RECIPES 

We encourage you to share favorite recipes you’ve dreamed up using the wonderful vegetables from Irvington CSA. Check out our recipe page on Pinterest and scroll through these recipes submitted by fellow CSA members. To submit a recipe, send a note to irvingtonagriculture@gmail.com.

ASPARAGUS

Creamy Asparagus Soup

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 medium shallot
1 pound of asparagus
trimmed and chopped into 1 inch pieces (about 2 cups). Reserve tips from a few spears for garnish
1/2 large jalapeno
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
4 cups of organic vegetable stock
2 teaspoons of curry powder
1/2 avocado
2-3 cups of raw baby spinach
cilantro leaf
a squeeze of lime juice

Directions: In a large stock pot, saute shallot in olive oil until soft.
Add curry powder, asparagus, jalapeno and salt to stock to pot, cook for 2 minutes.
Pour in veggie stock and cook for 5 minutes.
Place contents in blender. Add spinach and avocado and, puree until smooth.
Garnish each bowl with asparagus tips, squeeze of lime juice and cilantro leaves.

Sugared Asparagus

From Simply in Season cookbook

2 tbsps butter

2 tbsps brown sugar (can use white, also)

Melt together in large frypan over medium high heat until dissolved.

2 pounds of prepared asparagus (can leave intact or cut into 2 inch pieces)

1/2 cup broth (vegetable or chicken)

Stir in butter and sugar. Mix and simmer just till tender, 6-8 minutes. Remove asparagus. Return to liquid to boil and simmer uncovered till sauce is reduced by half. Pour over asparagus and serve.

 
Shaved Asparagus Salad with Ginger and Sesame
https://www.copymethat.com/r/cpdpeNO/shaved-asparagus-salad-with-ginger-and-s/

 

BEETS

 

Beet and Brown Rice Sliders

Cooking Light July 2012 

16 thin slices sourdough bread

1 cup cooked whole-grain brown rice

3/4 cup grated cooked beet

1/2 cup panko crumbs

6 tablespoon chopped walnuts

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 large egg

2 tablespoon olive oil

3 ounce log goat cheese, sliced crosswise into 8 slices

Preheat broiler to high.

Cut each bread slice into a 3-inch circle. (Reserve scraps for breadcrumbs for another purpose.) Lightly coat bread rounds with cooking spray. Arrange bread rounds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Broil 2 minutes on each side till lightly toasted. Cool.

Reduce oven temperature to 400. Place a baking sheet in oven to preheat.

Combine rice and next 7 ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine mustard and egg stirring well. Add egg mixture to rice, stir till blended. Spoon 1/3 cup rice mixture into a 2 1/2 inch round cookie cutter, pack mixture down. Remove mold. Repeat to form 8 patties. Heat large skillet and add 1 tablespoon oil to pan, swirl to coat. Carefully add 4 patties to pan, cook 2 minutes.  Repeat procedure with remaining 4 patties Place pan in oven and bake for 9 minutes. Top each patty with 1 cheese slice. Bake an additional 1 minute or till cheese melted. Serve with toasted bread.

Magenta Spaghetti

Submitted by Erika Hinshaw

Ingredients:
1 pound red beets, cleaned
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
1 pound good-quality farro or whole wheat spaghetti
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 heaping tablespoon poppy seeds
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup pasta water
1/4 pound goat’s milk cheese

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the beets in a glass or ceramic baking dish. Cover with the olive oil and water. Bake until a tester easily passes through the beets, about 1 1/4 hours. Let cool.
    2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
    3. Peel the beets and cut into chunks. Add to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process to a rough puree. Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions.
    4. Add the butter to a 10-inch skillet. Turn on the heat to high. Brown the butter, about 2 minutes. Add the poppy seeds and toast for 2 minutes. Add the pureed beets, salt, and the 1/4 cup pasta water to the skillet. Stir to fully incorporate.
    5. Use a wire-mesh skimmer or tongs to remove the spaghetti from the pot and place them directly into the skillet with the sauce. Stir to combine.
    6. Divide the spaghetti into equal portions and place on warm plates. Use two round or oval soup spoons to form little balls of the goat’s milk cheese. Place a ball on top of each serving.
    7. Serve immediately.

