Thayer in the Kitchen

Loaded Parsnip Mashed Potatoes Recipe

2012-01-20T16:52:00.000-06:00

This is a great winter comfort food recipe for a combination of mashed potatoes and parsnips with some tasty additions. Its a really easy recipe with a great return on your investment of time.

1 1/2# pototes, peeled or not as you prefer (6 small)
1# parsnips (3 medium), peeled and cut into chuncks
1/2 cup 1/2 & 1/2 or milk
3 tablspoons butter
1/2 cup sour cream (optional, but tasty)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
4 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
2 tablespoons chopped chives (or parsley if chives are not available)
Salt and pepper to taste

Place potatoes and parsnips in a large pot. Cover with salted water and cook until fork tender. Drain. Add half-and-half and the butter to the pot and stir until butter is melted. Return hot drained potatoes and parsnips to the pot and mash, leaving some small chunks for texture. Stir in Cheddar cheese, bacon, and chives. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Adapted from About.com Home Cooking

Beet & Yogurt Salad

2012-01-09T18:11:00.000-06:00

We still have some of the vegetables left from our fall/winter CSA storage share. I've been keeping them in the special green produce storage bags. I bought some at our local food co-op (Willy Street) and then ordered more on line. I'm not sure of the brand name, but they really do help to keep produce fresher longer. I have found that they collect a lot of moisture so I usually add a paper towel to the bag with the produce. Has anyone else tried them? If so, what do you think?

Some of the vegetables we have left are beets. This is a very good salad using beets. Kind of like pickled beets with some extra pizazz.

4 medium size beets or about 1#, roasted and peeled
1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (or whatever kind you have available)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large clove garlic or 2 small
salt & peeper to taste
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
2 or more tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Roast the beets, peel and cut in slices or wedges. Stir together the vinegar, sugar, olive oil and salt and pepper. Toss with the warm beets and allow to marinate for 2-3 hours at room temperature.
Chop the garlic in small food processor or put through a garlic press. Combine with the yogurt and 1/2 the dill. Add salt & pepper to taste. Add the leftover beet marinade to the yogurt dressing to taste.
Make a bed of salad greens, top with the beets, top with the yogurt dressing. Top with additional dill. There is probably enough yogurt dressing that you won't need anything else.

In season, mint could be substituted for the dill.

Adapted from a New York Times recipe

Sweet & Sour Braised Red Cabbage with Apples & Onions

2011-12-17T22:40:00.000-06:00

This was adapted from a recipe of Wolfgang Puck's that I found in the Chicago Tribune a number of years ago. Finding myself with a red cabbage from our CSA farm I decided to try the recipe. Arthur really liked it a lot and said I should post it. He's probably hoping that I'll make it again next season with a red cabbage. I divided the recipe in half and it still makes a lot.

2 tablespoons oil
1 small to medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 apples, preferably tart, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup each red wine and orange juice
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 pounds red cabbage, quartered, cored and thinly sliced. I found this easy to do in food processor.

Heat the oil and add the onion. Cook until translucent. Sprinkle in the brown sugar; cook until it is melted and starts to caramelize. Add the apples and stir to combine with the onions and sugar. Add the vinegar. Stir in the wine, orange juice, cinnamon stick and ginger. Season with salt and pepper. Heat the liquid to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer briskly 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cabbage and simmer covered for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally. If there is too much liquid at the end, uncover the pan and let some of liquid cook off. This can also be cooked in a 350 degree oven instead of on top of the stove. Check to make sure the cabbage is very tender and if not continue to cook. The dish can be made a day ahead and reheated.

Sweet Potato Pear Soup

2011-12-17T22:06:00.000-06:00

This is a great soup that uses local seasonal ingredients (mostly) and is easy as well as delicious.

1 tablespoon oil
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 - 1 cup chopped celery
3 cups (about) sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups (about) ripe pears, cored and cubed (no need to peel) I used pears from Future Fruit
3-4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (depending on how thick you like your soup)
1/4-1/2 cup dry sherry or vermouth (optional but tasty)
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Plain yogurt or sour cream (optional)
Thin slices of pear as a garnish for the soup
Chopped fresh parsley if you have any

Heat the oil and saute the onions and celery until tender but not brown (about 10 minutes). Add the sweet potatoes, pears, broth, sherry, cinnamon stick, orange zest, thyme and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 30-35 minutes or until the sweet potatoes and pears are tender. Remove the cinnamon stick.

Using either an immersion blender or food processor, puree the soup until smooth. Check seasonings.

Serve the soup with thin slices of pear and some yogurt or sour cream. You can sprinkle with chopped parsley if you wish.

Cranberry, Orange Walnut Scones

2011-12-14T13:31:00.000-06:00

I went to a tea party Sunday afternoon and brought these scones. I think they may be some of the best that I've every made. Naturally I tweaked the original recipe.

2 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter (has to be butter)
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup walnuts
1-2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel
3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the dry ingredients in your food processor, except for the sugar. Add the butter. Pulse on and off until butter is the size of peas. Pour the mixture into a large bowl. Put the cranberries and sugar in the processor and pulse on and off until coarsely chopped. Add the chopped cranberries, walnuts and orange zest to the dry ingredients. Add the buttermilk and stir until the dough comes together. Gather into a ball and knead 6-8 times. Add a bit of flour if it is too sticky. Cut into 2 pieces. Flatter each piece into a circle about 7 inches in diameter. Cut each circle into 8 wedges using a pizza cutter dipped in flour or a sharp knife. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned. You can paint the scones with a little cream or beaten egg and sprinkle with baker's sugar as a little extra if you choose. Remove the scones to wire racks to cool.

The original recipe had a recipe for orange butter which I didn't make, but sounded good.
3/4 cup of butter
1/4 cup of chopped cranberries
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange peel

Combine ingredients. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Let it come to room temperature so it is easy to spread.

Adapted from allrecipes.com

Lemon Rosemary Zucchini Bread

2011-11-27T14:16:00.001-06:00

This is another excellent recipe from one of my favorite food blogs, Simply Recipes. I highly recommend you check out Elise Bauer's blog. This recipe is a good way to use zucchini with a little different twist, which is the addition of rosemary and lemon to the bread.

3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary (not the dried rosemary)
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
1/4 cup olive oil or sunflower seed oil
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp lemon zest
3 cups grated zucchini (from about 1 pound of zucchini)

1 Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare two small loaf pans, either coating with butter or spraying with baking spray.
2 In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and rosemary.
3 Beat the eggs in a mixer (or by hand) until frothy. Beat in the sugar. Beat in the melted butter and oil. Stir in the lemon zest and grated zucchini.
4 Add the dry ingredients to the wet, a third at a time, stirring after each addition.
5 Divide batter into two loaf pans. Bake in a 350°F oven for 45 to 50 minutes. Test after 40 minutes. A cake tester should come out clean.
6 Remove from the oven. Let cool for a few minutes and then remove the loaves from their pans to cool on a rack.

Adapted from Simply Recipes.com

2 Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes

2011-11-26T23:15:00.000-06:00

My sister originally made her Thanksgiving mashed potatoes using this recipe and it has become a family favorite in both parts of the country. We typically spend Thanksgiving with one of my adult children and their families. I am almost always asked to bring this recipe for Do Ahead Mashed Potatoes. You can obviously make a smaller quantity, but we all like to have some to take home as leftovers to go with the turkey.

5 lbs. of peeled potatoes, cut in chunks
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup green onions (scallions), chopped fine including some of the green tops
1/2 cup minced celery
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Cook potatoes in boiling salted water until tender. As the potatoes are cooking, saute green onions, celery and parsley in the butter in a medium skillet until tender. Drain potatoes and return pan to low heat. Mash potatoes and add the cream cheese and sour cream. Add butter and cooked vegetables. If you want the potatoes especially fluffy, use an electric mixer to finish combining all the ingredients. Spoon into a large buttered casserole. Dot with the remaining butter and sprinkle with paprika. Bake in 375 degree oven for 25 minutes or until heated through and the top is golden.

You can also make them the day before and reheat before serving. They will need to be heated for a longer period of time at 350 degrees.

Adapted from Miriam B. Loo's Holiday Cookbook (Current)

Another family favorite is Edith's Cranberry Apple Pie or as my daughter-in-law, Jenny, says her second most favorite pie (her first is cherry).

Pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie. This is one that I like a lot. This recipe is taken from an online article by by Jean Sutherland with Lynn Siprelle, entitled Making the Perfect Pie Crust. http://www.thenewhomemaker.com/piecrust. It is worth reading the entire article, but I'm going to enter the recipe here just in case the article ever disappears.

Deluxe Butter Double Pie Crust
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut in small pieces
1/4 cup shortening
6 to 8 tablespoons ice cold water

Chill your fat and water!
Cut your fat into small pieces and add to your measured flour, salt and sugar. Cut the fat in quickly, either with a pastry cutter or by pulsing in a food processor. Your mixture should resemble coarse meal. They should be no larger than pea-sized.
Slowly add the water--just drizzle it in--and watch closely as you work it in with the edge of a spatula or continue pulsing. It should still look dry. Grab some with your hand and squeeze. Did it hold together? Than you have enough water. If it didn't, or you're not sure, add a little more and mix quickly. Test again.

Divide the dough in half to make single crust amounts. Wrap the dough up by placing a portion of it on a piece of plastic wrap. Using the wrap, instead of your hands, push the dough into a flat disk. Refrigerate this for an hour or more.
By making a flat disk at this point you make it a little easier to roll out. Sometimes dough gets too hard in the refrigerator. If this happens, let it warm up a little (15 or 20 minutes) on the counter before you roll it out.

Pie Filling
4 cups of tart apples, pared, cored and sliced
2 cups fresh whole cranberries
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon apple pie spice (or cinnamon & nutmeg)
2 tablespoons butter

Note you can use a couple of pears in with the apples. I tried this and it works well.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare pasty. In a large bowl, stir together sugar, flour and spice. Add apples and cranberries, mix well to coat the fruit. Turn into pastry lined pie pan. I use a 9" deep dish Pyrex pan. Dot with butter. Cover with top crust. Cut slits in crust, seal and flute edges; or prepare lattice crust. (I make the lattice crust but it isn't necessary.) Brush the top crust with either beaten egg or cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar (if available). I also use a pie shield so I don' t have to worry about the edges of the crust getting overdone. Bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees on the lowest shelf of the oven. Lower the heat to 350 degrees. Put the pie on middle shelf and continue baking until apples are tender--about 40-45 minutes. Cool before slicing.

Watermelon & Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese

2011-11-26T22:01:00.000-06:00

This is definitely out of season here in Wisconsin, but it was such a wonderful and easy salad that I don't want to lose it. MACSAC (Madison Area CSA Coalition) is working on a new cookbook. I submitted this recipe for consideration, but I've decided to put it on my blog just in case it isn't selected.

2/3 bunch of arugula or about 4 oz.
2-3 cups of watermelon chunks (try to remove as many of the seeds as possible)
2 oz. goat cheese (I used a lovely cheese made by DreamFarm. The flavor was apricot lavender and is offered seasonally)
1/4 cup pecan pieces
2 tablespoons or to taste of Annie's Pomegranate Vinaigrette Dressing

Tear the arugula and place on a large plate or platter. Top with the watermelon chunks, goat cheese and pecans. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve immediately.

Adapted from SOS Cuisine.com

Fried Green Tomatoes

2011-11-26T17:00:00.000-06:00

I discovered after visiting Paula Deen's restaurant in Savannah that I love fried green tomatoes. They are actually quite easy to make yourself and are a good use for tomatoes that don't ripen before frost sets in. This recipe is adapted from Simply Recipes http://simplyrecipes.com/. Its a wonderful food blog with excellent recipes. You might want to check out this recipe on her blog to see a yummy picture of what the tomatoes should look like when they are finished.

3 firm green tomatoes
Salt
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon Cajun or Creole seasoning
1/2 cup buttermilk or milk
1 egg
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
vegetable oil for frying

Cut unpeeled tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Sprinkle slices with salt. Let tomato slices stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place in separate shallow bowls: the flour and Cajun seasoning (if using), buttermilk and egg, and bread crumbs and cornmeal.

Heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat. Beat the egg and the buttermilk together. Dip tomato slices in the flour-seasoning mix, then buttermilk-egg mixture, then the cornmeal-bread crumb mix. In the skillet, fry half of the coated tomato slices at a time, for 3-5 minutes on each side or until brown. Set the cooked tomatoes on paper towels to drain. These are fantastic with Frank's Hot Sauce.

Chipotle Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

2011-11-26T16:45:00.000-06:00

Who knew that plain old grilled cheese sandwiches could be so tasty!

4 slices bread
2 teaspoons chipotle chili (or more if you like your food quite spicy)
5 ounces shredded or sliced cheese--any variety you prefer. I used Monterey Jack
1 tomato, sliced
A few thin slices of red onion
Coarsely chopped cilantro--as much as you like
Soft butter to brown the sandwiches

Spread each piece of bread with a thin coating of pureed chilies. Cover bottom slice with a layer of cheese, tomato and onion slices and as much cilantro as you like. Top with second slice of bread and butter it. Place sandwich, butter side down in skillet. Spread top piece of bread with butter and cook sandwich slowly. Covering pan will help melt the cheese by the time bread is crisped and golden.

Adapted from RecipeLand.com

4 slices bread white or wheat
2 teaspoons chipotle chili pureed*
5 ounces cheese shredded or thinly sliced
1 each tomato ripe, sliced
1 each red onion thinly sliced
1 x cilantro leaves coarsely chopped*
1 x butter soft*
Snipped from: http://recipeland.com/recipe/v/Chipotle-Grilled-Cheese-32339

Zucchini-Cheese Pancakes

2011-11-26T16:27:00.001-06:00

This recipe is out of season now, but save it for next summer when you are inundated with zucchini or summer squash. Besides being a good way to use up zucchini, it is another way to serve vegetables for breakfast. I find this somewhat challenging, but am always on the lookout for possibilites. Vegetables are good for you any time of the day, plus if you have a CSA share you need to find as many ways and as many meals as possible to use up the "bounty in your box."

4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2/3 cup chopped chives or scallions; about 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and chopped
2 teaspoons salt, to taste
1 teaspoon dried basil*
1 teaspoon dried oregano*
4 cups coarsely grated zucchini
1 3/4 cups unbleached flour
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, Cheddar, Monterey Jack or other cheese (or a combination--whatever you have on hand will work fine)
*Substitute fresh herbs if available, just use a little more.

