Vegetable Side Recipes

Fava Bean Sauté

fava beans

Fava beans go great with garlic!

1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced or 2 finely chopped garlic scapes
1 1/2 cups skinned fava beans
Ground pepper to taste
Fettuccine (optional)
1/2 cup cream (optional)

Over medium heat in a skillet, melt together butter and olive oil, add garlic cloves or garlic scapes, and sauté for 1 minute. Add fava beans and sauté for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until they are done to your preference. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add other delicious items, such as caramelized onions or fennel, chunky fresh tomatoes, a bit of chopped prosciutto, a cup of chopped endive, or some sauteed shrimp. Serve on cooked fettuccine with 1/2 cup cream (optional).

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Rainbow Chard with Pine Nuts, Garlic and Basil

rainbow chard, bunched

Add brilliant color to your meal with rainbow chard.

1 large bunch rainbow chard
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves (8 to 10 large leaves)

Cut the stems from the chard leaves. Cut the leaves into 2- to 3-inch pieces and wash and dry them well. Rinse the stems and slice them crosswise 1/4-inch thick.

In a 12-inch stir-fry pan or skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the pine nuts to a plate, leaving behind as much oil as possible.

Return the pan to medium-high heat, add the chard stems and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until shrunken and beginning to brown lightly, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the chard leaves and salt. Toss with tongs until just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the cold butter pieces and stir just until the butter has melted.

Using tongs, immediately transfer about half of the leaves and stems to a serving plate and arrange. Sprinkle on half of the Parmesan, basil, and pine nuts. Layer on the remaining leaves, stems, and pan juices, and garnish with the remaining cheese, basil, and pine nuts. Serve immediately.

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How to Use Fresh Fava Beans

fava beans

Fava beans are fun and delicious!

One of the largest beans and certainly the richest in flavor, favas are a real harbinger of summer. People all over the world enjoy their rich taste and generous nutrition. Also called “broad beans,” they are high in fiber and iron, and low in sodium and fat. They have no cholesterol but so much protein that they were called “the beef of the poor” in Charles Dickens’ day.

If the beans are very young, the whole bean can be chopped up and used, pods and all. Otherwise shuck them to your preference. There is a whiteish skin around the bean itself, which some people like to eat, and others prefer to discard (see below).

Sauté shucked beans with peas and mushrooms, or with shrimp and thyme for a delicious and elegant summer supper. Toss them into soups, stir-fries or pasta. Roast them with garlic, olive oil and salt to taste, or use them raw, whole or chopped into salads. Puree favas for an alternative green base to pizza or pasta. Boil and mash them, and spread the paste on crostini.

Shucking favas

First, split the pod at the seam and remove the beans. There are about 4 to 5 per pod.

To remove the second skin, there are two different methods. The first is to make a small slit with a knife along the edge of the bean to pop the bean out of its skin.

The alternate, and more popular, method is to blanch them for 1-3 minutes. Remove the beans from the boiling water and immediately submerge them in ice cold water to stop the cooking process. At this point, you can spread the beans out on a cookie sheet to freeze, then bag and store in freezer. If you’re going to use them right away, squeeze them out from their skins, and use as directed in any recipe of your choice.

Sauteeing fava beans

Shuck 2 pounds of fava beans. Use either method to remove the outer skin of the beans. You should have about 1.5 cups beans. Over medium heat in a skillet, melt together 1 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon olive oil, add two minced garlic cloves (or 2 finely chopped garlic scapes) and sauté for 1 minute. Add the fava beans and sauté for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until they are done to your preference. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper, serve, and enjoy!

Or get a little fancier. Add other delicious items, such as caramelized onions or fennel, chunky fresh tomatoes, a bit of chopped proscuitto, and a cup of chopped endive. Serve on fettuccine with a light cream sauce.

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Using Fresh Dill

dill, bunched

What’s your favorite use for dill? Let us know in the comments below!

Looking for dill-flavored inspiration? Here are several fantastic uses for dill that you might not have thought of.

  • Add sparkle to a tuna sandwich.
  • Enhance a cold gazpacho soup.
  • Mix 1/4 cup fresh dill with 1/4 cup vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add 2 sliced cucumbers, 1 cup sliced red onion, and 2 cut-up tomatoes. Toss, and let stand at least 15 minutes before serving.
  • Got a favorite pureed carrot soup recipe? Be sure to garnish it with some delicate dill fronds for a treat that’s not only tasty, but visually appealing.
  • Dill with salmon is a marriage made in heaven. Add finely chopped garlic, too!
  • Add to Greek green salads, with romaine, sliced scallions and crumbled feta.
  • Make your own sourdough bread? Throw in some olives and dill.
  • Chop 1/2 cup dill fine and mix with 2-3 tablespoons butter, salt, and pepper.
  • For an incredible roasted chicken, use a spoon to get dill under the skin of the breasts, thighs, and legs, and massage it around the meat. Stuff some into the cavity of the chicken with lemon slices and garlic.
  • Add to potato soup, or potato salad with lemon and green onion.
  • Add to cole slaw, omelets, lentil dahl, or borscht.
  • Make dill sauce with plain yogurt, mayo, sour cream, garlic, lemon, and salt and pepper.