CARROTS

Zippy Glazed Carrots

Submitted by Dave Anderson
We had a wonderful farmer’s market where I grew up in Grand Rapids, MI, and I was always glad to see mom buy fresh carrots there, hoping she’d glaze them with this easy recipe.

2 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 tbsp. prepared mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
3 c. sliced carrots, steamed & drained

Melt butter in skillet and stir in brown sugar and mustard. Add carrots, heat and stir constantly until glazed, about 5 minutes. Some recipes say to sprinkle with parsley, others say honey can be substituted for brown sugar, but I’ve never tried that. Yum!

 

CORN

 

Southwestern Soup

Submitted by Trish Arbuckle 

1 lb. ground beef (I’ve used turkey also)
1 c. onion- coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves- minced
2 (16 oz) cans light red kidney beans- rinsed, drained
1 (15 oz) can black beans- rinsed, drained
1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes- not drained
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes and green mild chiles- not drained
1 (14 oz) can beef broth
2 c. frozen white & yellow corn- may use fresh
1 (1 oz) envelope taco seasoning- may use your own seasoning
1/4 tsp. S& P
2 TB. Cilantro, chopped

May use toppings of sour cream and cilantro.

Brown ground beef, onion and garlic in Dutch oven for 10 min.
Stir in kidney beans, and next 8 ingredients plus 2 c. water.
Boil on medium, then decrease to low for 40 min.
Serve either cold or hot. Yum!

EGGPLANT

Ratatouille

Submitted by Anne-Marie Taylor

http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/18411/ratatouille

 

FIGS

The following website was submitted by Rachael Wahl. Lots of figs recipes. Enjoy.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/christinebyrne/delicious-fig-recipes-for-every-occasion

GROUND CHERRIES 

 

Ground Cherry Pie

Pastry for 9 inch crust

2 1/2 cups ripe ground cherries

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon flour

2 tablespoon water

Crumb topping

3 tablespoon flour

3 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoon butter

Place washed ground cherries in unbaked pie shell. Mix sugar and flour and sprinkle over ground cherries. Sprinkle water over top. Add Crumb topping. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce to 375 and continue to bake for 25 minutes.  

For crumb topping, combine and blend all three ingredients.

Ground Cherry Jam 

This is a simple small-batch jam recipe. For each cup of fruit add one cup of sugar, and one tablespoon of lemon juice. Heat the mixture over medium high heat stirring constantly until sugar is incorporated and mixture is liquid. Continue cooking over med-high heat, stirring frequently until jam forms a sheet on a spoon. You can also use a candy thermometer and bring mixture to soft boil. Remove from heat. Pour into a pint jar, cover and store in fridge. Sometimes the jam will continue cooking after taken from heat and will become hard and not easy to spread. Add a few tablespoons of water to the jar, place in microwave for a few seconds, usually 45 to 60. Stir water into jam.

 

Ground Cherry-Pineapple Crumble

Submitted by Erika Hinshaw 

Combine 3 cups halved ground cherries and 3 cups fresh pineapple chunks with ½ cup sugar.

Spread in a baking pan.

In a food processor, pulse ½ cup blanched almonds until coarsely chopped, and then add ¼ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup flour, and ½ cup brown sugar.

Pulse until roughly blended; then spread over the fruit.

Bake at 375°F or 30 to 40 minutes, or until bubbling and golden.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

HERBS

 

Blueberry Tarragon Ice Pops

makes 10  3 oz popsicles

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

3 sprigs of fresh tarragon

3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Additional ¾ cup water

  1. Create a simple syrup by bringing 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar to a boil. Turn off the heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add tarragon sprigs, and let steep for 30-60 minutes. Strain syrup and discard solids.
  2. In blender, purée blueberries and ¾ cup water until very smooth. If you don’t have a blender that can achieve a silky texture, it is worth the extra step of pushing the liquid through a fine sieve to get rid of the blueberry skins.
  3. Combine simple syrup and blueberry mixture, and freeze in ice pop molds according to manufacturer directions. If you don’t have molds, you can use small paper cups or ice cube trays – put in wooden Popsicle sticks or toothpicks after about an hour of freezing, or put plastic wrap over your homemade molds to hold the sticks in place.

