Paleo Diet Recipes

Three-Minute Swiss Chard

yellow rainbow chard

This simple side dish is an easy way to enjoy this nutrient packed vegetable alongside most any dish you are making.

1 pound Swiss chard, chopped
1 medium clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste

Optional Additions:
6 kalamata olives
1/2 cup feta cheese
1 teaspoon soy sauce

Chop garlic and let sit for 5 minutes to bring out its health-promoting properties. Use a large pot (3 quart) with lots of water. Make sure water is at a rapid boil before adding Swiss chard. Cut off tough bottom part of Swiss chard stems. Add the chopped leaves to the boiling water. Do not cover. Cook for 3 minutes; begin timing as soon as you drop the Swiss chard into the boiling water. Place in colander and press out excess water.
Transfer to serving dish and toss with rest of ingredients while it is still hot. Using a knife and fork, cut Swiss chard into small pieces for better flavor.

We thank The World’s Healthiest Foods for this recipe.

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Kia’s Tahini Balsamic Salad Dressing

dressing fixings

Here’s an easy, quick homemade salad dressing with wonderful, complex flavor.

Although this salad dressing has ten or eleven ingredients listed, it’s actually really simple to make, and can be infinitely adjusted to suit your tastes, or what’s in your pantry/fridge!

1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
4-5 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
2-3 tablespoons Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, tamari or soy sauce
1 tablespoon finely diced fresh herbs (basil, thyme, rosemary, etc)
1 tablespoon stone-ground or Dijon mustard
1/4 cup hemp oil (optional)
35 twists on the pepper grinder
3 lemons, juiced (or limes)
2/3 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
1-inch nub of ginger, finely grated (optional)

homemade salad dressing

Shake, shake, shake, and you’re done!

Combine everything in a quart mason jar, screw lid on tight and shake vigorously for about two minutes. Done!

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Asian Pickled Leek Scapes

leek scapes

Scapes are the flowering stalks of the leek plant and can be eaten like asparagus — or pickled!

Yields half a pint. Recipe can be doubled or quadrupled.

1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
Small splash of fish sauce (optional)
Juice of 1 lime
1 leek, thinly sliced, or 1 shallot, sliced
1/2-1 whole hot chili pepper, sliced
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 leek scapes, sliced thinly on the diagonal, or use 4-5 garlic scapes

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.

Pickled scapes go great with sweet and sour pork chops!

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Kia’s Jalapeño Salsa

The roasted pepper flavor of this salsa is wonderful over breakfast potatoes and eggs, spread with mayo on sandwiches, mixed into tuna or egg salad, atop meat or vegetarian entrees, stirred into soups, or anything you want to kick up a notch with some heat!

6-8 jalapeno peppers, stems popped off
4-5 cloves of garlic, quartered
Salt
Water

In a dry cast iron skillet, pan roast whole peppers on medium-low heat, turning occasionally, until they are softened and mostly blistering or blackened, about 25 min.

Combine peppers, garlic, 3-4 large pinches of salt and a few long splashes of water in blender or Vitamix. Blend thoroughly until everything is smooth, adding a more water if needed.*

Store salsa in fridge for up to 10 days, or pour into ice cube trays and then pop them into a plastic bag when they are frozen. Use liberally over everything you eat!

*Note: Do not touch your eyes while preparing or let children handle salsa, it is VERY spicy. After blending the peppers, take the blender outside or to your stove’s fan, and open the lid in a well ventilated area.

We thank the farm’s own Kia Armstrong for this recipe.

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Garlicky Leeks in Olive Oil

leeks

Celebrate the flavors of leeks and garlic.

2 leeks
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
3 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped, plus more for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons salt

Trim the dark green ends of the leeks, leaving only the light green and white ends. Rinse leeks well (cut in half lengthwise and rinse in between layers). Slice the leeks into 2-inch chunks.

In a small frying pan, heat olive oil to hot but not smoking. Turn down the heat and add garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add cilantro and cook another 30 seconds. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

In a medium saucepan, bring 8 cups water to boil. Salt the water with 2 tablespoons salt. Add leeks to the boiling water and reduce heat to simmer. Poach until leeks are just tender to bite, about 4 minutes; do not overcook.

Drain the leeks and add them to the olive oil mixture, stirring gently to coat the leeks completely. Serve immediately, garnished with more cilantro.

Recipe adapted from Food52.com.

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Roasted Purple Sprouting Broccoli

purple broccoli with cat

Everyone loves purple sprouting broccoli!

Easy to make and crispy-delicious, this recipe is a winner for a quick side-dish or snack. But watch out, you might want to eat the whole pan in one sitting!

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

2 bunches purple sprouting broccoli
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss whole broccoli liberally with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a baking dish, pop in oven, and let sizzle for about 20 minutes. Give then a quick turn and roast for another 4-10 minutes until crispy and tender. These are best served hot out of the oven, so dig in!

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About Nash’s Root Medley

Root medley

Explore the rainbow of Nash’s root medley: carrots, beets, parsnips, rutabagas, sunchokes and potatoes might find their way into your bag!

Root vegetables each offer their unique nutrition profiles, but all of them are packed with nutritional benefits because of the extended time they spend in the rich, prime, alluvial soils of the Dungeness Valley. The more nutrient-rich the soil they are grown in, the more nutrient-packed these powerhouses will be.

