Recipes

Bamboo Shoot Stir Fry

1 pound fresh bamboo shoots
2 tbs peanut oil
2 tbs sesame oil
3-4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 onion, sliced thin
2 Tbs freshly grated ginger
2 carrots, sliced thin
1 block firm tofu, sliced or 1 cup sliced chicken or beef
1 whole bok choy, small/medium, sliced thin
1/2 cup water
2 Tbs soy sauce

Peel and slice bamboo shoots and if needed boil for 10 minutes or until tender (a couple of minutes in the microwave with a splash of water works just as well). Drain and discard water. In a large frying pan, heat peanut oil and sesame oil. Add garlic, onion, and ginger and sauté for 5 minutes. Add carrots and tofu (or chicken or beef) and sauté mixture, stirring periodically, until tofu or meat is browned and thoroughly cooked, about 10 minutes. Add bok choy, bamboo shoots, water and soy sauce and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve with hot rice or Asian noodles.

Roasted Delicata Squash

  • 2 (or more) Delicata squash
  • Olive Oil
  • Salt to taste

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.

Wash squash to remove any field dirt.

Remove stem end, then slice lengthwise. Scoop out seeds (can be roasted and eaten like pumpkin seeds), then slice into 1/2 inch “moon” segments.

Arrange on a sheet pan; you can pack them in, but they should not touch.

Coat both sides lightly with olive oil; I use a silicone brush. You can sprinkle on some salt at this point too.

Bake for 10 minutes, then flip the pieces (a spatula works better than tongs, as pieces are delicate). Bake another 8-10 minutes, then flip again and bake a final 8-10 minutes. Both sides should be crispy dark brown.

Serve and enjoy!

 

Tomato Basil Farro Risotto

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup farro
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups boiling water
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Add-in
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1 cup grated zucchini
1/4 cup basil leaves, minced

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat until shimmering hot. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, 3-4 minutes.
2. Pulse the farro in a blender until about half of the grains are broken into smaller pieces. Add the farro and garlic to the pot and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Stir in the water. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the farro is still chewy about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

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4. While farro cooks, toss the Add-in ingredients together in a medium bowl and set aside.
5. Uncover, increase the heat to medium-high, and stir constantly until the farro is creamy and tender, about 5 minutes. If it’s still too chewy, add 1/2 cup of boiling water and continue stirring until thender, about 5 minutes.
6. Stir in the parmesan and the tomato basil mixture from step 4. Season with up to 1/2 tsp. of salt and pepper to taste.

Grilled garlic scape and kale pizza

From Amy’s Quiet Existence blog at https://quietexistence.wordpress.com/2012/06/24/grilled-garlic-scape-and-kale-pizza/

For the pizza:
1 large pizza dough (try making a wheat dough, yum!)
1 can of crushed tomatoes (diced and sliced fresh will work well also)
Mozzarella cheese
A bunch of garlic scapes (5-8) cut into 1 inch pieces
5 large leaves of kale, rinsed and dried, de-ribbed, cut into small pieces
A handful of fresh basil

– Preheat your grill on high for 5 minutes. In the meantime roll out the dough so that it will fit onto the grill. Cover one side of the pizza with olive oil and place that side down on the grill. Lower the heat to medium and let grill for about 4 minutes. I recommend checking the pizza after two minutes and poking any air bubbles early.

– Check the underside of the pizza after 4 minutes. It should lift off easily and be perfectly charred. Slide the dough off of the grill onto a cutting board.  Top the charred side with the tomato sauce then the fresh basil. Sprinkle some fresh mozzarella over the sauce. Top with the kale and garlic scapes. I added some VT smoke & cure pepperoni for a little bite and substance (for the guy- I can handle vegetarian meals!).

– Slide the pizza back onto the grill and grill for about 6 minutes or until the bottom side is cooked.

HINTS: The second side of the dough doesn’t need to be slathered in olive oil because it is no longer sticky. It will lift right off. Also do not use too many toppings, especially cheese and tomatoes. Peeling a soggy pizza off the grill is impossible.

Easy No-Bake Veggie Lasagna

• 4-6 large zucchini
• 1 bunch kale
• 3-4 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1-2 tsp sea salt
• Your favorite tomato sauce
• Shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese

Remove stems from kale leaves with a knife or tear the leaves from the stems. Blend kale leaves with lemon juice and salt in the food processor. Let marinate to soften, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, peel zucchini. Using a mandolin or peeler, slice zucchini into long strips lengthwise. When you reach the seeds, do the other side (no seeds in the slices; save these bits for another recipe). In a square pan, layer slightly overlapping slices of zucchini to cover the bottom (cut slices to fit pan as needed). You can add a second layer of zucchini “lasagna noodles,” if you like. Spoon tomato sauce over the zucchini noodles. Next, add a layer of marinated kale, then top with a layer of shredded cheese. Cover with a layer of overlapping zucchini slices. Repeat this process a second or third time (sauce, kale and cheese then zucchini slices). Top with a final layer of tomato sauce. Serve or refrigerate before serving. Cut into square pieces and lift out with a spatula.