Grilled Lemony Dill Veggie Sandwhich

Submitted by Evelyn Stannard 

Ingredients

1 cup assorted fresh veggies (Evelyn used Levi’s spinach, asparagus)

1 TB chopped fresh dill (subbed for basil from extras)

zest of half a lemon

juice of half a lemon

1 TB Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Directions

  1. Gather sliced veggies and put them in a medium bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss until everything is coated. Let marinade for 10 minutes.
  2. Grill veggies on both side 3-5 minutes
  3. Prepare sandwich – per taste may use hummus as spread, add goat or feta cheese and pile on veggies on bread of choice.

Sorrel Soup

Submitted by Anne-Marie Taylor

Ingredients

3 cups vegetable broth

2 tablespoons uncooked white rice (I substituted Levi’s potatoes)

1 bunch sorrel, stemmed and rinsed

1/2 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large saucepan bring vegetable broth to a boil over medium heat. Stir in rice and continue to boil for about 8 minutes. Stir in sorrel and return to a boil. Remove from heat and puree in batches in a blender or food processor or using an immersion blender.

Return to medium-low heat and stir in cream, salt and pepper. Heat through and serve.

KALE

Kale Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

1/2 head of kale
wash from stems and ripped into bite size pieces
1 1/2 cups of cherry tomatoes
sliced and organic
2 tablespoons of hemp seeds
1/4 cup of dressing
green goddess dressing (recipe below)

Directions: Add all ingredients to food processor, process until smooth, add water to desired consistency
Massage dressing into kale and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes until leaves wilt a bit.

Toss in tomatoes and hemp seed.

Green Goddess Dressing

1 avocado
handful of mixed herbs (dill, parsley, tarragon and chives are my favs)
juice of 1 lemon
pinch of salt
1-2 tablespoons of water
 

Kale Salad with Citrus

Submitted by Barbara Starr

1 bunch of trimmed kale

3 gloves of garlic

3 Tablespoon natural grape seed oil

1/2 squeezed lemon

1 small can drained mandarin oranges

1/2 pkg of slivered almonds

1/2 to 3/4 cup raisins

Toss together

Kale with Pine Nuts and Raisins

Submitted by Marilyn Ziegele 

Yield 4 servings

1 1/2 – 2 lbs kale, steamed and chopped

1 T olive oil

3 garlic cloves, finley chopped

1/4 c water

1/4 c raisins

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp soy sauce

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Heat olive oil in large skillet or wok, add garlic and saute over medium high heat until lightly browned, stirring frequently for about 30 seconds. Add kale, water, raisins, cinnamon and soy sauce. Cook kale until tender for about 5-8 minutes. Add a few tablespoons of water if mixture becomes dry. Stir in pine nuts just before serving.

Massaged Kale Salad

Submitted by Anne-Marie Taylor

1 bunch kale (black kale is especially good), stalks removed and discarded, leaves thinly sliced

1 lemon, juiced

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

Kosher salt

2 teaspoons honey

Freshly ground black pepper

1 mango, diced small (about 1 cup)

Small handful toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), about 2 rounded tablespoons

In large serving bowl, add the kale, half of lemon juice, a drizzle of oil and a little kosher salt. Massage until the kale starts to soften and wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside while you make the dressing.

In a small bowl, whisk remaining lemon juice with the honey and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stream in the 1/4 cup of oil while whisking until a dressing forms, and you like how it tastes.

Pour the dressing over the kale, and add the mango and pepitas. Toss and serve.

