Recipe Archive – Winter 2010-2011
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Simple Beet Soup
A lovely deep magenta soup, just tangy enough not to be cloyingly sweet.
Ingredients:
• 4-5 medium beets, cooked, peeled, cubed (about 2 cups)
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 medium onion
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 2-3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
• 1/4 cup apple cider, optional (may use orange juice)
• 1 cup water
• salt, to taste
Directions:
Trim beet stems to one inch, leave root attached and do not peel. Place in pot large enough to hold beets and water to cover them. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover; simmer until fork tender, 30-40 minutes. Run cool water over cooked beets and slip off skins, tops and root; cut into small cubes. This can all be done ahead if desired.
Heat butter in a two-quart pot, sauté onions over medium-low heat until very tender, 10-15 minutes. Add coriander, vinegar, cubed beets; stir until heated through, 3-5 minutes. Puree beet mixture with cider and water, adding more water if you prefer a thinner consistency. Reheat and serve with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream. Serves 2-4, depending on whether it’s the main course or an accompaniment.
Recipe adapted from Nourishing Traditions.
Whole Beet Skillet
As the name proclaims, this recipe uses the whole beet: leaf, stem and root, but is best prepared when you have beets with greens still fresh and not wilted. The flavors of ginger, lemon and honey combine to highlight the best of our humble vegetable. You can find instructions and ingredients in our market recipe archives here.
Beet Salad Ideas
Sweet smooth beet combines in this list of salad possibilities with crunchy toasted nuts, salty feta, zingy onion and the deep richness of balsamic vinegar. I didn’t have time to test this myself, but was inspired by Ruth Stoltzfus Jost’s enthusiastic description of her own recent gustatory pleasure while eating such a salad. (Note: Saturday is the last week for Green Valley’s goat feta until next spring, so stock up now if you want to try this recipe another week.)
Ingredient Options:
• mixed salad greens
• beets, cooked or roasted, sliced or wedged
• onion, thinly sliced or slivered
• feta cheese, crumbled
• apple or orange chunks, optional
• toasted walnuts or pecans (you may want to find a recipe for maple-glazed nuts)
• honey or maple balsamic vinaigrette
Directions:
Cook or roast unpeeled beets first; allow to cool, peel and cut. Prepare other ingredients in proportions of your choice. Arrange greens on plate or wide bowl, top with beets, onion, cheese, fruit, nuts. Drizzle with vinaigrette and serve immediately.
Turnip Apple Salad
Here’s a refreshing, mildly fruity slaw marvelous served with Cream of Cauliflower Soup (see last week’s recipes in the archives). The turnip doesn’t dominate and it even keeps well leftover without browning. It’s my new favorite way to eat regular purple turnips. Note: don’t use white Japanese turnips here — they’re perfectly delicious eaten plain or with a sprinkling of salt.
Ingredients:
• 1 cup turnip, peeled & grated
• 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 cup parsley, minced
• drizzle of olive oil
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 cup apple, grated (tart is nice but not required)
Directions:
Grate turnip into bowl, sprinkle with lemon juice, parsley, oil and salt. Grate apple into salad and toss immediately and thoroughly.
Tip:
We like to grate apples without peeling them first. Cut apple in half and remove core. Press the cut side against the grater and use the peel as your finger shield. A bit of peel will get in the mix (more color!) and you’ll be left with most of the peel, sans newly grated apple flesh.
P.S. You want more color in the salad? Try adding a bit of shredded raw beet…
Recipe adapted from Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant.
Cottage Pie
…for some, simply the ultimate comfort food…and there is some Vitamin D to be found here as well!
Ingredients:
• 1 onion diced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• 1 large carrot diced
• 1 beef stock cube
• 1 lb of chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 3 tbsp tomato puree
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 2 lbs of potatoes
• ½ cup butter
Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the onion, garlic and carrot and cook until soft. Add the ground beef and stock cube and brown. Stir in the tomatoes and tomato puree and cornstarch. Simmer, stirring occasionly for about 15 minutes, or until thickened. Season after thickening.
Meanwhile peel and chop the potatoes and boil until soft. Mash them with the butter and add salt and pepper to taste.
Put the beef mixture into a deep dish, top with mashed potatoes and broil until the top is golden brown. Enjoy!
~Local Chef, Alex Fitzgerald
Lentil Soup
Speaking of comfort food, this is a favoite of mine, adapted from Jane Brody’s Good Food Book. Even friends and family who turn up their noses at lentil soup like this one! If you add the grated cheese, it combines with the lentils to create a complete protein, thus a main dish soup. Pair it with some lovely Market bread and a fresh salad for a yummy winter meal. I often make a larger batch and put some in the freezer — it seems to be better the second time around. Bolded ingredients are generally available at the Market.
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp canola, olive or vegetable oil
2 cups of chopped onion
2 cups grated carrots
1 tsp dried crushed marjoram
1 tsp dried crushed thyme
minced fresh garlic (optional)
1 28 oz can chopped tomatoes with juice
7 cups stock or broth
1 ½ cups dried lentils rinsed and cleaned
½ tsp salt
¼ to ½ tsp black pepper
¾ cup dry white wine
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley or 2 tbsp of dried parsley
fresh grated cheese of choice – (optional)
Directions: For ease of preparing I simply chop the onions and carrots seperately in a food processor. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or soup kettle. Sauté the onions, carrots, herbs and garlic stirring often for about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, lentils and stock. If you don’t have stock on hand you can substitute bouillon and water – about 3 cubes to the 7 cups of water – do not add salt in this case. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about an hour or until the lentils are tender. Add the seasonings, wine and parsley and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with cheese sprinkled over the top.
