Mellow Yellow Sunchoke Pickle

sunchokes handful

1½ lbs sunchokes (a.k.a. Jerusalem artichokes), thoroughly scrubbed and cut into ½-inch dice
1 teaspoon ground dried turmeric
1 ounces garlic (about 8 cloves), chopped
½ ounce fresh ginger, minced (about 1 ½ tablespoons)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons pickling salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1½ cups water

Toss together sunchokes, turmeric, garlic, ginger, and cumin. Pack the mixture into a jar with a capacity of at least 6 cups. Dissolve salt and sugar in the water. Pour brine over sunchoke mixture; it will not cover them at first. Add a brine bag (a gallon freezer-weight plastic bag containing 1 tablespoon salt dissolved in 3 cups water) or another suitable weight.

The next day the brine should cover the sunchokes. If it doesn’t, add more brine mixed in the same proportions.

Wait several days before tasting the pickle. After a week, the brine will be still sour, and the Jerusalem artichokes pleasantly, mildly spicy and still crunchy.

When the pickle has fermented enough to suit your taste, store the jar in the refrigerator. Keep sunchokes weighted and under the brine so they won’t take on a grayish cast.

We thank agardenerstable.com for this recipe.

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Posted on February 21, 2019

Healthy Collards

A bunch of collard greens

1 bunch fresh collards
1 tsp. olive oil
1 small white onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 smoked turkey wing or leg, or 1 tsp. liquid smoke, or 1 whole dried chipotle or ancho chili
1/2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1.5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar (optional)

Remove stems from collards and wash leaves thoroughly. Stack leaves and cut across into about 1-inch sized ribbons.

In large pot over medium-high heat, add oil and onions. Saute until softened and translucent. Add garlic and saute quickly until golden and fragrant. Add turkey wing/liquid smoke/chili, stock, greens, salt and pepper and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, until the greens are tender.

Remove turkey wing or chili from liquid. If you used turkey, remove meat from bones and cut into bite-sized pieces. Remove the chilies and discard if they were used. Add meat back to liquid. Stir vinegar into greens.

Serve with cornbread, corn muffins, or other biscuits to dip into broth, as is traditional.

We thank skinnyms.com for this recipe.

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Posted on January 31, 2019

Chicken Parsnip Soup

8 cups chicken bone broth
4 cups diced cooked chicken
3 cups parsnips, peeled and diced (can sub in potatoes)
2 cups sliced carrots
2 garlic cloves, peeled and diced
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. garlic powder (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a pot, bring to a low boil, reduce heat, and simmer for at least 30 minutes, more if you can, for flavors to combine. Serves 4-6.

We thank WholeNourishedLife.com for this recipe.

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Posted on December 12, 2018

Asian Mandarin Pork Tortillas

Produce manager EJ shows off her stock of mandarin oranges.

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb pork chops, bone removed, cut into thin strips
½ cup teriyaki or organic soy sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. onion powder
4 eight-inch flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Romaine lettuce
3 mandarin oranges, peeled & separated
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped

In skillet, heat oil, add pork and cook 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add teriyaki sauce, garlic and onion powder, cook 3 minutes longer.

Place 2/3 cup pork mixture down center of each tortilla. Top with lettuce, oranges and onion. Fold tortilla over filling, turn up top and bottom and roll the rest to close. Serve with remaining pan sauce drizzled over top.

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Posted on December 5, 2018

Carrot Chickpea Dip

4-5 medium carrots, scrubbed & trimmed, cut lengthwise into quarters
1/4 cup + 2 tsp olive oil, divided
Salt & pepper
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground caraway
1 fat clove of garlic, peeled & chopped rough
½ rough-diced fresh chili, to taste, seeds removed (optional)
Zest and juice of half a lemon
1 tsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. tahini

Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a small baking sheet with parchment. Toss carrots with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil and some salt and pepper to taste and spread on baking sheet. Roast until tender and lightly browned on all sides, flipping over at least once. Allow to cool.

In a food processor, put chickpeas, cumin, coriander, caraway, garlic, diced chili, lemon zest, lemon juice, tomato paste, tahini, salt, and pepper. Chop carrots into smaller pieces and add. Pulse mixture a few times. Put food processor on “high” and drizzle remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil into bowl via feed tube, until smooth.

Check for seasoning and adjust. Top the dip with garnishes, such as pomegranate seeds, toasted pine nuts, crispy Brussels sprout leaves, chopped flat leaf parsley, and extra drizzles of olive oil. Serve with crackers, endive leaves, rough cut veggies, etc.

We thank thefirstmess.com for this recipe.

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Posted on November 28, 2018

Roasted Beet Salsa with Skillet-Browned Broccoli/Cauliflower Salsa

4 medium beets, any kind
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons shallots, finely diced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon jalapeño pepper, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh mint, minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
2 teaspoons lime juice

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Trim the tops off the beets and drizzle with the olive oil. Season the beets with salt and pepper, wrap them in aluminum foil and roast until tender, about 40-50 minutes. Let cool in the foil.

While the beets are roasting, place the shallot, jalapeno, ginger, garlic, mint, cilantro, lime juice and 6 tablespoons of olive oil in a small bowl and stir to combine.

When the beets are done, carefully remove the foil. Peel them by slipping the skins off with your fingers. Dice the beets and add salsa mixture, stirring to combine. Taste for seasoning. Served on a bed of arugula or spinach.

