Meat Lasagna

Nash’s spinach goes quite well with Nash’s pork sausage for a lovely lasagna.

1 pound Nash’s sweet or hot Italian sausage
3/4 pound Nash’s breakfast sausage
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 12-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 8-ounce cans tomato paste
1 12-ounce can tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons cumin
1 tablespoon salt, plus additional for boiling noodles
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
4 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil
12 lasagna noodles
1 bunch fresh spinach, washed
3/4 pounds mozzarella cheese

In a skillet cook sausage, onion and garlic till browned. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce and water. Season with fennel seeds, oregano, thyme, cumin, salt, pepper, parsley and basil. Simmer covered for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Drain noodles in cold water. Set aside until time to assemble.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. To assemble, spread 1/2 cup meat sauce in bottom of backing dish. Arrange 4 noodles lengthwise over it. Pour 1 cup meat sauce evenly over noodles, then a layer of fresh spinach. Repeat with 4 more noodles, meat sauce and spinach. Top with cheese and cover with foil.

Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes. Cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. Serves 12.

We thank Karolina’s Kitchen for this recipe.

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Posted on May 26, 2014

Herb Vinegar Salad Dressing

Basil and oregano flavor this tasty dressing.

1/2 tablespoon finely minced shallot or scallion
1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 tablespoon wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil

Stir the shallots or scallions together with the mustard and salt. Whisk in the lemon juice and vinegar, and when well blended, whisk in the oil. Add freshly ground pepper and dried herbs and shake well. Taste by dipping lettuce in. Adjust by adding more salt, pepper or lemon juice.

We thank Karolina’s Kitchen for this recipe.

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Posted on May 23, 2014

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

Grilled Chicken Winter Salad

Chicken and greens: simple and delicious.

1 large chicken breast
1 tablespoons grape seed oil or cooking oil
Small pinch fresh cut culinary herbs like rosemary, thyme or basil
1 bunch arugula
1 bunch mizuna
1 1/2 savoy or leafy cabbage
1/2 bunch spinach

Vinaigrette Dressing
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoons chopped thyme
1 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon maple syrup
3/4 cup olive oil

Grill chicken in a skillet with salt. Cook until golden brown and well done. Toss in herbs last. Set aside to cool, then slice thinly into small strips.

Prepare greens by chopping them into bite-size pieces and submerging them into a filled sink of cold water. Gently move greens around to wash off any garden dirt. Then spin dry or lay greens on a kitchen towel to dry. Mix all ingredients for the vinaigrette dressing, drizzle on the greens and top with the chicken.

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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

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

Raab Frittata

Which raab is your favorite? Try this frittata with kale raab, cabbage raab, brussels raab, arugula raab, and any other raabs that come you way, and let us know which is best in the comments below!

1 small onion, chopped
1 bunch raab, stems and florets/leaves separated and chopped
2 tablespoons fresh basil (or 1 tablespoon dried basil)
6 eggs, scrambled
3/4 cup grated cheese
Pepper to taste
Frittata sauce (see below)
Fresh tomato, chopped

With olive oil in skillet, saute onion and raab stems with basil until tender. Cover and stir occasionally. Add chopped raab leaves and florettes. Replace lid. When the saute has shrunk, add eggs and stir quickly, then 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 serve with sauce (see below) and fresh tomato.

Frittata Sauce
1 cup yogurt
6 cloves garlic, minced fine
1/4 cup parsley
1/4 cup cream (optional)

Mix together and serve generously on frittata with fresh tomato.

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Posted on March 14, 2014

Chickweed Pesto (and Other Chickweed Recipe Ideas)

Chickweed Pesto
1 1/2 cups chickweed
1 1/2 cups basil leaves
3-4 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup melted butter

Puree everything together in a food processor until it forms a paste. Store in glass jars in the refrigerator or freeze. I store (and freeze) mine in small pickled artichoke jars. Substitute for pesto in any recipe or add as a complement to veggie dishes, pasta, egg dishes, etc.

Bonus: More Chickweed Ideas
I freely add chopped chickweed and its slender stems in soups, stews or hot veggie dishes. Fresh, raw chickweed tips are great in salads or as a lettuce substitute in sandwiches.