~Josie Showalter
Miso Soup
The following recipe was provided by Harrisonburg local, Grayson Pritchard. Grayson’s miso soup recipe is tasty and sure to heal your mind, body and soul. You can also find Grayson sharing his healing goodness at the Shen Dao Clinic, where he teaches a Qigong class, or creating smoothies at “Pulp” smoothie bar located inside the Shenandoah Bicycle Company. Thanks to Grayson for lending his recipe to our newsletter and doing his part in keeping Harrisonburg healthy!
Ingredients:
• 3.5 C broth (any broth; veggie*, fish, meat) *veggie or fish broth will allow the shiitake flavor to represent in full glory while meaty
broth might dominate. Experiment and see what suits you.
• 6 T white miso paste OR 4 T dark miso paste
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 handful green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 handful of shiitakes, chopped
Directons:
Sweat the onions in a speck of oil. Stir in the shiitakes just to get them loosened up. Add broth and bring to a boil. After a minute or so, cut heat to a minimum and wait a bit before adding Miso paste. Add green onions last — they’re rather grand al dente.
** Here’s the secret with miso. 1. DO NOT BOIL miso. It’s a living culture, so you want it to be alive when it reaches your gut. (These microorganisms that benefit the human GI tract do not want to get too hot, so let the temp drop a bit before adding. Also, boiling it will alter the flavor). 2. Scoop your miso into a ladle and dip it into the broth. Allow broth to seep into the ladle and mix it into a slurry before mixing with the rest of the soup. This will prevent getting a big salty un-dissolved miso lump surprise!
Makes 2-4 servings
Mushroom Risotto
This recipe calls for arborio rice, an Italian-grown rice that yields a creamy texture when cooked, so it is traditionally used for risotto. Serves 6.
Ingredients:
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 2 cups flavorful mushrooms such as shiitake, chanterelle, or oyster mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and cut into half inch to inch pieces
• 2/3 cup cognac, vermouth, or dry white wine
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 7 cups chicken stock (use vegetable stock for vegetarian option)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil or fresh pressed canola oil
• 1/3 cup of peeled and minced shallots (OR 1/3 cup of yellow or white onion, finely chopped)
• 1 3/4 cups arborio rice
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan or other cheese of your choice
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté about 5 minutes (if using chanterelles, dry sauté first for a minute or two and let the mushrooms cook in their own juices before adding the butter). Add cognac, bring to a boil, and reduce liquid by half, about 3-4 minutes. Lower heat to medium, add cream, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and set aside.
Bring stock to a simmer in a saucepan.
In a deep, heavy, medium sized saucepan, heat oil and remaining butter on medium low. Add shallots or onions and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat with butter and oil. Add simmering stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring enough to keep the rice from sticking to the edges of the pan. Wait until the stock is almost completely absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup. This process will take about 20 minutes. The rice should be just cooked and slightly chewy.
Stir in the mushroom mixture and the Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve garnished with parsley.
~ Submitted by Yvonne Harris, adapted from SimplyRecipes.com
Local Cornbread
Soup and cornbread: a perfect winter pairing. Now you can find ingredients for BOTH at Market, with cornmeal and whole wheat flour available for the diligent shopper. Make a double batch of both bread and soup for easy leftovers.
Ingredients:
• 2 cups cornmeal
• 2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 4 large eggs (or 5 small-medium ones)
• 2 cups yogurt or sour milk
• 1/2 cup melted butter or unrefined canola oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 390-400 F. Grease a 9×13 cake pan. Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk eggs, add yogurt, melted butter or oil, and honey, stirring until smooth. Add liquid to flours and whisk just until blended. Pour into greased pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Serve with butter, apple butter or honey, slabs of cheese and a bowlful of steaming soup!
Recipe adapted by Kris Shank Zehr from More-with-Less Cookbook.
Southwest Sweet Potato Salad
I made two large batches of this experimental salad last weekend for two different potlucks. Both groups gave good reviews, so I bring it to you today. Inspiration came from Simply in Season cookbook, though I was initially skeptical of a salad using sweet potatoes. The trick is to roast the potatoes only until just tender, so they don’t get all mushy in the final product. Lime juice brings out the natural sweetness and southwest-style spices give complementary zest. Turnip and apple freshen and provide contrasting crunch to the smooth orange potatoes. Specific cutting instructions are included to give different sizes and textures for each ingredient.
Ingredients:
• 2 large sweet potatoes, or about 2 lbs total, cubed and roasted just until tender
• about 1 1/2 cups grated raw turnip
• 1/2 large onion, quartered and sliced thinly
• 1-2 apples, chopped in small cubes
Dressing:
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1-2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• squirt of maple syrup, optional
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 3/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper or 1/8 tsp. ground cayenne
• about 1 1/2 tsp. salt (smoked salt is nice if you have it)
• dash black pepper, optional
• 2-4 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, minced, or 1/2 Tbsp. dried cilantro
• 1/3 cup unrefined canola oil or extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
Prepare sweet potatoes by peeling and chopping into 1/2-inch chunks. I found it easiest to slice the potato in 1/2-inch-thick rounds, and cut each round into wedges. Spread chunks in a mostly single layer on a greased cookie sheet; roast at 375 F for 20-30 minutes. Use a toothpick to check every ten minutes for tenderness — you want the sweet potato to be JUST tender and not mushy. A little firmness is good, but not so firm that it’s crunchy. When sweet potatoes have reached the “just tender” point, remove from oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet.