1) Preheat a griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat; if you have an electric griddle, set the heat to 375°F.
2) Beat the eggs with the oil, salt, and pepper until thoroughly combined.
3) Add the herbs, scallions, zucchini, and cheese, stirring to combine.
4) Stir in the flour.
5) Grease the hot griddle lightly. Drop the batter in 1/4 cupfuls onto the griddle. If necessary, spread the cakes to about 3 1/2" to 4" diameter.
6) Cook the cakes for 3 minutes, or until they're brown on the bottom, and bubbles have appeared on their tops. The top surface will appear somewhat dry and set.
7) Flip the cakes, and cook them for about 3 to 4 minutes on the second side, or until they're as moist/cooked as you like when you break one open.
8) Repeat until you've used all of the batter.
9) Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream.
10) They are good leftover too, so make the whole batch.
Adapted from King Arthur Flour.com

Butternut Squash, Apple, Leek & Potato Gratin

2011-11-25T22:35:00.000-06:00

This is a wonderful dish incorporating a number of winter/fall type vegetables. It takes some time to prepare but the results make it worthwhile.

For the topping:

1-1/2 cups coarse fresh breadcrumbs
2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
Kosher salt
3 oz. (3/4 cup) grated sharp Cheddar
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

For the gratin:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, plus 1/2 tsp. for the dish
2 cups sliced leeks (white and light green parts of 3 medium leeks), thoroughly washed Kosher salt
2/3 cup plus 3 Tbs. apple cider
1/2 cup plus 3 Tbs. heavy cream
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
2 crisp, firm apples, (about 14 oz. total), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
12 oz. butternut squash or other winter squash
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (12 oz. total) or whatever kind of potatoes you have

Make the topping:

Combine the crumbs, melted butter, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Mix in the Cheddar and thyme.

Prepare the gratin:

Heat the oven to 350°F. Rub a shallow 2-quart dish with 1/2 tsp. of the butter.
Melt the 2 Tbs. butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until well softened and lightly browned (the pan will be dry), 10 to 15 minutes. Add 2/3 cup of the cider and simmer for 2 minutes to reduce it slightly. Add 1/2 cup of the cream, the chopped thyme, a pinch of salt, a few grinds of pepper, and stir well; set aside.
Cook the apples: In a large nonstick skillet, melt the remaining 2 Tbs. butter over medium heat. Turn the heat to medium high, add the apple slices, and cook, gently flipping and stirring, until most of the slices are browned and limp but not falling apart, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining 3 Tbs. cream and 3 Tbs. cider. Stir and let the liquids reduce slightly for a few seconds; remove from the heat.

Assemble and bake the gratin:

Peel the squash, cut it into quarters lengthwise, and cut them across into thin slices. Peel the potatoes, cut them in half, and cut them across into thin slices. In a large bowl, combine the squash slices, the potato slices, the leek mixture, the apple mixture (scrape the pans well), and a scant 2 tsp. salt. Using a rubber spatula, mix gently but thoroughly. Scrape the mixture into the prepared gratin dish, smoothing and pressing until evenly distributed. Cover with the breadcrumb topping.
Bake until the crust is deep golden brown, and the crust is dark brown around the edges, about 1 hour. Let rest for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Adapted from Fine Cooking.com

Root Vegetable and Mushroom Casserole with Rosemary Biscuit Topping

2011-11-11T18:13:00.000-06:00

This is a recipe I found on the Blue Moon Community Farm website. Most of us that belong to CSA farms typically find ourselves with lots of root vegetables at this time of the year. Roasted root vegetables are great, but I'm always looking for other ideas as well. This isn't a recipe that can be prepared very quickly unless you spread it out over two nights. I made a couple of adaptations to the recipe and can report that it is delicous. Really what takes the most time is prepping the vegetables.

Filling

•6 cups water or chicken browth
•2 tablespoons chicken bouillon base (if you used water)
•7 Cups Root vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, winter radishes, rutabaga, carrots, winter squash, parsnips)
•1 ounces dried mushrooms, rinsed
•3 tablespoons butter
•2 cups chopped onions (really!) I'm sure you could also use a combination of onions & leeks
1/2 # coarsley sliced fresh mushrooms
•4 large garlic cloves, chopped
•1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary (or a pinch dried)
•1/2 cup all purpose flour
•1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
•2 tablespoons cooking Sherry
•1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley (or 1 Tb dried)

Biscuits

•2 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
•1 tablespoon baking powder
•2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary (or ½ tsp dried)
•1 teaspoon salt
•6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced
•1 1/3 cups (or more) chilled buttermilk

Directions

Filling
•Bring 6 cups water and bouillon base to boil in large pot over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve bouillon. Add root vegetables and dreid mushrooms. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain into a colander over a bowl, reserving both broth and vegetables. If your pieces of dried mushrooms are too large, cut them up.
•Melt butter in same pot over medium heat. Add onions; sauté until beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Mix in fresh mushrooms, garlic and rosemary; stir 2 minutes. Add flour; stir 1 minute. The mixture will be very thick. Gradually whisk in reserved broth. Cook until sauce is thick and reduced to 4 cups, whisking often, about 10-15 minutes. Add cream and sherry. Mix in reserved vegetables and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer filling to buttered 13x9x2-inch baking dish.

While the sauce is cooking (before adding vegetables) you can make up the biscuit dough and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Biscuits
•Pulse first 4 ingredients in food processor to blend. Add butter. Pulse on and off until mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually add 1 1/3 cups buttermilk. Process only until dough starts to come together and is completely moistened. Add more buttermilk if dough is too dry. Mine did not need anymore.
•Drop biscuit dough atop hot filling by heaping tablespoonfuls; sprinkle with pepper. Bake uncovered until tester inserted into center of biscuits comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

The combination of vegetables I used was potatoes, butternut squash, parsnips, carrots, white turnips and some small radishes.

Chicken and Cabbage Salad with Fresh Mint

2011-11-03T13:26:00.000-05:00

I'm working my way through a very large head of Savoy cabbage. Arthur is not a fan of cabbage salad or coleslaw but voted this one to be delicious and worth making again as well as posting it.

2 cups of cooked chicken, chopped or shredded *
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup very thinly sliced onion
1/4 cup fresh mint
1/4 cup cilantro
4 cups finely shredded green, savoy, or napa cabbage
¾ cup shredded carrots
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped roasted and salted peanuts (optional)

*I often buy a whole roast chicken at Whole Foods or Willy Street Coop to use for recipes like this. Whole Foods puts theirs on sale on Tuesday for $2.00 less than it usually is.

Combine the lime juice, fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, and pepper in a medium bowl, and stir to dissolve the sugar and mix everything well. Add the onion and toss to coat. Set aside for 20 to 30 minutes, until you are ready to complete the dish.

Coarsely chop the mint and cilantro. Add the shredded chicken, cabbage, carrots, mint, and cilantro to the bowl of onions and seasonings and toss to coat everything well. Mound the salad on a serving plate and top with chopped peanuts. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Apple Pancakes

2011-10-30T21:33:00.000-05:00

During the fall here in Wisconsin, apples are in abundance. We belong to a fruit CSA and get wonderful organic apples and pears. I like to try to incorporate my CSA produce into breakfasts as well as dinners.

One of the problems that I have found with apple pancakes is that the apples don't cook and remain crunchy. In this recipe you grate the apples which takes care of the problem. The pancakes are good served with apple butter or maple syrup. They are also tasty with cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top.

1/4 cup butter, melted
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded apple (no need to peel)
1 1/4 cups unbleached flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar

Combine the butter, egg, milk and apple. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and sugar in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the apple mixture. Stir just until combined--a few lumps are OK.

Heat a griddle and oil or spray it. Use about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. Brown on both sides.

Chicken & Peppers in a Tangy Sauce

2011-10-30T21:22:00.000-05:00

Its time to catch up and post some of the recipes I tried during the CSA season and didn't have a chance to enter. I only post recipes that I have tried, adapted and enjoyed. You are spared the ones that didn't work.

This was a good recipe to use sweet peppers which we got a lot of this season.

1 large onion (about 1 cup), coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 large red or yellow peppers, diced
1 small hot pepper, minced
1# - 1 1/2# boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1# can diced tomatoes (you can substituted 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes if available)
1 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1 1# can navy beans or canellini beans
salt & pepper to taste

Heat the oil. Brown the chicken. Remove the chicken from the pan. Add a bit more oil if needed. Saute onions and peppers. Add the garlic and hot pepper. Next add the diced tomatoes, orange juice, maple syrup, raisins and oregano. Cook the mixture 2-3 minutes. Put the chicken and any juices back into the pan. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Drain and rinse the beans. Add them to the mixture and cook for an additional 15 minutes, covered. Remove the lid if the dish is too "soupy."

Serve with rice or couscous.

Adapted from SOS Cuisine

Italian Pepper & Egg Sandwiches

2011-08-30T20:34:00.000-05:00

From: Almost Italian; Recipes and Stories from the ‘Little Italy’ Communities Across America:
Italian-Americans have long enjoyed pepper and egg sandwiches on Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. In Chicago’s Italian-American community, pepper and egg sandwiches enliven meatless Fridays throughout the entire Lenten period. Not quite a fritatta, a pepper and egg sandwich is the combination of garlic, bell peppers, and onion, sautéed in olive oil until the peppers are wilted. Beaten eggs are added, and the whole mixture cooked until the eggs are done. The peppers and eggs are served inside French or Italian bread or rolls.

I am not a big fan of green peppers, but when they arrive in your CSA box you need to find a way to use them. This is one of the staples that I make every season. They are good to eat and simple to make.

1 or 2 Tbs. olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes
1 Medium onion, thinly sliced
1 large green pepper, thinly sliced
4 eggs, beaten
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 Loaf Italian bread
Preparation:
Heat a pan over medium heat then add enough olive oil to cover the bottom. Add the garlic and the crushed red pepper and sauté for a minute or two. Add the onion and peppers and cook until the peppers and onions have softened.

Raise the heat to medium-high and add the beaten eggs. Stir to combine with the onions and peppers and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggs are set.

Slice the bread lengthwise without cutting all the way through. When the eggs are done, gently slide them onto the bread to make a sandwich and cut the loaf into four portions.

Creamy Cucumber Soup

2011-08-29T16:04:00.000-05:00

This is another recipe we borrowed from Blue Moon Community Farm. It is a wonderful way to use a bunch of cucumbers. A challenge many of us are dealing with at this time of the year (August). In this recipe the cucumbers are cooked which is rather unusual, but its yummy and easy. Try it!

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
4 cups peeled, seeded and thinly slice cucumbers, divided
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 avocado, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt

Heat oil, add garlic and onion. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Add lemon juice and cook for 1 minute. Add 3 3/4 cups of cucumber slices, broth, salt and pepper and cayenne. Bring soup to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer for about 8 minutes or until the cucumbers are soft.

Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor. Add the avocado and parsley. Blend on low speed until smooth. You could also use an immersion blender. Stir in yogurt, but don't cook after doing so. Top the soup with the remaining cucumber and serve with additional parsley if you wish. It is good warm or cold.

I think the avocado is essential to help give the soup a creamy texture and richness.

Fennel & Sausage Risotto

2011-08-29T15:50:00.000-05:00

This is a delicious recipe for risotto which is one of our favorite dishes. Plus it uses fennel which is a bit unusual to find in risotto.

1 pound bulk Italian sausage, if you can't buy it in bulk remove the casings
1 large fennel or 2-3 small ones, halved, cored and thinly sliced
1 quart chicken broth
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

Brown sausage. I find a potato masher helps to break up the clumps of meat. Add the fennel. Cook until softened and slightly browned. Add a little olive oil if needed.

Bring the chicken broth to a simmer and keep warm.

In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion, cooking until softened. Add the rice and cook for about 1 minute to coat with the oil. Add the wine to the rice and cook until the wine is absorbed. Add 1 cup of broth to the rice and stir until broth is nearly absorbed. Continue adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time. It is not necessary to stir constantly but watch it closely and give it a stir now and then so you will know when to add more broth. The rice is done when it is al dente and the sauce is thick and creamy, about 20-25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the sausage and fennel along with the cheese, butter and parsley.

Adapted from Blue Moon Community Farm

Pasta with Summer Squash & Ricotta

2011-08-06T17:50:00.000-05:00

Mario Batali is promoting once a week meatless meals. I liked the recipe but felt it needed a bit of tweaking. Since I decided to add chicken sausages, I no longer had a meatless meal, but it was a tasty easy one and helped use a lot of our summer squash.

2 cups fresh ricotta
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1⁄2-1 cup freshly grated Parmigiana, plus extra for serving
2 to 3 tablespoons pasta water, more if needed
2 pounds summer squash or zucchini, or a combination, cut lengthwise in half and
sliced into 1⁄3-inch-thick half-moons
sea salt
1 pound penne or other pasta, whole wheat pasta works fine in this dish
6 tablespoons or more to taste coarsely chopped fresh mint
Coarsely ground black pepper
Optional, but a good addition: 1# fully cooked chicken sausages, any flavor you like, sliced.

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add 1 tablespoon kosher salt.
Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until just al dente. Drain the pasta. Meanwhile, whisk the ricotta and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil together in a small bowl. Add the Parmigiana, whisking until it is evenly incorporated. Whisk in 1/4-1/3 cup of the pasta water until it has a somewhat saucelike consistency.
Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the squash and cook, stirring, until just tender and golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the sliced sausage if using and heat until warm. Remove from the heat.
Add the pasta to the squash, stirring and tossing over medium heat to mix well. Cover, reduce the heat to low and allow to steam together for 2 minutes. Add the ricotta mixture. Stir in the mint, season with pepper and salt, if necessary and transfer the pasta to a serving bowl. Serve with additional grated Parmigiana on the side.

Our Veggies Runneth Over!

2011-07-23T23:45:00.000-05:00

We picked up our CSA box of vegetables on this lovely Saturday morning. After our heat last week, it was wonderful to be able to go outside and not feel like you were walking into an oven. Next we went to the Westside farmers' market in Madison. Its a great place to be able to fill in some of the gaps in your "box." I purchased candy onions as well as another interesting variety (forgot the name) from Blue Moon Community Farm. Kristen has an excellent website with some wonderful recipes. A friend is a member of her CSA and has shared her recipes over the years. Now Kristen has many of them posted so you can all try and enjoy them. http://www.bluemooncommunityfarm.com/recipes/. We stopped to buy tomatoes from Real Food farms from Athens Wisconsin. They are a certified organic farm that is able to offer tomatoes earlier than many other farmers because they practice "tunnel farming" or hoop houses. If you're interested in learning more about it, check out this interesting article: http://simplegoodandtasty.com/2010/05/25/tunnel-farming. The farm grows as many 50 different varieties of heirloom tomatoes. Visit their stand if you have a chance when you are at the Westside Market.

I'll discuss more of our favorite vendors in another post, but I couldn't finish without telling you about Honeybee Bakery. Mary specializes in organic whole grains, farm fresh dairy, and seasonally available fruits in her tasty treats. http://honeybeebakery.org/. This morning we bought a loaf of sourdough seeded bread, a cheddar biscuit, and a shortbread apricot bar. My daughter-in-law's absolute favorite treat of Mary's is her lemon shortbread cookies filled with lemon curd. They sell out quickly.

