ROASTED HOLIDAY TURNIPS

adapted from copyright 2001, Mario Batali

• 2 pounds white Hakureri & Scarlet turnips, cleaned and quartered
• sea salt & pepper
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

Season turnips with salt and pepper. In a large ovenproof saute pan, heat butter until starting to brown. Add turnips and toss to coat well. Add poppy seeds and saute until light golden brown, about 8 to 9 minutes. Add paprika and toss to coat. Add vinegar and cook until evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes, remove from heat and serve.

WILTED KALE SALAD WITH CREAMY CHIPOTLE DRESSING

For the wilted kale:

• whole bunch of kale (this will seem like a lot but will wilt down when the salt is added)
• 2T salt 2c baby tomatoes, sliced
• 1c hulled hemp seeds (or raw pine nuts)
• cilantro to garnish

For the dressing:

• 3 avocados
• 2 chipotle peppers *If not using chipotle peppers, substitute with onion powder, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and tamari/nama shoyu
• ½c olive oil
• 2T agave
• ¼c lemon juice

Remove the stems and then wash and cut the kale into small pieces. Place into a bowl, add salt and start to massage the kale until it wilts and takes on a ‘cooked’ texture.Add the tomatoes, pine nuts or hemp seeds to the bowl and mix in by hand. Blend dressing ingredients in a high-speed blender until creamy and mix into kale by hand.

HOLIDAY KALE WITH CRANBERRIES & PINE NUTS WILTED SALAD

• 1 head kale, shredded
• 1 cup tomato, chopped
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup raw or soaked pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed or olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• celtic sea salt, to taste
• ½ teaspoon cayenne
  In mixing bowl, toss all ingredients together. Mix everything together (with hands) to created marinated/wilted effect on kale. This makes it much tastier and easier to digest. Wash cayenne off hands directly after.
  

Little Doves

By Cait Johnson, author of Witch in the Kitchen (Inner Traditions, 2001)
This traditional Russian recipe got its name because the people thought these tender little bundles filled with savory rice, raisins, and hard-cooked egg and simmered in tomato sauce look like doves. My Polish friend Ania makes a variation of these for special occasions. I always thought they must be really complicated, but as I was eating my third or fourth one and saying, “I’d love to make these at home, but they look really hard to do,” she just laughed and said, “Oh, no! It’s really easy. Try it and you’ll see!” She was so right: Little Doves just look fancy, but they’re really a cinch to make (and fun, too!) and they are great crowd-pleasers. Not only are they a beautiful use for leftover rice, they include four ingredients rich in flavonoids: onions, garlic, cabbage, and dill. My son doesn’t like cabbage but he loves these Little Doves. We all do.
Cabbage Leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked rice, white or brown
1/4 cup raisins
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1 teaspoons dried dill weeds
alt and freshly-ground pepper, to taste
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce1 8-ounce can diced tomatoes, not drained
1/2 cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 350F. In a heavy-bottomed skillet, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until softened and fragrant. Remove pan from heat and add rice, raisins, hard-cooked egga, dill, and salt and pepper to taste. In a large pot of boiling salted water, submerge the cabbage and allow to boil for 5 minutes, or until the outer leaves are softened and may be removed. Peel off 12 outer leaves and blot dry. Chop enough of the remaining cabbage to measure 3/4 cup. Add to rice mixture in pan. Remove tough stem of each cabbage leaf, if necessary. Then place 1/4 cup rice mixture in the center of each leaf, tuck ends in, and roll to form a neat little package. (You will find that cabbage leaves are very forgiving and easy to work with, but you can use a toothpick to hold them together, if needed.) In a baking dish, place the cabbage rolls in a single layer. Combine tomato sauce and tomatoes and pour over the cabbage rolls, cover the pan with foil, and bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, until bubbly. Place Little Doves on a serving platter, and remove toothpicks. Add sour cream to the tomato sauce in the pan, stirring to combine, and pour this sauce over cabbage rolls before serving.

Summer Squash Pancakes

2 eggs
1/2C milk
4 medium summer squashes, grated
1/2C bread crumbs
1/2C grated cheese
1/3C each chopped fresh parsley, basil and cilantro
2T minced shallot or green onion
4T butter
1/4C flour
Mix together eggs and milk. Add squash, herbs and shallots. Then mix in the cheese. Add slowly the bread crumbs and flour and mix well. In a large, heavy, non-stick skillet, melt 1T butter until it starts to brown. Spoon about 1/4C of mixture into the pan and flatten a bit with the spoon. You might be able to fit 2 pancakes into the same pan at once. When the edges show a little browning turn with a spatula. Cook the other side until it is also golden brown. Keep pancakes warm in the oven until they are all cooked.

