Recipe: Berbere Butter Braised Carrots With Polenta

from Naturally Ella

Berbere is a delicious Ethiopian spice mix, but if you don't have any on hand you can try this recipe with Moroccan Ras El Hanout, your favorite curry blend, or even just some ground cumin and coriander! 

Polenta

2 cups water

½ cup dry polenta

Pinch of salt

½ cup grated parmesan

Carrots

2 medium carrots

3 tablespoons butter, divided

1 garlic clove, minced

1 to 2 teaspoons berbere spice blend

Salt, as needed (see note)

Zest from half a lemon (see note)

To start, bring the water to a boil in a pot. Add the polenta, whisking while you pour until the polenta comes together. Add a pinch of salt, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for about 30 minutes. Whisk occasionally until the polenta has thickened and the flavor has mellowed. Remove from heat and whisk in the parmesan cheese.

Prepare the carrots: Peel the carrots and cut into ½” thick slices. Place a pan (with lid available) over medium heat. Add in 1 tablespoon butter and melt. Add in the carrots and cook until the carrots start to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and berbere spice, cooking for another minute.

Cover the bottom of your pan with ¼” worth of water. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, checking the carrots occasionally (the time will depend on how thickly cut your carrots are). When the carrots are just-tender, remove the lid, and increase the heat to burn off remaining liquid. When there’s just a small bit of liquid left, turn off the heat and add in the remaining two tablespoons of butter and lemon zest. Swirl around the pan and let melt.

Garnish with parsley and pistachios (optional) 

Recipe: Spicy Beans With Pork

from Wives With Knives

½ lb. ground pork

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons rice wine

¼ teaspoon peppercorns (szechuan if you have them) freshly ground

¼ cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon spicy garlic black bean sauce

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

1-1/2 tablespoons garlic chili sauce

1-1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 teaspoons cornstarch

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in half if desired

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced

4 green onions, sliced

¼ cup white sesame seeds, lightly toasted

In a small bowl toss the pork with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of rice wine and the ground pepper. Marinate at room temperature while assembling the rest of the ingredients.

In a separate bowl combine the remaining tablespoon of soy sauce, the remaining teaspoon of rice wine, the chicken stock, spicy bean sauce, hoisin, chili garlic sauce, sugar, sesame oil and cornstarch. Set aside.

Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat and add the oil.

When the oil is hot add the beans and stir fry them for 10 minutes, or until they begin to brown and blister. Remove the beans from the pan using a slotted spoon and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the oil. Return the pan to the heat and add the pork, garlic and ginger. Stir fry for about 3 minutes, or until there is no longer any pink color to the pork. Add the green onions and cook 1 minute. Add the reserved sauce and green beans and mix well. The sauce will begin to thicken and glaze the pork and beans.

To serve, garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve with steamed rice or pan fried noodles.

Recipe: Summer Harvest Ratatouille

adapted from Dishing Up The Dirt

This recipe is the perfect way to use up FIVE of the items in your box this week all in one classic dish!

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 bunch of scallions, diced, white and light green parts only

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

1 small eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 1 cup)

1 small summer squash or zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 2 1/2 cups)

1 anaheim pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips

1 pint cherry tomatoes, some sliced in half others left whole or

2 heirloom tomatoes, coarsely chopped, about 3/4 of a cup worth

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

8 ounces rigatoni pasta

fresh parmesan for serving

Salt + pepper for serving

Over medium-low heat add the olive oil to a large skillet with the scallions, garlic and bay leaf. Stir often until the vegetables soften a bit and become fragrant. About 3 minutes.

Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally until the eggplant has softened. About 5 minutes. Stir in the summer squash/zucchini, Anaheim pepper, cherry tomatoes or heirloom tomatoes and salt. Increase the heat to medium and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.  Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for about 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped basil.

