Recipe Archive – Summer 2010
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Cilantro Pesto
An intensely flavored sauce that doesn’t include the nuts or cheese typical to most pestos.
Ingredients:
* 2 c. cilantro, coarsely chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, chopped
* 3-4 tbsp. fresh lime or lemon juice
* 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
* 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. sea salt
* 1/8 tsp. cayenne or black pepper, or more, to taste
Directions:
Place all ingredients in blender, processing until pesto is thick and saucy. (You may need to stop the motor occasionally to push the cilantro down toward the blade.) Makes about 1 cup.
Excellent with chips, quesadillas or burritos, on potatoes or rice, with fish or chicken, dolloped on black beans or potato soup or chili. Nutrients are preserved best if pesto is unheated.
This pesto freezes well, retaining fairly good flavor after thawing. It doesn’t have a long shelf life in the fridge, however, so store it in small containers to use within 4-5 days.
Recipe modified from The New Basics Cookbook.
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Salmon Salad
I usually mix up this nutritious salad without measuring, just adding what looks and tastes good. The strong fish flavor is tempered by fragrant parsley, dill and onion.
Ingredients:
* 1 14 oz can wild-caught Alaska salmon
* fresh parsley
* fresh dill (or cilantro)
* green onion
* mayonnaise
* plain yogurt, optional
* mustard
* lemon juice
* green and/or black olives, optional
Directions:
Drain juices from canned salmon, dump meat into a mixing bowl and pull apart gently to find bones. Crush the bones in your fingers, work them and the skin into the flaked meat. (The bones are high in calcium and the skin contains the same beneficial omega-3 fatty acids as in the flesh.)
Finely chop a bunch of parsley (1/2 – 1 cup), several stems of dill (2-4 Tbsp) and several green onions. Add more or less as you like, tossing herbs into salmon. Add mayonnaise (start small and add more if you want), a dollop of yogurt, a squirt or two of mustard, a splash of lemon juice, a handful of sliced olives and stir until mixture starts to hold together. Add more mayo or yogurt if the consistency is too dry or crumbly. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.
Serve with pita/tortilla chips or cucumber slices, or spread on toast or pita, cover with cheese and broil for a meal-sized melt. Or eat with a fork, preferably with a thick slice of tomato waiting nearby…
Recipe (if you want to call it that) by Kris Shank Zehr.
Got questions about food? Feel free to email me at shankzehr@yahoo.com.
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Garlic Feta Dressing
Delicious over a crunchy raw salad or sauteed vegetables; baked potato, cooked rice or pasta; or most any type of meat. This dressing is full of beneficial enzymes for digestion and nutrients for better health.
Ingredients:
* 1 cup olive oil
* 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
* 2-3 Tbsp. vinegar or lemon juice
* 2-3 garlic cloves, crushed or minced
* 1-2 Tbsp. fresh dill weed
* 1 small green onion, chopped, optional
* 2-4 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped, optional
* salt & pepper, to taste (you may not need much salt with the feta — taste often to be sure)
* 1 cup plain yogurt
Directions:
Whirl all ingredients except yogurt in a blender or food processor for one minute. With the motor running, add yogurt one spoonful at a time. As soon as the dressing thickens, turn off blender and pour into serving container. If dressing separates, either shake well or reblend. Makes about 2 1/2 cups.
-Recipe adapted from Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant
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Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette (with Potatoes)
I’ve adapted this recipe to include sufficient quantity of garlic to make more dip than you will need for the potatoes, unless you’re a garlic-loving fiend. It’s very nice left over for dunking cucumbers and other fresh veggies, or smeared in sandwiches and wraps.
Ingredients:
* 2 Tbsp. olive oil
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 1/4 tsp. black pepper
* 3 lbs. small new potatoes, quartered
* 15 large garlic cloves, unpeeled (about 2 heads of garlic, separated)
Vinaigrette:
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 1 1/2 tsp. salt
* 1/4 tsp. black pepper
* 2 Tbsp. onion or chives, minced
* 2 Tbsp. vinegar
* 2 Tbsp. Dijon-style or stoneground mustard
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a mixing bowl, toss in potato chunks and unpeeled garlic cloves and stir to coat all pieces. Spread on a cookie sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
While potatoes are roasting, measure vinaigrette ingredients into blender or food processor. After about 30 minutes of baking, take pan from oven and remove the garlic cloves. Return potatoes to oven — if they’re done, turn off the oven but leave potatoes in to stay warm. Slip peels off garlic, using a knife as needed, dump the whole peeled cloves into the blender and puree until creamy.
To serve, you can scoop the potato chunks into a bowl and toss with about half the vinaigrette, OR you can serve potatoes plain with little bowls of tangy roasted garlic vinaigrette for dipping.
-Recipe adapted from Cooking Light
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White Bean & Garlic Soup
Such fond memories I have of this flavorful soup, first served to me over fifteen years ago by dear friends alongside a green salad and crusty whole grain bread. I recall the smell of garlic in that kitchen, both cooked and fresh, and still have a picture in my mind of a bowl of creamy whiteness flecked with bits of parsley.
