Farm Notes March 22nd: Walking to Spring CSA is Here!

Leave a comment

Hello from Tant Hill Farm! We are so excited about the Spring season and all the surprises it has in store for us The weather has been a little strange but we just go with its flow! Our new baby Chicks are growing so quickly, by July we will have more Organic free range, soy and wheat free eggs to offer! Our Walking to Spring CSA session starts today, pick up at Main Street Farmers Market and Nutrition World Farmers Market.

We are at Nutrition World Farmers Market every Saturday from 11:30am-1pm.

See you at Main Street Farmers Market!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

March 22nd Produce

Here are the items you can expect at Market {M} and in the CSA {CSA}:

  • Toscano Kale {CSA} Red Russian and Siberian Kale {M}: check out this recipe from the Kitchen of Blackwell Smith. Don’t throw your stems away!! Kale Salad with Apples and Peanuts
  • Rainbow {M/CSA} and Giant Ford Hook Swiss Chard {M}: while you can use just about any green in our latest recipe – Chard Onion Cheese Frittata – I like how quick Swiss chard cooks down. Thinly slicing the stems and cooking them with the onions is an added bonus!
  • Dragon Tongue and Spicy Asian Mustard Greens {CSA}: did you know mustard greens are linked to cancer prevention? They are also touted as cholesterol lowering machines, along with kale and collards, so be sure to get your daily dose of these greens! The Spicy Asian Mustard has a Horseradish bite that is tamed when cooked. Mustard Greens are amazing with your scrambled eggs in the morning!
  • Tender Collards {CSA}: Collard Green and Pecan Pesto is a great recipe as the weather is starting to warm. Basil is not the only green you can use for pesto. You can also use your favorite nut if pecans are not your fancy!
  • Red Kitten Spinach {M/CSA}: this is the most beautiful spinach I have ever grown! The dense texture, the arrowhead shape and the stunning burgundy coloring is so vibrant! Check out Blackwell Smiths recipe for Warm Red Kitten Spinach Salad.
  • Organic, Range Free, Soy and Wheat Free Eggs {M}: here is a muffin-type meal that would be great with any number of our greens – Quinoa Kale Bites. A few eggs bind together quinoa, kale (or other greens) and cheese to make a healthy on-the-run meal.
  • Green Onions {CSA}: Add these beauties to any salad or meal.
  • Herbs: Parsley {M/CSA}, Rosemary, Garlic Chives, English Thyme and Sweet Mint {M} Here is a great site on how to store and prepare your herbs. Herbs. The herbs will store well in the bag they come in!
  • Edible Asian and Arugula Flowers {M}. Flowers make a great addition to your Kale salad. If you love presentation, this will take it to another level!
  • Medicinal and Nutrient Dense Chickweed for Smoothies, Teas or Tincture. See Chickweed is a Star for some great info on this amazing Herb!

“The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will instruct his patient in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.” Thomas Edison

Weekly Farm Notes :: December 7th, 2016

2 Comments

Hello,

This is the last week of this season’s CSA. We will be in contact via email for those that need an extension. We have plenty of preservation recipes below if you want to extend your bounty for the weeks and months to come!

Still looking for the perfect gift? Give the gift of health with a CSA share! Stop by our booth or call us at 423-637-9796 to purchase. For other ideas, Alice O’Dea has a wonderful list you can find here.

Also, don’t forgot we will be attending the Nutrition World Farmers Market every Saturday from 11am-1pm. Stop by and say hey!