Tip: if you find your lasagna falls apart too easily, line your square pan with parchment paper first before making the lasagna. Refrigerate to set. Gently lift out the lasagna (with the parchment paper) onto a serving plate and slice into squares before serving. Gently pushing down on each layer while making the lasagna will also help, as will making sure the tomato sauce you use is thick and not on the runny side.

Variation: sprinkle nutritional yeast on the top layer of tomato sauce.
Variation: Add in 1/3-1/2 cup nutritional yeast to your tomato sauce to give it a cheesy feel.
Variation: Use spinach instead of kale or use a combination of spinach/kale.
Variation: Use your favorite nut paté instead of the cheese.

Note: We tried this last night and while there might need to be some tweaking of the directions, it was quite delicious. I wasn’t entirely satisfied with how blending the kale with lemon juice worked out. Doing it in the food processor might have been more successful and I’ll try that next time. Also, a mandolin or some such is necessary to make the noodles. Mine works well, but it’s protective hand guard isn’t shaped quite right for zucchini, so I’ll have to figure out a better way (it was the first time I used it, so practice may be all that is necessary).

Stir-Fried Chard with Ginger

This is based on a recipe I found in Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything.

Serves 4.

  • 1/2 lb Swiss Chard
  • 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips (if you want a vegetable side-dish, just omit the chicken; I added it so I could have a one skillet meal)
  • 2 tbs peanut oil (or other vegetable oil)
  • 2 tsp dry cooking sherry
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbs minced fresh ginger
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 2 garlic scapes, cut diagonally into 2″ pieces
  • 2 chopped scallions
  • 1/2 cup water, vegetable stock, low salt chicken broth, or white wine
  • 2 tbs soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • Salt and pepper to taste

1. If using chicken put in bowl with 2 tsp sherry and 2 tsp soy sauce. Set aside.

2. Fold the chard leaves in half along the rib and cut the rib out. Chop the ribs into 1/2 pieces; chop the leaves into approximately 2 inch squares.

2. Put a bit of the oil in a large skillet; heat over medium-high heat to just smoking and add the chicken. Stir-fry until golden brown and no longer pink in the center, a couple of minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.

3. Put the rest of the oil in the skillet. Add ginger and garlic and cook for 15 seconds. Then add the chard ribs and garlic scapes. Stir-fry until the scapes start to have small brown spots on them.

4. Add scallions and chard leaves and cook until the leaves wilt. Add more oil if the pan gets dry.

5. Lower the heat to medium and add liquid, 2 tbs soy sauce, and sugar. Turn heat back to high and cook, stirring constantly to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, until the liquid has thickened and partially evaporated. Stir the chicken (if using) in to coat with sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.

6. For a meal, serve over rice or quinoa.

Oven-roasted Kale

  • 1 bunch curly leaf kale
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (you could substitute garlic scapes for the garlic)
  • 1 tsp salt (to taste)
  • 1/4 tsp pepper (to taste)

Strip kale leaves from their stems and coarsely chop. Spread in a single layer on a cookie or baking sheet, add garlic, salt, pepper and drizzle olive oil over all. Toss to coat the kale evenly with the seasonings.

Put kale into a cool oven and pre-heat to 350. Halfway through the pre-heat cycle (I had to run mine once to figure out how long that is) stir/toss the kale, then return it to the oven until the temperature reaches 350. Some of the kale will be tender, and some of it will have crispy edges. Serves 2.

This recipe is adapted from the New Jersey Farm Bureau’s Newletter. Confession time: I haven’t tried it yet, but will do so soon.

Cherry Tomato Cobbler

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • Olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons cold butter
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 3/4 cup finely ground cornmeal
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 2 pints cherry tomatoes
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 medium red onion
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
  • Several sprigs fresh basil, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Grease a medium ovenproof skillet (preferably one that is not cast iron) with olive oil or butter.
  2. Cut the butter into cubes.
  3. Beat the egg in a small bowl.
  4. Put the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and a sprinkle of salt in a food processor. Add the cubed butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse bread crumbs.
  5. Add the beaten egg and buttermilk, and pulse until the mixture comes together in a thick, sticky batter.
  6. Halve the cherry tomatoes; put them in a medium bowl.
  7. Peel and thinly slice the garlic cloves, and add them to the tomatoes.
  8. Trim, peel, halve and slice the red onion; add it to the tomato mixture.
  9. Drizzle the tomato mixture with some olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss.
  10. Put the tomato mixture in the skillet and spoon dollops of the biscuit batter across the top.
  11. Bake until the biscuits are golden and cooked through, and the tomatoes and onion are softened, 20 to 25 minutes.
  12. Strip the basil leaves from several sprigs.
  13. When the cobbler is done, sprinkle the Parmesan on top and tear the basil leaves over all. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Nutrients per serving: 311 calories, 9g protein, 47g carbohydrates, 5g dietary fiber, 11g fat (5g saturated fat), 69mg cholesterol, 572mg sodium

From AARP.org.