Stuffed Cucumbers

I first remember a recipe similar to this from a Mollie Katzen cookbook, but could not find it in any of my current books.  This is adapted from a recipe I found this at food.com. I used almonds instead of walnuts, but otherwise followed the recipe. It it great as an appetizer or side dish. I preferred it within a few hours of making it, as the cukes start to release some of their water after about four hours and lose a bit of their crunch. I highly encourage experimenting with this recipe - dill, yogurt, sour cream, fennel fronds, olives, smoked paprika, hot peppers......

1/2 cup nuts - walnuts were in original recipe, I loved raw almonds

1/4 cup parsley

1/2 cup feta

1/4 cup milk

1 garlic clove

1/2 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp cayenne

4 medium cukes

Halve cukes and cut out seed to make a cuke boat. Throw everything else together in a food processor and process until well mixed, with little bits of nut. Fill your boats and serve as an appetizer or side dish.

Sage and Walnut Corn Cakes

 

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

1 egg

5 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup ground cornmeal

1 cup all purpose white or whole wheat pastry flour

2 1/2 tablespoons baking powder

1 1/2 tablespoons honey or sugar

1 tsp salt

20-30 fresh sage leaves (try other herbs for fun!)

1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions:

Mix milk, egg and 3 tablespoons olive oil well.

In a separate bowl, mix flours, baking powder, salt, and honey or sugar. Pour wet ingredients over dry and mix just until combined.

Heat a griddle over medium heat and add olive oil. Swirl to coat. When oil begins to shine, scatter half the sage leaves and half the walnuts on top. Quickly pour on half of the batter and spread to no more than 1/2 inch thick. 

Cook until bubbles begin to form and bottom begins to brown. Carefully flip. I use 2 spatulas and if it breaks in two, don't sweat it, it will still taste good! Cook on the second side for 4-6 minutes. Complete the process with the second half of the batter and serve warm alongside a salad. YUM!

We love Four Star Farms grains! They are grown, sustainably, right here in Western Massachusetts.  Their flours are ground in small batches to retain nutrients and flavor. Learn more about their farm and growing practices at http://fourstarfarms.com

Radish and Pesto Crostini

INGREDIENTS

1 baquette, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1/2 cup of garlic scape, basil or cilantro pesto (see basic pesto recipe)

1 bunch or radishes (or turnips), thinly sliced

Coarse sea salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400. Brush baquette slices on both sides with olive oil. Bake on cookie sheet until golden brown, approximately 3-5 minutes per side.

Slather a bit of pesto on each slice of baguette, arrange a few slices of radish or turnip. Sprinkle with sea salt. Yum, perfect appetizer or side dish.

Braised Hakurei Turnips

6 Hakurei turnips, tops removed (save and throw in a stir fry)
2 cups cold water
3/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup white soy sauce

Trim turnips and peel with a vegetable peeler. 
(1) Cut the turnips into sixths and
(2) place them in a saucepan with the remaining ingredients.
(3) Cover and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat; cook very slowly for about 15 minutes, or until just tender. Let cool to room temperature in the braising liquid, then drain and serve, great with steamed or roasted fish.

Braised Radishes

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch of radishes or turnips, tops trimmed to 1 inch above roots

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil

1 tablespoon sugar or honey

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

 ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Place the radishes in a large skillet and add just enough cold water to cover, about 1 to 1 1/4 cup.  Add the butter or oil, sweetener, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to simmer until the radishes are tender when pricked and the liquid has reduced to a glaze, about 5 - 12 minutes.

If the radishes are tender, but the liquid hasn't reduced sufficiently, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a serving dish and continue reducing the liquid. Spoon it over the radishes and serve with buttered crusty bread.

Ratatouille

This recipe comes from one of Brookfield Farm's first apprentices, Nicole, who brought the recipe home from southern France. It is a great July dish, as usually all of the vegetables are available. Serve alongside bread and cheese for a complete meal.

2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, cubed
1 medium zucchini or squash, cubed
1 eggplant, cubed
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 clove of garlic (i like to add more)
fresh parsley, oregano, basil

Saute the onion, garlic and pepper until soft; stir in eggplant and squash; add tomatos and seasoning; cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Voila! Serves 6.

Search terms: Soup, summer, dinner, one pot meal,

Sauteed Kohlrabi

Ingredients:

2 kohlrabi, 3 if small
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp oil
1 tbsp fresh herbs (thyme, sage, chives, etc.)

Grate kohlrabi, place in colander and sprinkle with salt. Let stand 30 minutes to drain. Heat oil, add onions, and sauté a few minutes over medium heat. Stir in kohlrabi, reduce heat to low, cover and cook 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in fresh herbs.