Salsa Verde

No time for chit chat today as I've quite the work load ahead of me. But enjoy this wonderful salsa verde. It's a treat with chips alone, but salsa verde also makes a great white chili base and in addition to playing well with chicken in a slow cooker.

Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Driftless Organics

yields about 2 cups


The Ingredients:
1 lb tomatillos, hulls and stems removed
1 medium yellow onion, quartered
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
3-4 jalapeño, stems and seeds removed
¼ cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp lime juice

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F

Arrange the onions, jalepenos, garlic, and tomatillos, stem side down, in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Roast, turning the vegetables once, until the tomatillos are softened and slightly charred, about 10 mintues.

Combine the roasted vegetables along with the cilantro, salt and lime juice in a food processoe. Blend and process until smooth.

Store, covered, in the refrideratro for up to 1 week.

Kale and Carrot Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing

CSA veggies, meet Thai. I have no apologies anymore.

Vegan and gluten-free. Dear lord this seems so unlike me...

The original recipe calls for creamy peanut butter. I used crunchy because it is what I had on hand. Personally, I enjoy the extra bit of texture. And the almond milk is unnecessary. The other ingredients pack so much flavor, you need only add a touch of water to thin it to your desired consistency. Adjust the heat level to your personal taste by using more or less Sriracha.

adapted from Running to the Kitchen

serves 4

The Ingredients:
3 cups carrot, shredded or julienned
2 cups thinly sliced kale
3 Tbsps peanut butter
1 -1 1/2 tsp sriracha
½ teaspoon sesame oil
½ tsp olive oil
1 tsp lime juice
1 Tbsp maple syrup
½ tsp freshly grated ginger
2-3 Tbsp water
salt to taste
1- 2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

The Process:
In a large bowl, combine the carrots and kale.

In a small bowl whisk together the peanut butter, sriracha, sesame oil, olive oil, lime juice, maple syrup and ginger. Add water 1 Tbsp at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Season with salt to taste.

Drizzle the peanut butter dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Curried Chickpea and Carrot Salad

The Thai food has returned. I warned you a string of these recipes was coming...

With the heat of summer at its apex, avoiding the heat of the kitchen is a must. But the need to prepare food calls. This recipe is prefect for those sweltering days. No hot ovens or stove tops. And it comes together in a flash

adapted from Vegan Yack Attack

serves 4

The Ingredients:
2 - 14.5 oz cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 cups grated carrots

1 cup shredded cabbage

1/2 cup golden raisins

3 Tbsp tahini

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce

2 tsp maple syrup

1 tsp curry powder

 

The Process
In a large bowl toss together the garbanzo beans, carrots, cabbage and raisins. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add additional water as necessary to thin. 

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.

 

Thai Coconut Curry Lentil Bake

I must apologize in advance. I'm on a bit of a Thai kick. Between the flaked coconut, curry pastes, fish sauce, cilantro and lime juice I have on hand, Thai seems like an obvious choice.

adapted from Amuse You Bouche

serves 3-4

The Ingredients:
1 cup brown lentils
3/4 cup boiling water
1/4 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 de chili de abrol, crushed
2 slices of day old bread, torn into chunks
½ Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp Thai green curry paste

The Porcess:

Add the lentils to a medium saucepan and add enough water to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the lentils are soft, about 20 minutes.

 

Pour the 3/4 cup boiling water over the coconut. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

 

In a blender or food processor, combine the bread, garlic and chili. Pulse until an even crumb forms. Transfer to a bowl and drizzle with oil. Toss to evenly coat.

 

Preheat the oven to 375.

 

Drain the lentils. In a casserole or baking dish, combine the lentils, coconut-water mixture, and curry paste. Sprinkle generously with seasoned bread crumbs. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until the topping begins to brown.