While the vegetables simmer for the last 10 minutes bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 5-7 minutes (cooking times will vary depending on your specific pasta so look at the suggested cooking time on the label)

Drain the pasta and add it to the simmering vegetables. Stir well and divide the pasta between plates. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese and a few pinches of salt + pepper.

Recipe: Pasta Salad With Tomatoes & Zucchini

adapted from The Kitchn

Try adding in some of your spicy salad mix for extra flavor and texture! 

1 lb of dried pasta

2 Tbs olive oil

1 zucchini, trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/4in thick slabs

1 pint cherry tomatoes OR a couple slicers

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup of your favorite dressing

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool. Drain well. Meanwhile, heat an outdoor grill to medium-high, direct heat (400 to 450°F).

Drizzle the zucchini  with the oil and season with the salt and pepper.  If using cherry tomatoes, drizzle with oil and thread them onto skewers (8 to 10 per skewer). Place the tomato skewers and zucchini slabs on the grill. Cover and grill until the zucchini is charred and tender, about 5 minutes per side. Grill the tomatoes until the skins begin to split, flipping once, 4 to 5 minutes total.

Slide the tomatoes off of the skewers into the bowl of pasta. If using slicers simply roughly chop and add them right to the pasta.

Cut the zucchini into 1/2-inch pieces and add to the bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the dressing and toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe: Simple Chard, Kohlrabi, & Cucumber Salad

adapted from Serious Eats

From Food 52:  "This is the rescue recipe for all you with a weekly source of vegetables from your CSA. The kohlrabi is nice and crunchy the first few hours then pickles in the days to come."

Dressing

3 tablespoons Rice Vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Honey
1 tablespoon Finely minced shallots
 Salt to taste
 Slaw

1 Medium Kohlrabi (about softball size) Julienned
 2 Cucumbers whatever adds up to 2 cups
 2 cups Swiss Chard about 8 stems

Combine the dressing ingredients into a lidded jar and shake, shake, shake.

Dice the chard stems and roll the leaves and cut into thin ribbons. In a medium sized bowl, combine all the ingredients and start with about 2 T of the dressing add more to taste.

Recipe: Sichuan Smashed Cucumber Salad

Recipe & Pic from The Woks Of Life

This is my FAVORITE cucumber recipe (and it is oh so cathartic to give those cukes a smashing haha). I love it paired with a California Roll Rice Bowl: Sushi Rice, Imitation Crab tossed with Sriracha Mayo and sliced Green Onions, sliced Avocado, and a sprinkle of panko for extra crunch.

~Rae

1-2 seedless cucumbers

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons sesame oil

3 teaspoons light soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2-4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

1-2 teaspoons chili oil (optional)

2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

a small handful of chopped cilantro

Note: if you prefer to omit the chili oil, heat up a tablespoon of oil in a pan and drizzle it over the cucumber. Seems weird, but in Chinese cooking, uncooked vs. cooked oil have different flavors and are treated as such!

Wash the cucumbers and pat them dry with a clean towel. Make the salad dressing by combining the salt, sugar, sesame oil, light soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Stir until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Set aside.

On a cutting board, lay a large knife flat against the cucumber, and smash it lightly with your other hand. The cucumber should crack open and smash into four sections. Repeat along its full length. Once the whole cucumber is completely open (usually into 4 long sectional pieces), cut it at a 45-degree angle into bite-sized pieces.

In a large bowl, mix the cut cucumber with the prepared dressing, garlic and chili oil (or cooked plain oil), and toss it well. Serve, garnished with sesame seeds and cilantro.

Recipe: Beet Tostadas With Fried Eggs

adapted from Bon Appetit

This recipe requires some time with your stove but it's so unique that we couldn't resist including it this week! If you make this recipe let us know in the facebook group what you thought! 

