Rebecca's Recipes~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GREETINGS everyone - I hope you all had a great Memorial Day weekend. We are getting an amazing array of vegetables in the box now. All I want to do is stay home and cook and experiment with this bounty! Although I love the fall and winter offerings, there is just nothing like spring goodness to excite the palate. So I cannot believe I forgot to pick up my box last week! (This never has happened before, and I am going to make sure there is no repeat!) My niece was graduating from college and I got so caught up in the excitement I forgot. I really depend on it and look forward to all of its beautiful contents for well-being and vibrant health. I can hardly bear the thought of going to buy anonymous veggies somewhere; this experience makes me truly appreciate how blessed we are to receive our weekly gift of radiant goodness. What am I going to do without my green garlic for a week? And that beautiful escarole I eat right out of the fridge for a snack? Needless to say I am really savoring my leftovers from last week's box; this was a wake-up call for me in deeper gratitude. So thank you, Live Earth Farm, for taking such good care of us with all your abundance! And to everyone else, I hope you all have a wonderful week full of goodness. (And don't forget to pick up your boxes!) Blessings, Rebecca [email Rebecca]
[Rebecca Mastoris is a chef/teacher at Bauman College, and a partner in Vibrant Foods Catering along with Karen Haralson. Both Karen and Rebecca teach cooking classes at the farm and in town locally - see our 2012 Calendar, below.]
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GREENS in CURRY-CASHEW SAUCEServes 6
1 bunch kale, washed and stemmed
1 bunch chard, washed and stemmed
1/4 c. cashew butter (or almond or peanut)
1 Tbs. curry paste (see recipe below)
1 Tbs. tamari soy sauce
1/4 c. water, up to 3/4 c.
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the greens. Return to a boil and cook 2 minutes, maintaining bright green color. Drain and squeeze out any excess water.
2. Combine cashew butter (or nut butter of choice), curry paste, tamari, and 1/4 c. water in a blender and blend until creamy. Add additional water in increments until a thick yogurt-like consistency is achieved.
3. Reheat the greens in a skillet and toss with just enough sauce to coat.
Curry Paste2 onions from the "bunch", finely chopped
1/4 c. olive oil
1 Tbs. cumin seed
1/4 tsp. fenugreek seed
1/4 tsp. whole cloves
1/2 tsp. whole black peppercorns
1 Tbs. coriander seed
1 1/2 tsp. mustard seed
1/2 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbs. tumeric
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1/2 tsp. cayenne
1 Tbs. ginger, peeled and chopped
1. Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the onions and saute until very soft. While the onions are cooking, grind the cumin, fenugreek, cloves, peppercorns, and coriander into a fine pulp.
2. Mix the newly-ground spices with the whole mustard seeds, allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, tumeric, and cayenne. Set aside.
3. Add the ginger to the onions and let it cook a few minutes. Add the spice blend to the onions and ginger, cook 5 more minutes. Store in refrigerator where it will keep for at least a month.
ASIAN GREENS SALAD with ALMONDS, BLUE CHEESE and APPLESServes 6
3 apples, sliced
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice, divided
1/2 C sliced almonds
about 10 cups of mixed Asian greens, (Pac Choi and Tatsoi), lettuce, and radicchio for color and a taste of bitterness
3 oz. blue cheese (optional)
Dressing1/2 c. olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp. sweetener
3/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. freshly cracked pepper
1. Toss the apple slices with 1 Tbs. of the lemon juice to prevent them from darkening, and set aside.
2. Toast the almonds in a large, dry skillet over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, shaking the pan often to prevent burning.
3. Make the dressing in a large bowl by whisking together the remaining 3 Tbs. lemon juice, oil, garlic, sweetener, salt, and pepper.
4. Add the greens to the bowl, toss with the dressing. Arrange the salad on a platter or individual salad plates, and top with the apple slices, toasted almonds, and blue cheese.
MISO, CARROT and SESAME DRESSINGMakes about 1 1/2 cups
1/2 c. white miso
6 Tbs. oil of choice (I use olive oil)
1/4 c. (packed) finely grated carrot
2 Tbs. finely grated peeled ginger
2 Tbs. unseasoned rice vinegar
4 tsp. sesame seeds, toasted
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
2 tsp. honey
Place miso, oil, grated carrots, ginger, vinegar, sesame seeds, sesame oil, honey, and 1/4 c. water in resuable container. Cover and shake vigorously until well combined. Cover and chill. Can be made 2 days ahead!
BROCCOLI SLAW with ORANGESServes 6
3 c. cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 c. diagonally sliced celery
1 c. finely chopped broccoli florets
1/2 c. grated carrot
1/4 c. thinly sliced onion
1/4 c. unsalted sunflower seed kernels
1/2 can whole water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 c. fresh orange sections
1/4 c. sliced almonds, toasted
Dressing1/4 c. low sodium soy sauce
3 Tbs. rice vinegar
1 Tbs. lime juice
1 Tbs. honey
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/3 c. oil of choice
1. To prepare the slaw, combine the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl; toss well to combine.
2. To prepare the dressing, combine the soy sauce and next 6 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add oil to soy sauce mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Drizzle dressing over slaw, tossing gently to coat. Add the dressing slowly, as you may not want to use all of it. Top slaw with oranges and almonds.
RAINBOW CHARD and RADICCHIO SALADServes 5
1-2 bunches chard
1 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 heads radicchio, cored, cut into 1 inch wedges, leaves separated (about 4 cups)
1 Tbs. red wine vinegar (or more)
2 Tbs. currants (optional)
1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted
1. Cut ribs from chard and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Slice leaves lengthwise into 1-inch strips.
2. Melt butter with oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook onion until it is tender, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add chard ribs; cover and cook until tender, about 6 minutes more. Working in batches, add the chard leaves and radicchio to the pot, stirring until wilted. Cook, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, stirring often, 8-10 minutes. Stir in vinegar and currants, if desired. Season with salt and pepper and add more vinegar to taste, if desired.
3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chard mixture to a bowl or serving platter. Sprinkle with pine nuts and serve.
SAUTEED ESCAROLE and WHITE BEAN SALADServes 4 (Serving size: about 1 3/4 cups)
2 heads escarole, quartered lengthwise and rinsed
oil
2 ounces pancetta, chopped (optional)
1-2 medium summer squash, quartered and cut into thin strips
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c. chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley
1 (15 oz.) can cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1. Heat some oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add escarole and cook 3 minutes or until wilted, turning frequently. Trim white stem ends from each escarole quarter; roughly chop.
2. Wipe pan with a paper towel. Return to medium-high heat. Coat pan with a little more oil. Add pancetta (if using), summer squash, and garlic; cook 2 minutes or until squash is tender. Combine escarole, squash mixture, parsley, and beans in a large bowl. Add vinegar and remaining ingredients, toss well to coat. Serve immediately.
FENNEL and RADICCHIO SALAD with OLIVE OIL VINAIGRETTEThe slightly sweet nature of fennel pairs well with radicchio's mild bitterness. The lemony olive oil vinaigrette and herbs keep the salad vibrant.
Makes 2 large servings
2 Tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. lemon juice
3 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 c. pitted kalamata olives,
1 medium fennel bulb
1 radicchio, leaves torn into small pieces
1/4 c. basil leaves, torn, if large
1 Tbs. chopped chives (optional)
1. Whisk together mustard, lemon juice, and 1/8 tsp. pepper in a large bowl until well blended.
2. Trim the fennel bulb and remove tough outer layer. Halve the bulb lengthwise, then thinly slice (can use a mandoline for super thin slices).
3. Add fennel, radicchio, basil, and chives to vinaigrette in a bowl and gently toss until evenly coated. Season with sea salt and pepper.
FRESH STRAWBERRY TARTS in GINGER-NUT CRUSTSMakes 12 tarts
2 tsp. coconut oil, melted, plus more for pan
2 c. pecans, walnuts, or almonds
5 Tbs. agave syrup, honey, or maple syrup, divided
2 Tbs. flour of choice
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (you can use 1 tsp. vanilla extract if you don't have a vanilla bean, but if you can it is worth getting a bean... sooo delicious!)
1. Lightly brush 12 muffins cups with coconut oil. Set aside. Pulse nuts in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add the sweetener, flour, ginger, salt, and 2 tsp. coconut oil. Process until coarse dough forms. Gather into a ball. Press 1 heaping Tbs. dough firmly into bottom and up sides of each muffin cup. Chill for 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake crusts until firm and golden around the edges, 8-10 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before removing. DO AHEAD: can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature.
3. Place strawberries, lemon juice, and remaining 2 Tbs. sweetener in a medium bowl; scrape in vanilla-bean seeds (if using, and save the bean!) or add the vanilla extract. Stir well, crushing a few berries to release their juices.
4. Using a spatula or butter knife, remove tart shells from pan and fill with scoops of strawberry mixture. Serve immediately.
The list of farm chores seems endless as we approach summer: from planting, harvesting, weeding, irrigating, washing, packing, selling, plowing and cultivating, to feeding, milking and collecting eggs... one almost forgets what one's really doing. It is easy to forget when caught up in the whirlwind of daily work. This is why I like to pay attention to the seasonal transitions, pause, and take the opportunity to gather as a community and celebrate our connection to the Earth.