Ingredients:
* 2 cups dried white beans, sorted and washed
* 5 cups warm water
* 1 onion, chopped
* 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
* 3 cups vegetable stock or chicken broth
* 1 large bay leaf
* 2 sprigs fresh parsley
* salt & pepper, to taste
Lemon-Herb Butter
* 3-4 Tbsp. butter, softened
* 1-2 cloves garlic, pressed
* 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped
* juice of one large lemon
Directions:
Soak beans in 5 cups warm water for 8 hours or overnight. In a large pot, combine beans and their soaking water with onion, minced garlic, stock or broth, bay leaf and parsley sprigs. Bring to a boil, carefully skim foam, reduce heat, cover and cook at a gentle simmer for 1 1/2 – 2 hours. While beans are cooking, stir together in a small bowl the softened butter, pressed garlic, chopped parsley and lemon juice. When beans are tender, discard bay leaf and parsley. Puree in batches and return to pot, reheating as needed. Season with salt and pepper and stir in lemon-herb butter until melted. Garnish with croutons or sprigs of parsley. Serves 6-8.
Option:
I don’t have much experience cooking with crock pots, but I think this recipe could work well as an all-day cooker. Follow standard crock pot directions for cooking beans, and allow a half hour to an hour at the end to puree and reheat as needed.
-Recipe adapted from Martha Rose Shulman
Got questions about food? Feel free to email me at shankzehr@yahoo.com
Parsley Recipes: June 24, 2010
Fresh parsley and cilantro pack a powerhouse of nutrition and flavor and are featured prominently in these three recipes. Ingredients in bold are available at market.
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Golden Honey Squash Cake
I wanted to come up with a simple, wholesome cake that uses honey, squash, and as many other market-sourced ingredients as possible. This is not a super sweet cake. It is mildly flavored, golden, moist, and yummiest plain when it’s hot from the oven. We loved it topped with plain yogurt and sliced peaches. If you want something sweeter, try slathering each piece with a spread of plain soft goat cheese mixed with as much of your favorite berry jam as you like. You could also add nuts and dried fruit to the batter: about a half cup of each should be plenty, stirred in with the grated squash at the end.
Ingredients:
* 2 cups whole wheat flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour, but I think bread flour would work okay too)
* 1 tsp. baking powder
* 1/2 tsp. baking soda
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
* 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
* 1/8 tsp. cloves
* 1/3 cup butter, soft or melted
* 1/3 cup honey
* 1/3 cup plain yogurt
* 2 large eggs
* 1 tsp. vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 cup packed grated yellow squash, unpeeled (about one large squash, with seeds removed)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Into a small bowl measure and whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. In a larger bowl, whisk the butter, honey, yogurt, eggs and vanilla. (You can use the same 1/3 cup measure for three ingredients. I love efficiency with kitchen utensils — fewer dishes to wash!) Dump dry ingredients into wet mixture and whisk together until well blended. Stir in grated squash, making sure it is dispersed evenly throughout the batter. Spread batter (it will be thick) in greased 9×9 pan and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. If the cake doesn’t get eaten within a day or so, it should probably go in the fridge, because it’s so moist and the summer heat can turn the flavor quicker than you expect.
Recipe inspired by Jane Brody’s Good Food Book and Simply in Season, and the golden jars of honey at market.
Got questions about food? Feel free to email me at shankzehr@yahoo.com
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Summer Squash Quiche
Ingredients:
* 2 cups shredded potato (about 4 smallish potatoes, unpeeled)
* 2 Tbsp. butter, softened or melted
* 1/2 tsp. salt (for the potato crust)
* 1 cup onion, finely chopped
* 2-3 cups thinly sliced summer squash (if using large squash, quarter lengthwise first and remove pithy seed area if desired)
* 4 oz shredded cheese such as cheddar or Swiss (about 2 cups — herbed or spiced cheeses work nicely too)
* 1 cup milk, cream or combination
* 4 eggs
* 1/2 tsp. salt (for the filling)
* 1/4 tsp. black pepper or a few dashes hot sauce
* 1/2 – 1 tsp. dry mustard or ground coriander, optional
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a 9×9 pan, mix together shredded potato, butter and salt. Pat evenly across bottom of pan and bake for 15-20 minutes. While crust is baking, prepare other ingredients: chop onion, slice squash, shred cheese, whisk together milk, eggs, salt, pepper and optional dry mustard or coriander. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle chopped onion in an even layer over crust. Spread about half the squash in another even layer, then half the cheese. Next the remaining squash and top with the rest of the cheese. Slowly pour milk/egg mixture back and forth over the squash, letting it run over as many of the top surfaces as possible. Bake at 400 until a knife comes out clean when you stick it in the middle, probably about 35-50 minutes, depending on how much squash you added. Let sit for 10-15 minutes before eating, then dig in! We enjoyed it hot from the oven and also reheated the next morning for breakfast, served with fresh bread and fruit.
Recipe inspired by a couple different recipes from Simply in Season (simplyinseason.org)
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Fried Green Tomatoes
I associate fried green tomatoes with October, when we’ve stripped the plants of every last fruit, ripe and unripe, just before the first killing frost. But of course, unripe tomatoes are available all summer long if you have a vine in your backyard, or you put in a special request with your favorite tomato vendor at market.