The root medley is a great way to have an easy, colorful, and nourishing vegetable option for your winter dinner. Wrap roots loosely in a plastic bag and they will last for a few weeks in your fridge. However, potatoes are best stored in a cool, dry, and dark place.

According to food energetics, root vegetables provide a grounding and relaxed energy. Another huge plus: no need to peel these root vegetables, because most of the nutrients are held near the skin. Just use a brush to scrub them clean.

Here’s our favorite way to enjoy all those wonderful flavors:

Roasted Root Veggies

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Slice beets, potatoes, rutabagas, and sunchokes to half-inch cubes and slice the carrots and parsnips to half-inch rounds.

Place all vegetables into a casserole dish and drizzle with olive oil or melted butter. (You may need a second dish. You want your vegetables to be all in one layer to cook evenly.) Sprinkle with any herbs or spices of your choosing and mix to ensure oil or butter covers all roots. Cover your dish with with a lid or tin foil if you desire vegetables that will be more moist and tender. Leave your dish uncovered if you like crisp veggies.

Roast until fork tender, about 40-50 minutes.

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Roasted Heritage Turkey

Cartoon turkey

Have you experienced the flavor and texture of a pasture-raised heritage turkey yet? Let us know if you have a favorite breed in the comments below!

About Heritage Turkeys
Before supermarkets and distributors made the Broad-Breasted White turkey the dominant bird on the market and the turkey most Americans are familiar with, diverse breeds such as the Narragansetts and Jersey Buffs offered families a turkey with greater flavor and texture. Now such turkeys, known as heritage breeds or “standard” turkeys, are making a move to be on your table this Thanksgiving.

Prized for their rich flavor and beautiful plumage, heritage turkeys are the ancestors of the common Broad-Breasted White industrial breed of turkey that comprises 99.99% of the supermarket turkeys sold today. But the heritage breeds still exist and are making a comeback. Most breeds of heritage turkey were developed in the United States and Europe over hundreds of years, and were identified in the American Poultry Association’s turkey Standard of Perfection of 1874. These breeds include the Standard Bronze, Bourbon Red, Jersey Buff, Slate, Black Spanish, Narragansett and White Holland.
With rich-tasting meat that is more moist and flavorful than the mass produced large-breasted turkeys of today, heritage breeds owe their taste to diverse diets and extended life-spans. Dining on fresh grass and insects, these birds exercise and even help control farmers’ pest problems. And while large corporations, which value high breast meat production in a short period, have dominated turkey production and breeding since the 1960s, heritage breeds have been quietly gaining a renewed respect and increased market share due to their flavor and superior biological diversity.

Raising heritage breeds is more costly and time consuming than raising White-Breasted Toms. While supermarket turkeys grow to an average of 32 pounds over 18 weeks, Heritage birds take anywhere from 24-30 weeks to reach their market weight. But those who have tasted Heritage Breeds say the cost, and the wait, are well worth it.
The two breeds that have been raised at Nash’s Organic Produce are and Bourbon Red, with Narragansett making up most of the flock.

Roasted Heritage Turkey
Because your heritage turkey was raised the old-fashioned way—with plenty of grass, insects and sunshine—it needs to be cooked quite differently than the modern, factory-farmed counterpart. This tried and true recipe will make the best of your heritage bird this year.

7-9 pound fresh heritage turkey at room temperature
Kosher or sea salt & fresh ground pepper
3 cups giblet broth (see below)
Rosemary maple butter (see recipe below)
Oiled parchment paper (found at kitchen stores)

Rub turkey inside and out with salt and pepper.

Loosen the skin around the breast with your fingers and insert rosemary maple butter between the meat and the skin as well as on the inside of the bird’s cavity.

Set bird in deep roasting pan. Use a wire rack to lift the bird off the bottom of the pan.

Add the giblet broth to the bottom of the pan. Using a sheet of oiled parchment paper, tent the roasting pan with the oiled parchment paper. Any type of cooking oil can be used. Brush it on both sides with a pastry brush. The parchment paper is easily affixed to the roasting pan with a strip of foil on each end or you can use clean, oiled wooden clothespins. Remove parchment paper and the last 30 minutes of cooking to develop a crispy, golden skin.

Preheat oven to 425-450 F. Roast the bird until the thigh temperature reaches 140-150 F. Let the bird rest 10-15 minutes before carving to let the juices settle.

A word about basting
Quick roasting at high temperatures means the oven temperature needs to be maintained and frequent basting defeats that purpose. By adding butter under the skin, the bird is self-basted. Baste the bird when you remove the parchment tent. If there is not enough liquid for basting, add either more water or wine.

Giblet Broth
2 cups white wine (a deep, oaky chardonnay lends a wonderful taste)
2 cups water
Giblets & neck
Bay leaf

Simmer everything in a small saucepan for 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf and neck. Giblets can be discarded if they aren’t your type of thing or they can be finely chopped and added to the broth.

Rosemary Maple Butter
1/2 pound butter
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary
Bring butter to room temperature and whip all ingredients together.

We thank Sandra Kay Miller for this recipe.

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Easy Street Beets

golden beets, chioggia beets, and red beets bunched with greens

Beets can’t be easier than Easy Street Beets.

Remove beets from greens, leaving 1″ of stems. Wash beets under cool running water, then steam until easily pierced with a fork (20-35 minutes, depending on size). Rinse under cool water once done, and slip off skins. While the roots are steaming, wash the greens and saute them with a little olive oil until stems are tender. Slice beets and toss with balsamic vinaigrette and crumbled feta, and serve over warm beet greens.

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