Pasta With Olives, Parsley, & Lemon

Recipe & Pic from The Kitchn

This simple but flavorful pasta dish is a great way to showcase your parsley this week. Try throwing in some shredded roast chicken for extra protein!

1 pound pasta, any shape

Kosher salt and black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

2 yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced

8 garlic cloves, smashed and sliced

1/2 cup pitted and chopped castelvetrano olives

1/2 cup chopped parsley

Grated Parmesan, for serving

Juice from 1/2 lemon

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions for al dente.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over high. Add onions and garlic and cook, tossing occasionally until beginning to brown and blister, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds pepper and continue to cook, tossing, until mostly dark brown all over, 6 to 8 minutes more. Reduce the heat as low as it will go while the pasta finishes cooking.

Using tongs, transfer pasta directly to the skillet along with 1 cup pasta water. Increase heat to high and cook, tossing, until liquid thickens and coats the pasta, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, add olives, herbs and lemon juice and toss to combine. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if you like. Serve topped with Parmesan.

Creamy Polenta With Melted Peppers & Mushrooms

Recipe & Pic from The First Mess

This dish is incredibly flexible- using the basic polenta recipe as your foundation, you can layer on whatever veggies are in season!

2 cups almond milk or whole milk

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup stoneground polenta (not instant)

1/4 cup Mascarpone cheese plus more for garnish (optional)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound cremini mushrooms quartered

1 medium yellow onion quartered and thinly sliced

2 medium yellow, red, or orange bell peppers cored and thinly sliced

Baby spinach optional

Fresh chives for garnish

Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for garnish

To Make The Polenta: Combine milk, 3 cups of water, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. When it simmers, slowly pour in the polenta and whisk to combine. Partially cover with a lid, reduce heat to low, and cook, whisking vigorously (get all the corners of the pan!) every 5 minutes, until polenta is no longer gritty and looks like creamy oatmeal or loose applesauce, about 30 minutes totalTurn off the heat and let the polenta sit off to the side, covered, for anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the peppers and mushrooms.

To Make The Sautéed Peppers And Mushrooms: Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt, some freshly ground black pepper, and stir to coat in the oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and all the liquid is cooked off, about 8 minutes. Remove to a bowl and return the pan to the stove.

Add remaining oil and the onions and stir to coat in the oil. Cook until translucent and soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in the bell peppers, add a big pinch of salt, some freshly ground black pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 15 minutes. Add 1/3 cup of water, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until very soft, about 5 minutes more. Add the mushrooms back to the pepper mixture, stir to coat, cover, turn off heat, and set aside until ready to use.

Make The Egg: If you’re craving an egg, now would be the time to prepare it. (I prefer mine poached or fried for polenta but do what you please.) Just before serving, whisk the cheese into the warm polenta.

To Serve The Polenta: After the polenta has rested, whisk it to loosen it up. Stir in the mascarpone and cover until ready to use. Taste the polenta and check out the consistency. If you like it looser (as I do), whisk in another 1/4 cup of water as needed to loosen the polenta to the consistency of oatmeal.Divide polenta evenly among four bowls. If using the greens, stir them into the mushrooms mixture until just wilted then spoon over the polenta. Top each bowl with a fried egg, a sprinkling of some chives, and, if desired, a sprinkle of Parmigiano-Reggiano and a dollop of mascarpone.

Roasted Beets With Shishito Peppers

Recipe & Pic from Bon Appetit

2 pounds mixed small or medium beets (such as Chioggia, red, and/or golden), scrubbed

4 sprigs thyme

1/3 cup pecans

1/4 small red onion, very thinly sliced

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

8 shishito peppers

Kosher salt

Hot chili sesame oil and grated Pecorino (for serving)

Preheat oven to 400°. Toss beets with 2 Tbsp. oil in a 13x9" baking dish; season with salt. Add thyme and ¼ cup water. Cover with foil and roast beets until a paring knife slips easily through flesh, 60–75 minutes. Let cool slightly, then rub skins from beets with paper towels; cut into 1" pieces. Toss in a large bowl with vinegar and 2 Tbsp. oil; season with salt.

