Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Grapefruit Pork Chop Casserole

Several people have emailed asking for dishes that include meat. So this is our inaugural meat recipes. Our focus will remain vegeterian with just a few meat options now and then. If you are intersted in something particular please let me know.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon salad oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 onion, chopped
6 loin pork chops, about 3/4 inch thick
1 1/2 cups fresh grapefruit juice
6 cups shredded green cabbage
2 apples, cored, pared and diced
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
2 grapefruit, peeled and sectioned

Instructions:
Heat oil in skillet. Add onion and cook until tender. Add chops and brown on both sides, about 20 minutes. Remove to four quart casserole. Add cabbage. Sprinkle with caraway seeds, salt, sugar and juice. Top with apples; cover and bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Add grapefruit sections and bake 5 minutes longer.

Grapefruit Vinaigrette Dressing

1 cup fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
1/3 cup vinegar
4 tablespoons water
2 garlic cloves; crushed
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon parsley sprigs
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper


Place all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake until well mixed. Store in refrigerator.

Quinoa Egg Bake

This is very forgiving, you can toss whatever vegetables you have into it, I suggest chopping up the musrooms and adding them as well as the chervil.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
8 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups Mizuna ( or other greens) roughly chopped
1 cup finely shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese


Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch x 8-inch glass or metal baking dish with butter; set aside. Put quinoa into a fine mesh strainer and rinse until cold running water until water runs clear; drain well. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper and quinoa. Stir in spinach then pour mixture into prepared dish. Cover tightly with foil then jiggle dish gently from side to side so that quinoa settles on the bottom in an even layer. Bake until just set, about 45 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle top evenly with cheese. Return to oven and bake, uncovered, until golden brown and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes more. Set aside to let cool briefly, then slice and serve.

Turnup and Parsnip Veggie Chili

Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
2 tbsp oil
3 zucchinis, chopped
1 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
3 parsnips, diced
2 turnips, diced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 14 ounce cans beans
1 14 ounce cans diced tomatoes
2 4.5 ounce cans tomato paste
1/2 cup white wine
2 tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper, or to taste

Instructions:
n a large soup or stock pot, sautee the onion in oil for 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the vegetables and cook, stirring frequently for a few more minutes.
Add remaining ingredients and bring to a slow simmer. Cover and allow to cook for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Soba Noodles with Mizuna and Carrots

Ingredients:
2 cups Mizuna leaves, washed, stemmed, and chopped
2 carrots, cut into diagonal slices
4 thinly sliced scallions, white and green parts
½ cup of thinly sliced black radish (you can use any kind of radish)
2 cups of cooked Soba noodles
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
1 tsp ground ginger
1 clove minced garlic
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame seeds

Instructions:
Combine mizuna, carrots, scallions and noodles in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine garlic, ginger, oil, and soy sauce. Whisk together and pour over noodles. Top with sesame seeds.

Friday, February 27, 2009

Cheddar-Broccoli Millet Pie

Made this the other day and thought I would share. Got it from Mother Earth News (http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/Whole-Grain-Millet-Recipes.aspx?page=3). I thought it would be bland, but it was REALLY good! The only changes I made were to put more veggies (use up those carrots!) than called for and add a little feta cheese.
It is like a very tasty (and filling) quiche! Enjoy!

From CSA Member Alexa

A pile of grains under a stir-fry or stew is great, but if you're tired of that presentation, try this pie. Grains, veggies and some protein are all baked into a pretty wedge of golden goodness — easy to eat or pack in a lunch.

Ingredients:
2 cups onion, chopped
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup millet
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried thyme
1 medium carrot, chopped
3 cups broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 large eggs
Olive oil for pan

Instructions:
Heat a 2-quart heavy saucepan over medium-high heat for a few seconds, then add the oil. Add the onions and sauté, lowering the heat as they soften. Cook until golden and sweet. Add the millet and stir, cooking until the grains are hot to the touch and fragrant. Add the stock, salt, thyme and carrot, and bring to a boil. Cover tightly and lower heat to the lowest setting. Cook for 30 minutes, then quickly add broccoli to the pan, cover again, and let stand for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff, let cool.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, stir the millet with the cheese and eggs and scrape into greased pie pan. Bake for 45 minutes, until golden on top and firm to the touch. Slice and serve warm. Serves 6.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Beets and Carrots with West Indian Spices

1 pound beets (about 4 medium)
1 pound carrots, sliced
2 tablespoons grated fresh gingerroot
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup cider vinegar
Grated zest of 1 orange
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon mace

Wash the beets well and cut off the leaves, leaving an inch or so of stem. Cover with cold water, bring to a boil and simmer, covered until tender, about 40 minutes. Drain and cover with cool or lukewarm water. When cool enough to handle, slip off the skins. Cut the beets into slices or chunks. Peel and cut the carrots into slices or chunks, resemling the beets in size and style. Steam or boil in lightly salted water about 5 minutes or until tender but not soft. Drain. Combine the ginger, sugar, orange juice, vinegar, orange zest and spices in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook until thickened. Simmer the cooked beets and carrots in this sauce for about 5 minutes. You can also roast them, and steam and add any beat tops you like.

