Triticale Berries with Basil Oil and Seasonal Greens Stir Fry

Triticale Berries
Rinse berries well and soak overnight. Drain and simmer in water for 1 hour.

Imagine the aroma in our basil greenhouses — and imagine that same lovely scent in your own kitchen.

Basil Oil
1 1/2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup olive oil

Blanch basil in boiling water for 10 seconds. Drain and rinse under cold water. Pat basil dry with paper towels. Transfer to blender, add oil and puree until smooth. Transfer to small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill. Can be made up to 3 days ahead. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before using.

Seasonal greens
1 bunch garlic scapes
1 bunch chopped rainbow chard
1 bunch spinach
1 bunch baby dill
1 1/2 pounds fava beans, husked and blanched
2 tablespoons oil
Splash apple cider vinegar or other vinegar

In a medium skillet, saute garlic scapes and 1 cup cooked triticale berries in 2 tablespoons oil. Once berries start to turn golden brown, add fava beans, rainbow chard, baby dill and spinach. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Once the greens cook down, add a splash of vinegar. Take off stove, plate up, and drizzle with basil oil.

For a more meaty option, serve with Nash’s spicy Italian sausage, made into patties and pan fried. Makes a great sweet and spicy combo!

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Posted on May 20, 2014

Quinoa, Fava and Cauliflower Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

In addition to the protein and other nutrients present in quinoa, multicolored quinoa also has antioxidant-rich phytonutrients called anthocyanins present in the red pigments. If you want a prettier, more intensely flavored cauliflower, take the extra step of roasting it (see variation below).

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

1 cup multicolored quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
Salt to taste
1 1/2 pounds fava beans
1/2 head cauliflower, broken into small florets
2 tablespoons chopped chives

For the dressing
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, puréed
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
5 tablespoons buttermilk
Freshly ground pepper

Rinse the quinoa in several changes of water. Heat a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat and add the quinoa. Stir until the water on the grains has evaporated and the quinoa begins to crackle and smell toasty. Add the water and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer 20 minutes, until some of the quinoa grains display a little white spiral and the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat, place a dish towel over the top of the pot and return the lid. Let sit for 15 minutes, then fluff the quinoa with a fork.

Meanwhile, shell and skin the fava beans. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. Drop the shelled fava beans into the boiling water and boil 5 minutes. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer immediately to the cold water. Allow the beans to cool for several minutes, then slip off their skins by pinching off the eye of the skin and squeezing gently. Hold several beans in one hand and use your other thumb and forefinger to pinch off the eyes; have a bowl for the shelled favas close at hand, and this will not take a very long time.

Bring the water in the pot back to a boil and drop in the cauliflower. Boil 3 to 5 minutes, until just tender. Transfer to a bowl of ice water, drain and dry on paper towels. Alternatively, steam the cauliflower for 4 to 5 minutes, or see the roasting variation below.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Toss the quinoa, fava beans, cauliflower and chives in a bowl. Toss with the dressing and serve.

The salad will keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator.

Roasted Cauliflower Variation
For a prettier, more intensely flavored cauliflower, roast it while you cook the quinoa. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment. Slice the cauliflower 1/2 inch thick, sprinkle with salt and curry powder (1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon) and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil or grapeseed oil. Roast 15 to 20 minutes, stirring or flipping the pieces over with tongs halfway through, until the cauliflower is tender and lightly browned. Remove from the heat and cut into smaller pieces if desired, then toss with the other salad ingredients as directed.

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Posted on May 20, 2014

Fava Bean Pesto on Charred Romaine Salad

Did you know that you could grill lettuce? Or that you could make pesto from fava beans? Try doing both with this tasty recipe.

1 cup fava beans, removed from pods and blanched
1 bunch garlic scapes, roasted
4 tablespoons olive oil
Lemon juice to taste (optional)
Salt to taste
1 head romaine lettuce

Preheat oven to 375. Place garlic scapes on a cookie sheet with a little bit of oil and roast for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Once cooled, place all ingredients except romaine in a food processor and pulse till combined. Set aside.

Cut romaine head into 4 wedges. Drizzle the cut sides of the wedges with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the romaine over a hot fire, cut side down, until charred in spots, about 20 seconds. Turn the romaine over and grill for 20 seconds longer. Transfer the wedges to a platter, cut side up, and drizzle the fava bean pesto over them.

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Posted on May 20, 2014

Green Garlic Soup Au Gratin

Green spring garlic is one of the farm’s early bird vegetables. It looks like scallions but tastes like garlic!

8 stalks green garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon + 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons butter
8 slices day-old bread
1 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Cut and discard tips of garlic stalks. Thinly slice. Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter until it begins to foam. Add garlic and saute 1-2 minutes. Reduce heat, cover tightly and cook 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spread bread with 2 tablespoons butter; oven toast until lightly golden. Add broth to garlic, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Ladle into 2 oven-proof serving bowls. Cover with toasted bread and top with cheese. Dot each with a teaspoon of butter. Bake at 450 F for 10 minutes, until cheese has melted and begun to turn golden.

