Stir-Fry Cabbage

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 small onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 head napa cabbage, cleaned and sliced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

Directions

In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add the canola oil and heat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and saute, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the cabbage and cook until just starting to wilt, about 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce and rice vinegar and stir well and cook just until cabbage is wilted, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and drizzle with the sesame oil.

recipe from Ellie Krieger on the Food Network

Skillet Onions, Peppers, and Garlic

This simple veggie side has plenty of flavor and color and takes just 15 minutes to prepare. For a touch of heat, add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce or a pinch of ground red pepper.

 

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
• 1 cup thinly sliced yellow bell pepper (or any color pepper you have)
• 1 cup vertically sliced sweet onion 
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers and onion; cook 13 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring frequently. Add garlic, rosemary, salt, and black pepper; cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Joy Zacharia, Cooking Light
JANUARY 2006, via My Recipes

 

Spinach with Garlic Vinaigrette

• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 cups baby spinach leaves (about 6 ounces) 
• 1/4 cup vertically sliced red onion 

Preparation

1. 1. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add 6 cups spinach and red onion; toss to coat.
2. Spinach-Pasta Salad Variation: Cook 1/2 cup mini farfalle according to package directions. Drain. Rinse with cold water; drain. Add garlic vinaigrette, 3 cups baby spinach, and 1/4 cup chopped red onion. Yield: 4 servings. CALORIES 106; FAT 5.4g (sat 0.8g); SODIUM 108mg
3. Wilted Spinach Variation: Increase garlic to 3 thinly sliced cloves. Heat vinaigrette in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 2 minutes. Gradually add 1 (9-ounce) package fresh spinach; toss until wilted. Yield: 4 servings. CALORIES 78; FAT 5.1g (sat 0.7g); SODIUM 191mg
4. Spinach Baked Potato Variation: Microwave 4 (6-ounce) Yukon gold potatoes 13 minutes or until tender. Prepare wilted spinach; divide spinach among potatoes. Top each with 1 1/2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese. Yield: 4 servings. CALORIES 255; FAT 8.1g (sat 2.8g); SODIUM 358mg

from My Recipes and "Cooking Light"

Vegan Samosas

With thanks to intern Bretton Fobes.

Dough:
3 cups flour
1 stick Vegan Margarine ( I like Earth Balance) 
12 Tab COLD water

Filling:
2-3 med sized potato
some oil for your pan
1 tab coriander seed (i've also just used ground coriander) 
1 tab cumin seed (also used ground for this and it works fine)
1-2 large carrots cubed
1 large onion diced
3 cloves garlic, minced ( I add a whole bulb because more garlic is better) 
1/2 inch peeled ginger, minced 
1/2 cup frozen peas
Several stalks of cilantro  ( I use more, so add to taste) 


~ 3 inches worth of vegtable oil for frying the samosas 


Dough:
Melt the margarine in a pot, once melted mix into the flower in a bowl or mixer. It should become crumbly.  Then add the cold water one tablespoon at a time until its a doughy consistency. You may need to add a little more water or flour. Knead dough several times and then form it into a ball. Place in bowl, covered in the fridge for 1 hour. 

Filling:In the mean time boil some water and cook the cubed potatoes  until semi-soft. Drain and set aside.  Place ~ 1 tablespoon of oil or margarine in a pan or pot.  Add the carrots, onion, cumin, and coriander.  Cook on medium heat until the onions become translucent. Then add garlic and ginger. Cook until the garlic becomes aromatic.  Add potatoes, peas, and cilantro. Keep cooking until the potatoes are fully cooked. 

The procedure: Roll out dough until its about 1/8th to 1/16th inch. Cut circles about 7 inches wide. Cut each circle in half. Take this half circle and moisten the straight edges with water and press together to make a cone shape.  Fill the cone with the filling, but not too much where as you cant seal the cone. Press the top two edges of the cone together to make a triangle shape. Repeat until all the dough is gone. 

Frying: 
I normally fry one to two at a time while I'm assembling the rest. Heat about 3 inches of veggie oil in a pot on medium high. Once the oil is hot place 1-2 in the oil. Watch closely. Fry until the first side is golden brown then flip and do the same on the other side. Place on a plate to cool with something to absorb the extra oil. Serve with favourite chutney.

Enjoy!

Chard with Beet Vinegar

2 large beets, peeled and cooked
1 cup rice vinegar
3 Tbs. sugar
½ tsp. lemon juice
dash white pepper
1 large bunch fresh chard or beet greens, chopped
butter to taste
Garnish: sour cream or fresh plain yogurt

In a blender, puree the beets together with the rice vinegar, sugar, lemon juice and white pepper.  Pour into a non-aluminum saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 5 minutes.  Cool.  Steam the chard until tender, drain.  Toss chard with butter and pepper to taste.  Arrange the cooked chard on a serving platter.  Spoon over some of the beet vinegar to taste and garnish with a generous dollop of sour cream or yogurt.

(From Recipes from a Kitchen Garden by Shepherd and Raboff)

Thai Basil Pesto

2 c. Thai Basil - or any flavor of specialty of regular basil
2 T. dry roasted peanuts
1 T. sugar
1 1/2 T. dark sesame oil
1 T. fish sauce (optional. although the recipe's authors encourage its inclusion)
1 T. rice wine vinegar
1 T. crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves

Process all in a food processor.  Use for soba noodles, stir-fry veggies, or anywhere your fancy takes you!

Celery and Potato Soup

A simple and accessible recipe for this nourishing and nurturing soup.

Ingredients

1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 small Onion, chopped
4 stalks Celery, chopped
2 medium potato, peeled and diced
4 garlic, minced
bay leaf, thyme and parsley
7 cups Water (or chicken broth)

Directions

Heat oil over medium heat, add onion and celery, and cook gently, stirring often, for about 10 mins, until very tender. Add 1/2 tsp salt after 5 mins. make sure the vegetables do not colour.
Add potatoes, garlic and herbs. Stir together and add water. Bring to simmer, add salt to taste. Cover and simmer 30 -40 mins, until the vegetables are very tender. Remove from heat.
Use a food processor to puree the soup. After that, return puree to the soup, stir and heat through. season with salt and pepper. Garnish with celery sticks in individual bowl.

Number of Servings: 10




from the SparkRecipes food blog

Kale Chips

Recipes abound on the internet for this increasingly popular way to ingest your dose of healthy greens. This post offers an easy preparation method and some delicious variations! Post by Merritt Watts:

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that greens are good for you. You also probably know that kale tops the charts when it comes to nutrients-per-bite. But, for all that nutrition knowledge, the real eat-your-greens revolution is taking place in home ovens across the country... Yep, I'm talking about kale chips! The crispy, salty, totally addictive snack has moved out of the "hippie food" category and gone mainstream. If you haven't yet tried making your own kale chips, you are missing out! And if you have made your own kale chips, why not punch 'em up a bit? Read on for our favorite formula for perfect chips, plus some speedy seasoning ideas.

BASIC BAKED KALE CHIPS

Tear the leaves of one bunch of curly- of flat-leaf kale into 2-inch pieces and toss with a tablespoon (or two, depending on how healthy you're trying to be) of extra-virgin olive oil and a teaspoon of coarse salt. Spread the kale out on a large rimmed baking sheet (use two baking sheets, if necessary -- the kale should have enough room to bake in a single layer).
For dry, crisp chips: Bake at 300 degrees for 3o - 35 minutes, stirring halfway through.
For toasted chips with browned edges: Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring two or three times.