In our box today we got 5 ears of corn-on-the-cob. You can be sure that we had that for supper. It was very sweet and tender. Next I made a great salad with lettuce from our farm, some thinly sliced red onion, blueberries, goat cheese feta and toasted pecans with Annie's Pomegranate Vinaigrette. Our next course was Parsnip, Potato Fish Chowder. I've posted this recipe earlier.

This was a very bountiful box. We also got zucchini and summer squash, broccoli, cauliflower, a Sweetheart cabbage, cucumbers, parsley, fresh garlic, carrots, a Cippolini onion and some celery. In my opinion, Wisconsin farmers should skip the celery. There are a too many leaves and some tough skinny stalks. I have not become a convert. All the other vegetables look perfect. My next project is to plan what I'll make with everything. I'll post recipes for the dishes that are new, turn out well and want to share.

Peanut Noodle Salad

2011-07-22T17:16:00.000-05:00

This is a yummy salad made with sugar snap peas from our farm and some peanut butter from yum butter. Read more about it below.

6 ounces soba noodles (I guess spaghetti would be OK too)
8 ounces sugar snap peas
1/2 cup halved thinly sliced cucumbers
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup Asian Jazz Peanut Butter (see below) * or plain peanut butter
2 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1-2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Cook soba noodles in salted water for about 3 minutes, then add the sugar snap peas and cook for another 3 minutes. Check the noodles to see if they are as cooked as your prefer. Drain and rinse under cold water. Let drain in a colander while making the dressing.

Combine the peanut butter, water, vinegar, hoisin sauce, honey and sesame oil and whisk together until smooth.
Place the noodles, peas, cucumbers, and green onions in a bowl and pour the dressing over. Toss until coated. Top with chopped cilantro and fresh basil if available. Otherwise just eat the salad as is.

* Asian Jazz Peanut Butter is one of the interesting varieties of peanut butter made by yumbutter, a product made locally in the Madison Wisconsin area. You can also buy it online. Its made with organic peanuts and tastes great. Check out Adrian's website: http://www.yumbutter.com/

Chicken with Red Cabbage

2011-07-21T19:00:00.000-05:00

Arthur is not a big fan of cabbage, but we have been getting quite a bit of cabbage in our boxes the last few weeks. He told me I should post this recipe because "This is cabbage I like." I liked it because it is very easy which is nice if you're making dinner after working all day.

1 cup thinly sliced onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced--I used 1/2 head of my good sized red cabbage. I sliced mine using a food processor. I watched a cooking class on using your CSA vegetables a couple of weeks ago at Willy Street Co-op West. She used a Mandoline. This article reviews and rates them http://www.consumersearch.com/mandolines. The one she used didn't appear to have a safety guard and I thought with my luck I'd slice my fingers instead of the veggies.
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 pound (4 pieces) boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup white wine
black pepper
Chopped parsley

Put the sliced onions, oil and garlic in a saute pan. Cook until the onions are tender and golden. Add the sliced cabbage, stir to coat well. Sprinkle with the salt and simmer cabbage for 40 minutes. Turn from time to time. Cabbage will be considerably reduced in volume.

Either spray another skillet with olive oil pan spray or use another tablespoon of olive oil. Heat the pan and add the chicken. Brown well on both sides. Transfer the chicken to the pan with the cabbage. Add wine and some pepper. Cover the pan and continue cooking for 40 minutes. The chicken will be very tender and the cabbage will be cooked down and will also be very tender and tasty. You can sprinkle with chopped parsley to serve (optional).

Rhubarb Bread

2011-07-13T18:05:00.002-05:00

Anyone who follows my blog, will get the idea that we really like rhubarb. We do! I think it is so versatile. It keeps quite well, it can be frozen, combines well with other fruit, and so on. This recipe is for an easy quick bread.

1 1/2 cups brown sugar (packed)
2/3 cup canola or safflower oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1 1/2 cups chopped uncooked rhubarb (if you don't have quite enough rhubarb you could add some strawberries or whatever other fruit you might have available)
1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange rind
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8 1/2 X 4" loaf pans.
Combine brown sugar, oil, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and beat well. I blended mixture in my food processor. Mix the flour with the baking soda and salt. Add to liquid mixture and blend. Don't over mix. Fold in rhubarb and nuts. Divide batter between the two pans.

Combine sugar, orange peel and butter and blend well with a fork. Sprinkle over the batter. Bake until a tester inserted in the center of the loaves comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool in pans 10 minutes then turn out onto racks. Cool a bit before slicing. However, it is very tasty when still warm but a bit fragile.

Adapted from a Bon Appetit magazine from 1984

Cream of Broccoli Soup

2011-07-12T18:22:00.000-05:00

I tried a number of recipes for broccoli soup that I haven't liked very well. This one is quite good and I guess I'll use it until I find one that I like even better.

2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 quart chicken broth (1 box, preferably low sodium)
1 bay leaf
1 large potato or a few small ones that weigh 8-12 ounces, peeled if necessary, otherwise just chopped
1/2-1 teaspoon thyme (dried) fresh is good if you have it available
1 bunch broccoli (about 1 1/2 pounds), use the stems; peel the stalks and cut into slices. Cut off the flowerets and reserve.
1/2 cup 1/2 and 1/2 (fat free is OK)
2 tablespoons sliced green onions
Salt & pepper to taste
Hungarian paprika for garnish (optional)

Melt the butter in a large pot and saute the onion until translucent. Add the chicken broth and heat to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook covered for about 10 minutes. Add the broccoli stalks and stems. Simmer for about 7 minutes or until they are almost tender. Next add the flowerets and simmer 5 minutes or until they are just barely tender. Remove a few of the flowerets and set aside.
Puree bathes of soup or use an immersion blender. Return puree to the pot and add the 1/2 and 1/2, green onions, salt and pepper. Reheat the soup if necessary. If it is too thick add a bit more 1/2 and 1/2 until it is the consistency your prefer. Add the reserved broccoli flowerets, dust with paprika and serve.

Adapted from a very old recipe in the Chicago Tribune.

Burgundy Salad with Poached Egg

2011-07-06T13:29:00.001-05:00

According to the original recipe this is classic salad from Burgundy, France. It can be served as a lunch dish since it includes eggs. Its quite different but we liked it and I have made it twice. These days with all the lettuce and greens from our CSA farm I continue to try recipes that turn them into meals rather than a little side salad.

Garlic Croutons
4 slices bread rubbed with olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle with garlic salt or granulated garlic (from Penzey's). Bake 10 minutes at 325 degrees. Turn the bread over and bake for another 10 minutes. Cut into squares. You could also use purchased croutons.

The original recipe called for making a mustard vinaigrette dressing with olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and parsley. I didn't do this. I used some balsamic vinaigrette I happened to have in the frig. You could also use a bottled dressing of your choice.

Take several slices of bacon, dice and cook until crispy. I used about 4 although the original recipe called for 7 ounces which I thought was too much. Remove the bacon. Add about 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms and saute in the bacon drippings. Add to the bacon.

Poach as many eggs as you would like to top the salad with. I made two for Arthur's salad and one for mine.

Assemble the salad as follows:

Place salad greens or lettuce on plates. Top with some finely chopped red onion. Next top the salads with mushroom bacon mixture. If the mixture has cooled off, rewarm briefly in the microwave. Next top with with the garlic croutons. Lay 1-2 poached eggs on top of the croutons and drizzle with desired dressing. Add slices of tomato to the salads and serve.

Adapted from Whats Cooking America

Swiss Chard and Polenta

2011-07-02T13:56:00.000-05:00

This is a quick easy dish to prepare for supper which is quite satisfying. Adding the cheese and eggs to the polenta supplies more protein and makes for a richer tasting dish. The chard on top provides a nice contrast as far as flavor and color.

3 cups chicken broth
1 cup dry polenta
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
4 oz. cheese (I used fresh creamy goat cheese with garlic from DreamFarm)
1 bunch Swiss chard
3-4 garlic scapes, or green onions
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped (you could substitute 1/2-1 teaspoon dry herbs, basil or oregano)
salt and pepper

To make the polenta: Bring the broth to a boil and slowly add the polenta, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer 20-25 minutes or until tender. You can also make this in a microwave to eliminate the chance of the polenta sticking or burning. Pour into a greased 8 or 9 inch baking pan and bake in a 350 degree oven until puffed and brown on top or for about 20 minutes.

Saute garlic scapes for 2-3 minutes. Add the chard stems and cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Add the chopped chard leaves, cover and steam until wilted. Season with salt, pepper and the herbs of your choice.

Serve over the polenta.

Adapted from a Vermont Valley CSA recipe

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

2011-06-27T16:28:00.001-05:00

I made this yummy coffee cake for my book last week. Its very moist and is delicious served warm. If you want to be truly decadent serve with softly whipped heavy cream to which you can add 1 tablespoon powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. No cool whip please!

3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla 2-1/2 cups flour
3 cups diced rhubarb, fresh

Streusel Topping

1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, sugar, oil, and eggs. Beat well with electric mixer.
Add buttermilk, baking soda, salt, and vanilla. Beat well.
Add flour and mix just until blended. Stir in rhubarb.
Spoon into baking pan.

In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients. Cut butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle evenly on top of batter.

Bake for 35 - 45 minutes or until lightly brown and set in the middle.

The way I managed to serve the cake warm was by mixing all the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients the night before. Keep them separate. I stored the liquid in the frig along with the cut up rhubarb and the prepared streusel topping. I also prepared the pan. When I got home from work, I preheated the oven and quickly combined everything and popped the cake into the hot oven. While it was baking, I had plenty of time to whip the cream.

Adapted from Donna's Recipes, Channel 3000

Green Salad with Strawberry Dressing

2011-06-26T20:07:00.000-05:00

The amounts are not important in this salad, but it's a lovely salad when you start gettng local strawberries and lettuce or salad greens.

A large bowl of lettuce or salad greens
1-2 cups of sliced strawberries
1/2 cup or more of crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup toasted walnuts or pecans

The dressing:
1/3 cup mashed strawberries
3 tablespoons balsamic vingegar (I used some raspberry balsamic which was perfect in this dressing)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup olive oil or more if you prefer
salt and pepper

Whisk together ingredients and pour over the salad.

Roasted Shrimp & Broccoli

2011-06-25T16:41:00.000-05:00

Fabian's Seafood from Galveston Texas comes to Madison about once a month. They sell their shrimp from a truck parked in the Steve's Liquor parking lot on University Avenue. I usually try to get some of their shrimp and for a real treat lump crabmeat when they are in town. This time I just purchased a pound of extra-large shrimp which I cooked with the broccoli from our CSA farm.
Heat oven to 425 degrees. On a large cookie sheet toss together 1-2 pounds of broccoli cut into florets of medium size with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin, salt, pepper and 1/8 teaspoon of hot chili poweder (optional). If you use the stem, which I like to do, be sure to peel it first and then slice the stems. I made the mistake of not peeling the stems and they were a bit on the tough side. Spread in a thin layer and roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Stir and roast for 5 more minutes.
Take the shrimp, which have been shelled and deveined, and combine with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, finely grated lemon zest from 1 lemon, salt and pepper. Add the shrimp to the broccoli and combine. Roast 5 minutes and test the shrimp for doneness. Serve it with rice or Harvest Grains Blend from Trader Joe's which features Israeli couscous, along with red and green orzo, split dried garbanzo beans, and red quinoa. It's a great combination and cooks in 10 minutes.

Adapted from The Amateur Gourmet & the New York Times

Swiss Chard Fritatta with Bacon, Potatoes and Feta

2011-06-25T15:09:00.000-05:00

I have a friend who belongs to a CSA who has a family that is not partial to (as in won't eat) Swiss Chard. Their disdain is our gain. I've posted quite a number of different recipes using chard, but I'm always open to new ones. This dish would make a great breakfast/brunch dish although we had it for supper with some garlic bread.

4 slices bacon
1/2 small onion or 1 whole shallot, sliced
1 potato, chopped in small pieces, about 1 cup (no need to peel)
1 bunch Swiss chard, stemmed and thinly sliced, stems finely diced
1 tablespoon fresh savory (optional)
Salt & pepper
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
5 large eggs, beaten with 2 tablespoons half and half, milk or water
Pinch Cayenne
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Cook the bacon until brown and crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and transfer it to a paper towel lined plate. Reserve. Pour off all but about 1-2 tablespoons of bacon grease. Otherwise, pour it all out and substitute olive oil.

Cook the onion, potato and chard stems in the hot fat until the pototoes are tender. I found it worked well to cover the pan. Add the garlic and Swiss chard, in batches if necessary. When the chard is wilted, add the pinch of salt and pepper and cook for about 4 minutes or until the greens are tender. Beat the eggs with the salt, pepper,pinch of cayenne and 1/2 & 1/2 or milk.
Set the oven rack to the second highest position and preheat the broiler.
Crumble and sprinkle the reserved bacon and feta cheese into the greens and pour the eggs evenly over all. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 2 minutes, covered. Uncover and transfer the pan to the broiler and broil until the eggs are set and the top is browned. Watch carefully. Remove and cut into wedges. It is good hot or at room temperature.

Note: I used the savory because it came in our box of CSA veggies.

Adapted from Meredith & Carla's blog.

Spring Vegetable Risotto with Mint Gremolata

2011-06-10T13:45:00.000-05:00

Now that fresh asparagus is available at the farmers' market as well as the mint, this is a good recipe to try. Its especially good if you're a fan of risotto as we are. I don't have much mint & parsley available in the pots on my deck yet, but friends with gardens donated some.

The recipe calls for you to enhance the broth with simmering vegetable trimmings in it. I'm sure you could just pour some chicken broth out of a box and have it taste just fine. I did go ahead and simmer the vegetables while preparing the ones I was going to use in the risotto. Be careful not to overcook the asparagus when you saute it prior to adding to the risotto. Also be sure to add a good Parmesan cheese when making this dish. It does matter.

Spring Vegetable Risotto, Serves 6

Gremolata

¼ cup minced fresh parsley, stems reserved
¼ cup minced fresh mint leaves, stems reserved
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Risotto

1 pound asparagus, reserve tough end of stems
2 medium leeks (cut in ½ lengthwise, wash well and sliced thin—about 4 cups) reserve dark green leaves
4 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
4 tablespoons unsalted butter {divided}
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine or less
salt and pepper
3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese (1 1/2 oz)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Additional grated cheese for sprinkling on top of the risotto , if desired

For the Gremolata: Combine ingredients in small bowl and set aside.

For the Risotto: Snap the tough ends off the asparagus & place them in a stockpot. Add the chicken broth, the dark green parts of the leeks , stems from mint & parsley & water. Bring the stock to a boil, reduce to a simmer & cook, covered, for 20 minutes.