1 lb. red beets (about 2 large or a few medium), peeled, cut into ¼" pieces

2 garlic cloves, finely grated

2 Tbsp. ancho chile powder

1 tsp. crushed dried oregano, preferably Mexican

1 tsp. paprika

¾ tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more

2⅓ cups plus 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided

1 large white onion, halved through root end, sliced ¼" thick 

6 medium serrano chiles or jalapenos, quartered lengthwise, leaving stems and seeds intact

6 6"-diameter corn tortillas

6 large eggs

Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Toss beets, garlic, chile powder, oregano, paprika, cumin, pepper, 1½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ⅓ cup oil in a medium bowl until beets are coated. Scrape onto a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet; bake, tossing every 15 minutes, until beets are tender and spices are very fragrant and smell slightly toasted, 35–45 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 cups oil in a large saucepan over high until oil bubbles immediately when the edge of a tortilla touches the surface. Carefully fry onion, adding a little bit at time to avoid too much spattering and reducing heat as needed, until tender and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat process with chiles, about 5 minutes. Transfer to same baking sheet. 

Working one at a time, fry tortillas, turning once, until crisp, puffed in places, and deep golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Transfer tostadas to baking sheet.

Heat remaining 3 Tbsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Crack eggs into skillet, leaving space around each one, and cook until whites are set and edges are crisp, about 4 minutes. Season with salt.

Spoon beet mixture onto tostadas, dividing evenly, and top each with an egg, then fried onion, chiles, an salsa of your choice.

Recipe: Cabbage & Kale Slaw With Mustard Vinaigrette

from The Spruce Eats

For the Salad:

4 to 6 medium leaves kale (lacinato)

1/2 medium head cabbage (green)

1/4 cup walnuts (pecans, or slivered or sliced almonds)

Salt to taste (kosher)

Pepper to taste (freshly ground)

For the Dijon Mustard Dressing:

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (grainy, or more, to taste)

1 clove garlic (minced)

3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

1/3 cup olive oil (good quality extra virgin)

 Prepare the Salad

Toast the nuts, if desired. Arrange the nuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake whole, chopped, or slivered nuts in a preheated 350 F oven for about 8 to 10 minutes, checking and turning them frequently. Sliced almonds will take about half the time. Watch closely.

Cut the middle rib out of each lacinato kale leaf. Roll the leaves up into a tight roll and slice them chiffonade-style into thin strips. Put the strips of kale in a large bowl. You should have about 2 to 3 cups.

Cut the core out of the cabbage half and shred or chop the cabbage. Transfer the cabbage to the bowl with the kale.

Toss the chopped nuts with the kale and cabbage.

Prepare the Dressing

In a canning jar or bowl, combine the Dijon mustard, minced garlic, vinegar, and olive oil. Whisk or shake well. Add a dash of salt and some freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

Drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons of the Dijon mustard vinaigrette over the salad. Toss the salad. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Serve with the extra dressing on the side.

Recipe: Lebanese Fattoush Salad

adapted from Serious Eats

Garlic Oil

1 cup pure olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, finely chopped

1 pound pita bread

1 teaspoon salt

Garlic Vinaigrette

2 teaspoons garlic paste

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup pure olive oil

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Vegetables

1-2 cups tomatoes, diced

1 cup cucumbers, peeled and cut into small dice

2 cups  lettuce, chopped

2/3 cup mint, torn (optional)

1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

1/4 cup sweet onion, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Make the garlic oil: Heat the oil, remove from the heat, and add the garlic. Let steep for several hours.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Split the pita in half. Brush one side of each half with the garlic oil. Sprinkle with salt. Cut each half into eighths and spread (oil side up) on a sheet pan. Place in the oven and bake until golden and crispy. Reserve.

Make the vinaigrette: Combine the garlic paste, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, then whisk in the olive oils.

Combine all of the vegetables and toss with half the vinaigrette; salt and pepper to taste.

Combine the pita, vegetables, and more vinaigrette. Toss. Add more vinaigrette if the fattoush looks dry.

