You must remember that recipes come out of my mouth and sometimes I am making them up as I go. I adjust or change as I give you the recipe if I know that you love or hate items. So if the recipe I have given you in the past is good and does not match the one I am writing that may be the case. Or I forgot the one I have given you. The great thing about this online cookbook is that I can update recipes as I go. And you can share your recipes with me and other CSA members. Any donated recipe will be noted as (CSA).

One Straw Farm Kitchen Essentials
Let me start out by saying there are a few items that you must have on hand to use this online cookbook:
Fresh garlic
Cold-pressed olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Sea salt – the only salt I use

Arugula and Nectarine Salad (CSA)
Dressing:
3 T. raspberry vinegar
1 tspl Dijon mustard
5 T. olive ol
pinch of each: sugar, salt and pepper

Salad:
Arugula leaves -torn
Lettuce leaves- torn
2-3 ripe nectarines, peeled and sliced
1/3 c. toasted walnuts
Combine dressing ingredients in order, mixing well.
Arrange sald ingredients in a bowl. Pour dressing over them. Top with walnuts.

Arugula Pesto (CSA)
1 1/3 c. fresh arugula
1/3 c. fresh parsley
1/3 c. fresh spinach
2 T.walnuts or toasted pinenuts
2 large cloves of garlic, smashed
3 T. olive oil
2 T. fresh grated parmesan
Blend first five ingredients together in food processor. add olive oil and parmesan and blend again.
Store i covered in refrigerator with a skim of olive oil covering the pesto to help preserve its freshness and color.
Warm briefly in microwave (20 seconds) before using to bring out the flavor.
Use on bread, crackers, sandwiches or add to hot pasta.

2006 Recipes
Thought for the day:
Vegetables are cheaper than a candy bar.
Vegetable Stories
Charlie, my nephew, was being dressed by his mother. It was a very chilly morning. Hurry Mom hurry I’m sooooooooooo cold
I’m getting frozen salad………….

Arugula   
Arugula Sandwiches
On slices of French Bread layer first arugula, then thin sliced red onion, and a nice cheese. Wrap in foil and heat, maybe 10+ min. Serve immediately.

Arugula Pesto
Substitute arugula for basil in your favorite pesto recipe.

Beets
Beet Lesson
More than once I have heard, “I don’t like beets.” Try them with a few of our recipes and if you still do not like beets, then we know you really tried. There are a few non-beet eaters in the world.  Here are several ways to eat them.

Comic note: Red Beets can color your excrements. One ‘Person’ I know, ate too many at my house before we were married, and went to the emergency room. He thought he had blood in his stool. You urine may also turn pink if you eat too many. These facts may get a child to try beets. Especially a 10 year old boy. They will eat the whole bowl just to find out.

How to Cook Beets
First to cook beets trim leaving one inch of stem on the beet. This keeps the bleeding to a minimum. (Save the leaves.) Cook the beet with the stem and the skin on until it is ‘boiled potato’ soft. Dump out the water and rinse the beet in cold water. Cut the beet close to the stem and the root, the skin should come off easily.
These can be eaten like this with a little butter and salt and pepper.

Roasted Beets
Beets may also be roasted in the oven like a baked potato. Once again the skin comes off easily when they are cooked. If you use this method return once peeled, quickly return to the oven with butter or olive oil salt and pepper.

Left Over Beets
Left over cooked beets (boiled or roasted) , diced are good on salad.

Raw Beets
Beets can be shredded raw for salad. Keep in mind they will stain.

Beet Tops
Trim the stems from the leaves. The leaves can be used like spinach. We usually sauté them in olive oil and garlic, and a bit of wine ( it’s worth opening a bottle). When the greens on the beets look this nice it is like getting two veggies in one.

Beet Burgers
2 cups grated beets
2 cups grated carrots
1/2 c grated onion
1 c. cooked brown rice
1 cup toasted sunflower seeds
2 beaten eggs
2-3 T. soy sauce
1 cup grated cheese
3 T flour
1/4 cup oil
Garlic, cayenne, parsley, salt to taste.
Mix everything. Form into burgers and bake at 350. You should not have to turn them unless you make them very large.

Baked Beets
In France they sell them already cooked in foil at the farmers market. (Don’t wait for me on this one.)

Orange Beet Soup
3 large beets-washed very well
2 cups orange juice
5 cups stock
1 large onion chopped
Bring all these to a boil then simmer until the beets are soft. Remove beets and peel under cold water. Place in a blender with the OJ, stock and onion and puree.  Add 2/3 cup yogurt. Serve hot or cold. Baked beets are delicious.  It took a bit longer than an hour for very large beets. 
 
