Sourdough Bread with Nash’s Triticale Flour

This recipe uses both triticale flour and regular white flour for superb texture.

Timeframe: 12-15 hours

1 1/2 cups sourdough starter
5 cups Nash’s Organic triticale flour
4 cups water
1/3 cup organic olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
4-6 cups organic unbleached white flour

Creating the Sponge
Combine: sourdough starter, water and Nash’s triticale flour in a large bowl, mix well and cover with a moist towel. Let this mixture sit at room temp for 8-12 hours. This is the sponge. A sponge is basically feeding the sourdough starter with fresh flour and water while creating a medium that will make the bread rise. When the surface is bubbly, scoop out 1 1/2 cups of the sponge and place in a clean jar with a lid and refrigerate. This is the starter for the next batch of bread.

Making the Sourdough Bread
Now that some sourdough starter has been saved for future batches, stir into the sponge the olive oil and salt. Next, fold in the unbleached white flour, 1 cup at a time, until a dough forms. At this point the dough will begin to pull away from the edges of the bowl. Remove from the bowl and place on a floured counter-top. Knead for 10-15 minutes, adding flour when necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the counter. Kneading is complete when it becomes difficult to add more flour and the dough easily holds its form in a ball. Once dough is thoroughly kneaded, divide into 2 or 3 pieces, depending on how large you would like your loaves to be. Place your loaves on an oiled cookie sheet or in bread pans, cover with a moist towel and let rise at room temperature for approximately 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Sprinkle salt and make slits on the surface of the loaves. Place loaves in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes turn the oven down to 375 degrees F and continue to bake for 45-60 minutes. When the surface and bottom of the loaves are well-browned remove from the oven and tap with a knuckle on the bottom of the loaf. If it makes a hollow sound, the bread is done. Place on cooling racks and enjoy.

We thank Eliza Winne for this recipe.

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Posted on August 30, 2013

Bubble & Squeak Patties

Nourish, Sequim’s new garden-to-plate restaurant and gathering place, is featuring a series of meals created using items from Nash’s farm share boxes each week.

Bubble and squeak is made in most homes in England on a Monday as a way to use the vegetables left over from Sunday roast dinner. Sometimes it’s served from the pan like a stir-fry or made into patties. The dish is named for the bubbling and squeaking sounds it makes as it is cooked. It is most often accompanied by leftover cold meat and relishes or pickles. Tanya, one of the owners of Nourish, says, “We have adapted the idea to use some of Nash’s wonderful cabbages in a different way. We have used fresh vegetables rather than pre-cooked.”

4 tablespoons butter or oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
Leftover mashed potatoes
Leftover vegetables, like cabbage, carrots, and, in winter, Brussels sprouts. Today we are using red and Napa cabbage, steamed lightly.
Salt and pepper

In a large sauté pan, fry onions until soft. Add the other vegetables and fry for 10 minutes, turning over every couple minutes to get a thorough reheat with a little browning on the cabbage.

You can also form the mixture into little patties and fry individually.

Serve with a good-sized dollop of Ila’s Fiery Hot and Heavenly Sweet or Walla Walla Relish.

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Posted on August 22, 2013

Cucumber Mint Gazpacho

Got lots of cucumbers? It’s gazpacho time!

1 1/2 pounds thin-skinned cucumbers
1/2 cup cold water
1 small onion or 1/2 large onion
2-3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon tightly packed mint leaves
1/2 cup almonds (skinned)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine/sherry vinegar
Salt
1 cup stale bread, cut into cubes

Roughly chop the cucumber and puree with water until smooth. Roughly chop the onion and garlic and add to the blender with mint leaves. Puree again. Then add the almonds, oil, and vinegar, and keep pureeing until smooth. Add the bread cubes and let them soak up the liquid for at least 30 minutes. When they have softened up, puree again until very smooth. Add salt to taste.

Refrigerate for at least an hour (straight in the blender jar) before serving. The soup will thicken a bit, so you may need to add a little cold water and blend until it’s the consistency you want. Drizzle with mint oil (soak a handful of mint in 1/2 cup oil for at least a day, then strain), and sprinkle with toasted almonds and/or chopped cucumber.

We thank zaharah of food50.com for this recipe.

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Posted on August 22, 2013

Three Tasty Ways to Enjoy Basil

The scent of basil is in the air, and there are so many ways to enjoy that basil!

Pesto is easy with a food processor. Put 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, 2 cloves garlic and 1/4 cup pine nuts in the processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese. Pesto goes great on just about anything—noodles, eggs, winter squash, pizza, whatever.

Make an easy Basil and Bread Salad with day-old artisan bread. Cut 12 ounces of bread into cubes. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour over the bread in a large bowl and toss to mix it all up. Add 3 large, chopped tomatoes, 1 large chopped green pepper, 1 cup cubed Mozzarella cheese, 3 finely-minced garlic cloves, and 1 cup slivered basil leaves. Mix it all together and serve over a bed of young spinach leaves. Add feta or olives, if you like.

Basil Syrup can be drizzled over fresh fruit, soft cheese, or even added to a cocktail. Place 1 cup each of water, sugar and basil in small pan and heat until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, steep for 30 minutes, and strain.

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Posted on August 17, 2013

Massaged Kale Salad

The concept behind “massaging” kale with salt, lemon juice and olive oil is that the kale leaves will soften and relax, not just because you are rubbing them with the citrus juice and oil, but because the acid in the juice helps breaks down fibers in the kale and makes it taste sweeter.