Drain the stock, discard the vegetables & transfer the liquid back to the stockpot. Cover & keep warm over low heat.

Slice the asparagus into 1/2" pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter, in a large saucepan. Add the asparagus & cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until crisp tender. Transfer to a bowl & set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter, in the same pan, over medium heat & add the leeks, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt & 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook, until the leeks are softened, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the rice & cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the wine & cook until fully absorbed, 2-3 minutes.

Add 3 cups of the warm stock. Reduce the heat & simmer, stirring frequently, until the liquid is absorbed, about 10-12 minutes. Continue this process, adding the stock, a 1/2 cup at a time & simmering until the liquid is absorbed, until the rice is tender or to your taste.

Add the peas, 1 tablespoon butter & lemon juice. Gradually stir in the Parmesan. Gently fold in the asparagus. Check for seasoning. Sprinkle each serving with gremolata and additional cheese if desired.

Note: You may not need all of the broth.

Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
Picture compliments of The Parsley Thief

Spaghetti with Lemon, Basil, Capers & Salmon

2011-05-30T21:00:00.000-05:00

If you are ever fortunate enough to have leftover grilled salmon, this is the recipe for you. We had a dinner party with a Pacific Northwest Cuisine as the theme. One of the guests grilled wild salmon on cedar planks. Fabulous! There was some leftover and this the recipe I used it in.

Ingredients
1/2 pound pasta (the original recipe called for whole wheat spaghetti which I didn't have--I substituted imported Italian rotini)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2-1# cooked salmon (use the amount you have available)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons capers
1 lemon, zested
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves

Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta and transfer to a large bowl. Lightly saute the garlic and spinach in the olive oil. Then add to the pasta with salt & pepper. Toss to combine.

Add the salmon, basil, capers, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the spaghetti mixture and toss lightly to combine.

Adapted from Foodnetwork.com

A very good cherry pie

2011-05-30T20:14:00.000-05:00

I've posted one cherry pie recipe but this one is also very good and uses less cherries.

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie

20 ounces frozen pitted sour cherries (without sugar)

1 cup white sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 egg yolk or heavy cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Make pastry and refrigerate.

Drain cherries, reserving 1 cup liquid. In a saucepan combine sugar, flour and salt. Stir in cherry liquid and bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Mixture will thicken.

When mixture is thickened, add butter, almond extract and cherries. Cover and refrigerate.

On lightly covered surface, roll out half of the pastry into an 11 inch circle. Put into 9 inch somewhat shallow pie dish. Roll other half of pastry into another 11 inch circle. With a knife or pastry wheel, cut eight 1/2 inch strips.

Pour cooled cherry filling into pie dish. Place pastry strips horizontally, then vertically, across the top of the pie. Weave into a lattice crust. You can also cut out the top crust with cookie cutters and place the pie crust "cookies" on top of the pie. Brush lightly with egg yolk or heavy cream and then sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes then lower the heat to 350 and bake 20-30 minutes. I always use a pie sheld so that edges of the crust do not get overcooked. When the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown, the pie is done. Cool before serving.

This is a link to all the great ways that other cooks have decorated their pies: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Cherry-Pie/Photo-Gallery.aspx

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Wild Rice Pancakes with Wild Mushrooms & Goat Cheese

2011-05-23T17:50:00.000-05:00

This is recipe of Mollie Katzen's that I adapted. I thought they were delicious and quite easy to make especially if you have the wild rice already cooked which I did. I made them for supper one night with a big salad and they were all consumed. Mollie said they are very good leftover and that they reheat well. I can't testify to that.

1 tablespoon olive oil
12 wild mushrooms, I used 1/4 # of oyster mushrooms from the farmers market. I'm sure white mushroom would also be fine.
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon minced garlic (1-2 cloves)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
4 large eggs
1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
4 scallions, minced
1 cup cooked wild rice. I cooked my wild rice in my rice cooker. I made extra and froze the rest.
1 cup (about 5 ounces) goat cheese. I used Dream Farm goat cheese (also available at the Westside farmers market in Madison) and just stirred it into the batter. Any flavor would work well. I think I had one of the herb flavors.
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Nonstick spray for the pan
A little unsalted butter for the pan (optional)

Optional Toppings
Sour cream or yogurt
Minced chives

1.Place a medium-sized skillet over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the mushrooms, and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and sauté 5 minutes longer. Stir in the garlic and lemon juice and remove the pan from the heat without cooking the mixture any further.

2.Beat the eggs in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk in the flour and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. When this mixture is uniform, stir in the cooked mushrooms, including all their juices. Add the scallions, wild rice, goat cheese, and black pepper, and stir until well combined.

3.Spray frying pan lightly with nonstick spray, and if you like, melt in a little butter. When the cooking surface is hot, use a 1/4-cup measure to scoop batter onto the hot pan, and fry for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden.

4.Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature with the topping(s) of your choice.

Adapted from Mollie Katzen.com

African Chicken Stew

2011-04-16T16:03:00.000-05:00

This is a great recipe that I adapted by adding more vegetables. I've also made it in a slow cooker, which is what the original recipe called for, and in a pan on top of the stove. Both work well. It just depends on what is more convenient for you.

1 tablespoon oil
1# boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into pieces
1 medium size onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3 carrots, thickly sliced
1 very large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 can (2 cups) chicken broth
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter, smooth would be fine too
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
1 cup (or more) frozen corn
Salt & pepper to taste

Note the second time I made the stew, I used some leftover peanut sauce I made for a Thai dish, plus some peanut butter. It just makes the dish a bit spicier.

Heat the oil and lightly brown the chicken. Transfer to a crockpot. Return the skillet to the heat and add the onion, jalapeno, and carrots. Cook for a minute or two, then transfer to the crock pot. Stir in the sweet potatoes, broth, peanut butter and tomato sauce.

Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours or until the vegetables are very tender. Season with salt & pepper, add the corn and cook just enough to make sure it is warm

If doing it on the stove top, basically follow the same directions but don't put in a crockpot. When making it on the stove, I added the peanut butter at the end. This will really help to thicken the stew. Again, add the corn at the end. The original recipe didn't call for corn, but I thought it was a good addition.

Adapted from Flat Belly Diet Cookbook

Spinach Lasagna

2011-03-27T15:03:00.001-05:00

This is a super easy recipe because its made with the no-boil lasagna noodles and raw spinach. I was lucky enough to have a quart of my homemade tomato sauce from last summer in the freezer, but a jar of good commercial spaghetti sauce would also be fine.
1 lb bulk Italian sausage
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 quart homemade tomato sauce or 1 32 oz jar pasta sauce
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (2 cups)
4 cups coarsey chopped fresh spinach
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
8 ounces uncooked lasagna noodles
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In large skillet or stock pot, brown and crumble sausage and onion; drain if necessary. I used Italian sausage from Jordandal Farms which is very lean and there is no need to drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce. Simmer 10 minutes (to heat through), stirring occasionally.
In medium bowl, combine mozzarella cheese, spinach, ricotta cheese, eggs and garlic powder; stir until well blended.
In 13-by-9-inch baking dish, put in about 1/2 cup of the sauce, then layer 1/2 of the uncooked lasagna noodles, 1/2 of the meat sauce mixture, all of the spinach mixture, remaining half of noodles and meat sauce. Pour the 1/3 cup of water over lasagna. Cover snugly with foil.
Bake covered at 350 F for 45 minutes.
Remove foil from lasagna; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake, uncovered, an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly and noodles are tender.
Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Adapted from food.com

All-American Potato Salad

2011-03-20T15:54:00.000-05:00

Some people feel that potato salad is seasonal and only to be served during the warm weather months. I, however, love potato salad any time of the year. I'm a fan of all kinds of potato salad. I just tried this one yesterday to take to my daughter's for supper to go with Italian beef sandwiches. It is very good and I would make it again.

I made 1/2 of the original recipe which still easily served 6 people with leftovers. I have posted the 1/2 recipe amounts.

2 1/4 pounds red-skinned potatoes
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
1 1/2 tablespoons coarse-grained Dijon mustard
3 large hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 cups finely chopped green onions
1 small yellow onion finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped dill pickle
1/4 cup sliced pimiento-stuffed green olives

Cut potatoes into 3/4-inch cubes and steam until tender, about 10 minutes. Set aside. Meanwhile, whisk oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in large bowl to blend. Add hot potatoes and gently toss until most of dressing is absorbed.
Stir mayonnaise, pickle juice and mustard in another large bowl to blend. Add all remaining ingredients except for the eggs. Add to reserved potato mixture after the potatoes are cooled; toss to coat. Add the eggs last so they don't get too broken up. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.

Adapted from cooking.com

Fruit Salad wth Honey-Yogurt Sauce

2011-03-19T13:49:00.000-05:00

I was asked to bring a fruit salad to a friend's when we went for supper one evening. I found this recipe and thought it was delicious. Obviously its very adaptable to the fruit you like or have available.

1 cup vanilla low fat yogurt (I used our favorite Sugar River Dairy)*
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime rind (adds a lot to the sauce)
3 cups cubed fresh pineapple (I guess the pineapple chunks canned in juice would work OK as well)
1 1/2 cups apples, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup orange sections
1 cup kiwi, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup strawberries, halved
1/3 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1 medium banana, sliced
1/4 cup slivered toasted almonds

Combine yogurt, honey and lime.

Combine pineapple, apples, oranges, kiwi, strawberries and coconut in a large bowl. Just before serving, stir in banana. Top with yogurt sauce and sprinkle with almonds.

Some choopped mint would also be a nice addition, but I was making this in the winter and didn't have any mint available.

* Sugar River Dairy brand is a local brand produced in Wisconsin and only available locally. According to the owners they don't want to get any larger in order to cover a wider area of distribution.

Celriac Risotto & Pesto

2011-03-19T13:25:00.000-05:00

I noticed that I have a number of different risottos posted. For Arthur and me its definitely one of the comfort foods. This version is good to make with your fall storage celery root, that ugly but tasty vegetable.

1 good sized celery root which when cut up measures around 2 cups.
1 1/2 cup leeks, well-cleaned and sliced
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
4 cups chicken broth, more if needed
1/2 cup white wine (optional)
Pesto
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Peel celery root and cut into slices to make about 2 cups. Melt butter and stir in celery root and leeks. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender, but not brown, stirring often. Mix in rice; stir for 1 minute. Add broth, starting with 3 cups and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until rice is tender but still al dente. Stir and add more broth if needed. Add wine if using. Mix in 3/4 cup of cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir in pre-made pesto to taste. I used about 1/2 cup. Serve with additional cheese sprinkled on top.

You can also make a pesto with the celeriac tops and 1/4 cup olive oil if your celeriac happens to come with its green top (looks like celery). Most celeriac have had the tops removed. I guess you could also try making a pesto out of some regular celery including the leaves.

Adapted from Epicurious.com

Sweet Potato Burritos

2011-02-26T22:12:00.000-06:00

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 degree oven for 40-60 minutes or the microwave for 15 minutes. Let the sweet potatoes cool slightly. Scoop out the insides of the potatoes and mash with the spices and lime juice. Stir in the beans and corn. Add salt to taste. Spoon the mixture into the tortillas along with any optional fillings. Roll up and bake for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees until heated through. Top with the tomatoes and cilantro.

Adapted from a recipe in Penzey's catalogue

Beet & Kohlrabi Latkes with Horseradish Sour Cream

2011-02-26T20:52:00.000-06:00

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 skillet and press it out flat. Fry until cooked through, 5-7 minutes per side. Serve with the sauce.
The recipe can be doubled easily. The latkes reheat nicely and I was pleased that I had doubled the recipe.

Tilapia with Apple/Celery Remoulade

2011-02-20T16:41:00.000-06:00

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 fish.
Serve with the remoulade on the side.

Adapted from Nutrition Action Healthletter

Beet Salad

2011-02-11T20:05:00.000-06:00

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

Celery Root and Apple Soup with Caramelized Apples

2011-01-20T21:16:00.000-06:00

This is a delicious seasonal winter soup that can be made easily with produce available in the fall and winter, celery root, potatoes and apples. We topped ours with a dollop of sour cream but that's optional.

2 tablespoons butter
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped (about 1 2/3 cups)
4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth if you prefer)
2 celery roots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 large apple, preferably tart, peeled, cored and chopped
2 small to medium Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped
3 tablespoons cream or fat-free 1/2 & 1/2
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg and salt

Caramelized apples
2 teaspoons each unsalted butter and sugar
1 or 2 tart apples, cored, peeled, cut into 1/4 inch dice

Heat butter in soup pan, add onions, cover and cook until onions start to soften. Add broth, celery roots, apple and potatoes. Heat to boil. Simmer, covered, until vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup. If you don't have one, you can also use a blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Add cream, sugar, nutmeg and salt.

For caramelized apples, melt butter in non stick skillet. Stir in apples and sugar. Cook stirring often until tender and golden.

Serve soup topped with apples and sour cream if desired.

Adapted from Chicago Tribune

Potato Turnip Patties

2011-01-15T20:50:00.000-06:00

When you read this recipe you might not think it sounds too appealing, but I just made them for supper and Arthur loved them and said I needed to post the recipe. The amounts of the vegetables aren't important. If you are still dealing with some fall or winter storage vegetables, as I am, this is a good way to use some of them.

2 cups mashed potatoes
1 cup mashed turnips
1/2-1 cup mashed carrots
Cook the vegetables together and mash when tender.
In the meantime, saute until tender:
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
Combine with the mashed vegetables
Blend together:
1 7 can or packet of tuna, in water
1/2 cup mayonnaise (light is OK)
2 eggs
6 tablespoons flour
1 cup unsweetened flake cereal (the original recipe called for corn flakes; I used toasted oat flakes)
Salt & pepper to taste
Optional: some additional herb or seasoning of your choice, about 1 teaspoon

Mix together well. If the mixture seems too soft add a little more cereal to absorb excess moisture. Then drop mixture in large spoonfuls into a skillet or griddle sprayed or oiled with canola oil. Flatten slightly. Saute until until golden brown on both sides. Be careful when turning the patties so that they don't fall apart.

Adapted from justvegetablerecipes.com

Potato Arugula Salad

2011-01-02T20:01:00.000-06:00

This recipe is not at all seasonal but I just found it lurking among my papers and wanted to save it for next season's greens. We like potato salad with clear French dressing and the addition of arugula gives the salad a nice lift.