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Pickled Chard Stems

rainbow chard stalks

Not sure what to do with chard stems? Pickle them!

Many people like to lightly steam chard greens for their health benefits. But don’t throw the stems away! Once pickled, they can be added to salads or sandwiches, or just munched as is.

1 pound chard stems (from about 4 bunches), cut into 4″ lengths
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
1/4 cup salt
2 tablespoons Nash’s black mustard seeds
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1/2 cup sugar

Toss the chard stems and shallot slices in the salt and let them stand in a colander in a sink for 1 hour. Rinse and drain well.

Meanwhile, toast the mustard and caraway seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until mustard seeds begin to pop, about 2 minutes. Let cool.

Bring the vinegar, sugar, and 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan; let cool slightly. Pour brine into jars. Let cool slightly, add chard stems, shallots, and seeds, then cover and chill for 24 hours. They will last for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.

We thank epicurious.com for this recipe.

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What to Do with Garlic Scapes

Garlic scapes

Curlicues of bunched garlic scapes look whimsical, but scapes are seriously tasty.

Do you love garlic but have run out of last season’s garlic cloves? Not to worry—garlic scapes are here! Scapes are the tall flowering stalk of the garlic plant. They have a mild garlic flavor and can be used to add garlicky goodness to so many dishes. Here are several tasty suggestions.

Garlic Scape Pesto—Blend with pine nuts, Parmesan, olive oil, lemon, and salt and pepper. Add basil, if you want.

Grilled or Roasted—Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper, and grill for 2 minutes on each side.

Hummus—Swap scapes for garlic cloves. Great in a lemony, tahini-free hummus.

Compound Butter—Add some lemon and fresh thyme.

Pizza—Delicious on a white grilled pizza with caramelized onions.

Stir-fry—They lose some bite when sautéed, so use 3-4 times as much.

Salads—Blanch them first, like you would green beans.

Soup—Add to soup towards the end to get the best flavor from the scapes.

Pickled—Add to your favorite pickle recipe, or just pickle the scapes themselves in vinegar, salt and dill.

Sautéed—Great with shrimp.

Quesadillas—Grill them first and add lots of cheese!

Omelets—Add cut-up scapes, arugula and a little basil along with cheese.

Pork Burgers—Mix with Nash’s Italian sausage or ground pork, and a little rosemary. OMG!!

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Qorma (Afghan Spinach Dish)

Bunched spinach

Our first spinach harvest of the season is here! Spotlight these crisp and tender greens in this spinach-centered side dish.

3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup green onions (white and green parts), chopped
2 pounds fresh spinach, chopped
2 tablespoons water
1/2 tablespoon dried dill
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice

In a large, deep pan heat the oil over medium-high and sauté the onions until tender, about 3 minutes. Add spinach and cook covered on medium heat, stirring regularly until wilted, about 3-4 minutes. Add a few tablespoons of water to pan and remaining ingredients except lemon juice.

Stir thoroughly and cook for 5-10 more minutes until the liquid has decreased, keeping an eye on the pot so it doesn’t dry out. If you’re going for satiny smooth, add more water or stock and continue to cook for an additional 5-10 minutes. Otherwise, season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Serve as a side or over rice.

We thank Full Circle Farms for this recipe.

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Garlic Scape Aioli

A handful of garlic scapes in the field

Add mild garlic flavor to your aioli with these funky garlic scapes.

2 bunches Nash’s garlic scapes, cleaned and roasted
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Place garlic scapes on cookie sheet and roast them for 15 minutes at 375 degrees with salt and a little bit of oil. Cool and chop them and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix in a blender until everything is well combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Use as your favorite summer sandwich spread or dip for grilled veggies.

We thank Karolina Tracz for this recipe.

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Nash’s Raw Slaw

red cabbage and green cabbage at farmer's market

Here’s a side dish that’s packed with nutrition and deliciousness!

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon mustard (try making your own mustard!)
2 cups Nash’s cabbage, shredded
1 cup Nash’s apples, shredded
2 cup Nash’s carrots, shredded
1/3 cup Nash’s dill, chopped

Mix vinegar, honey and mustard together to make a sauce. Mix apple into the sauce as soon as soon as it is shredded. Then add rest of ingredients and mix well.

We thank Nash’s very own Mary Wong for this recipe.

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Pickled Mixed Vegetables

Makes 5-6 quarts

1 large head cauliflower
4 ribs celery
1 dozen small pickling cucumbers
8 small carrots
1 medium green bell pepper
1 medium red bell pepper
8 small pearl onions
16 cloves garlic
1 pound green beans
10 cup vinegar
6 cup water
1 cup salt
2 teaspoons celery seed
4 teaspoons dill seed
4 teaspoons mustard seed

Sterilize jars. Break cauliflower into small florets; cook in boiling water 5 minutes; drain. Cut remaining vegetables into bite-sized pieces and mix in a big bowl. Mix the vinegar, water, salt, celery, dill and mustard seed to make brine and heat over medium. Pack hot jars with random vegetables, bring brine to a boil and fill to 1/2” head space. Follow the USDA recommendation for processing pickled mixed vegetables.

We thank Stocking Up for this recipe.

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