Ingredients:
* completely firm, unripe green tomatoes
* whole egg
* cornmeal, coarsely ground, or uncooked polenta or brown rice flour
* salt
* cayenne or black pepper
* olive oil and butter (may also use lard, chicken fat or beef tallow)
Directions:
Make sure you’ve chosen green tomatoes that are not soft at all. They’ll hold up to frying much better if they are completely firm. Medium-sized tomatoes are easier to work with for frying. Slice a thin layer of skin off the top and bottom and carefully cut out the stem core. Cut into slices about 1/8 – 3/16 inch thick, or thicker if you like more green tomato inside the crispy coating. If you’re frying for just a few people, cut 2-3 tomatoes to begin and only cut more if you still have appetite, as these need to be eaten immediately.
Whisk the egg in a bowl of the right size for dipping tomato slices, whisk until the white isn’t stringy any more. In a separate bowl or pan, again of a size for dipping, stir together about 1 cup cornmeal with 1/2 – 1 tsp. salt and 1/8 – 1/2 tsp. cayenne powder or black pepper. If you’re not sure how salty or spicy you like it, start with the lesser amounts and fry a couple slices to taste, then adjust seasonings as you prefer.
Heat a large heavy skillet over almost medium-high heat, melt equal parts butter and olive oil to completely cover the bottom of the skillet with a thin layer of fat. If the pan or oil starts smoking, turn the heat down a bit.
Now that everything is ready (and your eaters are hungry) start frying! Dip a slice into the egg to coat it (this will seal in the juices and help prevent the cornmeal from getting soggy), let the excess egg drip off a bit, then dredge it through the spiced cornmeal, covering both sides thoroughly. Place it carefully in the hot oil and repeat with more slices, moving as quickly as you can or having someone help you fill the skillet with slices. Leave a little space between each slice and tilt the skillet slightly to distribute the oil evenly throughout the pan. Fry until golden brown on bottom (keep track of which slice you put in first, as it will likely brown first), then flip over and fry until golden and crispy on the other side. Remove to a plate or tray covered with paper towels and eat as soon as your mouth can handle the heat. Try topping with a few drops of your favorite vinegar for extra tang.
Between batches, spoon any cornmeal drippings out of the skillet, and add more butter and olive oil as needed to keep the layer of fat even on the bottom of the skillet. Mix up more cornmeal and spices if you have more tomatoes to fry. You can always store the extra flour mix for another time or use with fried zucchini or eggplant, or with fish.
Recipe by Kris Shank Zehr
Got questions about food? Feel free to email me at shankzehr@yahoo.com.
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Creamy Cantaloupe Soup
Did you know that our bodies require fat to convert beta carotene (that fat-soluble antioxidant bountifully supplied by cantaloupe) into vitamin A? This recipe pairs cantaloupe with cream for a delicious, beautiful and surprisingly healthful cold soup. I enjoyed it for breakfast and mid-afternoon snack; it would also work as side dish or dessert.
Ingredients:
* 4 cups cantaloupe, seeds & rind removed, chunked small (about one medium melon)
* 1/4 cup orange juice
* 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
* 3/4 – 1 cup cream or plain yogurt, or combination
* 2 Tbsp. honey
* 1 tsp. vanilla
* 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
Directions:
Puree cantaloupe, orange juice and lemon juice in blender until smooth. Pour into quart container and chill several hours. In a separate container, mix together cream and/or yogurt, honey, vanilla and nutmeg, stirring well to dissolve honey. Chill sweetened cream several hours. When ready to serve, shake well and pour melon soup into 2-4 wide shallow soup bowls. Spoon sweet cream over soup in swirls, 2-4 tablespoons per bowl, or pour into the center and use a knife to make rays or other fun patterns. If you have leftover cream, use it in your next batch of smoothies or pour over fresh peaches or berries. Keeps well in the fridge for a few days.
- Recipe by Kris Shank Zehr, inspired by Mary Bendfeldt’s fond memory of a cantaloupe soup eaten while on her honeymoon, conveyed to me at market last week as we both purchased melons.
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Watermelon Feta Salad
If you’ve been reading any food blogs over the last few years, likely you have seen photos of this ubiquitous colorful salad. I found a multitude of ingredient options and measurements, but all had in common watermelon and feta cheese. Being a fanatical feta lover, I am rather fond of the mixture; but even my daughter – not a feta fan – liked it, though she did avoid the big chunks of cheese.
Ingredients:
* 4 cups watermelon, rind & seeds removed, cut into bite-size pieces
* 1/4 medium red or sweet onion, cut in very thin slivers, optional
* 2-4 Tbsp. lime juice or balsamic vinegar, optional
* 2-3 Tbsp. mint or basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons, optional
* 1/2 – 1 cup feta cheese, in large crumbles (not optional)
Directions:
Prepare watermelon — this you can do ahead and chill to have ready when you want to toss together the salad. Slice onion (thinly!) and soak in lime juice or balsamic vinegar for 10-15 minutes to temper that oniony sting. Slice mint/basil and toss with watermelon, onion and lime juice/vinegar. Crumble feta cheese onto salad and fold in gently. Bring immediately to the table; devour. Add more watermelon if you have leftover juices and don’t want to drink them straight up. Gets rather soggy in fridge so it’s best to eat it all right away. Serves 2-4 people.