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Posted on March 14, 2014

Fava Bean Borscht

Fava beans are great fresh, but you can also dry them and eat them in hearty soups, like this flavorful borscht. The crews have taste tested this particular recipe, and we give it a big thumbs up!

Make 2 quarts

1/2 cup Nash’s Windsor fava beans, dried
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/3 cup oil
1 medium leek or onion, sliced fine
2 sticks celery, sliced
1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/4 teaspoon Nash’s mustard seeds
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 medium turnip, sliced fine
4 medium potatoes, cut into eighths
4 medium beets, sliced
2 cups cabbage, sliced
2-3 cups water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup dill, parsley or beet greens
Black pepper

Wash the favas and soak overnight, covered with water. Place beans in a pot with 3 cups fresh water, then add bay leaves and basil. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium heat until tender. Do not drain.

Heat the oil in a stock pot. Add leeks/onions, celery, caraway seeds, mustard seeds and garlic, and cook until tender. Add carrots, turnip, potatoes and beets, and simmer 3-5 minutes until veggies are tender. Combine with cooked fava beans. Add water, vinegar, dill, pepper and salt to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in sliced cabbage. Serve with hot sauce and sour cream.

We thank Mary Wong of our Nash’s Farm Store crew for this recipe.

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Posted on March 6, 2014

Six Nettle Recipes

Young nettles are easily blanched and frozen to enjoy year round. They are easy to dry as well for healthy herbal teas.

Farmer’s Nettle Frittata
Saute red onions, mushrooms in season, grated carrot, finely sliced broccoli spears and minced chickweed together in olive oil until wilted. Add a handful of minced young nettle stalk and leaves on top, cover and let steam until nettles wilt. Meanwhile, prepare a mixture of eggs, minced parsley and dried basil. Stir well and pour it over the steaming veggies. Place a cover on the pan, wait until eggs set, then flip until done. Delicious as is or with salsa or chickweed pesto.

Leek, Chickweed and Nettle Soup
Saute chopped leeks, celery and crushed garlic cloves in olive oil until soft; add diced potatoes (I use russets or Yukon golds). Add minced chickweed, nettles, parsley, dried basil, turmeric, salt and perhaps a bit more oil or butter. Saute a few minutes more, mixing all the ingredients well to blend the flavors. Cover with stock or water and simmer until everything is tender. Other veggies can be added, such as tomatoes, grated carrots, or perhaps a tin of salmon added at the end for even more variety. Unlike most leek and potato soup recipes, I do not use milk or cream as an ingredient, nor do I find a need to puree if the ingredients are diced small enough, as everything seems to meld together just fine.

Nettle Lasagna
Any spinach lasagna recipe will do for nettle lasagna with the obvious substitution of sauteed or steamed young nettles. If you make your own noodles, toss a spoonful of dried nettle powder into your flour mixture for added nutrition or into your homemade tomato sauce.

Nettle Quiche
Again, there are countless recipes for making quiches. My favorite is from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen. Since I make my own crusts, sometimes I’ll throw in a tablespoon of dried nettle powder with my flours. For the filling, I use a large handful of chopped and steamed nettles, along with sauteed onions, mushrooms in season, chopped broccoli, and an assortment of fresh and dried herbs laid on a bed of feta and shredded raw cheddar cheeses. Over that goes an egg-and-milk mixture to which I might mix in an additional tablespoon of flour depending on how moist my ingredients are.

Nettle Greens Medley
Saute slivers of red onion and garlic in olive oil or coconut oil until translucent. Add equal amounts of chopped Swiss chard and nettle tops. Pour in a small quantity of water, cover with lid and steam until wilted and tender. Mix gently to blend the veggies and oil, sprinkle on some sea salt and serve.

Sesanelp
A seasoning mixture of sesame seeds, nettle seed and nettle herb plus kelp and Celtic salt. Tasty! Roast 1/2 cup sesame seed in a frying pan to your liking. Cool. To a blender add cooled sesame seeds, 2/3 cup of nettle seed, 2 tablespoons dried nettle herb, 2 tablespoons kelp granules and 1/2 teaspoon Celtic salt. Blend till fine. Store in a glass jar. Goes great with a wide variety of foods. My morning toast is sprouted grain bread with a dribble of olive oil topped with this mixture and nutritional yeast. Yum!

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Posted on February 20, 2014