Even your kale deserves a good massage. Any type of kale will work well with this recipe — try them all to find the one you like best!

1 bunch Nash’s kale, any type
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (optional)

De-stem one bunch of Nash’s kale and break the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Mix them with salt and lemon juice. Massage the leaves thoroughly for about 5 minutes, then add olive oil and massage for 1 minute more. The kale should be noticeably softer and darker. You could also add honey or maple syrup if you prefer a slightly sweeter salad. Yes, your hands will be oily, but your kale will love you for it!

Toss kale leaves with:

• Toasted nuts (pine nuts, almonds, pecans)
• Dried cherries, currants, or cranberries
• Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, or crumbled Feta
• Sprouted quinoa or cooked whole Nash’s triticale or wheat berries
• Sliced radishes, baby white turnips, cucumbers, or zucchini

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Posted on August 9, 2013

Beet Chunky Pesto

Nourish, Sequim’s new garden-to-plate restaurant and gathering place, is featuring a series of meals created using items from Nash’s farm share boxes each week. Have you ever considered making pesto out of a root vegetable? This beet pesto is as amazingly tasty as it is brightly colored!

4 beets, roasted
4 cloves garlic
Zest and juice of 1 orange
1/2 cup walnuts or cashews
1/3 cup cilantro
2/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

There are so many types of beets to try in pesto!

Roast beets, cool, peel and chop.

Add garlic, orange zest, orange juice, nuts and cilantro to the food processor and pulse until chunky. Add the beets and pulse until the mixture is completely combined. It should look like very dry pesto at this point. Add in the olive oil and process the ingredients together quickly. Season to your taste.

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Posted on August 8, 2013

Broccoli Pesto

Nourish, Sequim’s new garden-to-plate restaurant and gathering place, is featuring a series of meals created using items from Nash’s farm share boxes each week. Did you know you could make pesto out of broccoli? Try this recipe and find out how yummy it can be!

Yields about 1 cup.

3 full cups broccoli florets
4 cloves garlic
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup walnuts
1/3 cup parsley
2/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Broccoli pesto? Definitely!

Blanch the broccoli by cooking it in boiling water until it is fork-tender and then immediately plunge it into ice water. Once the broccoli is cold, remove it from the ice water and drain it on paper towels. Squeeze the excess water from the broccoli before adding it to the pesto.

Add all the garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, walnuts and parsley to the food processor and pulse until chunky. Add the dry broccoli florets and pulse until the mixture is completely combined. It should look like very dry pesto at this point. Add the olive oil and process the ingredients together until the pesto is completely creamy. Season with salt and pepper and mix again. Enjoy!

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Posted on August 8, 2013

Zucchini & Lemon Cucumber Salad with Chili, Lemon and Mint Dressing

Nourish, Sequim’s new garden-to-plate restaurant and gathering place, is featuring a series of meals created using items from Nash’s farm share boxes each week. Lemon cucumbers, which are round and sunny yellow, are a cheery alternative to everyday slicing cucumbers, especially in this refreshing summer salad.

Serves 6

4 small zucchini
2 lemon cucumbers
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 medium red chili, finely chopped
1/2 cup good olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup mint leaf, chopped finely
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Lemon cucumbers are like little bits of sunshine in your salad.

Prepare the zucchini and cucumber by peeling into thin, long slices using a vegetable peeler and place into serving bowl.

For the dressing, whisk lemon, olive oil, and garlic, and add the chili and mint. Season to taste.

Toss the zucchini in the dressing and let sit for 15 minutes to soften. Add cucumber just before serving.

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Posted on August 8, 2013

Sauteed Runner Beans with Heirloom Tomato Marinara Sauce

Scarlet runner beans bloom in vibrant red blossoms that are as beautiful in the field as the beans are tasty in your kitchen.

Serves 2-4
4 cups halved heirloom cherry tomatoes (or other thin-skinned tomatoes)
2 tablespoons virgin olive oil
1/2 cup filtered water
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 large shallot, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 giant handful fresh basil leaves, ripped
Sea salt and coarse ground pepper to taste
2 cups scarlet runner beans

In a large sauté skillet heat the olive oil, garlic and shallots over a low flame. Cook through for about 3-5 minutes. Add in the cherry tomatoes, parsley, sea salt and pepper. Simmer on medium-low for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. (If you are using this marinara recipe for pasta or another dish, throw in the basil, stir and it is ready to be served.)

Once the tomatoes have simmered for a bit, add in the water, fresh basil and runner beans. Turn the heat up to medium and sauté for about 5-7 minutes or until the beans are cooked through (cover with a lid if necessary). Serve immediately.

We thank WithFoodAndLove.com for this recipe.

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Posted on August 8, 2013

Basil Syrup

Nourish, Sequim’s new garden-to-plate restaurant and gathering place, is featuring a series of meals created using items from Nash’s farm share boxes each week. Here’s a recipe straight out of our aromatic basil greenhouses!

Basil isn’t restricted to pesto or caprese salads. It makes a delicious flavor to a sweet, simple syrup that can be drizzled over fresh fruit like peaches, nectarines, mangos (or grilled apricots) or soft cheese, and makes fun summer cocktails, too!

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup basil

Place all ingredients in small pan and heat until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and let steep for 30 minutes, strain and put in a warmed glass container. It keeps for a week, if you can leave it alone!

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Posted on August 2, 2013