dressing Recipe (Use prepared mayonnaise):

1 egg yolk

6-8 ounce oil

1-ounce vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

1 TDijon

Water as needed to thin

 

1. Whisk together yolks, vinegar, mustard, and salt until slightly foamy.

2. Add the oil in a thin stream, whipping constantly, until all the oil is incorporated and the mayonnaise is thick. Thin with water if too thick. (Option: add a couple drops of water occasionally intermittently with the oil.

3. Season with salt and pepper, and lemon juice, as needed. Refrigerate immediately.

 

 

Poached Egg Salad

Serves 4

 

5 thin prosciutto slices

3 tbsp. olive oil

5 tsp. balsamic vinegar, use white if available

1 tbsp.dijon

10 cups torn frisee lettuce or salad greens of your choosing

1 ¼ c. edamame, 8 ounces

8 radishes, thinly sliced

½ red onion, small dice cut

4 large eggs

1 tsp. kosher salt

pinch of black pepper

 

Optional: add potatoes (first boil, then cool) or blanched green beans for a heartier meal.

 

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay the prosciutto slices on a baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool and coarsely crumble.

 

Meanwhile, add oil,dijonand vinegar in a small jar and shake until emulsified, mixed. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with the greens, edamame, radish and onion.

 

Poaching the egg: Fill a large pot with enough water to reach depth of 3 inches. Add coarse salt and a tablespoon of vinegar; bring to a simmer. Crack 1 egg into the pan gently. Cook just until whites are set, about 3-5 minutes depending on desired runniness of the yolk. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel to drain and proceed with the remaining eggs. If your pot is large enough, you may be able to do all four eggs at once to save on time.

 

Put the tossed salad onto the plates, sprinkle prosciutto and lay the poached egg on top. Season with salt and pepper.

 

 

Winter Squash stuffed with Wheat Berry Salad

Wheat berries are whole unprocessed wheat kernels. They require an extended period of cooking to tenderize the grain, so use that time to cook your squash.

 

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 stuffed squash half)

Ingredients

 

    * 1  tablespoon  vegetable oil

    * 1 1/2  cups  finely chopped onion

    * 1  cup  uncooked wheat berries

    * 1/2  teaspoon  mustard seeds

    * 1/4  cup  chopped dry-roasted cashews

    * 1  tablespoon  grated peeled fresh ginger

    * 1  jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

    * 2  cups  water

    * 1/4  teaspoon  salt

    * 1  (14 1/2-ounce) can vegetable broth

    * 2  tablespoons  minced fresh cilantro

    * 1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice

    * 2  squash (about 1 pound each)

    * 1  tablespoon  maple syrup

    * 1/8  teaspoon  ground cinnamon

    * Cooking spray

    * Cilantro sprigs (optional)

 

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

 

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, wheat berries, and mustard seeds; sauté 3 minutes or until onion is tender. Add nuts, ginger, and jalapeño; sauté 1 minute. Add water, salt, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 hours or until tender. Stir in minced cilantro and juice. Remove from heat; keep warm.

 

While wheat mixture cooks, prepare squash. Cut squash lengthwise in half; discard seeds. Combine syrup and cinnamon; brush over squash. Place squash halves, cut sides down, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until tender. Divide the wheat mixture evenly among squash halves. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

 

 

Beet and WheatBerrySalad

 

4 medium beets, julienne cut/grated

2 small carrots, grated

1 green onion, finely sliced

salt to taste

2 cup cooked wheat berries, may substitute quinoa

toasted caraway or cumin seeds

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon mustard

1-2 Tablespoons champagne or balsamic vinegar

 

Add beets, carrots, green onion, wheat berries, salt, and caraway or cumin seeds in a bowl. In a separate bowl mix the vinegar with the mustard, then add to salad mix. Drizzle on the olive oil, using only enough to toss the salad lightly. For variation, add feta or goat cheese.

 

Serves: 4

 

Stuffed Eggs
 4 Hard-Boiled Eggs
 Salt to taste
 6-8 oz of Spinach
 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
 2 Tablespoons Butter
 Tiny grating of Nutmeg
 Salt and Pepper to taste

 Steam or parboil the spinach; drain, squeeze dry, and chop finely.  Mash it with egg yolks, cheese, butter, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to  taste. Taste and adjust seasoning before stuffing the whites.
 Bethany and Ryan Pitman

 

Potato Basil Salad

 

Being basil is the theme of this week, I thought to try a potato vinaigrette salad. It’s quick, easy and tasty. You can mix it up any way you choose by adding different vinegars or herbs.

