Apple Chips

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Rinse off 2 apples (we recommend Honeycrisp) and dry. Cut in half crosswise and using a melon baller, scoop out the seeds and core. Using a mandolin on the second-to-thinnest setting, carefully slice apples into rounds, or cut very thin with a knife.

Place on cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Flip over and bake an additional 30 minutes or until apple slices are dried out but not brown. Let cool and enjoy!

We thank thissillygirlskitchen.com for this recipe.

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Mellow Yellow Sunchoke Pickle

sunchokes handful

1½ lbs sunchokes (a.k.a. Jerusalem artichokes), thoroughly scrubbed and cut into ½-inch dice
1 teaspoon ground dried turmeric
1 ounces garlic (about 8 cloves), chopped
½ ounce fresh ginger, minced (about 1 ½ tablespoons)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons pickling salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1½ cups water

Toss together sunchokes, turmeric, garlic, ginger, and cumin. Pack the mixture into a jar with a capacity of at least 6 cups. Dissolve salt and sugar in the water. Pour brine over sunchoke mixture; it will not cover them at first. Add a brine bag (a gallon freezer-weight plastic bag containing 1 tablespoon salt dissolved in 3 cups water) or another suitable weight.

The next day the brine should cover the sunchokes. If it doesn’t, add more brine mixed in the same proportions.

Wait several days before tasting the pickle. After a week, the brine will be still sour, and the Jerusalem artichokes pleasantly, mildly spicy and still crunchy.

When the pickle has fermented enough to suit your taste, store the jar in the refrigerator. Keep sunchokes weighted and under the brine so they won’t take on a grayish cast.

We thank agardenerstable.com for this recipe.

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Carrot Chickpea Dip

Carrots4-5 medium carrots, scrubbed & trimmed, cut lengthwise into quarters
1/4 cup + 2 tsp olive oil, divided
Salt & pepper
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground caraway
1 fat clove of garlic, peeled & chopped rough
½ rough-diced fresh chili, to taste, seeds removed (optional)
Zest and juice of half a lemon
1 tsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. tahini

Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a small baking sheet with parchment. Toss carrots with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil and some salt and pepper to taste and spread on baking sheet. Roast until tender and lightly browned on all sides, flipping over at least once. Allow to cool.

In a food processor, put chickpeas, cumin, coriander, caraway, garlic, diced chili, lemon zest, lemon juice, tomato paste, tahini, salt, and pepper. Chop carrots into smaller pieces and add. Pulse mixture a few times. Put food processor on “high” and drizzle remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil into bowl via feed tube, until smooth.

Check for seasoning and adjust. Top the dip with garnishes, such as pomegranate seeds, toasted pine nuts, crispy Brussels sprout leaves, chopped flat leaf parsley, and extra drizzles of olive oil. Serve with crackers, endive leaves, rough cut veggies, etc.

We thank thefirstmess.com for this recipe.

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Spinach-Stuffed Mushrooms

Spinach on a tabletop1 cup cooked spinach
8 large mushrooms (or 12 smaller ones. Try some of our lovely Crimini mushrooms at the Store)
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. bread crumbs (optional)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Salt and pepper

Chop spinach, place in strainer and press out liquid. Wash mushrooms and remove stems. Chop stems fine and saute with onions in butter and olive oil until tender. Add spinach and cook another minute or so, mixing well. If there is too much liquid, or you like drier filling, add dried bread crumbs. Add nutmeg and season to taste. Fill hollow of each mushroom with spoonful of stuffing and place in buttered pan. Add 1/4 inch water to pan and bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

We thank Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon for this recipe.

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Asian Pickled Leek Scapes

Yields ½ pint. Recipe can be doubled or quadrupled.

½ cup rice vinegar
Small splash of fish sauce (optional)
Juice of 1 lime
1 leek bulb or shallot, thinly sliced
½ to 1 whole hot chili pepper, sliced
1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
¼ tsp. salt
1 to 2 leek scapes, to total about 2½ feet in length, sliced thinly on the diagonal

Combine all but the sliced scapes in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add the scapes and return to a simmer, then remove from heat and allow to steep for 20 minutes.

Pour everything into a clean half-pint jar, tightly seal it, and give it a good shake to make sure all the aromatics in the brine are well-distributed. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours to allow the flavors to develop.

We thank The Daily Mail for this recipe.

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Eating with Kids: Summertime

Healthy Summertime Foods

By Kia Armstrong and Patty McManus (Nash’s Organic Produce), Sarah Salazar-Tipton (Olympic Nature Experience), and Julia Buggy, Holistic Nutrition Educator

Originally published in Peninsula Families Today, an advertising supplement produced by Peninsula Daily News and Sequim Gazette.

Children naturally have more energy during the long days of summer. Because they spend more time outside in the sun and wind, it is important to keep their fluids and vitamin intake high. Sarah Salazar-Tipton, local mom and director of Olympic Nature Experience (a nonprofit dedicated to deepening children’s connection with nature) has a great solution: the fruit/veggie popsicle! “After hours at the beach or a walk through our neighborhood, it’s easy to entice kids home with a popsicle,” says Sarah. “It makes a great snack for any time of day, and they are getting fluids, proteins and veggies all at once.”

