Butter Chickpeas

Easy tasty dish that is vegetarian or can be made vegan.

• 4 T unsalted butter

• 1 large yellow onion, minced

• 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

• 4 to 8 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced

• 1 T grated fresh ginger

• 2 tsp ground cumin

• 2 tsp sweet paprika or smoked paprika

• 2 tsp garam masala

• 1 small cinnamon stick

• 1.5 lb. tomatoes cored and disced or 1 (28 oz) can whole peeled San Marzano plum tomatoes

• 1 (13.5 to 15 oz) can coconut milk

• 2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, drained

• ground cayenne

• cooked brown or white rice, for serving

• ½ cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, for serving

1. Melt butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.

2. Stir in onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook until golden and browned around the edges, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. (Don’t be tempted to turn the heat up to medium-high; keeping the heat on medium ensures even browning without burning the butter.)

3. Stir in garlic and ginger, and cook another 1 minute.

4. Stir in cumin, paprika, garam masala and cinnamon stick, and cook another 30 seconds.

5. Add tomatoes with their juices. Using a large spoon or flat spatula, break up and smash the tomatoes in the pot. Stir into spices and let cook for 10 minutes or so.

6. Stir in coconut milk and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, and continue to cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, and continuing to mash up the tomatoes if necessary to help them break down.

7. Stir in chickpeas and a pinch of cayenne. Bring the pot back up to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes.

8. Taste and add more salt if necessary.

9. Serve spooned over rice, topped with cilantro, with warm naan and steamed spinach, as desired.

Tomato and Corn Pie

Oh wow, a summery savory pie full of the hits of summer.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 3/4 teaspoons salt, divided
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons or 3 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 2 teaspoons melted
3/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 3/4 pounds beefsteak tomatoes
1 1/2 cups corn (from about 3 ears), coarsely chopped by hand (my preference) or lightly puréed in a food processor, divided
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil, divided (skipped this, no harm was done)
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
7 ounces coarsely grated sharp Cheddar (1 3/4 cups), divided

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 3/4 tsp salt in a bowl, then blend in cold butter (3/4 stick) with your fingertips or a pastry blender until it resembles coarse meal. Add milk, stirring until mixture just forms a dough, then gather into a ball.

Divide dough in half and roll out one piece on a well-floured counter (my choice) or between two sheets of plastic wrap (the recipe’s suggestion, but I imagined it would annoyingly stick to the plastic) into a 12-inch round (1/8 inch thick). Either fold the round gently in quarters, lift it into a 9-inch pie plate and gently unfold and center it or, if you’re using the plastic warp method, remove top sheet of plastic wrap, then lift dough using bottom sheet of plastic wrap and invert into pie plate. Pat the dough in with your fingers trim any overhang.

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. If your kitchen is excessively warm, as ours is, go ahead and put the second half of the dough in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. Whisk together mayonnaise and lemon juice.

Cut an X in bottom of each tomato and blanch in a large pot of boiling water 10 seconds. Immediately transfer with a slotted spoon to an ice bath to cool. Peel tomatoes, then slice crosswise 1/4 inch thick and, if desired (see Notes above recipe), gently remove seeds and extra juices. Arrange half of tomatoes in crust, overlapping, and sprinkle with half of corn, one tablespoon basil, 1/2 tablespoon chives, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and one cup of grated cheese. Repeat layering with remaining tomatoes, corn, basil, chives, salt, and pepper. Pour lemon mayonnaise over filling and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Roll out remaining piece of dough into a 12-inch round in same manner, then fit over filling, folding overhang under edge of bottom crust and pinching edge to seal. Cut 4 steam vents in top crust and brush crust with melted butter (2 teaspoons). Bake pie until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes, then cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Southwestern bake

This is my go to super easy clean out the fridge crew lunch non-recipe recipe. Throw in what you got. Add meat if thats your sort of thing. Its delicious!

