Recipes

2-3 cups Lettuce leaves, torn into pieces
½-1 cup Arugula leaves, chopped
¼ cup Scallions, chopped

Toss the vegetables together in a large bowl. Add some chopped carrots or snap peas if you wish. Dress with one of the following salad dressings. Serves 2-4.

Basic Salad Dressing (cold): 4 TBSP Olive oil, 1 TBSP vinegar (we like cider vinegar), ½ TSP prepared mustard. Mix ingredients together and pour over greens.
Bacon Mushroom Dressing (warm): Fry 2-3 slices of bacon. Remove from skillet. Saute ¾ cup sliced mushrooms in the bacon fat until soft, 8-10 minutes. Pour mushrooms and bacon fat over the greens hot. Top with the bacon, crumbled, and some grated Parmesan cheese.

1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets
1 garlic scape
1-2 teaspoons ginger root, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1-2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
2 scallions, sliced

Steam broccoli until just tender, but still a bit crunchy.  Drain and cool.  Combine the rest of the ingredients (except scallions & sesame seeds) into a food processor and blend until smooth.  Pour over broccoli and top with sesame seeds & scallions.  Toss and serve cool.

1 Buttercup winter squash, cut in half with seeds scooped out
1 ¼ cups cooked rice
2 tbls butter
¾ cup onion, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium tart apple, diced
1 orange, sectioned and chopped
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp allspice
salt
1 tbls maple syrup (optional)
½ cup walnuts (or other nut of your choice), chopped
Plain yogurt

Preheat oven to 400 F. Roast the squash in a baking pan, cut side down with 1/4” of water in the pan for 45-60 minutes until a fork easily pierces the skin and flesh. Remove from oven. Turn oven down to 350 F. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet. Add the onion and ginger and sauté for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, apple, orange and spices and sauté for 5 minutes more. In a bowl, mix the rice and chopped nuts. Add the sauté and season to taste with salt and optional maple syrup. Spoon the mixture into the squash halves and return them to the oven (face up). Bake for 20-30 minutes until heated through. Serve topped with spoonfuls of yogurt.
 

I put this under swiss chard, but you can use any kind of greens you want in it.  When we made it last we used it as a "clean out the fridge" recipe adding chopped radish greens, kale, spinach and chard.  Really good as an appetizer or interesting veggie side!

10 cups loosely packed, finely sliced greens
3-4 tablespoons oil
1 small onion, minced
2-3 garlic scapes, minced
½ cup cilantro (or other fresh herb), chopped
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1-2 eggs

Sauté onion in oil until soft.  Add scapes, cilantro, and cumin for 1 min.  Add greens to wilt.  Remove from heat.  Cool 10 min.  Add rest of ingredients & salt to taste.  Form balls, place on baking sheet, and bake at 375 for 15-20 min.

2 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cut in half lengthwise
3 Tbls butter
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbls parsley, minced
¾ cup cooked rice
Salt and pepper to taste
¾ cup cheese of your choice, grated
1 egg yolk
2 Tbls lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter in  skillet and add the garlic, parsley, rice, salt and pepper and sauté for 5 min. Remove from heat, stir in ½ cup cheese, egg yolk, lemon juice and fill cucumber cavities with mixture, sprinkling the remaining ¼ cup cheese on top. Bake in casserole for 25-30 min.

As indicated below there are unlimited variations to this recipe.  Most recently we've been using beets and feta cheese with occassional chopped pecans.  Give it a try!

Beets, whole
scallions (or onion), minced
nuts or seeds of choice, chopped
grated or chopped cheese, optional
fresh herb, chopped, optional
oil and vinegar dressing
salt and pepper to taste

Boil beets whole until knife pierces through easily.  Drain, cool, slip skins off.  Refrigerate until ready to make salad (optional).  Chop beets and combine with scallions and optional ingredients.  Pour over dressing of 4 TBLS oil and 1 TBLS vinegar.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve or refrigerate.

This is a great way to decimate your kohlrabi in your fridge and have easy reheatable leftovers for meals later.  The roasting literally shrinks it down as it removes water and enhances flavor!

kohlrabi
onions, sliced (optional)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
dried or fresh herb, to taste (thyme is good here)

To prep the kohlrabi:
Cut 1-2 inches off of the butt end of your kohlrabi.  Discard.  Peel it using a knife or peeler all the way down to the white flesh beneath the green skin.  Get all of the green bits off that you can.  Chop into cubes (3/4" is good, as kohlrabi takes a while to roast).

To roast:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Toss kohlrabi cubes with optional onion, olive oil, salt, pepper, and optional dried or fresh herb.  Lay in single layer on baking sheet and roast until tender.  This may take as long as 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on size of cubes.  Stir a couple of times in between to prevent uneven roasting and/or sticking.

To serve:
Either serve hot right out of the oven or refrigerate for reheating (what I do often).  To reheat, heat skillet with butter on medium heat.  Add roasted kohlrabi cubes and saute until warmed through.  Enjoy!

Availability: August-September

Storage tips: Refrigerate in a plastic bag. It should last at least a week. Be careful not to smash the leaves in the fridge because this will result in loss of quality as the basil will turn black.

How to eat: Basil is a wonderful herb that can be minced and added to salads, used to make pesto, or as a topping to pasta or pizza. Basil is best used very fresh.

1bunch beets, cooked and chopped
1-2 medium cucumbers, peeled and chopped
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup basil, minced

Combine above ingredients.

Dressing:
Whisk together below ingredients and pour over salad:

4 TBLS olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon Juice
2 teaspoons vinegar (cider or red wine)
salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup chopped nuts of choice
2-3 oz cheese, cut into ½” cubes or grated
1 bunch kale, midribs removed, thinly sliced
1 bunch beet roots, boiled or roasted & chopped
¼ red onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1-2 tsp vinegar (balsamic or cider)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, oil, honey, salt and pepper. ‘Massage’ kale leaves with dressing. Let sit 10 minutes. Mix in remaining ingredients and serve.

*Optional: add steamed beet greens to the salad.

This roasting technique is delicious!  But only the leaves can get crispy, not the stems and roots so you can remove those and use them in a separate application if desired.  Otherwise throw them in, too, for a delicous beet dish with incredible sweetness.

1 bunch of beet greens, leaves removed from stems and baby roots (either reserved or added in), washed and dried
oil
salt

Very lightly drizzle oil over beet greens and toss to coat on both sides.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or foil and lay the beet greens on these.  Sprinkle with salt.  Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes, turn over and bake another 5 mintues or until crispy.  Do not walk away from the oven since these cook very fast!

Availability: July

Storage tips: Refrigerate in a plastic bag. Beet Greens should last at least a week.

How to eat: Beet greens are the baby beet plants before they mature to full sized roots and are eaten whole: root, stem and leaf. They need to be washed very thoroughly as they harbor small bits of grit in and around the baby roots. Beet greens are best steamed in a very little amount of water or in a steamer basket. Steam them whole or chopped for 5-10 minutes until tender. Top with butter, salt, pepper, and a splash of vinegar.

3 pounds beets

For the dressing:
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon honey (or to taste)
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt

For the garnish:
fresh herbs like mint, cilantro, dill, etc.

Trim and wash beets, and leave whole if quite small (1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter) or peel and coarsely chopped if larger.  Spread on a cookie sheet, toss with olive oil and roast in a 400 degree oven for 1 hour or until tender.  Cool beets, remove skins, and chop into bite sized pieces if roasted whole.  Combine dressing ingredients and pour over cool beets.  Toss well to coat.  Serve immediately or chill to marinate and serve later.  Top with fresh mint upon serving.  Beautiful and delicious!

1 bunch beets (roots only), about 3/4 to 1 pound
3 tbls butter
3 cups water
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbls chives, chopped (optional)
Sour cream

Chop beets into 1/2” cubes. Heat butter over medium-low heat in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add beets and sauté gently for 30 minutes or until tender. Add water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 15 minutes. Puree, either with a handheld blender, or by allowing it to cool slightly before pureeing in a blender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with optional chives and a dollop of sour cream. Serves 2-4.

¾ cup pureed beets (roots peeled, chopped, boiled, drained & pureed)
¼ cup applesauce
3 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon oil
Butter, salt and pepper to taste
*Optional toppings: Sweet: maple syrup & whipped cream; Savory: goat cheese or feta cheese or sour cream with parsley

Combine beets, applesauce, and eggs and season with salt and pepper to make batter.  Heat oil in skillet, and fry spoonfuls of the batter on both sides.  Top with butter and optional toppings.

Availability: July-March

Storage tips: Refrigerate in a plastic bag. Beets with tops can be stored for at least a week. If you wish to store the roots longer, chop off the tops and put the beets into a plastic bag and store in the fridge. Topped beets should last months in cold storage.

How to eat: Basic beet preparation includes boiling, steaming, and roasting. We have several lovely recipes for beets here on our website.

How to preserve: Beets are a great storage vegetable if properly maintained, in fact we store them all winter and they taste great!  As mentioned above, separate the tops from the roots.  The tops can be blanched and frozen for later use.  Beets are also tasty pickled (canned) or fermented in one of my favorites: Beets and Turnips.

3 tablespoons butter
1 bunch carrots, sliced crosswise
¼ cup chicken stock or water
1 tablespoon vinegar (I used apple cider)
1 tsp sugar or maple syrup
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon minced dill

Heat butter in skillet on medium.  Add carrots, stock, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.  Simmer covered until just tender, about 5 minutes.  Uncover and turn up the heat to reduce the liquid to a sauce.  Add dill and mix.  Serve.

When I make this I don't puree it, though you could if you like a smooth texture better.  I personally like the texture of the very tender broccoli swimming around in a thick broth.  Mmmm!

1-3 TBLS cooking oil or butter
1 bunch scallions (or 1 onion), chopped
2-3 cups broccoli florets (bite size pieces)
2-4 cups chicken broth
1 buttercup squash, roasted and flesh mashed

On medium, sauté scallion in butter until tender.  Add broccoli, squash, broth, salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer until broccoli is very tender.  Check seasonings and add optional cream, milk, coconut milk, etc.

1 pound broccoli including stems, julienned
½ bunch carrots, thinly sliced or grated
1 scallion or ½ small onion, finely chopped (optional)
1-2 cups bok choy or cabbage, shredded (optional)
2 garlic scapes, minced
fresh or dried herb, minced (basil, dill, parsley, etc.)

Toss above ingredients.

¾ cup mayo or greek yogurt
1 tsp prepared mustard
3-4+ tsp vinegar and/or lemon juice
1-2 TBLS olive oil
salt, pepper, celery seed to taste

Whisk together to make dressing.  Pour over tossed salad ingredients.

½ cup chicken stock (or water)
½ tsp dried thyme (or a couple sprigs fresh)
3 cups broccoli florets
½ cup sour cream
2 tsp flour
2 tsp Dijon-type mustard

Bring broth and thyme to boil over high heat. Add broccoli, return to boil, and simmer covered for about 5 minutes until tender-crisp. Remove broccoli, retaining cooking liquid. Blend together sour cream, flour, and mustard and add to liquid. Cook over medium heat until thickened about two minutes, stirring. Stir in broccoli and serve.

Availability: July-October

Storage tips: Refrigerate in a plastic bag. Broccoli should last at least a week.

How to eat: Broccoli can be steamed and topped with butter as well as stir-fried with excellent results. To steam, cut broccoli in to small flowerets and put into pan with one inch of water in the bottom. Bring to a boil and steam for 5-10 minutes until tender-crisp and bright green.

How to preserve: Blanche 3 minutes and freeze in plastic bags.

This is a great breakfast option with eggs.  Lovin' it!

2 tablespoons oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon curry powder, (or cumin powder or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne or other spices, etc.), optional
about 1 pound cooked potatoes, cut into chunks (cold)
about 1/2 pound cooked cabbage (cold)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cook, stirring until softening about 5-7 minutes.  Add garlic and optional curry powder (or other spice combo) and cook for about 1 minute.  Add potatoes and additional oil and cook for a few minutes, stirring, until browning.  Add cabbage and cook another few minutes, stirring.  Season with salt and pepper and serve hot!