Baked Summer Squash with Pesto Crumbs from More Recipes from a Kitchen Garden by Renee Shepherd
This can be served as a whole meal, over wild rice and garnished with toasted pecans.
3 lbs. Mixed summer squash
3 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup half-and-half
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. mace1 tsp. sugar2
tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 shallots, minced4 scallions, finely chopped
½ cup Pesto Bread Crumbs Recipe(see below)
Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly oil a 2 ½ to 3 quart casserole dish with cover. Trim squash and cut into large chunks (about 1 ½ inches). Arrange squash pieces in casserole and set aside. Melt butter and olive oil together in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients, blending thoroughly. Pour sauce mixture over squash, tossing until squash is coated. Cover casserole and bake 40 minutes. Toss squash gently and spoon juices and seasonings from the bottom of dish over squash. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake uncovered for 10 minutes longer, until squashes are tender when pierced with a knife.

Pesto Bread Crumbs
1 cup dry bread crumbs
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
3 Tbs. roasted pine nuts
1 ½ cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Combine all ingredients in a food processor until thoroughly blended. After using, refrigerate any leftovers. Makes 2 cups.

Pasta with Zucchini, Lemon, Pine Nuts, and Herbs adapted from The Greens Cook Book
1 pound corkscrew pasta (gemelli, rotelli, etc.)
8 ounces small, firm green or golden zucchini
1/2 c. mixed fresh herbs: Italian parsley, marjoram, basil, chervil, hyssop, oregano, lemon thyme and others (I used basil and thyme, but oregano and marjoram are also good. Avoid tarragon in this dish.)
1 lemon
6 T. virgin olive oil
5 T. pine nuts
1 onion or 3 shallots, thinly sliced then roughly chopped
4 t. tiny capers, rinsed in water
2 sun-dried tomatoes, cut into narrow strips (I used 8 halves)
Salt & Pepper
Parmesan (grated, fresh)
Slice the zucchini diagonally into pieces about the same thickness as the pasta (matchstick size, 1/8" or so). Line up the slices and cut them into narrow matchsticks. Each one will be tipped with green or gold. Make a selection of fresh herbs from those suggested in the ingredients list. Pull the leaves off the stems and chop them, but not too finely. Include any flowers, such as the purple flowers of the basil or pink thyme blossoms. With a vegetable peeler, remove a thin strip of peel from the lemon and cut it into fine slivers. (I grated the peel.) Heat 2 T. olive oil in a small pan and add the pine nuts. Cook them until they begin to color; then add the shallots. Cook the two together over medium low heat until the shallots are soft and the pine nuts are brown. Transfer them to a wide bowl and add the rest of the oil, the capers, lemon peel, sun-dried tomatoes and herbs. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon or so lemon juice to taste. Add salt to the boiling water, drop in the zucchini and cook it about 1 minute. Scoop it out, shake off the water, and add it to the bowl with the other ingredients. Next, cook the pasta, scoop it out and add it to the bowl as well. Toss with a pair of tongs, so that the noodles are coated with the oil and herbs. Serve with the cheese passed separately.

Mustard Green Gratin

Mustard Green Gratin from Field of Greens
stemmed mustard greens
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus extra for baking dish
3 whole eggs, beaten
10 ounces ricotta cheese
2 ounces grated Parmesan (approximately 1/2 cup)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for garlic and mushrooms
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 cup crushed round butter crackers
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Remove any large stems from the greens and wash them thoroughly; do so in a sink with at least 5 inches of water. Moving the leaves around in the water and allowing them to sit for a few minutes to allow the sand or dirt to fall to the bottom of the sink. Once clean, roughly chop the greens. You should have 1 pound finished greens once they are stemmed. (Weigh the greens after stemming, but before washing.) After washing the greens, place them in a salad spinner to thoroughly dry them. Butter a 9 by 11-inch or 2 1/2-quart baking dish and set aside. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Set aside. In a large, 13 by 11-inch roasting pan set over 2 burners on medium heat, melt the butter in 1 corner of the pan. Add the garlic, mushrooms, and a pinch of salt and cook until the mushrooms give up their liquid, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Add the greens and cook until they are wilted, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. The greens will reduce to less than 1/4 of their original volume and begin to look like thawed, frozen spinach. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the greens to the egg and cheese mixture and stir to thoroughly combine. Pour into the prepared baking dish, top with the crackers, place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and serve.

