Rhubarb Spritzer

Recipe Courtest of EatBoutique.com
Adapted from Simply Recipes






Ingredients
-1 LB of rhubarb stalks, cleaned, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
-2 Cups of water
-1 and 1/2 Cups of unrefined cane sugar
-3 TBSP of chopped fresh rosemary, remove leaves from stem
-1/2 Cup of fresh lemon juice
-Soda water or carbonated water
Directions

-Create a syrup. Place rhubarb, water, sugar, and rosemary in a saucepan. Bring to a boil.
-Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes.
-Remove from heat and strain liquid, removing solids.
 -Add lemon juice, to taste. Cool syrup.
 -To make a spritzer, fill a glass with carbonated water, about three quarters full. Add syrup to taste.
 -Garnish with a slice of lemon or slice a stalk of rhubarb length-wise to make a very pretty stirrer.

Adult Version: add clear liquor of your choice- vodka, gin. Or choose a dry, sparkling wine like prosecco in place of club soda.
All photos styled and taken by Nicole Ziegler.

Swiss Chard and Goat Cheese Custard Bake

This delicious recipe come from the blog Kalyn's Kitchen. Be sure to check it out for many other delicious recipes. Check out the recipe for a creative way to turn chard stems into a yummy dish.

 

Ingredients:
12 oz. Swiss chard leaves, chopped
1 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
5-6 oz. goat cheese (Use the soft goat cheese that comes in a log)
1/2 cup milk (I used 2% but lower fat would also work)
8 eggs
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated mozzarella or other low-fat mild cheese
2 T + 2 T grated Parmesan (preferably freshly grated)

Instructions:

-Preheat oven to 350F/180C.  Remove swiss chard stems and save for another use.  Pile up the swiss chard leaves in a stack and slice in 1/2 inch slices one way, then turn the cutting board and slice the other way to make chopped pieces of chard.  (You will probably have to do this in a couple of batches.)  If needed wash the chopped chard in a salad spinner and spin until it's very dry.  Chop the onion into pieces about 1/4 inch.

-Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan (big enough to hold all the Swiss chard.)  Add onion and saute 4-5 minutes on medium-high heat, just until the onions are barely starting to brown.  Then add Swiss chard, all at once.  Use a large turner to turn the chard as it cooks until it's all wilted, about 2-3 minutes.  Turn off heat and let the chard cool slightly.

-Combine the milk and goat cheese.  (I did this with the bowl attachment of an immersion blender, but you can let the cheese soften and stir it together by hand.)  In a large bowl, beat the eggs until the yolks and whites are all combined, then season with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.  Stir the milk/goat cheese mixture into the eggs and then add the mozzarella and two tablespoons of the Parmesan.  Add the chard and onions and stir so it's well distributed in the egg mixture.

-Spray a round casserole dish or springform pan with olive oil or nonstick spray.   (Use a pan that's 8 or 9 inches in diameter.)  Put the egg/chard mixture into the pan and top with the other two tablespoons of Parmesan.  Bake for one hour, or until the mixture is fully set and lightly browned on top. 

Better Broccoli Cheddar Soup

 Recipe courtesy of Detoxinista

 

Ingredients

-1 Tablespoon organic butter

-1/2 a yellow onion, chopped

-2 cloves garlic

-2 celery stalks, chopped

-2 large carrots, shredded (about 1 cup shredded)

-4 stalks (heads?) broccoli (about 4-5 cups of chopped florets, plus stems)

-6oz. block of raw goat cheddar, shredded

-3-4 cups water

-Pink Himalayan, or sea salt, to taste

-1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

-In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat and saute the chopped onions and garlic for about 5 minutes, until translucent.

-Add the chopped celery, and a splash of water to keep everything moving (Using water during the cooking process is a great way to keep the fat content low! no need to add any extra oil or butter!)

-While the onions and celery are cooking (about 5 more minutes) I took the time to shred my carrots, along with the broccoli stems that might otherwise be wasted.

-Add the shredded carrots and broccoli stems into the pot.

-Along with the broccoli florets, adding just enough water to cover. (about 3-4 cups)

-Bring the water to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes.

-Once the veggies are nice and tender, transfer the soup in batches to a blender or food processor.If you're using a blender, make sure your batches are

small and BE CAREFUL! Hot soups tend to create a LOT of pressure while blending, so hold the top down tight!!Once it's all blended, return the pureed soup to the stove for the finishing touches.

-Re-heat the soup, and add the nutmeg and sea salt, to taste. (I started with 1 teaspoon of Himalayan salt)

-Shred the goat cheddar, then add to pot and stir

Beef Enchilada Cabbage Roll

Recipe Courtesy of Fast Paleo

 

Easy Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients

-2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Cold Pressed

-2 Tbsp. Organic Chili Powder

-1 c. Pacific Foods Organic Beef Broth

-5 oz. Bionaturae Organic Tomato Paste

-1/2 tsp. Organic Dried Oregano

-1/2 tsp. Organic Cumin

-1/2 tsp. Celtic Sea Salt

Directions

-In saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together all ingredients except olive oil.

- Bring to low boil then reduce heat to low to keep warm.