 

4 cups potatoes, boiled, cooled and diced

1 T. toasted mustard seeds

1/8 cup minced fresh basil

1/8 cup olive oil

1 T. champagne vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Add all ingredients in one bowl and mix well. Set aside for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator for flavors to combine and imbue with the potatoes.

 

 

Soups

 

Málaga Gazpacho

 

3 cups cored, coarsely chopped fresh tomato
1 ½ cups peeled, coarsely chopped cucumber
1 green pepper, cored, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, sliced
½ cup water
5 tablespoons olive or corn oil
¼ cup red- or white-wine vinegar
Salt to taste
2 slices untrimmed fresh bread, cubed.

1. Combine all the ingredients in the container of an electric blender. Blend at high speed, pausing now and then to scrape down with a rubber spatula as necessary.

2. Pour the mixture through a large sieve placed inside a mixing bowl. Press and stir with a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids. Taste soup for seasoning and add more salt and vinegar if desired. Chill thoroughly before serving. Serves 6.

 

Carrot-and-Red-Pepper Soup

 

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 cups diced onion

1 pound carrots (about 7 medium), peeled and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons white rice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Juice and zest from one orange

6 cups Roasted-Vegetable Stock

PREPARATION

1. Melt the butter in a large pot and add pepper, onion, carrots, rice and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook over medium heat, covered, until onion is very soft, about 10 minutes. Add a few grinds of pepper, the parsley, dill, orange juice, zest and the stock. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until rice is cooked, about 25 minutes. Cool briefly and puree all but 1 or 2 cups of the soup. Return it to pot, reheat and season with salt and pepper.

            YIELD 6 servings

 

 

Butternut Soup with Red Pepper Puree

 

For the most part, this is a basic squash soup. You can use several different varieties of squash if you choose to mix it up. Otherwise, I suggest adding 1 cup cooked grains or rice; a personal favorite of mine is wild rice. Also, add a hearty leafy green like kale or perhaps rapini at the end for extra nutrition. I haven’t tried rapini with this recipe, but give it a whirl and let me know what you think.

 

1 butternut squash, about 3-4 pounds, seeded and cut in half

5-6 cups broth

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 onion, cut into small dice

2 tablespoons butter

3-4 garlic cloves

Pinch of clove

Pinch of cardamom

Salt and Pepper to taste

 

Fresh herbs of your choosing: sage, thyme, or rosemary (optional)

 

Red Pepper Puree

1 sweet bell pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

 

In a 400 degree oven, roast the squash flesh side up in a deep casserole or baking dish for 45 minutes to one hour, or until soft. Meanwhile, prepare the red pepper puree by halving the pepper, removing the seeds, and placing on a baking dish drizzling a teaspoon of olive oil. Bake at the same temperature for 25-30 minutes.

While the peppers and squash cook, begin sautéing your onions and garlic in a stockpot with butter. Set aside if it finishes cooking before the peppers finish. The peppers should finish just before the squash. Pull them out and allow to cool in a bowl covered with saran wrap. Meanwhile, test the squash for doneness and begin spooning out the meat of the squash. Puree in a blender or food processor with a few tablespoons of broth and add to the onion, garlic mix. Once all the squash is blended and added to the pot, adjust the remaining broth. If you desire a thicker soup, then add less broth or if you prefer a thinner soup, then add more broth. Add the remaining spices and adjust as you see fit.

 

Once the peppers have cooled, remove the skins and discard. Put the pepper in a food processor and puree with the garlic, oil, salt and pepper.

 

In each bowl, ladle the soup and swirl in the red pepper puree. Sprinkle the herbs as a garnish.

 

 

Potato & Carrot Ginger Soup

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, diced

8 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 pound sweet potatoes

1 pound Bintje Potatoes

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

4 cups vegetable broth

salt and pepper to taste

2 teaspoons sugar

Juice from 1 orange

 

In a large saucepan, heat oil and add onions. Saute until translucent, then add the carrots, both kinds of potatoes, ginger, and broth. Add more water to submerge vegetables if needed. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Puree the mixture in batches using a food processor or batches. You may need to add more liquid (water) for a thinner consistency and easier blending.

Add the sugar, salt and pepper, and orange juice.

