Entree Recipes

French-Style Ratatouille

basil in a basket

Imagine the scent of fresh basil.

1 large eggplant
1 medium yellow onion
2 small bell peppers
3 medium zucchini
2 large tomatoes
Olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
2 whole sprigs thyme
1/4 cup loosely packed basil, sliced into ribbons
Extra basil for garnishing
Salt and pepper

Chop eggplant into bite-sized cubes. Transfer to a strainer set over a bowl and toss with teaspoon salt. Let sit awhile.

Dice onions and roughly chop peppers, zucchinis, and tomatoes into bite-sized pieces. Mince garlic. Vegetables will be cooked in batches, so keep each in a separate bowl.

Warm a teaspoon olive oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and generous pinch salt. Sauté until onions have softened and are beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add peppers and continue cooking until soft, another 5 minutes. Transfer to a clean bowl.

Add another teaspoon of oil to pot and sauté zucchini with generous pinch of salt until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add to onions and peppers.

Rinse eggplant under running water and squeeze cubes gently to remove as much moisture as possible. Warm two teaspoons oil in pan and sauté until softened and beginning to turn translucent, about 10 minutes. Add to other vegetables.

During cooking, a brown glaze will gradually build in the pan. Dissolve glaze between batches by pouring 1/4 cup water or red wine into pan and scraping up glaze. Pour deglazing liquid into veggie bowl.

Warm another teaspoon olive oil and sauté garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, bay leaf, and thyme. As tomato juices begin to bubble, scrape up brown glaze.

Add all vegetables back into pan and stir until evenly mixed. Bring to a simmer, then turn down to low. Stir occasionally for at least 20 minutes or up to 1 1/2 hours. Longer cooking time will break vegetables down into a silky stew.

Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs and stir in basil. Sprinkle extra basil and a glug of good olive oil over each bowl as you serve.

Ratatouille is often better the second day, and it can be eaten cold, room temperature, or warm.

We thank thekitchn.com for this recipe.

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Potatoes Au Gratin with Fennel & Bacon

fennel

What can you do with fennel? Add bacon!

1 lb sliced bacon
5 Tbsp. butter
5 Tbsp. Nash’s soft white flour
3.5 cups milk
½ tsp. white pepper
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 pinch ground nutmeg
2.5 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 lb. yellow potatoes, thinly sliced
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and diced
7 leaves fresh basil, or 1 Tbsp. dried

Preheat the oven to 325° F. Fry bacon in a large skillet until browned. Drain on paper towels. Chop or crumble, and set aside.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth and starting to bubble. Gradually whisk in milk while stirring constantly so that no lumps form. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with white pepper, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese until smooth, adding a handful at a time. Set aside.

Use 1/3 of the potatoes to make a layer in the bottom of a greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Top with 1/3 of the fennel, 1/3 of the bacon and 1/3 of the basil. Pour about 1/3 of the cheese sauce over everything. Repeat layers two more times or until you run out of room. Cover the dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the cover during the last 30 minutes to allow the top to brown if desired.

We thank AllRecipes.com for this recipe.

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Polenta Bowl with Garlicky Summer Squash & Kale

Stone-Ground Cornmeal1 cup Nash’s corn meal
3 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter or oil

In a 3-quart saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add salt and gradually stir in corn meal. Reduce heat, stirring continually until mixture is thick and smooth. Blend in butter or oil, stirring with a metal spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking. Continue cooking for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

2-1/2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium summer squash, cut into thin rounds
1 (14.5 ounce) can chickpeas, drained
1 bunch Nash’s Red Kale, stems removed, torn into bite-sized pieces
Fried eggs for serving
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Heat 1-1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, for about 1 minute. Add the garlic, summer squash and chickpeas. Cook, occasionally stirring, until the summer squash and chickpeas are golden brown and the mixture is fragrant, about 6-8 minutes. Remove the veggies from the pan to a large bowl. Return the pan to medium-high heat and add the remaining oil. Toss in the kale and cook, stirring often, until the kale is bright green and beginning to brown up a bit, about 3 minutes. Turn the heat down to low, add the squash and chickpea mixture back to the pan and keep on very low heat.