1 1/2 pounds potatoes, cubed
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 gloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 bunch arugula, coarsely chopped

Cook potatoes in salted water for 10-15 minutes under tender, but not falling apart. Drain. Transfer to a bowl and add the combined vinegar & oil, garlic, salt and pepper. When thoroughly cool, add the arugula and toss lightly.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

2010-12-03T18:33:00.000-06:00

There are a number of recipes for this bread available on the Internet. Most of the others used milk chocolate chips. I am not a fan of milk chocolate, so I gravitated toward this one. I can't tell you that the others aren't good, but this one is GREAT! Its a wonderful combination of ingredients. The original recipe called for creamy peanut butter, but I recommend chunky. If you are able to buy Parkers Farm All Natural Crunchy Peanut Butter in your area, by all means do. Their crunchy PB has peanut halves not little pieces. For peanut butter fans its good on bread, crackers, etc. and in this recipe.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 medium-large ripe mashed bananas
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided use
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
1 1/2 teaspoons turbinado sugar, optional

Note: Emily of the Sugar Plum blog and the originator of this recipe recommends using Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chips, the over sized chips. I used her hint and it was a good one.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray or butter.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together banana, 2 tablespoons butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes; beat in eggs and vanilla extract until combined. Stir in the peanut butter. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in milk and flour mixture until just combined; stir in chocolate chips

Pour batter into prepared pan; bake for 50 minutes. Remove pan from oven, melt additional tablespoon butter, brush evenly over the top, and top with turbinado sugar. Continue to bake an additional 5 minutes or until golden brown. (Also a nice addition)

Cool for 20 minutes before running a knife around outside edges, removing, and transferring to a wire rack to cool an additional 30 minutes before slicing.

Adapted from http://www.visionsofsugarplum.com/2009/05/peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-banana.html She has pictures of the bread too.

I took it to work for a "food day" and it was quite popular.

Swiss Chard, Leek and Goat Cheese Tart

2010-11-20T18:00:00.000-06:00

Previously I posted a recipe for a Swiss Chard tart which was good, but this new recipe is fabulous! I found it in the Chicago Tribune and they attribute it to David Leite's Leitesculinaria.com

For the pastry
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 to 6 tablespoons ice water

For the filling
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 pound leeks, white and pale green parts only, rinsed of grit and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound Swiss chard, stems an leaves washed and roughly chopped, keep stems & leaves separate
3 large eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons golden raisins, plumped in boiling water for 10 minutes
3 tablespoons pine nuts
6 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
Note: I used DreamFarm goat cheese which is soft and topped the tart with little blobs of the cheese.

Make the pastry
1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse the flour, rosemary, thyme, and salt until blended. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, with pieces no bigger than small peas, about 13 to 15 one-second pulses.

2. Add the mixture to a bowl and drizzle with 4 tablespoons of water. Thoroughly mix with a fork to form a “shaggy” dough. Squeeze some in your hand. If it doesn’t hold together, add the remaining water one tablespoon at a time. Form into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

3. Position the oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 13-inch circle. Ease it into a 10- or 11-inch tart pan, fitting it snugly against the sides and bottom, and trim the excess. Prick the bottom of the tart with a fork and cover with parchment paper. Fill the tart with pie weights or beans and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment and set aside the tart shell.

Make the filling
1. In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and saute the leeks and Swiss chard stems, covered, until softened, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Uncover, add the chard leaves and allow them to cook down and the excess water to evaporate, about 6 to 8 minutes.

2. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add the vegetable mixture and toss to coat. Pour the mixture into the pre-baked tart shell, scatter with the raisins and pine nuts, and dot with the goat cheese. Bake until the filling is set and puffy, about 25 minutes. Let cool on a rack for a short time. Tart can be served warm or at room temperature. I preferred it warm.

Farro and Broccoli Rabe Gratin

2010-11-14T16:18:00.000-06:00

Never cooked with farro before? Farro is a whole grain form of wheat that has been used for centuries in Italy. Italians usually cook farro the same way as Arborio rice to create a creamy dish called farrotto. It has become more widely available now in the U.S. I purchased a bag at Whole Foods Market. It has a slightly sweet, nutty flavor and chewy texture and is high in fiber and protein.
Note: The original recipe called for fontina cheese. I didn't have any and substituted muenster because it would be soft and melty on top of the dish plus browning nicely.

The combination of the farro, cheese and greens make for good comfort food for a chilly fall evening.

4 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups farro
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup freshly grated (shredded) Parmesan (about 2 ounces)
1 large bunch broccoli rabe, cut into 1-2 inch lengths, stems included. If you don't have enough broccoli rabe, you can add some fresh spinach
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1# can small white beans, I used navy beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup shredded fontina cheese (or see note), about 3 ounces

1. Heat 1 tsp. of the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook until softened and lightly browned.
2. Stir in the farro and cook until lightly roasted (2 minutes). Stir in the broth and water and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and continue to simmer, uncovered, stirring often, until the farro is tender and the remaining liquid has thickened to a creamy sauce. 20-25 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper.
3. Bring a large pot of water (4 quarts) to a boil. Add broccoli rabe, spinach and 1 tablespoon salt. Cook for 2 minutes. Drain, the vegetables and wipe the pot dry.
4. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, garlic and red pepper flakes to the pot. Cook for 1-2 minutes until sizzling. Stir in the broccoli rabe (and spinach if used) and cook until hot and well coated, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the beans and cooked farro. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Position an oven rack 6 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler. Pour the farro mixture into a 3 quart broiler safe pan (I used a 9X12 inch pan) and sprinkle with the fontina or whatever cheese you are using. Broil until lightly browned and hot, 3-5 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Adapted from America's Test Kitch Healthy Family Cookbook (2010)

Gratin of Red Kuri Squash

2010-11-13T17:21:00.000-06:00

Like many varieties of winter squash, red kuri squash is very versatile. With its bright orange skin, and small teardrop shape, you'll easily recognize kuri; inside, the firm flesh has a creamy chestnut-like flavor. We got one of these squash in our CSA box and I found this promising recipe.

Butter (for the dish)

1 small red kuri squash (a generous 1 pound), seeded
2 baking potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 small zucchini, grated
2/3 cup ricotta
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, plus more for the top (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 cup blue cheese
1/4 cup Cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon butter, cut up (for the top)

1. Set the oven at 400 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish.
2. Cut squash in 1/2 and either bake in the oven or cook in the microwave until tender. Scrape the flesh out of the skin and put in a large bowl.
3. In a large saucepan fitted with a steamer insert, cook the potatoes. Bring to a boil, cover the pan, and steam over high heat for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
4. Mash the vegetables with a potato masher until they are coarsely pureed. Add the zucchini, ricotta, nutmeg, parsley, blue cheese, and plenty of salt and pepper.
5. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish. Smooth the top. Add the 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, butter, and a sprinkle of nutmeg.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden. Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Adapted from the Boston Globe

Lemon Broccoli

2010-11-04T18:40:00.000-05:00

This is a surprisingly tasty recipe for broccoli and especially appealing because it is so quick and easy.

1 bunch of broccoli, divided into florets and stalks, remove any sections that are too woody
2-3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings
3 stalks celery or about 1 1/2 cups, thinly sliced
3-5 cloves garlic, minced (depends on the size of the cloves and how much you like garlic)
1-2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Steam the broccoli in a vegetable steamer for 5 minutes or until it is tender. Don't overcook.
Melt butter in a skillet and saute the onion, celery and garlic until softened and the onion begins to brown slightly.

Add the broccoli, lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper to the skillet and stir to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature. My husband put a dollop of sour cream on top of his.
Its good just plain as well.

Adapted from Weight Watchers

Apple-Cranberry Crisp Pie

2010-10-30T21:53:00.000-05:00

This is a delicious pie combining two popular fall fruits--apples and cranberries. Plus there's no need to make a top crust for this pie. You will need 1 pie crust rolled out to fit a deep dish 9 inch pie pan. If you use a refrigerated or frozen ready made crust, you'll probably have too much filling. Solution--just make two shallow pies! I think most packages come with 2 crusts anyway.

Filling
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
5-6 cups thinly sliced peeled apples
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (cut in 1/2)

Topping
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup butter

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out pie crust and fit into pan. Crimp or flute the edge of the crust.
Combine sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, cinnamon and salt. Mix well. Add apples and cranberries and combine. Spoon into crust lined pan.
Combine topping ingredients; mix with fork or pastry blender until crumbly. If it seems to soft, add a bit more flour. Sprinkle over the filling.
Cover the edge of the crust with a pie shield if you have one. This will prevent the edges from getting too brown.

Bake the pie for 35 to 45 minutes or until the apples are tender

and the topping is golden brown.

Beet and Potato Roesti

2010-10-02T21:09:00.000-05:00

This is very good recipe for someone who is not a big fan of beets especially if you use beets that are not red. We had 2 large golden beets from our CSA farm and quite a few potatoes. My husband loved this dish and ate most of it himself.
2 large beets, peeled, about 4 cups when grated
enough potatoes grated to equal 4 cups, no need to peel them
salt and pepper
4 scallions chopped
2/3 cup flour
2 tablespoons butter (we ran out of butter and I used some walnut oil)

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Mix the beets, potatoes and flour a few spoonfuls at a time until well combined. Melt butter in skillet or heat the oil. Put the vegetable mixture in the pan and flatten with a spatula. I covered the pan to make sure the vegetables cooked through. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Check the bottom to make sure it is brown and crispy.

Now you need to flip it over which can be a bit tricky. First run a spatula under the patty to make sure it will come out of the pan. Try putting a big plate or round cookie sheet over the skillet and flip it on to the plate. Then slide the roesti back into the pan. Cook on the second side until crispy. Probably another 10 minutes. There is no need to cover the pan. The worst that can happen is that it doesn't flip out in one piece. It will still taste great!

Serve warm in wedges with the green onions (scallions) sprinkled on top.

Our roesti looked like crispy hash browns and just had an added sweetness from the beets.

Adapted from a recipe on Dianasaur Dishes blog. She has a picture of what it would look like made with red beets. I also made a much larger recipe than the original using more beets and potatoes. It would probably be easier to flip it if it were smaller.

Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup

2010-10-02T20:50:00.000-05:00

I found this soup recipe online. It was orginally published in an article in Vegetarian Times called The Superfoods Recipes. I'm pleased to know its a superfood, but it also happens to be delicious to eat and easy to make. We're getting out of the tomato season now, but if you happen to have some tomatoes left this is a great use for them.

2-1/4 ripe tomaotes, halved lengthwise
2 large sweet red peppers, quartered, seeded
1 onion, cut into thin wedges
4 large cloves garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
2 cups chicken broth or vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1.Preheat oven to 450° F.
2.Arrange tomatoes, flesh side up, bell peppers, onion and garlic on large baking sheet.
3.Drizzle oil over; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
4.Roast until brown and tender, turning peppers and onion occasionally, about 40 minutes.
5.Remove from oven; let cool.
6.Transfer vegetables and any juices to food processor or blender.
7.Add basil and thyme leaves.
8.Puree soup in food processor or blender, gradually adding enough stock to thin soup to desired consistency.
9.Return soup to pan, and heat through, stirring occasionally.
10. Good with a dollop of sour cream on top.

Spaghetti Sauce with Italian Sausage and Swiss Chard

2010-10-01T10:18:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday we got a large bunch of Swiss Chard in our CSA box. We do like chard but I'm always looking for new ways to use it. I had saved this recipe that I found in a Willy Street Co-op newsletter. This might be a good recipe for people who are not big fans of Swiss Chard. It sort of blends in with the sauce.

Olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped small
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 bunch chard, stems and leaves chopped separately
1# Italian sausage, either bulk or sliced if you have links
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes (diced would also work fine)
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional--I used them)
Salt and pepper
a little sugar or honey

Brown sausage in a large pot. Remove sausage and drain any fat left in the pan. Coat the pan lightly with olive oil and add carrots, celery, and onions as you get them prepped. Saute for 5 minutes or so and add the chard stems. Cook an additional 5-10 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. Put the sausage back into the pot and add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano and fennel seeds. Add some water if the sauce seems too thick. I probably added 1-2 cups. Bring to a boil and then lower heat and cook for about 30 minutes, partially covered, until the vegetables are cooked through. Stir in the chard leaves. I like them chopped into small pieces so that the chard will blend into the sauce and you won''t have any stringy greens. Cook until just wilted. Taste sauce and add salt and pepper as needed. If the sauce tastes too acidic add a spoonful of honey or a pinch or two of sugar.

Serve the sauce over your choice of pasta. I used whole grain rotini.

Some notes: This is good place to use the onion chopper that I mentioned earlier or your food processor so that you don't spend too long chopping the veggies.

I used link Italian sausage from Jordandal Farms, a local Madison producer. It is very lean and tasty.

Adapted from Culinate.com

Smoked Chicken Salad with Dried Cherries & Basil

2010-09-10T19:27:00.001-05:00

This is a fabulous salad! You can change it to suit your tastes. I've already adapted it from the original recipe which I found on The Food Reference Website.

2 cups diced smoked chicken (more or less is OK)
3/4 cups diced celery, diced 1/4 inch (I used 2 stalks)
1 small-medium diced sweet onion, diced 1/4 inch (original recipe called for over 1 cup which I thought was excessive)
1 cup chopped dried tart cherries (I didn't bother to chop them)
3/4 cups toasted pecan pieces (I didn't have time to toast them--they were fine without)
1/4 cup minced fresh basil--this is essential
1 cup mayonnaise (can be light)
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/2 teaspoon fresh orange peel
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, ground

Combine chicken, celery, onion, cherries, and pecans. Make the dressing separately and add to the chicken mixture--basil, mayonnaise, orange juice, orange peel, and pepper; stir gently until combined. If it isn't quite tart enough add a little white wine vinegar or lemon juice.

This would also be good on sandwiches with lettuce.

Cilantro Pesto

2010-09-04T17:03:00.001-05:00

We got a large bunch of cilantro from our CSA farm. Cilantro stays fresh for only a very short time. I decided to try making cilantro pesto which I hadn't done before. Its GOOD stuff! If you like cilantro you'll want to make a patch of this pesto.

1 cup cilantro leaves
2 cloves garlic
2 scallions
2 tbsp almonds
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup canola oil
1 hot pepper
1 tbsp soy sauce
juice from 1/2 lime

Puree all of the pesto ingredients in a food processor or in my case I used my super blender. I served my cilantro pesto on top of grilled pork chops. What was left, I put on salmon patties.

Poached Eggs in Tomato Stew with Chorizo & Garlic Croutons

2010-09-03T19:09:00.000-05:00

I made this dish last weekend for brunch. I know you're saying stew for brunch! It does have poached eggs on top and I decided that this made it a brunch dish. It also helped that I had all the ingredients on hand. This is a very flavorful, satisfying dish which would also be good for supper.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 pound chorizo sausage (try to buy locally made sausage from one of the farmers--it will be much leaner even if not as authentic)
3 cloves garlic
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
6 medium size red potatoes, halved and thinly sliced
4 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
1 (28-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes (recommended: Muir Glen)--I used fresh tomatoes that I peeled and chopped because this is the season for tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
4 thick slices crusty farm house, country style bread
1/2 cup flat- leaf parsley leaves, a few large handfuls, picked
2 eggs per serving
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Preheat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat and add the chorizo and cook, stirring frequently, 3 minutes. Remove the sausage, add the olive oil and add the 2 cloves chopped garlic, onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, thyme, salt and pepper, cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chicken broth and bring up to a bubble, turn the heat down to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened. I needed to cover the pan at this point so that the potatoes got tender. It took another 15-20 minutes.