• 1 onion, chopped

• a couple cups of veggies including summer squash, corn cut off the cob, chopped peppers and/or carrots

• several cups of cooked rice

• a can of beans, drained

• 1 jar salsa

• shredded cheese

• sour cream

Fry onion until translucent. Add veggies and fry for a couple minutes. Fold in rice, beans and salsa. Top with spoon fulls of sour cream and shredded cheese. Bake at 450 until cheese starts to brown. Top with avocados and a sprinkle of cilantro if you have them. So easy.

Tofu Bahn Mi Sandwich

1 (14-ounce) package extra firm tofu*, see note

• Extra-virgin olive oil, for the pan

• 4 baguette pieces, sliced in half

• Fresh cilantro, Thai basil or mint

Spicy Mayo:

• ½ cup mayonnaise

• 2 tablespoons sriracha

• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

• ⅛ teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Pickled Veggies:

• 1 small daikon radish, sliced into matchsticks (or use Hakurei turnips)

• 2 small carrots, sliced into matchsticks

• ½ small cucumber, seeded and sliced into matchsticks

• ½ jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced

• ⅓ cup rice vinegar, plus more as needed

• ⅓ cup water, plus more as needed

• cane sugar

• sea salt

Tofu Marinade:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 tablespoons tamari

• Juice of ½ lime

• ½ teaspoon lime zest

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• ½ teaspoon minced fresh ginger

• Freshly ground black pepper

Make the pickles ahead: Place the daikon, carrots, cucumbers, and jalapeños in a medium jar with the vinegar and water and pinches of sugar and salt. If the liquids don’t cover the veggies, add more water and vinegar if necessary. Let chill for at least an hour, or store in the fridge for up to a week.

Prepare the spice mayo. Combine all the spicy mayo ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Drain the tofu and slice it into ½-inch slices. Place it on a towel and gently pat dry to remove excess water.

Make the marinade: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, tamari, lime juice and zest, garlic, ginger, and pepper.

Place the tofu in a shallow pan and pour the marinade on top. Flip the tofu to fully coat it, adding more tamari if necessary. Let the tofu marinate for at least 15 minutes.

Heat a nonstick skillet to medium-high heat. Add a little oil to the pan and place the tofu pieces with enough space between each so that they’re not too crowded, working in batches if necessary. Without moving the tofu slices around too much, let them cook for a few minutes per side until they’re deeply golden brown and caramelized around the edges. Remove from heat and season to taste.

Assemble sandwiches on the baguette with the spicy mayo, tofu slices, pickled veggies, and herbs.

Aloo Gobi

3 Tbsp oil such as grapeseed or ghee

1 tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp ground turmeric

1 large white or yellow onion, diced

1 green chilli such as jalapeno, serrano, or bird’s eye, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp garlic, grated

2 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2 small tomatoes, diced

2 large potatoes peeled and diced, 1 in/2.5 cm cubes

10 oz cauliflower florets, broken into bite-sized pieces (I subbed in kohlrabi)

Fine sea salt

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice or 2 tsp amchur (unripe dry mango powder)

½ tsp garam masala

2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, tender stems and leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan or Dutch oven. Add the cumin and turmeric, and sauté until fragrant and sizzling for 30 to 45 seconds. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the green chilli, and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

2. Fold in the tomatoes, potatoes, and cauliflower, season with salt, cover with a lid, and cook until the potatoes and cauliflower are tender enough to be easily pierced by a fork or knife, occasionally stir to prevent burning, 30 to 45 minutes. If the vegetables start to burn, add 1 to 2 Tbsp of water as needed. Drizzle the lemon juice and garam masala over the vegetables, remove from the heat and taste, and season with salt if needed. Serve hot or warm, garnished with cilantro. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.

Browned butter butternut squash pasta

• 8 ounces spaghetti

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 cup fresh French style breadcrumbs

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

• 2 cups 10 ounces diced butternut squash

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves

• ¼ cup shaved Parmesan

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and cook, stirring, until browned and toasted, about 3-5 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add butternut squash and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and tender, about 6-8 minutes; set aside.

Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in the skillet over low heat, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the butter starts to foam. Add garlic, thyme and sage to the skillet, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in pasta and butternut squash until well combined.

