Stuffed Chard Leaves

Did some of your chard get away from you and is now a little wilted? Here’s a fancy way to turn it into a culinary showpiece!

16 chard leaves, slightly wilted or blanched
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
3/4 cup raisins
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons oil

Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove ribs from chard leaves and set aside. In a medium bowl, mix together green onions, rice, feta, cottage cheese, egg, parsley, raisins, dill, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Lay chard leaves with underside up and place 2 tablespoons filling on each leaf, one-third up from bottom of leaf. Fold over sides and roll into a square packet. Place seam side down in a greased casserole dish. Do the same for all leaves and brush lightly with oil when all packets are in the casserole dish. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Bake any extra leftover filling and serve as a side dish. Serves 4 to 6 people.

We thank The City Gardener’s Cookbook: Recipes from Seattle’s P-Patches for this recipe.

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Posted on June 25, 2015

Kia’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

What’s your favorite flour to use for these amazing cookies?

I’m not gonna lie, I’ve eaten these nutritious cookies before for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack! Sweetened with honey and loaded with nutrient-rich grains, dried fruits and nuts, Kia’s Cookies are as easy to make and share!

1 cup butter (or 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup applesauce or pureed squash, etc.)
1 large glob peanut butter or almond butter (approx 1/4 cup)
1 cup honey
2 eggs
1 splash vanilla
1 1/2 cup Nash’s wheat flour (white, triticale, or red)
1 cup Nash’s wheat bran
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups rolled oats
Extra goodies: approximately 1/4 cup each dried cranberries, raisins, nuts, flax seeds, crystallized ginger, chocolate chips—you get the idea.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Let butter soften on the counter, then add peanut butter, honey, vanilla, and eggs, and mix well. (Honey measuring tip: quickly coat measuring cup or spoon with olive oil, and then portion honey. It will slide off tools easily, with no mess.)

Combine dry ingredients, except for extra goodies. Add to wet bowl and mix thoroughly. Then mix in extra goodies.

Eat some cookie dough, while also spooning some onto baking sheet. These cookies don’t spread too much when cooked, so shape accordingly. Bake for 15-18 minutes, and don’t overcook! Makes about 24 cookies.

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Posted on June 16, 2015

Strawberry Gelato

Aww yeah, strawberries are back! Sounds like this summer will be a hot one, so be prepared to cool down with strawberry gelato.

3 cups cut-up strawberries
6 cups milk
1 1/3 cups sugar
12 egg yolks, beaten

Place berries in a blender container or food processor bowl. Cover and blend or process until nearly smooth.

Combine 3 cups of the milk, sugar, and egg yolks in a large saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture coats a spoon. (To test, dip a spoon into the custard and draw a line with your finger through the coating. The custard is done when the edges along the line keep their shape.) Remove from heat. Stir in the remaining milk and pureed berries.

Cover surface of gelato mixture with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight until chilled. (Or, place saucepan in a sink of ice water to cool quickly; then cover and chill for 2 hours.) Freeze mixture in a 4- or 5-quart ice cream freezer according to manufacturer’s directions. Ripen for 4 hours.

We thank Better Homes and Gardens for this recipe.

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Posted on June 11, 2015

Kia’s Skillet Cornbread

This is super simple to make, and can be altered in lots of different ways, depending on your mood!

1 cup Nash’s cornmeal
1 cup Nash’s white wheat flour (or triticale flour or red wheat flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon raw sugar
1 egg
1 cup raw milk
1/4 cup melted butter

Combine wet ingredients and mix them into thoroughly combined dry ingredients. Slather butter or bacon grease into 8” cast iron pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Variations:

Add a teaspoon each of chilli powder and ground cumin to the dry mix.
Grate or dice chunks of cheese and gently fold into batter before putting into pan.
Gently fold roughly chopped fresh cilantro, basil or parsley into the batter.
Gently fold about a cut of chopped peppers, leeks, onions, green onions, corn kernels or other veggies into the batter.
Use coconut oil instead of butter.
Top the batter with thinly sliced colorful peppers for a beautiful presentation.

We thank Nash’s own Kia for this recipe.

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Posted on June 1, 2015

Mother’s Day Quiche with Leeks and Bacon

Farm-fresh pastured eggs make this Mother’s Day treat eggstra special!

Crust
2 cups Nash’s soft white flour
2/3 cup butter, chilled, chopped
1 egg yolk

Filling
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 large leek, cleaned and thinly sliced
6 1/2 ounces rindless bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup grated cheese
4 Nash’s eggs
1/2 cup milk

Combine flour and butter with a fork or in a food processor until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 2 tablespoons chilled water and egg yolk. Process until dough just comes together. Turn pastry onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until just smooth. Shape into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Melt butter in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add leek and bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes or until leek is soft. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Let cool. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a standard glass or ceramic pie dish.

Roll out pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper to form a 12 inch circle. Line base and side of prepared dish with pastry, trimming excess. Place dish on a baking tray. Line pastry with baking paper. Fill with uncooked rice or ceramic pie weights. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove baking paper and rice or weights. Bake for 10 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes.

Spoon leek mixture into pastry. Top with cheese. Whisk eggs and milk together in a separate bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Pour over leek mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

Recipe adapted by Virginia Newman from Taste.com.

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Posted on May 7, 2015

About Farm-Fresh Pastured Eggs

Nash’s pastured hens lay eggs in a variety of colors.