Fruit/Veggie Popsicle

  • 1-to-2 cups water, herbal tea or juice
  • 1 cup leafy greens
  • 1-to-2 carrots
  • Large handful of seeds or nuts
  • 1-to-2 cups fresh or frozen fruit

Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Pour into popsicle molds or ice cube trays and freeze. If your child is particular about color, add red pepper or tomatoes instead of leafy greens. A banana or two adds sweetness to counter a “too-veggie” taste. If you are adding leafy greens, leave out milk products, but add some citrus for extra iron absorption.

Colors helps kids eat veggies

Kids are more likely to warm up to veggies if they have something to do with choosing them, either at the store or in the garden. If your children help you to plant the seeds, water the plants, and harvest the crops, chances are they will want to taste the “fruits of their labors.”

If you plant a garden with your kids, try to plant veggies in a variety of colors—green lettuces or zucchini, bright orange carrots, red tomatoes or peppers, and purple berries. Each of these colors indicates the presence of different healthy nutrients that benefits the health of children and adults alike.

If you can’t grow a garden, play a color game in the produce department of your favorite store. “Which green should we pick today? Which orange?” Give the child credit at the table for tonight’s delicious choice, and if they want, allow them to help prepare what they have chosen. You can even turn mealtime into a game to see who can “eat all their colors,” even if it is only a bite or two.

Make juice time fun and healthy

Julia Buggy, local mom and Holistic Nutrition Educator specializing in organic plant-based nutrition, knows that using a juicer is always a hit with kids. “If you combine naturally sweet items like carrots and apples, it’s easy to slip in a little spinach or beets and the whole drink is loaded with vitamins, minerals and immune-boosting goodness!” says Julia.

Another trick she has learned for kids who may have an aversion to the color is to serve the juice in a fun colored cup with lid and straw. “If they have fun helping to make the juice, chances are they will be excited to drink it.” Here’s one of her daughter’s favorites.

Pirate Punch “Vitamin C prevents scurvy after all. . .Arrrgh!”

  • 5 organic carrots
  • 4 organic apples, seeds removed
  • 3 handfuls organic local spinach
  • 2 leaves organic kale
  • 1 small lemon, zest peeled off

Freeze any leftover juice in ice cube trays for use in smoothies. “Sometimes we are too busy to bring out the juicer on these warm summer days, so my blender becomes my back-up support,” says Julia. “Smoothies are my favorite way to add veggies into my daughters’ diet. Plus they get all the fiber, too.”

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Spicy Kale Raab and Onion Puree

One bunch of green kale raab, against a background of Nash boxes

Green kale raab — just one of many raabs that appear all-too-briefly in the springtime.

Try this spread on soft flour tortillas!

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
1 small red or yellow onion, peeled and chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
6 cups kale raab (or other seasonal green)
½ cup water, stock, or dry white wine
Juice of ½ lemon
2 Tbsp. cashew or peanut butter
2 Tbsp. white miso

Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Stir and cook until onions are soft and garlic is lightly browned. Mix in raab, stir and add ½ cup of water. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until greens are very soft. Check every once in a while to make sure there is enough water. Add only a very small amount if needed. Remove from heat and place in a blender, add lemon juice, cashew butter, and miso and puree until smooth and creamy.

Recipe from Local Vegetarian Cooking by Debra Daniels-Zeller.

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Cilantro Pesto

cilantro1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1⁄2 cup almonds
3 large garlic cloves
1⁄4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1⁄4 cup olive oil
1⁄2 teaspoon salt

Combine the cilantro, garlic and almonds in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Add the Parmesan, oil and salt and puree to a smooth paste. Stir into hot pasta and serve. It’s a dynamite addition to a sandwich, too.

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Baked Parsnip Fries

Parsnips on a bed of kale2 1/2 pounds parsnips and/or carrots, peeled, cut into about 3” strips
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus 5 sprigs rosemary
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp. ground cumin, more to taste

Preheat oven to 450°F. Mix parsnips/carrots, chopped rosemary, garlic, and oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Spread out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Scatter rosemary sprigs over.

Roast for 10 minutes; turn and roast until parsnips/carrots are tender and browned in spots, 10-15 minutes longer. Crumble leaves from rosemary sprigs over; discard stems and toss to coat. Sprinkle with cumin. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more cumin, if desired.

We thank Epicurious.com for this recipe.

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Nectarine Popsicles

Nectarines

Nectarines just in from Eastern Washington!

 

An end-of summer delight! If you make it with plain organic yogurt, it’s healthy, too.

1 pound nectarines, pitted and sliced, skins optional
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 cup plain yogurt (for creamier popsicles, use Greek yogurt)
For sweeter popsicles, add 1 Tbsp. honey

Puree the nectarines, lemon juice and optional honey together. If you left the skins on, use a mesh strainer to remove most of the skins. You should have about 2 cups puree.

Add the yogurt and mix well. Chill until slightly thickened, then spoon into popsicle molds. Freeze and enjoy!

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