Stuffed Zucchini

Stuff those zucs with all the wonderful fresh veg you can find at your neighborhood farmer’s market.

3 large zucchini
1 pound Nash’s pork sausage
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Marinara sauce (see below)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Trim stems from zucchini and slice lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and put in bowl. Mix seeds with sausage, garlic, bread crumbs, and parmesan cheese. Stuff squash with sausage mixture and place in 9×13-inch baking pan. Pour marinara sauce over squash and cover pan with foil. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until sausage is cooked. Remove foil and cover with mozzarella cheese. Cook until cheese is melted.

Marinara Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon white sugar
3 medium-to-large diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, basil and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir until fragrant. Stir in sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pour in tomatoes with their juices and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and puree until smooth in food processor or blender.

We thank allrecipes.com for this recipe.

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Posted on July 31, 2014

Peninsula Chicken Salad

Nearly all these ingredients are grown, raised, or produced right here on the Olympic Peninsula. How local can you make your meal?

Serves 10-12

6 pounds chicken
Bay leaves
1 cup water or white wine
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons lemon zest
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoons fresh garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons raw honey
1 cup crumbled feta (optional)
4 tablespoons plain sauerkraut
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch kale, finely chopped
1 small head or 1/2 large head Napa cabbage, finely chopped
2 medium cucumbers, sliced
1 bunch arugula, finely chopped
1 bunch fresh dill weed, roughly chopped
1 bunch parsley, roughly chopped
1 small bunch fresh basil, finely chopped

Roast chicken with bay leaves and one cup of water or white wine. When chicken is cool enough to touch, shred the meat. Don’t forget to save skin and bones for a fabulous healthy, healing stock or broth. Freeze broth in ice cube trays for fast and easy flavor bombs to soups, casseroles and sauces.

Make vinaigrette with wet ingredients and lemon zest. Pour over chicken and refrigerate for 2 hours. (May be served warm.) Wash and prepare greens and cucumber. Toss with chicken salad. Add the fresh herbs promptly before serving.

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Posted on July 21, 2014

Caulifower Salad

It’s cauliflower and carrot time!

1 medium cauliflower
Choice of vegetables, such as grated carrot, chopped parsley, water cress, green onion, celery, olives, tomatoes, chopped pickles
Salt and pepper
Oil and vinegar, or sour cream
Choice of herbs, such as basil, dill or cilantro

Cut the raw cauliflower into small pieces. If you want to cook them, blanch or sauté for just 3 to 4 minutes. Allow to cool completely. Cut up other ingredients and mix with cauliflower in a bowl. Prepare an oil-and-vinegar or sour cream dressing and mix it with the salad ingredients, adding herbs of your choice, and salt and pepper to taste. Leave in the fridge until serving time.

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Posted on July 17, 2014

Ideas for Using Fresh Basil

What do you do with fresh basil?

Pesto is the most common way to use fresh basil. It goes great with fish and pasta.
Stuff some sprigs of fresh basil into your favorite olive oil to infuse it.
Stack slices of tomato, Mozzarella cheese and a fresh basil leaf and drizzle with Balsamic vinegar.
Tomato, Watermelon and Basil Skewers
A summer veggie soup with added ribbons of basil has seasonal flair.
Chop basil into your favorite salad.
Toss whole basil leaves on your favorite pizza when it’s hot out of the oven.
Tomato and basil are a match made in seafood heaven.
Use aromatic basil to add punch to your everyday side dishes.
Basil also goes well with fruit like watermelon, lime, lemon, mango and strawberries.
Don’t forget your cocktails! Muddle basil into lemon or berry-based drinks, like daiquiris.

Store basil in a closed plastic or glass container at room temperature.

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Posted on July 17, 2014

Arugula Pesto with Chickpeas

This bright, peppery pesto is also delicious tossed with a combination of white beans, string beans, and tuna. Or mix it into 2 cups of cooked whole wheat couscous or bulgur.

1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic
2 cups arugula
1 cup fresh basil
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 15-ounce can no-salt chickpeas, drained
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 butter lettuce leaves

Combine lemon juice, garlic, arugula, basil, oil and pepper in a food processor. Process until the herbs and garlic are finely chopped. In a medium bowl, toss the chickpeas with the pesto and season with up to 1/2 teaspoon salt. Serve on the lettuce leaves.

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Posted on July 16, 2014

The One, the Only Greatest Garlic Spaghetti

The garlic aroma makes you levitate.

Serves 2-3

Both the egg and the garlic are intentionally raw: when the hot pasta hits the garlic paste, the butter melts, and the garlic aroma makes you levitate. It is not low fat, so save it for a once or twice a year celebration of this awesome allium. Don’t wuss out on the amount of garlic!

8 ounces spaghetti or fettuccine
1 raw large egg
7-8 cloves garlic, peeled
3-4 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4-1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a vigorous boil. Drop in the pasta.

As the pasta cooks, gently warm a bowl.

In a food processor, combine the egg, garlic, butter, Parmesan, basil, salt and lots of pepper. Scrape down the sides and process until a thick paste is formed.

Drain the pasta, but don’t rinse it. Quickly transfer to warmed bowl and add the garlic paste. Toss quickly adding salt and pepper to taste.

Sit down and eat. Serve the dish ASAP on warmed plates, passing red pepper flakes, veggie bacon bits, additional Parmesan and the pepper mill.

We thank The Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon for this recipe.

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Posted on July 9, 2014

Rainbow Chard with Pine Nuts, Garlic and Basil

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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Posted on July 8, 2014

Shara’s Pesto

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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Posted on July 8, 2014

Chard Frittata with Garlic Sauce

Rainbow chard stalks stay vibrant even after you cook them!

1small onion, chopped
1 bunch chard, stems and leaves separated and chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
6 eggs, whisked
Cheese for topping
Ground black pepper

In a skillet, saute onion and chard stems with basil until tender. Cover and stir occasionally. Add chard leaves. Pack it in and replace lid. When shrunk add scrambled eggs, stir quickly and press evenly in pan. Cover and turn heat down very low. Top with cheese and sprinkle with pepper. Cut with pie server when egg is cooked and top with sauce.

Sauce
1 cup yogurt
3 garlic scapes, finely chopped, or 6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup parsley
1/4 cup cream (optional)

Mix together and serve generously on chard frittata with fresh tomato.

We thank Teri Crockett of Nash’s Farm Store for this recipe.

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Posted on June 17, 2014

Vegetarian Lasagna

You can add all sorts of veggies to this lasagna. Let us know your favorite additions!

1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 bunches baby turnips, sliced
4 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil
1 12-ounce can crushed or chopped tomatoes
2 8-ounce cans tomato paste
1 12-ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon salt, plus additional for boiling noodles
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
12 lasagna noodles
3 cups fresh spinach
1 bunch radishes, sliced
2 cups chickpeas, cooked
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese

Sauté onion, garlic, baby turnips, parsley and basil. Add crushed or chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce and all the spices (fennel seeds, oregano, thyme, cumin, salt and pepper). Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside until ready to assemble.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in a baking dish and layer 4 lasagna noodles lengthwise over the sauce. Spread another cup of sauce, then a layer of spinach with a layer of sliced radishes. You can add other fresh veggies (including the turnip tops) to the layers, then spread some of the chickpeas on top. Repeat the layers, then top with cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 25-30 minutes. Cool for about 10 minutes. Serves 12.

We thank Karolina’s Kitchen for this recipe.

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Posted on May 26, 2014