Recipe adapted by Kris from innumerable food blogs
Got questions about food? Feel free to email me at shankzehr@yahoo.com.
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Spicy Corn Skillet
This recipe was a huge hit with my husband and twelve-year-old, both of whom love corn and spicy foods. We agree that it’s fabulous served with baked or boiled potatoes, perhaps with chicken or sausage on the side. It’s so colorful and flavorful that I served it as the main dish, cooked in a large skillet and placed in the center of the table for full visual enjoyment.
Ingredients:
* 4-6 Tbsp. butter
* 2 tsp. mustard seeds
* 1/2 tsp. fenugreek seeds
* 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
* 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
* 1 tsp. turmeric powder
* 2 medium onions, quartered and cut in slivers
* 1 red bell pepper, cut in thin one-inch slices
* 2-4 jalepeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped
* 2-4 cloves garlic, minced
* 6 ears corn, cut off cob (5-6 cups)
* 1-2 cups plain yogurt
* salt, to taste
* 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
Directions:
* Prepare all ingredients before you start cooking: measure spices (mustard, fenugreek, red pepper, ginger, turmeric) into a little bowl; cut onions, peppers, garlic, corn, cilantro; have everything ready and close at hand.
* Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, red pepper flakes, grated ginger and turmeric, and stir a minute or so until fragrant and mustard seeds start popping. Immediately add sliced onion and both sweet & spicy peppers, and saute until tender. Add garlic and corn, stir and let simmer for 3-5 minutes until corn is tender. Lower heat, add salt to taste and stir in yogurt a half cup at a time, to your preferred juiciness, and it will be juicy. The yogurt may curdle a bit, but that won’t hurt anything. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over top, and eat with gusto!
* Serves 6-8, but it makes good leftovers cold or hot, so don’t be shy about making the whole batch for fewer than 6 people.
Notes:
* If you don’t have whole mustard or fenugreek seeds, you could possibly try using the ground versions of each, but resulting flavor may differ somewhat.
* Jalepeño peppers vary greatly in spiciness, so do be careful when chopping. I’ve read that greasing your hands first will prevent some of the finger burn, but gloves or a plastic bag over hands will help even more. Be sure to wash everything well afterward and don’t rub your eyes until your fingers stop glowing! Recipe adapted from Nourishing Traditions
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Corn Pudding
A sweet, moist, African-inspired dish tasty served for breakfast or as a side dish alongside roasted or grilled meats or spicy stews and curries. And, it’s quick to make and can easily be made dairy- or gluten-free.
Ingredients:
* 4 cups corn, cut off the cob (about 4-6 ears of corn)
* 3 eggs
* 2 Tbsp. butter or olive oil
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 1 Tbsp. molasses
* 1 Tbsp. honey
* 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
* 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
* 1/4 tsp. allspice
* 1/4 cup flour
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Measure 2 cups of the corn into blender or food processor, add all other ingredients and puree until smooth. Add remaining corn and whirl just a couple seconds to blend — not too long, though, so there are still whole kernels visible. Pour into two small or one large greased casserole and bake for 30-45 minutes, until a knife poked in the middle comes out clean. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before eating. Serves 6-8. If that’s too much, just halve the recipe, using 2 small eggs.
Notes:
* If you don’t have any type of molasses on hand, just increase the honey to 2 Tbsp., or use 2 Tbsp. maple syrup instead.
* Convert to gluten-free by using brown rice flour or sorghum flour, and dairy-free with olive oil.
* If you prefer an even moister corn pudding without the crusty brown bottom, you can steam it by using a casserole with matching lid (or covering tightly with foil) and placing in a larger deep pan filled about half with boiling water. Two cautions: Make sure your ingredients aren’t cold when you dump them in the casserole and pour boiling water around outside of said casserole, or you risk the casserole dish breaking from the stress of hot and cold at once. Also, wait to pour the boiling water into outer pan until you have the casserole-in-pan on the oven shelf, as far in the oven as possible to help eliminate splashing.
Recipe adapted from Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant
Got questions about food? Feel free to email me at shankzehr@yahoo.com
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Cold Cucumber Yogurt Soup
A refreshing soup easy to make and easy to enjoy.
Ingredients:
* 2 medium cucumbers, peeled, sliced (seeds removed only if they are large)
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 Tbsp. olive oil
* 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
* 2 cups plain yogurt
* salt & pepper to taste
* 1 Tbsp. mint or dill or both, minced
Directions:
Place all ingredients except mint/dill in blender and puree until smooth. Add mint and/or dill, whirl just to blend. Chill immediately, either in closed blender or jar or bowl, for at least an hour or more. Serve with a sprig of mint to garnish. Makes about 4 cups. To let the flavors blend longer, mix this up in the morning and let chill all day in the fridge. You might even like it as an afternoon drink!