While the veggies cook, fry a few eggs in some olive oil until the whites are set and the yokes are still slightly runny.

Divide the cooked polenta between bowls. Top each bowl with with the veggie mixture, fried eggs, salt and pepper, pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, and extra Parmesan cheese.

Recipe from dishingupthedirt.com.

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Kia’s One Pot Buttery Beets & Pasta

After a day of summer camp and sprinklers, my kids needed some nutritious refueling. I had some fresh beets with greens on hand, which inspired this quick, one pot dish for dinner. Colorful beets are high in phytonutrient pigments, and rich in antioxidants. They’re also high in folate and a B vitamin important for a healthy heart and for normal tissue growth. Hooray for beets!

2-4 beets with greens
6-8 ounces pasta
Baby dill (or cilantro or basil)
Butter

Prep your veggies
Scrub beets clean, then chop into 1/2 inch slices (no need to peel!).

Rinse the beet greens and thinly slice them, stems and all.

Mince up a few big pinches of baby dill, or more if desired.

Cook everything in one pot
Get a medium pot of water boiling, and add the beets.

After 3-5 minutes, add the pasta to the beets, and note cooking time (my spaghetti package said 3-4 minutes). After 2 minutes, add the beet greens and dill. Stir pot occasionally.

When pasta has cooked, pour the whole pot through a fine meshed strainer so you don’t loose the greens and herbs. Transfer the pasta and veggies back into your cooking pot, but remove from heat.

Add two or three tablespoons of butter, more the better! Stir everything together and season with salt and pepper. You can also add cheese if desired, but we skipped it and the kids still devoured their dinner. Sweet, nutritious beets for the win!

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Fava Bean Pasta Salad with Garlic Scape Pesto

fava beans

Fava pasta!

This is a delicious spring recipe perfect for a picnic lunch. Serve the pasta salad atop fresh spinach to increase the nutrient density of your meal!

1 cup coarsely chopped garlic scapes
⅔ cup shredded Parmesan
½ cup shelled pistachios
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
½ cup olive oil
2 lb. fava beans
1 lb. Gemelli (corkscrew) pasta, cooked
6 oz. crumbled feta

In the bowl of a food processor, combine garlic scapes, Parmesan, pistachios, salt, and pepper, and pulse to coarsely chop. While machine is running, gradually add oil until pesto is pureed but still a bit chunky. Set aside.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add fava beans and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse beans with cold water. Remove the tough outer skin of each by pinching the outer skin to pop out the darker-green bean inside. Discard skins and place beans in a large bowl. Add pasta and feta, and then toss with pesto to coat. Serve at room temperature or after chilling.

We thank CountryLiving.com for this recipe.

Gemelli Pasta

Gemelli pasta is the type of pasta that is tightly twisted around itself like a corkscrew. (But I’m sure any type of pasta would work here!)

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Savoy Cabbage Raab and Pork

A jaunty bunch of savoy cabbage raab

Savoy cabbage raab in its full glory.

3-4 slices bacon or pork belly, cut into small pieces
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bunches Savoy cabbage raab, washed and ends trimmed
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/8 tsp. cayenne (optional)
Whole grains or brown rice (optional)

Saute bacon or pork belly with garlic in a frying pan until the bacon starts to brown. Remove and set aside.

Cut raab (stalk, leaves, florets and all) into one-inch pieces. Add olive oil to the pork drippings and saute raab until it starts to wilt. Cover and let it cook for a few minutes more until tender.

Remove from heat and stir in pork and garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste and a little cayenne if you like a bit of a kick. This tastes great on a bed of brown rice or on cooked whole grain, like triticale or rye berries.

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Sweet Barley Pilaf

We got quite a treat this week: Isabelle from the Sequim Food Bank tried out this recipe using Nash’s barley and shared some with us. It’s totally tasty!

Serves 6.

