Chicken on a Bed of Mizuna

1 egg white, slightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, finely chopped
2 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1/3 cup carrots, finely chopped
1/3 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup water chestnuts, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon chile paste
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 bunch mizuna, trimmed
1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped

In a bowl, mix the egg white with 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce, minced garlic and chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat 1 teaspoon canola oil in a wok or heavy skillet over high heat. Add the chilled chicken mixture and cook, stirring frequently for 4-6 minutes. Transfer cooked chicken to a serving plate and set aside.

Heat the other teaspoon of canola oil in the wok on high and add the carrots, onions and water chestnuts; cook for 1 minute.

Add the remaining soy sauce, chile paste, lime juice and mizuna and cook, stirring often until mizuna is wilted. Return chicken to the wok and heat through. Garnish with green onions and serve.

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Posted on November 4, 2015

Potatoes and Grilled Kale

What’s that — you’ve never grilled kale before? Now’s your chance!

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 pounds small potatoes
Salt
1 pound shallots, unpeeled
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup cornichons (tiny pickles), chopped
2 tablespoons drained capers
1 bunch kale, ribs and stems removed
3 scallions, sliced
1 cup parsley leaves with stems

Prepare a grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil grate.

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Season with salt and bring to a boil, then simmer until tender. Drain.

Grill shallots, turning occasionally until skins are blackened and flesh is tender. Let cool, halve lengthwise and scoop out insides, discarding skins.

Whisk lemon juice, vinegar and 3 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add cornichons, capers, and potatoes and toss to coat.

Toss kale and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a bowl. Season with salt. Grill, turning often, until charred and crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Fold into salad, along with scallions, parsley and shallots.

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Posted on November 4, 2015

Guilt-Free Egg Fried “Rice”

“Riced” cauliflower is an easy, nutritious, low-carb alternative to plain white rice.

1 cauliflower
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2-3 fresh chillies, chopped
2 spring onions, chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 handfuls cooked king prawns
2 eggs

For Serving
1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
1 handful peanuts, roughly chopped
Ginger
Shredded cabbage
Bean sprouts
Sweet chilli sauce

Run cauliflower through food processor until it resembles rice. If your pile of “rice” is damp, wring it out in a dish towel and spread it out to dry.

Get your wok nice and hot and add oils. Crush garlic and fry until it just begins to turn light brown. Add chopped chillies, followed by the “rice,” which will need a good stir to get all that nice flavor from the oil. Keep stirring and after about a minute, add spring onions. Add soy sauce and keep stirring until it starts to look golden. Stir in prawns and after a minute, make a well in the middle of the wok. Crack the first egg into it. Allow it to fry a little, then break it up with your spatula. Just as it’s starting to look cooked, stir it through the cauliflower. Repeat with the second egg and then you’re done! Serve topped with any combination of cilantro, peanuts, cabbage, ginger, and sweet chilli sauce.

If you had fun “ricing” your cauliflower, you’ll have a great time with this popular Cauliflower Pizza Crust recipe!

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Posted on August 17, 2015

Vegetarian Pho

Is your CSA box rich with bok choy? Try this Vietnamese noodle soup (pho) for a tasty way to enjoy your veggies.

Serves 2

For the broth
1 large onion, peeled and halved
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and halved lengthwise
3-inch cinnamon stick, preferably Vietnamese cassia-cinnamon
1 star anise
2 whole cloves
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
4 cups unsalted vegetable stock or broth
2 teaspoons soy sauce
4 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

For the noodles
1/2 pound dried flat rice noodles (known as bánh phở; use 1/16″, 1/8″, or 1/4″ width depending on availability and preference)

For the toppings (choose a few)
Protein such as fried or baked tofu, bean curd skin, or seitan
Mushrooms
Vegetables such as bok choy, napa cabbage, or broccoli

For the garnishes (choose a few)
1/2 large onion, very thinly sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 chile pepper (Thai bird, serrano or jalapeño), sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges
1/2 cup bean sprouts
Large handful of herbs: cilantro, Thai basil
Hoisin sauce, Sriracha (optional)

To make the broth, char the onion and ginger over an open flame (holding with tongs) or directly under a broiler until slightly blackened, about 5 minutes on each side. Rinse with water.

