Recipe: Cilantro Stem Green Sauce

2021 Week 2 Newsletter

From Save The Food

We all know that cilantro leaves add a wonderful citrusy herbal fragrance to many dishes, but the stems are also packed with flavor and worth saving! This recipe for a quick green sauce (for nachos, tacos, and more!) can be frozen for later use. I also love poaching chicken breasts with cilantro stems and a couple slices of ginger to add to an entrée salad. 

~Rae

1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1⁄2 cup fresh cilantro stems (from 1 bunch of cilantro)

1⁄2 cup olive oil or neutral oil, such as organic canola or grapeseed

1⁄2 tsp ground cumin

In a blender or the mixing cup of a small food processor or immersion blender, combine the vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper. Swirl a few times to dissolve the salt. Add the stems, olive oil, and cumin — puree. Adjust the seasoning to taste.

Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Pic from Save The Food

Recipe: Collard Wontons

Pic From Two Red Bowls

2021 Week 1 Newsletter

From Two Red Bowls

These are a huge hit in my household (especially with my 5yr old who normally won't eat anything green)! I use one package of wonton wrappers and fry up any leftover filling in little patties to eat as a snack. Try the wontons in the broth recommended in the recipe or serve them with dipping sauce as a side dish to noodles with stir-fried Pac Choi!

~Rae

for the wontons:

½ pound collard greens, roughly chopped

1 pound ground pork

¼ cup thinly sliced scallions (2 to 3 scallions)

1 tablespoon finely grated ginger root

3 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine, dry sherry, or sake

2 tablespoons sesame oil 2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar (optional)

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon white pepper 70 to 80 wonton wrappers

(15 to 16 ounces, or about 1⅓ packages; keep unused wrappers covered in plastic wrap, sealed

in a Ziploc bag, and frozen for later use)

for the broth:

4 cups water

4 cups chicken broth

1 to 2 teaspoons soy sauce, for serving

½ teaspoon sesame oil, for serving

¼ cup thinly sliced scallions (2 to 3 scallions), for serving

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the greens and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer until the greens are bright green and beginning to turn tender, but still have some bite, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and add to a food processor. Pulse until finely shredded.

In a large bowl, combine the greens, pork, scallions, ginger, rice wine, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar (if using), salt, and white pepper. Using chopsticks or a wooden spoon, stir vigorously until all ingredients are well combined and the filling forms a thick paste.

Prepare a small bowl of water for sealing the wrappers. For each wrapper, place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center. Dab a bit of water on one edge and fold the wrapper in half, taking care to seal the wrapper well around the filling. Dab water on one corner of the folded seam and bring the two folded corners together to form a small bundle. Place on a tray and repeat. You should end up with 70 to 80 wontons. To save them for later, freeze on the tray, then place in a Ziploc bag. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.

When you’re ready to cook the wontons, in a large pot, bring the water and chicken broth to a boil. Add about 20 wontons, stirring gently to ensure they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Cook until the water comes back to a boil and the wontons float to the surface, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the wontons to plate. Repeat with the remaining wontons until they’re all cooked, or freeze a portion of the uncooked wontons for later. To cook from frozen, use the same method, but boil for 4 to 6 minutes, until the wontons float.

To serve, divide the wontons among several small bowls and ladle a bit of the cooking broth over each bowl. Drizzle lightly with soy sauce and a few drops of sesame oil, and top with scallions. Enjoy immediately.

Recipe: Boiled Daikon

Image from The Woks Of Life

from The Woks Of Life

1 pound daikon radish(about 450 g)

1 slice ginger

1 cup water or stock (235 ml)

1 tablespoon oyster sauce (16 g)

½ teaspoon salt (about 2 g, or to taste)

¼ teaspoon sugar (about 1 g)

¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

1 scallion (chopped)

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

Cut the daikon into half-inch thick, bite-sized pieces. In a pot, add 1 slice ginger, 1 cup water or stock (235ml), 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (16 g), ½ teaspoon salt (2 g), ¼ teaspoon sugar (1 g), ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper (a large pinch), and stir to combine. Add the daikon.

Cover and bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 20 minutes until the daikon is fork tender, stirring occasionally.