Spanish Fritatta - Adapted from Splendid Table

1 medium to large potato, sliced thin
olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced into thin rings
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon mild Spanish paprika, or mild or hot Spanish smoked paprika (pimenton de la vera)6 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1 cup fresh-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, Asiago, or Fontinella cheese
1 cup shredded Muenster or Monterey Jack cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Film a 10-inch skillet (with an ovenproof handle) with oil, and heat over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes, onions, and a little salt and pepper. Sauté until the potatoes are tender. Remove skillet from the heat. Stir in the garlic then sprinkle the potatoes with the paprika.2. In a bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and 2/3 cup of each of the cheeses. Pour the mixture over the sauteed potatoes. Sprinkle with the remaining cheeses, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out with only a few bits of creamy egg and cheese clinging to it. Let the omelet stand for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting it into wedges.

LYNNE'S TIPS: Think of this recipe as a general idea and improvise. Use cooked greens like spinach and chard instead of all or part of the potato. Or before cooking the vegetables, saute several slices of good bacon or pancetta in the skillet until barely browned. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Discard the fat in the pan and proceed with the rest of the recipe. Add the bacon to the egg mixture before pouring it over the potatoes

Friday, February 20, 2009

Carrot and Orange Salad

From CSA Member Michele Macomber, who writes "This is one of those dishes that will be gone by the time you clear the table, and you can make it all with stuff from our winter CSA!"

4-5 carrots, grated
1 large fresh orange, segmented and sliced
handful toasted slivered almonds
2 dates, sliced up fine
splash of cider vinegar to taste

Toss everything together, serve within an hour. Notes: Cider vinegar should not dominate, so add a tiny bit at a time.If your orange is on the dry side, add a squeeze of orange juice as well, maybe 2T or so.

Parsnip Fries

Wash, clean and cut parsnips into "chips" or "fry" shapes.
Drizzle with oil of choice.
Bake at 375 till golden brown.
Sprinkle liberally with salt, pepper and chopped parsley.

Felicia's Kasha Burgers

From CSA Member Julie, she writes "the buckwheat we just got is so so so good in this recipe. it's from _vegetarian planet_ cookbook - p. 375"

3 T (ish) butter/oil
3 c onions
3 c chopped flavorful mushrooms (i used dried soaked in water overnight)
2/3 c white wine
2 c water
1 1/2 t dry thyme
1/2 t dry sage
3 T soysaucepepper
1 c kasha
3 T flour - i used close to 1/2 a cup, i think)

saute onions in butter ~ 10 minutes
add mushrooms. saute 2 more minutes
add wine, water, thyme, sage, soy sauce, pepper, kasha. high heat - boil . cover, low simmer 15 minutes
let cool 10 minutes. add flour -- should be sticky.
now the mix can be refrigerated 3ish days - or used immediately
fry in oil - in more than you think you need on each side for 4 minutes.
serve with thanksgiving leftovers - for us that means pumpkin soup, greens, mac and cheese, cranberry orange chutney, salad, bbq tofu, and borsht.

Lentil-and-Rice Pilaf with Caramelized Onions

From CSA member Lori Kulik

Makes 4 servings (I doubled the recipe with no problems)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 14 oz cans vegetable broth
3/4 cup dried green lentils, rinsed and picked over
3/4 cup long-grain brown basmati ricesalt and pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, sliced - for carmalizing

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, garlic, and spices and saute until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add broth, lentils, and rice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice and lentils are tender, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 more tablespoons olive oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions and saute, stirring often, until caramelized, about 25 minutes.
When pilaf is finished, season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer pilaf to serving dish and top with caramelized onions.

Yogurt Cake

1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup oil
3 eggs vanilla
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda

mix the first four ingredients. Blend in sugar. Add flour and soda8 inch pan. 350 degrees for 30 minutes

Turnip Pickles

From CSA Member Michael Zisk

Cut turnips into thick slices or sticks and stuff them into jars with tight fitting lids. You can throw in a beet slice too, which will make the pickles pink. We also sometimes put in whole garlic cloves, but they're really not needed.