While the potatoes roast and cool, prepare the other ingredients. Grate turnip (peel first if you wish) and slice the onion; toss together in a large bowl. Into a smaller bowl, measure lime juice, vinegar, maple syrup, garlic and all herbs & spices; whisk and let sit for 10-15 minutes for flavors to blend. Whisk oil into dressing, taste and adjust as desired (you might prefer more vinegar or red pepper, etc). Chop apples last (after coring, of course; peeling is optional), so they don’t have a chance to brown.
Very gently, scrape sweet potato chunks off cookie sheet and fold into turnip/onion mixture. Sprinkle in apples and pour most of dressing over salad. Stir gently so you don’t squash the potatoes. Taste and add more dressing if desired. Serve immediately or chill for later. Leftovers keep well in the fridge several days, though the turnips lose some crunch.
Recipe by Kris Shank Zehr
Homemade Mayonnaise
Have you ever made mayonnaise from scratch? Now that we have the two main ingredients available at market, you really should try it and see how much more flavorful and nuanced a good mayo can be. Don’t expect it to taste like commercial whipped salad dressing — this is a whole different creature and deserves it’s own place at the table. Raw egg yolk (from a healthy, pastured chicken please!) and unrefined oil are rich sources of the enzyme lipase which aids digestion and assimilation of nutrients by the body. Do make sure the egg is from pastured chickens and a farm you trust, otherwise I’ll need to start warning you about the risks of using commercial raw eggs in food.
Try this mayo mixed with cold leftover roast beef and chopped onion on a slab of whole grain toast. Or add minced garlic and parsley, dill or sorrel to make a dip for fresh turnip slices and carrot sticks.
Ingredients:
• yolk of egg from pastured-raised chicken
• about 1/2 cup unrefined organic canola oil or extra virgin olive oil
• dab of stone-ground mustard
• splash of lemon juice
• salt
• garlic & herbs, optional
Directions:
Into a small bowl separate yolk from white. (Save the white to add to scrambled eggs or pancakes.) Whisk yolk with a fork and add oil drop by drop, stirring after each drop as the yolk emulsifies the oil. Gradually add more oil (dribbles now instead of drops), whisking all the while, until you’ve used about 1/2 cup of oil. (If you add too much oil and the emulsion breaks, start again with another egg yolk and add the broken mayo bit by bit until you’ve got a smooth sauce; proceed as before.) The sauce will be quite yellow (did you notice how golden is the oil, and of course that farm-fresh egg should be nearly orange), thick (though not as thick as commercial mayo) and somewhat viscous. Stir in a dab of good mustard, a teaspoon or more of lemon juice, and salt to taste. Add some finely minced garlic and fresh herbs if you like. Taste and adjust seasonings as you prefer.
This is a small batch and should be used within a week or so if you don’t eat it all right away. You can experiment with other seasonings (curry or chili powder, other herbs and spices), just allow an hour or so for flavors to blend before serving.
Recipe adapted from The Lost Art of Real Cooking (yup, the very book I bought at market last December from the author herself).
Sweet Potato Pancakes
We enjoyed these hearty, nutritive pancakes just this week topped with warm spiced chunky pear sauce.
Ingredients:
• 1 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk (or 1 Tbsp. lemon juice in a 1 cup measure filled with whole milk)
• 2 large or 3 small eggs
• 1 cup packed grated raw sweet potato (peeled first)
• 1-2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 cup buckwheat or whole wheat flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/1 tsp. salt
• 1/2-1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp. allspice
• pinch of ground cloves (less than 1/8 tsp.)
Directions:
Measure into blender the yogurt, eggs, grated sweet potatoes and butter. Puree until all is finely ground. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Continue whisking as you pour in the wet ingredients, stirring until flour is entirely incorporated into the batter.
Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add a bit of butter/oil to the pan and fry pancakes until browned on each side, according to your size preference. Add more butter/oil as needed while frying.
If you have leftover cranberries or walnuts from Thanksgiving hoopla, try some in these pancakes! Halve the cranberries, break up large walnut pieces and keep ready by the skillet. Pour batter and immediately sprinkle fruit & nuts onto the frying cake. Flip carefully, as it will be heavier with these addtions. Serve fruit-side-up and watch the butter and maple syrup fill the little cranberry bowls.
Serves 2-3.
Tips for frying pancakes:
If you’ve never fried pancakes before, it’s a good idea to fry one or two to test for cooking time and skillet heat. Every stovetop and every skillet is different; you’ll want to get to know the particular combination in your kitchen. Use a soup ladle to pour 1/4-1/2 cup batter and allow plenty of room between pancakes as you get the hang of pouring and flipping. Make sure your skillet isn’t so hot that it burns the outside before the inside is done — not above medium heat, maybe even lower — and the frying fat shouldn’t smoke and burn when you add it to the pan before the batter. But the skillet should be hot enough that the pancake starts sizzling immediately and is ready to flip within a minute or two. Flip the cakes when the top edges start to firm up and lose their shine, and when those little surface bubbles begin to pop. Wiggle your pancake flipper (an essential tool!) under the edge of the pancake, slide it quickly underneath, holding steady and low; flip it over. If it lands on the side of the skillet, never fear, just give it a couple seconds to cook the bottom side firm and slide it down flat again. Watch closely and you’ll see the pancake puff up a bit; within a minute or two you can press the top with your finger and see it spring back again. If you want to be sure it’s done, use a knife to lift up a small piece of cake in the middle to look for any sogginess. These pancakes are fairly moist, but they should still look puffy and not wet when done.