 

Warm Purple Potato Salad with Arugula and Radishes

Oh, CSA share, how I've missed you! Come mid-June, every Thursday is like Christmas as I unpack our box. The first few boxes are always a bit sparse, but heavy on the leafy greens. Those early weeks see a lot of spinach salads and arugula pesto. I was thrilled to see this arugula recipe alternative in the last CSA newsletter.

I used the beautiful purple potatoes provided in our last box. They provide such a wonderful contrast to the bright greens. But really any small roasting potato will do. The heat from the roasted potatoes will wilt the arugula, so I'd recommend serving immediately. That being said, the salad makes very tasty, albeit soggy leftovers.

Recipe courtesy of Dani Lind of Driftless Organics

serves 4

The Ingredients
5 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 1/2 lbs purple potatoes, scrubbed, skin on
1 bunch radishes, trimmed
salt and pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 spring onions, thinly sliced
1/2 bunch garlic chives, coarsely chopped
2 oz arugula (about 2 cups)

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Slice the potatoes into 1/2 inch wedges and the radishes into quarters. Toss with 2 Tbsp of oil and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes, flipping once, or until the vegetables are tender and beginning to crisp.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 3 Tbsp of oil, vinegar, and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

To assemble the salad, combine the roasted vegetables, spring onions, garlic chives and arugula in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.

Serve immediately.

Apple and Kohlrabi Salad with Roasted Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Vegetables are coming out of our ears!  I absolutely adore taking on the challenge of a full CSA share for two people, but even when most lunches consist of huge leafy salads, a full share can be a bit much to swallow.

This week we were treated to a wonderful treat though...4 pints of the juiciest, brightest red strawberries.  Last season had been so miserably dry that the farm's berries didn't stand a chance.  This year, with the ridiculous amounts of rain pouring through, the berries are bursting.  A good portion have already been frozen for later use.  What berries haven't already been devoured made it into this salad.  The mixed greens and kohlrabi were also courtesy of our CSA.

The inspiration for the vinaigrette came from a visit to a local oil shop where I sampled the most amazing 25 year aged balsamic vinegar.  It was so wonderfully sour, rich, earthly and sweet I could have eaten it with a spoon.  Alongside stood several other tuns full of rich balsamic and fruit blends.  I couldn't decide.  Start simple and with the basics.  High quality balsamic vinegar has ruined me...

And the combination of apple and kohlrabi has been bouncing around in my head for a while.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

The recipe is my own

serves 4

The Ingredients:
8-10 ripe strawberries
1 Tbsp diced shallot
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1 small Granny Smith apple
1 cup water
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 medium kohlrabi
4 cups mixed greens

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 400

Pick out the 4 smallest, ripest strawberries, and set aside.  Hull the remaining berries.  Place cut side down on a lightly greased pan.

 Roast to 10-12 minutes or until the berries are soft and juice is beginning to seep.

In a large glass, combine the shallot, oil, vinegar, salt and roasted strawberries.  Puree with an immersion blender until completely smooth.  Strain through a sieve to remove any pulp and seeds.  Set aside.

Combine the water and lemon juice and set aside.

Halve and core the apple.  Thinly slice into wedges and place in the lemon water.  Peel the kohlrabi and similarly slice into thin wedges.

Toss the mixed greens with half of the vinaigrette.

 Divide greens among four salad plates.  Arrange 1/4 of the apple and kohlrabi in a fan shape on each plate.  Using the reserved strawberries, cut four or five thin slices with a paring knife lengthwise through the berry, leaving slices attached just below the hull.  Gently fan out the slices.  Place the berry garnish on each plate.  Drizzle with remaining dressing

Black Beans and Brown Rice with Ginger Salsa

Keep it simple, keep it cheap...

I should really work on making this a regular mantra.  Good food needn't be fussy.  It certainly doesn't have to be expenxive. 