Beet, Walnut and Prune Salad "This beet salad works great as a side dish. It's garlicky, creamy, sweet, a little crunchy, and a little salty. Enjoy this authentic Russian recipe that everyone in my family always makes."
5 medium beets, scrubbed
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup mayonnaise
20 pitted prunes, chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed
salt to taste Place the beets into a saucepan and fill with just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium heat until tender enough to pierce with a fork, about 20 minutes. Drain and rub off peels. Run under cold water until cool enough to handle, then grate using the largest setting. Place in a serving bowl. Stir the walnuts, prunes and garlic into the beets, then mix in the mayonnaise and season to taste with salt.

Swiss Chard
"Several years ago I had some swiss chard that had been freshly picked from a friend's garden. It was so sweet and yummy and buttery I couldn't believe it was actually Swiss chard. It was then I learned that freshness was the key determinant to whether chard was delectable or detestable. Last night we had Swiss chard that we had picked up from Whole Foods. It was good, quite good. But not nearly as fantastic as the chard we had a week ago that we had bought from the farmer's market. So here's a hint. If the thought of Swiss chard leaves you uninspired, get some from a farmer's market that has been freshly picked. It is sort of like the difference between white corn picked that day, or the same corn two days later. The tastes don't even compare."
1 large bunch of fresh Swiss chard
1 small clove garlic, sliced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp water
Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon butter
salt Rinse out the Swiss chard leaves thoroughly. Remove the toughest third of the stalk, discard or save for another recipe (such as this Swiss chard ribs with cream and pasta). Roughly chop the leaves into inch-wide strips. Heat a saucepan on a medium heat setting, add olive oil, a few small slices of garlic and the crushed red pepper. Sauté for about a minute. Add the chopped Swiss chard leaves. Cover. Check after about 5 minutes. If it looks dry, add a couple tablespoons of water. Flip the leaves over in the pan, so that what was on the bottom, is now on the top. Cover again. Check for doneness after another 5 minutes (remove a piece and taste it). Add salt to taste, and a small amount of butter. Remove the swiss chard to a serving dish. Links:Swiss chard ribs with cream and pasta . Great collection of chard recipes at Mariquita Farm

Fresh Picked Swiss Chard

"Several years ago I had some swiss chard that had been freshly picked from a friend's garden. It was so sweet and yummy and buttery I couldn't believe it was actually Swiss chard. It was then I learned that freshness was the key determinant to whether chard was delectable or detestable. Last night we had Swiss chard that we had picked up from Whole Foods. It was good, quite good. But not nearly as fantastic as the chard we had a week ago that we had bought from the farmer's market. So here's a hint. If the thought of Swiss chard leaves you uninspired, get some from a farmer's market that has been freshly picked. It is sort of like the difference between white corn picked that day, or the same corn two days later. The tastes don't even compare."

• 1 large bunch of fresh Swiss chard
• 1 small clove garlic, sliced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp water
• pinch of dried crushed red pepper
• 1 teaspoon butter
• salt
  
  Rinse out the Swiss chard leaves thoroughly. Remove the toughest third of the stalk, discard or save for another recipe (such as this Swiss chard ribs with cream and pasta). Roughly chop the leaves into inch-wide strips. Heat a saucepan on a medium heat setting, add olive oil, a few small slices of garlic and the crushed red pepper. Sauté for about a minute. Add the chopped Swiss chard leaves. Cover. Check after about 5 minutes. If it looks dry, add a couple tablespoons of water. Flip the leaves over in the pan, so that what was on the bottom, is now on the top. Cover again. Check for doneness after another 5 minutes (remove a piece and taste it). Add salt to taste, and a small amount of butter. Remove the swiss chard to a serving dish.
  Links: Swiss chard ribs with cream and pasta . Great collection of chard recipes at Mariquita Farm

Pasta with Zucchini, Lemon, Pine Nuts, and Herbs

adapted from The Greens Cook Book

• 1 pound corkscrew pasta (gemelli, rotelli, etc.)
• 8 ounces small, firm green or golden zucchini
• 1/2 c. mixed fresh herbs: Italian parsley, marjoram, basil, chervil, hyssop, oregano, lemon thyme, cutting celery and others (Avoid tarragon in this dish.)
• 1 lemon
• 6 T. virgin olive oil
• 5 T. pine nuts
• 1 onion or 3 shallots, thinly sliced then roughly chopped
• 4 t. tiny capers, rinsed in water
• 2 sun-dried tomatoes, cut into narrow strips (I used 8 halves)
• Salt & Pepper
• Parmesan (grated, fresh)
  Slice the zucchini diagonally into pieces about the same thickness as the pasta (matchstick size, 1/8" or so). Line up the slices and cut them into narrow matchsticks. Each one will be tipped with green or gold. Make a selection of fresh herbs from those suggested in the ingredients list. Pull the leaves off the stems and chop them, but not too finely. Include any flowers, such as the purple flowers of the basil or pink thyme blossoms. With a vegetable peeler, remove a thin strip of peel from the lemon and cut it into fine slivers. (I grated the peel.) Heat 2 T. olive oil in a small pan and add the pine nuts. Cook them until they begin to color; then add the shallots. Cook the two together over medium low heat until the shallots are soft and the pine nuts are brown. Transfer them to a wide bowl and add the rest of the oil, the capers, lemon peel, sun-dried tomatoes and herbs. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon or so lemon juice to taste. Add salt to the boiling water, drop in the zucchini and cook it about 1 minute. Scoop it out, shake off the water, and add it to the bowl with the other ingredients. Next, cook the pasta, scoop it out and add it to the bowl as well. Toss with a pair of tongs, so that the noodles are coated with the oil and herbs. Serve with the cheese passed separately.

FAVA BEANS

Here is a link to Nine recipes for FAVA BEANS and an excellent source for other seasonal recipes, check it out at: http://www.seasonalchef.com/recipe0506b.htm ENJOY!

'Ncapriata Di Fave Or Fava Bean Puree

• 1/2 pound dried peeled fava beans or 1 pound whole dried fava beans with skins
• Coarse salt
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  Soak the beans for several hours or overnight. Drain and, if using dried beans with their skins on, pull the outer skin off and discard. Transfer the beans to a deep saucepan, and add water to cover. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that rises. Once the foam has stopped rising, add salt to taste. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer the beans, stirring frequently with a long-handled wooden spoon. The beans should gradually dissolve into the cooking liquid. Keep a separate pan or kettle of water simmering on the stove and, when necessary, add a little hot water to the simmering beans to keep them from drying out or scorching.Continue to cook for about an hour, stirring much more regularly in the last 15 minutes. When the beans are completely dissolved, without any lumps, they should have the consistency of clotted cream. If lumps remain after cooking for an hour, continue to cook, or, alternatively, run through a sieve to remove any lumps.Off the heat, beat in olive oil with the wooden spoon. Adjust salt to taste. Serve on thick slices of bread that are either toasted and brushed with olive oil or fried in olive oil. Serve with boiled bitter greens if desired.

Roasted Curried Carrot Soup

• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound carrots, diced
• 1 ounce butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 inch piece of fresh root ginger, chopped
• 1 stick lemongrass, finely chopped
• 1 red chili, finely sliced (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder (or garam masala)
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 14 fluid ounce can coconut milk
• 1 1/2 pints vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 tablespoon fresh coriander (cilantro) chopped
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper
  Pre-heat oven to 390F. Heat the oil in an ovenproof dish and roast the carrots for 25 minutes or so until lightly golden and tender. Set aside. Melt butter in a large pan, add the onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, chili, curry powder and coriander and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes to allow the spices to release their fragrances. Stir in the roasted carrots, coconut milk and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the lime juice and coriander and stir well. Serve hot.

Sauteed Swiss Chard

from Bon Appétit

• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• pinch of dried crushed red pepper
• bunch Swiss chard, stems trimmed, leaves cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips
  Melt butter with oil in heavy large pot over medium-low heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chard; stir to coat. Cover; cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Transfer to bowl and serve.
  

Leek Frittata

Adapted from Antipasti by Joyce Goldstein

From The Daily News, 1/13/99: "In ancient Egypt, leeks and onions were adored as gods, and the Israelites lamented the leeks they left behind when they fled Egypt. They are a national symbol in Wales.... you can store them in plastic in the fridge for 5 days or more. Leeks are rich in allicin, an organosulfur compound that has been shown to inhibit the growth of certain cancer cells, including breast, endometrial, and colon cancer cells. Leeks also contain calcium, iron, vitamin C, and fiber.

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• 4-6 leeks, white and tender green part cut into 1-inch slices, sautéed in butter or olive oil until soft
• 8 eggs
• ¼ cup whole milk, half and half, or cream
• 1 Tablespoon flour
• 6-8 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• Pinch fresh nutmeg or cinnamon
• Fresh ground black pepper
• ¼ cup chopped green garlic, leeks, green onions, or yellow onion

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using about 1 tablespoon olive oil, liberally oil a 7x11x2 inch baking dish, or a 2 quart round baking dish if you prefer. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, cheese, nutmeg, 2 teaspoons salt, and several grinds of pepper. Saute the onions/garlic over low heat in a pan in some olive oil to soften. Remove from the heat and stir into the egg mixture along with the leeks. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake the frittata until the top is set and lightly colored, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool for at least 8 to 10 minutes, and cut into squares or wedges. Serve warm or at room temp.

Recipes From Our Members

Hi! We really enjoyed be honorary farmers this weekend. Thank you for the opportunity to see our food growing. Since we had a lot of carrots, we made carrot soup. You are probably familiar with this recipe, it comes from the Moosewood Cookbook by Molly Katzen. (I am not sure if it is totally the original, as I got it off the internet) I used it to make a soup that went over really well the adults here and OK with the kids.
Alicia L.

• 2 pounds peeled or scrubbed, chopped carrots
• 4 cups stock or water
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 medium potato, chopped (optional, for heartier soup)
• 3-4 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1-2 small cloves crushed garlic (I used more)
• 1/3 cup chopped cashews or almonds
• 1t minced ginger (I used more)
• Choose one: 1 cup milk, or 1 cup yogurt or buttermilk plus a little honey, 1/2 pint heavy cream, 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 tsp each: cumin, ground fennel seed, allspice, dried mint

Place carrots, liquid and salt (and potato if you are using it) into a medium sized soup pot and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer it for 12-15 minutes. Let it cool to room temp. Saute the onion, garlic and nuts in the butter until the onions are clear. You can sprinkle in a little salt to help draw the moisture out of the onions. Towards the end of cooking, stir in the seasoning combo of your choice. Puree everything together in a blender until smooth (I deviate from her recipe at this stage. I dump the sauteed onions, garlic and nuts into the pot with the cooked carrots and use an immersion blender to puree. It saves dishes and energy). Whisk in one of the dairy products. As I mentioned in the beginning, I often leave this step out until I'm just about to eat a bowl of soup. I'll stir in a little milk, a spoonful of yogurt or some cottage cheese just before serving (and just after reheating, if I'm using the microwave).
Garnish with toasted nuts, some toasted bread crumbs or eat just as it is.

Recipes From Our Members

I must share. Tonight we had a wonderful meal. I was absolutely sure I didn’t like beets and, I must confess, have bartered them to friends and even shared them with the porcupines at the wildlife rehab facility where I volunteer (they love them).
Tonight I baked them (like a baked potato) and THEY WERE WONDERFUL! I love turnips, and the flavor was similar.
I also made a wonderful quick stir fry with collard greens, fresh spinach, purple onions, garlic and some pac choi from last week… yum yum.
I even went out on a limb and looked through all my vegetarian cookbooks and made a fennel recipe. It was great! Fennel, tomatoes, shallots, garlic and fresh basil sauted and topped with bread crumbs and baked. I actually enjoyed it as well.
I’m currently fat and happy and feeling quite smug about the whole thing. Please know that I would never have tried these wonderful concoctions without my CSA. Thank you, thank you. I’ll share the beets and fennel with family for Easter dinner tomorrow. My grandchildren are always game to try Gram’s new experiments in food.
Kris W.

IDEAS FOR SWISS CHARD

from SJ Mercury News, 2/19/97 & Mariqueta Farms website http://www.mariquita.com/recipes/chard.html

1. Saute chard with garlic in olive oil. Put a cover on the pan and allow chard to steam for about 5 minutes. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and , if desired, some hot pepper flakes before serving.
2. Blanch the leaves and add to soup. Try substituting chard for spinach or arugula in soup recipes.
3. Make a gratin with the stems: Boil the stems until tender (about 30 minutes). Put them in a gratin dish, add seasonings (such as a little garlic and parsley), top with a bechamel sauce and cook under broiler until golden brown.
4. Blanch the whole leaves and stuff them with meat or vegetable fillings. (Food writer Fay Levy says that in Lebanon, chard leaves are wrapped around rice fillings, like grape leaves.)