Meanwhile, place peppers on one side of a rimmed baking sheet and pecans on the other side and roast, tossing nuts once, until peppers start to blister and pecans are slightly darkened and fragrant, 6–8 minutes. Let cool; coarsely chop.

Toss peppers, pecans, and onion with beets; season with salt. Drizzle with chili oil and top with Pecorino.

Chicken Pozole Verde

Recipe & Pic from Isabel Eats

2 pounds boneless chicken thighs, skin removed

1 pound tomatillos, husked and washed

1 large onion, chopped

3 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped (or keep the seeds if you like it spicy)

6 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1 large handful fresh cilantro, stems and leaves

1 28-ounce can white hominy, drained and rinsed

In a large pot or dutch oven, add chicken thighs, tomatillos, onion, jalapeños, chicken broth, oregano and sea salt. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover partially. Cook for 40 minutes, until chicken is fall-apart tender.

Transfer chicken to cutting board and shred with a fork. Set aside.

Using a large slotted spoon, place the cooked tomatillos, onions and jalapenos in a large blender. Add a large handful of fresh cilantro, a cup or so of the cooking liquid and puree until completely smooth.

Add the shredded chicken, pureed veggies and hominy into the large pot. Stir and cook over medium-high heat for 15 minutes uncovered. Taste and season with salt as necessary.

Serve with fresh lime juice, radishes, jalapenos, cilantro and oregano.

Brats With Sweet Onions & Hard Apple Cider

Recipe & Pic from The Rising Spoon

Pile these brats and onions up on buns with mustard and sauerkraut or serve them with posted new potatoes- either way you'll have a hearty meal after a day of summer play!

2-3 tablespoons of cooking oil (like butter, ghee, avocado oil, or olive oil)

2 medium sweet onions, peeled & thinly sliced (use your tropea onions!)

1 teaspoon of sea salt

1 teaspoon of cracked black pepper

8 pork bratwursts (fresh, not pre-cooked)

1 (12 oz) can or bottle of hard apple cider (sub chicken broth, fresh apple cider, or water for a non-alcoholic version)

Melt 1-2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a large (12-inch) skillet. Stir in the sliced onions, sea salt, and pepper. Cook the onions for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use a wooden spoon to remove the onions from the skillet & set aside in a bowl.

Increase the heat to medium-high, add another tablespoon of butter, followed by the brats. Cook the brats 1-2 minutes per side (or until they've formed a nice brown sear - this should happen quickly).

Add the onions back to the skillet, spreading them in between all the brats, and slowly pour in the hard apple cider. Bring the cider to a simmer, cover with a lid, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the brats are no longer pink (you can check their internal temp to be sure - 160 degrees or more).

Remove the cooked brats from the skillet and set aside to rest. Keep the skillet uncovered, crank the heat to medium-high, and cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until most or all of the liquid has reduced (about 10 minutes). If you have an extra 10-15 minutes, continue to cook the onions until they are dark & caramelized.

Place the brats back into the skillet (with the heat off) to keep warm until you're ready for the meal.

Falafel Sliders With Spicy Yogurt & Sumac Onions

Recipe & Pic from Molly Yeh

You won't miss the meat with these savory Falafel Sliders- perfect served with a side salad at a BBQ!