See you at market!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

December 7th Produce

Here are the items you can expect at Market {M} and in the CSA {CSA}:

  • Red Butter Lettuce {M/CSA}: there aren’t many ways (that I know of, at least!) to preserve lettuce but here is a great soup that you can make and then freeze for later – Lettuce Soup with Fontina Gratin.
  • Jerusalem Artichokes {M/CSA}: if you aren’t familiar with these tubers (which are also called Sunchokes), check out all of the recipe ideas at this link. In addition, I have thinly sliced, dehydrated and then ground these up to make a powder. I then added it to mashed potatoes and other starchy dishes for an extra flavor boost.
  • Awesome Asian & Lettuce Mix {M/CSA}: back to preserving lettuce – some people actually freeze it raw and then use it later. The leaves will definitely loose their crunch when thawed but they can be used for soups or casseroles. To learn more, read this post: How to Freeze Lettuce Leaves.
  • Variety of Kale {M/CSA}: no food preservation list is complete without a pesto recipe. I particularly love our Super Greens & Sunflower Seed Pesto recipe. You can use just about any greens you have on hand or use a variety for a more complex flavor.
  • Rainbow & Giant Food Hook Swiss Chard {M/CSA}: while we don’t have pak choi this week, our Swiss chard would be a great substitute in our Edamame & Pak Choi Salad. You can thinly slice the stems and add them along with the greens. As an added bonus, you can toss in some of our green onions as well.
  • Dragon Tongue, Spicy Asian & Giant Red Mustard Greens {M/CSA}: have you ever tried Pickled Mustard Greens? We have a recipe for Quick Pickled Radish Leaves that you could try as well.
  • Kohlrabi {CSA}: I have two preservation thoughts for kohlrabi: 1) you could make a batch of our Sauerruben if you like to ferment or 2) you could try our Miso Pickles. You will get a very different end result depending on which you chose but you can’t go wrong.
  • Green Onions {CSA}: one way to preserve green onions is to use them in our Green Onion Yogurt Flatbread and then freeze the bread. Be sure to freeze each piece individually and then stack them in a ziplock bag to store.
  • Tender Collards {M}: these “Cheesy” Collard Green Chips don’t last longer than an hour in our house. Similar to store bought chips, these keep you coming back for more (but you don’t feel guilty in the process)!
  • Summerfest Asian Greens {M}: here is a fun post on Asian Greens in which the author provides a Garlic Buttermilk Dressing at the end that would go great with these or any number of our other greens.
  • Organic, Range Free, Soy Free Eggs {M}: I gotta admit, the sound of pickled eggs has never appealed to me. I can just find so many other ways to use farm fresh eggs! But…if you find yourself with an oversupply, this recipe might be a good one to try.
  • Bold & Peppery Arugula {M}: pureed soups are great for the freezer. I think this Creamy Vegan Arugula Soup sounds like a great way to preserve arugula!
  • Wasabi Arugula {M}: while this isn’t technically “pesto”, you can use the sauce in a similar fashion. I think you could substitute some of the herbs with our wasabi arugula and leave out one or both of the jalapenos (sine the greens will give it some spice). Yum!

Vegan Pho

Leave a comment

Hello!

Pho (pronounced “fuh”) is a Vietnamese noodle soup that is based on a slow cooked, intensely flavorful beef broth. Traditionally it includes beef and noodles and is topped with all sorts of fresh accompaniments like cilantro, scallions, hot peppers and lime wedges.

Given this soup is so connected to its beefy roots, it is hard to imagine a vegan version would work. However, I think the lack of beef lets the other flavors shine through. It is still quite complex and I find it very comforting (perfect as we approach the winter months). If you want to increase the flavor even more, try charring the garlic and scallion greens under the broiler before adding them to the broth.

I lightly adapted this recipe from The Year in Food and I hope you tinker with it and make it your own, too. I have made this with brown rice instead of noodles when I didn’t have any on hand and it was just as good. And use whatever veggies you have on hand – carrots, kohlrabi, pak choi all come to mind.

Enjoy!