Easy way to dress up plain winter squash.  Our friend described this as "Kinda like mashed potatoes, except way better!"

3 cups cooked butternut flesh
3 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
2-4 tablespoons melted butter

Half and seed squash, place face down in baking dish in 1 inch water.  Bake at 400 until tender.  Cool.  Puree all ingredients.  Put in baking dish.  Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

This recipe is named after our friend who likes this recipe so much.  The amounts of specific ingredients can be varied so adjust according to your tastes!

2 cups green cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder (or 1 tablespoon fresh minced hot pepper), or to taste!
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
salt to taste

Heat the oil in skillet on medium and saute onion and cabbage, stirring until soft, about 20 minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients and stir.  Serve hot!
 

Traditionally kimchi is made with Chinese cabbage but you can also substitute regular cabbage if you don't have the Chinese version.

1 head Chinese Cabbage (about 2 pounds), thinly sliced
1 cup carrots, grated
1/2 cup radish, grated
½ cup onion, minced
1 tbsp ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp red chili flakes
1 tbsp salt

Combine ingredients in large bowl. Massage with clean hands, or stir, until juicy. Pack into a quart jar or other glass container leaving at least 1 inch of head room to the top of the jar. Press down with spoon until you see juices around the top of the veggies. Cap lid tightly and leave at room temperature for 2-3 days. Store in fridge and enjoy for months. Makes approx. 1 quart.

Availability: August-October (we also may have some in storage for winter CSA/sales through March depending on the year)

Storage tips: Refrigerate in the crisper drawer. Uncut cabbage should last a few months in your fridge.

How to eat: Cabbage is a versatile vegetable and can be boiled, stir-fried, eaten raw, or made into sauerkraut.

How to preserve: Best: Store the head uncut in your refrigerator.  You can also ferment it into kimchi or sauerkraut with or without other veggies, which will last for months!  Or can a relish or freeze a slaw for easy side dishes later.

This is our absolute favorite way to have beets.  Gene says that he doesn't believe anyone that says they don't like beets until they've tried this recipe:

3-4 medium beets, sliced into thin rounds
2 medium onions, sliced into thin rounds
4 TBSP cooking oil
salt and pepper

Heat cooking oil in a heavy bottomed skillet on medium heat.  Add sliced beets and onions and saute for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.  Turn the heat to medium-low, cover skillet and cook for 30-45 minutes until caramelized, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.  Season and serve hot.  Makes 4 accompaniment servings.

This is so delicious that everytime I make it I wish I used more onions than I did because caramelized onions have so many uses!  They're great as a topping pizza or pasta dishes, over steak or pork chops, in French onion soup, mashed up with potatoes or in an onion dip.  You can also make this with shallots, too.  But, be careful not to burn it for obvious reasons! 

onions, peeled, and sliced thinly
butter or oil

Saute onions in butter or oil over medium low heat in a heavy bottomed pan until they turn a deep golden brown and are super sweet and soft.  Keep stirring and turning the heat down as needed to keep them from burning.  The process usually takes me about 45 minutes.

You can use any green here, but Carmen likes it best with massaged kale!  Enjoy :)

Delicata squash, seeds removed and chopped (with skin on)
1 bunch kale, rinsed, midribs removed, and torn into bite size pieces
4 TBLS olive oil
1 TBLS vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
parsley, minced

Toss squash with a little oil and roast in oven until soft at 400* for about 20-30 min.  Meanwhile, whisk together & pour dressing over kale and massage for 5+ minutes to mix and soften.  Cool squash and add to kale.  Toss to mix and serve cold.  PS: Yes, you can eat the skins, says Carmen.  J

1 bunch carrots, cut into 1.5”x .25” x .25” sticks
4 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1+ tablespoon lemon juice
1+ tablespoon olive oil
Salt, paprika, cayenne powder to taste
Scallions, chopped (optional)

Drop carrots into a pot of boiling water for 10 seconds.  Remove to bowl and add the rest of the ingredients.  Combine well and serve either room temp or chilled.

1 onion, sliced into thin rounds
3 Tbls butter
1 bunch carrots, sliced into thin rounds
1 quart chicken stock
½ bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste

In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and carrots and sauté until tender, 8-10 min. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer until vegetables are very soft, about 15 min. Add cilantro, cayenne, lime juice and seasoning. Puree, either with a hand-held immersion blender, or by allowing the soup to cool slightly before transferring to a blender or food processor. Serve with a dollop of sour cream in each bowl. Serves 2-4.

2-4 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 pound carrots, chopped
1 pound parsnips, peeled and chopped
2-4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
salt and pepper
¼ cup cream or milk

Heat butter in pot on medium.  Add onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add carrots and parsnips, broth, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and puree.  If too thick, add more broth.  Add salt and pepper.  Add cream or milk.  This soup is also good cold.

1 cup minced onion
1/4 cup peeled and minced fresh ginger root
1 stick of butter
6 cups chicken stock
2 pounds of carrots, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 cups cream or half and half or milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste

In 4 tablespoons butter, saute onion and ginger root until softened, about 5-10 minutes.  Add the carrots and chicken stock.  Bring to boil, turn down, and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 1/2 hour.  Puree, stir in cream, remaining butter, cinnamon, salt and pepper.  Serve hot!
 

1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into bite sized florets (about 1 pound)
2-3 slices of fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
1-2 tablespoons fresh hot peppers, minced or substitute cayenne powder to taste
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
3/4 cup cream (or thin with some milk if desired but won't be a thick)
salt to taste

Bring all ingredients to a boil in large skillet.  Simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes.  Lift of lid and simmer away excess liquid making a sauce (if necessary).  Serve hot! 

1-2 tbls lemon juice
1 celery root, trimmed and peeled
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tbls Dijon mustard
2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
Pinch of ground black pepper

Pour lemon juice into a bowl. Cut the peeled celeriac into 1/8-inch matchsticks and immediately toss in the lemon juice to prevent browning. In a small bowl combine remaining ingredients. Add celeriac and refrigerate for several hours to blend flavors. Serves 2-4.

2+ TBLS cooking oil
½ lb summer squash, thinly sliced
1 small onion, finely chopped
½ lb Swiss chard, finely chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, minced (to taste)
7-8 eggs
chopped basil
salt, pepper, grated cheese to taste

Sauté squash & onion in oil until softening 3-5 min. Add chard & garlic.  Cover & cook on medium-low until wilted & tender. Cool & drain well.  Whisk eggs, basil, cheese, salt, & pepper together. Add veggies & stir. Heat oiled skillet. Pour in egg mixture and cook 3-5 minutes.  Place in 400* oven until cooked through.

2 lbs. summer squash, grated or spiralized
¼ - 1 cup water
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (or to taste)
2 TBLS milk
1 TBLS butter

Put squash and water into skillet.  Simmer until desired tenderness.  Drain any extra water.  Add rest of ingredients and mix together.  Serve hot and eat it up.  Leftovers are not as good.

Availability: August-September

Storage tips: Refrigerate or store at room temperature.

How to eat: Cherry tomatoes are wonderfully sweet snacks just popped right into your mouth
out of the pint. They can also be used as a garnish on salads or in all of the ways you use regular
tomatoes.  

4 cups chicken stock (or water)
1 cup cooked chicken meat, diced
1 cup green beans, chopped to 1-inch pieces
1 cup carrots, diced
4 TBSP tomato paste (optional)
1-2 cups zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Tbls parsley, minced
Salt and pepper

Bring stock to a boil, reduce heat and add carrots. Simmer for 5 minutes, add beans, zucchini, and chicken and simmer for about 10 minutes until vegetables are just tender and still green. Stir in parsley, season to taste and serve. You can substitute any cooking vegetable for the ones in the soup (celery, leeks, turnips, etc.). You can also add the tomato paste at the beginning with the carrots, which is especially a good idea if you are using water instead of chicken stock (or if you omit the chicken meat also).

Availability: September-October

Storage tips: Refrigerate in the crisper drawer in a plastic bag. Chinese cabbage should last at least a month in your fridge.

How to eat: Chinese cabbage is great for Chinese stir-fries, soups, and for making sauerkraut or Korean kimchee.

Availability: July

Storage tips:  Refrigerate in the crisper drawer in a plastic bag.  Chinese leaf cabbage should last at least a week in your fridge but will wilt quickly if not kept in a plastic bag.

How to eat:  This is a leaf type of cabbage and is very tender and is great in salads and very light cooking.  The falvor is light and excellent.  Also, try it in Asian stir-fries with other vegetables, soups or for making a quick summer sauerkraut or korean kimchee.

Great winter dish served this over rice!

1 Daikon radish, peeled and chopped into bite size pieces
2 tablespoons cooking oil
½ cup onions, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger root, peeled and chopped
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar or other sweetener
2-4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Heat oil on medium high and add onions and ginger.  Stir fry 1 min.  Add ½ to 1 cup water and the rest of the ingredients except sesame oil.  Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer covered until daikon is tender.  Uncover and boil away any remaining water into a sauce.  Add sesame oil, check salt, and serve hot!

This is a great fall and winter dish that can be made with mostly locally produced food!  It comes out a bit like a warm cabbage applesauce and is a great reheated leftover.  Yum!

1/2 medium green cabbage, shredded
3 tablespoons oil
2 large or 3 medium apples, peeled and chopped
1 onion, sliced thinly
1 teaspoon juniper berries (optional)
1 cup apple cider
dash apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in skillet on medium.  Add onions and apples and saute, stirring until softening about 15 minutes.  Add cabbage, optional juniper berries, and apple cider.  Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently until cabbage and apples are very soft, about 30 minutes.  Stir occasionally and check amount of liquid, adding a little more if neccesary.  When cabbage is very tender, remove lid, increase heat and add apple cider vinegar.  Boil off remaining liquid, stirring frequently.  Season to taste and serve hot!

You could really use any combo of veggies here.  This is just one example using spring veggies.  Also try adding greens like lettuce or even the tops from the radishes!

1-2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
¼-½ cup scallions, thinly sliced at an angle
½-1 bunch radishes, sliced
handful of snap peas, snapped and chopped
½-1 bunch cilantro, washed and chopped

4 TBLS olive oil
2-3 TBLS lime juice (or lemon/vinegar)
Seasonings to taste: cayenne powder, cumin, salt, pepper

Whisk above together to make dressing.  Pour over tossed salad ingredients.

Cilantro is an herb that pairs excellently with tomatoes (see "Tomatoes" in our Vegetable Gallery for a salsa recipe) as well as with fish, fowl, and beef. The following recipe for cilantro sauce is good over any of the aforementioned meats, whether they are hot or cold:

1 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped (coarse stems removed)
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
1 tsp fresh lime (or lemon) juice
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Blend all ingredients until smooth and serve or refrigerate to chill.
 

6 egg yolks
2-4 tablespoons honey
juice of 2 juicy limes (1/2 cup)
1/2 bunch cilantro, finely minced (can include stems here)
3 cups cream

Beat together egg yolks and honey until smooth.  Add the rest of the ingredients and pour into ice cream maker and proceed according to the machine's directions.  Delish!!

This recipe is so simple and amazing!  It brings out the sweetness in carrots like no other.  To mix it up try the sweet and sour variation below that is also soooo good!

Basic Coconut Carrots

3 TBSP coconut oil
1 lb. carrots, sliced thinly and halved or quartered if fat ones
Sour cream
Salt and pepper

Heat oil on medium in heavy bottomed skillet. Add carrots and sauté, stirring frequently for 20 minutes or until very soft. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with a dollop of sour cream on each portion.

Sweet and Sour Coconut Carrots Variation

3 TBSP coconut oil
1 lb. carrots, sliced thinly and halved or quartered if fat ones
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Sour cream
Salt and pepper

Heat oil on medium in heavy bottomed skillet. Add carrots and sauté, stirring frequently for 20 minutes or until very soft. Season to taste with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and cumin. Serve immediately with a dollop of sour cream on each portion.