Sumac Onions:

1 cup warm water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon sumac
1 large purple onion, thinly sliced

Falafel:

1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked for 10 hours or overnight and drained
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, freshly toasted and coarsely ground in a spice grinder
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, freshly toasted and coarsely ground in a spice grinder
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves with stems, roughly chopped
1/4 cup lightly packed parsley leaves with stems, roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
black pepper
tabasco original red sauce
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

olive oil or flavorless oil, for frying

Spicy Yogurt:

3/4 cup plain greek yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons tabasco original red sauce
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

To Assemble:

Pita bread

Mint Leaves or Cilantro

to make the onions:

whisk together all ingredients except for the onion. add the onion, cover, and let sit at room temperature for an hour or in the refrigerator overnight.

to make the falafel:

in a food processor, combine the chickpeas, cumin, coriander, onion, garlic, cilantro, parsley, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, a few turns of pepper, a few shakes of tabasco sauce, flour, and lemon juice and pulse quickly, about 80-100 times, until the mixture is combined, but still slightly grainy.

in a large skillet, heat 1/4” oil over medium high heat until shimmering but not smoking. form 2" patties of the falafel mixture, packing them firmly. fry on both sides until golden brown. transfer to a paper towel.

to make the yogurt:

combine all ingredients.

to assemble:

cut open a pita, spread it with the yogurt, and top with a falafel patty, a mint leaf or two, and a pile of onions. enjoy!

Creamy Lemon Zucchini Pasta

Recipe & Pic from Bon Appetit

If you still have zukes leftover from last week and are having a ‘oh no, more zucchini, what do I do with all of this??’ moment, you might want to give this recipe a try!

2 lb. zucchini or summer squash (4–6)

1 large shallot or ½ small onion (try using one of your sweet onions!)

4 large garlic cloves

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

12 oz. spaghetti, linguine, bucatini, or other long pasta

1 lemon

½ oz. Parmesan, plus more for serving

½ cup (lightly packed) basil

½ cup heavy cream

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt heavily.

Meanwhile, place a clean kitchen towel in a large bowl (or on a large cutting board). Trim 2 lb. zucchini or summer squash (4–6), then grate on the large holes of a box grater directly into towel. Peel 1 large shallot and grate on the large holes of grater into towel. Peel 4 large garlic cloves and grate on the small holes of grater into towel.

Gather ends of towel together, then squeeze over bowl (or the sink) with all your might to extract water from the zucchini. Squeeze until it’s hard to get out any more liquid. You should have extracted about ⅔ cup zucchini liquid, just FYI; discard.

Heat 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a medium Dutch oven or very large skillet over medium-high. Add ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add zucchini mixture (unwrap the balled-up towel over the pot for easiest transfer) and 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt and stir to coat. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini mixture is jammy, thick, and starting to stick to bottom of pot, 15–20 minutes.

When the zucchini has been cooking 5–10 minutes, add 12 oz. spaghetti, linguine, bucatini, or other long pasta to pot of boiling water and cook until al dente. Scoop out 2 cups pasta cooking liquid and set aside.

Meanwhile, juice 1 lemon into a small bowl. Grate ½ oz. Parmesan on the small holes of grater (you should have about ¼ cup; you can also use ¼ cup pre-grated Parmesan). Very coarsely tear or chop ½ cup (lightly packed) basil or mint leaves.

Using tongs, transfer pasta to pot with zucchini—it’s okay if some water clings to it. Reduce heat to medium-low, add ½ cup pasta cooking liquid and ½ cup heavy cream, and stir to combine. Add cheese, pour another ½ cup pasta cooking liquid over top, and cook, stirring vigorously with tongs or a wooden spoon and add more pasta cooking liquid if needed, until a creamy sauce that coats pasta forms, 2–3 minutes.

Remove pasta from heat and stir in 2 Tbsp. lemon juice. Taste and season with more salt and black pepper and add more lemon juice (you may want to add an additional 1 Tbsp.). Stir in most of the herbs.

Serve pasta topped with more grated Parmesan and remaining herbs.

Sumac Chicken & Onions Sheet Pan Dinner

Recipe & Pic from Hungry Paprika

Things are finally cooling down a bit this week so maybe it's time to reunite with your oven.This sheet pan dish is quick and simple- serve it with pita, the beet dip below, and perhaps a side salad for an epic summer meal!

6-8 chicken legs or thighs

3 Onions (use your sweet walla wallas!)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the spice mixture:

2 tablespoons sumac

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon allspice

½ teaspoon black pepper

1.5 teaspoon salt

For garnish (optional):

Parsley

Lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 400.

Mix spices together in a bowl, remove one tablespoon for the onions and use the rest for the chicken. Coat the chicken fully with the spice mix.

Thinly slice the onions and coat with spice mix. Lay the onions in a single layer on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Place the chicken on top of the onions and scatter a few slice of onion over each piece.

Bake for 35-40min then broil for 5min to crisp the chicken skin.

Recipe: Green Shakshuka

2021 Week 20 Newsletter

Recipe & Pic From Wild Greens & Sardines

Another flexible recipe that can include just about any hearty green! Shakshuka is typically based around tomatoes but here peppers and leafy greens create the base for creamy baked eggs. Try throwing in some chopped green tomatoes for some extra tang and serve with a simple side salad.

Olive oil
2 medium leeks, white and light green parts, cleaned well, thinly sliced (sub in thinly sliced onion from your box!)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno or serrano chile, minced (add in more peppers of any kind!)
6 cups mixed greens, roughly chopped (such as spinach, kale, chard, beet greens, dandelion greens, etc.)
Handful of mixed herbs (such as basil, parsley, dill, chives, fenugreek leaves), plus extra for garnish
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
6 eggs
Feta for topping
Sumac for topping
*Chile oil for topping
Za’ atar flatbread for serving

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and chile, and sauté another minute. Add the greens and herbs, season with salt and pepper and sauté until cooked down, about 5 minutes. Stir yogurt into greens.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Make six indentations in the greens mixture. Crack an egg into each. Cover the skillet and cook until the egg whites are just set but yolks still runny. Turn off the heat, top with crumbled feta and chopped herbs, sprinkle with sumac and drizzle with chile oil.

*For the chile oil: Place 2 to 3 tablespoons chile flakes (such as Calabrian, Aleppo, Urfa Biber or Korean) in a heatproof bowl. Heat up oil of your choice (I used olive oil, but peanut, grapeseed, or canola would work). When sizzling hot, pour the oil over the chile flakes. Let sit, ideally for 24 hours, to allow the chile to fully infuse the oil.

Recipe: Broccoli & Za'atar Soup With Tahini Cream

2021 Week 18 Newsletter

Recipe & Pic From Dishing Up The Dirt

This is another one of those recipes that we end up sharing every year because it is just so darn good! If you find broccoli cheese soup a little too heavy, are trying to avoid dairy, or want to convince a picky eater to give this veggie another try, this is the go-to soup for you! The tahini cream is absolutely essential for balancing out the richness of the soup with a spicy and acidic zing so don't skimp on making it!

~Rae

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

3 teaspoons za'atar

2 whole heads of broccoli, broken into small florets (about 4 cups worth)

1 medium sized yukon gold potato (about 1/2 pound), peeled and roughly chopped (or any white/yellow flesh potato)

1 litre (4 cups) low sodium vegetable broth + additional to thin if needed

salt and pepper to taste

Lemon Tahini Sauce

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (tiny tiny pinch here)

1/4 cup tahini

3-4 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons water + additional to thin as needed

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Garnishes

1/2 cup cilantro, minced

1/4 cup lightly toasted pine nuts

za'atar for sprinkling

Heat the oil in a heavy bottom pan and cook the onion and garlic over medium-high heat until they begin to soften up, about 5 minutes. Stir in the za'atar, broccoli and potatoes and coat the veggies in the spice mixture. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes.

While the soup simmers prepare the tahini sauce. Combine all the ingredients for the sauce and whisk until completely smooth and creamy. This works best with a small food processor, immersion blender, or regular blender. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed. If the sauce is too thick add a touch more water.