Fill a medium skillet with warm water. Bring water to a gentle simmer over medium low heat. Once the water is at a bubble for poaching the eggs, pour the vinegar into the simmering water. Crack an egg into a small bowl. Gently pour the egg into the simmering water. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Cook eggs for about 2 minutes for runny yolks, or about 4 for solid yolks. Do not allow the water to boil. Carefully remove the eggs with a slotted spoon to a towel-lined plate to drain.
Toast the bread in the broiler or in a toaster oven. Once the bread is toasted, drizzle with olive oil or spread with butter, then rub with a garlic clove or cheat and sprinkle with garlic powder or salt. Cut the bread into larges cubes for the croutons.

To serve, pull thyme stems from chorizo-tomato stew, then arrange the garlic croutons in the bottom of shallow soup bowls, ladle some of the stew on top of the garlic croutons, set eggs in place and sprinkle dish with parsley and serve.

If you have stew leftover, just reheat stew and poach more eggs to serve on top.

Adapted from the foodnetwork.com

Radish Riata

2010-08-31T12:46:00.001-05:00

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 would work fine.

I like kitchen gadgets a lot, especially when they work well. My husband bought this and I thought "oh yeah, right, like that's going to work." Actually it does. It does a great job chopping onions, potatoes, radishes, etc. and keeps the pieces all the same size. It has two sizes-1/2" and 1/4" dice. The catch container doubles as a measuring cup so you'll know when you have your cup of radishes. Its called the Vidalia Chop Wizard.

Cheesy Tomato Bake

2010-08-28T22:18:00.000-05:00

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 these treats in the winter months.

A fellow blogger (Spryte's Place) was kind enough to post a picture of the finished product. Typical of us--we just ate ours.

1 onion, finely chopped
3 Tablespoons butter
3/4 C sour cream (I used Organic Valley Lowfat)
1/4 C mayonnaise
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
1 C shredded mozzarella cheese (I used Edelweiss Tuscan Dream which is a lovely cheese available in the Madison area)
1 1/2 tsp 4/S Penzey's Special Seasoned Sea Salt (or whatever seasoned salt you have)
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
3 tsp Pasta Sprinkle (similar to Italian Herb Mix)
2/3 C milk
2 C biscuit mix (I used Bob's Red Mill Buttermilk Pancake and Waffle Whole Grain Mix)
3 firm ripe tomatoes, sliced
1 tsp paprika
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400F.
Grease a 9x13 baking dish and set aside.
In a medium skillet, melt butter and saute onions until tender and golden. Move onions to a large mixing bowl and add sour cream, mayonnaise, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses (or Tuscan Dream), seasoned salt, pepper and 1 tsp of Pasta Sprinkle and mix well.
In a separate bowl, stir together milk and biscuit mix to form a soft dough. Stir in 1 tsp Pasta Sprinkle. Knead 10 - 12 times. Pat dough into bottom of 9x13 baking dish and push slightly up the edges to form a shallow rim.
Arrange tomato slices over dough. Spoon the sour cream and cheese mixture over the tomatoes, smoothing it to the edges. Sprinkle with paprika, remaining Pasta Sprinkle and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400F for 25 minutes, until browned. Let cool 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Great warm or at room temperature. We ate ours warm.

Risotto with Radishes & Radish Greens

2010-08-24T14:10:00.007-05:00

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 chop. You should have about 3 cups--more is OK. Wash and trim one bunch of radishes. Chop radishes into about 1/4 inch dice. Heat stock in a saucepan. Put butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and radishes and cook just until onion begins to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat. Begin adding stock, a cup or so at a time, stirring occasionally while risotto is at a simmer. Continue adding stock as the rice absorbs the previous amount of liquid. Just before the last addition of stock, fold in radish greens. When risotto is tender, after 20-25 minutes, but still firm, remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in cheese and serve.

Iced Mint Tea

2010-08-23T14:11:00.000-05:00

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.

Donna's Oven Roasted Kohlrabli

2010-08-23T14:03:00.000-05:00

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

Stuffed Jalapenos

2010-08-23T13:50:00.000-05:00

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.

Fresh Tomato & Feta Cheese Salad

2010-08-23T13:39:00.000-05:00

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

Feta Cheese & Tomato Omelet

2010-08-14T17:27:00.000-05:00

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 top because it will finish under the broiler. Top the omelet with the crumbled feta and the sliced tomatoes. Put the pan under the broiler and cook until light brown and the eggs have finished cooking. Watch carefully.

Adapted from Fitness magazine, June 2008

Shrimp and Egg Fried Rice with Napa Cabbage

2010-08-13T14:41:00.000-05:00

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 and soft, about 8 minutes; season with a nice pinch of salt. Remove the vegetables to a side platter.

Put the pan back on the heat and coat with 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the garlic and to the wok and saute gently until fragrant. Add shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until pink. Set aside on platter with vegetables. Beat the 3 eggs. Add remaining oil to the wok and when hot, add the egg, then let it set without stirring so it stays in big pieces. Fold in the rice and toss with the egg until well combined, breaking up the rice clumps with the back of a spatula. Return the sauteed vegetables and shrimp to the pan along with the peas and season with salt, pepper and soy sauce. Toss everything together to heat through. Spoon the fried rice out onto a serving platter, and garnish with scallions and peanuts.

Quantities are flexible in this recipes. You could also add other vegetables, such as mushrooms or broccoli.

Adapted from foodnetwork.com

Polish Sorrel Soup

2010-08-09T13:39:00.002-05:00

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.

Tomato, Corn, Basil Soup

2010-08-03T15:14:00.000-05:00

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.com

To cut the corn kernels off the cob, I purchased an excellent gadget last summer. The OXO Corn Stripper looks a bit like a mouse. To use it, you simply drag it down the cob and it will strip the corn into an internal container. It may not be mind blowingly technical but it does the job.

Broccoli Bread Pudding

2010-07-29T13:08:00.000-05:00

We got some great broccoli in our CSA share. This is a good way to use it. Its a good dish for either supper or brunch.

2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
4 cups finely chopped broccoli (1 bunch), its OK if there is more than 4 cups
1 teaspoon each dried basil and dried dill
salt and pepper to taste
4 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup low-fat milk
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
4 slices whole-grain bread, torn into small pieces
Grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat butter in large skillet. Saute onion until translucent. Add garlic, broccoli and seasonings. Saute until broccoli is tender but still bright green.
Beat eggs, milk, cottage cheese and sour cream together. Stir in bread. Add broccoli mixture and mix well. Pour mixture into sprayed 2 quart baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and bake for another 10 minutes or until mixture is no longer runny in the middle.

Adapted from CD Kitchen

Pancakes & Waffles

2010-07-17T15:29:00.000-05:00

Today I want to post 2 totally different kinds of pancake/waffle recipes. One is a traditional yet tasty recipe for Whole-wheat Banana Waffles. The other is totally non-traditional and is a recipe for Broccoli Pancakes.

I made these recipes kind of in reverse. We had the waffles (breakfast for supper) last night with strawberries and whipped cream. Delicious!

Whole-Wheat Banana Waffles

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 cup oatmeal (uncooked)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 ripe banana
2 eggs
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil (or a similar light flavored oil)
1/2 cup pecan pieces

Stir together the flours, oats, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Mash banana; add remaining ingredients, except pecans, beating lightly until combined. Add banana mixture to dry ingredients; stir until combined--do not over mix. Add pecans and stir in lightly.
Heat waffle iron and spray with pan spray. Pour about 1/4 cup into section and bake until brown.

They can be served with butter and maple syrup or with fresh sliced strawberries with vanilla sugar (Penzey's) and heavy cream whipped with confectioners sugar and vanilla.

Adapted from a recipe from the Chicago Tribune food section

We had these for Saturday brunch. They would also make a good lunch or supper dish.

Dr. Weil's Broccoli Pancakes

1 large head broccoli
1/4 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 small jalapeno pepper
1 large garlic clove, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour or unbleached white flour
1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 pinch salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup low-fat milk
Smoked trout* (strictly optional but a very nice addition)

Cut the head of the broccoli into slices and separate florets by cutting the large ones in half so they are all more or less the same size. You should have about 3 cups, more is OK.
Steam for 3-5 minutes until crisp-tender.

Put the steamed broccoli, onions, jalapeno and garlic in a food processor and pulse on and off to chop (do not puree the vegetables). Transfer the chopped ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir in the oil, flour, dill, and salt. Add the egg and milk and mix thoroughly. If using trout, break into small pieces and gently fold into the batter. I used about 1/2 pound.
Smear the bottom of a large, nonstick skillet with 1/4 teaspoon of butter or butter spray and set it over medium heat for about 1 minute. Drop 2 tablespoons measures of the batter into the hot skillet, placing them far enough apart so that the pancakes don't touch, and cook over low to medium heat for about 1 minute. Turn the pancakes and cook the other side for 1 minute. Transfer them to a hot platter to keep warm while you continue making the rest until all the batter is used up.

Serve with sour cream, mixed with about 1 tablespoon of fresh dill and a couple of dashes of Frank's hot sauce.

* The Artesian Trout Farm sells very good smoked trout at the Westside Community Market in Madison on Saturday mornings.

Adapted from Dr. Weil.com

Chicken with Garlic Scapes & Capers

2010-07-12T19:33:00.000-05:00

Now that I've discussed what garlic scapes are, I thought I'd share another good recipe that uses them.
2 whole skinless boneless chicken breasts, halved
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped garlic scapes
1 Tbsp. drained capers

Between sheets of plastic wrap slightly flatten chicken. In a large heavy skillet heat 1Tbsp. of butter and the oil over medium high heat. Sauté until cooked through. Season with salt & pepper. Transfer chicken to a platter and keep warm. Pour off fat from skillet and add the remaining butter, the wine, lemon juice, scapes and bring mixture to a boil. Stir in capers and salt & pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken.

Adapted from Mariquita Farms website, which has a CSA in California.

Potato & Garlic Scape Salad

2010-07-10T16:55:00.000-05:00

We've been getting quite a few garlic scapes in our CSA box each week. In case you aren't sure what they are, I found this good explanation on the http://www.feelslikehomeblog.com/:

What is a Garlic Scape?
I never heard of garlic scapes before they came in our box from our CSA. Apparently, garlic scapes are the shoots that garlic bulbs send up as they’re growing. Garlic bulbs want to become garlic plants, so they send up green things like onions do.
Farmers harvest these shoots so that the plant uses its energy to make a bigger bulb instead of making a bigger plant. That’s how plants work. Instead of throwing the sprouts in the compost pile, our farmers send them out in the CSA boxes. I’ve heard you can also buy them at some farmer’s markets or directly from farmers who grow garlic.
Garlic scapes definitely taste like garlic, but the flavor is very mild. They’re like garlic essence, without the bite you back quality of a clove of garlic

Now that you know what they are, there's still the issue of what to do with them. You can chop them up and use them in eggs, stir fries, salads, etc.

I found the recipe I'm posting on a number of web sites. Its a nice easy potato salad that I served with turkey burgers.

1 1/4 pound of cubed potatoes
2 stalks celery, chopped fine
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped garlic scapes (only use the green part of the scape)
1/4 cup cup finely chopped red onion or shallot (I used shallots)

Dressing
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup light mayonaise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Salt & pepper to taste

Cook potatoes in boiling salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and place in bowl. Add celery. Saute garlic scapes and shallots in olive oil for about 5 minutes until shallots are softened and scapes are tender-crisp. Add to potatoes and celery.

Whisk together buttermilk, mayonaise, 1 tablespoon dill and mustard. Pour dressing over potato mixture and stir gently to coat. Garnish with remaining dill. Refrigerate until ready to serve. If the salad has absorbed all the dressing add a bit more buttermilk.

Green Borscht

2010-07-06T20:37:00.005-05:00

I found this interesting sounding soup recipe that called for sorrel. We really liked it and I'll be making it again the next time I get sorrel in my CSA box.

Ingredients
2 lbs sorrel, I used a combination of sorrel and spinach--2 bunches
2 1/4 quarts beef stock
2 onions, peeled and chopped
1-2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 potatoes, cubed
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1 tablespoon scallion, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 eggs, hard boiled and sliced
1/4 cup sour cream

Directions
Bring the beef stock to a boil in a large pot. Add the onion, carrots, salt and potatoes and cook for 10-15 minutes. Cook until the carrots and potatoes are tender. Then add the sorrel and/or spinach. Cook briefly. Remove from heat and stir in the cream; add the dill. Serve and garnish with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkling of minced scallion and slices of egg.

Adapted from recipezaar.com

Tex-Mex Summer Squash Casserole

2010-07-05T15:53:00.003-05:00

We had dinner with friends yesterday. I was asked to bring a vegetable dish. Our hostess served grilled chicken, yellow rice and black beans. This was a perfect accompaniment to the rest of the meal.

2 1/4 pounds summer squash or zucchini or a combination, thinly sliced (about 10 cups)
2/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 4-ounce can chopped green chilies
1/2 cup chopped picked jalapenos
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup salsa (I used a locally made fresh hot salsa)
4 scallions, sliced with the green tops
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Combine squash, onion, chilies, jalapenos, salt and 3/4 cup cheese in a large bowl. Sprinkle with flour; toss to coat. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish and cover with foil.
3. Bake the casserole until it is bubbling and the squash is tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Spoon salsa over the casserole and sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese. Bake, uncovered, until golden and heated through, 20 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with scallions and red onion.

For a milder dish, although this really isn't too hot, use mild salsa and less of the jalapenos.

Beet Green Soup

2010-07-05T15:35:00.002-05:00

This is a good recipe to use those beet greens that come with a bunch of your CSA beets.

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, halved and sliced into 1/4-inch thick half-moons
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 # potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
4 cups beet greens, sliced into 1/2-inch wide ribbons (the greens from 1 bunch of beets)
3 cups chicken broth
1 small bay leaf
Four 1/2-inch thick slices rustic whole grain bread
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over high heat until hot. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add the potatoes, sea salt and red pepper flakes, then add the greens, stirring well. Add the broth and bay leaf and bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes.
Toast the bread, rub with some olive oil and a cut clove of garlic (or garlic powder).
Serve the soup in large bowls topped with the garlic bread and the cheese sprinkled over the top.

Adapted from Post-Gazette.com

Garlic Scape Carbonara

2010-07-05T15:24:00.004-05:00

We loved this super easy dish and between the 2 of us, ate every last crumb for supper one night last week.