Tangy Tahini Kale Chips

Submitted by the Pluckebaums

2 large bunches of kale (curly or latino)

1/2 to 3/4 cup tahini

1/4 cup tamari or shoyu

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup of water

1-2 cloves of garlic

juice of one lemon

pinch of sea salt

2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast

handful of herbs (prefer parsley)

Wash kale thoroughly and remove the thickest part of the stem. Tear kale into larger than bite size pieces and set aside in a large mixing bowl. Combine all other ingredients in a blender until smooth. Combine mixture with the kale and massage it in with your making sure to thoroughly coat kale. Here are a few different items to make kale chips. You do need a dehydrator to make the best raw/live version of these. If you do not have a dehydrator try putting them in the 200 degree oven for an hour. Check them periodically and adjust time until they are crisp. If you are using a dehydrator, spread them on dehydrator trays and dehydrate @ 115 degrees for about 8 hours. I like to make them in the evening and put in dehydrator right before bed so they are done in the morning.

Kale, Bean and Italian Sausage Soup

Submitted by the Pluckebaums 

Serves 10-12

1 20-oz pkg precooked Italian chicken or turkey sausage sliced diagonally

1 stalk celery sliced

5 cups low sodium broth

1 cup chopped carrots

1 tsp dried fennel seeds

4 cups thinly sliced green cabbage

15 oz can cannolini beans

1 cup chopped red onions

2 cloves garlic minced

1 cup peeled, cubed potatoes

1 small fennel bulb chopped

2 tsps Italian seasoning

3 cups thinly sliced kale, stems removed

14.5 oz canned tomatoes

basil leaves for garnish

parmesan cheese for garnish

Brown sausage in Dutch oven for 5 minutes.  Add onion, celery and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes more. Drain any fat from pot. Add stock, potatoes, carrots, fennel, fennel seed, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 35-40 minutes until vegetables are nearly tender.  Stir in cabbage, kale, beans, and tomatoes. Return to boil, reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes more.  Ladle into bowls and serve with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil

 

KOHLRABI

 

Individual Kohlrabi Pizzas

Trim and peel kohlrabi. Cut in 1/4 or 1/2 inch circles. Saute till softening. Place rounds on cookie or pizza round. Add your favorite pizza toppings onto kohlrabi rounds. (We used pesto, tomato sauce, yellow peppers, garlic, onion, and cheese.) Bake for about 12-15 minutes or till kohlrabi slices are soft and cheese has melted in a 375 degree oven.

Spiced Goat Kohlrabi

Submitted by Terri Procopio

Kohlrabi is a highly underrated member of the cabbage family. The taste is similar to cauliflower and cabbage heart, but slightly sweeter. It is an excellent candidate for stuffing, and the Indian-inspired spices in the goat go beautifully with the flavor and texture of the kohlrabi.

4 medium kohlrabi bulbs

1 lb. ground goat (lamb or beef would be great also)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, diced

1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped

1 tbsp coconut oil or ghee

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Peel kohlrabi. Slice the bottom to give each bulb a flat surface to sit on. Slice the top off and scrape out the center of the bulb, leaving a 1/4 inch shell. This is most easily done with a melon-baller if you have one, but a spoon will work also. Chop up the filling that you removed, and set aside for later. Bring water in a large pot to a boil, and boil kohlrabi shells until a fork can be inserted into flesh. Remove from water and set aside.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until slightly soft. Add lamb and garlic and cook until lamb is browned throughout. Add spiced and stir well to coat meat. Add tomato, cilantro and reserved kohlrabi filling. Simmer for 10 minutes, adding a little water or stock if mixture becomes too dry.

Spoon lamb filling into kohlrabi shells and place in a baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes-20 minutes.

Additional note: If your kohlrabi bulbs came with the greens attached, you can chop up the small, tender leaves and throw them in the lamb mixture as well when you add the tomato, cilantro, and kohlrabi.

Oven Roasted Kohlrabi

Preheat oven to 400. While oven is preheating place baking pan which has oil lightly spread over bottom of pan into the oven. 

Peel and shred one kohlrabi bulb. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with olive or vegetable oil. Place in baking pan once it has preheated. Bake for about 10-20 minutes till of desired tenderness. Season with herbs or cheese or just eat.

May add shredded potato, carrot or zucchini if desired.  

 

LETTUCE

 

Grilled Romaine

From I’m Just Here for the Food—Alton Brown

1 head romaine lettuce
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

Hardware:
Tongs
Mixing bowl

Application: Grilling by direct heat
Heat up a charcoal grill. Quarter the romaine lengthwise so that the root keeps each piece together. Lightly coat with oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix together the capers, mustard, and vinegar. Lay the romaine on the grill, directly over the heat. Turn, with tongs, every few seconds until it begins to char and wilt (total grill time is about 1 minute). Remove to serving plates and spoon the vinegar mixture over each. Serve warm.