4 tablespoons butter
1-2 scallions or 1/2 onion chopped
1 small head broccoli, chopped
1/2 bunch kale, midribs removed and leaves chopped
2-4 cups of chicken broth
sour cream
salt and pepper

In sauce pan, heat butter on medium.  Saute onion/scallion stirring until translucent, about 5-7 minutes.  Add broccoli, kale and chicken broth.  Bring to boil, turn down and simmer 20-30 minutes or until kale is tender.  Puree, season with salt and pepper.  Ladle into bowls and add a dollop of sour cream to each bowl.  Serve.

4 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb. celeriacs, peeled & chopped
2 cups chicken broth
¼ cup chopped almonds
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt & pepper
¼ cup cream

Sauté onion in butter on low heat until tender.  Add chicken broth, almonds, and celeriac.  Cover and simmer until tender, about 20-30 minutes.  Puree; then add nutmeg, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Gradually stir in cream and re-warm soup, but do not boil.

This recipe can be made in early summer or late fall or winter, using baby leeks and new potatoes or fall leeks and potatoes.

1 large or 2 medium leeks or one bunch of baby leeks, cleaned and chopped
2 tbls butter
¾ pound potatoes, chopped
4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
Several sprigs of thyme (optional)
¾ cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Minced chives or parsley or green onion tops for garnish (optional)

How to clean and chop leeks: cut off the little tuft of roots and discard, then chop as far up the stalk as you can until you get to a leaf. Pull off the leaf and chop up to the next leaf and so on until there’s no stalk left. As you pull off each leaf you will probably need to rinse off any soil or grit that you expose.

Sauté leeks in butter until soft. Add potatoes and broth, bring to a boil and skim off and discard any foam that rises to the top. Add optional thyme and simmer until potatoes are soft. Discard thyme, let soup cool slightly. Puree with either a handheld blender or in a blender with center part of cover removed to let steam escape. Stir in cream, salt and pepper to taste and either serve hot with optional garnish, or chill in refrigerator for at least four hours and serve cold with optional garnish. Serves 2-4.

3-4 tbls butter
3-4 cups cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2-3/4 cup onions, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
¾-1 cup cream

Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add cabbage and onions. Saute for several minutes until vegetables soften, then add salt, pepper and cream. Simmer, covered, over medium-low heat for about twenty minutes until cream is reduced to thick sauce and cabbage is softened. Serve hot. Serves 2-4.

I love the combination of spices in this recipe!  Its a great one for a frigid day!  Try this also with carrots or with a combination of carrots and parsnips.

2-4 tablespoons oil or butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2-3 tablespoons fresh ginger root, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (more if you like it hotter)
1 1/2 pounds parsnips, peeled and chopped
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup cream or milk (or more depending on how thick it is)

Saute onions over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, ginger, spices and saute a couple more minutes to bring out the flavor of the spices, stirring frequently to prevent burning.  Add parsnips and broth.  Bring to boil and simmer until parsnips are tender, about 20 minutes.  Puree soup, add salt and pepper, and add cream.  If its too thick add more milk/cream or broth depending on how thick you like it.  Serve hot.
 

This is a basic recipe that can have anything else you have on hand added to it if you like.  My most recent version used purple carrots (which turned the whole soup purple!) and I added garlic and celeriac to it, also.  I love this kind of soup because it's so adaptable!

2 tablespoons butter or oil
1 medium onion, or two large shallots
3 cups turnips, peeled and chopped
2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped
4+ cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup to 1 cup cream or milk

Over medium heat, saute onion gently in oil until translucent, about 3-5 minutes.  Add turnips, carrots, and broth.  Bring to boil and simmer until veggies are tender, about 20 minutes.  Puree and then add cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. 
 

½ cup julienned pepper
1 cup chopped tomato
2 tbls butter or oil
2 tbls minced basil
1 cup grated cheese
1 cup cream (or plain yogurt)
4 eggs, beaten

Heat butter in a skillet on medium and sauté pepper and tomato for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together cheese, cream and eggs. Add basil and stir. Grease well a medium cast iron skillet or pie dish with butter. Spread sautéed vegetables onto the bottom of the baking dish (without the juices). Then, pour the egg mixture over the vegetables. Place in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until set.

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced very thin
salt
3 tablespoons sour cream
1-2 teaspoons vinegar (we use apple cider)
2 teaspoons dill, minced
pepper

Put sliced cucumber into colander and sprinkle salt over and toss to coat.  Let drain for about 1 hour.  Meanwhile mix all other ingredients into a sauce.  Add cucumbers to sauce and serve.

3 tablespoons oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
several cloves of garlic, minced (optional)
2-4 teaspoons curry powder depending on taste
2 lbs carrots, chopped
3-4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
sour cream

Heat oil in saucepan and add onion.  Saute until softened about 10-15 minutes.  Add ginger, garlic, and curry powder.  Saute about 1 minute.  Add carrots and chicken broth.  Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, and cook until carrots are tender, about 20-30 minutes.  Puree soup and thin with water if necessary.  Add salt and pepper to taste and serve hot with a dollop of sour cream in each bowl. 

This recipe is another variation on the basic way that I make soup.  You can really add any veggie ingredients you want with the same form so if you don't have one substitute another.  This would be good with cooked winter squash instead of carrots.

2-4 TBLS oil or butter
1 bunch leeks, cleaned and sliced
1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large apple, peeled and chopped
1-3 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 teaspoons curry powder, to taste
chicken broth to cover
coconut milk to taste (I used 1/2 can)
salt to taste

Heat the oil in a sauce pan on medium.  Add leeks and saute until becomming tender, about 5-10 minutes.  Do not brown.  Add carrots, apple, garlic, curry powder, and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil and simmer until carrots are very tender.  Add coconut milk and heat through.  Puree until smooth and add salt to taste.  Yum!

Our young daughter loves this dip!  There are suggested veggies below but feel free to dip just about any kinds of veggies in this that aren't listed!  Radishes, cukes, even romaine lettuce would be good, too.  Enjoy!

3-4 cups broccoli florets
1-2 cups tomato wedges or whole cherry tomatoes
1-2 sweet red peppers, cut into strips
1-2 cups carrot sticks
1 cup sour cream
½-1 tsp curry powder or to taste
¼-½ tsp salt
2-3 tsp prepared mustard

 Simmer broccoli until bright green but still crisp. Drain, cool in cold water, and drain again. Arrange on plate with other veggies. Mix curry powder, salt, and mustard into sour cream. Use mixture as a dip for vegetables.

Availability: September-December (possibly longer if supplies last)

Storage tips: Winter Squash wants to be between 55-65 degrees. It stores best in a cool dry room in your house and should last at least into November and can last much longer depending on conditions.

How to eat: Basic winter squash preparation includes roasting. Heat oven to 350 degrees, cut squash in half, scoop out seeds and place face down on baking sheet or dish. Add ½ inch of water to the pan and roast for 45 minutes or until a fork pierces easily through the skin. We enjoy using winter squash in soups and as a side dish.

We made this and had it with cut up carrots, hakurei salad turnips, and bok choy stems for dipping!  Delicious and easy.  Try switching up the herb combo, too, by using cilantro or parsley or even basil!

1 8oz package of cream cheese
2 TBLS to 1/2 cup milk (possibly more)
1-2+ garlic scapes, minced
 ½ bunch dill, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Soften cream cheese for a few hours at room temperature.  Mix in garlic scapes and dill.  Add to mixer and slowly add milk until desired “dip-able” consistency is reached.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve with cut up veggies!

1/4 cup fresh dill, finely minced
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 garlic scape)
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or other vinegar)
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Wisk together all ingredients and serve over a lettuce salad, or cold beets, or cold green beans, or anything else!

We pretty much only ever make beet greens this way or simply steamed whole since they're so good cooked in simple recipes like this one. 

1 bunch beet greens (or just the greens from 1 full sized bunch of beets; full sized roots would not be used here)
1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic or garlic scapes
1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Cut the baby roots off with about 1 inch of stem above them and wash very thoroughly.  Wash the leaves very well as beets tend to harbor small pebbles.  Coarsely chop greens, rinse again and then dry well.  Heat oil over medium heat.  Add baby beet roots and saute stirring until they just start to become tender, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic or garlic scapes and chopped beet greens and saute stirring until greens are wilted down and baby roots tender, about 5 minutes.  Add lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and serve hot.  Serves 2-4.
 

Parsnips, sliced lengthwise
olive oil
salt

Put parsnips on baking sheet.  Toss with olive oil and salt.  Roast at 350 until tender and caramelized.  Turn occasionally to prevent sticking.  Enjoy these super sweet treats!

2-3 cups kohlrabi, peeled and grated
1-2 cups beets, peeled and grated
1-2 cups carrots, peeled and grated
¼-½ cup minced onion or green onion (optional)
Roasted nuts to taste (almonds, pecans, walnuts…)
 
Combine above ingredients in large bowl.  Whisk together the following dressing and pour over slaw.  Serve cold.  Will keep in fridge a few days.

4-6 TBLS olive oil
2-3 TBLS vinegar (cider, balsamic, etc.)
maple syrup, honey, etc to taste
salt and pepper to taste

This makes about a quart. 

2 cups thinly sliced sweet ripe peppers (red or yellow or orange)
1 cup thinly sliced onion (any color)
1 clove minced garlic
1-2 hot peppers minced (to taste)
2 TSP salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl.  Stir occassionally over the next 30 minutes to let the juices release.  Put into quart jar with lid.  Let sit on counter at room temperature to ferment for approximately 2-5 days.  Taste to see how you like it!  Store in the refrigerator and enjoy!

Availability: September-October (possibly longer if supplies last)

Storage tips: Refrigerate in the crisper drawer for at least a few weeks.

How to eat: Fingerling potatoes are small finger shaped potatoes with a wonderful buttery flavor and texture.  To boil potatoes, wash and place in a pan with water to cover. Bring to boil
and boil 10-15 minutes or until a fork easily pierces through to the middle of the potato.  Serve hot with melted butter.

This is a tradtional European appetizer.  Beautiful French Breakfast radishes are dipped in a softened herbed butter.  Yum!  Get creative with the herbs and enjoy!

1 bunch of French Breakfast radishes, tops removed and saved for another use
1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon each of your choice of fresh minced herbs (parsley, chives, scallions, dill, etc.)
1 tsp minced lemon zest
salt to taste

Combine the butter with the herbs, lemon zest and salt.  Mix until smooth and evenly distributed.  Place butter into small bowl and surround with radishes.
 

2 tbls butter or olive oil
½ red onion, finely chopped
1 small, or ½ large zucchini, chopped
1 pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
¾ lb. tomatoes (about 1.5 cups), chopped
¼ cup basil, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the butter or olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Sauté onion until just soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add zucchini, bell pepper and garlic and sauté for another 3 minutes until zucchini is softening. Stir in tomatoes and basil and cook, stirring occasionally until sauce is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. This sauce goes excellently over pasta, baked or grilled fish, or meatballs. If putting it over meatballs you can add ¼ cup beef stock to the sauce when you add the tomatoes, and cook it down slightly longer to evaporate some of the extra liquid. This deepens the flavor wonderfully.

I have kale and pac choi listed here as the greens for this recipe.  But, it will be wonderful with any type of greens that you have on hand: spinach, swiss chard, etc.  Use this recipe to branch out and get creative.

1 cup chicken broth or water
1/2 bunch radishes
½ bunch kale, ribs removed, leaves sliced thinly
1 head pac choi, washed and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons oil
2 eggs, beaten
2-4 garlic scapes, minced
2 cups cooked, cold rice
salt and pepper to taste
Lightly boil radishes and greens in broth separately, about 1-2 min each.  Drain.  Heat oil in large skillet (or wok) on medium-high.  Add eggs and scramble 1 min.  Remove.  Add radishes, greens, and garlic scapes and sauté 1-2 min, stirring.  Add rice and stir to mix and heat through.  Add eggs, salt, and pepper to taste.

This is a great dish to make when the days and nights are getting cooler and you need something to warm you up in September, but while you still have summer's abundance of tomatoes and peppers.  Enjoy!

1 tablespoon oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, choppped
2 green or red peppers, chopped
2 pounds ground beef
1-3 hot peppers, chopped
salt to taste
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 to 1 1/2 lbs tomatoes, chopped

In a skillet, heat oil and saute onion and garlic stirring for 5 minutes.  Add peppers and cook 5 more minutes.  Add beef and brown then add everything else.  Heat to boil, turn down and simmer until slightly thickened about 20 minutes.  Leftovers are even better!

Great on pasta, spread on French bread, or with chicken or fish.  It freezes well so make a nice sized batch of this seasonal treat!!

9-10 garlic scapes
1/2 cup slivered almonds (or other nuts)
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan
salt and pepper to taste

Discard the knobby seed pot and tail from garlic scapes and coarsely chop.  Put scapes and almonds into food processor.  Blend until smooth paste.  Add olive oil slowly while running the food processor.  Then add parmesan, salt and pepper.  Blend to incorporate.  Serve fresh or refrigerate or freeze.

Availability: August-January

Storage tips: Store temporarily at room temperature. For long term storage, store below 40 degrees in a dry place. In the fridge will work, but do not put in a plastic bag because they won’t be able to breathe.

How to eat: Garlic is great minced in stir-fries, in mashed potatoes, on pizza, used with butter on bread, in salad dressings, and roasted with root vegetables.

3/8 cup soft cheese (aka yogurt cheese, boursin cheese, kefir cheese, goat cheese)
1/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon tahini
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard

Wisk together all ingredients.  Store in refrigerator.  Makes 1 cup.

1 pound Brussels sprouts, washed
2-3 TBLS oil
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 cup leeks or onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
1-2 TBLS lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Boil Brussels sprouts whole in 1” of water for 5 minutes.  Run under cold water to cool and set aside.  Sauté mushrooms and leeks in oil until tender, stirring to prevent sticking.  Halve, quarter, or chop the cooked Brussels sprouts and add to skillet with mushrooms and leeks.  Sauté 3-5 min longer until sprouts are browning.  Toss with parmesan and lemon juice and serve hot. 

2+ pounds carrots, grated
1 TBSP fresh ginger, minced
1 TBSP sea salt

In a bowl mix carrots, ginger, salt and cabbage or whey (if using) and pound or massage using clean hands for 5 minutes until you see lots of juices.  Pack into a wide-mouth quart jar, leaving more than one inch of head room from the top.  Press down with spoon or pounder until you see juices around the top.  Put lid on tightly, label, and leave out at room temperature for at least 48 hours up to a week or so.***  Then store in the refrigerator and start eating!  These will keep for months in the fridge.

***Make sure to check every day as they are fermenting because as the fermentation process progresses there will be pressure building up in the jar that you'll want to release!

This has become my very favorite green bean recipe of all time.  Delicious!  Easy to make a lot and even easier to reheat! 

1 pound green beans, ends snapped and cut in half
1 onion, chopped
2-4 tablespoons oil
1-3 cloves garlic (to taste), minced
1 pound tomatoes, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
pinch of sugar or maple syrup

Heat oil in skillet and add onion, sauteeing until translucent.  Add green beans and saute until browning, about 5 to 10 minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to boil and simmer until desired tenderness, about 30 minutes.  Enjoy!

Availability: August-September

Storage tips: Refrigerate in a plastic bag. They should last at least a week and usually up to two.

How to eat: Very fresh beans are exquisite steamed until tender and served with butter. To steam, snap off tops and place in a pan with one inch of water in the bottom. Bring to a boil and steam for 5-10 minutes until tender. Beans can also be eaten raw as a snack, put into soups, or salads.

4 tablespoons butter or oil
¼ pound baked ham, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 leeks, cleaned and sliced
4 cups water or chicken stock
1 ½ pounds buttercup squash, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
Salt and pepper
2 cups half-and-half

Sauté ham, carrots, and leeks on medium until tender.  Add water and bring to boil.  Add squash, thyme, bay leaf, and tomato paste.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer until squash is tender.  Puree and then add allspice, salt, pepper, and half-and-half.  Serve hot.

2 Tbls cooking oil
¾ cup onion, chopped
1 lb. carrots, peeled and chopped
½ apple, cored, peeled, and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp ground cardamom
3-4 cups chicken broth
4 Tbls butter
¾ tsp vanilla extract
Salt to taste
Sour cream or heavy cream (optional)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the onions and carrots and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring. Add the apple, garlic, and cardamom and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring. Add the broth, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook until carrots are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Stir in butter, vanilla, and salt. Puree with a handheld blender or in a regular blender after cooling slightly. Serve hot with an optional spoonful of cream in each bowl. Serves 2-4.

Availability: August-September

Storage tips: Hot peppers are best stored at store at room temperature.

How to eat: Hot peppers can be very hot.  It is best to use plastic gloves when mincing up fresh hot peppers, as they can be irritating to your skin and eyes.  They're great in stir-fries, asian and indian cuisine, salsas, and more.  Most often a little bit goes a long way.

Here's a great recipe for cold soup from our friend and CSA member Sherry.  Delish and extremely beautiful color!!

4 medium-sized fresh cooked beets, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 cup chicken broth (or water)
2 cups sour cream
1/2 large cucumber, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon honey
1 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
garnish with chopped fresh chives, if desired

Puree in blender beets, cucumber, chicken broth (or water).  Whisk in sour cream, honey and dill.  Chill at least 2 hours.  Sprinkle with garnish.

This is one of our favorite ways to use cucumbers!  And such a great cooling accompaniment to summer meals.

1 large or 2 small cucumbers, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon salt or to taste
2 cups plain (unflavored!) yogurt
4-6 cloves garlic, minced (or garlic scapes)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Place grated cucumber into colander with salt and let drain for 1 hour at room temperature.  Discard juices and add pulp to bowl.  Add the rest of the ingredients to cucumbers and mix.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

1-2 Tablespoons cooking oil
1/4 tsp red chili flakes (or more if you like it hotter!)
1 tablespoon minced ginger root
2 cardamom pods
1 tsp fennel seeds, ground in a spice grinder
1 bunch salad turnips, greens separated and cut into quarters or bite sized chunks depending on the size of the turnip
1/2 cup water
1 tsp salt
About 1-2 cups of turnip greens (all from your bunch above), chopped
2 Tablespoons cream

In a medium skillet heat oil until hot.  Add chili flakes and ginger and saute stirring for 2 minutes.  Add cardamom pods and fennel, stir, then quickly add turnips, salt, and water.  Bring to boil, then turn down heat, cover, and simmer until almost tender, about 5 minutes.  Add greens on top, recover, and simmer 2-3 more minutes until wilted.  Uncover, add cream, stir and simmer about 2 minutes until sauce thickens.  Serves 2-4.
 

1 large or 2 medium heads broccoli, cut into florets
cooking oil
2 sweet peppers, green or red, julienned
1 clove garlic, minced or to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 TBLS fresh oregano, minced or 1 tsp dried
1 cup chopped tomatoes
Parmesan cheese, grated to taste

Blanch broccoli for 3 minutes.  Drain, cool, set aside.  Heat oil in skillet on medium-high.  Add peppers.  Sauté 3-5 min.  Add broccoli, garlic, s&p, oregano, and tomato.  Sauté 3-5 min.  Serve hot and top with parmesan cheese.  Great over pasta or as a side dish!

This is a very basic recipe in which you can subsitute other greens like spinach or mustards for the kale as well as onions for the leeks.  Try it for breakfast with your eggs and toast! 

Butter or cooking oil
Leeks (or onions), cleaned and finely sliced
Kale, tough midrib removed and chopped
Bacon, several slices, chopped

Cook bacon until crisp and reserve.  In large pot, sauté leeks in oil gently until tender, 5-10 minutes.  Add kale to leeks, put a lid and a little water and cook until wilted.  Add bacon and drippings, mix and season with salt and pepper to taste.

This is the salad that we serve people who are skeptical about kale.  It will do the trick as it has on several of our family members!

1 bunch kale, midribs removed, leaves torn into pieces
4 Tbls olive oil
1 Tbls cider vinegar
1 Tbls soy sauce
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1-2 tsp minced fresh hot pepper

Steam kale until tender. Mix all other ingredients together and pour over drained kale. Serve hot.

Availability: July-October

Storage tips: Refrigerate in a plastic bag. Kale will last at least a week stored this way.

How to eat: Kale is best used as a cooking green. Remove the midribs and steam in one inch of water until tender (about 10 minutes) and topped with butter is the most basic preparation. Kale is also excellent in stir-fries, soups, and stews.

2 cups kohlrabi, peeled and sliced into ¼ inch thick bite sized pieces
½ cup cream
8oz. cream cheese
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon dill, minced (or other herb)
Salt, pepper, & a sprinkle of paprika to taste
2 oz. grated cheese like Gruyere or cheddar

Boil kohlrabi until tender, drain, and arrange on a buttered baking dish in overlapping rows.  In pan gently heat cream, cream cheese, lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper until blended and smooth.  Pour sauce over kohlrabi slices.  Sprinkle with paprika and cheese and bake at 375 until browned.

You can also add garlic and/or parlsey or another herb to this to change the flavor! 

4 cups kohlrabi, peeled and chopped
4+ tablespoons butter
¼ cup cream (or to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
dash of ground nutmeg

Steam kohlrabi until very tender, about 20-30 min.  Cool and puree in food processor.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Put in saucepan and stir 2-3 min. on medium heat to melt butter and cook off any remaining liquid.

3 tablespoons oil
2 medium leeks, cleaned and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
½ lb. mushrooms, sliced
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
4 cups chicken stock
2-3 cups kohlrabi, peeled and sliced
Salt, pepper, and dill or other herb minced

Heat oil in skillet on medium-high and sauté leek, garlic, and mushrooms, stirring, about 5 minutes.  Stir in tomato and cook another 5 minutes, stirring.  Add stock, bring to boil, and add kohlrabi.  Lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tender.  Season with salt, pepper, and fresh herb.

This is a lacto-fermented radish recipe that can be made in a small batch.  Use a pint or quart jar depending on the size of your radishes.  This recipe needs time to ferment!  It cannot be eaten the same day as it is made.  But soon enough! :)

1 bunch radishes, tops removed and saved for another use, roots whole or sliced
2 teaspoons paprika mixed with 1/2-2 teaspoons cayenne powder (depending on how hot you like it!)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar or maple syrup
1 inch section of ginger root, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon minced garlic or garlic scapes
1 scallion, cut into rounds all the way up the green section

Put radishes into a bowl and rub with paprika/cayenne mixture.  Let stand 1/2 hour.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Put into a jar leaving 1 inch head room to the top and cap this.  Let stand at room temperature for at least 48 hours, but usually between 3-7 days.  Be sure to release the pressure in the jar each day as the fermentation process produces a lot of bubbles.  Taste and when you like it, start eating it and store in your refrigerator.
 

1 bunch leeks
2 tsp red wine vinegar (or vinegar of choice)
½ tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbls olive oil
½ Tbls chopped fresh parsley (or other fresh herb)

Cut leaves off leeks, and slit halfway through each leek starting from green end, stopping 2 inches shy of the white end. Rinse in a bowl of water to clean. Add leeks to a pot of boiling salted water (5 cups water, 1 tsp salt) and simmer until tender, about 10 min. Drain. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper, olive oil and parsley. Drizzle over leeks. Serves 2-4.

Make sure to add enough salt to this soup because that's what makes it sparkle!  The tahini is usually unsalted so add accordingly and enjoy this unusual version of classic carrot soup.

2-3 tablespoons oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
4 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons of lemon juice (about 1/2 large lemon)
3 tablespoons plain tahini

Heat oil on medium in pot.  Add onions, carrots, spices, and salt.  Saute until the veggies begin to soften, about 10 to 15 minutes.  Add broth.  Bring to boil, turn down and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.  Add lemon juice and tahini.  Blend the soup.  Check the seasoning and add more salt if needed.  Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche.
 

This recipe was inspired by Maine Maple Sunday! Just when you think winter's candy carrots can't get any sweeter... try this!

cooking oil (I used coconut oil which was delicious! Or try bacon fat... mmmm! Or whatever you have)
carrots, peeled and diced or chopped into small bite size
grated ginger root to taste
maple syrup to taste
salt to taste

Heat oil in heavy bottom skillet until medium hot and add carrots. Saute until beginning to brown and have softened to desired texture, stirring frequently, approx 20 minutes. Add salt and ginger. Saute stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Turn off heat. Add maple syrup and serve hot.