~ Recipe by Kris Shank Zehr
Sweet Potato Custard
Mildly sweet, richly flavored, fruity and satisfying; this custard is great for breakfast or dessert served warm or cold. Make a double batch so you don’t have to ration the leftovers, if there are any…
Ingredients:
• 2 cups sweet potato, baked/steamed/boiled, peeled, pureed
• 3 eggs
• 1/4-1/3 cup honey or maple syrup, or 1 tsp. stevia powder
• 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger root, peeled, finely grated, or 1-2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. allspice
• 1-2 tsp. each organic lemon and orange rind, finely grated, optional
• 1 cup whole milk, cream, evaporated milk or unsweetened coconut milk
• 2-4 pears, peeled, cored, sliced, optional
• 1/4-1/2 cup fresh or frozen halved cranberries, optional
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Puree all ingredients except pears and cranberries in blender. Spread pear slices over bottom of a greased deep dish 10-inch pie pan or 9×9 cake pan or 2-quart shallow casserole dish. Pour filling carefully over pears, sprinkle cranberries on top. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes, until center is set and knife stuck in middle comes out mostly clean.
~ Recipe by Kris Shank Zehr
Got questions about food? Feel free to email me at shankzehr@yahoo.com.
How to Make Stock
I’m not talking about a pale thin broth like what comes out of a can, or what you might get after simmering a whole chicken for a meager hour. This stock is long in the making (but not difficult), rich in color and flavor, high in protein and other important nutrients, and will make soup, gravy or sauce more tasty and healthful. My primer provides detailed instruction for those who are new to stock-making and hopefully informs or inspires those who have made their own stock for years. It’s lengthy, so settle in and enjoy…
Long simmering stock extracts from animal bones the minerals calcium, magnesium and potassium (good for your blood, bones, muscles and many important body functions), dissolves cartilage and collagen from any joints in the brew (yup, good for your joints), and provides lots of protein in the form of gelatin. On top of that, a well-made stock supplies hydrophilic colloids to the diet. Quick science lesson: Most raw foods are colloidal and tend to be hydrophilic (attracting liquids); when we eat them, they attract digestive juices, promoting fast and effective digestion. While heat makes most colloids hydrophobic (liquid-repellent) and therefore more difficult to digest, gelatin is an exception. Gelatin-rich stock added to soup, sauce or gravy will enhance and promote the easy digestion of any cooked foods in your meal.
On your initial go-round making stock, plan to be home for at least 24 hours straight, awake or asleep, to make sure your pot doesn’t run dry or over-boil. As you become more familiar with your pot’s (and stovetop’s) capabilities, you can sleep more soundly (though the aroma of chicken stock all through the house during a 3 a.m. bathroom visit is slightly unsettling), and even leave the house for a bit while the stock simmers gently hour upon hour.
The first thing you need is THE POT. Heavy-duty with at least 8-12 quarts volume, a thick bottom and tight-fitting lid; you will trust this pot day and night with liquid gold, so you want it to be good. If nothing in your kitchen fits this description, borrow one or start your Christmas wish list now. Other equipment you’ll need includes long-handled tongs, a large colander and larger bowl or pot, a fine sieve, a wide-mouth canning funnel and pint or quart glass canning jars with lids.
Perhaps you know that stock-makers generally follow a recipe which uses various chicken, beef or other bones, vegetables such as onions, carrots, celery, and herbs like parsley, thyme and others. My method is mostly bones, sometimes onions if I’ve got some peels saved up in the freezer. (Here’s a tip: after you remove the dry peel off an onion, have you ever noticed that the next layer or so is somewhat tough and difficult to cut, doesn’t cook to tender as well as the inner layers? Remove that tough layer and stash it in a bag in the freezer. Keep the bag handy so you can add to it every time you peel onions. When you make broth, toss those onion layers into the pot and they’ll add flavor and nutrients that would otherwise have gone to the compost.)
Collect the bones you want from one or more of our local meat sellers — chicken whole, carcass or feet, beef stew bones or ox tail, ham bone, fish carcass and heads, lamb, duck, etc. Feet and hooves (cleaned, of course), tails and knuckles produce a more gelatin-rich broth. For the best stock, make sure the animals have been grass-pastured. You can freeze the bones until you’ve got a couple days at home.
A NOTE TO FIRST-TIMERS: If you’ve never handled a raw chicken carcass before, it’s understandable that you might feel a little squeamish. It’s strange getting that close to another being in our clean, sterile modern age. Nothing at all like opening a package of neatly wrapped, tidily trimmed disembodied chicken breasts that you simply flop on a pan to cook. Nope. You’ll see the long, headless neck, loosely flopping wings, body cavity emptied of innards, featherless tail sticking stubbily out the back, not to mention the eerily hand-like feet, often sold separately. But the potential! A chicken is ever so much more than its breasts and leg/thigh quarters. If you think a whole, pasture-raised chicken is not worth the price, think again and make broth. After you remove the breasts for stir-fry or chicken fingers, and the leg/thigh quarters for baking, you still have a beautiful carcass complete with neck, back and wings for the making of rich, nourishing stock.
SO. When you’re ready to cook, start in the first half of the day. You’ll need time to let the bones thaw, soak for an hour, come to a boil (this takes longer than you might think if the batch is large), simmer for a couple hours before you debone any meat, and return to a simmer before you go to bed.
