Recipes

Delicata Squash Gnocchi

While the flesh of Delicata squash is yellow, in texture it is similar to sweet potatoes. Gnocchi is traditionally made with baking potatoes, but the bright flesh of the squash adds something sweet to the dish. 
 
the gnocchi:
1 Delicata squash
1 1/2c flour, or more (squash will vary in terms of size and moisture content)
1 tsp salt

the sauce:
3 lbs fresh tomatoes, pureed
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary (any Italian herbs would be good)
salt
plenty of grated Parmesan or Romano

Mix the salt and flour together. When the squash has cooled to a temperature you can comfortably handle, incorporate the flour mixture. If it's still sticky after you've added the whole cup and a half, keep adding flour until you are satisfied that you have a fairly stiff dough. This is a dough you don't need to knead very much, so once the flour and squash are combined to a good consistency, refrigerate the dough for a couple of hours in an oiled bowl. Flatten the dough on a floured countertop, boil a large pot of water, and heat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut the dough into two or three long pieces, and then roll these pieces out into 1/2" ropes. Cut the ropes into roughly similar sizes and set aside on a floured cookie sheet. Dump these gnocchi into the boiling, salted water. Wait for them to rise to the surface, wait 10 seconds, then scoop them out with a big spoon or sieve. Bake the gnocchi in a casserole dish covered with the fresh tomato sauce, rosemary, and cheese until it is bubbly and cooked through, about 20 minutes.

 
Red Kuri Red Curry

For all the punny localvores out there, this recipe is as much fun to say as it is to eat... 
1 red kuri squash
2 cups red lentils
8 cups water or vegetable stock
2 red Anaheim chilies
a head of minced garlic
grated peel of one lime
4 tsp whole coriander
2 T finely grated ginger
1 tsp black pepper
1 seeded and chopped hot (jalapeno)
1 cup cream
1 cup milk 
top with chopped cilantro
Start the lentils boiling in a large heavy pot while you prepare the vegetables. If you have a food processor, this is short work, but the same effect can be accomplished by lots of patient mincing with a good sharp knife. You'll want all the vegetables ground to a chunky paste, with the exception of the lime peel and ginger, which of course should be grated (I like to keep ginger frozen because it grates so well in the fine holes that way, with no stringy bits.) When the lentils have turned to mush, stir in the veggies. After a few minutes on the heat, turn the stove down to a low simmer and add the milk and cream.


Warm Uncle David's Squash Salad with Bacon and Arugula
 
The sweet notes of Buttercup squash as well as its firmness, which is ideal when you want a little texture, pair well with the smokiness of very crisp bacon and the bite of arugula.

1 Uncle David's buttercup squash
6 slices bacon
3 sweet red bell peppers
6 cups arugula
half of a red onion
a vinaigrette of your choice

Cut the squash into moons, then chunk out cubes. Cut the red onion into very thin rays. Fry the bacon very crisply and crumble. Saute rays of the bell pepper in olive oil. Combine these four ingredients in the bottom of a large salad bowl while the peppers are still hot, then toss the arugula in and serve warm.

Dairy Treats from Brookford Farm

Milk, eggs, butter, cream...it does seem like the most delicious recipes call for these farm-fresh ingredients. And as summer fades away, we look forward to the pumpkins and squash that have grown plump and sweet in our fields. The weather is cooler, and these foods show up in soups, curries, purees, roasted medleys, and dessert. We offer Pumpkin Flan as a silky combination of fresh dairy and flavorful squash.

  

Pumpkin Flan

2 cups of pureed red kuri squash

1 3/4 cups of sugar

1 1/4 cups of whole milk

1 1/4 cups of cream

5 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon of salt

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of ginger

Dash of nutmeg, allspice, clove, and/or cardamom

Roast your pumpkin or squash first by halving and placing cut-side down in the oven, pre-heated to 425. When flesh is tender enough to scrape out, remove from oven, and remove seeds from flesh. Puree squash in food processor or blender.