Spiced Carrot Cake with Creamy Mascarpone Frosting

by Jo-Anne van den Berg-Ohms

• 3 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup crushed pineapple
• 1 tablespoon finely diced
• crystallized ginger
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup golden raisons
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Creamy Mascarpone Frosting

• 6 ounces cream cheese
• 6 ounces mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two cake pans or two bread pans. Beat eggs lightly. Add sugar: beat until light and fluffy. Mix in carrots. Add oil, pineapple, crystallized ginger and coconut, mixing to blend. Add dry ingredients and vanilla: mix until just blended. By hand, stir in raisons and walnuts. Bake in prepared pans for one hour. Let sit at room temperature to cool. Remove from cake pans to cooling racks. Beat room temperature cream cheese, mascarpone cheese and butter together. Add confectioner’s sugar in parts, beating slowly to blend. Add vanilla extract and lemon zest, blending until smooth. Frost cooled cakes. For fun, garnish with long, skinny microplaned, sugar-coated carrot ribbons.

BOK CHOI SALAD with CREAMY VINAIGRETTE

• Bok choi, trimmed, chopped
• Bull's Blood Beet Greens, chopped in strips
• cilantro
• Fresh goat cheese or feta
• Toasted walnuts
• Fresh fruit - apple, tangerine, etc., slices
• Chopped green onion
• CREAMY VINAIGRETTE: 2 tablespoons cream, whisked until pillowy (this takes a minute or two, it's also easier starting with more cream but since the dressing doesn't keep well, make only enough for the current meal), 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or lemon juice or another vinegar), 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon good mustard.

Combine just before serving.

BLACK SEEDED LETTUCE SALAD WITH TANGERINES, RED SCALLIONS & DILL

Tear or chop lettuce into bite sized pieces. Peel and section tangerines. Chop scallions, dill and garlic (optional). Combine all in a bowl. Toss with olive oil, lemon juice and salt to taste.

CAULIFLOWER WITH MUSTARD SAUCE & DILL

• 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tsp dill seeds
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 pound cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp minced fresh dill

Pour stock into a 10-inch skillet and add dill seeds and bay leaves. Cover and bring to a simmer. Add cauliflwer, cover, and continue to simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 7-8 minutes. Uncover the skillet and place it in the refrigerator. Let cauliflower chill in its stock for about 30 minutes. Drain cauliflower reserving stock, and place it in a serving dish. Strain stock and combine 1/4 cup of it with mustard. Drizzle sauce over cauliflower, sprinkle with minced dill, and serve.

Shyryn's Favorite Cauliflower

• head Cauliflower, cut to bite sized pieces
• Gruyere, Parmesan or other sharp, hard cheese, thin sliced
• milk (organic of course)
• ghee (clarified butter) or butter
• Herbs de Provence, or other dried or fresh herbs
• sea salt & ground green peppercorns to taste

Place layers of cauliflower, dabs of ghee or butter, herbs, then cheese in a casserole, or other oven proof dish with a lid. Pour milk to almost cover. Layer additional cheese on top. Place in oven pre-heated to 375 degrees. Bake until tender and bubbly. Remove lid and brown under broiler.

FENNEL VINAIGRETTE DRESSING

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup fennel leaves (fronds) chopped
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic
• pinch sea salt
• honey

In a small saucepan, heat oil, fennel leaves, lemon juice, crushed garlic and salt and sugar. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.

http://www.recipeland.com Copyright Ellen Ecker Ogden, From: The Cook's Garden catalog - Spring/Summer 1990

SPICY KOREAN CABBAGE with NOODLES

For sauce:

• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 to 3 teaspoons Korean hot-pepper paste (If you aren't able to find Korean hot-pepper paste, substitute 3/4 teaspoon Chinese chile paste and reduce the amount of soy sauce to 1/4 cup. OR, add dried chile pepper powder to taste)
• 1 tablespoon unrefined sugar or honey

For noodles:

• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled ginger
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 10 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
• 1 1/4 pound Chinese Cabbage, thinly sliced (8 cups)
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced
• 8 to 9 ounces soba (buckwheat noodles)