FAST IDEAS FOR FRESH FLAVOR

• Kale Chips with Kick: Add a teaspoon or two of Sriracha sauce to the oil before tossing with kale and baking.
• Lemon Zest Kale Chips: Finely grate lemon zest over the kale chips as soon as they come out of the oven.
• Soy Sauce-Kale Chips: Replace half the oil with soy sauce, and cut back on salt, for some savory, umami flavor.
• Double-Healthy Kale Chips: Sprinkle with nutrient-rich nutritional yeast. (Okay, this one might be veering back into the "hippie food" category, but trust us, it's delicious! The chips taste nice and cheesy)
• Chile-Lime Kale Chips: Mix a bit of chile powder in with the salt, squeeze lime juice over kale chips when they're hot out of the oven.
•  

from http://everydayfoodblog.marthastewart.com and posted by Merritt Watts

Green Bean Stir Fry

1 T. olive oil
3 c. fresh green beans, ends trimmed
2 c. sweet bell peppers, sliced
2 c. zucchini, sliced thin
1 c. carrot, sliced thin
2 T. honey
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 T. black and white sesame seeds (or all white)

Preheat large saute pan or wok over high heat. Add olive oil to preheated pan. Carefully add all vegetables to preheated pan. Cook vegetables for 4-7 minutes or until desired doneness. Add honey and soy sauce to pan and stir to combine. Serve stir-fry with rice and garnish with sesame seeds.

Kale Salad

A farm favorite!

Shred kale, cabbage and carrots - your choice as to ratio. We used the shredder attachment on the food processor and it made a nicely textured salad base.

Dress your veggies with:

3\4 cup of sesame oil, 1\2 cup of soy sauce, 1\4 cup olive oil, 1\4 cup lime juice, 1 tbs of maple syrup, 3 tsp of chili flakes (or two if you don't like things too spicy), 1 tsp sea salt, 1\4 cup chopped cashews, soaked overnight if possible).

  Blend all ingredients until smooth.   Makes 2 1\2 cups.

Broccoli Salad with Raisins and Sunflower Seeds

If you use farm-fresh local broccoli, you probably don't have to peel the stalks. But certainly include the stalks - just steam them a little longer.

Serves 6

30 minutes or fewer

Lightly steaming broccoli brightens its color and helps it keep its crunch—even when it’s coated in a creamy dressing, as in this recipe.

• 2 small heads broccoli (12 oz.)
• ⅓ cup vegan mayonnaise
• 2 tsp. agave nectar or sugar
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
• ¾ tsp. Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup chopped red onion
• ¼ cup raisins
• 2 Tbs. roasted, salted sunflower seeds

1. Cut broccoli into small florets. Trim and peel stalks, then slice into matchsticks. Place matchstick pieces in steamer basket over simmering water; steam 2 minutes. Add florets; steam 1 to 2 minutes more, or until crisp-tender. Plunge broccoli in large bowl of cold water to stop cooking; drain well.
2. Whisk together mayonnaise, agave nectar, vinegar, and mustard in bowl. Combine broccoli, onion, and raisins in large bowl; toss with mayonnaise mixture. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and
sprinkle with sunflower seeds.

from Vegetarian Times

Loubieh Wa Hommus Bi-Ziet (Lebanese-Style Green Beans With Chickpeas in Olive Oil)

Slow-cooked vegetable dishes like this one, a cumin-and paprika-spiced stew of beans and tomatoes, are a standby in many parts of the Middle East. Here, tomatoes and green beans release some of their flavor into the cooking liquid, creating a rich broth.

Enlarge Image Credit: Todd Coleman

SERVES 4–6

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup olive oil

2 tsp. cumin seeds

4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tbsp. paprika

1½ lb. green beans, strings removed

1 (28-oz.) can whole, peeled tomatoes with juice, crushed by hand

1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the oil in an 8-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat; add cumin seeds and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

2. Add the garlic and onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until soft and lightly browned, about 12 minutes.

3. Add the tomato paste and paprika, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomato paste is lightly caramelized, about 2 minutes. Add the green beans, tomatoes, chickpeas, and 2 cups water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until very tender, about 1 hour. If it thickens quickly, add more water. Let sit for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

 

From the Saveur magazine web site. This recipe first appeared in our October 2011 issue along with Lesley Porcelli's story The Soft Approach.