Cool your oven to 400 degrees, and place your pan (able to hold 2 quarts, such as a bundt pan, or a casserole dish) in the heated oven. On your stove, melt 1 cup of the sugar over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed pan. When sugar has melted to caramel, take pan out the oven and pour the caramel in, tilting the pan to cover evenly. Set aside while bringing milk and cream to just below a boil (surface quivers, but doesn't bubble). In a mixing bowl, beat (by hand or with a mixer) eggs, remaining sugar, salt, spices and pumpkin/squash puree. Gently pour in milk/cream while beating. Pour this mixture into the caramel pan. Place the pan in a larger pan (roasting pan or large, deep hotel-style pan) and pour in enough water to come halfway up the side of the flan's pan (creating a water bath). Lower temp to 350, and bake an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. When done, the top will be golden, and the center will jiggle slightly, but will not be liquid (a knife inserted should come out clean). Cool to room temp, then put in the fridge to chill. You can invert the flan onto a larger serving plate, or serve from the pan. Spoon some of the caramel sauce over each piece.

Home Cheesemaking

Farmstead cheesemaking is an art and a science. We use all manner of cultures, rennet, thermometers, charts and a big ol' vat to make the cheese we sell. In your own kitchen, cheesemaking is much simpler. This ricotta recipe requires no obscure ingredients nor especially time-consuming methods. The only thing you really need aside from 3 basic ingredients is the desire for a bowlful of fresh cheese. Let your kids try this with you.

Homemade Ricotta

1 gallon of whole milk
1/3 cup of white vinegar
salt to taste
any additional flavors, savory (herbs, veggies) or sweet (honey, maple)

Over medium heat, slowly heat the milk to 185 to 195 degrees (use a candy or meat thermometer) in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Remove from the heat to a jiggle-proof, draft-free spot on your counter. Gently and slowly, whisk in the vinegar. Let sit for about two hours, resisting the urge to stir the pot. Carefully ladle the cheese out of the pot into a fine mesh sieve, or a colander lined with butter muslin, cheesecloth, or even a clean piece of cotton fabric (dishtowel or handkerchief). Let drain for another hour or more, until it is dry enough to transfer to a bowl. Salt to taste (start with half a teaspoon) an add any other flavorings. The leftover liquid is whey and can be used for drinking (full of protein!) or in cooking grains. We feed our whey to the pigs, which is why our pork is so darn good.


Farm Fresh Junk Food
 
Ok, so it's not really junk food if it comes straight from the farm. But like the best junk food, the premise is simple: Combine fat with sugar. We offer you the recipe for Localvore Caramel Corn. It has sustained our cheesemaker through many movie marathons, though sometimes she adds bacon and calls it dinner. 
 

Localvore Caramel Corn

1/3 cup popcorn kernels (check Middle Road Farm, Parsell Family Farm, and Wake Robin Farm for the local stuff)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Heat oil over medium heat in a big, heavy pot. Drop in a few kernels, and when they pop, add the rest. Shake, swirl, and shimmy the pot over the heat until popping stops. Set aside in large bowl.

1/3 cup of Brookford butter
1 1/2 cups of maple syrup (look for Steve Anderson, Harrison's Farm, and Sugarmomma at farmers' markets)
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add maple syrup and salt, continue to heat at a slow boil without stirring for about 15 minutes (or 300 degrees on a candy thermometer). Remove from heat and stir into popcorn.

You must allow to cool before digging in.

Spicy Delicata Squash Turnovers

We know it's not winter yet, but it's hard to resist a new offering from the garden. These spicy pockets are a sort of English-Indian fusion of the Pasty and a southern curry. Makes about a dozen.