Cut up the carcass or not, as you prefer, and place bones, skin and all in THE POT. It’s okay to leave some meat on the bones — you’ll remove the meat after an hour or two of cooking and can save for chicken salad or beef gravy or ham & bean soup. You can fill the pot with bones to within a few inches of the rim.
Add to the pot one or more glugs of apple cider vinegar or wine, more or less depending on how full is the pot. The acid in vinegar and wine helps draw minerals from the bones; the vinegar flavor cooks away and doesn’t impact the final taste of the broth.
Cover the bones with filtered water (or reliable tap water), not more than a couple inches from the rim, and let the bones soak for about an hour before cooking. Don’t overfill or it will spill over when the water starts to boil.
Place the pot on the largest back burner you have — it will be there for the next 24 hours and you want it out of the way of other stovetop food prep. Turn heat to medium-high, cover, and stay close by to wait and watch for the first burbles. When you start seeing foam and scum on top, start skimming. Skim off the gray-brown scummy foam (which may contain impurities) until you don’t see any more or the water is boiling too rapidly for the scum to stick around. I prefer to leave the fat in the pot because I use it to seal the finished broth; more on that later.
Turn heat to the lowest possible setting to keep a steady low simmer. After 1-2 hours, you can remove any bones with meat on them, let cool a bit and take the meat off for other purposes. Return meatless bones (and skin, cartilage, tendons, gristle – every part and piece) to pot, cover and raise heat a bit if needed to return to simmer, then lower heat for the long haul. You want to allow the stock to stabilize at a low, even, steady simmer, continuing for hours and hours without much steam escaping or the pot running dry. Add more clean, filtered water if needed before you go to bed and make sure the pot is tightly covered. If this is your first time, you might want to set the alarm for midway through the night, just to be sure everything is simmering smoothly.
After 12-24 hours of simmering (or more if you wish), the stock is ready to strain. Remove large bones with a tongs. Place a large colander in a larger pot or bowl and carefully pour in remaining bones (and other globby stuff) and stock. I prefer to do this while it’s still hot, so the fat doesn’t congeal before straining. If there’s a lot of stuff left in the pot, I add a little water, heat briefly and pour over the bones in colander to rinse any juices into the pot of stock below. Give the bony leftovers to the dog or compost pile (if you don’t mind animal products in your compost) or wrap well and throw away. Scrape off any fat residue and throw away — do NOT rinse fat down the drain.
If you don’t intend to use the stock immediately, prepare as many glass canning jars as needed for storage. Pour hot broth, fat and all, through a fine sieve into clean quart or pint glass jars. I like to leave a layer of fat at the top to help seal the broth. Cover with tight-fitting screw-on lids and allow to cool at room temperature before refrigerating. Sealing the jar while hot (as well as the layer of fat on top) will help the broth to keep longer, HOWEVER, IT MUST BE KEPT COLD in the fridge. This product is NOT canned and is not safe to leave on a shelf in your cupboard. It should keep for several weeks in the fridge. Alternately, after it has chilled, you can remove the layer of fat (flavorful, soft chicken fat can be scooped and saved in fridge for sauteeing; highly stable mildly flavored beef tallow or duck fat can be cut off, wiped to remove traces of broth and saved in fridge for greasing your cast iron skillet or deep frying) and freeze the broth, either in the glass jars (allow 1-2 inches of headspace in the jar for expansion) or another container. You may wish to spread cold broth in an ice cube tray to freeze very small portions for single-serving use in stir-fry, sauteed vegetables, gravy, sauce, or cooked grains such as risotto, polenta, quinoa, brown rice. LABEL ALL CONTAINERS with type of broth and date.
And now the life of your stock begins…where will it go next?
Here are several blogs which document this whole process:
• Basic one-chicken stock
• Chicken FEET stock
• Useful tips for BEEF stock
• More health info about stock
• Another long-winded preacher like me
Written by Kris Shank Zehr; inspiration from and thanks to Nourishing Traditions, a cookbook by Sally Fallon & Mary Enig.
Winter Beans and Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients:
Olive oil cooking spray
1 pound winter yellow squash (hubbard, butternut, acorn), peeled seeded, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 large carrots, sliced
1 small parsnip, sliced
2 medium potatoes, unpeeled, halved, sliced
2 medium onions, cut into wedges
1 1/2 cups cooked dry-packaged Great Northern beans, rinsed, drained
1 1/2 cups cooked dry-packaged Pinto beans, rinsed, drained
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1 1/2 cups mixed dried fruit, cut into large pieces
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
1/2 cup minced parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Line large jelly roll pan with aluminum foil; spray with cooking spray. Combine fresh vegetables and beans on pan; spray generously with cooking spray, sprinkle with dried basil and toss. Bake uncovered at 425 F until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes, adding dried fruit the last 5 minutes.
Remove vegetables from pan, place in large bowl. Mix vinegar and oil and drizzle over vegetables, add parsley and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Sweet Bean Pudding
Ingredients:
1 can (15 ounces ) Navy or Pinto beans or 1 1/2 cups cooked dry-packaged Navy or Pinto beans, rinsed, drained
1 cup mashed cooked or canned sweet potatoes
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar, divided
2 eggs
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/8 teaspoon salt
Grated rind of 1/2 orange
2 to 4 tablespoons chopped pecans
Directions:
Process beans, sweet potatoes, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and eggs in food processor or blender until smooth; add remaining ingredients, except 3 tablespoons brown sugar and pecans, and process until well blended.