This cool and refreshing soup just begged to be tested with curry, so my daughter and I made a feast of spicy stewed beef, curried green beans & potatoes (recipe from July 8 email – see archives at market website), fresh tomato & onion chutney, and minted peach & blueberry salad for dessert (recipe from June 17). Cucumber yogurt soup was the perfect foil for the spicy curries, soothing our mouths and cleansing our palates. I used only mint, but I’m sure it would be tasty with dill or both, depending on your preference. If you haven’t time to prepare a curry feast, try it with a tomato sandwich or just a piece of toast or muffin.
Recipe adapted from Nourishing Traditions and Jane Brody’s Good Food Book.
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Cucumber Pepper Salad
Inspired by Serbian cuisine, this crunchy, colorful salad features two favorite vegetables of that region and plenty of fragrant fresh herbs.
Ingredients:
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 1/8 tsp. paprika
* 3-4 Tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
* 1 Tbsp. fresh basil, minced (or 1 tsp. dried)
* 1/2 – 1 tsp. fresh marjoram, minced (or 1/4 tsp. dried) optional
* 1/2 – 1 tsp. fresh oregano, minced (or 1/4 tsp. dried)
* salt & pepper to taste
* 2-3 sweet bell peppers of mixed colors (green, red, orange or yellow), chopped
* 2-4 cucumbers, sliced not too thinly (see tip below)
* 1 sweet onion, large or small as desired, cut in slivers or small chunks
Directions:
Measure olive oil, lemon juice, paprika, fresh herbs, salt and pepper into a large bowl, stir to combine. Chop and add peppers, cucumbers and onion, toss well to coat all pieces with dressing. Taste and add more salt & pepper as desired. Makes a pretty big salad, serving 5-8 people.
Tips:
We thought the salad tasted better the next morning after flavors had a chance to blend, so prepare ahead if you can and let it chill in the fridge several hours before serving.
As for serving suggestions, I think the flavors would work well alongside meat or cheese, baked potato or bread. The recipe-of-origin recommends heaping it on a bed of romaine leaves and garnishing with halves of hard-boiled eggs. Tomatoes could also be included in the salad, though they wouldn’t hold up as well leftover.
I used the long, skinny, ridged, mild-skinned, small-seeded Suyo Long cucumber for this salad because I wanted whole slices with skin for color and texture. (I bought four types of cucumbers at market last week to try out different varieties — several of them could be used for the same purpose.) Use your favorite type if you wish, just peel and remove seeds as needed.
-Recipe adapted from Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant, where they feature a different ethnic cuisine every Sunday evening.
- Got questions about food? Feel free to email me at shankzehr@yahoo.com.
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Peach Smoothie
A refreshing soup easy to make and easy to enjoy.
Ingredients:
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 1 egg yolk, optional (see note below)
• 1 Tbsp. cold-pressed flax seed oil, optional
• 2 cups sliced peaches, peeled or not, fresh or frozen (see note below)
Flavor options:
• 2 Tbsp. chopped mint leaves plus 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract plus 1/4 – 1/2 cup lavender water, to taste (To make lavender water, place 1/2 cup cool water and 2 tsp. lavender blossoms in a small jar, cover and let sit several hours, drain and chill.)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract plus a dash or two of nutmeg (start small with the nutmeg, as that flavor can be overwhelming if too much is used) or 1/2 – 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1-2 tsp. grated fresh ginger plus 1 tsp. vanilla
Directions:
Place yogurt, milk, honey, egg yolk, flax oil and preferred flavor option in blender and whirl to mix thoroughly. Add fresh or frozen peach slices and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust flavors as desired. Drink now or chill for later. Makes about one quart.
Notes:
• For a colder, thicker smoothie, cut peaches at least 5-6 hours ahead, spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze (may cover with plastic wrap or waxed paper), or divide slices into an ice cube tray if your blender can handle larger chunks. Or you can add a few ice cubes with unfrozen peaches.
• Yogurt lends a refreshing tang to smoothies and imparts beneficial bacteria for healthy digestion (make sure you’re getting “live culture” yogurt), but you can use any combination of milk, yogurt, fruit juice or even chilled herbal tea.
• Raw egg yolk and flax seed oil help make a creamy smoothie, but more importantly, provide the heat-sensitive enzyme lipase which helps your body digest fats. For food safety, only use eggs from pastured chickens, as the incidence of food-borne illness is dramatically lower in animals raised on grass.
• You don’t really need a recipe to make smoothies — they are so flexible and can be made in infinite ways. Experiment with the flavors and foods you like, just start small and add more if needed.
Recipe by Kris Shank Zehr
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Peach Custard Tart
This recipe surprised me with its yumminess and ease of preparation. Ask someone to help you blanch and peel the fruit so you can pop this peachy dessert in the oven in no time.