For the dough:

(any relatively fast-rising bread dough will do here)

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dry yeast

enough water to make a stiff dough

some oil

For the filling:

2 delicata squashes, halved and seeded

1 medium onion, diced

2-3 cloves garlic

a hot chili (we used a jalapeno)

some oil for sauteing

1 tsp turmeric

2 tsps whole coriander seeds

2 tsps yellow mustard seeds

3 whole cardamom pods

a bunch of cilantro

2 tsp fresh grated ginger

Start the dough by mixing the yeast into about 1/2 cup of water, then set aside. Stir the salt into the flour, and add the water/yeast mixture. Keep adding water until you're able to knead the dough, which you should do for about 5 minutes. After kneading, cover the dough and set aside until you've compiled the filling.

Bake the squash halves at 350 degrees until tender - about 40 minutes. Scoop and mash the insides in a medium-sized bowl, and set aside.

Chop the onions finely and begin to saute them slowly over a low flame until they are tender and darkened, but not brown. Add the minced garlic and chili pepper and continue to saute for a moment. In a separate, dry frying pan, add the whole spices and dry-roast them until they are fragrant, then set them aside to cool before grinding in a spice grinder or mortar.

Chop the cilantro, grate the ginger, and combine them with the mashed squash and onion and spices.

Punch down the dough and allow it to rest on the counter for a few minutes, then cut it into about a dozen pieces. Roll each into a round about the thickness of a tortilla, and fill with a generous scoop of the spicy squash filling. Fold the dough over and crimp with a fork or your fingers.

Bake the pasties at 375 degrees until they are cooked and brown, and serve with some strained yogurt for dipping.

Braised Lacinato Kale with Ginger3 bunches lacinato (dinosaur) kale

2 cloves garlic

1/2 onion, minced

2-3 tablespoons light sesame oil (or any mild oil)

1 sweet red pepper

3 tablespoons very finely grated ginger

1/2 jalapeño or other fairly hot pepper

3 tablespoons south Asian fish sauce

Chop the onion very finely and saute it in the oil until tender. Add minced garlic and hot pepper, and stir faithfully over high heat until the vegetables are softened almost to a paste. Remove them from the heat to another bowl and add slivers of sweet bell pepper to a little more oil to the same pan, and continue to cook over high heat. Cover the peppers while they're cooking, but continue to stir them carefully to prevent browning. When they are soft, add the fish sauce, chopped kale, and onion/hot pepper mix. Stir and cover to steam. It's OK to add kale in batches if it doesn't all fit in the pan at once - it will cook down quite a lot.

Serve over rice with generous amounts of chopped mint and cilantro, with an extra measure of fish sauce stirred in.

Roasted Crookneck Squash
 

Though the weather has taken a cooler turn this week, we're still not ready for all-out autumn meals. This one presents a gentleman's compromise: summer vegetables cooked in an autumn way. 

4 lbs. of tiny crookneck squash
3 smallish yellow onions, or less, if they are larger
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
a bunch of fresh thyme
1 cup beef stock (or any stock)
1 cup of cream
salt

 
Slice the squash lengthwise so that a slice of the neck is intact in each slice, and arrange them in a single layer on a large, oiled baking dish. Salt and bake at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes. When you take the squash out of the oven, it should be nearly overdone - golden brown, but not worryingly so, and rather dry. Meanwhile, saute the (sliced, not minced) onions in the butter and olive oil. When the onions are softened, add the beef stock and the bunch of thyme, and continue to cook over a low flame until the liquid reduces by about half. Combine the cream and stock and onions. Arrange the squash in a casserole dish which can be covered, and add the stock, cream, onions, and thyme. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees until the squash is softly infused with the sauce. 

Horseradish Quark Melt

Makes 2 or 3 sandwiches.

4-6 slices of some good hearty rye bread, buttered

1/2 pound sliced roast beef

2—3 slices smoked Swiss or Gruyere cheese

2-3 tablespoons horseradish quark

1/4 sliced red onion

arugula

salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Toast the bread by itself in a heavy skillet over medium heat until hot, but not browned. Assemble the sandwich ingredients and toast to perfection. Serve with pickles.

