Fresh Fava Pesto and Pasta

fava beans

Fava beans are fun and delicious!

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup shelled fresh fava beans (about 1/2 pound in the pod)
1/2 cup roasted unsalted almonds (about 2 ounces)
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup finely grated pecorino cheese, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh mint leaves
12 ounces angel hair pasta (capellini)

Blanch unshelled whole fava beans until bright green and tender, about 2 minutes. Run under cold water to stop the cooking. When cool, cut the tough outer skins and squeeze the beans from the skins (discard skins).

Pulse almonds with garlic in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add favas, cheese and oil; process to a paste. Add mint, and pulse a few times until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook pasta, drain, and toss with pesto until coated. Garnish with grated cheese to finish.

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Pork-Stuffed Collard Leaves

collard greens

Lovely large leaves mean collards make ideal wraps.

1 bunch collard greens
1 pound ground pork
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup cooked brown rice or quinoa
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup grated cheese (optional)

Stem collards and cut leaves in half lengthwise. Blanch them in boiling water for a minute, then submerge immediately in ice-cold water. Remove and let drain.

Mix the pork, salt, cumin, chili, onion, garlic, oregano, nutmeg and rice together well. Take a piece of collard leaf, put about 1/4-1/3 cup of mixture at its base and roll it up. Put seam-side down in an oiled baking pan. Do the same with remaining leaves, packing them side by side. Pour broth over the top. You can substitute tomato sauce. Cover with foil and bake at 375°F until pork is cooked through, about 35-40 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with cheese and bake 10 minutes more uncovered.

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Chickpea Pancakes with Leeks, Squash, and Yogurt

Butternut winter squash

Gluten-free savory pancakes! Courtesy of chickpea flour and winter squash, plus a few other tasty ingredients.

6 tablespoons high-heat oil (safflower, sunflower, or canola), divided
1 medium leek, white and pale-green parts only, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated peeled squash (such as butternut or kabocha)
1 large egg
3/4 cup chickpea flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
Salt

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high. Add leek, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until leek is softened and starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Add squash and season again. Cook, stirring often, until squash is cooked through and softened, about 4 minutes. Transfer vegetables to a plate and let cool. Wipe out skillet and reserve.

Meanwhile, whisk egg, chickpea flour, baking powder, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup water in a medium bowl; season with pepper and let sit 5 minutes for flour to hydrate. Stir vegetables into batter just to coat.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoon oil in reserved skillet over medium-high. Add batter by the quarter-cupful to make 4 pancakes, gently flattening to about 1/4″ thick. Batter should spread easily—if it doesn’t, thin with a little water. Cook until bottoms are lightly browned and bubbles form on top, about 4 minutes. Use a spatula to carefully flip pancakes over and cook until browned and cooked through, about 2 minutes longer.

Transfer to a plate and tent with a sheet of foil to keep warm. Repeat with another 1 1/2 tablespoons oil and remaining batter. Serve pancakes topped with yogurt, parsley, sea salt, and pepper.

Recipe adapted from BonAppetit.com.

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Guilt-Free Egg Fried “Rice”

Cauliflower

“Riced” cauliflower is an easy, nutritious, low-carb alternative to plain white rice.

1 cauliflower
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2-3 fresh chillies, chopped
2 spring onions, chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 handfuls cooked king prawns
2 eggs

For Serving
1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
1 handful peanuts, roughly chopped
Ginger
Shredded cabbage
Bean sprouts
Sweet chilli sauce

Run cauliflower through food processor until it resembles rice. If your pile of “rice” is damp, wring it out in a dish towel and spread it out to dry.

Get your wok nice and hot and add oils. Crush garlic and fry until it just begins to turn light brown. Add chopped chillies, followed by the “rice,” which will need a good stir to get all that nice flavor from the oil. Keep stirring and after about a minute, add spring onions. Add soy sauce and keep stirring until it starts to look golden. Stir in prawns and after a minute, make a well in the middle of the wok. Crack the first egg into it. Allow it to fry a little, then break it up with your spatula. Just as it’s starting to look cooked, stir it through the cauliflower. Repeat with the second egg and then you’re done! Serve topped with any combination of cilantro, peanuts, cabbage, ginger, and sweet chilli sauce.

If you had fun “ricing” your cauliflower, you’ll have a great time with this popular Cauliflower Pizza Crust recipe!

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Sweet Onion Pie

Walla Walla onions

Sweet onion pie, perfect for a summer BBQ side dish!

Can be served hot or at room temperature.

1 pie crust (see below)
2 tablespoon butter
2 cups thinly sliced Walla Walla onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
3/4 cup whole milk
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 pinch paprika
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic slowly until tender, about 12 minutes. Arrange onions in the pie crust.