Right before serving, add in the chopped scallion, and a few drops of sesame oil (optional). Mix well and serve!

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.

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: Roasted Delicata & Kale Salad

A Farm Favorite

1-2 delicata squash

1/2 onion, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 head of garlic

1 bunch kale, chopped

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 425° F.

Seed and cut squash into 1-inch cubes. Toss cubed squash and onions with 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast squash, onions and garlic on a baking sheet for 30 minutes.

Toss kale in remaining tablespoon oil. Roast on a separate baking sheet for 10 minutes.

Squeeze roasted garlic cloves from skin. Toss garlic with squash, onions, kale, balsamic vinegar and hazelnuts.

Recipe: Smashed Roasted Fingerling Potatoes With Leeks

from Busy In Brooklyn

Taters and leeks are often found together in soups but here they join forces in a delicious roasted dish!

1 pound fingerling or baby potatoes
1 cup water
1 large leek or a couple small leeks, only white part sliced thinly (green tops reserved for future stock!)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
fresh parsley, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place potatoes on a sheet pan, pour water in pan and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain any remaining water from the pan and set the potatoes aside for 10 minutes.
Stir together the olive oil and minced garlic. Add the leeks to the pan then drizzle the potatoes and leeks with 3 tablespoons of the garlic oil to coat all sides.
Space the potatoes out evenly in the pan and smash each one down with a potato smasher, the back of a heavy cup or the palm of your hand. Flatten the potatoes to around 1/2 inch thick. Don’t worry if some break apart. Each potato will smash in a unique way.
Drizzle the potatoes with the remaining oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the potatoes and leeks for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown and crispy around the edges. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.

Recipe: Grilled Cauliflower Steaks With Chimichurri

adapted from Dishing Up The Dirt

This recipe was originally for outdoor grilling but we've adapted it for oven roasting for when its far too cold outside for that! Try the Chimichurri sauce on other roasted veggies (carrots, potatoes, beets) or dolloped on top of fish or meat!

1 cup parsley, roughly chopped

2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (plus additional for more kick if needed)

1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

Cauliflower Steaks 

1-2 heads of cauliflower, trimmed

olive oil

salt and pepper

Prepare the chimichurri sauce by combining all the ingredients in a food processor and processing until smooth. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.

Preheat oven to 425.

Using a sharp knife cut the cauliflower in half down the middle through the stem. Take one half of the cauliflower and cut it into 3/4- 1 inch thick slices. Repeat with the other head of cauliflower. You should end up with 4 "steaks" and a few florets from off the sides.

Rub each side of the cauliflower with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss the remaining florets with olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Place the steaks and the florets on a baking sheet and roast until crisp tender, about 20-25 minutes. Broil for a minute to sear if desired. 

Divide the steaks and florets between plates and drizzle with the chimichurri sauce. If you're feeling fancy top your steaks with a few fried eggs for a complete meal.

Recipe: Honey & Thyme Parsnip Muffins

from Dishing Up The Dirt

1 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup plain full fat yogurt

1/4 cup walnut oil (or another neutral tasting vegetable oil)

1/2 cup honey

2 large eggs + 1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1 cup grated parsnips

1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a standard size muffin tin with oil and set aside.

Whisk together the flours, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

In another bowl combine the yogurt, oil, honey, eggs and egg white. Add the the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the parsnip and thyme. Divide the batter between the muffins cups and bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned and cooked through, about 20-23 minutes. Let the muffins cool for about 5 minutes in the tin before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Sprouting Broccoli Bruschetta

A farm favorite!

1 bunch Sprouting Broccoli

2 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4c golden raisins

ricotta cheese (approx. 2/3c. - 1c.)

parmesan cheese

salt to taste

2 large or 4 small slices of your favorite whole wheat artisan bread

Preheat the broiler for toasting the bread.

Coarsely cut the sprouting broccoli into slender 1/4-inch long pieces

In a fry pan or skillet over medium heat, warm 3 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the broccoli, and increase the heat to medium high as the broccoli begins to wilt. Cook until tender, 4 to 10 minutes. Add raisins in the final few minutes of cooking. If the pan seems too dry, add a splash of water. Remove from the heat and season with salt to taste.

Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and brush the slices with olive oil if. Broil until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Spread ricotta on slices (about 1/4c. for smaller slices and 1/3c. for larger slices) and top with the broccoli. Grate parmesan and serve immediately.

Recipe: Bacon Corn Hash Over Frisee

adapted from Smitten Kitchen

This hash is the perfect companion to a well-dressed frisee salad (check out our vinaigrette recipe below the hash)! Grab a few ears of corn from our neighbors at Bob's Corn and add some Skylight Farm eggs to finish it off. Some blistered and coarsely chopped shishitos would be a nice flavor addition as well!

Hash

1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, cut into small dice
1 pound red potatoes, scrubbed clean and diced into 1/4- to 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 to 3 1/4 cups)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 medium-large ears corn, kernels cut from the cob (2 1/2 to 3 cups)
1 bundle scallions, thinly sliced

Vinaigrette

1 clove garlic

2 tsp dijon mustard

1/3 cup olive oil

juice of one lemon (around 1/4c)

salt and pepper to taste

Toss bacon into a large skillet over medium heat and cook until golden and crisp. Remove the bacon bits with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings in the pan and transferring the bacon to paper towels to drain.

Heat the pan to medium/medium-high, making sure the bacon fat is nicely sizzly, then add your potatoes all at once in a single layer. Sprinkle them with 1/2 teaspoon table salt and several grinds of black pepper. Let them cook for a few minutes in one place and get a bit golden underneath before turning them over and moving them around. Repeat this process until the potatoes are browned on all sides; this takes about 20 minutes.

At this point, you can push aside the potatoes and pour or spoon off all but a small amount of the fat.

Bump up the heat a little and add the corn to the skillet. Saute the potatoes and corn together until the corn gets a bit brown but stays fairly crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the drained bacon, and stir the mixture together until it’s evenly warm, about 1 more minute. Remove the skillet from the burner and sprinkle the scallions (reserving a couple spoonfuls if you’d like to use them as fried egg garnish) over the hash. In two minutes, they should be warm and mellowed. Season with more salt or pepper to taste, if needed.

Add a fried egg to it: Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat and swirl in one to two teaspoons bacon fat or butter. Crack one egg into the skillet and reduce heat to medium. I like to cover the skillet with a small lid at this point, as it seems to help the egg cook faster and more evenly. In one minute, you should have a perfect sunny-side-up egg. Season with salt and pepper, serve on top of a pile of bacon corn hash.

Recipe: Spicy Refrigerator Pickles

from Love & Olive Oil

This recipe will give you peppers that are a dead-ringer for Mama Lil's!

1 cup white or apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 lb red jalapenos or Italian roasting peppers, thinly sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine vinegar, salt, brown sugar, oregano, garlic cloves and olive oil and bring to a simmer. Add sliced peppers and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the peppers are tender.

Transfer peppers into a pint mason jar and pour the liquid over top; secure with airtight lid and refrigerate overnight to let flavors infuse. Peppers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Recipe: Roasted Beans With Israeli Couscous and Tahini Cream

One of Rae's Favorites!

½ pound green or yellow beans trimmed and cut

1 cup uncooked Israeli Couscous

½ tsp Za'atar Spice Mix (or just a mix of cumin and coriander if that is all you have) 

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

2 tbs cilantro, chopped 

Greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 400. Toss beans with a glug of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt, and the Za'atar. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 10-15min. Meanwhile cook Israeli Couscous per package instructions and set aside. For the tahini sauce- combine all the ingredients for the sauce and whisk until completely smooth and creamy. If the sauce is too thick add a touch more water. When the beans are cooked pile them on top of the couscous on each plate and drizzle with tahini sauce, cilantro, and a dollop of Greek yogurt. 

A note from Rae: I've made this with roasted fennel with a fennel frond garnish in the past (hence the fennel in the pic) but it is a super flexible recipe that can be combined with other veggies that you may have on hand so be creative! 