 

Cucumber-purslane-yogurt salad

---

• 5 large Cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into quarter-round slices
• 1/4 pound Purslane, large stems removed, washed and drained well
• 2 tablespoons each, Fresh chopped mint, cilantro and chervil
• 4 cups Whole milk yogurt
• 1/4 cup Virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves Garlic, puréed with the blade of a knife
• 2 teaspoon ground Coriander
•  kosher Salt and ground Black Pepper

Place the cucumber, purslane and herbs into a large bowl. In another bowl, stir together the yogurt, olive oil and garlic, coriander and season to taste with salt. Add the yogurt mixture to the vegetables and mix well. Add a pinch of ground black pepper. Taste the dressed cucumber-purslane salad for seasoning, adding a little more salt if needed. Serve chilled.

Ed. note: Parsley can be substituted for chervil.

From the Star Chefs blog: Recipe by Steve Johnson, chef of The Blue Room, Boston. Outside of his restaurant duties, Steve is one of the principle organizers for the Boston chapter of the CHEFS Collaborative 2000, a national network of chef/activists  which concentrates on  political issues related to food. Outside of his restaurant duties, Mr. Johnson is one of the principle organizers for the Boston chapter of the CHEFS Collaborative 2000, a national network of chef/activists which concentrates on political issues related to food.   Steve Johnson of The Blue Room in Boston
Outside of his restaurant duties, Mr. Johnson is one of the principle organizers for the Boston chapter of the CHEFS Collaborative 2000, a national network of chef/activists which concentrates on political issues related to food.




























http://www.starchefs.com/SJohnson/menu.shtml

Chinese-Style Pickled Purslane

½ cup of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. salt
¼ cup water
Handful of purslane
1. Combine vinegar with sugar, salt and water in a nonreactive bowl, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon.
2. Add the purslane to the brine.
3. Soak for at least two hours, chilled in refrigerator, before serving.

---

Ava Chin, a professor of creative nonfiction and journalism at the College of Staten Island, lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The Urban Forager runs every other Saturday.

From the NY Times column: The Urban Forager

 

Honey Mustard Cilantro Dressing

1C cilantro stems - leaves may also be used
1/4 C water
1/4 lime juice(or lime/lemon or lemon)
1/4 C honey
1/4 dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1 small clove of garlic peeled(optional)

Puree in blender til smooth, then through opening in top add olive oil slowly until the hole at the center of the dressing disappears. This is usually the proper amount of oil for a properly emulsified vinaigrette.

Options: use some cayenne powder to heat it up. Use 3:1 basil to flat leaf parsley instead of cilantro and use red wine vinegar instead of citrus juice.

recipe by Chef Andrew Cohen

from the Mariquita Farm newsletter

Salad with Tarragon and Citrus-Honey Vinaigrette

          1 lemon, zested and juiced

• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 head lettuce
• 1/2 cup cut fresh tarragon leaves

1. Whisk the lemon zest and juice, lime zest and juice, honey, and mustard in a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the canola oil while whisking constantly until completely emulsified.

2. Trim off the core from  head of lettuce and separate the leaves, discarding the tough outer leaves. Rinse the lettuce leaves in a bowl of cold water, chop or tear into bite-sized pieces, and spin dry. Place the lettuce leaves in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the tarragon leaves and gently toss the lettuce with enough vinaigrette to coat lightly.
3.  
4.  adapted from Vegetarian Times 

Gravenstein Apple & Beet Salad with Curry Vinaigrette

This recipe makes a lot; halve the ingredients for 2-3 servings. Remove ribs from chard and chop into small pieces to substitute for spinach. Any kind of apple works fine. This is a delicious dish, first made for the farm crew by CSA member Ponda - thank you!

6 lbs             beets
4                  Gravenstein apples, peeled & sliced
1 qt.             spinach

                    Curry Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Cook, peel, and slice the beets.  Toss dressing with beets and apples.  Add spinach just before serving.

Curry Vinaigrette
2 Tbsp           curry powder
1 cup            apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup           sugar
1 Tbsp           black pepper
1/4 cup           canola or olive oil
Whisk ingredients together.  Set aside. 

from Chris Maritzen of Whole Foods Market
Serves 4-6