Grilled Baby Bok Choy

Baby bok choy can be steamed, braised, sautéed, and added to soups and stir-fries. It is so tender, you can cut it up into a salad. We are hoping you haven’t put the barbecue away just yet, so you can try them grilled.

1/2 cup melted butter
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon + 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound baby bok choy
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.

In a bowl, mix butter, garlic powder, paprika, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Slice the bottom off the head of bok choy, and remove and clean the stalks. Sprinkle seasoned salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper over both sides of the stalks.

Lay the bok choy stalks on the preheated grill. Brush with seasoned butter mixture, cover the grill, and cook until the bok choy stalks show grill marks and the leaves are crisp at the edges, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the bok choy, brush with butter mixture, cover, and grill the other sides. Brush with any remaining butter mixture, and remove to a platter to serve.

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Posted on July 10, 2014

Fava Bean Sauté

Fava beans go great with garlic!

1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced or 2 finely chopped garlic scapes
1 1/2 cups skinned fava beans
Ground pepper to taste
Fettuccine (optional)
1/2 cup cream (optional)

Over medium heat in a skillet, melt together butter and olive oil, add garlic cloves or garlic scapes, and sauté for 1 minute. Add fava beans and sauté for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until they are done to your preference. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add other delicious items, such as caramelized onions or fennel, chunky fresh tomatoes, a bit of chopped prosciutto, a cup of chopped endive, or some sauteed shrimp. Serve on cooked fettuccine with 1/2 cup cream (optional).

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Posted on July 10, 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

Hopping Nash Fritters

Named for “Hopping John Fritters,” these patties are supposed to bring good luck to those who eat them on New Year’s Day.

1 cup Nash’s dried fava beans, blanched
1 cup triticale berries, cooked
2 cups dried black-eyed peas, cooked
1 pound Nash’s sweet Italian sausage
1 medium onion
1 bunch parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 bunch purple radishes
1 teaspoon or less cayenne pepper
Bread crumbs

Soak fava beans overnight in 2 cups water, drain and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Soak triticale overnight in 2 cups water, drain and cook in 1 1/2 cups of water for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Soak black-eyed peas overnight in 4 cups water, drain and cook in 3 cups water for about 1 hour on medium heat.

Saute pork in medium skillet, add chopped onion, chopped parsley, salt,
pepper and sliced radishes. Let cook for about 15 minutes on medium heat. Once the sausage turns golden brown, turn off heat and let cool.
Drain cooked berries and black-eyed peas (make sure there is no liquid on bottom of cooking dish). Let cool.

In a separate bowl, combine triticale berries, black-eyed peas and sausage combo. Mash together just so the beans start to break apart. Add fava beans and cayenne pepper. Mix all together and form patties. Add some bread crumbs so they hold together well. If you like a gluten-free option add a little bit of almond meal and it will act as a binder. Pan fry and enjoy the good luck that local foods bring to your table.

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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

Dandelion Soup

The humble dandelion, so rich in nutrients.

Serves 4-6

1 cup dandelion roots
4 cups cubed potatoes
2 cups dandelion leaves
2 cups onion, diced
2 or more cloves garlic
2 tablespoons vinegar
Salt to taste

Clean and chop dandelion roots and cook with potatoes in water to cover. Meanwhile, saute onion 5 minutes, add chopped dandelion leaves, cover and cook over low heat until potatoes in other pot are done. Drain roots and spuds, reserving water for future soup or bread, and put in serving bowl. Mix everything else together and add to bowl. Serve hot or cold.

We thank Healing Wise by Susun S. Weed for this recipe.

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Posted on July 8, 2014

Spring Tonic Soup

Serves 13-15

2 cup onion, chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups fresh burdock root
1 cup fresh dandelion (leaf & root)
1 cup fresh yellow dock
4 ounces seaweed
2 cups carrot, sliced
6 cups potatoes, cubed
4 quarts water
Salt to taste

Cook onion in oil in soup pot until golden. Add soaked, but not parboiled, burdock root slices. Chop fresh dandelion leaves and roots and add. Chop fresh leaves and roots of yellow dock (Rumex crispus) and add. Add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook covered at least an hour.

We thank Healing Wise by Susun S. Weed for this recipe.