-Before pouring over cabbage rolls, whisk in olive oil.

Beef Enchilada Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients 

-1 lb. Fresh Ground Grass Fed Ground Beef

-1 Small Organic Onion, Chopped

-1 Clove Organic Garlic, Crushed

-1 tsp. Celtic Sea Salt

-1 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper

-1 Recipe Easy Enchilada Sauce (see above)

-1 Medium Head Organic Cabbage

-2-4 Small Organic Avocadoes

Directions

-In a large stockpot, add a couple cups of water and bring to boil.

-Remove core from cabbage and very carefully peel off 10-12 leaves.

- Place leaves in boiling water and turn off heat.

-While cabbage leaves are softening, pan fry ground beef, onion, salt & pepper in cast iron skillet.

-Once ground beef is cooked though, remove from heat and add crushed garlic.

-With tongs, remove one cabbage leaf at a time, fill with beef mixture, roll tightly and lay in glass baking dish.

- Cover cabbage rolls with enchilada sauce and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

- Serve with avocado slices and enjoy!

Linguine with Clams and Such

One of our CSA members, Michelle at Find Your Balance Health offered to share a recipe with us, so please enjoy!

 

Ingredients

-1 lb. whole wheat linguine pasta
-1 Tbsp. olive oil
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-2 shallots, minced
-1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
-6-10 oz. baby clams packed in olive oil
-14 oz. strained tomatoes
-4 cups vegetable broth
-4 leaves tuscan or green curly kale, finely chopped (stems included)
Top secret ingredient: 1/4 cup dried wakame crumbles

Directions

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, shallots and crushed red pepper. Stir and cook until garlic barely turns golden. Then add clams, tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil. Add kale and wakame. Simmer 45 minutes. Add salt if needed (depends how salty your broth is.)
In the meantime, cook pasta according to package directions. Serve hot, topped with a generous amount of clam sauce and an optional sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

Garlic Scape Hummus

Today's Recipe is Garlic Scape Hummus and comes from Brown Eyed Baker. It's quite easy and perfect for snacking.

Ingredients

-1/3 cup sliced garlic scapes
-1 tablespoon lemon juice
-½ teaspoon sea salt
-Ground black pepper (to taste)
-1 can (15-ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
-¼ cup olive oil

Directions

- In the bowl of a food processor, process the garlic scapes, lemon juice, sea salt and black pepper until finely chopped, scraping the sides as needed.
- Add the beans and process to a rough puree (the beans will be just about completely mashed).
- With the machine running, slowly pour in the olive oil and process until smooth. Check the consistency; if it is still thick and paste-like, you can add 2 or 3 tablespoons of water to thin it out a bit. Taste, and add more salt and pepper, if desired. Serve with your favorite vegetables, pita chips, etc.

Baked Garlic Kale Chips

These kale chips are simple to make and everyone will love them! You may even find yourself eating half a bunch of kale in one sitting!

 Ingredients: 

-1 bunch of kale - any variety works

-1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil

-1 tsp garlic powder
-a pinch of sea salt

Directions:
-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

-Thoroughly wash your bunch of kale and rip into hand sized pieces and put into a large bowl. Be sure to remove the thickest part of the stem from the pieces you are ripping, as it is too tough and takes away from the chip experience.

-Add to the bowl of torn kale your sea salt and massage it into the greens for one to two minutes. You'll notice the kale wilts, this makes it less tough and more chip like. Then toss the oil and garlic with the kale and be sure to mix thoroughly so that all pieces are coated.


-Spread the kale out over two baking sheets so that each piece is not laying on top of one another. Bake for 10-20 minutes, until crispy. Let cool then enjoy!


Variations:

-add fresh or dried dill (1-3tsp) and 1 tsp of onion powder for ranch style kale chips.
-add nutritional yeast and a tablespoon of lemon juice for "cheesey" kale chips.

Sweet Potato & Quinoa Collard Rolls

 Today's delicious recipe comes from CSA member Sherrie, who writes a gluten free food blog called Living Simply Gluten Free. Sherrie is sharing her CSA experience and recipes on her blog, so be sure to check it out! If we're lucky, she may contribute a few of her creations to our blog as well, so keep your eyes peeled!

 

Ingredients:

-collard greens, 8-10 leaves

-1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa

-2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

-1 large shallot, chopped

-1/4 tsp. garlic granules

-1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes [optional]

-2 TBS. butter or Earth Balance organic coconut spread

-sea salt to taste

Directions:

- Wash each leaf one by one, by hand and pat dry. Now cut off the stems so just the leaves are left behind. Fill up a large sauce pan with water and heat over high. Once the water has started to boil, reduce the heat to low. Place the leaves in the water and gently boil for about 3-5 minutes or until they've become pliable and bright green. 

- Fill up a medium sized pan with water and a pinch of salt; bring this to a rapid boil. Toss in the sweet potatoes and cook until the potatoes are soft and can be easily pierced with a fork. Drain the sweet potatoes and toss them back into the pot. Mash lightly by hand with a hand masher. Now add in the cooked quinoa, garlic granules and red pepper flakes; mix together. Taste the mixture and if desired, season with a little sea salt.

