Snack/Appetizer Recipes

Fried Tomatoes with Polenta Crust

4 large firm underripe tomatoes
1 cup polenta or coarse cornmeal
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
flour for dredging
1 egg, beaten with seasoning
Oil for deep-frying

Cut the tomatoes into thick slices. Mix the polenta or cornmeal with the oregano and garlic powder.

Put the flour, egg and polenta in different bowls. Dip the tomato slices into the flour, then into the egg and finally into the polenta.

Fill a shallow frying pan about one-third full of oil and heat steadily until it is quite hot.

Slip the tomato slices into the oil carefully, a few at a time, and fry on each side until crisp. Remove and drain. Repeat with the remaining tomatoes, reheating the oil in between. Serve with salad.

We thank The Complete Encyclopedia of Vegetables and Vegetarian Cooking by Roz Denny and Christine Ingram for this recipe.

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Leek Terrine

leeks

A terrine is kind of like a pate with big chunks of tasty veggies, like our yummy leeks.

10 medium leeks
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Dash cayenne (optional)
2 ounces creme fraiche
2 ounces goat cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Trim root end and dark green tops of leeks (keep the tops for soups or stock). Wash thoroughly, keeping leeks as whole as possible. Cook until very tender, about 12-14 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer leeks to paper towels to drain and season with salt, pepper and cayenne. Let cool. Mix together creme fraiche, goat cheese, zest, salt and pepper in a bowl.

Line a 9″x5″ loaf pan with plastic wrap, letting at least 4″ hang over the edges. Layer leeks and creme fraiche mixture, beginning and ending with leeks. Fold excess plastic over top of terrine and cover with a piece of cardboard cut to fit inside the rim of the pan. Place three 15-ounce cans on top to weigh down terrine and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Unwrap and invert terrine onto a serving platter. Cut into 1″-thick slices to serve.

We thank Saveur.com for this tasty and visually delightful recipe.

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Pickled Carrots with Garlic and Cumin

Rainbow carrots and zucchini

What to do with all these glorious carrot riches? Pickle them!

4 medium to large carrots
1 small head garlic
Salt
1 jalapeño chile, sliced into rounds, or 1 whole chile de árbol
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon sugar or honey
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

Peel the carrots and slice them diagonally or crosswise about 3/8″ thick. Separate the garlic cloves and peel them. Don’t use any that are bruised or sprouting.

Boil the carrots in salted water to cover for 3 minutes, then drain. Combine the remaining ingredients plus 3/4 cup cold water and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Stir to dissolve the salt and sugar, then add the carrots. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

We thank Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison for this recipe.

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Artichoke Dipping Sauces

Artichoke

Behold the artichoke! Try having a dinner party with a variety of dipping sauces.

Lemon-Thyme Butter

In a small bowl, stir together 1 stick melted butter, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice. Season with salt and freshly-ground pepper.

Garlic Mayonnaise

In a small bowl, stir together 3/4 cup mayonnaise and 1 or 2 minced or crushed garlic cloves. Season with salt and freshly-ground pepper.

Sesame Dipping Sauce

Combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, and 3/4 teaspoon seasoned salt.

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Kefir Cheese

4 cups of milk kefir

Ferment your milk kefir for 48 hours (or more if you’re in a cool place). Wait for the curds to separate from the whey. You can use cheesecloth or nut milk bag to squeeze the whey out. Four cups of kefir are enough to produce a cup of kefir cheese.

Pour the kefir into the cheesecloth and let it sit and drain in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. You may use single or double thickness of cheesecloth as you wish. If you produced a thick kefir, perhaps a single thickness of cheesecloth would do.

To speed up the process, lift the four corners of the cheesecloth together, hold them up to form a bag so that you can squeeze out some more whey. You can twist the bag to squeeze. This will compress the curds to form cheese.

Don’t discard the whey. You can use that to make nutritious kefir smoothie and shake, or mix with cultured vegetables later.

Check if you think your cheese is ready and then tip it from the cheesecloth into a glass or ceramic bowl. Scrape the remaining cheese from the cheesecloth with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Add any spices or other ingredients if you wish and then place in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

Serve and enjoy your kefir cheese!

We thank Giselle of Your Kefir Source for this recipe. For more kefir recipes and information, she suggests visiting YourKefirSource.com.

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Zucchini Chips

Zucchini leaf

Potatoes aren’t the only vegetable to make delicious chips. Try zucchini!

1 medium zucchini
1+ tablespoon olive oil
Salt

Preheat oven to 220 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Thinly slice the zucchini into circles. Place the slices between 2 sheets of paper towels and press on them to extract as much moisture as possible. Line them up on the baking sheet tightly but without overlapping. Then take a pastry brush and brush the olive oil on each zucchini slice. Lightly sprinkle with salt. Be conservative, because you can easily over-salt. You can always add more later. Bake for 2+ hours until they start to brown and get crispy. Let cool before removing and serving. Store in an airtight container.

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10 Ways to Enjoy Walla Walla Sweet Onions!

Walla Walla onions

You’ve got to taste these Walla Walla sweet onions to believe them!