Want a quick, inexpensive and aboslutley delicious dish layered with flavors?  This dinner is for you.  The most time consuming part is cooking the rice.  Of course, my work around was to make the rice a day ahead of time while I prepped that day's dinner.  The rest comes together in no time flat.

adapted from Bon Apetit

serves 4

The Ingredients:

for the rice:

1 Tbsp olive oil, divide  

2-3 Tbsp chopped onion
1 cup brown rice

2 cups vegetable stock or water
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
pepper to taste
 

 for the beans:

1 Tbsp olive oil

2-3 Tbsp chopped onion

1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
1 cup vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste

 

for the salsa

2 red Fresno chiles, stemmed, halved, seeded, and diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2-3 Tbsp chopped onion
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1 Roma tomato, finely diced
1 Tbsp lime zest
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
salt and pepper

 

to serve

1 avocado, halved, pitted, and chopped
1/4 cup crumbled feta

fresh cliatnro
Lime wedges

 

The Process:

for the rice:

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender, about 45 minutes.  Remove saucepan from heat. Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork and fold in cilantro.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

for the beans:

In a medium saucepan heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender and fragrant, about 5 minutes.  Add coriander and cumin; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beans and broth.    Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer.  Cook until heated through, about 8-10 minutes.  Mash slightly.

 

for the salsa

Using the flat side of a knife against a cutting board, or a mortara and pestal, mash the chiles, garlic, ginger, tomato,  lime zest, and onion until a chunky sauce forms. Spoon into a bowl and mix in the lime juice.  Season salsa with salt and pepper to taste. 

 

to serve:

Spoon rice into one half of a bowl, and scoop beans alongside.  Top with a dollop of ginger salsa and sour cream.  Sprinkle with feta and cilantro, Serve with avocado and lime.  Omit cheese and sour cream for a vegan dish.

Oven Roasted Cumin Cauliflower

Poor cauliflower...overlooked among the crudites and asked to parade around as something it is mot whenever someone feels the need to cut the carbs, but NEEDS mashed potatoes.  One day, you will have your moment of glory.  But rest assured, you will always be a staple in my produce stash.  This has become my go-to method for enticing others to enjoy this under-appreciated brassicaceae. 

The recipe is my own

Should serve 3-4, we're lucky if it serves 2

 The Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
5-6 kalamata olives, minced

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 400

In a large bowl or zip top bag, combine all of the ingredients and toss to coat.  Layer the cauliflower in a 9x13 baking dish.  Roast for 35-40 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender and begininng to brown.

Dig in immediately.

Vegetarian Smoked Porter Chili

The Beeroness strikes again.  I tagged this recipe a while back, waiting for the ideal smoked or chipotle beer to come my way.  Amazingly the two came together in one collaboration between two of our local breweries: Indeed and Northbound Smokehouse.  Northbound smoked the malts and peppers.  Indeed brewed the beer.  The result was a rich smoking imperial porter with a slight burn on the back end.  I'm not a huge fan of Indeed's other beers, but this beer was stellar.  And perfect for this chili. 


Thank you again Jackie.

adapted from the beeroness

serves 6

The Ingredients
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
8 oz mushrooms, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 - 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 - 15 oz can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 - 15 oz can stewed diced tomatoes
1 or 2 large chipotle peppers in adoboe, minced
1/2  cup quinoa
1/3 cup bulgur wheat
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cups smoked porter

The Process:
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat.  Add the onion, garlic, mushrooms and red pepper.  Saute until the garlic is fragrant and the veggies are tender, about 3-4 minutes.

Stir in the broth, tomato paste, beans, diced tomatoes, and chipotle peppers.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until beans have heated through.  Stir in the quinoa, bulgur and spices.  Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes . The quinoa should be tender and the chili should begin to thicken.  Stir in the porter, and heat through, but do not bring to a boil.

Serve warm with garnishes as desired.

Quick and Dirty Spinach Lentil Curry

Indian food and I, we've come to an understanding.  We have a method.  The dishes almost always turn out. 

There is occasionally an exception though. 

Ross and I have been going back and forth on the proper food pairings for an IPA...an India Pale Ale.  Traditionally a very hop forward beer.  Bitter.  Think sucking on grapefruit pith.  Well, depending on the hops.  I enjoy them, to an extent.  Ross usually avoids them at all costs.

The debate stems around spicy or not spicy.  The bitterness in hops actually intensives the heat level of most foods.  And the higher alcohol content opens up the receptors on the tongue...also heightening the heat experience.  Usually not a pleasant dining experience.  Unless, of course, you like the sensation of your face burning off.

For some reason Ross felt Indian cuisine and IPAs would pair well.  With my high heat preference in Indian food, I objected.  (I am right by the way, he just won't admit it, but seeing as he doesn't like insanely spicy food, or IPA, I do not hold his opinion of either in very high regard.  But I digress...and I still love him)

So as an experiment I tried a variation of this recipe, substituting some of the cooking liquid for an IPA.  Odell's Hopslam.  Excellent beer.  Such a waste to cook with it.  Again, I digress...

The cooking process released a bitterness in the hops, a musky, dirt-like bitterness, that made the dish near unpalatable.  Lesson learned.  Drink it with dinner, but do not cook with it...at least not this type of recipe.  IPAs do make unbelievable marinades, though...

Back to dinner...

This vegan friendly dish is quick and lovely.  So so simple.  It follows the same method I use for nearly almost any curry: saute onions, add ginger and garlic, add spice, stir til fragrant, add protein and cooking liquid (if needed), add veggies, serve.  So simple. 

Enjoy!

Inspired by Elissa's recipe at Kitchen Demure

serves 4

The Ingredients:
2 Tbsp ghee or peanut oil
1 large onion, diced
2 fat cloves of garlic, minced
1 - inch piece of ginger, minced
1 serrano pepper, minced (optional)
1 1/2 Tbsp garam masala
1 1/3 cup red lentils
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
2/3 cups dry white wine
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 bunch spinach, chopped (about 5 cups)

The Process:
In a large skillet heat the oil over medium high heat, and add the onion, ginger, garlic, and pepper.  Saute until just tender, 2-3 minutes.  Add the garam masala and stir until fragrant, about one minute. 

 Add the lentils, water, salt, and wine.  Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.  Stir in the tomato paste.  Add the spinach.  Cook an additional 5 minutes, or until he spinach has wilted.

Serve.

Roasted Winter Root Vegetables

Every once in a while a recipe will be posted on another blog and I know it is only a mere matter of days before I try it out...usually because I have been seeking inspiration for a particular ingredient.  In this case, the ingredients are the root veggies from the CSA.  Yes, I am still trying to work my way through the parsnips, potatoes, carrots, beets and turnips.  Wouldn't you know, this recipe uses all of them.  Jenny tosses the entire batch of roasted veggies with a wonderful balsamic dressing, topped with feta and pine nuts.  I know I should have tried with the feta...they need the extra burst of creamy saltiness.  The recipe also calls to toss the veggies in a balsamic dressing.  The dressing is amazing, and a welcome addition to many other salads, leafy or otherwise, but I found even half of a recipe to be a bit too much for the amount of roasted veggies.  The roasted veggies are just as wonderful with a little squeeze of lemon and a dash of salt.

Adapted from Jenny's recipe at Spoon Fork Bacon

serves 4

The Ingredients:
for the veggies
3-4 beets, peeled and cut into quarters
4-6 carrots, peeled and cut into 1" pieces on the diagonal
2 shallots, peeled and halved
2-4 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1" pieces on the diagonal
2 turnips, trimmed and cut into eighths
6-8 small purple potatoes, halved (or quartered if larger)
3 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

for the dressing:
1/2 shallot, minced
1 garlic of clove, minced
2 Tbsp  brown sugar
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

The Process:
for the veggies:

 Preheat the oven to 375.

Toss the veggies in oil, salt and pepper and divide evenly among two rimmed baking sheets.  Bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the veggies are tender and beginning to caramelize. 

Remove for oven and allow to cool slightly.

for the dressing:
Combine all of the ingredients 1-pint mason jar.  Using an immersion blender, mix until thick and well combined.  Or, seal tightly and shake.

to finish:
Toss the veggies with half of the dressing.  Sprinkle with feta, if desired.  Serve warm or cold.

Tomato Soup

Brrr!  I'm not sure how the rest of the country is fairing today, but in Minneapolis the temperature is hovering around a blistering -5 F on this sunny MLK day. 

This morning was wonderful while still bundled under the covers.  But later on Ross and I headed out to grab materials to update my millinery studio.  That short time out and about chilled us to the bone. 

Soup to the rescue!

Most of the ingredients for this simple tomato soup had been squirreled away early in the fall.  Back in August I had frantically canned over 40# of Roma tomatoes, just for a situation like today.  Onions and garlic still filled our storage boxes from the last CSA box.  Our freezer is bursting with stock from various veggie scrap and roasted birds.  Just add wine and seasonings...

the recipe is my own

serves 6-8

The Ingredients:
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 ribs of celery, diced
1 qt crushed tomatoes
2 cups vegetable stock
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried tomato skin powder*
salt and pepper to taste

* back when I crushed and canned all of those Roma tomatoes, I couldn't bring myself to discard the skins after peeling them.  In a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet, dry out the skins at 250 for about 4 hours.  They should crumble easy.  Pulverize in a spice grinder.  This bright red powder packs a boost of tomato flavor.

The Process:
In a heavy-bottomed 3-qt stock pot, saute the garlic, onion and celery over medium high heat until the vegetables are soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. 

Add the tomatoes, stock, wine and seasonings.  Bring the mixture to a boil, return to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes.  Using an immersion blender, or working in small batches using a food processor, puree the soup until the desired consistency is achieved.  Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Served with grilled cheese on a frigid day? Pure heaven!

Curried Pumpkin Soup

 Fall!  Pumpkins!  Soup!  Curry!  These are a few of my favorite things...

Light, complex, spicy, smooth and filling.  Deceivingly filling.  You'd be surprised how little soup you need to sate an appetite after an afternoon raking leaves.  And perfect for a gathering when many hungry hands may be idling.  This soup can be made ahead, chilled and re-heated when ready to serve.  Or, transferered into a slow cooker to linger and warm for whenever pepple are ready to eat.

I prefer the slightly sweeter and smokey flavor oven roasted pumpkin lends to recipes, so I opted to replace a portion of the originally recipe's canned pumpkin with my own roasted variety.  The spices are easily modified to accommodate any palate  And the soup does play well with heat...so feel free to add more red pepper or a dash or too of hot pepper sauce to liven up the tongue a bit.

adapted from Epicurious

serves 16-18

The Ingredients:
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 Tbsp oil
3-4  garlic cloves, mince
2-3 -inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
2 tsp salt
1 small pie pumpkin (2-3 lbs)
1 - 15 oz can pumpkin puree
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 - 15oz can  coconut milk

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 450.  Slice the pumpkin, scoop out the seeds and place cut side down on an oiled baking sheet.  Bake for 45-60 minutes,or until soft and beginning to carmelize, flipping cut side up halfway through.  Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Scoop out the softened pumpkin flesh.  Mash slightly for a smoother soup, or leave as scooped for more texture.  

Meanwhile, heat a large heavy bottomed saucepan over medium high heat, and sautee the onions until soft, about 3-5 minutes.  Add the ginger and garlic, sautee 1 minute longer.  Stir in the cumin, coriander, cardamom and cinnamon, mixing until the onions are well coated*.

Add the pepper flakes, salt, canned pumpkin, fresh pumpkin, broth, coconut milk.  Bring to a simmer and let cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.   For a smooth soup, puree in batches with  food process, or process with an immersion blender, or serve as is.  Thin with additional broth, if desired.

* in lieu of the individual spices, you can substitute 1 Tbsp of your favorite garam masala.

Holy Homemade Hummus!

I have been meaning to make hummus for ages.  Store bought varieties are a staple of my lunches...with veggies, on pita, sometimes with pretzels or chips.  I adore every variety I've tried...plain, garlic loaded, spicy.  With olives or roasted red pepper.   The only thing that bothered me was a slightly artificial acidic flavor that nagged every brand I'd ever purchased.  I suspected the only solution was to make my own.


adapted from Cook Eat Live Vegetarian


yields about 1 1/2 cups

The Ingredients:
1 - 14 oz can garbanzo beans
3-4 Tbsp tahini
2-3 cloves of garlic
3-4 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
oil, cumin and paprika to serve

The Process:
In a large bowl, thoroughly rinse the garbanzo beans, gently squeezing and rubbing the beans together to loosen the skins.   Skin the loosened skins off the top of the water.

Transfer the beans to a medium sauce pan.  Add just enough water to cover.  Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer the beans for about 12-15 minutes, or until soft.

Drain the chickpeas, reserving about 1/4 cup of the liquid.   Rinse, again while gently rubbing together to loosen and remove any remaining skins.  This may sound incredible tedious, but the extra step yields an extra creamy end product!

Transfer the beans to a food processor.  Add the tahini, garlic, lemon juice and salt.  Process until smooth, adding reserved liquid 1 Tbsp at a time until the desired consistency is achieved. 

Spoon the hummus to a serving dish.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cumin and paprika.  Serve with pita, veggies or chips.

The Review:
I made this to enjoy with lunch.  I almost sat down with the entire batch and a spoon...it's that good...

Homemade pitas to follow!

Roasted Green Beans

Every week I've been treated to huge bags of fresh green beans.  These are our veggie of choice when preparing a last minute meal, but even we cant keep up.  I've take to blanching and freezing most of the fresh green lovelies within a day after getting them.  I'd say we're pretty well stocked for the winter.

But we can't forget to enjoy some of the bounty at it peak of freshness.  This preparation was wonderfully simple and quick to throw togther.

recipe courtesy of Driftless Organics

serves 4-6

The Ingredients:
1½  lb. green beans, trimmed
2 Tbsp olive
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
Zest and juice of 1 small lemon

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 450.  Place a large sheet pan in .  Toss beans in oil and sprinkle with salt, and pepper. pepper.  When the sheet pan is hot remove, from oven and slide the oiled beans onto it in an even layer.  Return tot he oven and roast for about 5-7 minutes, or until beans are starting to caramelize on the outside.

 Immediately stir in garlic and lemon zest.  Drizzle with lemon juice right before serving.

The Review:
Have I mentioned oven roasting makes everything better?

The original recipe called for a generous dousing of Parmesan cheese.  I did not have fresh Parmesan on hand...only the sad green shaker of preservative laden topping.  Rather than sully the wonderfully fresh flavor and caramelized glory of this simple preparation, I nixed the cheese.

The salt and pepper added just enough extra flavor...the lemon juice just a touch of brightness. 

Oven roasted...must remember to do this more often...

Moroccan Grilled Eggplant and Squash

Need a few new ideas for all of those zucchini and eggplant bursting forth from the garden this time of year?  Prepare to heat up the grill!

 

recipe courtesy of Driftless Organics

serves 4


The Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/3” thick rounds
1 large summer squash, sliced lengthwise into ¼” thick planks 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
1 Tbsp lemon juice 
1 Tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp ground cumin 
½ tsp Hungarian paprika 
1 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped 
 Salt and pepper to taste

The Process:
Brush the eggplant and zucchini with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Grill or broil over high heat until soft and slightly charred, about 5-7 minutes per side.  Allow to cool slightly.   Chop coarsely and toss with remaining ingredients.

 Serve warm or room temperature with crusty bread or toasted pita.

The Review:
 I enjoyed this dish for several days of lunch.  Broiled or grilled, the eggplant didn't have the bitter or slightly slimy characteristics some unfairly pin on it.  Garden fresh and on the smaller end, the eggplants I used were almost sweet. 

The fresh garlic, paired with herbs and cumin was a huge hit (while for me anyway...I am a bit heavy handed on the garlic...I'm sure a few of my co-workers may have had an objection).

Perhaps a squirt more lemon next time around...

Carrots with Garlic and Cilantro

Carrots, carrots carrots.  Enjoyed raw with dip.  Oven-roasted.  Stir-fried.  Brown sugar glazed. Tossed into soups, fried rice or casseroles.  It is a vegetable we go through a lot of in this household.   Thanks to our CSA, we now have another simple method of preparing this bright orange jewels.

recipe courtesy of Driftless Organics

serves 4

The Ingredients:
2 lbs carrots
Salt & pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped


The Process:
Clean the carrots and slice on the bias into 1/2-inch pieces.

Add the carrots to a medium saucepan with just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer the carrots until almost tender, about 8 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Continue to cook another 6-8 minutes uncovered, until liquid is reduced.  Drain any remaining liquid.  Toss carrots with garlic, oil, and  lemon juice.  Cook another minute.  Stir in cilantro and serve warm.

The Review:
Simple. A little over cooked...but I  fault the cook, not the recipe.  I adored the bite of fresh garlic and crispness of the lemon on top of the carrots' natural sweetness.  The cilantro I would not have missed much.  I suspect the recipe would be equally as tasty with another herb sprinkle.  

Chilled Cilantro Green Bean Salad with Almonds

East meets West in this lovely cold green bean salad.  With the scortching hot days we've been having, I've little desire to stand around in my kitchen.  Perhaps I'd have a different view if the overworked window unit actually had any affect in our house on days like this.  But until the luxury of central air is added to our home, I've little choice but to endure the heat.


One of the joys of this salad is the short amount of time needed over a heating element.  Only a quick blanch in boiling water.  Toss with the other ingredients and serve. Think of is as a chilled green beans almondine with a ginger sot dressing and generous helping of cilantro.  Asian-influenced green beans?  Ginger-soy dressings? I do seem to repeat myself, don't I?

recipe courtesy of NPR

serves 4-6

The Ingredients:
1 lb slender green beans

1 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
2-3 scallions, finely sliced on the diagonal (use both white and green parts)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

for the dressing:
2 inch piece of fresh ginger,  minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar


1 teaspoon soy sauce

The Process:
Wash the green beans and trim away the stem ends

Prep an extra large bowl or the basin of the sink with cold water and 1-2 dozen ice cubes.   Set a colander near at hand.

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.  Once the water comes to a rolling boil, add the beans and cook briefly: 1 or 2 minutes for thin haricots, 4 or 5 minutes for more mature beans.  Once the beans turn vibrant green but are still firm, drain quickly into a colander.  Immediately submerge the colander into the ice bath to shock the green beans, preventing them from cooking further.   Agitate them briefly to evenly chill (about a minute). Remove the colander from the ice bath and allow to drain. 

Once the beans have drained, slice them on the diagonally into 1  to 1-1/2 inch pieces

To prepare the dressing, pound the ginger and garlic into a paste using a mortar and pestle.  Or mince them together as finely as you can, and mash with the side of a chef's knife or the back of a spoon.   Add to a large bowl and whisk in the oil, vinegar,and soy sauce.. Add the blanched beans, scallions and cilantro; toss to coat. Sprinkle with almonds.  Serve chilled or room temperature.

The Review:
After many a hot green bean dish, this salad was a treat.  Slightly blanched beans are incredibly sweet and still hold onto their amazing crispness.  Too often have I bit into an overcooked bean and lamented the lack of that pleasant snap.  Watch them carefully...green beans, particularly thin fresh ones, take little more than a blink of an eye to cook.

Another concern...toss the beans only immediatley before serving.  I learned this the hard way from a three bean salad.  Three hours after prepping the salad, the taste was still fresh and fragrant, but the green beans had turned a unappetizing shade of olive from soaking too long in the vinegar.  Lesson learned.

This salad did not last long at all.  I hope yours is equally as successful!

Spaghetti with Rainbow Chard

For a quick and light weekend lunch, pasta is always near at hand in our household (I really should consider making some pasta from scratch one of these days.)  Thankfully tomato sauce isn't the only option available to the hungry eater.  This veggie and garlic topping was was inspired by the beautiful bunch of rainbow chard that came in the CSA box 

the recipe is my own 

serves 3-4


The Ingredients:
8 oz uncooked whole wheat spaghetti
2 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 green onions, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1 Tbsp fresh basil, minced
1 bunch of rainbow chard, stems and leaves separated
salt and pepper to taste
splash of red wine
Parmesan cheese (optional)

The Process:
Cook the pasta al dente, according to package directions.  Drain and set aside

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the garlic and onions.  Saute until the garlic is fragrant and tender, about 2-3 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, parsley, and  basil and cook until the tomatoes begin to break down.  Stir in the chard stems, simmering until tender.  Add a splash of wine and season with salt and pepper.   Add the chopped chard leaves and stir until wilted.

Toss with pasta.  Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve hot.

The Review:
This may not become a fast favorite for spaghetti...or greens for that matter.  But this prepartion was a refreshing change of pace for both.  How freeing not to have to rely on red sauce for pasta.  And plain greens sauteed with garlic...so dull after a while.  The humbrum and routine can really bring a person down.

The vibrancy of the chard stems truly is a pick-me-up here...and the colors did not diminish in cooking. Beautiful deep greens; glowing pinks. yellows and oranges.  All kissed with the bright red from the tomatoes.  Next time around I'd likely use a squeeze of lemon juice instead of that splash of wine.  A touch more garlic and ground pepper may be in order as well.

The leaves of this particular batch of chard were on the larger side.  As a result the greens were a bit tougher and more bitter than I would have liked.  But I nit pick.  Spinach, kale, or greens of the mustard, turnip or collard variety would probably work equally as well.

Arugula and Garlic Scape Pesto

Enough with the arugula, please!  Every week for the past month we've been blessed with an incredibly large bag of the peppery greens.  But there's only some much of it I can handle!  Our farm has promised this to be the last bunch (for a while, if not for the season).  The ridiculously hot and dry weather that part of the state has been dealing with resulted in the arugula all coming ready far before expected.

This batch, this possible last bundle, was full of large mature leaves even more fragrant then baby greens we'd been treated to earlier.  Taking the farm's suggestion, I turned this last bunch into a pesto. 

recipe courtesy of Driftless Organics

yields about 2 cups

The Ingredients:
1 cup garlic scapes  cut into 1" pieces
 2 cups chopped arugula, lightly packed
1/2 cup almonds, toasted
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

The Process:
Combine everything but the oil in a food processor and pulse into a coarse paste. Add oil in a thin stream while the processor is going. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week or freeze.

The Review:
Now that you have that bright green concoction, how do you use it?  First I tried a spoonful and was wowed by how the usually subtle flavor of the scapes came forward.

Next we tired is tossed with pasta.  A little bit of pesto went a very long way.  The flavor was bright and grassy...rounded out with the rich, but not overwhelming garlic.


How else?  Straight up with fresh veggies.  Not bad...but the strong flavor of the pesto was a bit much for the delicate red pepper and snap peas.  WAY too peppery served with raw radish, but worth the try.

Spread on buttered bread and broiled?  Amazing.

Mixed with a bit of cream cheese and scooped up with celery...a much better alternative with raw veggies than served straight up.

So many ways...so many things to try.

I'm a little disappointed I didn't start making pesto with the arugula earlier!