This Tomato Pie recipe came from a CSA member who discovered it 30 years ago and is still making it to this day.  Very decadent, she says!  Got to be good to hang onto it for that long, I say!  :)  

2 cups bisquick
1/2 cup water
tomatoes, sliced
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup mayonaise

Mix bisquick and water in pie pan spread on bottom and sides.  Layer on top 5 to six sliced tomatoes.  Sprinkle cheese, salt and pepper over the tomatoes.  Spread mayo over top like meringue to seal.  Bake at 400 for 15 minutes then at 350 for 20 minutes more or until brown.

1 bunch kohlrabi, peeled and grated
1 bunch carrots, grated
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Wisk together dressing and pour over kohlrabi & carrots.  Refrigerate 6-24 hours, stirring occasionally.  Serve cold.

1 pound parsnips, peeled and chopped
1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped
1/4-1/2 cup cream or milk
2-4 tablespoons butter
nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste

Boil carrots and parsnips until tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain well.  Add to food processor with cream/milk and butter and blend until smooth.  Alternatively, mash carrots, parsnips, cream and butter by hand.  Add a little water if too thick.  Add seasonings and serve hot as a delicious side dish.

Here is the basic how-to on making a massaged kale salad.  You can add any number of other things to embellish this salad like grated carrots, chopped radishes, lettuce, raisins, nuts, sesame seeds, etc, etc.  We grow a type of kale that is particularly tender called Russian kale which is the BEST for eating raw.  Try it!

1 bunch kale, tough midribs removed and sliced thinly
salad dressing of your choice or this homemade one:
1/4 cup oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Pour dressing over kale.  Massage with your hands 5-10 minutes.  Let sit to marinate for another few mintues.  Add additional ingredients if desired and serve. 

Cooking oil
1 small onion, chopped or sliced
2 green peppers, cored, seeded and sliced
1 medium zucchini/summer squash, sliced thinly
1-2 TBLS fresh oregano, minced
fresh hot pepper, minced to taste
1 clove garlic, minced or to taste
½-1 tsp ground cumin, to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in skillet on medium-high.  Add onions, peppers, and zukes.  Stir-fry 5-10 min, until desired tenderness.  Add spices to taste. Stir 1-2 more min.

We added diced chicken to this and served it over rice with a dollop of plain yogurt on top.  Soooo good!  Great way to spice up plain turnips for those who are not big fans.

2-3 tablespoons oil
1/2 cup shallots (or onions), sliced
1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced
1 pound turnips, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 +/- teaspoon cayenne powder (to taste)
1 cup chicken broth

Heat oil in large skillet.  Add shallots and carrots and saute until beginning to soften, about 5-7 minutes, stirring.  Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to mix the flavors around.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook covered until turnips are tender, about 20 minutes.  Check salt and serve hot!

This recipe is a delicious one skillet meal for a lazy morning.  It is really, really good.  We topped ours with a dollop of sour cream and had it with tortillas.  Try it!

½ tsp cumin seeds
¼+/- cup cooking oil
1 medium-large onion, sliced
3 sweet peppers, green or ripe, sliced
1 teaspoon+ honey/other sweetener
1 bay leaf
½ tsp dried thyme
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2+ cups chopped tomatoes
Salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste
6-8 eggs

In large skillet dry-roast cumin over high heat for 2 min. Add oil & onions.  Sauté 5 min. Add peppers, honey, bay, thyme & ½ of cilantro.  Sauté 5-10 min. Add tomatoes & seasonings.  Cook 10-15 min, stirring. Remove bay leaf.  Make gaps in veggies.  Crack eggs into gaps. Sprinkle salt on eggs, cover, & cook on medium-low heat about 10 min until eggs are set. Garnish with cilantro.

It's hard to imagine that you'd have too many tomatoes to know what to do with.  But, that time does come around once or twice in a season and here's a great way to use a bunch of tomatoes as a yummy side dish or try making a sauce out of them!

Small-ish tomatoes, halved lengthwise
salt
olive oil

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Oil a rack that will fit on top of a baking sheet.  Oil the baking sheet, too.  Place tomatoes cut side up on rack, sprinkle with salt and a few drops of oil.  Put in oven and roast for 2 hours.  Remove from oven, let cool for 1/2 hour then serve.  If you have leftovers, you can add them to soups or puree them into a flavorful sauce.

1 bunch, pac choi, thinly sliced
½ bunch carrots, thinly sliced
½ bunch salad turnips, thinly sliced
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
½+ teaspoon salt or to taste

Toss above ingredients in a bowl.  Then, pour over the following dressing, whisked together:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 garlic scape, minced
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes

Toss slaw together, let marinate for 15 to 20 minutes, and serve!

Availability: July-October

Storage tips: Refrigerate in a plastic bag. Pac Choi should last at least a week.

How to eat: Pac choi is a crunchy Asian green that’s great in stir-fries. It can also be added to a miso or other Asian flavored soup.  I also like its crunch raw in salad.  Preparation is similar to that of lettuce heads: peel off each individual leaf stalk, wash behind its "ears", and then chop as desired in your dish.  You can also use them whole if they're smaller, either roasted or braised.

Availability: November-March

Storage tips: Refrigerate in a plastic bag. Parsley Root should store very well at refrigerated temperatures for months as long as you keep the humidity high on the roots.

How to eat: Parsley root is a variety of parsley grown for its enlarged root.  The greens are also edible though coarser than culinary parsley.  These white roots store very well into the winter and a great flavorings to soups and stews.  Can also be boiled or steamed as a side dish or mashed with potatoes.  Try them roasted in a medley of other veggies as well.  They have a delicate flavor and thin skin making them a delight in winter dishes without a strong or overwhelming flavor.  They may also be eaten raw either grated or juilienned and marinated.
 

1 ½ pounds parsnips, peeled, and chopped
1-2 tablespoons butter or oil
1 cup minced onion or shallot
2 large apples, peeled, cored and chopped
salt and pepper to taste
cream, sour cream, yogurt, etc. to taste
1-2 teaspoons fresh ginger root, finely grated

Boil the parsnips until tender.  Drain well.  Meanwhile, heat butter in skillet on medium and sauté the onions and apples until softened, stirring to prevent sticking.  Combine all ingredients and puree (for smoother) or mash by hand (for chunkier).  Check seasonings and serve hot!  Makes great leftovers, too.

Make this with winter parsnips and it is incredibly sweet!  Loved it and reheated well as a leftover.

1.5-2 pounds parsnips, peeled and cut into match sticks
1 cup cream
1/4 TSP ground turmeric
1/4 TSP ground cumin
pinch of chili powder or cayenne powder
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Blanch parsnips for 2 minutes.  Drain well.  Grease a baking dish and add parsnips.  Cover with cream and spices and mix well.  Season with salt and pepper.  Top with feta cheese.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until parsnips are tender.

1-1.5 cups beets, peeled and sliced very thinly
¼ cup cabbage (red or green is okay), shredded
¼ cup onion or leek, sliced very thinly
¼ tsp rosemary (or other dried herb of choice)
2 tsp salt
1 cup water

Combine beets, cabbage, onion or leek, and rosemary.  Toss well.  Stuff into a pint jar leaving about 1 inch of head room.  Combine salt and water and mix until dissolved.  Pour over veggies until covered.  Do not fill it all the way to the top with liquid.  Cap.  Leave at room temperature to ferment for at least 5 days.  Release pressure from lid daily and check taste for progress.  Refrigerate when you like it!

This is a quick pickle that you can keep in your fridge.  Easy and delicious!

1-1 1/2 cups winter radishes, cut into half moons (daikon or whole small summer radishes will work, too)
1 cup of vinegar
1/4 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 pint jar, with lid

Heat the vinegar, sugar and salt and mix around until the sugar and salt have dissolved into the liquid.  Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes or until you can easily put your finger in the liquid without burning it.  Stuff your jart with slices of radish and cover with the vinegar/sugar/salt mixture.  Put a lid on your pickles and put in the refrigerator for 24 hours.  You can start eating these refrigerator pickles as soon as you want to and they will get more flavorful the longer you leave them in the fridge.

Delicious and nutritious

4-5 tablespoons oil or butter
1/2 cup shallot (or onion) sliced
1 pound potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
7-8 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon dried thyme or any minced fresh herbs like chives or parsley

Sauté shallots in 1-2 tablespoons oil until tender, about 5-10 minutes.  Combine with potatoes, oil, salt and pepper.  Roast at 400 until tender, 20-30 minutes.  Whisk eggs, milk & herbs together, season with salt and pepper.  In oven safe skillet, pour eggs over potatoes and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.  Serve with salsa!

Availability: Fall-Thanksgiving (possibly longer if supplies last)

Storage tips: Winter Squash wants to be between 55-65 degrees. It stores best in a cool dry room in your house and should last at least through the end of November and can last much longer depending on conditions.  Check your winter squash often for signs of decay and then eat it up!

How to eat: These Jack-Be-Little mini pumpkins are actually a type of acorn squash!  Cut the "lids" out and roast them whole with sweet or savory spices and a little butter for a side dish or dessert!  Or try stuffing them with rice, raisins, ground beef, other sauteed veggies, etc.  One option for cooking is to remove the lids, scoop out the seeds, place face down in a baking dish, add 1 inch of water around the base and bake at 375 to 400 degrees until tender 45 minutes to 1 hour.  This keeps the flesh very tender and moist, great for scooping out and incorporating into baked dishes or soups.  Also try roasting face up on a baking sheet with a little bit of apple cider, maple syrup, cinnamon, etc inside the cavity until tender.  These Jack Be Littles are downright delicious and so unique on the plate!
 

Availability: Occassionally in summer

Storage tips: Refrigerate in a plastic bag. It should last at least a week. Be careful not to smash the leaves in the fridge because this will result in loss of quality and a reduction of keeping time.

How to eat: Purslane is a mild, lemony, succulent herb that is often used raw in salads.  Try it in a salad with lettuce!  This exceptionally highly nutritious plant can also be added to soups or stews.  Pick off leaves, wash well and coarsely chop.  Remove roots (if any) from stems and simmer in acidulated water (aka add 1-2 tablespoons vinegar to cooking water) until tender and add chilled to salads.  Also, great paired with cucumbers!

Yes, radish greens are edible and delicious!

1 bunch radishes, roots sliced, greens chopped
black pepper to taste

Dressing:
2-4 Tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons milk
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
3 Tablespoons minced fresh herb like dill, scallions, chives, parsley etc. (Optional)
salt to taste

Wisk up dressing ingredients.  Place radish greens and radish slices in bowl and toss with prepared dressing.  Add cracked black pepper to taste.  Serves 2-4.

2 tbls cooking oil
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced
8 radishes, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped arugula (or radish greens!)
1 ½ tsp soy sauce
1 ½ tsp vinegar
1 tsp maple syrup (or sugar)
¼ tsp salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper (or ½ tsp minced hot pepper)

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the cucumbers and radishes and sauté for 4 minutes until tender. Mix together soy sauce, vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and cayenne. Add to skillet along with arugula. Sauté for 2 more minutes. Serve hot. Serves 2-4.

1 bunch radishes, trimmed and grated
2 carrots, trimmed, peeled and grated
1 small zucchini, peeled and grated
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup crumbled cheese like feta, Gorgonzola, cheve, etc.

Combine grated veggies together with the salt and pepper.  Check seasonings.  Pour over below dressing and toss to coat.  Cover bowl and refrigerate.  Serve cold and top with cheese.

For the dressing, wisk together:
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4-6 tablespoons olive oil

1 large red cabbage, shredded
1 cup raisins
salt and pepper
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons vinegar
slivered almonds, preferably toasted

In large bowl, combine cabbage and raisins.  Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.  Wisk together sour cream and vinegar.  Pour over cabbage and mix.  Refrigerate until chilled.  Before serving, top with almonds.