Beets with Horseradish
Cook beets, peel and slice into discs. Sauté beet slices with butter and some horseradish (2 T).  Very different. Sauté the greens with olive oil and garlic. Grilled tenderloin is a wonderful partner.

Grilled Beets in Rosemary Vinegar (CSA member recipe)
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence
3 medium beets, sliced into rounds
Directions: In a medium bowl, mix balsamic vinegar, rosemary, garlic, and herbes de Provence. Place beets in the mixture, and marinate at least 20 minutes.
Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil grate.
Place the beets and marinade mixture on a piece of foil large enough to wrap all ingredients, and seal tightly. Place the foil packet on the prepared grill, and cook 25 minutes, or until beets are tender.
Remove beets from the packet, and place directly on the grill grate for 2 to 5 minutes before serving hot.

Spicy Butternut Squash and Orange Relish
Recipe from Ellen
six 4 by 1-inch strips of orange zest removed with a vegetable peeler
a 1 1/2 lb butternut squash
1 cup water
1 cup sugar (I use this amount for double the recipe)
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
3 navel oranges
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 scalion, minced
Chop zest fine and in a small saucepan blanch in boiling water 1 minute. Drain zest in a fine sieve. Halve squash lengthwise and discard seeds, Peel squash and cut into a 1/2 inch dice. In a small saucepan bring water and sugar to a boil with the red pepper flkes, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add squash and zest and simmer covered 5 minutes, or until squash is tender (but not too soft). Transfer mixture to a bowl and cool. With a serrated knife, cut peel and pith from the orange and working over the bowl of squash, cut orang esections free from the membrane letting the sections drop into the squash mixture and squeezing excess juice from the membrane into the mixture. Stir vinegar into relish. Relish may be prepared up to this point 1 week ahead and chilled covered. With a slotted spoon transfer relish to a serving bowl and stir in scallion. Serve relish chilled or room temperature with poultry or lamb. Makes about 4 cups.

Bok choy
Thai Bok Choy
2 t. peanut oil
1/4 t. red pepper flakes- use sparingly they heat up fast. (I hope you can use the hot peppers you dried last year.)
1 bok choy trimmed and chopped
1 can coconut milk -you may used reduced fat
1 t. fish sauce. If you do not have this use salt -1/4 t.
Heat the pepper flakes in the oil. Add the bok choy and coconut milk.
You may add cooked shrimp or chicken and serve over rice

Sherry Bok Choy (Friend at Market)
Chop Bok choy into a baking dish
Drizzle with Sherry and raspberry vinegar
pinch of salt and pepper

Broccoli

Beans
Gail’s Green Beans
Green Beans-2 lb.
Feta Cheese-1/2 lb.- (one pkg)
1/4 c. onions or scallions
Vinaigrette
1 T dijon mustard               
4 T red wine vinegar
1 t sugar
1/2 t. salt, pepper
2 t lemon juice
1/2 c olive oil
Add green beans to lightly salted boiling water.  Cook  about 8 min.  Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking.  They should still be slightly firm.  Add the vinaigrette dressing. Chill.

Cabbage - Green
Coleslaw
There is a good recipe in the Joy of Cooking for coleslaw. It contains mayo, sugar, worchestire sauce, and a bit of vinegar. I make the dressing with these things but I don’t measure.
There are tons of recipes for stuffed cabbage.

Cabbage works well shredded in regular salad if you don’t use too much.
Stir fry cabbage.

Steamed Cabbage
Quarter the cabbage into wedges. Steam or drop in boiling water for a few minutes. Drain and serve with butter, pepper and a pinch of salt. This is what Drew loves after traveling. He refers to it as clean food.

Oriental Coleslaw
1/2 green cabbage-shredded
1/2 red cabbage-shredded
2 large carrots- shredded
4-5 green onions- chopped
1/4 c. rice vinegar
2 T soy sauce
2 T oil
1 1/2 T sesame oil*
1 1/2 T grated fresh ginger
pinch of sugar
pinch of red pepper flakes
Mix all the vegetables. Mix everything else. Toss together and let sit for at least a 1/2 hour before eating so the flavors mingle.
*CHECK your sesame oil before you use it. I have found that sesame oil turns rancid very easily. I always smell it before I use it. More than one dish has bee ruined at my house from old sesame oil. Now I generally split a small bottle with a friend so that it does not happen.