1/2 lb pasta (I used Eden spinach ribbon pasta)
4 slices bacon (about 3 1/4 ounces), chopped
1/4 cup garlic scapes, cut into 1/4 inch coins
1/4 # sliced mushrooms
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

A good addition is 1/2 cup of peas.

Set a pot of water to boiling on the stove and cook the pasta. While it’s cooking, cook the bacon over medium heat until browned. Remove the bacon pieces with a slotted spoon and add the garlic scapes and mushrooms. Cook until soft (2-3 minutes). Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon. (Drain both the bacon and the garlic scapes on a paper towel).
Whisk together the eggs, salt and red pepper flakes. When the pasta is done, quickly remove it from the stove. Drain the pasta and add it back to the pot, on the burner set to low. Stir in the garlic scapes, mushrooms and bacon. Add the egg mixture and stir for 3-4 minutes until sauce is thick and creamy. Don’t let it overcook or it will be gloppy. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese in, a little at a time, and stir to combine. Don’t add it all at once or it won’t mix through out the pasta as well (since it will clump).

Adapted from sarahcucinabella.com

Arugula, Feta & Dill Frittata

2010-07-05T15:14:00.004-05:00

This is another tasty frittata which makes an easy supper dish. We love fresh dill and its a very nice addition to this egg dish.

9 large eggs
3 Tbs. freshly grated Parmesan
3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled (about 2/3-cup)
2 Tbs. minced fresh dill
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced or 2-3 garlic scapes, chopped
4 cups packed arugula (about 4 oz. or 1 bunch), chopped

Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Stir the Parmesan, feta, dill, and a light sprinkling of salt and pepper into the beaten eggs.
Heat the oil and the garlic in a 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the garlic sizzles and starts to turn golden, add the arugula. Cook the arugula, stirring constantly, until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, shaking the pan to distribute the arugula evenly. Add the egg mixture and cook until the eggs start to set around the edges, about 1 minute.
Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the eggs are puffed and set, 10 to 12 minutes.

Adapted from fine cooking.com

Old-Fashioned Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

2010-07-05T15:02:00.003-05:00

I've posted a lot of recipes using rhubarb, but we really like it. Plus its readily available early in the produce season and rather inexpensive as fruit goes. It combines beautifully with strawberries. I liked this recipe because it has a very generous crumb topping which really compliments the tangy fruit filling.

Filling
2 pounds rhubarb stalks, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pecans (optional)

MAKE THE FILLING: Preheat the oven to 375°. In a bowl, toss the rhubarb with 3/4 cup of the sugar and let stand for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. In another bowl, toss the strawberries with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and let stand for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine the fruit. Add the cornstarch, lemon juice and vanilla to the fruit and stir well. Transfer the mixture to a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish.

MAKE THE TOPPING: Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, mix the ingredients together until large crumbs form. This can also be done in a food processor. If using the nuts, add at the end. You don't want them finely chopped.
Sprinkle the topping evenly over the filling and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325° and continue baking for about 30 minutes longer, until the fruit filling is bubbling and the topping is nicely browned. Let the crisp rest for 10 to 20 minutes before serving.

Its good served with vanilla or butter pecan ice cream or whipped cream. I didn't have any of these things so we ate it as is. Delicious.

Adapted from Food and Wine.com

Cucumber Salad

2010-07-02T11:27:00.004-05:00

Balkan Cucumber Salad

• 1/4 cup very thinly sliced red onion
• 1 cucumber, preferably a long English cucumber (we get them in our CSA box)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cups plain yogurt, drain off any accumulated liquid. I use Sugar River Dairy low-fat plain yogurt, which you can purchase locally in the Madison area.
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbs. fresh mint leaves, minced
• 4 tbs. (packed) finely minced parsley
• 2 scallions, finely minced (greens included)
• 2 tbs. freshly minced dill
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted

Cut the cucumbers into thin rounds and place in a medium-sized bowl.
Add remaining ingredients except walnuts, and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
Sprinkle the walnuts on top just before serving.

Adapted from The Moonshadow, a weekly newsletter of the Blue Moon Community Farm

Featherlight Buttermilk Pancakes

2010-06-21T18:27:00.003-05:00

This recipe for pancakes is absolutely delicious. It has nothing as far as being healthy or local to commend it, but the pancakes are a wonderful treat for a weekend breakfast morning. The recipe did say to serve them with real maple syrup and I think that is essential. The season is over now for maple syrup. I bought some a few weeks ago at the farmers' market when the farmer said it would be the last time he would be there until next season.

The secret to making these amazing pancakes is the lumpy batter. So whatever you do, do not overmix the batter! You can make additions to them of fruit or nuts, but they are good even just plain.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups sour cream
2 large eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Pure maple syrup, warm

Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl. Whisk buttermilk, sour cream, eggs and vanilla in another large bowl. Add to dry ingredients. Stir until batter is just blended but still lumpy (do not overmix).
Melt 1/2 tablespoon butter on griddle over medium heat. Pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls onto griddle, spacing 2 inches apart. Cook until bubbles break on surface, about 3 minutes. Turn pancakes over. Cook until bottoms are golden, 3 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter, adding butter to skillet as needed.
Serve pancakes immediately with butter and warm maple syrup.

Adapted from cooking.com

Frittata with goat cheese and asparagus

2010-06-19T18:14:00.004-05:00

Asparagus season is over, so I'm sorry I didn't post this recipe sooner. Its worth keeping in mind for next asparagus season though. Its quick, easy, delicious and uses lots of local foods. I highly recommend using Dreamfarm goat cheese if you live in Dane County Wisconsin. Its super mild and creamy and perfect on top of this frittata. I happened to have peppercorn flavor, but plain or any of the other flavors would also work well. We had this dish for a Saturday breakfast but it would also be good as a supper dish.

2 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, sliced
3-4 garlic scapes chopped, if available
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
3/4 - 1 pound asparagus, chopped
8 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper
3 ounces goat cheese, in blobs
1/2 cup smoked trout, broken into small pieces (optional but a nice addition)

Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Cook shallots and garlic scapes until wilted, 2 minutes. Stir in mushrooms; cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove mushrooms from skillet with slotted spoon. Add asparagus to the skillet, adding more butter if necessary. Cook, stirring, until crisp-tender, 3 minutes. Remove asparagus. Heat broiler. Mix eggs, salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Return skillet to stove over low heat. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon of the butter; pour in the beaten eggs. Arrange the cooked vegetables & smoked fish (is using) over the eggs. Cover; cook until the eggs are almost set, 10-12 minutes. Make sure that you don't overcook them. Dollop the goat cheese over top; broil until cheese is lightly browned, 2 minutes. Cut into wedges.

Adapted from a recipe in the Chicago Tribune

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

2010-06-17T14:14:00.005-05:00

This is great recipe to use two fruits (rhubarb and strawberries) you may find in your CSA box at this time of the year, especially in southern Wisconsin. It is supposed to be a diabetic friendly recipe--perhaps because it doesn't call for much sugar. I just tried it because it sounded good--and it is!

Filling
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups coarsely chopped (3/4-inch pieces) rhubarb
2 cups sliced strawberries

Topping
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut in bits
2/3 cup low fat buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In bowl, combine sugar, flour and cinnamon. Add rhubarb and strawberries; toss to mix. Spread mixture in an 8-cup greased shallow glass or ceramic baking dish (do not use metal); bake covered for 15 minutes.

Topping: In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture is size of small peas or process briefly in a food processor. With fork, stir in buttermilk until mixture is moistened and soft dough forms. Drop by spoonfuls in 6 evenly spaced mounds on hot fruit. Bake for 15 minutes, or until top is golden, biscuits are cooked through and rhubarb is tender when tested with a fork.

This is good served with ice cream or whipped cream. We didn't have either one and just had it as is. I think a dollop of vanilla yogurt would also be good.

Adapted from fabulous foods.com

Hawaiian Sweet Potato Casserole

2010-06-16T17:49:00.003-05:00

I am posting this recipe at my husband's request. He's hoping that if I post it, I might make it again sometime. Most of the time I don't make a recipe more than once.

I made this particular recipe for our gourmet dining club Hawaiian dinner last Saturday. It was a dinner with wonderful foods, beverage and good company. We usually meet about 4 times a year and take turns hosting the dinner. When its our turn, we pick the theme and the recipes. Members select the dishes they want to prepare. Usually each of us makes about 3 different dishes which makes for a wonderful array of food. For this dinner, I made baked coconut shrimp, mango bread, chicken and long rice (a Chinese chicken & noodle recipe) and the sweet potatoes.

8 medium sized sweet potatoes or less if they are large
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 stick of butter (sliced into thin pieces)
1 16 ounce can of drained crushed pineapple
3/4 cup of coconut milk
1/2 cup pecan pieces

You can either steam the potatoes or cook them in the microwave which is what I did. Cook until tender, cool and then peel. Cut the potatoes into 1" cubes.
In a casserole dish that has been either buttered or sprayed with a non-stick coating, layer the potatoes in the following way:
1/3 of the potatoes
1/3 of the brown sugar
1/3 of the butter
half of the pineapple
Repeat the layers
After the last layer of pineapple, add the last layer of potatoes, the pecan pieces, and the last of the butter and brown sugar.
Pour the coconut milk over the top of the last layer.
Bake for 25-30 minutes in a 350 oven.

The coconut milk makes the casserole richer in flavor and texture than your basic sweet potato casserole.

Adapted from grouprecipes.com

Agretti Pizza with Goat Cheese

2010-06-15T16:17:00.004-05:00

I got a bunch of agretii in our spring share CSA box. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it. Its appearance is quite different than most other greens. "Rather rare, Italian Agretti is an inherently salty green heirloom herb that delivers a succulent texture and a pleasantly acidic tart taste when it is harvested fresh and young. Measuring anywhere from eight to twelve inches in length and appropriately named, agretti means "little sour one". This entire plant is harvested in bunches when young and enjoyed fresh or cooked."

I found a recipe for pizza with agretti that I decided to try.

This is a light pizza with no sauce and only goat cheese. You should use fresh dough for the crust and good olive oil. Bake a quick pizza crust from scratch or purchase the dough (which is what I did) and brush it lightly with olive oil when it comes out of the oven. I put my dough in a large oiled deep dish pizza pan (12") and baked it for about 15 minutes at 425 degrees.

Sprinkle the crust generously with chopped fresh herbs. I used fresh rosemary. Saute minced garlic or green garlic and 1-2 bunches of agretti in a little olive oil. When its done cooking (which is when its wilted and somewhat tender) squeeze a few drops of lemon juice onto it and stir it in. Spread agretti evenly over crust, then put lots of small rounds or dollops of soft goat cheese all over the pizza. I also added some slices of fully-cooked chicken spinach feta sausages (2 links). Bake at 350 until goat cheese has softened a bit and the pizza is smelling delicious. This took 10-12 minutes.

We voted this a great success with a green that we had never tried before!

Adapted from a recipe for Mariquita Farms.com

Salmon with Apples & Sorrel

2010-06-10T12:40:00.004-05:00

I've never thought of combining apples and salmon in one dish, but it turned out to be a great combination along with the sorrel. I would have used even more sorrel because it really cooks down, but I only had one bunch.

1-1 1/4# salmon fillet
salt & pepper
juice of 1/2-1 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons butter, divided
2 granny smith apples, peeled & diced
1 bunch green onions, sliced--use some of the green parts too
1 bunch sorrel, sliced

Season salmon with salt & pepper and lemon juice. Add olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter to a frying pan over medium to high heat depending on how thick the salmon fillet is. Saute until golden brown. My salmon fillet was very thick so I covered the pan for part of the time to help it cook more quickly. Be sure not to overcook the salmon.
In a separate pan, add the remaining butter and saute the apples and onions until tender. Add the sorrel for the final minute or two.
Serve the salmon on top of a bed of the sauteed apples and sorrel. It makes an attractive presentation. I'm sorry I didn't take a picture, but it was 10:00 PM and we were quite hungry.

Adapted from receipezaar.com

Cinnamon-Topped Rhubarb Muffins

2010-06-09T18:56:00.005-05:00

All I can say is YUM! This recipe is a combination of a couple of recipes I found on the web. I tried adding some lemon verbena to the muffins because I was taking the muffins to an herb society board meeting. I guess I would have needed to add a lot more because I didn't taste the lemon verbena at all. Basic recommendation--skip it and stick to the recipe.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups finely chopped rhubarb (a little more is OK)
1/2 cup pecan or walnut pieces
TOPPING:
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. Combine egg, buttermilk, oil and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in rhubarb and nuts. Fill greased or paper-lined muffins cups about 3/4 full. To make it easier to peel the liners off, spray the paper cups with pan spray. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over each muffin. Bake at 375 degrees F for 16-18 minutes or until muffins test done.

Adapted from allrecipes.com & rhubarbinfo.com

Arugula Salad with Pears & Beets

2010-06-09T18:41:00.005-05:00

This salad has a nice contrast of colors and flavors.

1/2 jar of pickled beets or you could start with fresh beets and cook them. Beets aren't in season right now, at least in Wisconsin. Besides I happened to have a jar of pickled beets in the refrigerator.
Bunch of arugula
If it looks as though you won't have enough arugula, add some salad greens--preferably local
2 pears, peeled and sliced--I know pears are not in season in Wisconsin now either. I got a couple of pears at Whole Foods and felt slightly guilty for a very short time
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese--yes it was local!
1/4 cup cups toasted pecans

For dressing you can either use some raspberry vinegar & olive oil or Annie's Raspberry Vinaigrette

Adapted from hormel.com

Potato Swiss Chard Soup

2010-06-09T12:45:00.004-05:00

This soup is excellent and a great way to use a bunch of Swiss chard. We've been getting quite a bit of Swiss chard in our spring greens CSA share. We like it, but I know quite a few people who don't. This soup just might convince them otherwise.

1 large leek, sliced (you can use an onion if a leek isn't available)
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cup potatoes, cubed (only peel if they aren't organic)
2 medium carrots, cut in chunks
1 bay leaf
5 cups chicken broth
4 cups chopped Swiss chard (approximately 1 bunch), coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 or 2 links of Italian sausage, cooked and sliced (optional)

In a soup pot, saute leeks or onions, celery and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes, carrot, bay leaf and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add Swiss chard, parsley, thyme and cook an additional 10 minutes. Add black pepper. Remove from heat. Puree using an immersion blender if available or in a food processor. Add the sausage, if using and check to see if any salt is needed.

Adapted from nikibone.com

Spring Greens & Roasted Chicken

2010-06-09T12:27:00.004-05:00

This salad is delicious and super quick and easy if you're in a hurry to get dinner ready. It tastes as good as it looks!

