Seasonal Recipes
And then the delicious dilemma… whether from a farmer’s market, a local natural food store or this week’s CSA produce…
Links to popular recipe websites
| Allrecipes | Vegetarian Times |
| Epicurious | cooking.com |
| RecipeLand | IVU World Vegfest |
| VegWeb | The Vegetarian Resource Group |
| FATFREE | Vegetarian Society |
| ifood.tv |
Our own tried and true recipes!
White Beans with Sautéed Kale
Kale often puts some CSA members in a quandary. Good news – the Red Kale is the mildest (albeit, not the best keeper) of the kales – in the brassica family – think of it as a flat broccoli! Recent studies also show that it’ll cure you of almost everything – but you’ve got to eat it! The key is cooking until tender and if you’re using the stalks, to cook them longer. Keep kale under refrigeration in a plastic bag with slight moisture – use in 4 – 5 days. You can chop kale into 1” strips and steam it – serving as a side dish or with a little soy sauce, vinegar or butter, salt and pepper. It makes a great spinach substitute in cooked dishes – like lasagna or soups. There’s even one fantastic recipe by Mollie Katzen for “kale crisps” that calls for baking at high heat, with a light oil coating, on a cookie sheet. Below is apprentice Matthew’s choice for the recipe of the week. This is comfort food at it’s healthiest. Enjoy! Serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as a main course.
2 Tbl Olive Oil
1 large Onion
2 large cloves Garlic
1 bunch Kale, chopped, destemmed
3 cups cooked or canned White Beans (Cannellini, Great Northern, Navy)
2 tbsp. fresh Sage
1 tbsp. fresh Oregano or 1 tsp. dried
Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion & cook for five minutes. Increase heat too medium high, & add kale in batches, tossing until wilted and bright green, 2-4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low & add beans, sage, oregano, pepper flakes, salt, & pepper. Cook, stirring often until heated through. Serve warm.
BASIL: Basic Pesto
This is the most simple yet the most wonderful sauce ever created, it can used on pizza, rice, pasta, potatoes, grilled veggies, pretty much everything.
Bunch of basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Walnuts
Olive oil (Extra Virgin preferred)
Lemon zest and juice
Combine all the ingredients, except for the basil, in a food processor work until a fine paste is created. Last put the basil in and work until mixed through. May have to adjust amounts to personal tastes. Adding the basil last helps the sauce keep its color longer. Great ways to store it is freezing it or keeping a bit in the fridge for later use with a layer of oil on top to prevent oxidization.
Basil is best kept like flowers, with a fresh cut on the stems in a vase of water on your kitchen counter out of direct sun or sometimes in the fridge with the leaves covered. It can turn black if your refrigerator is very cold however so find the method that works best in your conditions. It is a delicate leaf so really use as soon as possible, for it doesn’t last long after cut and the sooner it’s used the more flavor it imparts. Enjoy!
Cilantro – In Spicy Potatoes
Recipe from a lovely cookbook: The Organic Gourmet by Barbara Kahn
Arturo made this South Indian recipe for a sunny afternoon lunch on the deck and it was a hit. A great way to use a whole lot of cilantro. If you don’t have all the below ingredients, it lends itself to a little improv. The cooking of the herb ameliorates its flavor quite a bit.
4 medium size Potatoes
1 Tbl. Clarified Butter (Ghee)
½ tsp Mustard Seeds
2 med Onions chopped
1/8 tsp Asafoetida (opt.)
2 tsp. fresh chopped Ginger
3 cloves Garlic minced
½ tsp. ground Cumin
½ tsp ground Cayenne
½ cup chopped Cilantro (or more!)
1 Jalapeno Pepper, chopped
1 tsp Salt, or to taste
Cut potatoes into quarters and steam for 15 minutes until tender. Heat butter in a cast iron skillet. Add mustard seeds and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the potatoes, and sauté for one minute. Dice the potatoes. Add to the onion mixture, stir and sauté for another 5 minutes. The recipe is intended to be served over dosas (or rice/lentil pancakes) which are folded over the potatoes like a tortilla and dipped into the following:
Coconut Chutney: Puree the following ingredients, except for the cilantro, which is mixed in at the end.
2 Cups chopped Coconut (fresh is nice)
½ Cup Water or Coconut Milk
3 Tbl. Lemon or Lime Juice
½ tsp Salt
½ cup chopped Cilantro
1 Jalapeno Pepper, chopped finely
1 cup Yogurt
1 tsp fresh Ginger, grated
1 Tbl Honey
NEW POTATOES: Potato-Arugula Salad
New potatoes are as versatile as cured potatoes, however their fresh, sweet, creamy taste is best experienced the simple ways ( roasted with olive oil, salt & pepper, and herbs de provence). The following recipe comes from Tomato Blessings & Radish Teachings by Edward Espe Brown. *Refrigerate new ones if not used within 2-3 days. And it’s important not to scrub very hard when rinsing and eat the peels they are delicious!
2 lbs. New potatoes
4 shallots, very thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tblsp. Dijon mustard
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 Tblsp. Balsamic vinegar
½ cup olive oil
½ lb. Arugula
Lightly wash potatoes and cook in boiling, salted water for 6- 8 minutes until tender. Drain the potatoes; toss with the vinaigrette. Let cool for 20-30 minutes, and then toss with arugula, adjust seasoning, and serve. Enjoy!
Beet, Radish and Carrot Salad over Greens
These roots combine nicely and keep really well under refrigeration in a bag or container with slight moisture.