Vegan Pho
makes 2-3 servings

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 to 3 star anise pods or 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 
  • 2 black cardamom pods (optional)
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • 1-2 tablespoons soy sauce, or more to taste
  • 1 – 3-inch knob of fresh ginger, smashed with the back of a knife
  • 3 small scallions, thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 4 ounces brown rice noodles or pasta or choice
  • 8 ounces firm tofu, pressed, drained and cubed
  • 1 cup broccoli florets, chopped
  • 1 cup chopped sturdy winter greens, such as arugula, kale or mustard greens
  • Lime wedges, cilantro and/or mint, thinly sliced hot peppers or Sriracha for serving

Directions:

  • In a large stock pot over medium heat, toast the dry spices until fragrant, stirring often, about 3-4 minutes. Add the stock, soy sauce, ginger, green parts of the scallions, garlic and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes.
  • While the broth simmers, bring a pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Cook until just barely al dente – if they’re slightly undercooked, it’s okay. Drain and set aside, covered, until ready.
  • Strain the broth, removing all solids, and return to the stock pot. Add the tofu and simmer for a few minutes to allow the tofu to absorb the broth’s flavor. Add the broccoli florets and the sturdy winter greens and cook for a few minutes, or until slightly softened and wilted. Remove from heat.
  • Divide the noodles among two or three bowls. Ladle the soup over each. Garnish with any of the items listed above. Serve immediately.

Weekly Farm Notes :: June 15th, 2016

Leave a comment

Hello,

If you received a text message earlier, you can expect a share for the CSA extension this week. If not, stop by anyways to pick up some veggies and say hi!

This week, Alice shares some of her favorite resources for clean eating (thanks for including us in your article, Alice!). Check out the list and then let her know if you have anything to add!

See you at market!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

June 15th Produce

Here are the items you can expect at Market {M} and in the CSA {CSA}:

  • Swiss Chard {M/CSA}: the only way to eat soup in this heat is if it’s chilled. This Chilled Swiss Chard Soup was eye-opening the first time I made it and I continue to make it every summer.
  • Romaine & Green Leaf Lettuce {M/CSA}: I love bowl type meals, piled high with lots of different flavors and textures. This post, which includes a recipe for crunchy roasted chickpeas, breaks down the different elements that make a great vegan bowl meal.
  • Green Beans {CSA}: I saw a lovely recipe of green beans, bulgur, walnuts, mint all mixed with a tahini sauce. It is on my list of recipes to try but I encourage you to experiment if it sounds good to you too!
  • Carrots {CSA}: I have always loved pickles and carrots separately but luckily I know enough now to combine the two flavors. Try Lacto-Fermented Carrot Sticks for a sweet/sour treat!
  • Green Onions {CSA}: the newest market recipe – Zucchini & Herbed Ricotta Tartines – incorporates green onions into the ricotta mixture. If you don’t pick up a zucchini at market, you can use the same ricotta mixture with our cherry tomatoes for a quick and delicious meal!
  • Cabbage {CSA}: I haven’t tried this myself but I have charred cabbage in the skillet, and I can tell you the results were wonderful. If you already have the grill fired up, why not try this Grilled Cabbage recipe?
  • Red & Yellow Cherry Tomatoes {CSA}: it’s been quite a while since I linked to any tomato recipes on here, but here is one of my favorite – Cherry Tomato Gazpacho. We might not have enough to make this full recipe but supplement with some others from the market (and support other farms in the process!).
  • Herbs {M}: the herbs this week include basil, parsley, mint and lemon balm. I think all of these would be a great addition to these Seared Tofu Bahn Mi Sandwiches.

Weekly Farm Notes :: June 8th, 2016

Leave a comment

Hello,

Today is the last day of the CSA session. We hope you have enjoyed the bounty of the season!

We are doing a Kraut Source demo to show you how easy it is to make sauerkraut. Stop by if you are interested in learning more! See you at market!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

June 8th Produce

Here are the items you can expect at Market {M} and in the CSA {CSA}:

  • Swiss Chard {M/CSA}: use both the chard and kale in this Lacto-fermented Kale & Swiss Chard Kimchi!
  • Young Romaine & Green Leaf Lettuce {M/CSA}: if you haven’t already, I encourage you to look over our Essentials for a Satisfying Salad post. We break down salad making to it’s basic elements, making it fun and easy to make a salad based on whatever you have on hand.
  • Siberian Kale {CSA}: here is something a bit different – check out this post for a history lesson on Russian and Siberian Kale!
  • Collard Greens {CSA}: the heat has toughened the collards up a bit but they would still be perfect as chips – give our “Cheesy” Collard Green Chips recipe a try!
  • Carrots {CSA}: the markets Summer Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce recipe would be perfect for a variety of our produce this week! Pack them full of carrots, green onions, kale or swiss chard and herbs!
  • Green Onions {CSA}: I love the simplicity of this Soba Noodles with Scallions and Fried Eggs recipe. We all need more weeknight meal options and this one looks perfect.
  • Cabbage {CSA}: once you learn the basics of lacto-fermenting, you can make much more than sauerkraut. I love our Curtido recipe, which is a Salvadorian version of sauerkraut, packed with carrots, onions and jalapenos. It’s a really tasty way to spice up any number of meals.
  • Pak Choi {M}: I come back to our Triple Sesame Noodles with Pak Choi recipe often. I love the quick and flavorful sauce and think it would be great on just about anything mixed in.
  • Herbs {M}: I make smoothies all the time but I don’t often include much, if any, herbs. Here is a great list of herbs that can be included in your next smoothie plus lots of tasty recipe ideas.

Quick Pickled Green Onions

Leave a comment

Hi!

I love fresh green onions but sometimes I can’t get through a whole bunch before they go bad. This recipe is the perfect solution – it’s quick, easy and adds an extra punch of flavor. You can leave out the ginger and red pepper flakes and replace it with any herbs or spices you like.

This will be great with any number of dishes. Slice them thinly and add to eggs, rice or noodle dishes. Keep them whole and tuck them into a sandwich or serve along side a piece of fish.

This recipe is adapted from The Joy of Pickling, which I highly recommend if you are a pickle fanatic (and if you are, join the club!).

Enjoy!

Quick Pickled Green Onions
makes 1 pint

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup white distilled vinegar
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1/2″ piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
  • 2 bunches scallions, trimmed, light and green parts only

Directions:

  • Put the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, ginger and hot pepper flakes in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. While the mixture heats, pack the green onions into a wide mouth glass pint jar; I like to arrange them vertically.
  • Once the vinegar mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat and pour over the scallions. Cover jar tightly with a nonreactive cap and allow to cool to room temperature. Transfer to the refrigerator.
  • The green onions should be ready to eat in a week and should keep for several months.

Weekly Farm Notes :: May 18th, 2016

Leave a comment

Hello,

Nothing can brighten a day like fresh flowers. When you are picking up your veggies, grab a bunch of flowers from our pollinator habitat and brighten someone’s day!

Alice O’Dea is on a two-ingredient kick. This week she gives us Dairy-Free Ice Cream! I have made something similar with bananas and strawberries and I can attest to the creamy texture. Give it a try!

See you tomorrow at market!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May 18th Produce

Here are the items you can expect at Market {M} and in the CSA {CSA}:

  • Rainbow Swiss Chard {M/CSA}: I read about (but don’t have an exact recipe) for a soup that sounded delicious: Swiss chard, potatoes, white beans, pesto and Parmesan. Baby potatoes are available this week at market and if you have any pesto on hand, this meal could come together in a flash.
  • Toscano Kale {M/CSA}: for those of us trying to eat more salads, here is a great way to get started: Anything Goes Kale Salad with Green Tahini Dressing. You can use a mix of kale and the red leaf lettuce from this week too.
  • Pak Choi {CSA}: I love pak choi in stir-fries as they provide such a great texture (quickly stir fry the stems so you don’t lose the crunch!). If you love stir-fry too but need some sauce inspiration, give our “My New Favorite” Stir-Fry Sauce a try!
  • Purple & White Kohlrabi {CSA}: last week I made Lemon-Garlic Kohlrabi Quick Pickles and they were really tasty. Here’s what you do: peel and cut about a pound of kohlrabi into matchstick sized pieces and pack into a quart canning jar. Heat 1 cup of distilled vinegar, 1 cup of water, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 1/2 of a lemon’s worth of thinly sliced zest, 2-3 thinly sliced garlic cloves and a few crushed peppercorns in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil then pour over the kohlrabi. Cool to room temp and refrigerate.
  • Baby Beets {CSA}: I don’t often see fermented beet recipes so I was intrigued when I found this one. I then went looking for more and found this one, which contains more spices, all of which I really like with beets. Let us know if you try either one!
  • Green Escarole {CSA}: we posted two escarole recipes last week: Quick Sauteed Escarole with Flavorful Breadcrumbs and Escarola Strascinata. Both are quick and flavorful and can be used as a simple side dish or as a dish of their own when paired with polenta or pasta!
  • Red Leaf Lettuce {CSA}: I am always looking for ways to use lettuce that don’t involve a salad. Here is a list of 10 ways to eat it in other ways!
  • Green Onions {CSA}: have you tried our Green Onion Yogurt Flatbread? My 2-year-old loves to eat it as is but I think it would make a great wrap for sandwiches.
  • Edible Mild & Spicy Asian Flowers {M}: I have been preserving various items in sugar lately and I think these would be a good candidate. Roughly chop the flowers and toss them with a good amount of granulated sugar. Allow them to sit for a couple weeks at room temperature and you will have candied flowers!
  • Parsley {M}: wow, did you know this?! Buy it up and preserve it for later!
    • All parsley is extremely high in nutrients, particularly Vitamin C, folates and Potassium, as well as beta carotene. In fact, a quarter-cup of raw chopped parsley has about as much C as a quarter-cup of orange juice and double the folates (more that one and a half times those, even, of raw spinach).
  • Lemon Balm {M}: serve this recipe as a tea or a popsicle!
  • Peppermint {M}: um, why haven’t I thought of this mint booze infusion before?!

Weekly Farm Notes :: March 30th, 2016

Leave a comment

Hello,

What a beautiful Spring week! We know you probably want to be outside as much as possible so below we have included lots of quick recipe ideas.

See you tomorrow at market!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

March 30th Produce

Here are the items you can expect at Market {M} and in the CSA {CSA}:

  • Toscano, Red Russian & Siberian Kale {M/CSA}: here is a really useful list of 50 Things to Do with Kale. I like how the author provides a list of ingredients that pair well with kale. Lots of options for you to consider this week!
  • Tender Collards {M/CSA}: have you tried our Chickpea, Cashew & Collard Green Patties yet? They come together in a flash and can be eaten as is or used as a veggie burger. I love them topped with avocado and hot sauce 🙂 As an added bonus, you can make a big batch and freeze them for later.
  • Food Hook Swiss Chard {M/CSA}: I generally look upon vegan variations of classic recipes with suspicion. They may turn ok but they never really stand up to the original. However, I am more than interested to give this Swiss Chard with Vegan Bechamel Sauce a try. Traditional bechamel (which is the base for many dishes, including mac & cheese) is made with butter, flour and milk and can be very heavy. This sounds like a nice twist on the classic.
  • Spring Radishes {M/CSA}: have you checked out our latest post on Miso Pickles? Miso cured vegetables is an incredibly easy and flavorful way to preserve produce. I have seen a lot of recipes using turnips but radishes work just as well!
  • Red Butter Lettuce {M/CSA}: I think our Hemp Seed “Ranch” Dressing along with hard-boiled eggs, thinly sliced radishes, green onions and edible flowers would make a lovely Spring salad!
  • Awesome Asian & Lettuce Mix {M/CSA}: The mix this week includes Asian greens, variety of lettuces, kale, arugula and edible flowers. If you don’t want to eat it fresh, try our Super Greens and Sunflower Seed Pesto recipe! As with all pestos, you can easily freeze it for use later.
  • Green Onions and Wild Spring Onions {CSA}: I have been eyeing a recipe for Quick Scallion Kimchee in one of my favorite cookbooks for a while. Check out the recipe below to preserve your green onions for the next month!
  • Pak Choi {M}: I return again and again to an old recipe for Triple Sesame Noodles with Pak Choi. The sauce is really yummy and so easy to make. You could easily top this dish with a fried egg to round out the meal.
  • Cilantro {M}: I am always looking for new salad dressings and this Cilantro-Lime Dressing sounds delicious. You can use it on greens or in a bean salad.
  • Edible Spicy Asian Flowers {M}: toss these on your salad or add them to a simple pasta dish. They say you eat with your eyes first so why not make your meal as pretty as possible?!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Recipe :: Quick Scallion Kimchee

This recipe is from One Good Dish by David Tanis. It makes about 2 cups. It can be served with steamed rice or chopped and stirred into a bowl of brothy ramen-style noodles.