In a large pot, dry-roast cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and coriander over medium-low heat, stirring to prevent burning. When you can smell the aroma of the roasted spices, add vegetable stock, soy sauce, carrots, and charred onion and ginger.

Bring broth to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Strain and keep hot until ready to serve.

Make the noodles while the broth simmers. Place the noodles in a large bowl and cover with hot water. Let stand for 20 to 30 minutes or until tender but still chewy. Drain. (If soaking does not soften the noodles enough, blanch them in a pot of boiling water for a few seconds.)

Prepare the toppings as desired – slice and cook tofu, lightly steam or blanch vegetables, and so on. Toppings should be unseasoned or only lightly seasoned so as not to interfere with the flavor of the broth.

To serve, divide the noodles between two bowls. Arrange toppings over noodles. Ladle the broth between the two bowls. Serve with garnishes on the side, which diners should add to taste.

We thank The Kitchn for this tasty recipe.

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Posted on July 17, 2015

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

Spinach Feta Brown Rice Bowl

Here comes the spinach!

Here is a nice easy spring dish and a great way to get spinach in for lunch or dinner. Try substituting Nash’s wheat berries for the brown rice for a more local option. Soak it overnight, drain, and then follow the directions below.

2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
1 cup plain brown rice or Nash’s wheat berries
1 onion or 1 bunch spring onions
1 large bunch of spinach
1 bunch or large handful fresh dill
Salt
2-4 ounces feta cheese, diced

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in saucepan over medium flame. Stir in rice (or pre-soaked grain) and heat gently, stirring often, about 1 minute. Add 2 1/8 cups water to the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover pan, and cook for 45 minutes.

While rice cooks, heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium flame. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Stir in chopped spinach, dill, and a little salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is just wilted (about 1-2 minutes). Stir feta and spinach into the cooked rice. Adjust salt if necessary.

Recipe adapted from From Asparagus to Zucchini, published by the Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition.

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Posted on June 5, 2015

Quinoa and Parlsey Salad

A flavorful and colorful salad, this can be served cold and tastes even better the second day!

1 cup water
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
3/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup unsalted pumpkin seed kernels, toasted

Bring water and quinoa to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Spoon into a bowl; fluff with a fork. Add parsley, celery, onions, and apricots.

Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, honey, salt, and black pepper. Add to quinoa mixture, and toss well. Top with seeds.

We thank MyRecipes.com for this recipe.

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Posted on April 9, 2015

Golden Rutabaga Sunset

Here on the farm, we lovingly call them “rooterbabies.”

Yield: 5 to 6 servings

1 large rutabaga, coarsely shredded
1 medium yam, coarsely shredded
1 medium onion, sliced vertically into half moons
1 large leaf kale, rib discarded, chopped into bite size pieces
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup raisins
Pinch of cayenne, salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chopped green onions for garnish
1 sprig fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, basil) for garnish

Combine the rutabaga, yam, onion, and kale in a large, deep skillet. Add the water and cook, stirring over high heat for 4 to 7 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add 1 or more tablespoons of water as needed to cook the vegetables and prevent burning. Add the raisins and cayenne, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to an attractive serving bowl or platter and garnish with the green onions and herbs.

Recipe adapted from VegParadise.com.

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Posted on December 30, 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

Qorma (Afghan Spinach Dish)

Our first spinach harvest of the season is here! Spotlight these crisp and tender greens in this spinach-centered side dish.

3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup green onions (white and green parts), chopped
2 pounds fresh spinach, chopped
2 tablespoons water
1/2 tablespoon dried dill
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice

In a large, deep pan heat the oil over medium-high and sauté the onions until tender, about 3 minutes. Add spinach and cook covered on medium heat, stirring regularly until wilted, about 3-4 minutes. Add a few tablespoons of water to pan and remaining ingredients except lemon juice.

Stir thoroughly and cook for 5-10 more minutes until the liquid has decreased, keeping an eye on the pot so it doesn’t dry out. If you’re going for satiny smooth, add more water or stock and continue to cook for an additional 5-10 minutes. Otherwise, season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Serve as a side or over rice.

We thank Full Circle Farms for this recipe.

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Posted on May 26, 2014