Browned Broccoli/Cauliflower
2 tablespoons oil
2 large stems broccoli
1 large cauliflower
2 to 3 cloves garlic

Heat a skillet over medium heat. While it’s heating, slice the garlic, broccoli and cauliflower from top to bottom into 1 inch slices. Toss in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the veggies in a hot skillet, pressing them into the pan with a spatula. Cook them for 5 to 7 minutes, or until nicely browned. Once cooked, serve with shredded carrots or radishes.

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Posted on October 4, 2018

Moroccan Raw Carrot Salad

1 pound carrots, coarsely grated (about 4 cups)
1/4 cup vegetable oil or extra-virgin olive oil
3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
2 to 4 cloves garlic, mashed or minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin or 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
Pinch of salt
About 1/2 teaspoon harissa (Northwest African chili paste), 1 tablespoon minced green chilies, or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days to allow the flavors to meld and permeate the carrots. Served chilled or at room temperature.

We thank epicurious.com for this recipe.

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Posted on September 12, 2018

Asian Pickled Leek Scapes

Yields ½ pint. Recipe can be doubled or quadrupled.

½ cup rice vinegar
Small splash of fish sauce (optional)
Juice of 1 lime
1 leek bulb or shallot, thinly sliced
½ to 1 whole hot chili pepper, sliced
1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
¼ tsp. salt
1 to 2 leek scapes, to total about 2½ feet in length, sliced thinly on the diagonal

Combine all but the sliced scapes in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add the scapes and return to a simmer, then remove from heat and allow to steep for 20 minutes.

Pour everything into a clean half-pint jar, tightly seal it, and give it a good shake to make sure all the aromatics in the brine are well-distributed. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours to allow the flavors to develop.

We thank The Daily Mail for this recipe.

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Posted on May 24, 2018

Eggs in Purgatory

We have 300 adorable, fluffy little chicks that will start laying eggs this fall!

Eggs, seeds, and milk are some of the most nutritious foods on earth. They are designed to be the sole source of nourishment for chicks, calves, and other babies until they can find nourishment on their own.

More than half the protein of an egg is found in the egg white along with vitamin B2, B6, B12, selenium, vitamin D, zinc, iron, and copper. The yolk contains fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K and also contains lecithin, which is the compound that enables emulsification needed for recipes such as Hollandaise or mayonnaise.

Eggs in Purgatory

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 cup tomato sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
4 large eggs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Drizzle olive oil in a skillet set over medium heat. Once it begins to shimmer, add in the onions and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the tomato sauce, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with half of the parsley and allow the tomato sauce mixture to thicken, about 5 minutes.

Break an egg into a small bowl and using a large spoon, make an indention in the tomato sauce mixture. Gently pour the egg into the indentation. Repeat with the remaining eggs.

Top with the grated cheese, salt and pepper. Cover the skillet and cook until the whites of the eggs are set and the egg yolks are cooked to the desired level of doneness. Remove cover from the skillet and remove the skillet from the heat. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and serve atop a bed of greens waiting to be wilted.

We thank addapinch.com for this recipe.

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Posted on May 9, 2018

Pasta with Purple Sprouting Broccoli

Sparky the Cat loves steamed purple sprouting broccoli.

Lucky us! There is still some purple sprouting broccoli to be had. If you haven’t had it yet, now is your last chance, and if you’ve been munching on it for weeks then you are probably relieved to see it’s still here.

Purple sprouting broccoli is at it’s best between February and April and there are multiple ways to prepare it. Trim any woody stem ends or tough leaves with a knife. Divide into small, individual florets, each with a short stem, and diagonally slice the thicker stems. Rinse under cold water. Broccoli boils or steams in 3-6 minutes, depending on the size of floret. In stir-fries, cook it for a couple of minutes, until tender. It can also be roasted, as the heads become tender and sweet and the leaves crisp up like kale chips. Typically in a 400 degree oven stems will be fork tender after 20 minutes. It provides all of the nutritional benefits of broccoli with some added variety of phytonutrients associated with its purple color.

Food writer Rose Elliot, author of New Complete Vegetarian, is a keen advocate of purple sprouting broccoli and offers the following serving suggestions: “Think asparagus—break the stems where they become tough, or run a potato peeler down the lower stems so you’re left with the tender center. Cook them in a pan with a little boiling water and the lid on, so they are half boiled, half steamed, for 4-6 minutes, until they are tender but not soggy. I love them with melted butter and a squeeze of lemon.”

Pasta with Purple Sprouting Broccoli

2¼ lb purple sprouting broccoli
2 medium-sized fresh red chilies (not too hot)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 small tin of anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained
Good quality olive oil
12 oz pasta (fusilli, oriecchiette, penne rigate or conchiglie work bet)
4 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan or hard Pecorino cheese
Salt and pepper

Boil a large pan of water with a little salt. Trim the outer leaves and woody stalks from the broccoli. Wash the good bits and chop into ½ inch pieces. Cut the chili in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and pith. Chop the chili flesh, the garlic and the anchovies finely.

In another large pan, warm four tablespoons of olive oil over a medium flame and add the chili, garlic and anchovies. Gently fry these for a minute or so and add the broccoli, season with a little salt and pepper, then continue to cook gently while the pasta boils.

Drop the pasta in the boiling water and stir immediately. Cook until just tender with a little bit of resistance to the bite (al dente).

When the pasta has nearly finished cooking, transfer a small ladle of the cooking water to the broccoli and continue to cook over a high heat until tender.

When cooked, drain the pasta. Add another two tablespoons of oil and the cheese to the broccoli. Toss with the drained pasta and serve immediately.

We thank BBC.com for this recipe.

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Posted on May 2, 2018