Once the soup has simmered for 25 minutes and the veggies are tender use an immersion blender to puree the soup until completely smooth and creamy. Alternately (and my preferred method) transfer the soup to a high speed blender (you may have to do this in batches) and puree until smooth. Season the soup with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste for seasonings and keep on low heat until ready to serve.

Divide the soup between bowls. Drizzle each bowl with a few tablespoons of the tahini sauce and garnish with cilantro and pine nuts.

Recipe: Scrambled Eggs With Peppers & Tomatoes

2021 Week 18 Newsletter

Recipe & Pic From Umami Girl

Delicious for breakfast for for dinner! Pair with toast or roasted potatoes and add in a healthy pinch of cumin and smoked paprika. If you don't have cotija cheese, some crumbled feta or a healthy dollop of sour cream would do just as nicely.

1 tablespoon olive oil

Several sweet or spicy peppers

1 medium onion, diced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 eggs

½ cup crumbled cotija cheese

⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Cholula or other hot sauce, to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a 10-inch nonstick skillet. Add peppers and onions along with a good pinch of salt. Cook for a few minutes, until softened to your liking. Meanwhile, scramble the eggs in a medium bowl.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Pour eggs into the skillet and cook, pulling to the center with a silicone spatula as the set underneath, until just cooked through. Divide between two plates and top with cheese, cilantro, hot sauce to taste as well as more salt if you like and some freshly ground black pepper.

Recipe: Lentil Soup With Fennel & Sausage

2021 Week 17 Newsletter

Recipe & Pic from Taste Cooking

When the weather starts getting drizzly and chilly this is a recipe that I always end up turning to. It's rich, satisfying and oh so heart-warming on a fall or winter evening!

~Rae

1 ½ cups green or brown lentils, preferably French

1 tsp baking soda

7oz Toulouse sausage, or other uncooked pork sausage, casings removed

Olive oil, as needed

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 medium bulb fennel, trimmed, cored, and diced (or substitute 4 celery stalks)

½ tsp fine sea salt

3 whole cloves

½ tsp dried thyme

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Freshly ground black pepper

Crème fraîche or full-fat sour cream, for serving

Roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for serving

Hot sauce, for serving (optional)

The day before you want to cook them, soak the lentils in enough cold water to cover by 2 inches mixed with the baking soda.

The next day, in a heavy-bottomed pot, cook the sausage over medium heat until browned, breaking it into bits with a wooden spoon as it cooks. (If the sausage meat is lean, add 2 teaspoons olive oil so it doesn’t stick.) Scoop out and set aside on a plate.

Add the onion, fennel, and salt to the pot and cook, stirring regularly, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes.

Drain and rinse the lentils. Add to the pot with the cloves and thyme. Add the stock, cover, and bring to a simmer. Cook until the lentils are cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes. If you want to give more body to the soup, mash roughly with a potato masher, or process briefly with an immersion blender. You want the soup to remain chunky.

Return the sausage to the pot and stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Ladle into bowls. Add a spoonful of crème fraîche, black pepper, and parsley, and serve. I like a dash of hot sauce, too.

Recipe: Cream Of Kohlrabi Soup

Pic from The Spruce Eats

From 2021 Week 1 Newsletter

I always had trouble figuring out what to do with Kohlrabi until my best friend (a former Lowlands CSA member) made me this dish and I fell in love! Try serving with toasted bread spread with oregano compound butter or plain butter with a bit of minced green garlic.

- Rae

2 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion (chopped)

1 pound kohlrabi bulbs (peeled and chopped)

2 1/2 cups stock (vegetable)

2 1/2 cups milk

1 bay leaf

Salt (to taste)

Freshly ground pepper (to taste)

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pan with a lid. Add 1 medium chopped onion and cook gently until soft, about 10 minutes.

Add 1 pound kohlrabi bulbs, peeled and chopped, and cook 2 minutes.

Add 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock, 2 1/2 cups milk, and 1 bay leaf to the pan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 25 minutes or until kohlrabi is tender. Let cool a few minutes and remove bay leaf.