Ingredients:
• 1 cup whole wheat flour or almond meal, or combination
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 tsp. lemon zest, optional
• 4 cups peach halves, peeled (8-12 whole peaches, depending on size)
• 1/2 – 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup plain yogurt, sour cream (or whole milk plus 1 Tbsp. lemon juice)
• 2 eggs
• 2-3 Tbsp. honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 F. In a medium mixing bowl, cut butter into flour/almond meal, sugar and lemon zest until crumbly. I like to use my fingers to get the butter chunks smaller and well-mixed into the flour. Pat the crumbs firmly onto the bottom of an 8×8 cake pan or 9-inch deep dish pie pan. Place peach halves cut side down on the crust, packing them in snugly and cutting pieces as needed to fill any gaps. Sprinkle peaches with cinnamon. Whisk yogurt, eggs, honey and vanilla in previously used mixing bowl (the fewer dishes to wash, the better!) and pour over peaches. Bake at 375 F for 40-45 minutes, until custard is set and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Allow tart to cool a bit before eating. Or cool completely and chill if desired. Serves 6-8.
Recipe inspired by several similar ones in Simply in Season.
Kitchen Tip:
Blanching works very well to remove peach skins: Bring a pot of water to boil and dip peaches a few at a time into water for 20-30 seconds, removing promptly into a bowl of ice water. After a minute or two in the cold water, the peach should be willing to give up its skin quite easily, and the red blush will remain beautifully imprinted on its luscious curving cheeks.
Got questions about food? Feel free to email me at shankzehr@yahoo.com.
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Vegetable Stir-fry
Stir-fry is a safe, easy way to try eggplant. A combination of veggies provide other tastes and textures so you don’t get stuck with just one flavor.
Ingredients:
* olive oil
* onion
* red bell pepper
* summer squash
* eggplant (long & skinny preferred, not peeled or seeded)
* garlic (lots!)
* salt & pepper
Directions:
Heat a generous swirl of olive oil over medium-high heat (don’t let it smoke!), add chopped or sliced onion and pepper, saute & stir a few minutes until onion pieces separate. Add summer squash slices, stir and saute until squash is just beginning to get tender. Add sliced eggplant and lots of minced or thinly sliced garlic at the end, for just a few minutes of cooking, as eggplant softens quickly. Season with salt & pepper. Serve over pasta or rice with cheese for garnish, or as a side dish. Vary amounts and types of vegetables as you prefer.
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Grilled or Broiled Eggplant
Ingredients:
* one round or oblong eggplant (light or dark)
* olive oil
* salt & pepper
* garlic, optional
Directions:
Remove leafy cap and cut eggplant lengthwise into about 1/4 inch slices, keeping skin on. Brush with olive oil, rub with a half clove of garlic if you wish, dust with salt & pepper. Grill until browned on both sides, or broil on a cookie sheet, turning to brown both sides. Keep an eye on those slices, they won’t take long to cook.
I ate my broiled eggplant with a slice of tomato and a dash of parmesan, preferring the combined flavors to straight-up eggplant. Sometime I’d like to try several slices of broiled eggplant layered alternately with thinly sliced onion, tomato, cheese and basil (or pesto). One of my cookbooks suggests serving this stacked eggplant/veggie “burger” in a toasted bun rubbed with olive oil and garlic.
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Baba Ghanoush
My favorite eggplant dish to date, though I haven’t yet tried eggplant parmesan. You can bake the eggplant ahead whenever you’ve got the oven on for something else and chill the flesh until you’re ready to use. Amounts are given in ranges to accommodate size of eggplant and personal preference.
Ingredients:
* one large or two small round eggplants (dark is fine)
* 2-4 Tbsp. lemon juice
* 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
* 1/2 – 1 tsp. salt
* 3-4 Tbsp. tahini (seseme seed paste)
* 2-4 Tbsp. onion, finely minced, optional
* 1-2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
* 2-3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
Directions:
Remove stem and prick eggplant through skin with a fork several times. You can broil it whole on a baking sheet for 20 minutes or so, several inches under broiler coils, turning a few times to char all sides. Or bake it whole or halved (cut side down) at 375-400 F until it is very soft, about 30-45 minutes, depending on size. When it’s cool enough to touch, scoop out the flesh and either chill for later or set aside as you prepare the other ingredients.
In blender or food processor, place lemon juice, garlic, salt, tahini (in this order, so tahini doesn’t get stuck under the blades). Add a spoon of the eggplant and puree until smooth. Add remaining eggplant, blend thoroughly. Taste and adjust flavors as desired. Scrape out of blender, stir in onion (optional), olive oil and parsley, or if you want a more attractive presentation, spread mixture in a wide, shallow bowl, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with minced parsley. Serve with toasted or fresh pita wedges, tortilla chips, slices of bell pepper or cucumber or other fresh veggies for dipping.
-Recipe adapted from Jane Brody’s Good Food Book.
Got questions about food? Feel free to email me at shankzehr@yahoo.com
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Rainbow Salad (southwest style)
I’ve been waiting for the right time to share this recipe with you. It could have been featured with corn or tomatoes, but I had other good recipes for those weeks, and this is such a time-intensive project that I reserve it for church potlucks or other large food-based gatherings and double the recipe while I’m at it. By the time you get all these ingredients in one bowl, you’ve got enough to feed a large crowd, and a complete meal in one dish. Feel free to cut the recipe in half as needed.