 

White Pizza

1 pizza crust of your choice 

1 head roasted garlic

1 red onion, cut in long strips

3 tablespoons olive oil

12 ounces oyster or white button mushrooms

1 cup plain quark

salt and white pepper, to taste

4 tablespoons fresh oregano

1 cup fresh Mozzarella

1/2 cup Pecorino Romano

Pre-heat oven to 425F. Prepare pizza crust and pre-bake until it is just barely brown, or about 20 minutes. In a heavy pan, drizzle the garlic in olive oil, and bake next to the pizza crust in the hot oven.  

Sauté the onion over medium-low heat until wilted and dark, stirring carefully, about 20 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue stirring.

Remove the browned head of garlic from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. Mix together the quark, oregano, roasted garlic paste, salt and pepper. Spread over the warm crust, and add sliced Mozzarella and the onion/mushroom mixture. Bake for another 20—25 minutes. Sprinkle with Romano and serve with extra oregano.

Roasted Almond Torte

CRUST

1 1/2 heaping cup of flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

7 tablespoons melted butter

1 egg

FILLING

2 1/2 cups quark, or a mixture of quark and cream cheese

1 cup milk or yogurt

1 teaspoon sweet almond oil (or vanilla)

7 tablespoons flour

4 eggs, separated

1/2 cup pulverized almonds

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Mix together dry ingredients for the crust, then make a well in the center. Add the melted butter and lightly beaten egg, and barely mix to combine. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Preheat oven to 375F. 

Combine the quark, yogurt, almond oil, powdered almonds, and egg yolks in a large bowl. Using a mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold the egg whites gently into the other filling ingredients. Press the shortbread mixture into a buttered and floured springform pan. Poke holes into the crust with a fork to release steam while baking.  

Add the filling and bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle slivered almonds over the top of the torte and bake for about 30 minutes more. Serve at room temperature with strong coffee.

Cheryl Rowell's Fresh Tomato Soup  

Cheryl described this delicious soup to us at last Thursday's market in Exeter - she made it with her first CSA share last week. She used basil, which sounds delicious, but we decided to go with dill this time.  We also substituted the chicken stock from her recipe with the beef stock we had on hand.  Thanks, Cheryl!

3 lbs tomatoes
2 red bell peppers
1 lb onions
3 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of dill, stemmed
2 cups beef stock
1 cup creme fraiche, yogurt, or sour cream

Peel the tomatoes for a better textured soup, but don't worry about seeding them. Chop the peeled tomatoes coarsely and begin to simmer them in a large heavy pot. Chop and saute the onions until they are soft... add the garlic and red peppers toward the end. Prepare the dill and add it, along with the broth, to the simmering tomatoes. Turn off the heat and add the cream slowly, to taste. Garnish with extra dill and a dollop of sour cream, yogurt, or creme fraiche. 





Cilantro Pork Cutlets

Tired of grilling burgers? Ground pork is great  served in this way - and from a pound of pork, we made seven smallish cutlets. They went great with soft bread and roasted eggplant.

1 lb, more or less, of ground pork
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
a piece of ginger as long as your thumb
2 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper

Mix all the ingredients together raw. (I like to freeze whole ginger before grating it finely - this eliminates the stringy bits that always seem to get left behind in the grater.) Chill in the fridge for several hours to allow the flavors to set.

Form the meat into small patties and grill over high temperature until done.

Grilled Zucchini-Stuffed Polenta Toasts

Making polenta means standing over a hot stove for 30 minutes, but if you can do it ahead of time in the cooler hours of night or morning, it's helpful. Cooked polenta keeps for a day or longer in the fridge. This recipe serves 4 or more as a substantial side dish or main course.

The polenta:
1 1/2 cups coarse cornmeal
6 1/2 cups boiling water
salt

The filling:
1 largeish zucchini
2 cloves garlic
olive oil
about 2 ounces plain quark (or 1/2 tub)
1/2 cup fresh herbs (basil, oregano, chives, thyme...)


Smash a couple fat garlic cloves with the flat of a large knife and add to a couple tablespoons of salted olive oil in a little bowl, and set aside.