Recipe: Blistered Shishito Peppers

from Cookie & Kate

This recipe calls offers exact amounts of peppers and oil, but you really just need enough peppers to cover the base of your skillet and enough oil to lightly coat the peppers.

8 ounces (3 heaping cups) shishito peppers

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil

Lemon wedge, optional

Salt, preferably flaky sea salt or kosher salt, to taste

Rinse and pat the peppers dry on a clean tea towel. Transfer the peppers to a medium bowl, drizzle in the oil, and toss until the peppers are evenly coated. Set aside.

Preheat a medium skillet over medium heat until it’s hot enough that a drop of water sizzles and evaporates quickly on contact. Add the peppers and let them cook, stirring every minute or so (not too often), until they are tender with charred spots, about 8 to 12 minutes.

Transfer the peppers to a serving plate. Spritz with a lemon wedge, if desired. Sprinkle with salt, to taste (don’t skimp). Serve with a little bowl on the side for the pepper stems.

Recipe: Green Beans & Cucumbers With Miso Dressing

from Bon Appetite

1 large cucumber

Kosher salt

1 pound green beans, trimmed (use your haricots verts!)

1 1½-inch piece ginger, peeled, finely grated

1 serrano or Fresno chile, finely grated

1 garlic clove, finely grated

⅓ cup unseasoned rice vinegar

¼ cup white miso

¼ cup olive oil

½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallions (for serving) - use your tropea onions!

Lightly smash cucumber with a rolling pin, then tear into bite-size pieces. Toss with a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Let sit to allow salt to penetrate.

Meanwhile, place green beans in a large resealable plastic bag, seal, and smash with rolling pin until most of the beans are split open and bruised. Whisk ginger, chile, garlic, vinegar, miso, olive oil, and sesame oil in a medium bowl until smooth. Add dressing to beans and toss around in bag to coat; season with salt.

Drain cucumbers and add to bag with beans. Shake gently to combine. Transfer salad to a platter and top with sesame seeds and scallions.

Recipe: Turnip Salad With Yogurt & Basil

adapted from Dishing Up The Dirt

1 bunch of Japanese turnips, with their tops if they're nice and fresh, trimmed so there's just a nice 1/4 inch of green stems left

1 lemon, halved

1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (not greek yogurt)

about 1/2 cup lightly packed basil, finely chopped

4 scallions, trimmed (including 1/2 inch of the green tops) sliced on a sharp angle, soaked in ice water for 20 minutes and then drained well (use your tropea onions instead!)

extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup poppy seeds

Slice the turnips lengthwise as thin as you can. If you have a mandolin, use it; otherwise a sharp knife and steady hand will do just fine. Soak the sliced turnips in ice water for 15 minutes then drain them very well.

Rinse, dry and roughly chop the turnip greens. Put the turnips in a large bowl and squeeze half of the lemon. Add the chili flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and plenty of black pepper and toss to blend. Add the yogurt and toss again.  Add the basil, scallions, and 1/4 cup olive oil and toss again. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Scatter about half of the poppy seeds on the bottom of the platter or individual serving plates, top with the turnip salad, and finish the the rest of the poppy seeds. Serve right away.

Recipe: Spaghetti With No-Cook Sauce

adapted from  101 Cookbooks

This recipe calls for creating a quick sauce with larger tomatoes, but if you have cherry tomatoes we suggest skipping the sauce, roasting your cherries in olive oil and garlic until they burst, and then tossing those into your pasta.

1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, chopped

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

scant teaspoon fine grain sea salt

2 lemons

1 pound whole grain spaghetti

1 pound green beans

2/3 cup torn Kalamata olives

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

1 cup torn mozzarella

Slivered fresh basil to serve

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

In the meantime, slice the tomatoes  into bite-sized chunks and place in a large serving bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with the garlic, salt, and zest of one of the lemons. Squeeze a tablespoon of lemon juice into the mixture, and use a hand blender to pulse a few times, into a chunky sauce.