  • Ingredients:
    • 4 bunches scallions
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
    • 1 tablespoon raw sugar or dark brown sugar
    • 1 tablespoon grated ginger
    • 1/4 cup Korean red pepper flakes
    • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
    • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
    • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
    • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • Directions:
    • Trim the scallions and cut into 3-inch lengths. Put them in a glass or ceramic bowl, sprinkle with salt, and let stand for 10 minutes.
    • Mix together the garlic, sugar, ginger, red pepper flakes, sesame oil, sesame seeds, fish sauce, and rice vinegar. Add to the scallions and toss to coat.
    • Lay a plate over the bowl and leave in a warm place (at least 70 degrees F) for 24 hours. Or, for a stronger-tasting kimchee, let ripen for up to 72 hours. It will keep for a month, refrigerated.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alice O’Dea Article

Have you read Alice O’Dea’s recent article? Delicious yet easy homemade bread is a hard thing to come by but this week Alice shares a version you can make in just about 2 hours!

Weekly Farm Notes :: Nov 11th, 2015

Leave a comment

Hello!

Thanksgiving is my favorite of all holidays and it is only 2 weeks away! You will see below that I have quite a few turkey day side dish suggestions using our beautiful farm fresh bounty. It’s not to early to start planning!

“Deep Winter” and “Walking to Spring” CSA shares are still available. Don’t miss out on powerhouse greens to get you through the dark and cold months ahead! Here is the link to our CSA information to find out more.

See you at market!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

November 11th Produce

Here are the items you can expect at Market (denoted by M) and/or in the CSA (denoted by CSA):

  • Kale {M/CSA}: Thanksgiving isn’t complete without stuffing so why not try a Kale and Caramelized Onion Stuffing this year! Maybe gratins are more your thing – this vegan Kale and Mushroom Gratin looks tasty too!
  • Tender Collards {M/CSA}: I recently tried cooking collards in my pressure cooker and they are the best I have ever tasted! I just cooked them with onion, apple cider vinegar and a little sugar. If you own a pressure cooker, I highly suggest you try this technique. Here is a vegetarian recipe for Pressure Cooker Balsamic Collard Greens that sounds amazing.
  • Rainbow Swiss Chard {M/CSA}: I am working on a recipe for Orange & Swiss Chard Oat Muffins that I will publish later this week. You could make and freeze a batch this week, then pull them out for breakfast the day after Thanksgiving when you can’t imagine ever cooking again.
  • Cabbage {CSA}: I think a lovely winter slaw would be a great addition to Thanksgiving dinner!
  • Green Onions {CSA}: I have been dying to try this Shredded Tofu and Mushroom Stir-Fry recipe. It would be perfect this week as you can use our green onions and cilantro and then pick up mushrooms from Land Before Time Farm. For something quite different, check out our Green Onion Yogurt Flatbread recipe!
  • Lettuce Mix {CSA}: winter salads take on a whole different personality from those we consume during the warmer months. I love the heartier textures and tastes in salads during this time of year (although it still doesn’t even feel like autumn yet!). Here is a great list of colorful salads to help inspire.
  • Pak Choi {CSA}: here is another way to incorporate the lovely mushrooms you can find locally with our pak choi and green onions. Don’t forget about our Raw Spicy Pak Choi Salad also!
  • Spicy Large Leaf Arugula {M}: I am not a football fan but I would definitely come to your house to watch a game if you made the Feta and Arugula Guacamole recipe below!
  • Spicy Asian Mustard Greens {M}: have you ever eaten Sag Aloo? It is an Indian spinach sauce mixed with chunks of potatoes but I made it recently with kale and mustard greens. It is wonderfully satisfying and delicious but not something many people make at home. It really doesn’t take much time and the sauce can be made ahead and frozen. I will publish a recipe in just a couple of days so keep an eye out!
  • Parsley {M}: here is a completely different type of salad – Parsley and Onion Salad on Grilled Bread. I think this would be a lovely Thanksgiving day appetizer 🙂
  • Cilantro {M}: from hummus to pesto to compound butter, you can surely find inspiration here!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Recipe :: Feta and Arugula Guacamole