Serve immediately, topped with breadcrumbs, garnished with Parmesan and parsley, if desired.

Baked Feta Pasta

2 pints cherry tomatoes or two pounds small tomatoes quartered

4 cloves garlic chopped

1/2 cup olive oil

salt

1 block feta cheese

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

fresh ground peppers

12 oz. pasta such as rigatoni or rotini

fresh basil

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

In a baking dish, combine tomatoes and garlic with 1/4 cup olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat. Place feta in the middle. Pour the rest of the oil on top. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and black pepper. Bake in oven until tomatoes begin to brown (about 40 minutes)

Meanwhile prepare pasta according to box instructions.

Combine prepared drained pasta with feta mixture and top with chopped basil.

Cavetteli Pasta with tomatoes, summer squash and corn

• 1pound fresh or frozen cavatelli

• 3 teaspoons olive oil

• 2 ears corn, kernels cut from the cob

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

• 1 1/2 cups diced zucchini or summer squash

• 2 cloves garlic, sliced

• 1 teaspoon salt

• black pepper, to taste

• 3/4 cup homemade marinara sauce

• 6 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving

• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, for garnish

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 teaspoons of the olive oil and garlic, and cook until golden and fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook 3 minutes, until the tomatoes soften.

Add the corn and summer squash or zucchini and cook until tender crisp, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the marinara, season with salt and pepper and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.

Meanwhile, cook the cavatelli according to package directions, reserving some of the water before draining, then toss with the marinara and vegetables.

Add the grated cheese, remaining teaspoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste and cook 1 minute, adding some of the reserved pasta water as needed.

Serve right away with fresh basil and additional grated cheese if desired.

Eggplant and tomato stir fry

I learned this one from Adan Martinez when we were both apprentices here a million years ago. No exact amounts here and it always comes out delicious.

• a couple Asian eggplants, sliced up into 1/4” rounds

• 2 tomatoes chopped

• 1 small onion chopped

• couple cloves garlic chopped

• glug of oil

• soy sauce

• rice wine vinegar

• sesame oil

Pour a tablespoon of oil or so into frying pan on medium heat and add onions and garlic. Fry until translucent.

Add eggplants and fry until they begin to soften and add tomatoes. Cook until all is soft and cooked through. Season to taste with soy sauce and vinegar. Sprinkle with sesame oil and serve over rice.

Zucchini Butter Pasta

• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for pasta water, and to taste

• 8 ounces (225 grams) spaghetti, cooked al dente

• 1 cup (235 ml) pasta water, reserved

• 1 1/4 pounds (570 grams) zucchini, trimmed, coarsely grated

• 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste

• 1/2 cup (45 grams) grated parmesan

• Handful fresh basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons

Boil your spaghetti in well-salted water until it’s 1 minute shy of fully cooked. Before you drain it, reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and set it aside.

Melt butter in your empty pan over medium-high heat and add the garlic, stirring it into the butter for one minute before adding the zucchini, salt, and red pepper. Cook the zucchini, stirring from time to time, for 13 to 15 minutes. It will first let off a puddle liquid, the liquid will cook off, and the zucchini will become soft and concentrated. If the zucchini begins to brown, reduce the heat slightly. Stir frequently for 2 more minutes, chopping it down into smaller bits with the edge of your spoon or spatula, until it reaches an almost spreadable consistency.

Pour in 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and stir up anything stuck, then add drained pasta, and cook together for 2 minutes. Use tongs or two forks to pull up the zucchini butter sauce into the pasta strands, tossing frequently, and adding some or all of the remaining pasta water as needed to loosen. Toss in half of the parmesan and basil and mix, then transfer to a serving bowl. Finish with remaining parmesan and basil.