Using an immersion blender, conventional blender or food processor, purée soup until smooth.

You may want to strain the soup through a fine sieve if the kohlrabi is especially fibrous.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Recipe: Cucumber Tomato Salad

Image from Love & Lemons

from Love & Lemons

2 Persian cucumbers

3 cups cherry tomatoes

6 to 8 ounces halloumi cheese

Extra-virgin olive oil

Scant ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion

Homemade Croutons (grilled option), from 2 large slices of bread

Greek Salad Dressing

⅓ cup fresh basil

Flaky sea salt, optional

Thinly slice the cucumbers, halve the tomatoes, and set aside.

Slice the halloumi into ½-inch thick planks. Rub both sides with olive oil and grill 2 to 3 minutes per side, until well-charred. Remove from the grill and slice the planks into cubes.

Assemble the salad with the sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, halloumi, red onions, and croutons. Drizzle with the dressing and top with fresh basil. Season to taste with flaky sea salt, if desired.

Recipe: Best Broccoli Salad

Image from Love & Lemons

from Love & Lemons

1 pound broccoli crowns

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons mayo, I like Sir Kensington's or vegan mayo

1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ teaspoon sea salt, more to taste

⅓ cup diced red onions

⅓ cup dried cranberries

Smoky Tamari Almonds

½ cup almonds

½ cup pepitas

1 tablespoon tamari

½ teaspoon maple syrup

¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, more to taste

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Chop the broccoli florets into ½-inch pieces and any remaining stems into ¼-inch dice. Peel any woody or course parts from the stem first.

In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, mayo, apple cider vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, garlic, and salt. Add the broccoli, onions, and cranberries and toss to coat.

Place the almonds and pepitas on the baking sheet, toss with the tamari, maple syrup, and smoked paprika and spread into a thin layer. Bake 10 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes (they’ll get crispier as they sit).

Toss the almonds and pepitas into the salad, reserving a few to sprinkle on top. Season to taste and serve.

Recipe: Lacto-Fermented Tomatillo Salsa

Image from NW Edible Life

from NW Edible Life

5 cups husked, chopped tomatillos

1-½ cups seeded, chopped long green chiles

½ cup seeded, minced jalapeño peppers

4 cups peeled, chopped onions

1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro (about 1 bunch)

1/4 cup loosely packed minced fresh oregano, or 1 tablespoon dried oregano

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin, or more to taste

about 3 tablespoons fine sea salt

Clean and prepare a 1 gallon fermentation crock or a 4-liter glass, bail-top jar for fermenting. Make sure it's perfectly clean!

Chop the ingredients one at a time in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Combine all the prepared vegetables in a large bowl, and stir to fully mix everything.

Add the cumin and salt and 2.5 tablespoons of the salt, and mix to combine. Taste the salsa. It should taste distinctly salty, but not unpleasantly so. If the salsa seems bland, add the remaining half-tablespoon salt. Adjust seasonings as desired.

Add the tomatillo salsa to the crock or jar. With a clean spoon, press the ingredients down to release some of the juices. Press the solids under the juices, and weight the ferment.

Seal the crock or jar, and leave the tomatillo salsa at room temperature out of direct sun, for 2 to 4 days. Check the ferment daily. Look for bubbles and other signs of fermentation, give the ferment a little shake and swirl to keep everything fermenting evenly, burp the lid to release any pent-up carbon dioxide in the jar and taste the development of the tomatillo salsa (clean spoon please).

When you like the taste of the salsa or after 4 days, transfer the fermented salsa to smaller jars for cold storage in the refrigerator, where it will keep for at least 4 months.

Recipe: Spinach Rice Gratin from 101 Cookbooks

Image from 101 Cookbooks

2 1/2 cups leftover/pre-cooked brown rice, room temp
1 1/2 cups cups well finely chopped spinach
4 ounces firm organic tofu, crumbled
10 black olives, chopped
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1/3 cup pine nuts or almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup shredded Manchego cheese (or Parm, or Gruyere)
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Rack in the top third. Grease a 10-inch round baking dish (or equivalent) with a bit of olive oil.

