Recipes from the Farm

Persimmon and Avocado Salad

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Prep time:  15 mins
Total time:  15 mins
Serves: 4
Brighten up a dreary winter day with peppery arugula greens topped with crisp slices of sweet persimmon, buttery avocado wedges and tangy pomegranate arils, all tossed in a tangy mustard and white balsamic vinaigrette.
Ingredients
Dressing
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Salad
  • 8 cups baby arugula
  • 1 firm-ripe Fuyu persimmon, quartered and thinly sliced
  • 1 large avocado, cut into wedges
  • ½ cup fresh pomegranate arils
Instructions
Prepare the Dressing:
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegars and mustard until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Assemble the Salad:
  1. In a large mixing bowl, toss arugula with dressing until well coated. Distribute between four individual salad bowls, or transfer to a single large salad bowl.
  2. Arrange persimmon and avocado slices on the arugula, then scatter with pomegranate. Serve immediately.
Notes
The beauty of this salad is the contrast between the crisp, sweet persimmon against the soft, buttery avocado. Make sure to purchase the small, squat tomato-shaped Fuyu persimmons for this salad, as they’re sweet enough to eat even when slightly crisp, as opposed to the larger acorn-shaped Hachiya that are too tannic to eat until completely soft.

 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Radishes

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This method is really the god-send for the hurried household. Most vegetables not only improve with a high-heat roasting, around 400 degrees, but it’s easy, and quick – you can roast a whole chicken in an hour this way, just turn the oven down to 350 after a half hour. Carrots, potatoes, turnips, radishes (yes, radishes!) and even kale can be roasted and served immediately or bagged and thrown in the fridge for later meals.

And as a good roasting releases and caramelizes the natural sugars, a pre-roasting for soup and stew ingredients can add a richness and depth of flavor that raw veggies can’t match. Some veggies, like these sprouts, benefit from just the lightest of tossing in oil and seasoning, while others, like yams, sweet potatoes and carrots need a more generous coating. Experiment with fresh and dried herbs, roasting garlic along with your veggies to impart that golden roasted flavor and finishing with a bright acid, like lemon juice or vinegar. You really can’t go wrong.

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INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb Brussels sprouts, halved
  • 1/2 pound red radishes, halved, quartered if large
  • 1 T olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, reduced by at least half, until thick

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut sprouts from stem, cut large ones in half, peel stem and cut into similar sized chunks. Toss in large bowl with olive oil and radishes. Space on a large roasting pan and place in top rack of the oven. If you have a convection oven turn it on, watching they don’t burn as this will cut your cooking time in half. Roast until leaves are brown and crisp and heads are tender and brown. Radishes will be brown but still slightly crunchy. Remove and plate, sprinkling with balsamic reduction.

Roasted Carrots

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INGREDIENTS:

1 pound carrots (try to choose ones that are roughly the same size)

1 tablespoon melted coconut oil

1 tablespoon agave or other sweetner

2 teaspoons freshly ground cumin

1 teaspoon freshly ground coriander seeds

¼ teaspoon chipotle powder

2 teaspoons sea salt

Garnish

mint leaves

juice and zest of 1/2 lime

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 375°F

Slice carrots and grind spices. Toss the the carrots with the coconut oil, lime juice and zest, optional coconut nectar and spices.

Transfer to a baking dish and roast for about 30 minutes, or until tender and lightly browned. Sprinkle with the mint leaves, lime juice and zest, and serve.

Rustic Eggplant Moussaka

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While searching through Pinterest for some inspiration with all of our delicious eggplant coming from the garden, I came upon this  great recipe and it’s associated blog (www.feastingathome.com).

I love the combination of eggplant and lamb, although one could easily eliminate the lamb and use another vegetable for it’s filling. Personally, my choice would be winter squash cut into cubes and steamed, then combined with the other ingredients in the recipe.