1 2-1/4-pound purchased roasted chicken, chilled (Whole Foods-Madison has their roast chicken's on sale on Tuesdays)
5-ounces spring greens (about 8 cups) or a mixture of greens & lettuce
2 cups fresh sliced strawberries
2-3 ounces Gorgonzola or blue cheese, crumbled (1 cup)
1/2 cup roasted cashews

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing (I used Annie's)

If you have time you could cook one of Jen Ehr's wonderful chickens to use in the salad. In case you don't though, Whole Foods already roasted chicken is quite tasty. This is pretty much a local foods production especially if you used a chicken from one of the local farms. My greens and strawberries were both from my Jen Ehr CSA box and the cheese from the Madison Westside farmers' market.

Adapted from a Better Homes & Garden Recipe (bhg.com)

Chicken & Swiss Chard Enchilada Casserole

2010-05-31T16:29:00.004-05:00

I don't typically think of using my greens in Mexican style dishes. I tried this out last week; naturally with my own adaptations. We like Swiss chard, but I think it might be a dish that even people who were not overly fond of the green might be OK with.

1 pound Swiss chard, rinsed well and drained (less is OK--I used 2 bunches)
2 garlic cloves, or to taste, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large whole chicken breast, about 1 1/2 pounds, cooked, boned and shredded, about 1 1/4 cups meat
12-7 inch corn tortillas
3 cups Mexican style tomato sauce
1-1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack, about 6 ounces (I used Calico cheese from Fair Oaks Farms that I found at the Westside Farmers Market in Madison--its mild and melts very well)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Cut the stems from the Swiss chard leaves and chop them and the leaves separately. In a large skillet cook the garlic in the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until it is fragrant, stir in the Swiss chard stems and cook, covered, for 5 minutes. Chop the leaves. The easiest way to do this is in a food processor. Just pulse a few times until they are chopped the way you want them. Add the leaves and cook the mixture, covered, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the leaves are tender. Toss the Swiss chard with the shredded chicken and salt and pepper to taste.
I had a cut-up chicken from Jenehr that I cooked in a crock pot and then used in several different dishes. This being one of them. I used more than 1 1/4 cups of chicken. Plus it does not need to be strictly chicken breast.
Saute the tortillas in a pan that you have sprayed with pan spray, about 3 at a time.
I made the Mexican sauce out of tomato puree from Jenehr and just added some chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. You could also use purchased enchilada sauce. Spoon about 1/3 cup of it into the bottom of a greased 13 by 9 inch baking dish and arrange 4 of the tortillas in one layer over it. Spread the tortillas with half the chicken mixture and half the cheese, spoon about 1/2 cup of the remaining sauce over the mixture and cover it with 4 of the remaining tortillas in one layer. Spread the tortillas with the remaining chicken mixture and the remaining cheese, top the mixture with 1/2 cup of the remaining sauce and cover it with the remaining 4 tortillas. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the tortillas and sprinkle it with the Parmesan. Bake the enchiladas, covered with foil, in the middle of a preheated 350F oven for 15 -20 minutes, remove the foil, bake the enchiladas, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes more, or until the cheese is bubbling.

This dish also reheats well if you happen to have leftovers.

Polenta with Sausage & Greens

2010-05-23T19:33:00.003-05:00

We had this for supper last night and used our frilly yellow mustard greens and another bunch of mustard greens that we got in our spring share box. I don't think the cornmeal I used to make the polenta was local but just about everything else was. Its a very easy dish to make, but quite tasty and a good way to use a lot of "greens."

3 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
1 cup polenta
8 ounces sausage--I used 2 links of Cajun sausage from Jordandal Farms (you could also substitute turkey sausage)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced or 2 green garlic
1/4 teaspoon hot chili flakes (optional)
1 lb mustard greens, rinsed, stems trimmed, and chopped into 1 inch pieces (I used 2 bunches)
1/2-3/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese--I got Parmesan cheese from Farmer John's at the Hilldale farmers market.
salt and pepper

In a 3-4 quart pan over high heat, combine broth, milk, and cornmeal, stirring until mixture reaches a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until smooth, about 12-15 minutes. I usually make my polenta in the microwave so I don't have to worry about it sticking or burning.
Meanwhile brown the sausage slices. Add garlic and chili flakes (if desired). Add mustard greens and stir-fry until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add a little water if they seem to stick to the pan.
Spoon polenta into wide, shallow bowls. Top with sausage and greens mixture. Sprinkle shaved Parmesan over top and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Adapted from Recipezaar.com

Rhubarb Bread Pudding

2010-05-23T11:16:00.004-05:00

My husband loves, I mean really loves bread pudding. I wanted to make him a treat for his birthday and this is what I made. Freeze leftover slices of bread, and when you get enough, make a bread pudding. We had rhubarb from our CSA spring share so this seemed like a good recipe to try.

7 slices bread, cubed
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
5 eggs
1 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups diced rhubarb
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place bread cubes into a buttered 2 quart casserole dish. Combine the milk and butter in a saucepan, and heat just to the boiling point. Pour over the bread cubes, and let stand for 15 minutes or until the bread is soggy. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Stir in rhubarb. Pour over the soaked bread, and stir gently until evenly blended. Sprinkle walnuts over the top. Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until nicely browned on the top. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

This is good with a dollop of fresh whipped cream if you have it available. If you don't, it is still a yummy dessert.

If you don't have quite enough rhubarb, you can add a few frozen strawberries.

Adapted from All Recipes.com

Komatsuna Greens in Ginger Miso Sauce

2010-05-20T13:43:00.004-05:00

Yes, another greens recipe. We're getting lots of greens in the spring share from our CSA farm. Anyone who has ever done a spring share will be able to relate. Fortunately we really like all kinds of greens, but I'm always looking for new ideas of how to prepare them.

We both liked this greens & tofu dish served with a combination of cooked whole grain (I'm not sure what it was since I had it in unmarked canister) and whole wheat couscous. Obviously brown rice would be another excellent choice.

1 bunch Komatsuna Greens, stems and leaves separated
1 lb firm or extra-firm tofu
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
1-2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon miso
1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Brown the tofu. My method is to slice the tofu and drain on paper towel. Press gently to remove as much liquid as possible. Sprinkle both sides with flour. Spry an iron frying pan with pan spray (preferably the high heat variety) and get the pan very hot. Brown the tofu until it is crisped the way you prefer it. Do not overcrowd the pan or it won't brown. Set the tofu aside on a plate to add to the stir-fry later.

Chop the komatsuna stems into 1/2 inch pieces. Julienne the leaves. Heat up a wok or saute pan (without oil) and add the almonds. Stir-fry quickly until fragrant and toasted, about 45 seconds. Remove.
Then in the wok, heat up 1-2 tbsp of sesame oil on medium heat. Add the onion, cook for 6-7 minutes or until the onion turns clear and soft. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for one minute. Add the komatsuna stems and cook for 5 minutes. Add the leaves and cook until just wilted. While the komatsuna is cooking, combine the soy sauce, miso, and vinegar until smooth and set it aside.
When the greens are tender, add the tofu and then drizzle with miso sauce and sprinkle with almonds.

Adapted from the blog Cupcake Punk

Wintry Greens Pasta

2010-05-20T13:25:00.003-05:00

That is the official name of the recipe that came from The Seasonal Palette. I think the title Spring Greens Pasta would work equally well.

1/8-1/4 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced or you could substitute some green garlic if you have it available
3 cups sliced mixed mushrooms (shitake, oyster, portobello)--I used chopped portobellos
12 oz. penne pasta--try to use one of the whole grain varieties for better nutrition
10 cups chopped mixed greens (mustard, turnips, or whatever you have available)
Salt & pepper to taste
1/4 pound Gorgonzola or blue cheese, crumbled

Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente or whatever degree of "doneness" you prefer. Saute garlic in olive oil for 1 minute, add mushrooms and cook until wilted. Add greens to pan with mushrooms & garlic and cook about 5 minutes or until tender. Drain pasta, add to pan with vegetables. Season with salt & pepper. You could also add some fresh or dried herbs at this point if you would like to. Sprinkle cheese over the pasta and mix gently.

Note: You could also add sliced precooked chicken spinach feta sausages that are available at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods to add a little more protein to the dish.

Note: The amount of greens is not important. Just be sure they are chopped well enough so they aren't stringy which is a real turn off for my husband.

Greens, greens, greens!!

2010-05-15T19:10:00.009-05:00

We picked up our second spring share from our new farm today. Tons of lovely greens. We got spinach, pizzo, frilly mustard greens, Toyko bekana, komatsuna, salad mix, micro greens, little white turnips, asparagus, leeks, green onions, green garlic, rhubarb and frozen strawberries. I am not familiar with some of these greens, but other then deciding whether they should be cooked or not, a lot of them are interchangeable. Both the pizzo and frilly mustard greens are spicy and can be used raw or cooked.

I used the pizzo in a recipe that called for mustard greens.

Potato Salad with Greens and Hard Boiled Eggs

5 or 6 Medium Potatoes, cut into chunks. If they are organic, there is no need to peel them.
1/2 Onion, finely chopped
1 Bunch Mizuna or other Mustard Green
2 Eggs, Hard boiled
1 Jalapeno Pepper (optional), seeds removed and finely chopped
Sea Salt
1 Cup Mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon Prepared Mustard
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes and drain. While the potatoes are cooking chop the greens. I used my food processor so that the greens are finely chopped and there is no danger they will be stringy. Dump the hot potatoes on top of the greens and mix. Let the mixture cool somewhat. Add the onions and pepper. Combine the mayonnaise, mustard and vinegar. Pour over the vegetables and combine gently. Serve either at room temperature or chilled.

Adapted from recipes from Henry's Farm CSA

Lovely Sunday Afternoon

2010-05-03T17:16:00.007-05:00

Yesterday was a totally beautiful day in southern Wisconsin. Our friends called us bright and early Sunday morning to invite us to come and see the last of the apple blossoms in their orchard. Ellen and Bob have a a wonderful orchard in Ridgeway Wisconsin where they grow certified organic apples, pears and plums. They have a fruit CSA as well as selling at the farmers' markets: http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M7074.

After touring the orchard, Ellen and Bob prepared a wonderful meal, including asparagus and morel mushrooms from their land. I contributed dessert. Some of the ingredients such as the rhubarb were local--the mangoes unfortunately were not.

Rhubarb-Mango Crumble

1 1/2 pounds rhubarb stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 mangoes, preferable Champagne mangoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes--this is picture of the Champagne mango. They are very sweet, have smaller pits and are less fibrous then regular mangoes. I usually find them at Whole Foods.
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup pecan pieces

Preheat the oven to 400°. Generously butter or spray a 9 x 13" baking pan. Add the rhubarb and mango, then add 3/4 cup of the sugar and toss gently to combine.
In a food processor, combine the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar with the flour, cornmeal, ginger and salt; pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and process just until the mixture begins to clump. Add the pecan pieces and combine, but do not chop any further. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until bubbly and golden on top. Test with a fork to make sure the rhubarb is tender--if not bake a little longer.

Serve at room temperature with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream. Ice cream would be good too.

Adapted from Food & Wine.com

Herby Lentil Soup

2010-05-03T12:44:00.005-05:00

I love lentil soup but I especially enjoyed this recipe which I believe came from the book, The Best Life Recipes. I found the recipe tucked away in my recipe files and decided to make it. Of course it got altered along the way.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2/3 - 1 cup chopped carrot
1 pepper, red or green
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2-3 slices bacon, cooked and then crumbled
1 1/2 cups dried lentils
5 cups chicken broth
1# can crushed or chopped tomatoes
1 dried hot pepper (optional)
3 sage leaves, finely chopped or 1 teaspoon dry rubbed sage if the fresh isn't available (which it wasn't for me)
2 large fresh thyme springs, finely chopped or 1/2 teaspoon dry thyme leaves (I used dry)
2 large rosemary springs, you could also substitute dry rosemary--maybe about 1/2 teaspoon. I used fresh
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons or more chopped fresh cilantro

Fry bacon until crisp. Remove most of the drippings, add the olive oil and saute onions, carrots and peppers until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the lentils. Add the chicken broth and tomatoes. Cover the pot and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally until the lentils are almost tender. Add the herbs, salt and pepper, except for cilantro. Cook until the lentils are completely tender. Transfer 4 cups of the soup to a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth and return to the pot.

Check the soup's consistency. Add more chicken broth if it is too thick. Top the soup with the crumbled bacon and cilantro and serve.

A serving of the soup is supposed to have 18 grams of fiber which goes a long way towards meeting the daily recommendation.

Great Food & Garden Weekend!

2010-04-25T15:09:00.006-05:00

This might be surprising considering how unlovely our weather in Madison, WI has been this weekend. It turns out though with a great speaker on gardens you can feel like you're out there doing garden activities. This actually for me as the best kind of gardening. I just like the stuff you get from your garden not doing the work. OK, to explain this event--Saturday, April 24, the Madison Herb Society and Olbrich Gardens cosponsored Jim Long, Herb Companion writer, lecturer, and nationally renown herbalist to come to Madison to present a slide show/demonstration entitled "Eat Your Landscape." This is a link to Jim's website: http://www.longcreekherbs.com/ and also his blog: http://jimlongsgarden.blogspot.com/.

Preceding the talk was an herbal potluck brunch for MHS members. And preceding this on Friday night, the MHS board members gathered at the president's home for a pizza party with Jim. The president made all the pizza crusts and supplied all the toppings. We had carmelized onion pizza, Thai shrimp pizza, sausage sage pizza, and others. We all congregated in her kitchen to prepare the pizzas and sip wine. I'm sure this enhanced the quality of the pizzas. She made lovely panna cotta infused with bay (I think) and strawberries for dessert.

I wanted to share the recipe for my contribution to Saturday's brunch which would also make an excellent appetizer. They are a little putzy to make, but you get a very good return on time invested.

Pesto Twists

1 package frozen puff pastry

1 cup or a bit less homemade pesto (or purchased is OK too)

1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts or almonds

1/2 cup shredded parmesan (not the stuff that's like sawdust in a green can!)

I purchased my puff pastry dough at Whole Foods. I'm sure grocery stores carry it as well. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight or for 2-3 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the dough in quarters and roll each piece into a 12 inch square on a floured surface. Spread pesto over 2 of the rolled out pastry sheets. I did mine one at a time since that way some of twists can be baking while you're working on the rest. Sprinkle the nuts and cheese on top and then lay another pastry sheet on top. Press down lightly so it stays together. Cut the pastry into 12 one inch wide strips. A pizza cutter works well to do this. Then cut all the strips in half so that you have 24 small pieces. You can do this with just one swipe of the pizza cutter. Twist each piece and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool before storing.

Adapted from meals.com

Jim's talk was fascinating. He told us that nothing gets to be in his garden just because its pretty. The plants have to justify their existence. I have the same type of garden on a very tiny scale and grow herbs in containers on the deck of my condo. If you have a chance to go to one of his talks sometime, be sure to do so.