Beat eggs, whole milk, chives, and salt in a bowl until blended. Pour the mixture over the onions. Sprinkle with cheese and paprika.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. Garnish with the parsley.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

We thank Allrecipes.com for this recipe.

Basic Pie Crust

1 1/2 cups Nash’s soft white wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into small pieces
4-5 tablespoons ice water

Combine flour and salt in a large bowl and stir briefly. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour until it makes pea-size pieces, about 4-5 minutes.
Drizzle in 4 tablespoons ice water and mix until dough comes together. Shape into a flat disk, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll out, place in pie pan, press into base, and use for onion pie.

We thank Chow.com for this recipe.

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Stuffed Chard Leaves

rainbow chard

Did some of your chard get away from you and is now a little wilted? Here’s a fancy way to turn it into a culinary showpiece!

16 chard leaves, slightly wilted or blanched
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
3/4 cup raisins
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons oil

Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove ribs from chard leaves and set aside. In a medium bowl, mix together green onions, rice, feta, cottage cheese, egg, parsley, raisins, dill, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Lay chard leaves with underside up and place 2 tablespoons filling on each leaf, one-third up from bottom of leaf. Fold over sides and roll into a square packet. Place seam side down in a greased casserole dish. Do the same for all leaves and brush lightly with oil when all packets are in the casserole dish. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Bake any extra leftover filling and serve as a side dish. Serves 4 to 6 people.

We thank The City Gardener’s Cookbook: Recipes from Seattle’s P-Patches for this recipe.

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Ful

fava beans

Fava beans are fun and delicious!

Ful is considered the national dish of Egypt and it is eaten at all times of the day, but it is most popular at breakfast.

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onions
5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried mint (can substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh mint)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tomato, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 3/4 cup cooked fava beans
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
5 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Warm the oil in a saucepan. Add the onions, garlic, and salt, cover, and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft (about 7 minutes). Add the mint and cumin and sauté for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the tomatoes, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the beans and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Adapted by Virginia Newman from The Moosewood Restaurant’s Low Fat Favorites by the Moosewood Collective.

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Spinach Feta Brown Rice Bowl

Spinach in the field

Here comes the spinach!

Here is a nice easy spring dish and a great way to get spinach in for lunch or dinner. Try substituting Nash’s wheat berries for the brown rice for a more local option. Soak it overnight, drain, and then follow the directions below.

2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
1 cup plain brown rice or Nash’s wheat berries
1 onion or 1 bunch spring onions
1 large bunch of spinach
1 bunch or large handful fresh dill
Salt
2-4 ounces feta cheese, diced

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in saucepan over medium flame. Stir in rice (or pre-soaked grain) and heat gently, stirring often, about 1 minute. Add 2 1/8 cups water to the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover pan, and cook for 45 minutes.

While rice cooks, heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium flame. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Stir in chopped spinach, dill, and a little salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is just wilted (about 1-2 minutes). Stir feta and spinach into the cooked rice. Adjust salt if necessary.

Recipe adapted from From Asparagus to Zucchini, published by the Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition.

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Sweet & Sour Pork Chops with Quick Pickled Leek or Garlic Scapes

4 (8-ounce) pork chops, bone-in, 3/4″-1″ thick
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chops, both sides, until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Place in oven and roast until cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 140 degrees F, about 8-10 minutes.

To make the sweet-and-sour glaze, combine balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan over medium heat; season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Serve pork chops immediately with sweet-and-sour glaze.

These pork chops go great with Asian Pickled Leek Scapes!

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Fontina Polenta

cornmeal

If you haven’t tried Nash’s cornmeal in the last month or so, take another look! The coarser grind is such a vibrant orangey-yellow, and the finer grind is amazing in cornbread.

It’s hard to find a good polenta recipe. This one is creamy and makes a delicious side dish to pork. You can add more nutrition by throwing in your choice of finely chopped herbs.

6 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup Nash’s cornmeal
1 cup shredded fontina cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon butter

Bring the milk to a boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat; add the salt. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Pour the cornmeal in a slow, steady stream into the simmering milk and whisk vigorously for the first couple of minutes. Then switch to stirring every minute or so with a wooden spoon. After 15 minutes, cover the polenta with a lid and turn the heat to low. Stir about every 5 minutes and let it cook slowly for a total time of 40 minutes. Add the shredded fontina, parmesan and butter and any additional herbs desired. Adjust seasoning if necessary and serve.

We thank Virginia Newman for adapting this recipe from the original by Darin Gagner in 2015.

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