 

Garnish options:

Sprig of fresh herb

Dollop of sour cream or yogurt

 

 

Muskmelon Soup

 

1 mustmelon, medium size, cube

1/8 – ¼ cup fresh basil, chiffonade

Sour cream to garnish

(optional) 1 large beet, about 1 cup, cut into small dice size

2 tsp. oil

1 orange, freshly juiced, about ¼ cup

¼ cup sugar, optional

Salt and pepper

 

In a 350 degree oven, roast the beets on a sheet tray, tossing beets with oil, salt and pepper. Cook about 20-25 minutes.

 

In the mean time, combine canteloupe, sugar and orange juice in a blender. Pour into a serving dish, bowl or cup. Spoon a dallop of sour cream in the center adding the  beet cubes, a pinch of fresh basil, drizzled olive oil, salt and peper.

 

 

Cuke Soup

 

Cool cucumber soup is a great way to start off your meal or eat as your lunch. It is quick and easy to prepare with refreshing flavors of basil and lemon. Dan, my new roommate and fellow farmhand, suggested adding just a touch of alcohol to give it a zip.

 

Ingredients:

3 cucumbers

2-3 cups yogurt, more will be creamier and smoother

¼ cup basil

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

Lemon zest from one lemon

Lemon juice from half of one lemon

 

First, in a food processor, add cucumber and basil. Once pulsed thoroughly, add remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust seasons to your liking. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and eat with drizzled oil and basil leaf.

 

 

 

 

Sweet Potatoes

 

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage

 

This recipe has been a huge hit amongst among my friends and cooking class attendees. I have been waiting patiently to release this recipe to all of you, so here it is….Sweet potato gnocchi.

 

Yield: Makes 10 to 12 servings

These dumplings have a light texture, thanks to the addition of fresh ricotta cheese. Drain the ricotta in a sieve for two hours before starting the recipe.

 

Ingredients

    * 2 1-pound red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), cooked

    * 1 12-ounce container fresh ricotta cheese, drained in sieve 2 hours

    * 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)

    * 2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar

    * 2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons salt

    * 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

    * 2 3/4 cups (about) all purpose flour

    * ¼ – 1/3 c. butter

    * 6 tablespoons chopped fresh sage plus whole leaves for garnish

    * Cooked bacon, lardon cut (save bacon fat)

 

Preparation:

Scrape sweet potato flesh into medium bowl and mash; transfer 3 cups to large bowl. Add ricotta cheese; blend well. Add Parmesan cheese, brown sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, and nutmeg; mash to blend. Mix in flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, until soft dough forms.

 

Turn dough out onto floured surface; divide into 6 equal pieces. Rolling between palms and floured work surface, form each piece into 20-inch-long rope (about 1 inch in diameter), sprinkling with flour as needed if sticky. Cut each rope into 20 pieces. Roll each piece over tines of fork to indent. Transfer to baking sheet.

 

Bring large pot of water to boil; add 2 tablespoons salt and return to boil. Working in batches, boil gnocchi until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer gnocchi to clean rimmed baking sheet. Cool completely. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

 

Preheat oven to 300°F. Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until butter solids are brown and have toasty aroma, swirling pan occasionally, about 5 minutes.

 

Heat half the butter and add half of gnocchi. Sauté until gnocchi are heated through, about 6 minutes. Empty skillet onto rimmed baking sheet; place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining sage gnocchi. Finish with chopped sage.

 

Divide gnocchi and sauce among shallow bowls. Garnish with sage leaves and leave julienned bacon on the side for the vegetarians.

 

 

 

 

Tomatoes

 

Basic Tomato Sauce

 

Tomato sauce, it is plain and simple, but truly delicious. Because of it’s versatility as an ingredient or sauce, it is great to have on hand, especially when it’s winter and you want something quick and warm.  When it cools, you can freeze the sauce and use for later.

 

8 fresh tomatoes, seeds and peels removed if desired

            (I like to keep the skins and peels on)

½ onion, diced

3 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh herbs, optional (oregano, thyme, parsley)

Salt and pepper

Heat oil in a pan, add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the tomatoes and remaining ingredients. Bring to a soft boil, then lower heat to a simmer for 30 minutes to one hour.