Salt the pasta water well, and cook the pasta per package instructions. Add the green beans  to the pasta water in the last minute of cooking. Drain the pasta and vegetables and transfer to the bowl with the tomato sauce. Toss well. Add half the olives and half the pine nuts. Add all of the mozzarella. Toss well, and top with the zest of the second lemon, and the remaining olives and pine nuts.

Top with basil, serve immediately.

Recipe: No Cook Zucchini Noodles with Arugula Pesto

Try adding in some thinly sliced onion or chopped tomatoes!

For the Zucchini Noodles

2 medium zucchini

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup pesto

For the Arugula Pesto

1/2 cup walnuts

1 clove garlic, peeled

1/2 cup canola or olive oil

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

salt to taste

Combine arugula, walnuts, cheese, garlic, and lemon juice in a food processor. Process for a few seconds until coarsely ground. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the oil until the mixture is almost smooth, with just a little texture. Add salt to taste.

Cut zucchini into long strands with a spiralizer, mandolin, or vegetable peeler. 

Set noodles in a large colander. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt on top and toss to coat. Let sit 10 minutes.Rinse and drain well, gently squeezing out the excess moisture.

Transfer the zucchini to a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil; toss to coat.

Add pesto and toss to coat evenly.

Recipe: Spigiarello With Poached Eggs

From Food 52

1bunch spigarello, washed and stems removed
1large clove garlic, minced
1tablespoon olive oil
2eggs, cracked into a small bowl
Coarse salt, to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Plunge the spigarello into the boiling water for 2-3 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat and then add in the garlic, cooking until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
With tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the spigarello from the boiling water and put it in the saute pan, tossing to coat. Saute for about 3-4 minutes.
Meanwhile, turn the heat on the cooking water down to low. When the boiling dies down, swirl the water in the pot gently and slip the eggs into the middle of the whirlpool. Cook the eggs for 5-6 minutes (or however done you like them).
When the eggs are done, remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a folded paper towel to soak up any water.

Plate the spigarello with the eggs on top. Sprinkle with extra salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Recipe: Fresh Cranberry Beans With Olive Oil And Garlic

From May I Have That Recipe

1 lb fresh cranberry beans, shelled ( about 1 1/2 cups shelled)
6 garlic cloves, whole
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp red hot pepper flakes (or to taste)
1/2 tsp fresh thyme
2 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt

In a deep skillet, cook garlic in olive oil at medium heat. Tilt the pan so all the oil goes to one side of the pan and the garlic cooks evenly.  Cook for about 3 minutes or until it starts to get a slight golden color (make sure it doesn’t burn!)

Add red hot pepper flakes and thyme and cook for another 2-3 minutes until golden.
Add shelled beans, mixing well so the beans get evenly coated with the oil and cook for 3-4 minutes
Add water, bay leaves and salt. Bring to a boil for about 5 minutes uncovered.
Turn down the heat and simmer, covered for about 20 minutes or until beans are tender but not mushy.

These are delicious plain, served over rice or with a nice crusty bread.

Recipe: Classic Salsa Verde

From Cookie And Kate

1 ½ pounds tomatillos (about 12 medium), husked and rinsed
1 to 2 medium jalapeños, stemmed (omit for mild salsa, use 1 jalapeño for medium salsa and 2 jalapeños for hot salsa, note that spiciness will depend on heat of actual peppers used)
½ cup chopped white onion (about ½ medium onion)
¼ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves (more if you love cilantro)
2 tablespoons to ¼ cup lime juice (1 to 2 medium limes, juiced), to taste
½ to 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
Optional variation: 1 to 2 diced avocados, for creamy avocado salsa verde

Preheat the broiler with a rack about 4 inches below the heat source. Place the tomatillos and jalapeño(s) on a rimmed baking sheet and broil until they’re blackened in spots, about 5 minutes.*
Remove the baking sheet from the oven, carefully flip over the tomatillos and pepper(s) with tongs and broil for 4 to 6 more minutes, until the tomatillos are splotchy-black and blistered.

Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, combine the chopped onion, cilantro, 2 tablespoons lime juice and ½ teaspoon salt. Once the tomatillos are out of the oven, carefully transfer the hot tomatillos, pepper(s) and all of their juices into the food processor or blender.
Pulse until the mixture is mostly smooth and no big chunks of tomatillo remain, scraping down the sides as necessary. Season to taste with additional lime juice and salt, if desired.

The salsa will be thinner at first, but will thicken up after a few hours in the refrigerator, due to the naturally occurring pectin in the tomatillos. If you’d like to make creamy avocado salsa verde, let the salsa cool down before blending in 1 to 2 diced avocados (the more avocado, the creamier it gets).

*A note from Rae: I've read that simmering the tomatillos instead of roasting them makes them a little less sweet. If that's to your taste, here is a slightly different version to try.

Recipe: Lentil, Cabbage, & Fennel Soup

From Honest Cooking


1 Cup Red Lentils
1 Cup Sliced Cabbage
1 Cup Sliced Fennel(including the stems and fronds)
1 Bay Leaf
2tsp Cumin Seeds
1in Ginger (crushed)
2tsp Ground Coriander
1tsp Turmeric
1/3 Cup canned diced Tomato
1 Green chili/jalapeño, chopped
2 Cups Water
Salt to taste
2Tbs Oil


Wash the lentils and keep aside. Prepare the veggies.
In a pot heat oil and the cumin seeds until it crackles. Add the cabbage and fennel,bay leaf and all the spices,tomato and jalapeños. Saute on medium until well mixed.Add the lentils and continue to stir for about a minute.

Add water and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover. Let it cook until the lentils are tender about (15-20 mins). Serve hot!

Recipe: Green Beans With Almond Pesto

From Smitten Kitchen

2 pounds green (or purple and yellow!) beans
1 cup (5 ounces or 140 grams) almonds, toasted and cooled
1 1/4 ounces (about 1/3 cup grated) parmesan or aged pecorino cheese, but no need to grate if using a food processor
1 small garlic clove, peeled and crushed
Leaves from a sprig or two of thyme
Pinches of red pepper flakes, to taste
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea or kosher salt
2 to 3 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Trim green beans — I find using kitchen shears the quickest way — and cook beans in boiling water until crisp tender, about 3 to 4 minutes for regular green beans or 2 to 3 minutes for the skinnier “haricot vert” variety. Plunge in an ice water bath to fully cool. Drain and pat dry. (If you have no patience for the precision of ice water baths, take the green beans out a full minute early as they will continue cooking as they cool.)

In food processor, grind almonds, cheese, garlic, thyme, pepper and salt to a coarse paste. Add vinegar, and pulse again. Stir in oil and adjust seasonings to taste.

Toss cooled green beans with almond pesto. Drizzling with extra olive oil for a fresh glisten. Dig in.

Serving suggestions: a mix of cherry tomatoes, grilled bread drizzled with olive oil and rubbed with a halved garlic clove or even grilled sausages.

Recipe: Pickled Hot Pepper Strips

from Summer In A Jar

1 cup white vinegar 
1/2 cup water 
1 garlic clove 
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds 
1/2 teaspoon pickling salt 
2 cups hot peppers, seeded and cut into strips

In a nonaluminum saucepan, heat 1 cup white vinegar and 1/2 cup water for each pint of peppers. Into each hot, sterilized pint jar, place 1 garlic clove, 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1/2 teaspoon pickling salt, and 2 cups hot pepper strips, leaving about 1/2 inch head space. Fill with the hot brine, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Be sure to remove any air bubbles that are trapped inside the jar. Seal. Process in a hot water bath for 5 minutes. Adjust seals if necessary. Let cool undisturbed for 12 hours. Store in a cool, dry place. If 

*be sure to reserach and follow canning safety procedure if you've never canned before!