Hot-And-Sour Cabbage Salad
1 lb Chinese or green cabbage thinly shredded or sliced
1/4 cup rice vinegar
4 baby leeks or green onions, thinly sliced
1 T minced peeled fresh ginger
1 t sugar
1/2 to 3/4 t dried hot red pepper flakes
Put cabbage and onions/leeks in a large bowl.
Bring vinegar, ginger, sugar, and red pepper flakes (to taste) to a boil in a small saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
Pour hot dressing over cabbage, tossing to combine.
Recipe from: Gourmet Magazine

Red Cabbage
Sautéed Red Cabbage
This recipe is from a German woman I met at another market. She is a wonderful woman with an excellent red cabbage recipe. Save this one for Thanksgiving.  It is great with turkey.

2 T. olive oil
1 onion chopped small
1 head red cabbage --cored, and chopped into coleslaw like pieces.
Apples –2 or more Chopped “ More than you can possibly imagine!!” 
Cider Vinegar several tablespoons
In a hot frying pan of olive oil sauté the onion until limp.  Then add the red cabbage and a bit of salt, sauté until it is soft, maybe 10 min.  You may need to add a drop of water and cover so it steams a bit.  It depends on the cabbage. Add the apples, vinegar and a little sweethner (honey or maple syrup) if apples are very sour; cook until all items have mixed well.  It will be sauerkraut like in texture.  One of my very favorites.

Cauliflower
Boiled Cauliflower
Boil Cauliflower with  a few drops milk and it will stay white, not turn gray

Stir Fried Cauliflower
Stir fry with tumeric for an Indian flavor.


Chard- Red Green or Rainbow
Vegetable Lasagna
Use chard as a great layer in vegetable lasagna. The leaves as a layer and the stalks get chopped up and sauté with your onions. Make two and freeze one for later.

Soup
Here is another idea for chard. Cut out the stem and use in soup.
The leaves don’t wilt like spinach for soup.

Carmela’s Chard Soup
2 bunches chard leaves only
2 potatoes whole and unpeeled
3-6 plum tomatoes
1  onion
1 jalapeno if you like
1  “tooth” of garlic
pinch of cumin seeds
olive oil (maybe 1/4 cup)
salt

In a large pot boil the chard leaves and 2 potatoes for 20 min.
Chop the tomato, onion, and garlic. When the chard is finished, drain the water. Peel the potatoes, and chop.  Add the potato to the tomato mixture and sauté in a Dutch oven type pot for about 12 min. Add salt to taste. Next add the chard to the pot and about 4 cups water.  Simmer for 20 min.  DELICIOUS!

Swiss Chard, Barley and Cannellini Bean Soup
From Earthly Blessings St James, Monkton Cookbook
1 bunch Swiss Chard
1/4c. olive oil
1 c. finely chopped onion
1/2 c. finely chopped carrot
1/2 c. celery
1/3 chopped canned plum tomatoes with juice
5 c. water
1/2 c. barley
1 1/2 c. pearl barley
1 1/2. c canned cannellini beans (19 oz can)
Soak Swiss chard in cold water for 10 min. Drain. Wash again.
Cut stalks crosswise, 1/8 inch. Cut leaves to 1/4 inch wide strips.
Put olive oil and onion in large stove-proof casserole and cook over moderate heat, until golden. Add carrots and celery, cook 5 min. Stir in tomatoes and cook until all vegetables are softened. Stir in the chard and 1 t. salt cover and cook on very low heat for 40 min.
Meanwhile in a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add barley and simmer over moderately low heat- Until tender, about 35 minutes. Drain and RESERVE cooling water. Add the cooked barley and beans to the chard, stir well and cook for 2 min. Stir in the 2 1/2 c. barley water. Season. Ladle into bowls and pass some Parmesan cheese at the table.

Baked Chard
1 bunch chard
4 T butter - unsalted
3/4 c Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 450. In an ovenproof dish brown the butter.
Cut off stems and chop into 2 in. lengths. Cut the stems in strips.  Blanch the stems in lightly salted boiling water for about 3 min.  Add leaves and blanch 1 1/2 min more.  Drain well.  Place in the oven-proof dish with the browned butter, toss.  Season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with the cheese. Bake 10 min. until cheese is pale brown.

Stuffed Chard
Make stuffed chard. Brown rice, cheese, a little beaten egg, some chopped onion........ Use your favorite stuffed cabbage recipe and substitute chard

Pockets-Chard

Drop whole chard leaf into boiling water. Remove and lay flat.

Meanwhile saute onions, garlic, chopped chard stems.

Add cooked rice, cheese (feta is good)

Take a chard leaf, add sauteed mixture. Fold leaf into a square 'pocket'.

Lay on a cookie sheet. Paint outside of 'pocket' with olive oil and sprinkle with

Parmesan Cheese. Bake At 350 degrees for 10-15 min.