Ingredients:
* 2-4 cups cooked quinoa, cooled
* 2 cups tomatoes, chopped & drained
* 2 cups corn-off-the-cob, fresh or frozen & drained
* 2-3 bell peppers of various colors, diced
* 1 large sweet onion, diced
* 2 cups (about one 15 oz can) cooked black beans, cooled & drained
* 4-8 oz cheddar cheese, cubed (I like jalepeño cheddar for this salad)
* 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Dressing:
* 6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
* 6 Tbsp. lime juice (may use lemon juice)
* 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1-2 tsp. salt, to taste (smoked salt adds a nice touch if you have it)
* 1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped, or 1/2 Tbsp. dried oregano
* 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
* 3/4 tsp. chili powder
* 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper or chipotle powder (may instead mince 1-2 tsp. fresh jalepeño or cayenne if you prefer)
Directions:
Cook quinoa according to package directions. As soon as quinoa is done, spread out on a large flat pan to cool quickly; this helps prevent sticky lumps. You can make quinoa ahead and keep in the fridge several days to spread out the work load.
Whisk together dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Chop, dice, cube, drain all those beautiful vegetables, cheese, beans, herbs. Toss them and the quinoa together in a large bowl. Whisk dressing again to blend and pour most of it over salad. Stir and taste. Add more dressing if you like and adjust salt as needed.
Admire the colors and flavors. Serve as soon as possible. Keeps fairly well in the fridge for a few days, though it does get a bit soggy after a while, from the tomatoes.
- Recipe adapted from Stoplight Salad in Simply in Season.
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Stuffed Sweet Bell Peppers: a mix and match recipe
Before I tested this recipe, I had eaten stuffed peppers exactly twice and wasn’t overly impressed with the standard rice/tomato/beef filling. Upon further contemplation for this feature, I thought it would be fun to have a stuffed pepper template, using what I have on hand or what’s available and looks tasty. I’ll tell you about our first attempt at the end of the recipe. Here are some ideas to get you started. Choose something from each line, or mix and match as you wish.
Ingredients:
* cooked rice or quinoa or polenta, bread cubes, mashed or diced cooked potatoes
* browned ground beef or sausage (links should be sliced thinly), shredded cooked chicken, cubed ham, cooked beans (such as kidney, black, lentils, black-eyed peas)
* diced tomato, onion, eggplant, minced garlic, shredded zucchini or carrot (or more pepper!) – (you can saute these for a shorter baking time or add them raw if you prefer)
* chopped fresh oregano, thyme, parsley, dill, or cilantro, hot pepper
* pesto (basil, sorrel, cilantro, garlic scape, arugula…), spaghetti sauce, salsa
* shredded cheese, soft goat cheese, feta, Parmesan, egg
***And of course***
*several large blocky bell peppers, any color
Directions:
Choose and prepare your various ingredients. You can go for a theme, such as southwestern or Mediterranean or vegetarian, or whatever sounds yummy to you. Preheat the oven to 375 F. For the peppers themselves, either cut them in half or cut a cap off the top in order to stuff the whole thing. Remove seeds & ribs, keep the cap to put on top if you wish. If the pepper doesn’t balance well by itself, you can cut a very thin slice off the offending bottom parts to make a flatter sitting surface. Find a cake pan or casserole dish that will just hold all the peppers with no extra space to tip or fall over.
When your filling is mixed together, stuff it into all the curves and caves of each pepper, heaping it on top depending on how juicy it is. My test filling was fairly wet, so I added an egg to help hold it together while baking. If the filling is already cooked and hot, bake for 30-45 minutes at 375. If it’s raw and cold, they’ll need 45-60 minutes in the oven. Let sit for 10 minutes to cool and firm up a bit before serving.
Now for my test “recipe”: I used cooked polenta (yellow corn grits) as my base, adding hot Italian sausage, lots of diced onions, a bit of bell pepper and jalepeño, plenty of garlic. Also black-eyed peas, soft plain goat cheese, grated Romano cheese, cilantro, a bit of fresh tomato that needed to be used, a dollop of salsa and a couple of raw eggs to hold it together. I cut the peppers in half and stuffed them full. My 12-year-old loved them so much she even ate the pepper — this from a girl who proclaimed just the day before that she doesn’t like cooked pepper. We enjoyed the leftovers for breakfast the next day.
Recipe template by Kris Shank Zehr
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Hot Pepper Sauce
Are you such a fan of hot sauce that you’ve wondered what else you can do with those little narrow-necked bottles you keep recycling? Here’s an easy recipe that freezes well and all you need (besides the ingredients) is a good blender, gloves or plastic bags to protect your hands, one of those empty hot sauce bottles and a tiny funnel. If you haven’t got a little funnel (you might find one at a hardware store in the lamp oil section) you’ll need to use an old soy or Worcestershire sauce bottle, or anything with a fairly small opening for portion control.