Boil the water in a large, heavy-bottomed pot, and add the polenta in a steady stream while stirring. Stir constantly at medium-high heat until the polenta pulls away from the sides of the pot.

Between stirrings, grate the zucchini and salt it up in a colander. Leave it to drain for a few minutes while you return to your hot stirring activities.

Saute the zucchini lightly with garlic, and at the end, the herbs. Remove from heat and stir in enough quark to bind the vegetables.

Dump the cooked polenta mixture into a greased 9x11 pan and spread it out evenly like a pan of brownies. It should be about 3/4" thick - it's OK if it doesn't go all the way to the edges of the pan. Allow the polenta to cool all the way before handling it any further. Cut the resulting slab of cornmeal into wedges and baste with the garlicky olive oil you prepared at the beginning. Sear the polenta wedges on a very hot grill until they are satisfactorily marked, and then allow them to cool enough so that you can handle them.  Make little slits lengthwise down  the longest side of your spears, and stuff these slits with the grated zucchini mixture.

Chilled Cucumber Soup

So refreshing on a hot summer day. If you can make this soup a day ahead of time, the flavors of the mint and onions will marry. The whole recipe can be completed in about 15 minutes, including clean-up.


2 pounds of cucumbers (about 6)
1 quart yogurt
1 quart buttermilk
a small sprig of mint
1/4 cup chives or green onions
white pepper
salt

Grate the cucumbers - a food processor makes very quick work of this. Stir together the buttermilk and yogurt with the grated cucumbers. Coarsely chop the mint and snip the onions or chives directly into the soup, and season with salt and white pepper. Blend half the soup in a blender for an even smoother soup.  

Half-Sour Lacto-Fermented Pickles

We can't get enough of half-sour pickles here at the farm. This quantity of cucumbers made about seven gallons of sliced pickles in brine - and they will probably all be gone by Monday. They're very easy to make, and your 1/2-gallon milk jar is a perfect pickling container.

8 large, clean cucumbers
5 cloves peeled garlic (or scapes if you have them)
2 dried hot peppers
one bunch of fresh dill
1 tablespoon whole yellow mustard seed
4 cups of filtered water
4 tablespoons sea salt
one very clean 1/2-gallon jar and lid


Mix the salt and water in a glass and set aside. Clean and halve or quarter the cucumbers, coarsely chop the dill, and trim the garlic. Arrange the cucumber spears in the jar as tightly as you can, and add the dill, garlic, and peppers in odd spaces. Cover the cucumbers completely with brine and top with the mustard seeds and extra water if needed.

Leave the pickles to ferment on a countertop for at least 24 hours, or until they are sour to your liking. For fully pickled cucumbers, you'll need to wait up to five days... and you're a stronger person than I. 

Roasted Tomatoes Stuffed with Fresh Mozzarella
 

At Brookford Farm, we're so happy to have tomatoes we can't hardly stand ourselves. Read on to find more information about a deal we're offering on bulk tomatoes.

30 medium-size tomatoes
2 balls of fresh mozzarella
2 cups fresh basil
2 cloves of garlic, or more
olive oil
salt
balsamic vinegar

Slice the tops off the tomatoes and scoop out about a tablespoon of space from the insides, and leave the insides on a cutting board. Cut the mozzarella into appropriately-sized hunks and stuff them into the tomatoes. Bake the tomatoes at 425 for 20 minutes.

Coarsely chop the tomato tops and saute them with smashed garlic, olive oil, and a little salt until they are reduced to a thick, chunky sauce. Tear up the basil and add it to the sauce, finishing it with a dash of vinegar.

Remove the tomatoes from the oven, and drain off any extra juice that has materialized in the pan and use it as a bright note in future salad dressings.

Top the tomatoes and cheese with the reduced sauce and bake until everything is bubbly. These tomatoes serve well hot or at room temperature.

Gazpacho

We have been eating a lot of gazpacho at the farm these days because there is nothing like a cold soup on a hot day - especially if it has anything to do with tomatoes. It doesn't hurt either that gazpacho can be prepared almost instantly, without cooking anything, just by chopping or tossing everything in a food processor.

3 lbs very ripe tomatoes

1 1/2 lbs cucumbers

2 bunches of new onions

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 cups of tomato juice

2 tablespoons of cilantro, optional

garlic scapes if you have them (we have them)

salt

Chop finely and mix.  That's it.

Stuffed Zucchini

This one will make your kitchen hot. 

4 - 6 zucchini, cut in half with the insides scooped out

4 tomatoes, quartered

1 crookneck squash, cut into coins 1/3" thick

1 onion, chopped finely

1 slice of sourdough bread, toasted

1/3 cup sliced fresh Mozzarella

1 cup chopped fresh basil

olive oil

salt

chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and prepare the vegetables. Soften the onion in a heavy-bottomed pan with some olive oil, then add the tomatoes and the insides from the zucchini, and add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the chopped basil. Crumble the toasted bread into crumbs, and stir in. Arrange the halved zucchini in a roasting pan and fill with the filling mixture. Then add the mozzarella slices and squash coins so they stick up like fans. Before baking, toss some extra breadcrumbs and parsley over the zucchini. Bake until soft but not mushy, and offer grated Parmesan at the table. 

Chilled Carrot-Tomato Soup

3 bunches new carrots

2 bunches new onions

12 small tomatoes

1 quart beef or vegetable stock

1 tablespoon freshly ground coriander

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

juice of 1/2 lemon

zest of whole lemon

creme fraiche (see recipe below) or plain quark for topping

  
Saute the white part of the onions (save the greens for another dish, such as the green tart below) and then the carrots in a little olive oil until they begin to color. Then add quartered tomatoes and leave everything on the heat until the tomatoes begin to lose form. Add stock and simmer until the carrots are barely tender. Puree to a chunky consistency, and add the ground coriander and cilantro, lemon and lemon zest, and salt to taste. Chill for three or more hours. Serves six.

Creme Fraiche

Mix 1 tablespoon buttermilk with 1 cup cream, and leave out on a counter for 24 hours. It will thicken and become a wonderful addition to soups, fillings, and sweets.  

Green Tart

 

The Crust:

1 1/2 cups of flour

3/4 cup cornmeal

1/4 tsp salt

a stick of butter (1/2 cup)

1/4 cup lard (but it's fine to substitute butter)

2 tablespoons cold water

The Filling:

2 bulbs kohlrabi, coarsely grated

2 bunches Swiss chard

1 egg

several garlic scapes

2 new onions

1 cup total of liquid (I used 1/2 cup stock, 1/2 cup cream)

1/2 cup chopped fresh dill

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 ball fresh mozzarella, grated finely 

Mix together dry ingredients for the crust, and then cut in the fats with a pastry cutter until the flour and butter are bumpy but mixed. Stir in just enough of the cold water to make the crumbs adhere, press into a disc, and refrigerate for at least two hours, and as many as several days in advance.

Before you bake the filling, you will need to pre-bake the crust for 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Poke holes in the crust with a fork and weigh it down with beans suspended in foil.

Meanwhile, boil a large pot of salted water and dunk the stemmed chard in it for 30 seconds. Drain the chard and run cool water over it in the sink, then squeeze out the extra moisture. Chop the chard very finely on a cutting board and set aside. Saute the diced onions in olive oil for a few minutes, then add the chopped chard stems. When the onions are translucent, combine the onions, chard stems, blanched chard leaves, egg, chopped scapes, cream, stock, dill, and salt. Pour into the hot crust and top with grated cheese. Continue to bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Chill for 2 - 3 hours.

 

Grilled Kohlrabi With Cilantro and Chiles 

Last week, we tried a chilled cream and sage soup with our friend the kohlrabi, but the cilantro pairing is another surprise success.

Painting by Helen C. Read

4 bulbs kohlrabi

1 -2 dried chiles (serrano or other hot peppers are best)

juice of 2 limes

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

1 bunch cilantro, divided

Clean and peel the kohlrabi and slice it into 1/4-inch thick slices. Dredge the kohlrabi in lime juice, olive oil, salt, peppers, and half the cilantro and marinate for a couple hours. Heat the grill to low for light and golden kohlrabi slices, or char at a higher temperature if that's what you like. Add the remaining cilantro and an extra squeeze or two of fresh lime, and serve.

"Kohlrabi has, historically, been used medicinally to strengthen and repair gums, teeth, and bones. It does contain significant amounts of bone-building compounds (calcium, iron, and phosphorus) as well as vitamins A and C."

- Leanne Kitchen, from the produce bible

Grilled New Beets with Thyme

 
Grilling brings out the earthy sweetness of beets. Here this sweetness is balanced by the tang of red wine vinegar and herbs.

several bunches of new red beets

1 bunch green onions

1 bunch fresh thyme

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Boil a large pot of salted water, and meanwhile scrub but do not peel the beets. Clip off all but the top one inch of the stems, and leave the fine roots and long taproot intact. They will be singed off on the grill. Blanch the clean beets in boiling water for ten minutes, then drain. While the beets are cooking, slice the onions, stem the thyme, and mix the oil and vinegar. Grill on a medium-hot grill until the beets are tender when pierced with a knife, and some beets are singed. Chill the beets for up to two hours, or at least until the beets are pleasantly cool to eat.

"Among the many minerals contained in the beet one must first cite iron and copper, important trace minerals, and also calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium."

- Annelies Schoneck, Des crudites tout l'anee

Garlic Scape Omelet

2 -3 eggs, whipped with a fork

2T milk or cream

1/2 bunch garlic scapes, minced

1c Asian greens, lightly braised

2T grated cheese, perhaps Gruyere 

2T fresh minced parsley, divided

a pat of butter, for the pan

salt and black pepper, to taste

Heat a seasoned cast-iron pan to medium and sauté the minced scapes for two minutes. Wilt the greens in the same pan and remove to a separate plate. Stir the milk, eggs, salt,  and half the parsley. Pour the egg mixture into the pan, lowering the heat slightly to a low medium. Once the edges of the omelet begin to solidify, distribute the filling ingredients. Cook until you can slip a spatula between the omelet and the pan without too much difficulty. 

Big Green Smoothie

3c spinach

1c unsweetened cranberry juice

1c frozen blueberries

1/5 block of tofu

1/2 cup plain yogurt

stevia, to taste

Blend until smooth. Makes 24 ounces.

Chilled Kohlrabi and Sage Soup

 

This soup is a variation on the Indian dish raita - and is great served with quark or butter on thick slices of dark bread.  Cool and refreshing on a hot summer day.

4 bulbs kohlrabi

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

4 cloves fresh garlic

1 quart yogurt

1 cup milk

2 sprigs sage

4 sprigs parsley

2 tablespoons olive oil

Clean and peel the kohlrabi and cut it into cubes for cooking. Heat the stock in a large heavy pan, and simmer the kohlrabi until it is soft when pierced with a knife. Meanwhile, finely chop half the parsley and half of the sage and set them aside. When the kohlrabi is soft, puree it along with the garlic and one cup of the yogurt, and enough additional milk to run your blender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Combine this puree with the minced herbs and cool in the refrigerator for an hour. While the soup cools, fry the remaining whole sage leaves in olive oil until they turn crisp. Crumble the toasted sage leaves and the remaining parsley on top of the soup to serve.

Red Radish and Mint Salad

A cool, red, tangy salad which can be made in about 10 minutes...

1 bunch of red radishes

1 bunch green onions

1 small bunch mint

1 small bunch parsley

1 cup red wine vinegar

a splash of olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Clean and halve the radishes, finely slice the green onions, mince the herbs, and combine everything in a medium-size bowl. Chill for two or more hours, stirring occasionally to distribute the vinegar.