Lettuce Pesto

1/4 cup pine nuts

3/4 cup coarsely chopped garlic scapes*

Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon

1/2 teaspoon salt

A few generous grinds of black pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese 

*Or use half scapes and half herbs such as basil, and dill.

In a small, dry pan set over very low heat, lightly toast the pine nuts, stirring or tossing occasionally until just beginning to brown, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutesCombine the scapes, pine nuts, lemon juice and zest, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse about 20 times, until fairly well combined. Pour in the olive oil slowly through the feed tube while the motor is running. When the oil is incorporated, transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in the grated cheese. If you plan to freeze the pesto, wait to add the cheese until after you’ve defrosted it.

Lettuce Pesto Sauce

From Jug Bay Gleaner CSA blog 

Wondering what else to do with all that lettuce. This CSA blog suggested a South American Aji Sauce that uses a whole head of lettuce to create a mayonnaise-based sauce. The basic method is:

Take your cored, washed head of lettuce and place it in a blender or food processor with one or two seeded jalapeños, three to five chopped green onions salt and pepper to taste, cilantro (or other herbs you might prefer) and 1/4 cup of mayonnaise. Whirr it around until you have a pourable sauce. If to thick you might want to add one to two tablespoons of red wine vinegar or lime juice.

Serving suggestions:

top grilled chicken or steak

toss in a salad (yeah more salad!)

dress chopped vegetables

dip for bread or chips.

Lettuce Soup

Carolyn Cope writes Umami Girl and manages a CSA in New Jersey

1/4 cup olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

10 large outer leaves of Romaine lettuce, torn into pieces

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced

3 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup heavy cream

Pinch of ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon parsley leaves

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Procedure
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a 4-quart saucepan. Add the onion and cook until beginning to soften. Add the lettuce, potatoes, chicken stock, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover the pot and reduce the heat so that the liquid stays at a brisk simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes depending on the size of your dice. Off the heat, add the cream, nutmeg, lemon juice, parsley, and a bit of freshly ground black pepper. Carefully puree the soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot or cold. The soup will keep in the fridge for up to a week, and the flavor improves as it rests. Reheat gently before serving if desired.

Stir Fry Lettuce

From Jug Bay Gleaner CSA Blog 

1 head iceberg lettuce or other head lettuce (others have used leaf lettuce)

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

3/4 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger

1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

Wash the lettuce, drain and separate the leaves. DRY WELL. Cut across the leaves into pieces about 1 inch wide. Combine the rice wine or dry sherry, soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl, stirring. Set aside. Heat a wok on medium-high heat and add oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. Stir-fry until aromatic (5 – 10 seconds) and add the lettuce. Stir-fry the lettuce, sprinkling with the salt, for 1 to 2 minutes, until the leaves begin to wilt. Give the sauce a quick re-stir and swirl it into the wok. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 more minutes, until the lettuce turns dark green. Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame oil. Serve immediately.

MUSTARD GREENS

Mustard Greens with Beans and Rice

Submitted by the Pluckebaums

1 bunch of mustard greens (or any green e.g. kale, savoy, chard)

1 medium onion chopped

1 tbsp minced fresh ginger root

1 15 oz kidney beans drained and rinsed

2 tsp curry powder (use red if want spicier)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic minced

1 pince red pepper flakes

1 15 ounce can tomato sauce

1/2 cup half and half (or soy milk or lite coconut milk)

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add greens to pot and cook till tender about 7 minutes. Drain and rinse with cool water.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the onions until lightly brown. Stir in garlic, ginger, and season with red pepper. Mix in greens, kidney beans, tomato sauce, and curry powder. Stir in the half and half, and continue cooking until heated through. Serve over rice.