In a large bowl combine the rice, spinach, and tofu. Now, reserving a bit of each for garnish, stir in the olives, and red onion, pine nuts and olive oil. Now stir in 1/4 cup of the cheese. In a small bowl whisk together the eggs, and salt. Fold the eggs into the rice mixture, pour into the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until the casserole is set, and the top toasty and golden. Remove from the oven, and sprinkle with remaining onions, olives, and nuts. Sprinkle with a bit more salt before serving - or taste and get a sense of whether you need any.

Recipe: Princess Diana's Stuffed Peppers

From food.com

4 medium bell peppers

1⁄4 cup olive oil

FOR THE FILLING

1⁄2 cup chopped onion

1cup thinly sliced mushroom

1 zucchini, diced

1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano

salt & freshly ground black pepper

2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 cup rice, cooked al dente and cooled

1⁄2 cup water

1⁄chicken or 1/2 vegetable bouillon cube

4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and chopped

1 tablespoon fresh basil, shredded

4 ounces mozzarella cheese, diced

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Pre heat oven to 350°F.

Cut the tops off the peppers and clean out the seeds and membranes. If the peppers won't stand up, cut a little piece off the bottom to level them. Place the peppers on a baking sheet and drizzle with the oil.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until they start to soften. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Pour the oil from the peppers into a frying pan and add the onions, mushrooms, zucchini and oregano. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper to taste, and saute over high heat until they start to soften.

Add the tomatoes, rice, water and bouillon cube to the vegetables in the frying pan, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning. Fold in the bacon, basil and mozzarella cheese.

Divide the filling among the peppers. Sprinkle the Parmesan on top of the peppers.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the filling is hot.

Rae's favorite!

Braised Winter Greens

You can use hearty winter greens of any kind in this recipe and even throw in any more tender greens you might have on hand and want to use up such as turnip greens or spinach. If you want to keep the dish vegetarian I recommend a dash of liquid smoke or a sprinkle of smoked paprika in lieu of the bacon. The finished greens are great with a dash of vinegary hot sauce and can be served as a side or spooned over grits or rice with a fried egg on top!  Many of the vitamins in dark greens are water soluble so don't toss the cooking liquid or ‘pot liquor’! Try using the leftover liquid as a soup base or for cooking grains. 

About 12oz mixed winter greens, tough stems removed and leaves roughly chopped

4-6 slices of bacon, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1 tbs olive oil (if not using bacon) 

Splash of apple cider vinegar

Sprinkle of red chili flakes

Salt to taste

Enough water or stock to just cover the veggies

Cook bacon until fat is rendered, add in onion and sauté until soft. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, stirring often, about 1min. Add greens, chili flakes, salt, vinegar, and stock or water. Simmer until greens are very tender, 25-30 min. 

Recipe: Celeriac & Apple Soup

from Wild Greens & Sardines

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1½ cups sliced leeks
½ cup roughly chopped onion
¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 medium tart apples (such as Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and quartered
1 pounds celeriac, peeled and cubed
3-4 cups water
½ cup whole milk
Freshly ground pepper
For serving: piment d’espelette or smoked paprika

Heat the butter and olive oil together over medium heat in a large pot. Allow the butter to brown, just slightly. Add the chopped leeks and onion and cook, stirring often, until soft and shiny, about 5 minutes. Add the salt, nutmeg, and garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the celeriac, apples, and water to the pot. Cover and raise the heat to high. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples and celeriac fall apart, 30 to 40 minutes.

If you have an immersion blender, stick it into the pot and blend until smooth. Otherwise, transfer to an upright blender in batches and return to the pot. Add the milk, and taste to adjust salt and add pepper. Serve with a healthy dusting of piment d’espelette or smoked paprika.