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Posted on July 8, 2014

Roasted Dandelion Root Tea

Dig up and carefully clean some dandelion roots. If picked late in the spring, you may want to remove some of the root hairs. I usually cut off the tops in the field. Wash the roots thoroughly either in a bucket filled with water and physically agitate the roots with your hands, or take a hose and spray off the dirt. Clean until the water runs clear. Then take a knife and cut the roots into chunks. Wash one more time.

Put 2 cups of chunky roots into your food processor and chop until coarse. Put these into a separate bowl and process the rest 2 cups at a time until finished.

Spread the roots onto cookie sheets to a depth of 1/2 inch. Place in oven set at 250 degrees. Leave the door slightly ajar so that excess moisture can escape. Drying and roasting the roots takes about 2 hours. When dried they change from a yellowish color to a dark coffee color. Stir frequently with a spatula to assure even drying and roasting. Rotate sheets. Watch carefully during the last minutes so they do not burn. Cool and then store in glass jars. I grind my roasted chips in a coffee grinder used for herbs.

For tea, use 2 tablespoons dandelion root powder per 12 ounces water in a French press or place in saucepan with water and steep as an infusion.

Adapted from rosesprodigalgarden.org/recipes/dandelionrecipes.html.

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Posted on July 8, 2014

Cream of Dandelion Soup

Add dandelion greens to soups and stews to provide a mineral-rich ingredient.

4 cups chopped dandelion leaves
2 cups flower petals
2 cups buds
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
1 cup chopped leeks or onions
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups water or veggie/chicken stock
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon curry powder or turmeric
2 cups whole milk or milk substitute

Gently boil dandelion leaves in 6 cups water. Pour off bitter water and boil gently a second time, pouring off the bitter water.

In a heavy soup pot, saute leeks and garlic in butter or oil till translucent. Add 4 cups water or stock, leaves, flower petals, buds and salt. Simmer gently for about 45 minutes.

Add milk and simmer a few minutes more to meld the flavors. Season to taste. Garnish with flower petals.

Adapted from rosesprodigalgarden.org/recipes/dandelionrecipes.html.

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Posted on July 8, 2014

How to Use Fresh Fava Beans

Fava beans are fun and delicious!

One of the largest beans and certainly the richest in flavor, favas are a real harbinger of summer. People all over the world enjoy their rich taste and generous nutrition. Also called “broad beans,” they are high in fiber and iron, and low in sodium and fat. They have no cholesterol but so much protein that they were called “the beef of the poor” in Charles Dickens’ day.

If the beans are very young, the whole bean can be chopped up and used, pods and all. Otherwise shuck them to your preference. There is a whiteish skin around the bean itself, which some people like to eat, and others prefer to discard (see below).

Sauté shucked beans with peas and mushrooms, or with shrimp and thyme for a delicious and elegant summer supper. Toss them into soups, stir-fries or pasta. Roast them with garlic, olive oil and salt to taste, or use them raw, whole or chopped into salads. Puree favas for an alternative green base to pizza or pasta. Boil and mash them, and spread the paste on crostini.

Shucking favas

First, split the pod at the seam and remove the beans. There are about 4 to 5 per pod.

To remove the second skin, there are two different methods. The first is to make a small slit with a knife along the edge of the bean to pop the bean out of its skin.

The alternate, and more popular, method is to blanch them for 1-3 minutes. Remove the beans from the boiling water and immediately submerge them in ice cold water to stop the cooking process. At this point, you can spread the beans out on a cookie sheet to freeze, then bag and store in freezer. If you’re going to use them right away, squeeze them out from their skins, and use as directed in any recipe of your choice.

Sauteeing fava beans

Shuck 2 pounds of fava beans. Use either method to remove the outer skin of the beans. You should have about 1.5 cups beans. Over medium heat in a skillet, melt together 1 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon olive oil, add two minced garlic cloves (or 2 finely chopped garlic scapes) and sauté for 1 minute. Add the fava beans and sauté for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until they are done to your preference. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper, serve, and enjoy!

Or get a little fancier. Add other delicious items, such as caramelized onions or fennel, chunky fresh tomatoes, a bit of chopped proscuitto, and a cup of chopped endive. Serve on fettuccine with a light cream sauce.

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Posted on July 4, 2014