PEPPERS

Chocolate Stout Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 large red pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
8 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 15 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons of cumin, ground
1 tablespoon of coriander
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of oregano, ground
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon of smoked Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 cup of chocolate stout (beer)
1 28 oz. can of fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz. can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 chipotle pepper in adobo plus 1 tbsp adobo sauce
fresh chopped cilantro
fresh diced avocado

Directions: In a large pot on medium-high heat, saute onions, all peppers, and chopped garlic in extra virgin olive oil for 5-7 minutes (until tender, but not mushy).
Add all of the beans and dry seasoning. Stir to coat and cook for 5 minutes.
Add chocolate stout and stir to combine, cook off alcohol. This should take about 4-5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, chipotle pepper and adobo sauce, stir.
Partially cover, reduce heat to low, and allow to simmer for 30 minutes to an hour. Stirring frequently.
Taste and add seasoning if necessary.
Serve in bowls with chopped fresh cilantro and sliced avocado.

 

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Submitted by Marilyn Ziegele

2 Tb. Olive Oil

1 celery stalk- chopped

½ c. chopped onion

1 clove garlic-minced

2-4 Red peppers- roasted

1 1/3c. chicken stock

1/3 c. heavy cream

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Salt & pepper to taste

Roasting peppers: 400 degree oven, Turn peppers every 15 min. (I usually roast for 15 min. each side).Remove from heat, place in paper bag. Fold top to seal. Allow to “sweat” for 2 min. Under running water. Remove skin, seeds and ribs. Either chop or puree. May refrigerate until ready to use. Saute celery, onion and garlic in oil. Add chicken stock and S&P. Process in blender for 1 min. Mix together with Peppers and heat ingredients. Add cream and parmesan just before serving.

POTATOES 

Smashed Potatoes

These potatoes are good for subbing for French fries. Take 1-2 lbs of small new potatoes and cook till just tender about 15 -20 minutes. Drain and cool. When cool enough to handle carefully smash the potatoes with your palms just enough to break the skin and slightly flatten potato. Heat about 1 tbsp of olive in skillet over medium heat. Add the potatoes in a single layer, add 2 gloves of minced garlic, and 1 tbsp minced rosemary or 1 tsp dried. Cook until the potatoes are browned and crisp then flip and crisp other side. Takes about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. May add grated Romano or parmesan if desired.

 

SWISS CHARD

Sausage, Chard and Lemon Lasagna

Baked Cheese Polenta with Swiss Chard

Submitted by the Tryons 

Ingredients

bunch of Swiss chard

cooking spray

8 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoon water or broth

Polenta

1 3/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cup vegetable broth

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup crumbled goat or feta cheese (subbed monterey jack)

3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare chard, removing stems and center ribs. Discard stems and coarsely chop ribs and leaves. Heat a lare nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add garlic, saute for 30 seconds. Add ribs and water, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add leaves and cook till wilted.

Prepare polenta. Place water salt and broth in large saucepan. Gradually add cornmeal, stirring constantly with a whick. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook 8 minutes stirring constantly. Add cheese, stirring constantly with whick. Spoon half the polenta into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray, spread evenly. Top with chard mixture. Spoon sour cream over chard, spreading evenly. Quickly add remaining polenta over top.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Swiss Chard-Apple Gratin

Submitted by Marilyn Ziegele

Yield: 8 servings

1 1/2 lb Swiss Chard, ribs removed

4 Tbsp Butter (divided)

3/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tart apple, peeled, cored and grated

1/4 cup soft bread crumbs

Boil 4 quarts of salted water and dip chard for 30 seconds. Transfer chard to ice water. In small skillet, saute 2 tbsp of butter and onion. Toss with drained chard and add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Spray a 9″ baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spread 1/4 of chard mixture over bottom of dish. Drizzle with 2 tbsp of cream. Top with 1/3 of grated apple. Repeat twice more and add layer of chard and cream. Top with bread crumbs and dot with 2 tbsp butter. Bake @ 350 F for 15 minutes. Raise temperature to 375 and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

TOMATOES

Classic Heirloom Tomato Sauce with Fresh Basil

3 pounds very ripe yellow meaty heirloom tomatoes peeled and seeded

1/2 cup olive oil

6 large garlic cloves

1 small bunch basil (torn into small pieces)

3/4 to 1 tsp sea salt to taste

freshly ground pepper to taste

1 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar

Place tomatoes in a food processor and coarsely chop.