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Posted on May 9, 2014

Grilled Leeks

Grilling season is here! Try grilling your leeks, maybe with other assorted veggies or some Nash’s pork burgers.

12 medium leeks, trimmed to about 7 inches, split length-wise to within 1 1/2 inches of the root end
Olive oil for grilling

Vinaigrette
4 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup minced assorted fresh basil

Tie the leeks in 4 bundles with kitchen string, and place in a kettle of boiling salted water. Boil them for 6 minutes, or until they are just tender, and drain them in a colander. Refresh the leeks under cold water and discard the strings. Brush the leeks with the oil and grill them on an oiled rack set, 5 minutes on each side, or until they are golden.
Transfer the leeks as they are grilled to a platter and keep warm. In a separate bowl combine all the vinaigrette ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the leeks.

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Posted on May 9, 2014

Cauliflower Tortillas

A creative and tasty way to enjoy gluten free tortillas.

1 medium head cauliflower, cut up and stem removed
2 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375° F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. In a food processor, rice the cauliflower by pulsing until you get a texture slightly finer than rice. Measure to make sure you have 2 cups, packed.

Place riced cauliflower in bowl and microwave for 2 minutes. Stir, then microwave for another two minutes and stir again. Place in a dish towel and squeeze excess water out as hard as you can. (Get as much water out as you can, but be careful not to burn yourself.) Place drained cauliflower back in the bowl and add eggs, salt and pepper and mix until well combined. It will be a little bit runny but not pure liquid either.

Spread the mixture onto a baking sheet into 6 small fairly flat circles. Place in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove and carefully peel them off the parchment, flip them, and place back in the oven for 5-7 more minutes.

Once they’re done, place them on a wire rack to cool slightly. Heat a pan over medium heat and place the tortillas into the pan pressing down to make them crispy on the edges with a nutty taste.

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Posted on April 22, 2014

Raab and Carrot Salad

Try different raabs, or a mixture of raabs, in this lovely salad, such as the sweet green cabbage raab (my favorite, at right) or Nash’s red kale raab (middle) to add vibrant color.

1 to 2 bunches raab (1 pound)
1 pound thin carrots
1 tablespoon sweet sherry or sweet vermouth
1 tablespoon cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground hot pepper
2 tablespoons peanut or corn oil
1 tablespoon Asian (dark) sesame oil

Lightly steam the raab until barely tender. Remove from pan and allow to drain and cool. Steam carrots whole until they lose their raw crunch but are not cooked through. Let cool.

In a small dish, mix sherry, vinegar, honey, salt and hot pepper to taste, stirring to blend. Add peanut and sesame oils.

Line up the raab on a cutting board. Slice at a sharp angle to form long oblongs, 1/8 inch thick; add to dish. Cut carrots the same way and add to dish. Toss with dressing. Season to taste and chill.

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Posted on April 10, 2014

Roasted Purple Broccoli Parmesan

Purple sprouting broccoli is a special type of broccoli that produces small, broccoli-like heads on long, sweet stems in the spring.

1 bunch purple sprouting broccoli, trimmed
2 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking tray with parchment. In a shallow baking dish or bowl, combine the olive oil, Parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the purple sprouting broccoli and toss to coat.

Place the broccoli in an even layer across the prepared baking tray. Roast in the oven until desired tenderness is reached, and until the edges are slightly crispy, about 10 to 15 minutes. Keep an eye on them, as they crisp up quickly.

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Posted on April 3, 2014

Sauteed Cabbage Raab

Use either green cabbage raab or red cabbage raab for this tasty seasonal dish.

3-4 slices bacon or pork belly, cut into small pieces
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bunches cabbage raab, washed and ends trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (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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Posted on March 21, 2014

Chioggia Beet Slaw on a Bed of Grilled Leeks

Chioggia beets are happy, candy-striped beets that add a smile to your slaw.

Chiogga Slaw
1/4 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
5 candy-stripe (Chioggia) beets, julienned or grated
1 medium carrot, julienned or grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whisk yogurt, lemon juice, and orange zest and juice in a medium bowl. Add beets and carrot and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Grilled Leeks
12 medium leeks, trimmed to about 7 inches, split length-
wise to within 1 1/2 inches of the root end
Olive oil for grilling

Tie the leeks in 4 bundles with kitchen string and put them in a kettle of boiling salted water. Boil them for 6 minutes or until they are just tender and drain them in a colander. Refresh the leeks under cold water and discard the strings. Brush the leeks with the oil and grill them on an oiled rack set 5 minutes on each side or until they are golden. Transfer the leeks as they are grilled to a platter and keep warm.

Vinaigrette
4 teaspoons dijon-style mustard
3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup minced assorted fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all vinaigrette ingredients. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the leeks and top with chioggia slaw.

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Posted on March 14, 2014