Thayer in the Kitchen

This is a breakfast recipe using the lovely spinach that we got in our first box  from our new farm My Fine Homestead. I love easy recipes that incorporate vegetables in courses other than lunch (which we typically don't eat) or dinner. My husband, Arthur, is a big fan of polenta and will happily eat it for any meal. If you try this dish, I hope you will find it as satisfying a breakfast as we did. Ingredients Polenta: 5 cups water or stock (I used a combination) 1 cup polenta 2 Tbsp oil (or butter) 1 tsp salt Greens & Eggs: 1 medium onion, chopped 1 bunch of spinach, chopped (or other greens like Swiss chard or baby kale) 2 - 4 eggs 1 Tbsp butter or oil Salt and pepper to taste Freshly grated Parmesan  Directions To make the polenta, pour the water into a pot, add the salt and bring the water to a boil. Slowly pour in the polenta while whisking well. Bring the polenta to a simmer on low heat, stirring often, cooking gently for around 30 to 45 min...

This soup turned out to be tastier than I expected which is why I'm including it in my blog so that I don't forget about making it again. I think it is due to the celery root puree. This makes it necessary to add another step to preparing the soup but it is definitely worthwhile.  You could substitute another grain for the cracked wheat, such as farro.  However, I happened to have cracked wheat available and it cooks quickly. 1 celeriac (celery root 3/4 - 1#) 1/2# onions, sliced (yellow or red) 3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced or chopped 3 tablespoons unsalted butter Kosher (or sea salt) and cracked black pepper 2 tablespoons olive or sunflower oil 1 cup cracked wheat Several sprigs fresh thyme if available, otherwise use dried thyme 1 stalk celery, diced -- note, I used my vegetable chopper to chop all the root vegetables so they were about a 1/2 inch dice 1 carrot, diced 1 turnip, diced (I didn't have a turnip so I used a daikon radish) 1 medium potato, unp...

Adapted from  Cook This Now  by  Melissa Clark .  A great way to use some of those carrots from your CSA farm in a familiar dish. Ingredients 2 cups whole wheat macaroni 2 1/2 cups coarsely grated carrot (about 8 small) 3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (note: any kind of cheese you have available will work fine) 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces 3/4 cup sour cream 1/4 cup whole milk 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon kosher salt 3/4 teaspoon mustard powder 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese Directions 1. Preheat oven to 400° F and grease an 8-inch square baking pan. Arrange a rack in the top third of the oven. 2. Cook macaroni according to package instructions in a large pot of salted boiling water; add carrots 3 minutes before the pasta is finished cooking; drain well. 3. While pasta is hot, stir in all but 1/2 cup of the cheddar and the butter. In a bowl, whisk together the s...

This dish can be served warm or cold, leftover the next day.  Delicious both ways.  It is a bit labor-intensive but very tasty and a good way to use some of those winter vegetables. 1# beets, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks 1/2# carrots, cut into thick coins 1/2# onions red or yellow onions or shallot, cut into chunks (a little less is fine) 1/2 cup Citrus Vinaigrette 1 cup Israeli couscous 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped 1 large sprig of thyme, if fresh is not available sprinkle in some dry 1/4-1/2 tsp. dried chile flakes 1/2 cup salted roasted sunflower seeds (raw seeds are also OK) 1 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese Heat oven to 450℉. Toss the beets with a small amount of olive or sunflower oil, season with salt and pepper and spread on a rimmed baking sheet.  Roast for 10 minutes.  Toss the carrots and onions with oil and season with salt and pepper.  Add to the baking sheet.  Roast all the vegetable...

I loved this Rachael Ray recipe for Red Cabbage soup!  It was so hearty and filled with so many good winter vegetables.  It helps if you have a hand chopper to chop up the vegetables and a food processor to slice the cabbage. 2 tablespoons olive oil or sunflower oil 2 tablespoons butter 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped 1 parsnip, peeled and chopped 3 ribs celery with leafy tops, chopped 1 leek, quartered lengthwise, cleaned and chopped (I forgot to buy a leek and substituted 1/2 chopped red onion--worked fine) 1 large firm apple, such as Honeycrisp or Gala, peeled and diced Salt and pepper ½ teaspoon whole allspice 1 teaspoon juniper berries (I didn't have any, so I skipped them) 1 teaspoon cumin, ground or seed 1 teaspoon celery seed 1 teaspoon caraway, seed  1 tablespoon paprika 2 large fresh bay leaves or dry if fresh isn't available 1 small red cabbage, quartered, cored and very thinly sliced 2 tablespoons light-brown sugar 2 tablespoons sherry o...

We frequently have oatmeal for breakfast, but I like the idea of adding variety to the way it is served.  This is different than we usually have our breakfast cereal, but Arthur said he thought it was quite tasty and we should have it again. 2 cups hot prepared oatmeal 2 eggs, fried sunny-side up (poached would also be OK) 1 avocado, sliced 2 oz. Gruyere or cheddar cheese, shaved or grated Snipped fresh chives Place oatmeal in a serving bowl.  Top each serving with an egg, slices of avocado, cheese, and chives.  You could also offer hot sauce. To cook 2 cups of oatmeal: 1 cup of dry oats 2 cups of water 1/4-1/2 tsp. salt Cook 10-12 minutes or until water is absorbed and oats are tender Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

This recipe is a vegan version of the soup joumou that Haitians devour on New Year’s Day.  This was a great soup to make because we got so many of the ingredients in our winter storage share.  It is a delicious soup! Ingredients 1# kabocha squash, seeded and cut into 8 pieces (I used a baby dumpling squash from our CSA farm) 1 can whole coconut milk (not lite) 2 quarts vegetable or chicken broth, divided 2 tbsp sunflower oil or olive oil 1 cup diced carrot 1 cup diced celery 1 cup diced yellow onion 3 tbsp chopped fresh thyme, divided (dry can be used if fresh is not available--use less) 1 tbsp minced garlic (about 3 cloves) 1 tbsp sea salt, divided 2 cups shredded green cabbage (1/2#) 1 cup chopped leek or green onions 1 cup peeled and diced sweet potatoes 1 cup diced potatoes (2 potatoes) 1 cup diced turnips 2 tbsp garlic powder 2 tbsp onion powder 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes Pinch of cayenne pepper 1/4# small ...