Our very own Kia Armstrong (Nash’s sales manager and a super bass player) has put together a great set of cooking tips for using those delicious, succulent Walla Walla sweet onions:

1. Grilled Sweet Onions

Peel and cut onions crosswise into thick slices or into medium-sized chunks. Toss or brush with olive oil, then skewer and grill! Sprinkle with salt or drizzle with sherry or red vinegar and serve with thick slices of raw tomato or other grilled goodies.

2. Roasted Sweet Onions

Peel the sweet onions, toss them with olive or vegetable oil to coat them, sprinkle them with S&P and roast at 375°F until browned and tender, about 30 minutes. Combine with radishes, cauliflower, broccoli or other summer roastables. Leftovers are great with eggs for breakfast or on cold salads for lunch.

3. Sweet Onion & Avocado Salad

Peel and chop Walla Walla and avocado or two. Drizzle with olive oil, a splash of lemon/lime juice, fresh cilantro, dash of ground cumin/cayenne, and salt to taste. Chopped radish, cucumber, sweet corn kernels, or chopped red pepper all make excellent additions.

4. Sweet Onion Raita (Yogurt Salad)

Peel and finely chop onion. Add enough plain yogurt to coat the onions, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add freshly chopped dill, parsley, mint, and/or cilantro. Serve with grilled meats or salmon.

5. Sweet Onion Rings

Cut onions into thick slices and separate into rings. Dip in buttermilk and dredge in flour seasoned with salt, pepper, and a bit of cayenne. Heat an inch or two of vegetable or organic canola oil in a large, heavy pot until oil is about 350°F. Fry onions rings until golden brown, drain, and season with more salt.

6. Sweet Onion Sandwiches

Spread two slices of bread (white bread is good, but dark rye bread is better) with mayonnaise. Sprinkle each side with chopped parsley or basil, if you like. Place a thick slice of sweet onion on one slice, top with a thick slice of tomato, sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and close sandwich with second piece of bread or go open-face.

7. Sweet Onion Taco & Enchilada Topping

Peel and finely chop a sweet onion. Toss with fresh lime juice, add a generous amount of finely chopped cilantro, and season to taste with salt. Add a healthy dollop of this mixture to tacos or on top of enchiladas.

8. Sweet Onion Tossed Salad

Sweet onions are a mild addition to your favorite tossed green salad. They match particularly well with mild Boston lettuce or butter lettuce leaves, cucumber, carrots, and radishes.

9. Onion Egg Scramble

Saute chopped onion on med-high heat until they begin to soften and are caramel colored. Crack egg into pan, season with fresh herbs and S&P, scramble until cooked and enjoy atop a bed of quinoa or favorite toast.

10. Slow Cooked with Ham Hock
Chop an huge onion into the crock pot, add two cups of dried beans and a ham hock, cover with water about two inches above veg/beans, and simmer on low or med heat for 6-8 hours, or until everything is cooked and tender! You can also add spices and fresh herbs, a can of tomatoes, or additional veggies.

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Arugula Pesto

arugula

Our first arugula harvest of the season comes this week!

4 cups fresh arugula leaves, packed
1 tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Plunge arugula into boiling water and stir to blanch evenly, for 15 seconds. Immediately remove and plunge into ice-cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain and squeeze water out. Chop and put into blender. Add garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil, and 2 tablespoons nuts. Blend for about 30 seconds. Add cheese and pulse to combine. Store in the refrigerator. Before serving, bring to room temperature and garnish with remaining toasted nuts.

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Hopping Nash Fritters

mixed radishes

Named for “Hopping John Fritters,” these patties are supposed to bring good luck to those who eat them on New Year’s Day.

1 cup Nash’s dried fava beans, blanched
1 cup triticale berries, cooked
2 cups dried black-eyed peas, cooked
1 pound Nash’s sweet Italian sausage
1 medium onion
1 bunch parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 bunch purple radishes
1 teaspoon or less cayenne pepper
Bread crumbs

Soak fava beans overnight in 2 cups water, drain and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Soak triticale overnight in 2 cups water, drain and cook in 1 1/2 cups of water for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Soak black-eyed peas overnight in 4 cups water, drain and cook in 3 cups water for about 1 hour on medium heat.

Saute pork in medium skillet, add chopped onion, chopped parsley, salt,
pepper and sliced radishes. Let cook for about 15 minutes on medium heat. Once the sausage turns golden brown, turn off heat and let cool.
Drain cooked berries and black-eyed peas (make sure there is no liquid on bottom of cooking dish). Let cool.

In a separate bowl, combine triticale berries, black-eyed peas and sausage combo. Mash together just so the beans start to break apart. Add fava beans and cayenne pepper. Mix all together and form patties. Add some bread crumbs so they hold together well. If you like a gluten-free option add a little bit of almond meal and it will act as a binder. Pan fry and enjoy the good luck that local foods bring to your table.

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Shara’s Pesto

Basil

Basil shares the spotlight with arugula and fava beans in this tasty hummus dip.

1 bunch basil
1 bunch arugula
1 bunch garlic scapes
1 cup shelled fava beans
2 tablespoons soy sauce, Braggs, or tamari sauce (or more to taste)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt to taste

Boil 5 cups water in a saucepan. Add the fava beans and garlic scapes and cook 5 minutes or until soft. Add the arugula and basil and cook 2 minutes more. Drain, add all other ingredients, and put into a food processor. Process until smooth.

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