 

 

Panzanella Salad

 

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/3 small French bread, baguette or ciabatta, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/3 teaspoon kosher salt

1 large ripe tomato

¼ red onion

1/8 cup basil leaves, coarsely chopped

½ cup fresh mozzarella balls

 

Vinaigrette

2 cloves

¼ teaspoonDijonmustard

1 Tbsp. champagne vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

 

Heat oil in a large sauté pan. Toss in the bread and salt cooking over low to medium heat until nicely browned, about 8-10 minutes. Add more oil if necessary.

 

Whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together and drizzle over chopped tomatoes, onion, basil and cheese in a large bowl. Add the bread cubes once finished and season with salt and pepper to taste. It’s best to wait for 30 minutes for the flavors to marry.

 

 

Tomato Pepper Jelly

 

This is by far, my favorite homemade condiment. It is a recipe I modified from a friend while I was living inNew Zealand, and pairs exceptionally well with vegetable pancakes, latke’s for example.

 

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. pomace or vegetable oil

1 onion, small dice

1 red bell pepper, small dice

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 Tbsp. fresh hot pepper, serrano or big bomb

1 cup cider vinegar

1 cup brown sugar

 

In a sauce pan on medium-low heat, sauté the onion in oil until translucent. Add peppers and cook for about 3 minutes. Then add tomatoes, vinegar and sugar. Bring ingredients to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens to jelly consistency, about 45 minutes- 2 hours. The longer you heat, the thicker the contents. Depending on the heat, type of pan and how much sugar you add, the cooking times can vary greatly. If you want extra spice, add red pepper flakes to increase the heat.

 

 

 

Turnips

 

Glazed Turnips

 

Wash and peel 6 medium turnips. Dice into ½” cubes. Melt one stick of butter with 3 Tbs brown sugar. Add the turnips and ½ tsp salt and cook, covered, until the turnips are tender. Stir them around several times while cooking. Remove the cover and cook off most of the remaining liquid.   The 100 Greatest Dishes ofLouisianaCookery   ( A whole stick of butter for 6 turnips seems excessive even to me. )

 

Mashed Turnips with Crispy Shallots

 

1½  to 2 pounds of turnips, peeled and coursely chopped

3 Tbsp butter

1 cup thinnly sliced shallots  (or red onions)

½ cup heavy cream

1/8 tsp grated nutmeg

salt and pepper

1-3 tsp minced parsley

 

1) Place turnips in a pot of cold water. Bring to a boil and cool until tender. Drain and puree or mash.

2) Heat 2 Tbsp butter in a skillet on medium heat. Add shallots and cook stirring often until tender and golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towel.

3) Combine cream and 1 Tbsp butter. Bring to a simmer and stir in mashed turnips. Season with nutmeg (I’d go for more butter and skip the nutmeg) and salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley and fried shallots. From A to Z

 

 

 

 

Winter Squash and Pumpkins

 

“Pumpkin” Pie

 

This is one of my favorite fall recipes; it has the most amazing flavor that just pops out at you from the butternut squash. You can use just about any squash if you’d like, but I find butternut to be just the right sweetness. It takes a while to prepare, but boy is it worth it.

 

4 pounds butternut squash

Single crust fro a 9-inch pie (recipes follows)

3 eggs

1 ½ cup heavy cream

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons molasses

¼ cup water

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

 

Preheat oven to 350. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Place on a baking sheet with one inch of water. Bake for 1 ½ hours or until the squash is soft and falling a part. While the squash is baking, prepare the dough for the piecrust and refrigerate for one our. Remove the squash from the oven and raise the temperature to 425. When the squash is cool enough to handle, remove any tough browned or burnt skin and spoon out two cups of the soft meat and reserve (for another use).

Roll the dough into a circle about 1/8 inch thick and 12 inches in diameter. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan. Trim the edges ½ inch larger then the edge of the pan and crimp with the back of the fork.

Line the dough with wax paper, then fill with pie weights or dry beans to weigh down dough. Bake for ten minutes. Remove weights and wax, return to oven and bake for 4 minutes, until crust is golden brown.

While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. In a large bowl, combine two cups squash, three egg yolks, cream, brown sugar, water, molasses, spices, vanilla, and salt and mix well.

Using an electric mixer, beat the whites until soft peaks form. Fold into the squash mixture. Fill the prebakes crust to within half inch of the top of the crust.

Bake the pie for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a butter knife inserted in the center of the pie comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool.