Cooking oil
Leeks (or onions), cleaned and sliced thinly
Red Kuri winter squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped into 1” chunks
Spices to taste: curry powder, cayenne, turmeric, dry mustard, salt
Coconut milk
Cilantro leaves, chopped

Heat oil on medium and sauté leeks until softened, stirring occasionally, about 10 min.  Do not brown.  Add squash chunks and spices.  Stir to coat.  Add coconut milk, enough to almost cover the squash.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.  Cover and cook until squash is tender.  Serve hot over rice.  Garnish with cilantro.  Leftovers reheat well.

Garnish, garnish, garnish! That is what my family is obsessed with. So, if you are too, you could garnish this soup with: sour cream, cilantro, chives, crushed tortilla chips, grated cheese, and many more options. If not, just make it plain. You won't be dissapointed.

Cooking oil
1-2 cups onion, chopped
garlic to taste, minced
1-2 TBLS tomato paste
salt, pepper, ground cumin, chili/cayenne powder to taste
6-8 cups chicken broth (or a combo of broth and water)
1 cup red lentils
1 cup carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup turnips, peeled and diced
lemon juice to taste

In large pot, sauté onion in oil until translucent. Add garlic, tomato paste, and spices. Stir quickly, 1 min. Add the rest of the ingredients (except lemon juice). Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until everything is very tender. Add lemon juice at the end. Check salt.
 

1.5 cups water
1 cup vinegar
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt

Combine above ingredients, bring to boil, and cool.

3 cups cucumbers, speared or sliced
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 head dill

Stuff above ingredients into quart jar.  Pour over cooled brine.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.

Roasted Butternut Squash

1 Butternut Squash, cut in half with seeds scooped out
1/2 cup of water
butter
maple syrup (optional)

Place squash cut side down in a baking pan with a ½” of water and bake at 350 degrees until easily pierced with a fork (about one hour).  Serve warm with melted butter and a little sweetener (optional).  Leftover scooped out flesh can be pureed into a creamy soup. 

Carrots, peeled and chopped into small pieces
Beets, peeled and chopped into small pieces
Kohlrabi, peeled and chopped into small pieces (optional)
Olive oil to coat liberally
salt, pepper, and optional herb of choice (we used thyme)

Toss all of the ingredients together and spread onto baking sheet in a more or less single layer.  Roast at 400, stirring a couple of times to prevent sticking, until tender and very sweet.  Serve hot and leftovers also good reheated with eggs for breakfast!  Enjoy!

2 Delicata squash, halved, seeds removed, sliced into ½” slices crosswise
1 cup red onions, sliced thinly
2-4 garlic cloves, peeled, and smashed
Olive oil and maple syrup to taste
salt, thyme, and red pepper flakes to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss to mix together thoroughly.  Spread out in one layer on baking sheet(s).  Roast in oven at 425* until tender and browning, tossing occasionally to prevent sticking, about 30-45 minutes.

1 bulb garlic, top cut off to expose the tips of the cloves, roasted at 375 until soft, pulp squeezed out
Cooking oil
1 small/medium onion, chopped
1 buttercup squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped into chunks
½ teaspoon dried thyme
3-4 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
2-4 TBLS butter, optional

Heat oil on medium and sauté onion until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 min.  Do not brown.  Add squash, roasted garlic, thyme, broth, salt and pepper.  Bring to boil and simmer until squash is very soft.  Puree, check seasonings and add optional butter.

This is an easy and very delicious way to make a side dish out of salad turnips.  When roasted, they become soft and juicy with great flavor.  If I'm roasting a chicken or squash or something else in the oven, put these in for a few minutes, too!

1 bunch hakurei turnips, trimmed and greens separated
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Halve or quarter the turnips, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place on roasting pan and roast at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.  Turn over to a new side and roast another 5-10 mintues or until softened but not mushy.  Remove from heat.

Optional turnip greens addition:

Greens from one bunch of turnips, washed, dried, chopped and tough stems discarded
1 clove garlic, minced
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in skillet on medium.  Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds.  Add greens, salt and pepper and saute, stirring, until wilted, about 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat and toss with above roasted turnips for a beautiful side dish!

This is a variation on a roasted tomato soup that our employee Sara makes where I added roasted peppers.  Delicious and only possible at the peak of pepper season on the farm!  Get ready to fire up your roaster (aka your oven) :)

ripe sweet peppers, cored and seeded
ripe tomatoes, cored and halved
cooking oil
onions, chopped
garlic, peeled, to taste
chicken broth
cream to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lay prepared peppers and tomatoes on baking sheet and roast until the skins on the peppers are bulging and browning.  Remove from oven.  Let cool until you're able to handle them.  Slip off the skins of the peppers and tomatoes.  Roughly chop.  Meanwhile, heat oil on medium in pot on the stove.  Add onions and gently saute until translucent, not browning, 5-10 minutes.  Add garlic, tomatoes, and peppers.  Add enough broth to barely cover.  Gently simmer until everything is very tender, approximately 20-30 minutes.  Puree using handheld blender.  Add cream to taste and check salt and pepper.  This soup can take quite a bit of salt so make sure you've put enough.  Serve hot!

1 Sweet Dumpling squash
butter
maple syrup or brown sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place squash face down in baking dish. Add 1/2 inch water to dish and place in oven. Bake 30-45 minutes or until a fork easily pierces the skin. Remove from oven, put butter and optional maple syrup into cavity and serve. This is a delicious and simple side dish for the fall and winter months.
 

2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
about 2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 medium parsnips, peeled, trimmed, and thinly sliced
1 large shallot, thinly sliced (or 1/2 cup onion, thinly sliced)
1 medium celeriac, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
8 ounces cheese, coarsely shredded

1. Preheat oven to 325°. In a small saucepan, bring cream, salt, and nutmeg to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Lay half the potatoes evenly in a shallow 2 1/2-qt. baking dish, followed by half the parsnips and all the shallot/onion and celeriac. Top with half the cheese. Add remaining parsnips, then remaining potatoes. Pour warm cream over vegetables. Sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese.

3. Bake until bubbling, golden brown, and tender when pierced, about 1 1/4 hours. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Make ahead: Up to 2 days; reheat at 325° until center is warm, about 30 minutes.

2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
about 2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 medium parsnips, peeled, trimmed, and thinly sliced
1 large shallot, thinly sliced (or 1/2 cup onion, thinly sliced)
1 medium celeriac, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
8 ounces cheese, coarsely shredded

1. Preheat oven to 325°. In a small saucepan, bring cream, salt, and nutmeg to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Lay half the potatoes evenly in a shallow 2 1/2-qt. baking dish, followed by half the parsnips and all the shallot/onion and celeriac. Top with half the cheese. Add remaining parsnips, then remaining potatoes. Pour warm cream over vegetables. Sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese.

3. Bake until bubbling, golden brown, and tender when pierced, about 1 1/4 hours. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Make ahead: Up to 2 days; reheat at 325° until center is warm, about 30 minutes.
 

4 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 lb. rutabagas, ends trimmed, peeled & cut into ½” dice
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small celeriac, ends trimmed, peeled & cut into ½” dice
½ tsp salt
Ground pepper, to taste
1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced

Heat a heavy bottomed frying pan over medium. Fry bacon until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon to
plate. On medium-high heat, add rutabaga, onion, and celeriac to the bacon grease and sauté for 2 minutes stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook stirring occasionally to prevent sticking for 15-20 minutes until rutabagas are tender. Uncover pan and add salt, pepper, cayenne, and garlic. Increase heat to brown the edges of vegetables and stir around seasonings for about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in bacon. Serve hot. Serves 2-4.

This is a great side dish with a flexible recipe.  Use whatever proportions of rutabaga and carrots that you have on hand and it will come out good. 

2 lbs rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
2 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
3-6 TBLS butter, to taste
sugar, honey or other sweetener, to taste (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot cover rutabaga and carrots with water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the vegetables are fork tender.  Drain well.  Mash by hand or use a food processor to puree.  Add butter, sweetener, salt and pepper to taste.

Store in a tightly lidded container in the fridge for a couple days and reheat to serve.

Gene thinks that this dish really brings out the sweetness of the rutabaga!  Give it a try as a delicious side dish or add ground beef at the end and make it a one-skillet-meal!

3-4 tablespoons oil or butter
2-3 cups rutabaga, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large onion or 1 cup shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon crushed sage (or more to taste)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil on medium heat in large skillet.  Add all ingredients and saute, stirring for about 2-3 minutes.  Then lower heat to medium-low and cover the skillet.  Cook until tender and soft but not mushy, stirring to prevent sticking, for about 45 minutes.  Taste and add more salt, pepper, and/or sage if needed.  Serve hot!

I love this dish!  But, the paneer (Indian cheese that can be cubed and cooked) is hard to come by so I ususally make it without it and it's just as good. 

1/2 pound spinach, washed
1 tablespoon oil
4 oz paneer cheese, cubed (optional)
1 small onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
1/8 teaspoon corriander powder
pinch mustard powder
pinch red pepper flakes
pinch cardamom
1 clove
salt and pepper to taste
1/2-3/4 cup buttermilk or cream
pinch of ground nutmeg

Heat oil in large skillet on medium.  Sautee paneer until lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes.  Remove paneer from heat and add onion, sauteeing until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, ginger, spices and salt.  Cook for a couple more minutes, stirring constantly.  Turn up the heat and add spinach, stirring until wilted down.  Stir in buttermilk/cream and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.  You might need to add more cream if necessary.  Check seasonings, adding more if needed, and add the nutmeg.  Remove from heat, stir in the paneer, and serve hot.
 

2-3 Tablespoons butter
1 bunch salad turnips, greens removed and saved for another use, roots trimmed and quartered or cut into bite sized chunks depending on size
2-3 Tablespoons water
2-3 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon sugar or 2 teaspoons maple syrup
salt and pepper to taste
minced fresh herb like parsley, scallions, etc. (optional)

Melt butter in pan and add turnips to coat.  Add water and bring to simmer.  Reduce heat to maintain slow simmer, cover and cook until tender, about 7-10 minutes.  Uncover pan and add vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper.  Increase heat to medium-high while stirring frequently until sauce starts to form a glaze on the turnips.  Serves 2-4.

Availability: July-October

Storage tips: Refrigerate in a plastic bag. The tops should last at least a week. Remove the tops from the roots and they should last a few weeks in a plastic bag in the fridge.

How to eat: Salad Turnips are different from regular turnips. They are meant to be eaten raw or lightly cooked and have a tender texture and sweet taste which makes them great raw in saladsor as snacks. The best way to cook them is to slice them and sauté them gently in butter for 10 minutes or until softened.  

1-2 TBLS butter or cooking oil
Beans, trimmed and cut into 1” pieces
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
parmesan cheese and salt to taste

Sauté beans and onion in butter or oil until desired tenderness.  Add garlic and sauté another minute.  Serve hot on plates and top with parmesan cheese and salt to taste.

This recipe makes 1 quart.  You can make more or less depending on how much cabbage you have, just adjust the salt accordingly. 

½ medium cabbage (about 2 lbs.), thinly sliced or shredded
1 TBSP sea salt

*Optional additional ingredient for Garlic Sauerkraut
3 cloves garlic, crushed

*Optional additional ingredient for Caraway Seed Sauerkraut
1 TBSP caraway seeds

*Optional additional ingredients for Jalapeño Sauerkraut (you might need a little less cabbage here
½ jalapeño, seeded and minced
½ cup carrot, grated
¼ cup onion, minced
¼ cup daikon radish (or salad turnip or regular radish), minced

OR ADD ANY OTHER VEGGIE YOU WANT!  TRY GRATED CARROTS, RUTABAGA, HOT PEPPERS, GINGER, ONIONS, ETC.

Combine all ingredients into a large bowl and pound or massage using clean hands for 15 minutes with a potato masher or wooden pounder until juicy.  Pack into a quart jar leaving one to two inches empty to the top of jar.  There should be juices visible above the top of the cabbage in the jar.  If this is not the case, return to bowl and pound again or add brine to bring juices above cabbage using recipe below.  Put lids on, label, and leave out at room temperature for at least 3 days.***

***Make sure to check every day as they are fermenting because as the fermentation process progresses there will be pressure building up in the jar that you'll want to release!