Corned Beef & Cabbage

3 lbs corned beef
10 whole cloves
1/4 c hot honey sweet mustard
2 tbsp brown sugar
Olive oil
1 med. yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 head of cabbage, sliced 1/2"

Heat 2 tbsp oil on med high in a large sauté pan. Add chopped onions and garlic. Add a third of the sliced cabbage to the pan. Sprinkle with a little salt and stir. Spread out over the bottom of the pan and let it brown - then use a metal spatula to lift it up and flip it. Add another third of the cabbage to the pan and repeat above steps. Then the same with the remaining third. Can be made ahead and reheated. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lay corned beef, fat side up, on aluminum foil and insert the cloves into the meat. Coat the top with mustard and then sprinkle brown sugar. Wrap (loosely) the corned beef with foil and place in a roasting pan and bake for 2 hours. Open the foil, spread a little more mustard on, and broil for 2-3 min. Let rest for 5-10 min, then cut, into 1/2" thick slices. Serve immediately with the cabbage and boiled potatoes. Serves 5.

Seeing how our last week of distribution coincides with St Patty's Day and there's lots of cabbage.....

Sweet Potato Cakes

1 3/4 lbs sweets, peel & cut in lg pcs
2 tsp. butter or coconut oil
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 tsp. tamari or soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 tsp. salt
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 c unbleached all purpose flour
1 egg, well whisked
yogurt sauce
1/2 cup greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro or basil
pinch of salt and pepper

Steam the potatoes until tender. Cool. Warm the butter and saute the onion ~ 4 min. Cool. Blend the yogurt sauce ingredients in a food processor. Set aside. Transfer potatoes to a bowl and mix them with the tamari, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes and flour to combine. Add the onion and egg and mix. Add butter to a pan and warm over med high heat. Make small, two tbsn patties and drop them into the hot pan, pressing down to flatten. Cook until well browned on each side, about 7-8 minutes. Remove to a paper toweled lined plate. Serve with some lightly dressed greens and a generous portion of the sauce. These would be so wonderful with a poached egg on top.

adapted from Yotam Ottelenghi's Plenty

Escarole and Beans

1 head escarole    
1 bulb garlic, minced    
1 onion, diced    
1/4 c olive oil    
3 c navy beans, cooked

Saute onions and garlic in oil. When well cooked, add escarole and cover until all leaves are very wilted. Add beans and stir. Serve with rice or pasta.

- We put this in every year - we can't help it we like it so much....This meal is delicious, nutritious, and comes straight from the Italian kitchen of my mother-in-law, Bernice Romanowski (daughter of Anna Valenza Tramutola). Really, this is very Italian and very good - one of our absolute favorites of the year......

Baked Squash with Herbed Stuffing

2 delicata squash
1 tbsp olive oil
1 leek, chopped
1 sm apple, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2-3 cups 1/2" bread cubes
1/2 c veg broth
3/4 tsp salt
pepper
2 tbsp chopped parsley

Cut squash, remove seeds, and bake at 350 for 40 min. Allow to cool slightly. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leek, celery, and apple. Saute until tender ~ 10 min. Add bread cubes. Pour veg broth over the mixture, stirring to evenly distribute. Stir in the salt, pepper, and parsley. Mix well. Remove stuffing from the heat. Heap the filling into the squash shells. Cover and return to the oven for another 20 minutes or so. Serves 4.

This recipe comes from the Rolling Prairie Cookbook, by Nancy O'Connor

Hot Weather Baba Ghanoush

I have long made baba ghanoush, but only this year was I so inspired to cook the eggplant outside to keep the kitchen as cool as possible. This is a flexible recipe and you may cook the eggplant in your oven, but I tried it outside and loved staying cool and loved the taste. The recipe may be cut in half. Experiment with how much of each ingredient you like. 

2 pounds eggplant (about 4 medium)

2 T tahini

4 T lemon juice

1 clove garlic (roasted garlic is also delicious in this recipe)

parsley

salt to taste

olive oil to taste

Place eggplant on medium hot grill and bake approximately 25-35 minutes, or until outside is charred and center is super soft. If the juice drips out, that's great. Let cool slightly and scoop eggplant out into colander or salad spinner. Let drip in colander for 1/2 hour or spin to get some of the water out (it will be creamier and thicker if you do this step). Add additional ingredients, except parsley and olive oil, and puree in food processor or blender until smooth and creamy. Add olive oil, if desired, to make in creamier. Add a little cayenne or zatar to spice it up. Serve with pita, flatbread, veggies or crackers. Great in a pita sandwich stuffed with fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. 