-To make the rolls simply take each leaf with the 'stem' end facing you and the rounded end pointing towards the top of your counter space. About an inch from the bottom of the leaf spoon on 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup of the sweet potato mixture. Fold over the bottom section, tuck the sides in and roll up like you would a burrito. Don't worry this can take some practice! Repeat until each leaf if filled and rolled. 

- In a large frying pan heat together the chopped shallots and butter [or coconut spread] over low heat. Once the butter is melted down and the shallots are heated through pour the mixture into a small bowl and set aside. Fill the pan with the rolls and pour the shallot mixture over the top; cover with a lid and simmer on low for about 10-15 minutes. The leaves will get darker on the bottom, but should not get browned. So, if this starts to happen either turn down the heat or remove them from the heat altogether. 

Serves: 4 

Total time: 40 minutes

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus Bundles with Spicy Dipping Sauce

 Another asparagus recipe from Martha Stewart!

 

Ingredients

-30 medium asparagus stalks, trimmed
-10 slices peppered bacon
-1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
-Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
-1/2 cup mayonnaise
-2 teaspoons Sriracha (Asian chili sauce)
-2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
-1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

-Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Separate asparagus into bundles of 3 stalks each. Carefully wrap a piece of bacon around each bundle, starting about 1/2 inch from the bottom of the tip; secure with a toothpick. Transfer bundles to a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt; season with pepper. Roast, flipping halfway through, until asparagus begin to wilt and bacon is brown, 20 to 22 minutes.
-Meanwhile, whisk together mayonnaise, chili sauce, lime juice, cilantro, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl; season with pepper. Sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week.
-Transfer bundles to a platter; remove toothpicks. Serve with dipping sauce.

Cook's Note

To keep the bacon from unraveling during cooking, wrap a slice snugly around the middle of the asparagus bunch. Insert a wooden toothpick through the bacon and stalks to secure.

Shaved Raw Asparagus with Parmesan Dressing

Recipe provided by Food & Wine

Asparagus often makes wine taste vegetal. To counter that, chef Mark Ladner of Manhattan's Del Posto mixes shaved spears with a supremely wine-friendly ingredient: parmesan.

Ingredients

2 pound(s) large asparagus
1 cup(s) coarsely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 3 ounces
3 tablespoon(s) fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoon(s) warm water
1/4 cup(s) extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the asparagus into long, thin strips and transfer to a large bowl.
2. In a small bowl, mix the Parmigiano-Reggiano with the lemon juice, water and olive oil. Add to the asparagus and toss to coat. Season the salad with salt and pepper and serve at once.

Green Lemonade and Green Smoothie Goodness

These are three recipes I make on a regular basis and really love! I have the vegetable juice every morning however the smoothies are a great alternative. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

Green Lemonade

-1/2 head of celery
-1/2 cucumber
-1 handful to 3 cups of spinach (any greens will work)
-1 lemon, rind removed
-1 green apple (optional)

Although there are many different types of juicers, this order will work well for all of them to get the most juice out of your vegetables.

First juice the spinach, followed by a few stalks of celery. Then add in the lemon, and cucumber, using celery in between to help things continue to move through the juicer. Finally add in the apple and drink up!

Green Smoothie (Fruity)

-1 to 3 cups greens (spinach is the most mild and makes the smoothie silky)
-1 banana
-1 fresh mango - diced
-1/2 cup water - more or less for desired thickness

Place the greens in the blender first along with the water and then add the banana and mango on top. Blend until smooth and enjoy!

Green Superfood Smoothie

This recipe is adapted from Raw Model and is so addictively delicious!

-2 cups milk of choice (raw dairy, almond, hemp, coconut etc) I prefer almond or hemp here
-2-3 cups of greens - spinach, kale, watercress, mizuna
-1-3 tbsp bee pollen - local if you can find it!
-1 - 2 tbsp raw honey - to taste depending on how bitter the greens are

Blend greens, milk and honey until smooth then add in Bee pollen and blend lightly.  Enjoy!

Green Eggs and Ham

 Today's recipe comes from The Food Lover's Primal Palate and features kale! This pesto is a great stand in for the original when you've got lots of kale but no basil!

Kale Pesto

Ingredients:
-2 cups kale, de-veined
-1/3 cup pine nuts (walnuts or almonds would be great, less expensive replacements)
-1 Tbsp lemon zest
-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 lemon juice

Directions:

-In a food processor, pulse kale leaves and pine nuts.

-Add in garlic and continue to pulse.

-While the mixture is processing, slowly add in olive oil.

-Add in salt and pepper to taste.

-Continue to blend until all ingredients are evenly blended

Eggs and Ham

 Ingredients:

-2 pastured eggs

-3 slices of Irish bacon (ham style bacon)

-1 tablespoons of Kerrygold Pure Irish grass fed butter

-Black pepper to taste

Process:

-Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. 

-Crack eggs in to skillet, sprinkle with black pepper, and cook on low until whites are cooked through.

-In another skillet, fry bacon on medium heat until crispy.

-Plate eggs over bacon, drizzle with kale pesto, and garnish with avocado slices.