At this point, you need to mature the sauerkraut.  You can start eating it right away but, generally sauerkraut takes longer than the other ferments made today to be really flavorful and fermented.  You can age it in the refrigerator or at room temperature.  At room temperature aging will take days or weeks and in the refrigerator it will take weeks or months.  Every sauerkraut is different, but generally you’re looking for tanginess, sour taste, and a softened texture.

Sauerkraut also has a tendency to lose moisture over time.  This is something you need to be aware of.  Using the brine recipe of 3 tablespoons salt to 1 quart of water to keep the liquid above the cabbage at all times ensures that you will be eating this sauerkraut for many months to come.

Cooking oil
1-2 Fennel bulbs, thinly sliced crosswise
1-2 red peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
½-1 cup cream
1 tablespoon minced fennel fronds
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in skillet on medium heat.  Add fennel and sauté gently for 5 minutes.  Add peppers and continue to sauté, stirring until tender, about 20 min.  Add cream and fennel fronds.  Boil down until thickened.  Season to taste.

1 bunch radishes with tops, roots quartered and greens removed and washed
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic or garlic scapes
salt

Heat butter in skillet on medium.  Add radish roots and saute quickly, stirring, until just barely tender, about 3 minutes.  Add garlic/garlic scapes and radish greens and stir until wilted.  Season with salt and serve.

2 Tbls butter or oil
1 pound summer squash, sliced into ¼ inch rounds
½-1 cup grated cheese (cheddar, parmesan, etc.)
Sour cream
Salt and pepper

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the summer squash in a single layer (you may need to do two batches), and cook for two to three minutes on each side until lightly browned and tender. Remove to a plate. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with the grated cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Serve immediately.

You can make this with any Asian greens like tatsoi, Chinese leaf cabbage (Tokyo Bekana), pac choi, or even cabbage (though cook it longer).  Try this quick and easy way to cook these greens and you will be hooked!

2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
4 teaspoons peeled, minced gingerroot
1-2 garlic scapes, minced
2 bunches Asian greens, chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 teaspoons rice vinegar (or other vinegar)

In oiled hot skillet, add sesame seeds.  Stir until they pop. Add ginger and garlic scapes, stirring for 1 min.  Add the greens and 1 TBLS soy sauce. Cook, covered, for 1 min. Uncover and sauté for 1 or 2 minutes more, until the greens are tender but still bright green.  Stir in more soy sauce and vinegar to taste.

2 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded, chopped
½ cup onion, minced
1 ½ cup chicken broth
½ cup sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chives, minced (optional garnish)

Combine cukes, onion and broth in a sauce pan and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender.  Puree until smooth.  Blend in sour cream, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Either chill and eat cold or serve warm immediately.  Top with chives.

Cooking snap peas is actually a preferred way of eating these sweet July treats!  Here's a way to dress them up that is good eaten right away or served as a cold salad.

1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 pint snap peas (about 1/2 pound), tops snapped and strings removed and discarded
1-2 garlic scapes (or cloves of garlic), minced
1 tablespoon fresh mint, minced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat.  Add snap peas and stir frequently until crisp tender.  Try to stop them before the pods have opened up and expose the peas inside.  Add garlic scapes and stir for 30 seconds.  Remove from heat.  Stir in mint, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Serve hot or chilled.
 

½ lb snow peas, strings removed and chopped
1-2 Tablespoons cooking oil
1 scallion, chopped including greens
1 garlic scape, minced or 1 tablespoon minced garlic
1-2 tablespoons pine nuts (or minced walnuts)
1½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil or 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil on medium-high and add snow peas and scallions.  Stir-fry for 3-5 minutes, stirring.   Add nuts and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat, stir in toasted sesame oil, and season. Serve immediately

2 cups water or chicken broth
2 pounds of Gold nugget squash or pumpkin, cooked
4 cloves
4 allspice berries
1/4 teaspoon ground corriander
2 tablespoons butter
1-2 cups cream
2 tablespoons rum
salt and pepper to taste

Bring the chicken broth, squash, and spices to a boil and simmer five minutes.  Puree the soup, add cream, and the rest of the ingredients.  Check the seasonings and serve warm!

3+ cups cucumbers, ends trimmed
1/4 cup sliced onion
2 cloves garlic, quartered
1 hot pepper chopped, or ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
¼ tsp. celery seed
2 tsp salt
1 cup water

Submerge cucumbers in ice cold water for 30 minutes unless using just picked cucumbers.  Slice into 3/8 inch slices and pack into jar with the rest of the ingredients.  Disolve salt into water to make brine.  Pour over brine filling up to 1 inch from top of jar.  Put lid on tightly, label, and leave out at room temperature for 24 to 48 to 36 or more hours, until you like the taste of them!  Then store in the refrigerator and start eating!  These will keep for months in the fridge.

Pickles can go by really fast so you should check them often as they are fermenting at room temperature.  When it’s warm they can get mushy quickly, especially, so watch for this!  If your batch does get mushy, just blend them up into a pickle relish, store in the fridge and enjoy.

1/2 pound spinach, rinsed well and chopped
1 tablespoon cooking oil
3/4 cup thinly sliced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
8 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes or roasted red peppers (optional)
3-4 oz soft cheese like goat cheese or homemade kefir or yogurt cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion in oil over medium heat until translucent, about 10 minutes.  Add spinach to wilt down.  Remove from heat and set aside until cooled.  Meanwhile mix together garlic, eggs, milk, cheeses, and optional tomatoes or peppers.  When cool enough to touch with your hand add onion and spinach mixture, salt and pepper.  In a clean skillet, heat to medium and then pour egg mixture in.  Cook on medium-low until the top is set, shaking the pan and running a spatula around the sides frequently to prevent sticking.  When the top is set, place under broiler for a minute or two to brown.  Watch carefully as to not burn!  Serve hot or cold.  Great leftover as well!
 

Availability: September-October

Storage tips: Refrigerate in a plastic bag for at least a week.

How to eat: Spinach can be eaten raw in salads or as a cooking green. Simple steaming is
accomplished by rinsing the spinach well and placing into a pan. Do not add additional water
and steam until tender; there will be enough water on the spinach from rinsing to accomplish
this without the greens getting too soggy. Top with butter, salt, and pepper 

1-2 medium-large onions, chopped
4 tablespoons butter
1 buttercup squash, cooked, skin removed
1 bunch kale, midribs removed and chopped
1 quart chicken broth
1 pound ground pork, or spiced sausage
2 garlic cloves, minced
Minced parsley, salt and pepper

Saute onions in butter until soft.  Add squash, broth, kale, garlic.  Simmer until tender.  Add browned sausage and parsley.  Check seasonings and serve hot!

Steamed Kale with Butter

1 bunch of kale
butter
salt and pepper

We like kale best steamed as a side dish.  Cut out the tough midribs, then steam the leaves until tender.  Season to taste with butter, salt and pepper.  Makes 4 side dish servings. 
 

1 teaspoon cumin seeds or ground cumin
2-4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
red chili flakes, to taste
1 medium winter kohlrabi, 2-3 lbs., peeled, end discarded, and chopped into ¾ dice
12-16 oz chopped tomatoes, including juices (canned is fine)
water or chicken broth
½ teaspoon turmeric
salt to taste
sugar or maple syrup, optional, to taste

Heat oil over medium-high heat in large skillet.  Add spices and sauté quickly for several seconds.  Add kohlrabi and stir to coat.  Add tomatoes, broth or water, turmeric, salt, and sweetener.  Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until kohlrabi is tender, about 30-45 minutes.  Check seasonings and serve hot with rice.

1 buttercup squash, cut in half with seeds scooped out
3-4 tbls cooking oil
½ cup onions, diced
½ cup sweet peppers, diced
½ cup mushrooms, diced
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp cumin
¼ tsp cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste
½-1 cup cheese, grated

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the squash in a casserole, face-down, with ¼ inch of water. Bake 45-60 min. until a fork easily pierces the skin. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, peppers, and mushrooms and sauté for 8-10 minutes until they soften. Add the beef, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper and cook several more minutes, until the meat beef is browned. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the cheese. Drain the water from the squash casserole leaving the oven on, turn the squash halves face up, and stuff with the beef and vegetable mixture. Return to oven and bake for 15 min. Serves 4-6.

Jack Be Little pumpkins are delicious stuffed with a variety of stuffings either sweet or savory.  Try this option below or substitue to your liking or available ingredients.  You could also try using onions, greens, rice, and lentils as a stuffing.  Or a sweet stuffing with rice, raisins, cranberries, apples, cinnamon, etc.  Any way you try it, these personal sized mini pumpkins are a perfect addition to a hoilday meal!

JBL pumpkins, lids and seeds removed
1 onion, chopped
1 apple, peeled and chopped
Handful of cranberries
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
Salt & pepper
½ lb ground sausage
½-1 cup bread crumbs or rice
Grated cheese

Roast JBL pumpkins with lids on in oven at 400 until fork tender, about 40 min.  Meanwhile, sauté onion in oil until translucent.  Add garlic and sausage and cook until done.  Add apple, cranberries, seasonings and stir until softened.  Combine with rice and cheese, stuff into pumpkins, and bake 15 min at 350.

While this is a great side dish as is, I added 2 pounds of ground beef to this recipe to make it a full meal and it was very yummy!

2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, sliced
1 1/2 pounds summer squash or zucchini, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cream
4 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup saltine crackers, crumbled (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.  In large skillet, cook onion for 5 minutes, stirring.  Add summer squash and red pepper and salt and cook stirring until tender about 10 minutes.  Stir in garlic and cayenne pepper.  Sprinkle flour over veggies and mix.  Add milk, cream and parmesan and remove from heat.  Put into casserole, top with crackers and more cheese, and bake until bubbling, about 20-30 minutes.

4 small summer squashs, thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil over medium-high in skillet.  Add summer squash and saute quickly, stirring until becomming tender, about 2 minutes.  Add garlic for 30 seconds, stirring.  Remove from heat, top with basil, salt and pepper and serve immediately.
 

I make this during the glut of squash, tomatoes, and basil.  Its so easy and delicious, stores well in the fridge as leftovers and goes well with practically everything!  We like it over scrambled eggs, rice, pasta, fish, etc!

2-4 TBLS butter or oil
1 bunch scallions (or 1 onion), chopped
1-2 pounds summer squash, chopped
1-2 lg. tomatoes (depending on juiciness desired)
1 large handful basil, chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, mashed (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in large skillet on medium.  Add scallions and sauté until softened, not browned, about 5 min.  Add the remaining ingredients, bring to boil, and simmer covered until tender, about 20 min.  Remove lid to boil off unwanted liquid.

This is my mom's favorite way to cook red cabbage!  If you can't find unsweetened cranberry juice, you can use sweetened cranberry juice and omit any added sugar to the dish.  Or use another tart fruit juice if you want to mix it up!

3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
2 medium onions, cut into rings
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 red cabbage, cored & shredded
1 cup cranberry juice, w/o sugar
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
Salt to taste

Heat oil in large pot until hot.  Add cumin and fennel seeds and onions.  Cook 5 minutes, stirring.  Add garlic, ginger, and curry powder.  Cook 30 seconds.  Add cabbage, liquids, sugar and salt.  Bring to boil, and simmer for 1.5 hours or until cabbage is tender.

Availability: September-December (possibly longer if supplies last)

Storage tips: Winter Squash wants to be between 55-65 degrees. It stores best in a cool dry
room in your house and should last at least into November and can last much longer depending
on conditions.

How to eat: Basic winter squash preparation includes roasting. Heat oven to 350 degrees, cut
squash in half, scoop out seeds and place face down on baking sheet or dish. Add ½ inch of
water to the pan and roast for 45 minutes or until a fork pierces easily through the skin. We
enjoy using winter squash in soups and as a side dish 

This is another great winter soup that can be made just about anytime during winter with almost all locally grown ingredients!

2-4 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 pound rutabaga, peeled and chopped
1 large apple, peeled and chopped
2-4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup cream or milk
salt and pepper to taste

Over medium heat, saute onion in butter until softened, about 5-10 minutes, stirring.  Add garlic and ginger root and cook, stirring for 1 minute.  Add carrot, rutabaga, apple and chicken broth.  Bring to boil, and simmer until veggies are tender, about 20 minutes.  Puree, then add cream/milk and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve hot on a cold day.

3 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
1 bunch of tatsoi, stems chopped into 1” pieces and greens separated from stems
2 teaspoons minced ginger root, peeled
1 clove garlic, minced
1½ teaspoons soy sauce

Heat butter in skillet on medium and add ginger and tatsoi stems. Saute, stirring, until wilting about 5minutes.  Add garlic and tatsoi leaves and sauté, stirring until leaves wilt about 2 minutes. Add soy sauce, stir to mix and serve hot.

When Gene studied abroad during college he enjoyed a green papaya salad almost daily with his host family.  This is a different version that is inspired by this tropical salad using winter radishes instead.  We like to use "green meat" or green daikons to mimic the color of green papayas but you may use watermelon, black spanish, purple, or even small summer radishes also.  Enjoy its spicy taste to enhance any meal!

1 lb. radish, coarsely grated/julienned
½ cup roasted peanuts, crushed
¼-1 tsp chili flakes (to taste)
1 ½ Tbls fish sauce (or soy sauce)
1 ½ Tbls vegetable oil
2 Tbls lime juice
2 tsp honey

Whisk together chili flakes, fish sauce, oil, lime juice, and honey until well mixed and honey is dissolved. Pour this dressing over the radish in a bowl and toss to coat. Taste and adjust flavorings to taste. Garnish with the peanuts and serve.

1-2 onions, peeled and chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs carrots, peeled and chopped
chicken broth and/or coconut milk (approx 4-6 cups total)
peanut butter to taste
cayenne pepper or hot sauce to taste

Heat cooking oil in pan and sauté onions until softened, about 10 min, stirring.  Add carrots, garlic, and chicken broth and/or coconut milk to cover and simmer until carrots are tender, about 20-30 min.  Puree and add the rest of the ingredients.  Check for salt and pepper and serve hot.  

The title of this recipe is from Mary Margaret who considers this it!  Try it and you'll understand!

tomatoes, chopped
cucumbers, peeled and chopped
basil, chopped

For the dressing, wisk together:
1/2 cup soft cheese like chevre (or homemade kefir cheese or yogurt cheese)
4-6 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
salt to taste

Optional additional ingredients:
black olives, minced
avocado (which makes this salad eerily similar to the Tomato-Basil-Avocado salad we have on the website, too :)

Combine salad ingredients and pour over dressing.  Toss to coat and serve!

Tokyo Bekana is our favorite variety of Chinese leaf cabbage with its super tender and mild leaves that remind me of lettuce.  You can serve this finely cut slaw alone or over cooked rice or noodles. You could also use it as a filling for spring rolls.

1 bunch Tokyo Bekana Chinese leaf cabbage, shredded
1 bunch radishes, shredded
1/2 bunch carrots, shredded (optional)
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce

Toss together vegetables. Mix liquid ingredients in separate bowl, then pour over vegetables. Toss, then let marinate in refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.

2-3 tomatoes, chopped
1-2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
¼ cup sweet onion, minced
2-3 oz feta cheese or soft goat cheese (optional)
4-6 TBSP olive oil
1-2 TBSP cider or wine vinegar
1 TSP Dijon-type mustard
2 TBSP fresh herbs (dill, cilantro, etc.), minced (optional)

Mix tomatoes, cucumbers, and onion in a bowl, crumble the optional cheese over the top. In a separate small bowl or glass, mix the remaining ingredients to make a dressing. Drizzle the dressing over the vegetables, toss and serve. 

1.5 lbs. tomatoes, coarsely chopped
½ cup red onion, minced
1 hot pepper, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ bunch cilantro, chopped
½ cup sweet pepper, diced
1-2 tsp salt (to taste)

Mix all ingredients together. Serve or refrigerate.

Availability: August-September

Storage tips: Refrigerate or store at room temperature.

How to eat: Tomatoes are best eaten very fresh and have many uses. They can be sliced up and
eaten raw, put into soups, salads, stews, casseroles, sauces, etc. We include a few of our
favorite uses for fresh tomatoes here on the website 

1 cup yogurt, plain
1 teaspoon salt
2 pounds turnips, peeled, and cut into 1.5” chunks
3 tablespoons oil
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
2 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
8 oz can of tomatoes in their juice
1/8 – ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Pierce turnip chunks with fork & marinate in yogurt for 8 hours, in fridge.  Drain, reserving yogurt.  Stir-fry turnips over high heat in oil until browned, about 5 min.  Remove turnips and reduce heat to medium.  Stir-fry cumin seeds and shallots for 2 min.  Add tomatoes, cayenne, turnips and reserved yogurt.  Bring to boil, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 min.  Uncover, lower heat to keep from sticking and boil all the yogurt-tomato mixture away forming a sauce.

This receipe can be adapted to a crock pot.  Complete as noted through adding the cabbage and instead of simmering stove top, add all ingredients to the crock pot and set on low for about 4 hours.

2 pounds ground beef
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small cabbage or (½ medium), chopped
28 oz canned diced tomatoes
8 oz canned tomato sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in large skillet and add beef and onion.  Cook until done.  Add garlic and cook 1 min.  Then add cabbage, tomatoes, and salt and pepper.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer until cabbage is tender, about ½ hour or so.  Serve hot.

This recipe is so flexible. You can use any kind of greens you have on hand and it was originally for cabbage. Soooo good! I like to shred the veggies ahead of time and keep in the fridge. Then right before eating, mix in the other stuff and fry. Definitely check out the sauce, too!

8 cups shredded greens (beet greens, kale, pac choi, cabbage, chard, spinach, etc.)
½-1 cup grated roots (salad turnips, carrots, etc.)
3-4 scallions, thinly sliced at an angle
6 eggs, beaten
½ cup flour
cooking oil
Salt to taste

Toss veggies, salt, and flour. Stir in egg. Heat oil in skillet on medium-high. Dollop batter onto skillet and smooth out into large ½” pancakes. Fry on both sides until cooked through. Serve hot with this sauce: https://smittenkitchen.com/2013/05/japanese-cabbage-and-vegetable-pancak...

This makes 1 quart.

½-3/4 pound carrots, peeled and julienned
½-3/4 pound daikon radish, peeled and julienned
2 cups warm water
1-2 TBLS sugar
2-3 TSP salt
1/3 cup vinegar (white or cider is fine)

Stuff the carrots and Daikon into a quart jar. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and stir to dissolve. Sample the brine and adjust to your taste. Pour into quart jar to cover veggies. Put on a lid and store in the refrigerator for at least 3 days to let flavors develop. Will keep in fridge for 2-3 weeks. Great compliment to a hot meal, on a sandwich, or as a snack.
 

2-3 slices bacon
3/4 cup sliced mushrooms
parmesan cheese, grated

Fry bacon. Remove from skillet. Saute mushrooms in the bacon fat until soft, 8-10 minutes. Pour mushrooms and bacon fat over the greens hot. Top with the bacon, crumbled, and some grated Parmesan cheese.

Availability: September

Storage tips: Refrigerate or store at room temperature.

How to eat: Watermelons are a yummy treat at the end of summer! Eat them by the slice or chop them up and make a fruit salad.

Borscht is basically beef, beets, vegetables and broth.  If you don't have some of these veggies you can substitute with others.  Cabbage is also good in this as well.  You can get creative with whatever you have!

1 lb. boneless beef, cut into 1 inch pieces
3-4 tbls cooking oil
1 large or 2 medium leeks (or onions), trimmed, washed, sliced
2 garlic cloves
1 cinnamon stick
¼ tsp allspice
1 16oz can tomatoes
¾ lb. beets, peeled and julienned or shredded
7-8 cups broth or water
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 medium, or 3 small rutabagas (or potatoes or parsnips or a combo), peeled and chopped
Splash of vinegar

Heat oil in saucepot until hot.  Brown beef in batches and transfer to bowl.  Add additional oil and sauté leeks over medium heat for about 10 min, stirring.  Add garlic, cinnamon, and allspice and stir for 30 seconds.  Then add tomatoes with their juices, breaking up tomatoes with your spoon.  Return beef to pot.  Add beets, water/broth, bay leaf and salt and pepper.  Heat to boil then cover and simmer until beef is mostly tender (1-3 hours).  Stir in carrots and rutabaga and return to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer again until all is tender (1/2-1 hour).  Stir in vinegar at the end and check seasonings.  Top each bowl with optional sour cream. Serves 4-6.

9 Tbls butter
1 lb. onion, halved and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. potatoes, cut in half and thinly sliced
1 lb. carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 lb. parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced
3 Tbls white flour
2 ½ cups milk
1 ½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup grated cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Heat skillet over medium heat. Add 6 tbls butter, onions, and garlic and gently sauté for 15 minutes, stirring. In large baking dish or casserole, combine sliced root vegetables with cooked onions. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Meanwhile, heat remaining 3 Tbls butter over medium heat in sauce pan. When warm add flour and stir one minute. Then, dribble in milk while constantly whisking. Bring milk mixture to a boil while stirring. Then turn down heat and simmer 5 minutes until sauce has thickened, stirring. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add sauce to roasted vegetables and mix, topping with grated cheese. Bake 15 minutes until bubbly. Serves 6-8.

This is not really a traditional recipe, just an great idea!  Combine some greek yogurt, or any kind of yogurt, with minced garlic (or garlic scapes), minced chives, and salt to taste.  Dip your radishes into this mixture and enjoy.  Of course you can embellish your dip in anyway with any spices or herbs, like cilantro, mint, cumin, lemon juice, etc.  Go wild and enjoy the juicy, crunchiness of radishes with a delicious dip!

This recipe was given to us by a friend of the farm.  Thank you to Cathy for sharing it!  It is creamy, delicious, easy to make and good hot or cold.  Try it!

1-4 TBLS butter
1 onion, sliced
1-2 bulbs garlic, cloves peeled and sliced
4 medium zucchinis (or summer squash), about 1.5-2 pounds, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp ginger powder

Saute onion and garlic in butter until soft and translucent.  Do not brown.  Add zucchini and saute, stirring, until softened.  Add chicken broth and simmer until very tender, 30-45 minutes.  Puree.  Add salt pepper, and ginger powder to taste.

Sara, our employee, contributed this recipe.  When I made it I used farm fresh tomatoes which made for a juicier and still very delicious lasagna!  You can leave out the beef to make it vegetarian or add any other veggie you like!  Enjoy!

1 pound ground meat (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 28-ounce can tomatoes
2-4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
3-4 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise very thinly (approx 1/8")
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1-2 eggs
3 cups mozzarella cheese

Brown the meat adding salt until cooked through.  Drain and reserve on plate.  Saute onion in oil until softening.  Add garlic, meat, tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer uncovered on medium-low until saucy and thickened.  This took me a while since I was using fresh juicy tomatoes.  If you use canned it will be less time.  Stir occasionally to keep from sticking.  Meanwhile lightly salt zucchini slices and lay on paper towels in one layer for at least 1/2 hour to draw the water out of them.  You should have at least 30-40 slices of zuke.  Combine ricotta, parmesan and egg.  Make layers until you reach the top of a baking dish in this order: meat/tomato sauce, cheese mixture, grated mozzarella, zucchini slices.  Repeat.  Finish with meat sauce at the top.  Bake at 375 for 45 min (part of that covered with foil to prevent too much browning).  Add more mozzarella cheese and bake another 15 mintues until cheese is melted.  Serve!  Also makes good cold leftovers for lunch the next day.

Availability: August-September

Storage tips: Refrigerate or store at room temperature.

How to eat: Summer Squashes and zucchini are best eaten at a small to medium stage and very fresh. The best way to cook them is to slice them on the round and sauté them gently in butter 5-10 minutes until soft and top with grated parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. They are also great raw with dips or put into vegetable soups. Zucchini can be grated to make zucchini bread, cookies, or cakes.