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced (2 cups)
4 mushrooms, sliced (1 cup)
1 celery stalk, diced
1/2 cup slivered almonds (or other nuts)
1 cup barley or other whole grain
1/4 cup raisins, golden or black
Dash of salt
1 Tbsp. each fresh rosemary and marjoram, minced, or 1/2 tsp. dried
2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, low-sodium

In large saucepan, heat olive oil and saute onion until translucent. Add mushrooms, celery and almonds. Cook 3-5 minutes.

Stir in barley, raisins and seasonings until barley is coated with other ingredients.

Add broth and bring to a boil for 2 minutes, cover and reduce heat to simmer for 55 minutes.

We thank Well-Fed Me for this recipe, and also Isabelle from the Sequim Food Bank for calling our attention to this delicious recipe.

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Kori’s Lacinato Kale & Fennel

lacinato kale1 cup bow-tie pasta, cooked according to package
Olive oil
2 cups lacinato kale, rinsed and chopped into bite-size pieces
1 can (14 ounces) diced Italian-style tomatoes
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1 fennel bulb, thinly-sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, diced
1 cup (8 ounces) thick bacon or pork belly, cubed
Grated Parmesan, for garnish

In small saucepot, boil water and cook the bow tie pasta according to package directions. Drain after cooking and set aside.

In separate saucepan, cook the bacon. Once cooked, set aside over paper towel to absorb grease until ready to add to dish.

In large saucepot, drizzle olive oil over med-high heat. Add minced garlic; sauté for about 2 minutes. Add lacinato kale and fennel; sauté about 5 minutes until softened.

Add Italian tomatoes, fresh tomatoes and shiitake mushrooms. Let simmer for about 5-10 minutes, or until everything is softened and cooked.

Add the pasta to the large saucepot to create a 50/50 mix of pasta and veggies. Drizzle olive oil.

Lastly, add the bacon. Let warm over stove for about 5-10 minutes before serving. Served with fresh Parmesan.

We thank Ocean Mist Farms for this recipe.

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Millet Salad with Creamy Miso Dressing

brussels basketThis salad is intended to be a cold salad and can be prepared ahead of time.

1 1/2 pounds of Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and sliced in half or quartered
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup dried millet
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place Brussels sprouts in 9″ x 13″ glass baking dish and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast 10-20 minutes, depending on size of sprouts. They should be fork tender, but not mushy. While sprouts are roasting, prepare millet by adding to saucepan with 2 cups of water. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer for about 20 minutes. Turn off heat and fluff with fork. Allow millet and Brussels to cool once cooked. Combine and add cranberries. Slowly add creamy miso dressing (see below), reserving any extra dressing to accompany another dish.

Creamy Miso Dressing
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons miso paste
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 cloves minced garlic
Water to thin

Combine all ingredients in a large glass measuring cup. Stir with a fork to adequately dissolve miso paste, and use water to thin to desired consistency (about 2 tablespoons).

We thank Virginia Newman for this recipe.

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Vegan Stir-Fried Cabbage in Peanut Sauce

Green cabbage in the field

This is green cabbage before it goes into your stir-fry. How’s it look after?

For the sauce
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 Tbsp. smooth or chunky all-natural peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
2 teaspoon Asian chile-garlic paste or sambal oelek
3/4 teaspoon packed light brown sugar
 
For the stir-fry
1 medium head green cabbage
2 medium carrots
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped roasted peanuts (optional)
Steamed rice or cooked rice noodles, for serving

Whisk all of the sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl to combine. Quarter the cabbage lengthwise, then cut the core out of each piece. Cut the cabbage crosswise into 1-inch-wide pieces. Cut the carrots crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds.

Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the carrots and half of the cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to wilt. Continue adding the cabbage and cooking it down until all of it is added. Season with salt and cook until all of the cabbage is starting to wilt and exudes water.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the sauce, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly (it will thin out when mixed with the cabbage liquid, then thicken to the texture of whole milk) and the cabbage is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the lime juice, and stir to combine. Top with the roasted peanuts, if using, and serve immediately over steamed rice or cooked rice noodles.

Serves 4.

Recipe adapted from thekitchn.com.

 

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