Ingredients:
* hot peppers, as hot as you like (I typically use a mixture of cayenne, serrano, maybe a habañero from the neighbor, possibly a few red jalepeños)
*apple cider vinegar
*salt
Directions:
To prepare the peppers, use a cutting surface that you won’t shortly need for anything fresh or sweet. Wear gloves or cover your hands with plastic bags. Remove stems from peppers, cut into slices about 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick. Place peppers in blender, not more than 1/2 – 2/3 full. The quantity of peppers you have determines the amount of vinegar and salt you’ll use. If you’ve got about half a blender full of pepper slices, start with 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/2 cup water and see whether that just covers the peppers, adding more vinegar/water (equal parts) if needed to bring the liquid level to the top of the peppers. Add 1-2 teaspoons of salt, cover tightly and blend until thoroughly pureed, seeds and all. Don’t be in a hurry to open the lid — let the spray settle down a bit so your nose doesn’t get burned when you lean in to see what you have just made. If it’s too thick, you can add more vinegar. Too thin, add a few more peppers.
Pour into serving bottle and keep refrigerated. Any remaining sauce can be kept and frozen in small glass jars, filled not quite to the top to allow for expansion. Make sure you try a small sample to test for strength before you use a large quantity in a recipe.
Clean knife, cutting board and blender carefully with soapy water to remove the hot oils and don’t touch your nose and eyes for at least a half hour, until you know whether or not your hands got burned.
Recipe by Kris Shank Zehr
Got questions about food? Feel free to email me at shankzehr@yahoo.com
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Sautéd Spaghetti Squash
- Submitted by Vendor, Christina Parham, of Dyepot Fiberworks
Ingredients:
* 1 Spaghetti squash cooked and cooled
* 2 T. Butter
* 2 T. Olive Oil
* Paprika
* Garlic Powder or minced fresh garlic
* Soy sauce
Directions:
Put butter and olive oil in a skillet and melt. Put in cooked spaghetti squash and stir to thoroughly cook about 10-15 mins over med heat. If using minced garlic, put that in now. Right before it is done, add a generous sprinkling of paprika and garlic powder. Stir to mix well. Add a couple splashes of soy sauce and stir some more. This is great with sauteed shrimp or just on its own. (You may need to add more butter or olive oil depending on if the squash gets too dry.)
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Prize Winning Tomato Tart
Submitted by Angelina Gonzales of Moonflower Baking. This is Angelina’s first place winner in the baked category and best overall recipe at our recent Tomato Fest! Congratulations and thanks to her for sharing this recipe! 
Set oven to 400 degrees
* ½ Recipe of Your Favorite Pie Crust Recipe (Freeze Other ½ for Later Use)
* ½ Cup of Soft Goat Cheese
*
½ Cup of Soft Cream Cheese
*
1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Basil
* 1 Clove Garlic Minced
* 1/8 Teaspoon Salt
Mix above ingredients together
*1 Cup Current Tomatoes (0r Other Small Tomato)
*1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Mix the tomatoes and olive oil separate bowl.
Roll crust into circle and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Smear crust with cheese mixture leaving 1 ½ inch border. Fold border over cheese.
Top with even layer of tomatoes. Sprinkle crust with 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese.
Bake in center of oven for 30 to 40 minutes until golden. Cool on rack 10 minutes. Garnish center with basil leaves. Eat and enjoy!
Tip: If tomatoes seem to disappear at 20 minutes of baking I will often add a few extra on top. Or you can add additional tomatoes after the tart comes out of oven. Watch bottom of crust to make sure it is golden not too brown. Raise oven rack if bottom gets golden too fast. Top and bottom should be a beautiful gold.
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Summer Vegetable Casserole
This recipe was created out of one of those random conversations that we often have at the Market … as I can best recall it was based on a recipe passed on from Radell Schrock. I brought it home, played with it a bit and ended up with one of our favorite quick and easy summer skillets. The ingredients are not exact – just use your best cooking instincts – you can’t go wrong on this one. -Josie Showalter
Ingredients:
* 2 tbsp olive oil
* 2 small or 1 large unreeled summer squash or zucchini or a mix, sliced or diced.
* 1 medium onion chopped
* 1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
* sweet or hot peppers (optional)
* 2 or 3 fresh tomatoes, chopped in small chunks
* fresh thyme and/or basil chopped
* 1 box of stovetop herb flavored stuffing or 2 cups hearty bread cubes
* 1 cup liquid – either water, broth or tomato juice
* salt and pepper to taste – (use less salt if you use the stuffing mix)
* grated cheese of your choice
Directions:
Saute vegetables, except tomatoes, and herbs in the olive oil until tender. Add stuffing mix or bread cubes, liquid and tomato chunks and simmer long enough to heat tomatoes and soften the bread. Adjust the liquid amount as you prefer to adjust the moisture content – I prefer a juicier consistency, some folks like it a bit crustier. Top with grated cheese cover the skillet and simmer for a few more minutes to melt the cheese.
Alternate Directions: Saute as directed above, layer squash and onion mixture on the bottom of a large baking dish, top with fresh sliced tomatoes and the moistened stuffing mix or bread cubes and bake at 425 until hot and bubbly. Add grated cheese and bake for 5 minutes more. Enjoy!