Recipe: Savory Stuffed Pumpkin With Sausage & Gruyere

From The Kitchn

1 large baking pumpkin (approximately 5 to 10 pounds)
1 (1-pound) loaf day-old crusty bread, such as sourdough or French baguette
1 1/2 cups (about 5 1/2 ounces) grated Gruyère cheese
2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil, such as canola
1 pound uncooked Italian sausage or bulk sausage, any casings removed
3 large shallots, thinly sliced (sub in onions from your box!)
2 to 3 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 to 3 heaping cups spinach or Swiss chard, coarsely chopped
4 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half (or 1 cup heavy cream and 1 cup whole milk)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (substitute sage from your box for a really lovely flavor!)
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, for the top

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Place the pumpkin on a flat work surface. Using a heavy-duty knife inserted at a 45-degree angle, carefully cut out a “lid” from the top of the pumpkin. Remove any seeds and cut away any loose strings using kitchen shears. Transfer the pumpkin to the prepared baking sheet and set aside.

Combine the bread cubes and Gruyère in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking it into crumbles with a wooden spoon, until it is golden-brown and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to the bowl with the bread and cheeses

Reduce the heat to medium and add the shallots, cooking until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Increase heat to high and add the wine, using the wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the wine until it is almost evaporated. Add the spinach or chard and a generous pinch of salt; stir until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the spinach or chard to the bread mixture.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, half-and-half, Dijon, 2 teaspoons salt, thyme, and pepper until combined to make the custard. Pour the custard over the bread mixture and gently toss to coat. Let sit, stirring occasionally, until absorbed, about 10 minutes

Transfer the stuffing to the pumpkin, filling it all the way to the top. (If there is extra, you can bake it in a small dish on the side.) Fit the “lid" back onto the pumpkin and transfer to the oven

Bake until the filling is bubbling and hot, and the flesh of the pumpkin can be pierced with a knife. This can be anywhere from 1 to 2 (or more) hours, depending on the size and type of your pumpkin. If possible, remove the cap for the last 30 to 45 minutes of baking (sprinkle with grated Parmesan and fluff lightly if the stuffing has smushed down) so the top can crisp up a bit.

Carefully transfer the pumpkin to a serving platter. Slice the pumpkin into large wedges and serve along with a generous portion of stuffing.

Recipe: Roasted Shishito Pepper Sauce

This is one of Rae's favorite ways to use Shishito Peppers (when she isn't just eating them whole as a snack)! Dollop on tacos or over black beans and rice for a creamy punch of flavor.

1 pint Shishito Peppers
2 Tbs olive oil, divided
2 Tbs lime juice
2 Tbs sour cream or thick greek yogurt
1-2 peeled garlic cloves
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste

Toss your peppers in 1Tbs of olive oil and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place under the broiler in your oven and roast until blistered, turning once (about 5min). When the peppers are cool, remove their stems (and skins and seeds if you have the patience) and add them to a blender or food processor with the rest of the ingredients. Blend to a smooth sauce.

Recipe: Simple Chili With Fresh Shelling Beans

Rae's Recipe!

1lb ground beef (optional)
1-2 Bell Peppers, chopped
1 jalapeno, minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 sweet onion, chopped
About 3 cups shelled fresh beans
2 14.5oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
Salt to taste

Add your shelled beans to a pot with one clove of garlic, and simmer them with just enough water to cover for 20-25min. Set Aside.

In a thick-bottomed pot, saute chopped onion, bell peppers, and minced jalapeno over medium heat until the vegetables start to soften. Add in minced garlic and spices and cook for one minute, stirring frequently. Add in ground beef (if using) and saute, breaking up the beef, until it is no longer pink.

Fold in crushed tomatoes, reserved shelling beans, and water, and simmer gently over medium heat until all of the flavors have combined-about 15min. Add salt to taste.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream, grated jack cheese, and minced cilantro
The chili will taste even better after sitting in your fridge over night!

Recipe: Broccoli Bites

from Sprouted Kitchen

A great snack for picky babies and toddlers!

about 1lb of broccoli florets
2 cloves garlic
sea salt and pepper

3 eggs
1 cup grated cheese (mexican blend, white cheddar, fontina etc.)
2 Tbsp. parmesan cheese
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

Cut up the broccoli into large chunks, some stem is ok, and steam it for 2-3 minutes. It should start to turn bright green but still have it's crunch. Let it cool completely. 
Preheat the oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray or rub a little olive or coconut oil.
Into a food processor, whiz up the garlic and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Add the cooled broccoli and pulse until it's in rice like pieces. Not pureed, but something small enough to roll into balls. 
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs together. Add the broccoli bits, grated cheese, parmesan and panko and stir to combine. It should loosely stick together. Add a sprinkle of panko if they need more "glue". 
Roll balls with a scant 2 Tbsp. of the mixture. Place them on the lined baking sheet and bake them for 10-12 minutes in the upper third of the oven. They should still be slightly tender when you pull them out. 

Recipe: Fresh White Beans With Garlic & Basil Sauce

from The Splendid Table

1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

10 plump cloves garlic, peeled, halved, green germs removed

2 pounds fresh small white beans in the pod, shelled (or substitute 1 pound dried white beans)

4 fresh or dried bay leaves

1-1/2 quarts homemade chicken stock or cold water

1 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

1 recipe Light Basil Sauce (recipe follows)

Light Basil Sauce:

4 plump cloves garlic, peeled, halved, green germs removed, minced

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

4 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves and flowers

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

In a saucepan, combine the olive oil and garlic and stir to coat the garlic with the oil. Place over moderate heat and cook until the garlic is fragrant and soft, about 2 minutes. Do not let it brown. Add the beans, stir to coat with the oil, and cook for 1 minute more. Add the bay leaves and the stock and stir. Cover, bring to a simmer over moderate heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt. Continue cooking at a gentle simmer until the beans are tender, about 15 minutes more. Stir from time to time to make sure the beans are not sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add additional stock or water if necessary. Taste for seasoning. Remove and discard the bay leaves.

Recipe: Carrot Top Pesto

from Our Crew Member Allie!

Per Allie: “This can work for any greens really. I also like to switch around the nuts also to play with flavors (and what my pantry has)” 

1lb carrot tops (about 2 very full cups mashed down - sometimes the stems can be really woody, if this is the case, cut them higher up so its more leafy - it can mess with your food processor and creates a not so great texture) 

1/2 - 1 cup of oil ( I like to use a mix of olive oil and avocado oil - for me full olive oil is too strong)

2 -3 cloves of garlic, peeled

1/2 cup almonds (walnuts would also be good)

salt (to taste but probably 1 - 2 tsp depending on if your nuts are salted or not)

Add garlic, almonds, and greens to food processor. Turn on and drizzle in oil. After it starts to get pasty. Stop, mix and taste. Add salt and more oil as needed. Continue processing until it's smooth and everything is blended. Tastes delicious right out of the processor but even better after having a chance to mingle. Use for dressings, toss in pasta, spread on toast. Honestly it makes every dish a little happier!

Recipe: Radicchio, Farro, and Tomato Salad

(This is from my (Alice's) Brain originally from Rand of One Leaf Farm, so the recipe is about as good as its going to get)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Farro
3 c vegetable broth
1 small head or 1/2 larde head Radicchio (or to taste)
1 cup Feta Cheese (or to taste)
Tomatoes (we usually use about 2 large)

Dressing
1 Shallot
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp champagne vinegar
small spoon of dijon mustard
* the ratio for this recipe is 2 parts oil, 1 part vinegar, but you can play with the proportions or make more or less to have on hand


Cook the Farro or Wheat Berries in vegetable broth using the linked method, or by combining the broth and farro, bringing the liquid to a boil, and reducing to a simmer - cooking for about 30-35 minutes or until done.

While the grain is cooking, finely mince the shallot. In a small saucepan, cook the shallot in the olive oil on medium heat. Once the shallot has softened, remove from heat and add mustard, lemon juice, and champagne vinegar.

Then chiffonade your radicchio and cut up tomatoes or cherry tomatoes into wedges.

I like to toss the radicchio in the salad dressing while the dressing is still warm, to wilt the radicchio just a bit. Then add the cooked farro, and feta and tomatoes at the end. This is just a rough guideline, so adjust the amounts to suit your taste - oh, and don't forget salt!! If you've got a bit of parsley around, that would be a beautiful addition too!

p.s. my roommate once roasted dates and prosciutto and I think those would be an insane and wonderfully decadent addition to this dish