Heat a large heavy-bottomed soup pot at medium high heat. Add the oil and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and reserved juice and bring to a boil. As soon as the sauce reaches boiling point, reduce heat to medium to medium lo and simmer uncovered for 35 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the tomatoes separate from the olive oil, stirring occasionally. Add the basil, salt, pepper and balsamic. Continue to simmer for 2 more minutes until basil has wilted. Remove from heat. Serve over cooked pasta of choice.

Cold Canned Tomatoes

Submitted by Tammy Stevens 

Scald jars & lids
Blanch tomatoes and peel
1/2 teaspoon canning salt for pint/1 teaspoon for quart
Seal jars and place on cookie sheet in COLD oven
Turn on oven for 250 degrees for 1hour

DO NOT OPEN OVEN
Let cool over night (tops will pop/seal)

Heirloom Tomato Soup

Submitted by Jennifer Gatsos/Walter

1 large sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
12 medium heirloom tomatoes, quartered (about 8 lbs)
1 large carrot, chopped
1 c fresh corn (I’ve used frozen)
1/4 c loosely packed basil leaves
2 t sea salt
5 1/2 c reduced sodium chicken broth
1/3 c heavy whipping cream

In a stockpot, saute onion in oil under tender. Add garlic, cook 1 minute longer. Add tomatoes, carrot, corn, basil and salt. Stir in broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 min or until tomatoes softened, stirring occasionally.  Cool slightly.  In a food processor, process soup in batches until smooth. Return all to pan and heat through. Ladle into bowls; drizzle with cream.

From Taste of Home

 

 

Oven Fried Green Tomatoes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice tomatoes to desired thickness. Depending on the number of tomatoes you will be cooking, whisk eggs for an egg bath in a bowl. Prepare flour and salt and pepper to taste for dredging in another bowl. Place bread crumbs (panko do well) in another bowl. Dredge slices first in egg, then in flour mixture, and lastly in bread crumbs. Place on slightly oiled cookie sheet. Cook for 20 minutes on each side. These take longer than pan fried, but have a crisp, non-greasy taste.

 

Tomato and Okra

Submitted by Rachael Wahl 

4 slices bacon, diced into small pieces

1 small onion, peeled and chopped

cloves garlic, minced

2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon chicken base

1 tablespoon sugar

2 cups fresh okra, cut into 1-inch pieces (may use frozen, if fresh not available)

Fresh ground black pepper

Cook bacon slightly. Saute onion and garlic with bacon until tender. Add tomatoes, chicken base, sugar and pepper. Stir well and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning if needed. Meanwhile wash okra and remove fuzz if using fresh and cut into pieces. Add the okra and simmer until okra is done, about 20 more minutes (less if using frozen okra.)

Warm Cherry Tomato Salad

1-2 cups cherry tomatoes (variety if available)

1/2 cup basil cut thin shreds

1 -2 cloves of garlic to taste

1-2 tbsp of olive oil

Saute garlic in olive oil until garlic is tender. Toss tomatoes into skillet until tomatoes are blistered and slight browned about 2-3 minutes. Toss basil over tomatoes and remove from heat. Serve warm;;

TURNIPS

Turnip Fries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash, peel, and cut turnips into strips about 1/4 in wide. Salt and pepper to taste. Lightly but evenly oil strips. Place on cookie sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, checking after 10. May need to turn once. Fries should be crisp on outside and tender on inside. While still warm sprinkle with grated parmesan.  Healthy alternative to French fries.

 

ZUCCHINI

Zucchini Cheddar Bread

Submitted by Rachael Tryon

1 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup butter

2 1/2 cups Bisquick

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp celery salt

1/2 tsp dill

1/4 cup milk

3 eggs

1 1/2 cup shredded zucchini

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cook onion in butter until tender. Cool slightly. Mix Bisquick, spices, milk and eggs into onion mixture. Beat for 1 minute. Stir in zucchini and cheese. Put in loaf pan(s). Bake @ 400 for 40 minutes until done in center. Cool and remove from pan.