 

Single crust for 9-inch pie

 

1 cup all purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons butter, chilled

¼ cup ice cold water

 

Mix flour and slat in a bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces (pea size) and add them into the flour until the pieces of butter are smaller than peas and the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Add 3 tablespoons of water and toss the mixture lightly using tow forks. Add more water if needed so that you can press the mixture together into a ball that retains its shape. Refrigerate for at least a half hour before rolling.

 

Delicata Squash Salad with Kale and Cranberry Beans

 

1 Medium-Large Delicata squash (about 2 pounds), halved lengthwise and seeded

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 Tablespoons honey

1 bunch kale (about five oz.), large stems removed, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large shallot (or a small red onion if you don’t have any shallots left), finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 can (15 oz) cranberry or cannellinni beans, drained and rinsed

 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut Squash into 1/2 thick semicircles. Toss with 1 teaspoon oil, and spread onto baking sheet. Bake until just tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Mix together balsamic vinegar and honey. Brush some of the mixture onto squash slices and save the rest. Bake slices for 5 minutes more.

 

2. Meanwhile, place kale in large bowl. Heat remaining oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and garlic, and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add red wine vinegar and remaining vinegar-honey mixture and bring to a boil. Immediately pour hot dressing over kale and sprinkle with salt. Season with pepper, and add squash and beans. Cover with plastic and let stand for 5 minutes. Toss until kale wilts slightly.  From Martha Stewart Magazine

 

 

Butternut Soup with Red Pepper Puree

 

For the most part, this is a basic squash soup. You can use several different varieties of squash if you choose to mix it up. Otherwise, I suggest adding 1 cup cooked grains or rice; a personal favorite of mine is wild rice. Also, add a hearty leafy green like kale or perhaps rapini at the end for extra nutrition. I haven’t tried rapini with this recipe, but give it a whirl and let me know what you think.

 

1 butternut squash, about 3-4 pounds, seeded and cut in half

5-6 cups broth

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 onion, cut into small dice

2 tablespoons butter

3-4 garlic cloves

Pinch of clove

Pinch of cardamom

Salt and Pepper to taste

 

Fresh herbs of your choosing: sage, thyme, or rosemary (optional)

 

Red Pepper Puree

1 sweet bell pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

 

In a 400 degree oven, roast the squash flesh side up in a deep casserole or baking dish for 45 minutes to one hour, or until soft. Meanwhile, prepare the red pepper puree by halving the pepper, removing the seeds, and placing on a baking dish drizzling a teaspoon of olive oil. Bake at the same temperature for 25-30 minutes.

While the peppers and squash cook, begin sautéing your onions and garlic in a stockpot with butter. Set aside if it finishes cooking before the peppers finish. The peppers should finish just before the squash. Pull them out and allow to cool in a bowl covered with saran wrap. Meanwhile, test the squash for doneness and begin spooning out the meat of the squash. Puree in a blender or food processor with a few tablespoons of broth and add to the onion, garlic mix. Once all the squash is blended and added to the pot, adjust the remaining broth. If you desire a thicker soup, then add less broth or if you prefer a thinner soup, then add more broth. Add the remaining spices and adjust as you see fit.

 

Once the peppers have cooled, remove the skins and discard. Put the pepper in a food processor and puree with the garlic, oil, salt and pepper.

 

In each bowl, ladle the soup and swirl in the red pepper puree. Sprinkle the herbs as a garnish.

 

 

Winter Squash stuffed with Wheat Berries

Wheat berries are whole unprocessed wheat kernels. They require an extended period of cooking to tenderize the grain, so use that time to cook your squash.

 

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 stuffed squash half)

Ingredients

 

    * 1  tablespoon  vegetable oil

    * 1 1/2  cups  finely chopped onion

    * 1  cup  uncooked wheat berries

    * 1/2  teaspoon  mustard seeds

    * 1/4  cup  chopped dry-roasted cashews

    * 1  tablespoon  grated peeled fresh ginger

    * 1  jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

    * 2  cups  water

    * 1/4  teaspoon  salt

    * 1  (14 1/2-ounce) can vegetable broth

    * 2  tablespoons  minced fresh cilantro

    * 1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice

    * 2  squash (about 1 pound each)

    * 1  tablespoon  maple syrup

    * 1/8  teaspoon  ground cinnamon

    * Cooking spray

    * Cilantro sprigs (optional)

 

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

 

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, wheat berries, and mustard seeds; sauté 3 minutes or until onion is tender. Add nuts, ginger, and jalapeño; sauté 1 minute. Add water, salt, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 hours or until tender. Stir in minced cilantro and juice. Remove from heat; keep warm.