Enchiladas with Greens
1 bunch greens- chard, collards, kale or a mixture of the greens.
2T. oil
2 cloves garlic
2 T. butter
1 T. flour
1/2 c milk
1/2 c cheese- cheddar
corn tortillas
Sauté greens in garlic and oil.
Make a cheese sauce with milk, cheese, flour and butter. Mix cheese sauce into greens. Place the mixture into a tortilla, roll and place onto a greased baking dish. Cover with salsa and bake @ 375 for 20 min.
This recipe is from the website.

Orzo, Chard and Squash Casserole
1 1/2 C Orzo
1 T. butter,
1 T olive oil
1/4 c chopped basil
1/2 c grated Muenster cheese
2 med. zucchini cut into 1/4 in slices
2 1/2 c mushrooms
1 bunch chard leaves
2 cloves garlic
1 T capers
Cook orzo. Drain, add butter basil cheese and lots of fresh pepper.  In a skillet, sauté zucchini and mushrooms until tender.  Add garlic and chopped chard (kale, any green). Stir in capers Toss over orzo, salt. Add Parmesan. Done

Collards
Collards and Rice
Sauté collards in olive oil with chopped onions.
Add rice to the oil mixture and sauté until opaque.
Add the water for the rice plus a little more to help with the collards.
Cover and cook like rice.

Boiled Collards
Boil collards and potatoes for a simple winter side dish. Add butter and salt and pepper. A simple tasty dish.

Cucumbers
Trick: Here is a cucumber trick I read in a cookbook from India:  Cut a 1/2-inch slice from the stem end. Quickly rub the cucumber piece back and forth. A white shaving cream will form if it is fresh; or a clear slimy liquid if it is older. (This is the bitterness you do not like in a cucumber. Try the ‘shaving cream’ and you’ll see what I mean.)  This will even help those winter cucumbers taste better. Cut off another thin slice, then peel and cut the cucumber as usual.

Chilled Cucumber Soup
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium cucumbers, peeled and diced
1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
5 tablespoons heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh mint, for garnish

Add the oil and onion to a large pan and saute for approximately 10 minutes or until onion has softened.
Add the cucumber and cook until cucumber is tender. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and carefully blend until smooth. (Caution! Hot liquids create steam which will blow the top off the blender! Be sure to securely hold blender lid down!) Return the pureed mixture to the pot and add the stock and cream. Over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until well chilled. To serve, ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh mint, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Thai Cucumber Salad
Bring to a boil:
1/4 c. water,sugar and vinegar
1 t. salt.
Let cool completely, and chill.
Add cut up cucumber slices and sprinkle with red pepper.
I added the hot house cucumbers and let it sit. It is better to add the cucumbers right before you serve it. They stay crisper.

Cold Cucumber Soup
2 large cucumbers
1/4 c. parsley
4 green onions
2 c. buttermilk.
1 c. broth
1 pt sour cream
1/2 t. pepper
1 t. salt.
2 T lemon juice
Peel cumbers. Put in a food processor with, parsley, green onions, and a little buttermilk. Process until smooth. Pour into a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Chill. It may need some more salt or lemon. Season to taste. Dill also may be added.

Dandelion
Greek Dandy
Boil the dandylion for several minutes. Drain and sautee in olive oil with garlic. Squeeze with lemon juice and serve immediately.

Eggplant
Globe Eggplant - Good for Eggplant Parmesan or Babaganoush.
Japanese Eggplant - Dark like regular, but thin.
This does not have the large inner section so it is not good for Parmesan, but better suited for grilling or sautéing
Neon Japanese - Pink in color, thin, white interior. Color does change when cooked to a periwinkle. Tastes like Japanese but may be a bit sweeter.
Neon Regular - Tony’s favorite. Pink color and white on the inside.         
Very sweet. Tony, an Older Italian man who worked with us
Made sandwiches with these. Fried Eggplant sandwiches.               
       
Grilled Eggplant Cut off the top, slice in half, salt and let drain for 15 min. squeeze out any excess water. Baste with olive oil and use a bit of garlic rubbed on the cut section.  Grill until tender. 

Caramelized Balsamic Vinegar.  In a hot frying pan pour 1/4 cup of vinegar.  You may add sugar if you like- may be 2 t. per 1/4 c.  Keep stirring until the vinegar is syrupy.  Drizzle this on the eggplant and you will be the hit of the party.  This eggplant could be cut in thinner pieces, put on a piece of French bread and drizzled with the vinegar.  A wonderful appetizer or sandwich.

Claire’s Tapenade Recipe
1 Large eggplant pricked with a fork and baked at 350 for 30 min.
1 red pepper
1 jar salad olives
1 garlic clove
1/2 bunch parsley
Put everything in the blender and whirl until a paste.
Serve with crackers as an appetizer.