This recipe is from Cook’s Country. It makes 2-1/2 to 3 cups and serves 4 to 6 people.

Ingredients:

  • 3 ripe avocados
  • 1/2 cup chopped baby arugula
  • 1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1 cup)

Directions:

  • Halve 1 avocado, remove pit, and scoop flesh into medium bowl. Add arugula, jalapeño, onion, lime juice, garlic, ¾ teaspoon salt, and cumin and mash with potato masher (or fork) until mostly smooth.
  • Halve and pit remaining 2 avocados. Carefully make ½-inch crosshatch incisions in flesh with butter knife, cutting down to but not through skin. Insert spoon between skin and flesh, gently scoop out avocado cubes, and add to mashed mixture. Add feta and gently mash until mixture is well combined but still coarse. Season with salt to taste. Serve.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alice O’Dea Article

Have you read Alice O’Dea’s recent article? It looks like I am not the only one deep into Thanksgiving preparations!

 

Green Onion Yogurt Flatbread

3 Comments

There are few foods as comforting as homemade bread. The wonderful aroma, the warmth when it’s fresh out of the oven, the slight tug when you tear it apart, and then the flavor – it really does enliven all senses. Unfortunately, making bread from scratch can be an all day (or multiple day) affair. So when I am looking for the comfort of homemade bread without the time commitment, I turn to flatbreads.

Flatbreads start with a dough made of flour, water and salt that is then rolled out thinly. They are typically unleavened so the hassle of letting the dough rise and ferment is eliminated. Almost every culture has flatbreads and the list is quite extensive. You are undoubtedly familiar with some versions, such as tortillas, pita, naan and johnnycakes.

The recipe below is based on one from the cookbook Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi. It is a vegetable based cookbook with dishes and flavors inspired by the Middle East. It’s not a cookbook you own because you can easily make every dish – it is one you own to inspire a new way of thinking and cooking with vegetables and grains. He served these flatbreads with a barley and mushroom ragout but I just ate them straight from the pan! I thought they would be a great substitution for naan but I could also envision using them in place of flour tortillas.

Enjoy!

Green Onion Yogurt Flatbread
makes 6 – 6″ flatbreads

Recipe notes: 1) I like using butter to cook the flatbreads but found that it too easily burns when using it alone. I would recommend using a little butter and a little oil in combination to raise the smoke point; 2) feel free to add some other flavors to this, especially spices as they won’t throw off the ratio of flour and liquid (I think smoked paprika would be great!).

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (5 ounces) all purpose or whole wheat flour (or a combination of the two)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced green or wild onions
  • 3 tablespoons fat of choice (butter, vegetable oil, olive oil)

Directions:

  • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until combined. Add the yogurt and onions and mix until a cohesive dough is formed. I found it much easier to mix everything together by hand. The flour should be fully hydrated and the dough will be just slightly sticky (the dough is very forgiving so add a little more flour if it seems too wet or sticky or more yogurt if it seems dry). Knead for a minute or so and then form into a 1″ disk. Wrap with plastic and chill for an hour in the refrigerator.
  • Divide the dough into six equal pieces. Roll into balls, then flatten with a rolling pin until they are quite thin (mine were probably 1/8″ thick, similar to a thick flour tortilla, but feel free to adjust the thickness to your liking). Heat 1/2 tablespoon of fat (or a combination of fats – see recipe note) in a large skillet (I used cast iron) over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining dough rounds, adding more fat to the pan as needed. Serve or allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week.