Rustic Eggplant Moussaka
by Sylvia Fountaine, Feasting at Home March-1-2013
A traditional Greek Eggplant Moussaka recipe.
Ingredients:

3 lbs Eggplant ( 2 extra large or 3 eggplants)
3 T olive oil or cooking spray

Meat Sauce:
2 T olive oil
1 large onion diced
4 cloves garlic, rough chopped
2 lbs ground lamb, (or use vegetarian ground meat substitute Gimme Lean or St Ives Meatless Ground.)
1 1/2 C diced tomatoes ( canned is OK)
2 T tomato paste
1/2 white wine
2 T fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp kosher salt
cracked pepper

Bechamel Sauce:
3 T butter
4 T flour ( or rice flour)
2 C whole milk
1/2 tsp nutmeg ( use fresh grated if possible)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan, Pecorino or Kefalotiri Cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten

Cut eggplant into 1/4 inch thick rounds( no thinner). Sprinkle with a little kosher salt and let sit in a colander or bowl for 1 hour. Eggplant will start to release liquid. Rinse well, pat dry and brush each side with olive oil ( or use spray oil). Place on a greased sheet pan and roast in a 400 F oven until golden, about 20-30 minutes.

Make Meat sauce:
Saute diced onion in oil on med high heat for 3-4 minutes, add garlic, turn heat down to med low and saute for 8-10 minutes until onions are tender. Add ground lamb, turn heat up to high and brown, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Drain fat if any. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir and cover and let simmer on med low heat for 20 minutes.

Make Bechamal:
Melt 3 T butter. Whisk in 4 T flour ( or rice flour) and let cook for 2-3 on med heat, stirring often. Whisk in 1 C milk. Whisk well, and add 2nd cup. Stirring constantly bring to a boil, and let simmer on low for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add nutmeg, 2 T Cheese, salt, pepper. Set aside to cool. In a separate bowl, lightly beat an egg, but do not add it just yet.

Assemble:
Divide eggplant slices into three stacks, reserving the best looking largest pieces for the top an bottom layers. The others can be placed in the middle layer which will be concealed. In a greased 8x 13 in pan, place one layer of eggplant. Add half the meat sauce. Add another layer of eggplant, and the remaining meat sauce. Add the third and final layer of eggplant. Whisk in the beaten egg into the bechamel sauce until nice and smooth. Spread the bechamel over the final eggplant layer. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and place in a 350F oven for 50-60 minutes, until beautiful and gold. let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Prep time: 2 hours Cook time: 1 hour Total time: 3 hours Yield: 6-8 servings

 

 

Featured

Grilled Peppers with Saffron Vinaigrette

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This makes for a good mini salad in a multi-course meal, or try it over crostini for an appetizer you can make ahead and keep in the fridge waiting for the moment to strike. It also just has a lot of yummy tips for how to best bring out the flavor in peppers, and the dressing is a fantastic addition to your repertoire. This recipe is from one of my favorite books: Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (by Deborah Madison, which my family lovingly refers to as the family potluck bible. If you’re interested in canning those peppers from the market and save Summer for the coming Winter, check out this old time method.

Directions:

Grill and peel a selection of different-colored bell peppers (directions below), allowing 1/2 pepper per person. Be sure to reserve any juices that collect in the bowl while they’re steaming.  Slice the peppers into halves or quarters, scrape out the seeds, and layer the peppers on a platter. Make Saffron Vinaigrette with Basil (see recipe below), adding any reserved pepper juices. Toss the peppers with vinaigrette to moisten and serve garnished with sprigs of basil and Nicoise olives.

How to grill and peel peppers:

roasted peppersPlace whole peppers directly on a gas burner (on your stovetop) or on the grill. Roast the peppers until the skin becomes wrinkled and loose, turning them frequently with a pair of tongs. If you want the peppers to be soft and slightly smoky, roast them until the skins are completely charred. Set the peppers in a bowl, put a plate on top, and let them steam at least 15 minutes to loosen the skins.

If you wish to grill bell peppers without peeling them, slice off the top of the tip of the pepper, open it up, and remove the veins and seeds. Brush with olive oil and grill, skin side facing the fire, until the skins are puckery and lightly marked but not charred. Turn the grill on the second side for a few minutes, then remove and season with salt and pepper. Leave the peppers in large pieces or cut them into strips as desired.  Skinny peppers and chiles can be brushed with oil, grilled whole until just blistered, then sprinkled with salt.

