Thayer in the Kitchen

This was a recipe that came in our JenEhr Family Farm newsletter.  I made cauliflower potato curry on Saturday for dinner.  It was very good, but I didn't post the recipe because it was on a scrap of paper that I seem to have misplaced.  Anyway I served the curry with this riata.  Its a sweet and cool and a nice contrast to a spicy curry dish, plus another good way to use radishes.  1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and seeded 1 cup diced radishes (small dice) 3/4 cup plain low fat yogurt 2 tablespoons golden raisins, chopped * 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Frank's) Grate cucumber into a medium bowl.  Add radishes and remaining ingredients, stir gently to combine.  Cover and chill 2 hours or overnight (if you have time--if not just eat it).  * I didn't have golden raisins and used regular raisins.  I think any dried fruit woul...

This is a recipe that was originally in a Penzey's catalogue.  For those of you that don't have a local Penzey's--all I can say is how very sad!  You can also buy their products online, but then you don't have the fun of roaming around the store and sniffing all the spices and blends.  This is a link to their online store:  http://www.penzeys.com/   The catalogue frequently has some very good recipes.  My friend tried this tomato recipe and recommended it.  I never got around to trying it, but this is the time of the year to do it.  Plus this summer we have had tons of wonderful tomatoes.  Last week I bought 20# of tomatoes from a local natural food store.  He was selling his organic tomatoes for $1.00 per pound.  I thought that was a great price.  Of course, then you get home and have to do something with them.  I experimented making different tomato sauces and freezing them.  It will be wonderful to have thes...

I am always looking for good ways to incorporate radishes into our menu.  We are not big fans of raw radishes, but cooked ones are just fine.  This dish was a successs.  Arthur loves risotto and liked the addition of the radishes and greens.  2 bunches radishes with green tops 5 cups chicken stock 1 tablespoon butter 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 large clove finely chopped garlic 11/2 cups arborio rice salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup freshly grated Romano cheese 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese Note:  I substituted 1/2 cup or a little more of Asiago cheese from one of our local Wisconsin cheese makers, Edelweiss Creamery.    Optional: 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint (I didn't use this because I didn't find the idea until I saw it used in another version of the recipe, but I think it would be a good addition) Separate the greens from the radishes. Wash and spin-dry the greens in a salad spinner. Coarsely ch...

I served this iced tea last night to guests for dinner and everyone really liked it.  Either make ahead or have plenty of ice on hand.   4 tea bags 10 sprigs of fresh mint you can also use a stem of lemon verbena if its available 5 cups boiling water 1/2 cup sugar 3 cups boiling water 2/3 cups fresh lemon juice 1/3 cup fresh orange juice Put tea bags, mint and 5 cups of boiling water in a large covered container.  Let sit for 30 minutes.  Mix sugar and 3 cups boiling water and stir until sugar is dissolved.  Add lemon and organge juices.  Remove tea bags and add the sugar-juice mixture to tea mixture.  You can leave the mint/lemon verbena to steep.  Refrigerate until ready to drink.  Remove leaves and serve over ice. 

We have been somewhat ambivalent about kohlrabli, but when I tried this recipe, we ate all our veggies and liked them!  2 kohlrablis (about 1 pound or whatever you have) 1/2 tablespoon olive oil Seasoned salt and pepper to taste Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Spray a rimmed baking pan with pan spray. Peel the tough outer skin from the kohlrabli bulbs.  Cut into 3/4 inch cubes or strips (like French fries).  Toss with the olive oil and seasonings.  Turn them every 10 minutes so they brown evenly.  Bake for 30 minutes or until tender.  Adapted from Donna's Recipes on Channel 3000.com

I rarely have enough jalapenos that I need to make any sort of recipe with them, but this time I did.  These make a great appetizer. 1 link chorizo, casings removed (I bought mine from Jordandal Farms, a local Dane County farmer) 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion 1 egg 1/4 cup cream cheese 2 tablespoon sour cream 1/2 tablespoon Frank's hot sauce (or to taste) Salt & pepper 10 large jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded & halved lengthwise Preheat oven to 375 degrees Brown chorizo and onion in a skillet.  Drain and add to a bowl with beaten egg, cream cheese, sour cream, & hot sauce.  Press filling into jalapeno halves.  Place on a flat baking sheet that you've sprayed with pan spray.  Bake until golden & bubbly and peppers are tender.  20-30 minutes. 

I seem to be on a tomatoes and feta cheese kick, but they do pair together so well. 4 large fresh tomatoes, cored and wedged (preferably either home-grown or from a farmers' market) 1 ripe avocado, peeled and chopped 1/4 cup plain yogurt 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 garlic clove, minced 3 green onions, thinly sliced 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried) Pepper to taste 3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled Mix yogurt & other ingredients together except tomatoes, avocado and feta together.  Pour over the tomatoes and avocado.  Let stand for a few minutes if you can to let flavors blend.  Top with feta cheese.  Adapted from Recipezaar.com

This recipe makes an excellent dish for brunch.  I made it this morning when we got home from the farmers' market.  We got lovely tomatoes in our CSA box as well as basil.  I have mint growing in pots on my deck.  The finished dish was very pretty to look at and I'm sorry I didn't take a picture, but we were hungry.  Try it yourself and see what I mean! 6 eggs Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint 3-4 chopped green onions 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled 1 medium-large tomato, sliced Preheat the broiler.  Beat the eggs with the water, salt, pepper, herbs and green onions.  Use a large ovenproof skillet and heat the olive oil.  Pour in the egg mixture and cook for 4-5 minutes.  Lift the edges of the omelet and let the runny part flow over the edge of the eggs to cook.  Its OK if the omelet isn't completely cooked on t...

I love fried rice, but I don't think the fried rice you get from your Chinese take-away is very heatlhy.  This recipe is for a healthy version that will also help you use up your napa cabbage if you happen to have some.  If you have leftovers, it makes a great lunch the next day. Canola or peanut oil (about 6 tablespoons) 1 medium onion 1 stalk celery 1" piece of ginger, minced small head of napa cabbage, finely sliced 2 (or 1 large) clove of garlic, minced 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined 3 eggs, lightly beaten 4 cups cooked long grain brown rice, preferably made the day before and chilled 1 cup frozen peas 3 tablespoons soy sauce 3-4 green onions, sliced for garnish 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, for garnish Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wok or a large nonstick skillet. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the onions, celery, and the ginger, and stir-fry for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the cabbage and stir-fry until the cabbage is wilted ...

This sorrel soup has a little different twist, but we thought it was very tasty.  I also like this soup because with the addition of the eggs, it has a fair amount of protein. 1/2 lb sorrel (more sorrel would be OK) 1 onion 4 cups beef broth (chicken broth would be fine too) 4 tablespoons flour 2 cups milk 2 eggs 1 tablespoon butter 2 medium sized potatoes 4 hard boiled egg   Grate potatoes.  Bring beef broth to a boil. Add grated potatoes, finely chopped onion and chopped sorrel. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender Add the flour to the milk.  Maker sure there are no lumps. Pour into the soup and cook until thickened a bit. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add butter Pour in beaten eggs in a stream and stir into the soup.  They should mix in completely and help to make a smooth, slightly thicker soup.   Serve over sliced hard boiled eggs.

This is a delicious easy to make summer soup with tons of great flavor. 1 cup finely chopped onion 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 3-4 cloves garlic, minced 28 ounces canned, crushed tomatoes, preferably organic 1- 1 1/2 cups water 3 cups fresh corn kernels cut from the cob, or 3 cups frozen sweet corn, preferably organic Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 cup finely chopped fresh basil (this has to be fresh--if it isn't available skip the soup until you have some) 1. Saute the onions in the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat until they just begin to brown. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute, stirring constantly. 2. Pour in the tomatoes and cook covered for abut 5 minutes. 3. Add the water and corn to the soup and cook until the corn is soft and the kernels lose their raw taste, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the basil, mix well, remove from heat, and serve immediately.   Adapted from Dr. Weil.co...