Mother’s Day is this weekend and we know Mom would really enjoy a delicious quiche made with Nash’s eggs for a special breakfast in bed or brunch with her family.

Nash’s hens are raised on pasture and have daily access to grassy fields. Real pastured eggs, in addition to all the usual health benefits of eggs, are superior to commercially-produced eggs where the hens are caged and fed corn, soy and cottonseed. Nash’s pastured hens eat organic grains and legumes from the farm, OMRI-approved supplements, and all the bugs and grass they can find as they forage.

According to a 2007 study by Mother Earth News that compared laboratory tests of eggs from 14 different pastured flocks with USDA nutrient data for commercial eggs, the pastured eggs offered:

about 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
3 times more vitamin E
4-6 times more vitamin D
7 times more beta carotene

They also had:

1/3 less cholesterol
1/4 less saturated fat
2/3 more vitamins

Eggs are an excellent source of protein. One egg contains a little over 6 grams, so they are a great way to add protein to your breakfast. We often overlook protein as an important part of breakfast in our busy mornings, but it’s important. It provides us with stable energy throughout the day, rather than just eating carbohydrates. If you hard-boil your eggs ahead of time, you have an easy portable breakfast!

Vitamin B12 and biotin are both B vitamins that are important for many metabolic processes within our bodies, and they are found in high quantities in eggs. They both serve as cofactors for enzymes–keys that unlock chemical reactions that need to happen to maintain our health. They also support our adrenal glands and help maintain a healthy nervous system.

Don’t believe the myths!
People became concerned about eating eggs because of their cholesterol content. Research is showing that the cholesterol content of eggs is not linked to blood cholesterol levels as much as saturated or trans fats is. In fact, according to the Mayo Clinic, a healthy person can have up to seven eggs in a week with no increase in the risk of heart disease. On the other hand, this is not recommended for people with other health conditions, such as diabetes. But if that is not a problem for you, don’t be afraid to up your protein intake with a delicious and nutritious pastured-raised egg!

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Posted on May 7, 2015

Yam Custard

2 large yams
1 14-ounce can coconut milk (solids reserved)
4 farm-fresh Nash’s eggs
1/4 cup maple syrup
Pinch of sea salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Scrub and slice yams into 1-inch cubes and steam for about 20 minutes or until a fork easily pierces the yam. Let cool.

Mix the coconut milk, eggs, maple syrup, salt, vanilla and cinnamon together. Then add yams and beat until smooth. A stick blender works really well.

Pour into a buttered pie dish and bake in a 350F preheated oven for about 1 hour or until a knife inserted into the middle of the custard comes out clean.

Whip the reserved coconut cream solids with a little maple syrup and vanilla extract and serve on top.

This recipe is offered to us by Nash’s own Myla. She assures us that it is sure to please the children in your life — including the adult ones!

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Posted on April 30, 2015

Wilted Spinach Salad with Asparagus

6 cups fresh spinach leaves, washed, dried, and chilled
1 pound asparagus stalks, washed and trimmed
3 tablespoons good-quality balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground pepper
1 hard-cooked egg, chopped

Remove stems and veins from spinach leaves and tear into bite-sized pieces; place spinach on individual serving plates.

Blanch the asparagus in lightly salted boiling water for approximately 3 minutes or until crisp-tender; do not overcook. Remove from heat and refresh under cold water; drain and dry well; set aside.

In a large frying pan over medium heat, whisk together balsamic vinegar, olive oil, red onion, garlic, and pepper; heat mixture until hot, stirring occasionally. Add cooked asparagus spears to dressing mixture, tossing to coat and reheat.

Remove from heat. Place asparagus spears over the top of the spinach. Pour warm dressing over asparagus and spinach. Sprinkle with chopped egg and serve immediately. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

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Posted on April 14, 2015

Nettle Cake with Lemon Frosting

These nettles are too sweet to sting.

For the Cake
2 cups, packed, raw young nettle leaves (use gloves!)
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Zest & juice of 1/2 lemon
2 cups Nash’s white wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Frosting
2/3 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Zest & juice of 1/2 a lemon
Frozen berries, any kind
Lemon zest

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease and line two 7” round cake tins. Using rubber gloves, wash stinging nettles and remove stems. Place in boiling water for 3-4 minutes to remove sting. Refresh under cold water, drain and puree in a blender.

In large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, then nettles, vanilla, zest and lemon juice. Sift in flour, baking powder and salt and stir to combine. Spoon into prepared tins, push to edges and level, then bake for 25 minutes until inserted skewer comes out clean. Cool completely.

To make the frosting, in large bowl, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and beat. Beat in zest and lemon juice to make a frosting consistency and beat again. Spread some between cake layers and sandwich together. Cover with remaining frosting and decorate with berries and lemon zest.

The batter…

…the cake before frosting…

…and the cake after frosting (and tasting!).

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Posted on March 31, 2015

Kitchen Sink Potato Salad

Imagine all the colors swirling around this potato salad like confetti!

Salad
7-8 soft potatoes, boiled, sliced, and peeled
1 large beet, boiled, sliced, and peeled
2 carrots, sliced
4 stalks celery, chopped
5 garlic scapes, chopped
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

Dressing
1/2 cup mayo
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup dijon mustard
Salt, pepper and paprika to taste

Mix salad ingredients in a large bowl.

Mix dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Combine the two with a spatula.

Refrigerate until cool.

Adapted from Betty Lou’s World Famous Potato Salad.

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Posted on December 29, 2014