Eggplant Fritters (a recipe from somewhere in Africa)
1 large eggplant
3 eggs beaten
1 c flour (more if needed)
1 c. canned milk
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil
Boil eggplant until completely soft inside.  Remove skin and mash pulp with eggs, flour, milk, salt and pepper.
Heat 1 -1 1/2 inches of vegetable oil in a heavy skillet (hot but not smoking)
Drop in spoonfuls of eggplant mixture.  Allow to brown on one side before turning,
Garnish with sour cream or yogurt, lemon and chopped cilantro.

Thai Eggplant- very spicy
1 eggplant peeled, salted and chopped
2 c chopped Swiss chard, spinach or kale
1 can light coconut milk
1 t Thai red curry paste - spicy hot
1 chopped onion
2 T grated ginger
2 T. soy sauce
Sauté onion, greens and eggplant.  Stir in ginger and Thai paste.  Add coconut milk and soy sauce and simmer. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Too much eggplant – Tired of it?
Frozen Eggplant
Slice Eggplant into 1/4 inch slices
Dust with flour
Place in freezer bag.
Freeze
They do well for fried eggplant or lasagna during the winter months.

Garlic     
This may or should have been explained but just in case.  It is a trade with a friends’ organic farm.  We trade them garlic for watermelon for our CSAs.

A woman at the farmers market told me a trick to get rid of the flu. I have never tried it but maybe it would work. Chop up a whole head of garlic. Pour 1 c. boiling water on it. Strain the garlic out and drink the tea. She says you will be rid of the flu in 3-4 hours. I’m not sure I could drink a cup of garlic tea but it would sure beat being sick.

Roasted Garlic Heads
Cut off the top 1/4 of the whole head. Drop the little tips in a jar of olive oil. This you can use all week in any dish that calls for garlic.

The rest of the head roast in the oven @350 for 20-30 min. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt. This makes a great appetizer on crusty bread, and a large glass of chilled white wine. (I prefer white wine when it is hot outside). It can also be used for garlic-mashed potatoes.

Herbs
Parsley - What a great herb.  It has the ability to freshen almost any dish. My favorite is in crab cakes. I usually chop about a bunch into a pound of crabmeat. It really seems to freshen the meat and keep the fishy taste from creeping in.
Basil - who can say enough about basil.
Catnip - repels roaches. I’m sure none of us need this but ....you could share with a friend
Cilantro - A very fun herb for those who like it. Some feel it tastes soapy, (these people usually don’t like it.)

Greens
Greens are often overlooked.  They bring back that feeling of “You can sit there until your dinner is all gone!”  Who really wants to say that their favorite vegetable is collards?  It is much more romantic to talk about haricot beans, mesclun mix, artichokes or spinach. The true trick to greens is to understand them. We hope to feed you vegetables while feeding your mind with the ideas to use them.

Definitions of greens Joan style:
Spinach- can be used raw in salads or steamed, sautéed or baked like in quiche or soufflés.

Swiss Chard or Red Chard
They are the same but differ in color.  in the salad mix you will see greens with yellow, orange, pink, white and red stems this is baby chard.  Chard for the most part needs to be cooked.  It does not truly lend itself to salad.  Basic method steam , drain, drizzle with vinegar.  Sautéed with garlic and olive oil.  I always use in a layer of vegetable lasagna.  I can sometimes cut fine and add to spaghetti sauce.  (Sometimes it doesn’t work- the kids see it.)  It is a great basic item.

Mustard
Added in small amounts to salad it is wonderful.  It has a very distinct peppery flavor.  Steamed with vinegar. Great companion to fish.

Mizuna
Similar to mustard, peppery flavor.  It is lacey, lighter in texture and a little less peppery.  Very pretty green.

Kale
The curly leafed leaf that you see on salad bars covering the ice.  Kale is a very sturdy green it does not bruise easily.  This (and collards) can be kept longer than spinach. 
Lacinato Kale, Dinosaur Kale or Tuscan Kale- Long narrow stem, darker green than regular kale.

Collards
In many recipes you and interchange collards with kale.  In the beginning keep track of how you try each one. Then try the same thing with the other.  You will learn the subtle differences this way and begin to appreciate how to make these to suit your needs.

Kale and collards can be nice additions to soups.  They will not fall apart like spinach or chard.  Keep in mind that because these greens are stronger greens they will benefit from gentle simmering, rather than boiling if used in soups.

Fitzhu Kale
1 or more bunches of kale
Garlic clove
Olive oil
Parmesan or Feta cheese

Remove the large tough stem. Chop into kid bite size strips. Boil kale in the pot with pasta. Drain. Sauté a clove of garlic in olive oil, in the hot pasta pot. Add anything else you want to the oil i.e.: roasted red peppers, capers, black olives.
Toss the pasta kale mixture with the oil mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan or feta cheese. Can be served alone or add shrimp or sausage.
Works well as a pasta salad at room temperature for summer parties.

Sautéed Kale with Potatoes
Sauté onion in garlic, oil, and when the onion is translucent add the kale.
Add 1 1/2 c. stock and 4 medium potatoes cut up into pieces.  Simmer until the potatoes fall apart.  Add salt, pepper, (I like Cayenne pepper) sour cream or yogurt as a topping.

Kale and Raisins
1 bunch of kale de-stemmed and chopped
Olive oil
Garlic
3 T. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. raisins
Heat olive oil add garlic and onions. Then sauté kale. Last add a few tablespoons of red wine vinegar and the raisins. Serve immediately.

Leeks
They are strange onions. The white part is the part that is really used. The green can be used but be careful, it can be tough. (You may want to use the stems for making stock.)
If the roots are left on the leeks they will last longer in the refrigerator.
There is a recipe in the Joy of Cooking for Braised leeks. It is delicious. It is under braised celery in the glossary.

Leeks in Cheese Sauce
Spray a Pyrex dish with cooking spray. Cut the leeks length wise and rinse well. Place in dish with a little water (apple wine- this may be good also). Cover partially with foil and steam the leeks. Pour off water. Melt 1/4 lb brie with 1 c milk. Add up to 2T flour to thicken. Pour on leeks sprinkle with fresh herbs and ground fresh pepper.

Lettuce
Fun Salad Additions
Craisons, feta cheese, and “Crispy Nuts” (recipe to follow)
Ground flax seeds sprinkled on salad –(Good Breast Cancer Avoider)
Toasted Sesame seeds

Salad Dressings
Here is my basic dressing. I do not buy salad dressing and rate any restaurant I go to by their salad dressing. You may never see me in that restaurant  again if they do not have a homemade “house” dressing.

Basic Dressing
1/4 c. vinegar or lemon juice
1/4 t. sea salt
1t. sweetener - like maple syrup, and honey are my favorites
jelly is ok too.( I use the homemade jelly that didn’t jell.)
Mix these together and make sure the salt is dissolved.
Whisk while slowly drizzling in up to 1c. Olive or peanut oil.

There are many variations on this recipe. Sometimes I add a splash of water to the vinegar. Or maybe I mix several types of vinegar, (usually because I ran out of one.) Herbs may be added, in the mixing stage of the vinegar and salt.

Lemon dressing
Juice of 1 lemon
salt- 1/4t. +
whisk salt with lemon until dissolved.
Add a bit of sugar 1/2 t.
Whisk in 1/2 c. of light olive or peanut oil.

Sally’s Salad Dressing
My sister makes a great salad dressing. She adds paprika to her vinaigrette. The vinegar is red wine and it does have some sugar. Her recipe calls for 1/4 c. I used about 2 t. I also added a bit of leftover white wine (maybe 2 T -4 T). The salad is also served with dried cranberries or cherries and crushed walnuts. The paprika adds a bit of color and a different twist to an otherwise regular dressing. Besides have you ever replaced a paprika in your cabinet? (Don’t include the time the moths got into it.)

Lettuce/Spinach
Let me tell you a few little tricks.
One if lettuce or spinach is very dirty, soak and or rinse the lettuce in room temperature water with a little vinegar. It seems to release the dirt better. If lettuce is wilted cut off a piece of the bottom and soak in room temperature water, like flowers in a vase . It soaks up the water and becomes crispy again.

Mizuna
Use Mizuna in salads or on sandwiches. It can be flash stir fried.

Mustard
Mustard Sandwiches
Use mustard like lettuce on sandwiches. It has a wasabi like bite. It makes a wonderful addition to a roast beef sandwich.
Smokey Mustard Greens Soup

From Earthly Blessings St James, Monkton Cookbook
1/2 lb. Sweet Italian sausage
1/4 lb. Smoked Canadian bacon, diced
2 c. diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. thick tomato puree
4 c. chicken broth
8 c. finely shopped mustard greens
salt and pepper

Cook sausage, without casings. Sauté bacon with onions and garlic, until the onions are limp. Add tomato puree, chicken broth and sausage. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add mustard greens and simmer soup long enough to wilt greens, they should be bright green and tender in 3-5 minutes.

Onions
I had dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. (OK but not Carmela’s cooking.) They have a good idea for scallions. They work well for large parties.

Cut off the ugly ends of the scallions and the roots. You are left with a piece 6-10” long. Don’t make them too big or they are a problem on the plate.

I soaked them in water and laid them in a roasting pan. Sprinkled with Kosher salt and sautéed them on the top of the stove using two burners. They could probably be done on the grill also. They were done first and set aside. We had 40 for dinner the other night and they worked out great. You can pick them up and eat them some guys laid them in a tortillas.

Peppers
Hot Peppers
*Hint: peppers can be frozen.  Wash and cut out the seeds and pith.  Drop in a freezer bag.  You can chop up or stuff for the winter months.

Peppers - Sweet
*Hint: if you can't eat them all chop them up and freeze. They do not have to be blanched. I just cut out the membranes and seeds, chop into pieces and into the ziplock they go. Hot peppers like jalapeno can be frozen whole and cut up later to spice up a dish.

Summer Smoked Sausage & Peppers (CSA member recipe)
Use a large fry pan with lid.
One onion, 2 celery ribs, one nice sized Zucchini, one nice sized yellow squash, one bell pepper (I like red yellow or orange), about 3 cloves of garlic (more if you like garlic), about 3 TBS of parsley, 2 large tomatoes.
One round of pre-cooked smoked sausage (about 3/4 to 1lb) cut in slices about 1/2 inch thick.
Add about 1 TBS of olive oil to pan. Start sautéing with the celery, add in this order...onion, garlic, pepper, zucchini, squash. Parsley, tomatoes. Add the sausage rounds and water to just about cover all the ingredients in the pan. put the lid on the pan and turn the heat down to low. Let it cook for about 1/2 hour. Mix up a slurry of corn starch and water or flour and water. Turn the heat up and add slurry to thicken the pan juices. Salt & pepper to taste. Serve over rice. You can always double the veggies and it will still taste good if you need to stretch the dish to feed a crowd. If you need to stretch the dish for unexpected guests add a few more tomatoes.

Peppers - Dried
Pasilla - Tortilla Soup
From www.chilitoday.com
6 dried pasillas
1 qt chicken broth
12 corn tortillas
1/2 c. chopped cilantro
1 small onion chopped
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic minced
1 avocado peeled and sliced
1 28 oz. can tomatoes
1 c. feta cheese crumbled
oil
extra cilantro for garnish

In dry skillet, toast pasillas over medium-high heat, turning frequently, for 3 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove stems, break open, remove seeds, and crumble pasillas. Place about a third of pasillas in small bowl and set aside. Reserve the remaining pasillas. In same skillet, heat about 3 /4 inch oil. Add tortilla strips in several batches and fry until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons oil.
       
Enchiladas de Carmela
Boil dried peppers until very soft.
Wearing gloves, remove seeds and membranes (these are very hot). In a blender add peppers, salt, clove of garlic, and 1/2 cup water. Blend until smooth. Pour into flat bowl, dip tortillas in sauce and fry on each side 30 seconds. Remove and fill with boiled potatoes, carrots, chopped onion, cilantro, queso (feta works) and creama (you can use cream cheese thinned with milk). Roll and serve.

Radish
Radishes with Brown Bread
In Germany breakfast is sliced radishes on brown bread with butter. I have verified this with the two German students who have stayed with us.

Roasted Radish
Chop and roast with olive oil in oven like other roasted vegetables.

Radish Salad
Shred radish
Shred apples
Mix and cover with a light vinaigrette dressing.

Potatoes
Cook’s Illustrated had some good ideas for summer food. They made a grilled potato salad. The potatoes get boiled first then dried and brushed with olive oil and salt. Grilled for flavor, and used in potato salad. You think about getting it ready ahead by having boiled potatoes one day, make extra to have the next day from the grill.

Roasted Potatoes with Herbs
Cut potatoes into bite size chunks. Toss with olive oil, garlic, and any herbs you have on hand. Bake in the oven at 350 for about 30 min. You should turn them over once so they get crispy on all sides.

Sweet Potatoes, Sweet Potato Leaves
Customer Recipe for Sweet Potato Leaves
Fry the leaves in a little oil, hot but not smoking.
Meanwhile make ‘yellow rice’
He stews his meat- chicken ,  pork or beef. And adds spices (He didn’t know which ones).
The Rice goes on the plate, with the leaves on top and the stewed meat and juice goes over it all.
sauce a l'Afrique from www.walford.com

An hour or so before dinner, cut off the leaves, and proceed as follows:
6 cloves garlic or more, minced
4 oz ground turkey, lean ground beef, or chicken or 1 package tempeh, crumbled, marinated (optional)
1 med onion, chopped fine
10 roma tomatoes or 2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 can vegetable broth
4 oz tomato paste
a little cayenne, a little black pepper
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp oregano
2 summer squash, diced
sweet potato leaves, lots
 Place a small amount of olive oil in a non-stick pan over a medium flame. Add half the garlic and the tempeh or ground meat. Stir fry until lightly browned. Remove, and set aside.
 Add a little more oil, the remaining garlic, and onions. Cover and simmer until the onions are tender. You may need to add a little water or broth if the ingredients get too dry. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, vegetable broth, and some hot chili pepper or cayenne. Simmer until the broth is thick. Add the squash, the tempeh, and the sweet potato leaves. Simmer a final four to five minutes until the squash is tender. Sauce a l'Afrique is great served over millet, or pasta. The original version Roy had in Africa was served over potatoes cooked with peas. www.walford.com

Baby's delight from www.fao.org
3 sweet potato leaves
1 small piece pumpkin (approximately 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon fresh or tinned fish
1 tablespoon coconut cream
¼ cup water

1. Put all ingredients in a pot.
2. Cook slowly for about 10 minutes until pumpkin is soft.
3. Mash well.
4. Serve warm.
The leaves

The young leaves and tips are prepared by boiling for a short time in a small amount of water. Serving or cooking sweet potato leaves with a lime fat, such as coconut cream, helps the body use the Vitamin A that is in the leaves. They may also be fried in a covered pot in a lime cooking oil. Onion and garlic may be added for flavour.

Roasted Sweet Potato ‘Nickels’
Peel Sweet potatoes and slice into 1/4 inch slices.
Paint with a mixture of half butter half olive oil
Place on a cookie sheet.
Sprinkle with salt
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes

Spinach
Once again like lettuce if your spinach is very dirty soak/ rinse in room temperature water, and a few drops of vinegar. The dirt seems to fall off better. If spinach is wilted soak in room temperature water, like flowers in a vase . It soaks up the water and becomes crispy again.

Greens and Chickpeas aka “Cowboy Beans”
One bunch greens- kale, collards, or spinach (If using kale or collards, chop into small pieces and boil.)
5 T. ketchup
1 chopped onion
1 clove of garlic
1 can chickpeas.

In a frying pan sauté one onion chopped and a clove of garlic. Add about 1/2 c. ketchup and a little bit of cider vinegar. Cook that down a little, you may need to add some water later. Add the greens and the drained, rinsed can of chickpeas. Let the flavors blend together. Keep an eye on the amount of liquid. I need to add water sometimes to keep the mixture damp. My daycare kids used to call these cowboy beans. The original recipe had you make your own ketchup from tomato paste and vinegar - feel free, I’m too lazy.

Sauted Spinach
1 Bunch of Spinach
3 T. olive oil
1 minced clove garlic
2T.Vinegar

In a hot frying pan add some olive oil and a minced clove of garlic. Rinse the spinach in the sink and add wet to the pan. Turn once or twice just until the spinach begins to wilt. Turn off the stove and serve. You may add a bit of vinegar.

Note for children who have never eaten spinach: Try adding or sprinkling sugar on the spinach and vinegar. Use liberally the first time or two. Slowly over the next several spinach meals lessen the sugar until only the balsamic vinegar is there. Don’t worry about the sugar on the first few times, you are trying to get them to eat spinach...if you succeed in this method the sugar was the means to the end. It has worked before!

Tomatillos
Tomatillos are the little green tomatoes with a papery jacket. The are used primarily for salsa. They are delicious and not hot. Very much like a green tomato. Here is the basic recipe for green salsa or Salsa Verde.

Salsa Verde
Peel paper off the tomatillo and drop in boiling water. Boil a few minutes. Drain off the water and drop the tomatillos in a blender with a clove of garlic, salt, sugar, and a handful of cilantro, jalapeno if you like it hot. Serve with tortillas and leftovers, pork, chicken. Our favorite is as a chip dip. Variations of this recipe would include oregano, onion, and even chopped tomato.

Salsa Verde Recipe #2
At our gathering one day a new Mexican woman (not Carmela) made her version of Salsa Verde. She dropped into a blender tomatillos, cilantro, salt, small tomato. She blended it all and served it on the taco meat. It was great. I saved it for the next day and it seemed to loose the flavor. Fresh is Best!

Anne Boyer's Salsa

2 C. Tomatillos-peeled, rinsed, chopped

2 C. Roma Tomatoes- chopped

1 medium onion-chopped

2 habernero peppers-diced
1tsp. salt

1tblsp. sugar

1tsp ground coriander (or 1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh cilantro- chopped)

2 large cloves garlic- minced

In a large sauce pot, combine all ingredients. Cook at medium heat till saucy. Chill serve with tortilla chips.

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