 

While wheat mixture cooks, prepare squash. Cut squash lengthwise in half; discard seeds. Combine syrup and cinnamon; brush over squash. Place squash halves, cut sides down, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until tender. Divide the wheat mixture evenly among squash halves. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

 

 

Delicate Stuffed Delicata Squash
1 Squash that’s large enough to turn into a “boat” later
1/3 small onion
1/2 green pepper
1/2 medium tomato
1 good sized carrot
1/2 can of mushrooms (or 1/2 c fresh, if you have)
4 or 5 links brown-n-serve sausage (or fresh Italian sausage if you have some!)
Garlic, 2 cloves finely chopped
1-1/3 cup cooked brown rice
olive oil
Shredded Mozzarella or Parmesan (or similar blend)
croutons
Flat-leave parsley

Preheat oven to 400.  Cut Squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds with a spoon (don’t use a small knife and cut yourself like I did!).  Turn Squash cut-side down in either a roasting pan or lipped cookie sheet.  Add about 1/2″ of water to the pan.  Cover squash with tinfoil and put in oven.  Leave in oven for 30 – 40 minutes until squash is soft to the touch.

While Squash is cooking, dice onion, pepper, and carrot.  Either dice mushrooms or leave them as slices.  Cut tomato into chunks approximately 1/2″ on all sides.  Cook brown-n-serve either in microwave or in a fry pan, but don’t brown them all the way.  Once they’ve been mostly cooked, cut into slices and cut slices into quarters (ie, chop until they have more of a ground appearance than a brown-n-serve appearance!).  Prepare 1-1/3 cup cooked brown rice per box/package instructions (uncooked amount varies by whether rice is quick cook vs traditional).

Medium heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in large fry pan.  Add onion and mushrooms and stir fry until onion is translucent and mushrooms have softened.  Add green pepper and carrots and cook until soft.  Add garlic and sausage.  Cook for 2 – 3 more minutes, being certain to mix everything together well.  Add tomatoes and stir for 1 – 2 minutes.  Remove from heat, and salt & pepper.

When squash is done, turn down over to 350, remove from oven and use a spoon to scoop out the cooked squash, being careful to preserve the squash’s shell to use as a bowl.  When both are empty, take the squash you removed and add it to the vegetable mixture – mix very well – then add the cooked brown rice.  In the same pan that cooked the squash the first time, put the squash shells back in, cut side facing up.  Add vegetable mixture and mound up in the shell (depending on the size of your squash, you may have extra).  You may want to pat down the vegetables with your hands or a spoon to get out the air pockets and make room for more veggies.

Take some croutons – 1/2 – 3/4 cup – and crush.  Sprinkle over squash boats.  Sprinkle desired cheese (mozzarella/parmesan/blend) on top.  Snip flat-leafed parsley over boats.  Cover again with tinfoil and put back in 350 degree oven for 20 – 25 minutes (or until ingredients are heated to desired temperature).  Remove tin-foil for last 3 – 5 minutes of baking to brown the cheese and crisp the breadcrumbs.

NOTES:  This recipe is about what YOU have on-hand; feel free to vary ingredient amounts and types.  If you like your vegetables less crispy, sauté them for longer – the above method keeps them slightly crispy.  ENJOY!
Heather Thornton

Zucchini

 

Shredded zucchini

 

2 cups shredded zukes

1 Tbs olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper

 

Wash the zucchini and cut the ends off. Shred it on the course side of a hand grater. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Saute on medium heat tossing often until all the excess moisture has evaporated. Salt and pepper to taste.

Variations (add herbs/ spices during the last minute of cooking):

Italian – add 1 tsp chopped basil and parmesan cheese

Greek – 2 tsp chopped fresh dill and crumbled feta cheese or

            ¼ cup plain yogurt and 1 tsp chopped fresh mint

Indian – Use vegetable oil instead of olive oil, add ½ tsp curry powder

Mexican – ½ tsp ground cumin, pinch of hot pepper, 2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro. Serve topped with salsa.  From MW Cooks at Home

 

Zucchini Pancakes

 

Ingredients:

Zucchini

onion

basil

parsley

eggs

1/2 and 1/2

parmesean cheese

flour oil or olive oil for the pan

 

1. Grate 2 cups of zucchinni with an old fashioned box grater and squeeze out the liquid. I like a combination of green and yellow zukes. Put into a bowl. Next, grate about 1/4 cup of onion and add to the zuke. Chop well a small fistful of parsley and basil and add that too. Add salt and pepper and set aside.