Saffron Vinaigrette with Basil

For a saffron lover, this dressing will become a favorite. Use it with summer vegetables- roasted peppers and potatoes, grilled zucchini, tomato salads, grilled fennel. Or add finely diced tomatoes to the dressing and spoon it over grilled or roasted eggplants.

oil with saffronIn a bowl, combine 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 2 teaspoons snipped chives, 1/2 teaspoon grated or minced orange zest, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Warm 2 tablespoons of oil right over the heat in a small measuring cup, crumble in a pinch of saffron threads and let stand for a few minutes. Add this oil to the dressing and whisk in 6 more tablespoons of olive oil, Add 2 tablespoons of snipped or torn basil leaves just before using. Makes about 1/2 cup of dressing.

Tomato-Basil & Spinach Risotto

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Here’s a great recipe for the changing of seasons, borrowed from Iowa Girl Eats.

 

Ingredients

  • 2-1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • salt & pepper
  • 3/4 cup arborio rice
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine (I used pinot grigio)
  • 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded & chopped (or equivalent amount of Roma or Compari tomatoes)
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • handful torn basil
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. Bring chicken broth to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to low and keep hot. 
  2. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat then add shallot, season with salt & pepper, and then saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic then saute for 30 more seconds.
  3. Add rice then stir to coat in butter. Add wine then stir until nearly absorbed by rice. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth then stir continuously until broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until nearly absorbed before adding more.
  4. When there’s 1/4 of the broth remaining, add tomatoes then continue stirring. Add baby spinach and basil with the last broth addition then continue stirring. Stir in parmesan cheese then add more salt & pepper to taste.

Braised kale with bell pepper and bacon

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Looking through our recipe archives, I don’t think that we have nearly enough bacon recipes.  Not only that, but with the discount on bell peppers, I wanted to give you one more recipe to use them up while they’re in season. (Check out our other bell pepper recipe here), and don’t forget the shishito peppers, also in season and on sale (recipe here). The following recipe is from celebrity chef Guy Fieri and serves 4

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces slab bacon, diced
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 bunch curly kale, stemmed and cut into pieces
  • Pinch red pepper flakes (or more if you like it hot)
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Render the bacon until crispy in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate. Add the onions and bell pepper to the pot and sprinkle with salt. Stir to combine and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the kale and red pepper flakes and toss to combine. Allow the kale to wilt, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and toss in the apple cider vinegar. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Three ways we Cantaloupe

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Play outside the melon with these three recipes for salsa, sorbet, and salad that expands the can-do in cantaloupe:

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Melon Salsa

Ingredients for Melon Salsa:

  • 2 cups diced Cantaloupe (1/4- to 1/2-in. cubes)
  • 1 cup diced cucumber (1/4- to 1/2-in. cubes)
  • 1/2 cup very finely chopped red onion. To take the sting out, after dicing up, sit in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes, then take out, pat dry with a paper towel, and continue)
  • 1 serrano chile, stemmed, halved, and sliced
  • 1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions (that’s it!)

  1. Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl.
  2. Make ahead: Up to 1 day, covered and chilled.

Shaved Cantaloupe and Prosciutto Salad

Ingredients for the Cantaloupe Salad

  • 4 slices (1 oz.) thinly sliced prosciutto
  • 1 recently ripened cantaloupe, halved, seeded, and rind cut off (the less ripe, the easier and cleaner the shave for the salad, but the riper, the sweeter.  Find your sweet spot 😉
  • 8 to 10 large mint leaves, sliced thinly
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions:

  1. Heat oven to 350°. Set a rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Lay prosciutto on rack and bake until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully. Let cool, then break into shards and chips.
  2. Shave off ribbons of cantaloupe onto a large serving platter, using a vegetable peeler, mandoline, or very sharp knife (really! Sharpen your knives folks!). Sprinkle prosciutto and mint over melon shavings. Drizzle oil very lightly over salad.
  3. Note: Nutritional analysis is per 3/4-cup serving.

Cantaloupe Sorbet

Ingredients for Cantaloupe Sorbet:

  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3 cups 1-inch pieces peeled seeded cantaloupe (about 1/2 cantaloupe)

Instructions:

  1. Combine sugar and water in medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil. Transfer to 11x7x2-inch glass dish and chill until cold, about 2 hours.
  2. Puree cantaloupe in blender until smooth. Add to sugar syrup in dish and stir until well blended. Freeze until almost firm, stirring occasionally, at least 3 hours or overnight.
  3. Transfer cantaloupe mixture to large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until fluffy. Return to freezer and freeze until firm (do not stir), at least 3 hours or overnight. (Sorbet can be prepared 3 days ahead.) Cover and keep frozen.

Recipes are from Sunset (my favorite west coast magazine) and Epicurious.

Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Frittata

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I learned about the magic of frittatas from Yebuny Johnson, who you may know, is a fabulous cook, a heart-centered human being, and a brand new mom. Turns out, frittatas are easier than I ever thought, and is a great quick dish to pop into the oven and walk away from, and can include just about whatever you have left in your fridge and pantry. I’m a big fan of goat cheese, and that rainbow of peppers at the market are just too beautiful to pass up. I found this recipe from Eating Well:

 

Ingredients

  • 8 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup sliced red bell pepper
  • 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and sliced
  • 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

 

Directions

  1. Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.
  2. Whisk eggs, oregano, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Heat oil in a large, ovenproof, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bell pepper and scallions and cook, stirring constantly, until the scallions are just wilted, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
  3. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and cook, lifting the edges of the frittata to allow the uncooked egg to flow underneath, until the bottom is light golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Dot the top of the frittata with cheese, transfer the pan to the oven and broil until puffy and lightly golden on top, 2 to 3 minutes. Let rest for about 3 minutes before serving. Serve hot or cold.
Featured

Corn on the Cob: 7 Flavorful Ways

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Perfectly cooked grilled corn 

  1. Heat the grill to medium.
  2. Pull the outer husks down the ear to the base. Strip away the silk from each ear of corn by hand. Fold husks back into place, and place the ears of corn in a large bowl of cold water with 1 tablespoon of salt for 10 minutes.
  3. Remove corn from water and shake off excess. Place the corn on the grill, close the cover and grill for 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes, or until kernels are tender when pierced with a paring knife. Remove the husks and eat on the cob or remove the kernels.

Chili Lime Honey Butter
Mix 6 tablespoons softened butter, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 2 teaspoons of honey, 1 teaspoon chili powder and a dash of cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Slather on hot corn on the cob, then sprinkle on some salt and give it an extra spritz of lime.

Blue Cheese Chive Butter
Mash together 4 tablespoons softened butter with 4 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese. Stir in 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper. Spread on hot corn on the cob.

Herb Vinaigrette
In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, a hefty pinch of salt and black pepper, 3 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme. Drizzle over the corn.

Cheesy Cilantro Chili Pepper
Slather cooked corn with 1 tablespoon of butter, then sprinkle each cob with chili powder, cotija cheese, fresh chopped cilantro and finish with a spritz of lime juice

Smoked Feta and Pepper
Finely crumble 1/2 cup smoked feta cheese. Mix in 2 tablespoons finely chopped pickled jalapeno peppers. Coat each hot ear of corn with butter, then roll in the cheese and pepper mixture.

Honey Ginger BBQ Sauce
Combine 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup mild honey, 1/2 cup ketchup
1 1/2 tablespoons hot sauce, 4 large garlic cloves (minced), 2 tablespoons minced peeled ginger, and 1 teaspoon salt and briskly simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, 25 to 30 minutes. (Stir frequently toward end of cooking to prevent sticking.) This is an excellent BBQ sauce, but keep going with the corn on the cob recipe by brushing the mixture onto the cobs just 1 or 2 minutes before they’re done on the grill. Oil the grill beforehand and it shouldn’t stick.

Jerk Grilled
Whisk together 1 tablespoon water and 2 tablespoons molasses. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat 4 ears of corn with the molasses mixture. Sprinkle all over with purchased or homemade jerk seasoning. Grill over indirect heat on well-oiled grates until tender.