2 Med Beets
2 Large Carrots, sliced on the diagonal
½ Bunch Radishes, sliced into rounds
¼ lb. Arugula or Baby Greens
½ cup Walnut pieces
3 Tbl Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tsp Dijon Mustard
1 Garlic Clove, minced
½ Cup Walnut Oil
Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Cut Beets into ½ inch wedges and steam until tender and place into small bowl. Place carrots and radishes into medium sized bowl with greens. Roast the walnuts and chop into ¼ inch pieces, set aside. In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, mustard and garlic. Add the oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly to emulsify. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Toss beets with 2 tablespoons of dressing. Pour remaining dressing over carrots/ radish combo. Divide into individual salads and arrange some beets on each portion. Sprinkle with walnuts and serve.
Fennel: Sautéed with Bread Crumbs
Oh so good! From Moosewood Restaurant New Classics …
This bulb could be a new item for some folks. It’s wonderful licorice-like flavor is nice just chopped up in salads. You can even use the light hair like leaves off the stalks as a salad garnish. Goes great on the grill with other veggies and is called for in many soups and cooked dishes.
2 Fennel bulbs
2 Tbl Olive Oil
3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 tsp ground Fennel Seed
1 tsp Salt
3 Tbl Water
Cut tops off but reserve small fronds for garnish. Slice fennel lengthwise into narrow wedges. In a skillet sauté the oil, garlic, and fennel seed. Stir in fennel and salt and sauté for 1-2 min. Add water and cover simmer for 10-15 min., until tender. Meanwhile make a seasoned bread crumb topping. When fennel tender add the bread crumbs and stir until golden and crunchy. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese and fennel fronds over top.
Storage tip: Best stored in the fridge in a bag – keeps for a week or more.
For Fennel & Beets…
Recipe modified from Katzen’s Vegetable Heaven
OK, we know some of you are stock piling those beet bottoms and have never tried fennel – so here’s a nice summer salad that addresses both these quandaries. Fennel and Beets are excellent keepers – so they’re not going anywhere in your fridge unless you try ‘em!
Orange, Beet and Fennel Salad
1 bunch Beet Balls (Roots!)
6 Oranges
¼ cup Raspberry Vinegar
½ tsp Salt
1 –2 tsp Garlic, minced
1 Fennel bulb, thinly sliced
Finely minced Fennel Tops for garnish
Preheat oven 375 degrees and bake whole beets wrapped in foil until easily pierced with a fork (about 1 hr.). Set aside to cool. (If you’re in a hurry, another way to cook them would be to steam them already cut in ½ rounds until tender- maybe 15 min?) Meanwhile, use a medium sized serrated knife to cut the peel from the oranges, then section the oranges into a bowl to catch all the juice. (Just cut with a sawing motion along the membranes to release the sections.) Squeeze the remaining juice into the bowl, and discard the membranes. When beets are cooled, cut them into ½ moon slices if you baked them. Transfer beets to the bowlful of oranges, add the vinegar, salt, and garlic. Stir gently until well combined. Add the sliced fennel and stir again. Cover tightly and chill until serving time. Serve topped with a light sprinkling of minced fennel tops.
Winter Squash on Pizza
This is a delicious recipe to prepare with your favorite winter squash. Good ones are butternut, buttercup, and sweet dumpling. This pizza is quite rich in flavor. It is good served as an appetizer. – Cara
1 pound Winter Squash
¼ cup mozzarella cheese, grated
¼ cup greyere cheese, grated
Olive oil
12 sprigs of parsley
20 sage leaves
One lemon half
2 garlic cloves
Salt and pepper
Pre-made pizza dough
Preheat oven to 400°. Cut squash in half, remove skin only if it is a thick skinned squash like buttercups. Cut into strips or pieces. Brush pieces with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast on a baking sheet until lightly browned and tender (about 40 minutes until fork is easily inserted).
Peel and chop garlic. Combine with about ¼ cup olive oil. Turn oven to 450° when the squash is done. Roll out dough and brush with olive oil and garlic. Sprinkle cheeses and arrange cooked squash pieces on the dough. Bake for ten minutes, or until the cheese melts.
Chop parsley. Fry sage in olive oil. Drain on towel. Garnish pizza with sage, parsley, and a squeeze of lemon.
Storage Tip: If kept cool and dry, squash will keep for months. Will stay fresh at room temperature for about one month.
Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing
Recipe from “Vegetarian Times”
Just because you prefer to hold the anchovies doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy one of America’s favorite salads. This recipe holds the flavor and texture of the real thing without the animal products or calories.
2 Tbs. blanched and ground almonds
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
3 Tbs. Dijon mustard
3 Tbs. nutritional yeast flakes
2 Tbs. soy sauce
3 Tbs. lemon juice
¼ c. water
1 Tbs. Extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
Just a reminder: please give your salad mix a 2nd rinse at home, spin or pat dry, and store in the ice-box in a plastic bag, not compacted.
GREEN BEANS: WITH CITRUS BUTTER SAUCE
The citrus and butter give a sense of both light and rich to the crisp and elegant green bean. These are wonderful on a summer evening with a nice pinot gris. – Matthew
1 pound Green Beans, trimmed
1 Tbl. Olive Oil
1 Tbl. grated Orange Peel
2 tsp. grated Lemon Peel
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup Veggie Stock or water
2 Tbl. (1/4 stick) butter
Cook beans in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain well. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add orange peel, lemon peel, and garlic and stir 1 minute. Add broth and simmer 1 minute. Add butter and beans. Toss until beans are heated through and sauce coats beans, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve. Serves 4.
Storage Tip: Beans do well for days if kept dry in a plastic bag. Some moisture however can cause early spoilage. People usually don’t have any trouble using these babies up real soon though.