2. Next, break 2 eggs into a bowl and add 2 Tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons 1/2 and 1/2. Beat well with a fork and don’t worry about lumps.

3. Combine both bowls. Batter will be kind of wet.

4. Heat a griddle or non stick pan and brush with a bit of oil. It should be hot to medium hot. Drop a small spoonful onto the griddle to make a “baby” cake to test for seasoning and heat of the griddle, Adjust the seasoning.

5 Drop the batter by spoonfulls spreading the batter gently in a circle, let cook until firm and slightly stiff. Flip and cook on the other side. You can’t really over cook them. You can keep them in a warm oven as you make them but eat as soon as possible. Sprinkle with a lot of parmesean cheese before serving.

From Lucia Watson who stayed up late Monday night testing them.

 

Zucchini Bread (from Martha Stewart)

Yield 4 large or 8 small loaves

Ingredients

6 eggs

3 1/2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups light vegetable oil

5 cups unpeeled grated zucchini

5 teaspoons vanilla extract

6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

6 teaspoons cinnamon

2 cups chopped walnuts

1/4 cup walnut oil

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or spray with vegetable oil 4 large loaf pans (9 by 5 by 3 inches) or 8 small pans.

2. Beat the eggs until light. Add the sugar, mixing well. Add the oil, zucchini, and vanilla and mix thoroughly.

3. Sift the dry ingredients. Add by the cupful to the egg mixture. Stir until well blended. Add the nuts and walnut oil.

4. Spoon into the pans and bake for approximately 1 hour. Cool on racks.

 

Four to eight loaves looks like a lot of zucchini bread. A recipe from the Moosewood uses about ½ of most of the ingredients, a lot less sugar and cinnamon, and the same amount of baking powder, so this recipe can probably be cut in half without disastrous results

.

 

Zucchini Rum Raisin Bread

 

You may have noticed the plethora of zucchini in your CSA box for the last few weeks and may be thinking what you’re going to do with all of it. Well, making bread is a great use, which can then be frozen. A few weeks ago, I included another bread recipe, but thought of going a more traditional route this time. As a side note, I like to dehydrate my zucchini in thin round chip like cuts and add sea salt. There you have it, zucchini chips! Back to the recipe at hand…

Before you start anything, soak ¾ cup raisins in ½ cup rum and let marinate for 15 minutes to 24 hours.

 

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 ½ cup whole wheat flour

3 eggs

¾ cup poil

¼ tsp. clove

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

¾ cup walnuts, toasted, or pecans

1 cup zucchini shredded

1 cup apple, peeled, grated

¾ cup raisins soaked in ½ cup rum

 

Preheat the oven to 350.

Prepare two loaf pans by buttering and laying down parchment paper.

 

Combine in a large bowl the all purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, cinnamon, clove, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In a second bowl, whisk the eggs. Combine the oil, sugar, zucchini, apple, walnuts, and raisins (remove first from rum, using only the raisins).

 

Add the two bowls together and mix with a wooden spoon. Pour into the prepared pans, ¾ full and sprinkle additional salt and sugar; bake for 55-65 minutes.

 

Scape Skewered Grilled Zucchini

 

2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise

2 ounces grated Parmesan

1 cup basil, chiffonade or rough chopped

1/3 cup olive oil

Lemon juice and zest from 1 lemon

 

First, prepare the marinade by combining the following ingredients in a jar: basil, lemon zest and juice, parmesan, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add to a shallow dish and lay the zucchini in the marinade allowing absorption of flavors, 1-3 hours.

 

Heat grill accordingly.

To make scape skewers, cut off the woody bottoms. Trim the ends into sharp points and set aside.

 

Thread through the marinated zucchini, weaving back and forth. Once the grill is ready, cook the skewers, about 4 minutes or until they are grilled to your liking.

 

Try these with the scape pesto from a previous CSA newsletter for an added garlicky taste or add other veggies on the kebab like tomatoes, mushrooms or eggplant.