In a non-reactive pot (glass, enamel or stainless steel) boil the following until the salt and sugar are dissolved:
1 1/4 cups water
2/3 cups vinegar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar

Cool, then pour over the turnips in the jar. Cover the jar tightly.Store them in the refrigerator. They are ready to eat in a week. When the next round of turnips come in the following Wednesday, we just slice them up and add them to the same jar, and it just keeps us going with a steady supply of these goodies.

In Search of a Decadent Pumpkin Recipe?


If you are in search of decadent pumpkin recipe you just found it. This would work in smaller pumpkins as an individual dish or in a larger pumpkin as an appetizer. Or really anyway you want to use it, it is delicious.

Ingredients:
1) Sugar pumpkin
2) Cheese
3) Bread
4) Moistening agent - I am calling it this because you can use whatever you like, broth, cream, milk, wine, anything with flavor
5) herb that you like with cheese - examples nutmeg, smoked paprika, cayenne, garlic, really whatever works for you.

Preparation:

Cut the top off of the pumpkin and dig out the innards, reserving seeds for drying and making a snack (recipe to follow).

Grate your cheese of choice. It is nice to mix two cheeses, I would suggest gruyere and Asiago, or really anything a bit mild that melts well. A cheddar like cheese would drown out the pumpkin.

Cut your bread into slices and toast it.

Heat up your liquid, adding salt pepper and your spice.

Put layers of bread and then cheese until the pumpkin is full to the top. Pour your liquid into the pumpkin, you want the bread moist but not swimming in liquid.

Put the top back on and bake at 400 degrees for about an hour.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Winter Squash Casserole (Cooking Light)

Brought to us by CSA Member Marianne Toussaint
10 cups butternut squash - cut into 1 inch.
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup fresh OJ
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons brandy
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dried currants
cooking spray
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons chopped pecans
1. Preheat over to 400
2. Arrange squash piece in a single layer on a helly roll pan. Drizzle with oil, stirring to coat. Bake at 400 for 1 hr and 20 minutes or until squash is tender and beginning to brown, stirring every 20 minutes.
3. Transfer squash to bowl. Add jiuce, sugar, brandy, 1 tablespoon of butter, cinnamon, and salt. Mash mixture with a potato masher until combined and fairly smooth. Stir in currants. Scrape squash mixture into an 8 in square baking dish coated with cooking spray.
4. Cobine flours in a small bowl; cut in 2 tablespoons of chilled butter with a pasty blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle pecan mixture evenly over squash mixture.
5. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated and topping begins to brown. Serve warm.
Yield: 8 servings (3/4 cup ea)

Glazed Parsnips, Carrots, and Pearl Onions (Cooking Light)

Brought to us by CSA Member Marianne Toussaint

*Add more water, 1/4 cup at a time, if needed to make veggies tender
3 1/2 cups (1/4 inch) diagonally cut carrot
2 cups (1/4 in) diagonally cut parsnip
2 cups frozen pearl onions (about 10 ounces)
1 cup water
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 T sugar
1 1/2 T butter
1 T white wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1. Combine all ingredients in a large nonstick skillet; bring to a boil.
2. Cook 12 minutes or until vegetables are tender and liquid is slightly syrupy, stirring frequently.

Autumn Vegetable Medley (from Cooking Light)

Brought to us by CSA Member Marianne Toussaint

1 (9 ounce) fennel bulb with stalks
2 cups (1/2 inch) cubed, peeled butternut squash
1 1/2 cups (1 in thick) slices parsnip
1 1/2 cup (1 in thick) slices carrot
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Dash of freshly grated nutmeg
Cooking spray
1/3 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese (optional)
* this calls for fresh herbs but I use dried herbs that I already have and it tastes great
1. Preheat over at 425
2. Trim tough outer leaves from fennel. Cut fennel bulb in half lengthwise; discard core. Cut each half into three wedges. Combine fennel, squash, and next 7 ingredients (through nutmeg) in a large shallow roasting pan coated with cooking spray.
3. Bake at 425 for 35 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Sprinkle vegetable mixture with cheese, if desired.
Yield: 6 servings (3/4 cup serving size)

Ethiopian Grain Loaf (Leslie's blog - Organic Gourmet Lifestyle)

Sweet potatoes and collards cooked with teff, herbs and spices make a robust loaf with a beautiful mosaic pattern.

Serves 8

3 1/2 cups thinly sliced yams/sweet potatoes (you may have to play with the quantity to get texture and density you prefer
3 cups water
1 cup teff
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped leeks
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon cumin seed
2 cups coarsely chopped collard greens (you may want to play with how coarse/fine you chop the collards)
½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

1. Put yam, water, teff, and sea salt in a 4 quart stockpot. Bring ingredients to a boil and reduce heat to low and simmer for total of 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat a 10-inch fry pan over medium heat. Add oil, leeks, fennel and cumin seed, sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until fragrant.
3. Add collard greens, and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes, or until collards are bright green.
4. Add collards and spices to simmering yams and teff.
5. When all the water is absorbed, turn off the heat. Stir in basil and cilantro.
6. Adjust the seasonings, if desired.
7. Pour into a loaf pan. Let stand for about a half hour, or until solid like a brownie.
8. Slice, and serve.

From CSA member Marika Torok

Stir-fry of Napa Cabbage and Carrots (from Joy of Cooking)

Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add and stir-fry for a few seconds, but do not allow garlic to brown:
1 tablespoon of peanut or vegetable oil (I used coconut oil)
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 tablespoon of minced, peeled fresh ginger

Add and stir-fry for 3 minutes:
8 ounces carrots, shredded

Then add and stir-fry until the cabbage is tender, about 3 more minutes:
1 medium-large head Napa cabbage (about 2 pounds), rinsed and thinly sliced. (I took off the outer layers of the Chinese cabbage we got with the CSA, washed it and sliced it thinly in my food processor and used the whole thing for this recipe. It cooks way down.)

Add and stir well to mix:
2 tablespoons soy sauce (tamari)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon chili paste or 1/4 red pepper flakes (optional)

Serve immediately, sprinkled with:
Minced fresh cilantro or parsley

Recipe and Notes from Rebecca Haines
__._,_.___

Peppers w/Almonds (from Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions)

Ingredients:
3 red peppers, seeded and cut into strips (don't worry about the pepper color, use what you have)
2 green peppers, seeded and cut into strips
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup crispy almond slivers (I used toasted sliced almonds)
1/2 cup raisins
1 teaspoon honey (I used maple syrup)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
sea salt and pepper.

Instructions:
Saute the peppers in olive oil until tender. Meanwhile, dissolve honey in vinegar over a low flame. Add raisins and vinegar-honey mixture of peppers and boil down until most of the liquid is evaporated. Stir in almonds and season taste. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Recipe and notes by CSA member Rebecca Haines

Herb Broth

Ingredients:
3 quarts water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
20 flat-leaf parsley sprigs

20 sage leaves
12 thyme sprigs
4 bay leaves
4 whole cloves
2 whole garlic heads, cloves separated and crushed
1 onion, sliced

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 30 minutes. Strain mixture through a cheesecloth-lined sieve, reserving broth. Discard solids.

Note: Broth may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for 6 months. Freeze in ice cube trays or 1-cup freezer containers for easy measuring.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Roasted Parsnip Soup

Ingredients:
2 pounds parsnips, peeled and woody core removed
2 pears, peeled and cut into eighths
1 small yellow or white onion, peeled and cut into eighths
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 1/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 1/4 cups low-fat milk

Instructions:
1. Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 450°F. 2. Toss parsnips, pears, onion, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper in a roasting pan. Roast, stirring every 10 minutes, until very soft and starting to brown, about 40 minutes. 3. Meanwhile, boil vinegar in a small saucepan until syrupy and reduced to about 1/4 cup, 10 to 14 minutes. (Watch the syrup carefully during the last few minutes of reducing to prevent burning.) Remove from the heat.4. Puree half of the parsnip mixture with broth in a blender until very smooth; transfer to a large saucepan. Puree the other half with milk until very smooth. Add to the saucepan and stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Reheat the soup over medium heat, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Gently reheat the balsamic syrup if it has become thicker than syrup while standing. Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with the balsamic syrup.

From Eat Well Magazine

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Squash Puree

To make squash puree, halve and seed one medium acorn or butternut squash. Place, cut-side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven until soft, about 50 minutes. Cool, then scrape out the flesh with a fork or spoon.

You can use this right away or freeze it. Defrost before you use it. The squash will seperate and just mix it back together.

Stir this into soups to thicken broth, use it in place of pureed pumpkin in desserts, add it to bean or meatloafs, and you can even mix it into your favorite mac and cheese recipe.

Squash Tea Bread

Ingredients
⅔ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole-wheat pastry flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
¾ cup squash puree (See post on making Squash puree)
½ cup sugar
¼ cup honey
¼ cup canola oil
1 large egg 1 egg white

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, allspice and cloves in a medium bowl until combined.
Beat squash puree, sugar, honey and oil in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in egg and egg white. Turn off the mixer, add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until combined. Scrape into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake the bread until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes more. Serve warm.

Adapted Eatwell magazine