One Straw Farm Recipes & Tips
by Joan Norman

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Here are a few of our favorite recipes for vegetables and fruits at One Straw Farm, as well as tips on how to clean and store them.

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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).

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One Straw Farm m 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

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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.

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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.

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2006 Recipes

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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………….

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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.

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Arugula Pesto

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Substitute arugula for basil in your favorite pesto recipe.

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Beets

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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.

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How to Cook Beets

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 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.

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Roasted Beets

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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.

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Left Over Beets

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

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Raw Beets

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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

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Sherry Bok Choy (Friend at Market)

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Chop Bok choy into a baking dish

Drizzle with Sherry and raspberry vinegar

pinch of salt and pepper

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Broccoli

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Beans

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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 !

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Swiss Chard, Barley and Cannellini Bean Soup

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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.

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Stuffed Chard

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

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Enchiladas with Greens

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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.

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ORZO,CHARD AND SQUASH CASSEROLE

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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.

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Boiled Collards

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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.

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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

Eggplant Lesson 1

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.

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Too much eggplant – Tired of it ?

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Frozen Eggplant

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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.

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Roasted Garlic Heads

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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

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

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Fun Salad Additions

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Craisons, feta cheese, and “Crispy Nuts” (recipe to follow)

Ground flax seeds sprinkled on salad –(Good Breast Cancer Avoider)

Toasted Sesame seeds

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Salad Dressings

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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.

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Basic Dressing

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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.)

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Lettuce/Spinach

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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

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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

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From Earthly Blessings St James, Monkton Cookbook