Polenta Baked Breakfast

4 eggs (you can find these in the farm shop)
3/4 cup polenta
3 cups of water
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 diced carrot
1/2 diced onion
2 diced garlic cloves
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup grated parmesan or pecorino
Olive oil, salt and pepper

 Preheat the oven to 375. In a saucepan, saute onion, garlic, and carrot, seasoned with salt and pepper. Once soft, add the sugar and cook for a minute before adding the tomatoes. Let cook while you get the polenta ready. In an oven-proof skillet, boil the water. Slow pour in the polenta while stirring so it doesn’t clump. Cook for 3-4 minutes, and once thick add half the cheese and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce on top, and make 4 holes to crack in the 4 eggs. Top with the rest of the cheese. Bake for 7 minutes.

Recipe from Spork Me (sporkme.tumblr.com)

Summer Squash Frittata with Goat Cheese and Dill

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound summer squash or zucchini, grated (about 4 cups)
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
8 eggs
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup) (try Westfield Chevre from the farm shop)
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

 Heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium heat in a heavy skillet. Add the zucchini and garlic. Cook, stirring, until zucchini begins to wilt, about three minutes, it should still be bright green. Season with salt and pepper, and remove from heat. Beat the eggs in a large bowl with the goat cheese. Stir in zucchini and dill. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet. Pour in the egg mixture. Tilt the pan to distribute the eggs and filling evenly over the surface. Shake the pan gently, tilting it slightly with one hand while lifting up the edges of the frittata with the spatula in your other hand, to let the eggs run underneath during the first few minutes of cooking. Turn the heat to low, cover and cook 10 minutes, shaking the pan gently every once in a while. The bottom should have a golden color. The eggs should be just about set; cook a few minutes longer if theyre not. Meanwhile, heat the broiler. Uncover the pan and place under the broiler until the top browns very slightly and puffs under the broiler). Cut into wedges or into smaller bite-size diamonds. Serve hot, warm, at room temperature or cold.

Recipe from The New York Times

Cheesy Eggy

1 lb chard
4 tbsp canola oil    
1/3 c.  chopped garlic scapes    
1/2 tspn salt    
pinch of sugar    
3/4 c milk    
3 eggs, lightly beaten    
1/2 tspn thyme    
1 c. grated cheddar    
1 c. cooked rice    
1/2 tspn worcestershire

Preheat the oven to 350. Steam greens. Mix with all other ingredients. Bake in a buttered, shallow baking dish until mixture is set (about 20 min). Serve hot and cut into squares.

This dish was a staple in our home when our kids were little. And they grew up great!! It is a fool-proof way to get kids to eat greens. Even the most hardened "I only eat macaroni & cheese" kid yells for more of this, to the utter amazement and delight of their parents. We put this one in every year - a great foundation.

Grilled Halibut with Tatsoi and Spicy Thai Chiles

5 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Thai bird chiles with seeds or 1/2 large jalapeño chile with seeds, minced
1 small carrot, peeled, cut into matchstick-size strips
4 6- to 7-ounce halibut fillets
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 onion, thinly sliced
3/4 pound tatsoi(about 12 cups packed) 

Mix first 7 ingredients in medium glass bowl.

Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. (Sauce can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat).

Place carrot in medium bowl. Cover with ice water. Let stand 15 minutes, then drain well. Brush fish on all sides with 2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until just opaque in center, about 4 minutes per side. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion; stir 1 minute. Add tatsoi; sprinkle with salt. Toss until tatsoi is wilted but still bright green, about 2 minutes; divide among 4 plates.

Place fish atop tatsoi. Sprinkle each fillet with carrot; drizzle each with 2 tablespoons sauce. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons sliced black olives 

Preheat oven to 350F

Place spaghetti squash with cut sides down on a greased baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven and set aside to cool. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion until tender. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant,. Stir in tomatoes and cook until warmed through. Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash and place in a medium bowl. Toss with the vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm.