Thayer in the Kitchen

This is a good recipe to make now in the winter season.  The indoor farmers' market in Madison has sweet potatoes available from Don's Produce.  Gitt Organics now offers packages of homemade whole wheat and white tortillas at the market as well.  They are perfect for this recipe. 1 1/2# of sweet potatoes 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic (Penzey's is good) 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 tablespoons lime juice 1-15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 cup corn kernels (defrost frozen) 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt 6 whole wheat tortillas Optional fillings: 1/2 cup chopped green or ripe olives (I used about 1/4 cup stuffed green olives) 3/4-1 cup shredded Cheddar or Mexican type cheese (actually almost any cheese will work fine) 1 cup chopped tomatoes (I put these on top of the cooked burritos 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (I mixed this with the tomatoes) Bake or microwave the sweet potatoes until tender.  400...

This is recipe that appeared in our local newspaper, The Isthmus.  It was one of the prize winners in a local Food for Thought Recipe Contest sponsored by REAP.  The recipe was created by Claire Taylor of Madison, Wisconsin. Its a tasty way to use kohlrabi, a vegetable that you will probably find in your CSA box if you belong to a farm.  Latkes: 1 medium sized kohlrabi 1 large or 2 smaller beets (either red or golden work well) 1 small onion 1 egg, beaten 2-3 tablespoons flour salt and pepper oil for cooking the latkes Sauce: 1/2 cup sour cream 1 1/2 tablespoons prepared horseradish 1 scallion, chopped pinch of salt Mix sauce ingredients in a bowl. Peel kohlrabi, beets and onion.  Coarsely grate the vegetables.  Place in strainer and press out excess liquid (I didn't really have any).  Mix the vegetables with the egg, flour and salt and pepper.  Heat oil in a large skillet.  Spoon about 1/3 cup of the mixture into the...

A remoulade is a condiment similar to tartar sauce.  What is not typical is the use of an apple in the sauce.  One does not usually think of fish and apples.  However this sauce served with the tilapia which is a very mild, easily acquired, sustainable fish, works well and is a tasty change from the typical toppings served with fish. 2 tablespoon country Dijon mustard 1/4 cup mayonnaise (light is OK, just not far free) 1 tart apple, peeled, cored and chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon capers Put the apples and celery in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.  Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse a couple of times to combine. 1 1/2 lbs. tilapia fillets Dust the fish with flour on both sides to aid in browning. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil (not olive) in a pan.  Add the fish and cook until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, probably about 2-3 minutes per side.  Do not overcook the f...

I have already posted a beet salad recipe but this one is a little different, extremeley easy and delicious. 1# beets, red or golden 1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp. sunflower-seed oil 2 oz. goat cheese coarse ground black pepper Salad greens Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Wrap beets in foil.  Roast until tender, about 1 hour.  Cool slightly; remove foil.  Rub off or peel skins; cut into thin wedges.  Toss with nuts and vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add oil; toss.  Spoon over salad greens.  Crumble goat cheese on top. Note:  In the Madison WI area Driftless Organics and Cherokee Bison make some great sunflower seed oil that they sell at the farmers market. Adapted from Self.com