Spoon mixture into lightly greased 1-quart casserole; sprinkle with remaining 3 tablespoons brown sugar and pecans.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 F. until browned and puffed, about 1 hour.
Note: Although bean recipes usually call for a specific variety, any canned or dry-packaged bean variety can be easily substituted for another.
Recipe from: http://americanbean.org/snacks-desserts-bean-recipes/
Blueberry Bean Muffins
Ingredients:
3 cups cooked dry-packaged Red Kidney beans, drained, rinsed
1/3 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1/2 teaspoon allspice, ground
1/2 teaspoon cloves, ground
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
Directions:
Process beans and milk in food processor or blender until smooth.
Mix sugar and butter in large bowl; beat in eggs and vanilla. Add bean mixture, mixing until well blended. Mix in combined flours, baking soda, salt and spices. Gently mix in blueberries. Spoon mixture into 12 greased or paper-lined muffin cups; sprinkle with pecans.
Bake muffins in preheated 375-degree oven until toothpicks inserted in centers come out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
Cool in pans on wire racks 5 minutes; remove from pans and cool.
Recipe from: http://americanbean.org/snacks-desserts-bean-recipes/
Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
It’s hard to beat a butternut squash for versality and taste. Although the cold season is winding down, these winter squashes are still in plentiful supply thanks to their ability to store well. And their sweet, buttery richness adds flavor and body to almost any dish. The following recipe puts a spin on the tried-and-true butternut squash — which is perfect for the lingering cold nights, providing warmth and nourishment without too much heaviness. It’s a vegan recipe, so it doesn’t have any butter, milk, eggs or other animal products…though it will still please almost any palate.
Ingredients:
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 6 sprigs fresh parsley
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 Tbsp. whole peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup white wine
• 5 cups water
• 2 large onions, diced, with 1/4 cup reserved
• 3 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Pinch of nutmeg, to taste
Directions:
Place the carrot, celery, parsley, thyme, peppercorns, bay leaf, white wine, water and all but 1/4 cup of the onions in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 hours. Strain the soup, discard the pulp and return the liquid to the pot. Add the squash and remaining onion to the pot and cook over medium heat until the squash is tender.
Transfer the squash, onion and one cup of the liquid (reserving the remaining liquid in a separate container) to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Season it with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Pour the purée back into the pot and add some of the reserved liquid, stirring to achieve desired consistency. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle Corn Nuts or chopped walnuts over each.
Makes 4 servings.
~ Justin Van Kleeck, adapted from PETA’s recipe collection in PETA Living.
Cheese and Walnut Stuffed Mushrooms on Toast
Ingredients:
• 2 tablespoons olive or fresh pressed canola oil
• 10 ounces mushrooms, button, mini portobella, cremini, etc.
• 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
• 4 tablespoons walnuts chopped
• 1 teaspoon oregano leaves fresh, finely chopped, one large spig (or more to taste)
• 2 tablespoons parmesan, parmigiano-reggiano or other flavorful cheese, grated
• 8 slices bread, mulitgrain preferably multi-seeded Artisian but any bread would work
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
• black pepper, preferably freshly ground
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Clean the mushrooms removing the stem and creating a nice cap for the stuffing. Season the inside of each cap with a bit of salt, pepper and a few drops of olive oil. If you are using larger mushrooms, cut in wedges, slices or chunks that you can spread the cheese mix on top of.
In a medium bowl mix together the ricotta, oregano, walnuts, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Taste the mixture and adjust seasoning. Stuff each mushroom with about one heaping teaspoon of the ricotta cheese mixture and place each cap on the baking sheet. Drizzle a little olive oil over each mushroom.
Bake for about 10 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender and the stuffing it bubbly. Meanwhile toast the bread slices.
To serve: Place two pieces of toast on each plate. On each slice of bread place two or three of the stuffed mushrooms caps on each piece of bread. If desired, drizzle with a bit of high quality finishing olive oil, salt and pepper. Serve warm.
~ adapted from http://recipeland.com.
Roasted Squash with Goat’s Cheese and Penne
Ingredients
• nonstick cooking spray
• a 2 lb. butternut or kombucha squash peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1 onion diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• olive oil for drizzling
• salt and black pepper, preferably kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound whole wheat penne pasta
• 8 ounces crumbled goat (chevre) cheese
• 1 cup black walnuts coarsely chopped and toasted
• 1 cup basil leaves, freshly chopped and packed
• 1/3 cup parmesan, parmigiano-reggiano or other earthy cheese, grated
Directions
Put an oven rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Set aside.
Put the squash and onion in a large bowl, add the olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, mix well and arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 45 minutes until the vegetables are golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
As the squash mixture is cooling, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes. Drain and reserve about 2 cups of the pasta water. Mix together the pasta, goat cheese and 1 cup of pasta water in a large serving bowl. Toss until the cheese has melted and forms a creamy sauce. Stir in the squash and onion mixture, the walnuts and the basil. Toss well and season with salt and pepper if desired. Garnish with Parmesan and serve.
~ adapted from http://recipeland.com.
Butternut Squash Bread Pudding
Using ingredients almost entirely from my garden and the Farmers Market, I made this hearty, colorful, flavorful bread pudding from start to finish in a deep 12-inch lidded cast iron skillet. If you lack this marvelous tool, see below for instructions on how to adapt the recipe for a large casserole dish.
I’ve included ranges in quantity for most of the ingredients so you can tailor the recipe to your preference. I like more meat and vegetable and less bread; and a somewhat drier end result. You can use lots of bread and less squash, or extra milk if you prefer it more moist. And you can pare it down to a very basic pudding with only squash & bread and no meat or greens. But it’s REALLY REALLY yummy with everything listed below, so be warned…or tempted…
Ingredients:
• 1/2 – 1 lb bulk sausage or ground pork or beef, optional
• salt, pepper, ground cayenne to taste, optional
• 1 – 2 cups onion, chopped
• 2 – 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 – 2 Tbsp. fresh sage, minced, or 1-3 tsp. dried sage, crushed, optional
• 2 – 3 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded & chopped in 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 – 4 cups spinach, kale or other greens, loosely chopped, optional
• 4 large eggs
• 2 – 3 tsp. stone ground mustard or dry mustard
• 1 – 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• pepper, or hot sauce, to taste
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup parmesan or romano cheese, optional
• 4 – 6 cups whole grain bread, cut in 1/2 cubes
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a large, deep, heavy oven-ready skillet, brown meat over medium heat. If you’re using unseasoned meat, add salt, pepper and/or cayenne to taste. Stir in onion and garlic, saute until nearly tender. (If not using meat, saute vegetables in 1-2 Tbsp. butter.) Toss in sage and butternut squash, stir to combine. Sprinkle 1/4-1/2 cup water into skillet and cover.
While squash is steaming, in a separate bowl whisk together eggs, mustard, salt, pepper and milk. Stir in cheeses and set aside.
After about 10 minutes, uncover and test squash for tenderness — you want it firm enough to hold its shape and tender enough to munch easily in your mouth. Add chopped greens, stir gently and let steam for 1-2 minutes. (Leave uncovered to allow any water in bottom of skillet to evaporate.) When greens have just wilted, fold in bread cubes and spread mixture evenly over skillet. Drizzle egg/milk mixture over everything; push shredded cheese further in if you don’t want it all on top. Shred a little more cheese on top if you wish, then slide uncovered into the oven.
Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, until edges are browned and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving. Excellent paired with fresh homemade sauerkraut or Apple Turnip Salad (see recipe in archives here) or a simple mix of winter greens and vinaigrette.
NOTE: This whole process took me about three hours to test, not including the eating. If you haven’t that much time in one fell swoop, you can brown the meat ahead, chop (and roast) the squash, whisk together the egg/milk batter, cube the bread, then pack up and store for another day. With all those ingredients prepared in advance, your time from start to supper is likely reduced to about 70-80 minutes.
ALTERNATE PREP & BAKE METHOD (i.e, You Have No Large Cast Iron Skillet)
Roast butternut squash cubes at 400 for 10-15 minutes until tender but not mushy. Remove from oven and reduce heat to 350. Proceed with recipe minus the squashy parts. Toss roasted squash, sauteed meat/vegetables, bread cubes and egg/milk mixture together in a large bowl. Dump into greased 9×13 casserole dish and spread evenly over pan. Bake as above.
Recipe adapted by Kris Shank Zehr from Simply in Season.
Got questions about food? Feel free to email me at shankzehr@yahoo.com.
Chickpea Curry with Kale
Ingredients:
• 1 tablespoon canola oil (from Farmer’s Market) or olive oil (or as much as needed)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tsp yellow curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric (good antioxidant!)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 small bunch of kale, washed and chopped
• 21 oz can of diced tomatoes (3/4 can)
• 4 cups cooked chickpeas (rinse if canned), divided. 3 cups whole chickpeas, and reserve 1 cup chickpeas to blend with the vegetable stock
• 1 cup vegetable stock
Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add chopped onions, curry powder, turmeric, ground corianders seeds and cumin. Stir-fry on medium heat for 1-2 minutes, periodically stirring to soften the onions and to allow the spices to open up in flavor.
2. Add chopped kale, stir-fry 1-2 minutes longer until the kale wilts.
3. Add diced tomatoes and 3 cups of chickpeas and cover with a lid to heat.
4. Meanwhile, blend vegetable stock with remaining 1 cup of chickpeas.
5. Stir in blended chickpeas and let them cook for another 3-5 minutes. Test the dish and add additional curry powder and correct seasonings as desired.
6. Serve over rice or noodles as a main dish, or can be used as a side dish.
Basil and Kale Pesto
Ingredients:
• 6 tightly packed cups fresh kale rinsed and drained
• 2 cup fresh basil, lightly packed
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil OR use a combination of Canola Oil (from Farmer’s Market as a blend).
• 1 cup toasted sunflower seeds soaked in 1 cup of water (discard water prior to use)
• ¾ of lemon, juiced (about 2 Tablespoons)
• Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Soak sunflower seeds overnight in 1 cup of water. (Discard soaking water)
2. Into a food processor place garlic, drained sesame seeds, kale, basil leaves process on/off for a few seconds. With the food processor blade running, add lemon juice and oil for a ‘rough’ mixture. Continue processing; periodically push the mixture down to ensure even mixing. If necessary, add up to ½ cup of water to aid in the mixing process. Blend to desire texture. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
3. Store in a jar with tight lid.
Crustless Spinach and Mushroom Quiche
The recipe that follows is easy to make, can be served hot from the oven, or can be refrigerated and served later, perhaps with a tomato salsa. Because of the cheese and eggs as a base, it is a Main Dish item, with plenty of protein. It is packed with extra nutrition with the addition of Spinach, Mushrooms and Onions. (Other vegetables can be used as they are available; use peas, fresh or leftover, use green or red peppers, just sauté them in the early step). When I served this, I dusted it with fresh chives from the windowsill herbs that I have, parsley or basil would also be good choices. In addition to the protein provided in this quiche, is Vitamin A and antioxidants from the spinach AND the eggs (yolks). Mushrooms give additional magnesium, selenium, some trace B-Vitamins and provide texture variety. This dish is also rich in calcium, phosphorous and some provision of iron. Each serving would have about 2.5 grams of fiber. I suggest you serve this with a hearty peasant bread (at the Market) and a Spring-mix salad (at the Market) with the addition of a homemade salad dressing using the fresh Canola oil (at the Market) as a base…delicious, healthy and most of all local.
The recipe that follows has 100% (except salt and pepper) fresh items picked from the Farmer’s Market, indicated in bolds. It serves 6-8.
Ingredients:
* 2-4 Tbsp fresh unsalted butter
* 1 Onion, Chopped (or 3 spring onions, not the pencil shaped ones; but the larger ones with small bulbs)
* 6 ounces fresh Mushrooms – sliced, mix of Oyster and Shiitake (or your choice)
* 16 ounces fresh Spinach (2- 8 ounce bags) rinsed and well drained
* 8 ounces of shredded white cheese (I used 4-oz each of ‘Swiss’ and ‘Colby’)
* 5 Eggs (large)
* Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350-degrees F
Spray a 9.5 inch, deep dish pie plate.
Heat 2 Tbsp fresh unsalted butter in a skillet, add the chopped onion. Saute 2 minutes to soften.
Add the mushrooms to the onions, sauté several minutes to cook the mushrooms.
Remove the onion/mushroom mixture and reserve. Add the additional 2 Tbsp butter to the skillet, melt. Add the rinsed and drained Spinach, sauté. [Since these are organic greens, I save the rinsing water and water the indoor plants]. The Spinach will wilt down to about 2 cups of cooked solids. Spinach is a ‘wet’ vegetable, continue to cook to evaporate the water. When done, return the onion/mushroom back, stir to mix. Allow to cool.
Beat eggs in bowl. Add the shredded or grated cheese, (your flavor choice).
Stir the egg-cheese mixture into the Spinach mixture. Stir to blend. Add Salt & Pepper to taste. (Fresh Grated Nutmeg can be added as an addition as a flavor option).
Turn into the prepared pie plate. Spread evenly.
Bake until top is browned and the custard is set, (a toothpick comes out clean). About 35-45 minutes.
Serve with hearty bread and a salad for a complete meal!
~Penelope Ferguson, Registered Dietitian (Nutrition of the Shenandoah).
Local “Pumpkin” Bread
Much to the dismay of my truth-telling pre-teen, I prefer to use the generic “pumpkin” for almost anything made from winter squash. Pumpkin Bread is much easier to rattle off than Butternut Squash Black Walnut Honey Whole Wheat Bread/Cake, for instance. But pumpkin doesn’t do justice to this richly spiced, moist, mildly sweet, wholesome bread (or is it cake?) made mostly with Market products. The unique flavor of black walnuts is well balanced with a hearty spice blend, flavorful honey, melt-in-your-mouth dates and whole grain flour that can stand up to anything. Is it a side dish, at home alongside a bowl of soup, or is it dessert, topped with sweet cream or applesauce? Try it and decide for yourself. Ingredients at Market are noted in bold.
Ingredients:
• 3 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. cardamom, optional
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 cups butternut squash puree (may also use sweet potato puree)
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup black walnut pieces (check for small bits of shell)
• 1 – 1 1/2 cups chopped dates (may use raisins)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare butternut squash: wash, cut in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. (If using sweet potatoes, just wash & poke with a fork; no need to cut open.) Roast on baking sheet at 350 for 30-45 minutes or more, until very tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Peel skin from squash/potato and puree in batches until you have 2 cups or more. If you are using sweet potatoes and they seem too dry to puree easily, add a tablespoon or so of water until you can work the flesh into a smooth puree in the blender/food processor. You may need to stop and stir a few times — the puree should be quite thick and not at all runny. (You can, of course, do the roasting and pureeing days ahead and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.)
Spoon flour gently without packing into measuring cup. (Packed whole grain flour can make a heavier, drier result.) In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour with baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves and nutmeg.
Into blender or food processor, measure squash puree, melted butter, honey and eggs; blend until smooth. Pour into dry ingredients and whisk until all flour is incorporated in the batter. Fold in walnuts and dates.
Spread thickly in two large loaf pans or one 8×8 (or 9×9 or 8×11) cake pan. Or if you prefer a thinner (flatter?) cake or loaf, spread evenly into three loaf pans or one 9×13 cake pan. Bake in the center of oven at 350 for 30-60 minutes, depending on thickness of batter and size of pan. When crust is puffed and browning, test for doneness by sliding a table knife into a crack in the crust. If it comes out clean, it’s probably done. Serve with applesauce and milk, or slather with apple butter (or butter & honey, if you want it sweeter) or pile high with whipped cream or simply savor unadorned while still warm. If you have any leftovers beyond the next day or so, it’s a good idea to refrigerate, as this moist bread tends to spoil or mold more quickly in these warmer days.
Recipe by Kris Shank Zehr.
Got questions (or comments) about food? Feel free to email me at shankzehr@yahoo.com.