Stir together all sauce ingredients until brown sugar is dissolved, then set aside.Toast sesame seeds in a dry 12-inch heavy skillet (not nonstick) over medium heat, stirring, until pale golden, then transfer to a small bowl. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté ginger and garlic, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add shiitakes and sauté, stirring frequently, until tender and starting to brown, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, then add cabbage and most of scallions (reserve about a tablespoon for garnish) and cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is tenderadding a little water if necessary. Add sauce and simmer 2 minutes.While cabbage is cooking, cook soba and edamame together in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (2 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) until noodles are just tender, about 6 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cool water to stop cooking and remove excess starch, then drain well again. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with sesame seeds and vegetable mixture. Serve sprinkled with reserved scallions.

Featured Veggie: JAPANESE SALAD TURNIPS (Hakurei Turnips)

The easiest and most nutritious way to eat these delicately flavored, crisp turnips is raw. Simply scrub, slice thinly and toss with your Allstar Gourmet Salad Mix and sliced Easter Egg Radishes and Dill herb. Flavor Enhancers: Lemon juice, vinegar, curry powder, chives, oregano, marjoram, thyme. Nutritional Value: Turnips contain potassium and iron and are a good source of vitamin C.

SAUTEED JAPANESE TURNIPS WITH RED BOK CHOI & RAISINS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 3 medium turnips, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Red Bok Choi, coarsely chopped
• Freshly ground nutmeg
• Salt and pepper
  In a saute pan, heat the oil with the garlic. Add the Japanese Turnips and raisins and cook for about 1 minute. Add the lemon juice; cover and cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in the Red Bok Choi and cook just until wilted. Sprinkle with nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.

Roasted Beet Salad with Oranges and Beet Greens

Bon Appétit January 2004 The delicate beet greens — which are an excellent source of potassium, folic acid, and magnesium — make this dish even more healthful.

• 6 medium beets with beet greens attached
• 2 large oranges
• 1 small sweet onion, cut through root end into thin wedges
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
  Preheat oven to 400°F. Trim greens from beets. Cut off and discard stems. Coarsely chop leaves and reserve. Wrap each beet in foil. Place beets directly on oven rack and roast until tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Cool. Peel beets, then cut each into 8 wedges. Place beets in medium bowl. Cook beet greens in large saucepan of boiling water just until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain. Cool. Squeeze greens to remove excess moisture. Add greens to bowl with beets. Cut peel and white pith from oranges. Working over another bowl and using small sharp knife, cut between membranes to release segments. Add orange segments and onion to bowl with beet mixture. Whisk vinegar, oil, garlic, and orange peel in small bowl to blend; add to beet mixture and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour.

FEATURED VEGGIE: KOHLRABI

Although these bulbs look like they were dug up from the earth, the round bulb is a swollen stem that grows above ground. Not a commonly used vegetable in American cuisine, kohlrabi is widely used in Central Europe and Asia. It is still patiently waiting to be discovered in this country. Handling: If the kohlrabi leaves are still attached to the bulb, trim them and store separately. They can be cooked but will need to be used within a couple of days. The bulbs should be stored, unwashed, in a plastic bag. They will hold for about a week in the refrigerator. Simple preparation: Tender, young kohlrabi is delicious eaten raw. Peel the outer skin with a paring knife. Slice, dice, or grate, and add to salads. Use on raw vegetable platters or serve with a creamy dip. Substitute in recipes calling for radishes. Grated kohlrabi can be added to slaw, but lightly salt it first and let stand for several minutes. Squeeze to remove any excess water before adding dressing. Kohlrabi can also be steamed or boiled. For this preparation don't peel until after they are cooked. Steam or boil until bulbs are tender, peel skin, and season with butter, salt, and pepper, a cheese sauce, or just enjoy plain. Fresh leaves can be enjoyed as a cooked green. Wash the leaves and remove the ribs. Blanch in boiling water until just wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and squeeze excess water from leaves. Chop leaves, then saute in a little olive oil or butter. Season with salt and pepper. Add a splash of vinegar or squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

AMBER TURNIP PUFF CASSEROLE

• 2 cups cooked, mashed turnips, cooled
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup melted butter or ghee
• 1 teaspoon honey or agave nectar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 eggs, separated
  
  Combine turnips, bread crumbs, butter, sweetener, salt, pepper, and beaten egg yolks. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into turnip mixture. Spoon turnip mixture into a buttered 1-quart casserole.