 

 

Zucchini Fritters

 

I wanted to do something different, so I decided it would be nice to cook Greek cuisine for this week. To garnish and add texture, I prepared a cucumber tzatiki sauce and together, the flavors merry well. If you have orange blossom flower water, add it to your fritters to lighten the taste and cut through the fat from the oil. It is not necessary, but is quite lovely. One can find the flower water at Holyland deli, a specialty grocer or greek deli.

Serves 4-6

 

2 cups zucchini, grated

2 green onions, sliced thinly

¼ cup fresh basil chopped

½ cup flour

1 carrot, grated

salt and pepper

1 egg

1 tsp. orange blossom water

2 Tbsp. oil

 

Add the zucchini, onions, basil and carrot in a bowl while preparing a cast iron skillet or frying pan adding oil to the pan.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg slightly with a fork and add the orange water. Together add the egg mix to the zucchini mix with the flour and 1 tsp. salt. When the oil is hot, spoon the mixture onto the pan being careful not to make the fritters too thick. If too thick, they will not cook thoroughly, so flatten out uniformly. You may have to prepare them in batches, as I cooked three at a time, the circumference of a softball. Cook on each side for about 3-4 minutes and let rest on a towel. Salt and pepper to taste.

 

Zucchini Rum Raisin Bread

 

You may have noticed the plethora of zucchini in your CSA box for the last few weeks and may be thinking what you’re going to do with all of it. Well, making bread is a great use, which can then be frozen. A few weeks ago, I included another bread recipe, but thought of going a more traditional route this time. As a side note, I like to dehydrate my zucchini in thin round chip like cuts and add sea salt. There you have it, zucchini chips! Back to the recipe at hand…

Before you start anything, soak ¾ cup raisins in ½ cup rum and let marinate for 15 minutes to 24 hours.

 

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 ½ cup whole wheat flour

3 eggs

¾ cup poil

¼ tsp. clove

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

¾ cup walnuts, toasted, or pecans

1 cup zucchini shredded

1 cup apple, peeled, grated

¾ cup raisins soaked in ½ cup rum

 

Preheat the oven to 350.

Prepare two loaf pans by buttering and laying down parchment paper.

 

Combine in a large bowl the all purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, cinnamon, clove, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In a second bowl, whisk the eggs. Combine the oil, sugar, zucchini, apple, walnuts, and raisins (remove first from rum, using only the raisins).

 

Add the two bowls together and mix with a wooden spoon. Pour into the prepared pans, ¾ full and sprinkle additional salt and sugar; bake for 55-65 minutes.

 

Everything else

 

Nam Prik Ong
(Thai Pork and Tomato Dip with Chiles)
Joe Hatch-Surisook

The ingredient substitutions I’ve given work great, but the fish sauce, curry paste, and shrimp paste are worth seeking out.  With these in your fridge (where they keep almost indefinitely) you can make this remarkably addictive dish in minutes.  Stop in an Asian grocery or a larger supermarket to find them.  When you open the shrimp paste and pry off the wax covering you will be greeted with an intensely pungent aroma.  Even after you put the lid back on it will perfume your fridge.  I keep the sealed container in a screw top jar so it keeps its aroma to itself.  Another traditional dipper in addition to the healthful and yummy veggies is pork cracklings.  The absolute best and easiest to find are the freshly fried chicharrones you can pick up at a good traditional Mexican deli or meat shop.  They are often sold in a big hot crispy sheet that you break into pieces.  Joe cringes when I speak of this, but wow, it’s good. -MJ

1 lb. ground pork
1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and sliced, about 3 tablespoons (or 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel)
2 keffir lime leaves, finely sliced (or 1 teaspoon grated lime peel)
2 Tbsp. red Thai curry paste
1 Tbsp. chopped galanga (or fresh ginger)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 shallot, peeled and sliced
2 teaspoons shrimp paste (or anchovy paste)
3 large tomatoes, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
2  Tbsp. palm sugar or brown sugar
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
¼ cup chopped cilantro to garnish
 

  1. Crumble the pork into a large skillet.  Add the lemongrass, lime leaves, curry paste, galanga, garlic, shallot and shrimp paste and cook over medium heat until pork is no longer pink.
  2. Add tomatoes, brown sugar and fish sauce and simmer until tomato has broken down and become saucy, about 8 to 10 minutes.  It will be the consistency of sloppy joes at this point.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.  Serve with sticky rice and veggies like sliced cucumbers, cabbage leaves, carrot slices etc.

Makes about 3 cups (6 appetizer servings)