Zucchini/Summer Squash Noodles

Take one or more as needed zucchini or yellow squash, peel them and then either julienne or cut into strips using a potato peeler. These are your noodles. You can quick saute or flash blanch them. Then add other fresh cooked vegetables or sauces like you would with regular pasta. Or just put a little melted butter over with garlic and a sprinkling of cheese.

Zucchini Pie

1 pkg of refrigerated crescent roll dough

2-3 med zucchini sliced

1 onion sliced

garlic salt to taste

2 eggs

2 tbsps butter

1 cup shredded mozarella cheese 

Press dough into pie pan like a pie dough. Melt butter in skill and then saute onions and zucchini until soft. Sprinkle with garlic salt to taste. Place zucchini mixture, juice and all into prepared dough. Pour the beaten eggs over top of zucchini mixture. Sprinkle cheese over top of all. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes

TIPS

How to store and process your veggies, ideas on using produce and other helpful hints.

Ways to keep lettuce longer
Clean well and dry. When well dried, chop up like you would for a salad and pack loosely in a quart mason jar with a metal lid and ring. Will stay nice in fridge for several days and often weeks. It is also very handy for when you want to make a salad but are running short on time.

Sometimes in the spring we seem to get an abundance of lettuces. One way to use the sturdier head lettuces such as romaine types, is for lettuce wraps or substitute for taco shells. Might be a little messy but yummy just the same.

Removing stowaways
Eating food straight from the garden and not treated with pesticides is wonderful, but sometimes you will find little stowaways in your broccoli, lettuce, cabbage, etc. Inspect carefully but it also helps to soak the veggies in some clean cool water with salt added. This seems to draw out the little critters. May need to repeat a few times for broccoli and lettuces.

Cherry tomatoes
When we get cherry tomatoes and it seems overwhelming, save them for use in winter. Wash and dry thoroughly. Place on a cookie sheet and freeze until solid. Toss into freezer bags. Take out as needed to use in soups/stews and pasta recipes.

Kale: Freeze it
For our family, we think kale is easier to use and is less bitter if frozen first. It is easy to freeze kale. Wash well. Remove stems and dry leaves thoroughly. Place in freezer bag and store in freezer. When ready to use, just break up kale while in freezer bag. The more you crush them with your hands the finer the pieces. Ready to cook.

Onions: Carmelize and serve with kale
Another tip I received from a coworker was to carmelize onions with some garlic and honey. After the onions are carmelized, add kale and stir till coated. Add a smidgin of baking soda, and then broth or water. Cook till tender. She says the baking soda helps break down the kale and also takes away the bitterness.

Chard
Chard leaves are a good substitute for cabbage and grape leaves when making cabbage rolls or stuffed grape leaves. They can be slightly blanched before rolling or rolled without blanching. Stuff as you would for these recipes and bake according to directions

Storing herbs and greens
Mint keeps really well in a glass of water in the windowsill with some sun. Store greens after washing and spinning dry in a bowl with a paper towel covering and tucked in tight around greens. Keep asparagus in a jar of water like you would flowers. The same is true of chard and kale. Try these tips to prolong the life of your produce.

Storing asparagus and some herbs: To prolong the life of your asparagus and some herbs, place in a tall container with about 1 inch water in bottom of container (e.g. herb saver or pitcher works well). Cover with lid to container or plastic bag. Store in fridge. Do not store at back of fridge as this area gets the coldest and might cause freezing of tops of produce.

Looking for a way to use those herbs Levi sends but not quite sure what to do with them? Try making herb infused vinegars. Take a glass canning jar or any recycle glass jar with a plastic lid and stuff washed herbs into jar. Pour white vinegar over herbs to top of jar. Cover with plastic lid and let sit in sunny area for about 4-6 weeks. Chives make a wonderful vinegar: the pink flowers give it a nice color and make the vinegar a little sweet. Excellent in salad dressings.

Honey
Using local produce and food products may help you decrease your allergy symptoms. Many people use local honey daily and find their symptoms are subsiding. Another good reason to join a CSA! Tell your friends.