Summer Fruit in Wine

a pile of peaches and nectarines

Nectarines and peaches work quite well in this classy treat.

1 stalk lemongrass, outer layers removed
(You can also use lemon balm, mint, thyme, sweet woodruff or rosemary)
1-2 Tbsp. sugar or honey
1/2 cup water
Mixed summer fruit (peaches, nectarines, melons, apricots, and strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and cherries), washed, pitted, cut up
White wine (Riesling, Gewurztraminer, etc.)
Mint or lemon balm sprigs
Edible flowers (nasturtium, pansy, mint, lavender, calendula, borage) for garnish

Chop lemongrass and boil with sweetener and water until sweetener is totally dissolved and blended. Let cool for several hours or overnight.

Place fruit into nonreactive bowl. Strain lemongrass syrup and combine with enough wine to barely cover fruit. Pour on fruit and chill for several hours.

Serve in large wine goblets or clear glass dessert bowls. Garnish with herb springs and flowers.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

Classic Dijon Potato Salad with Fresh Dill

dill, bunched

Cut 1 ½ lbs red and/or Yukon potatoes in equal-sized pieces. In a medium saucepan, parboil until just fork-tender, but firm. Allow to cool.

Combine 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, 2 Tbsp. sugar, 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix in 1 Tbsp. capers and set aside. Grill potato halves on a grill pan over medium-high heat about 4 minutes or until browned. Turn over and cook the other side. Try to get nice grill marks on them. Toss potatoes in dressing until well-coated. Add ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced, and 2 chopped ribs of celery and toss everything together. Enjoy warm or cold, on a bed of arugula or chopped lettuce.

We thank onegreenplanet.org for this recipe.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

Fava Bean-Pistachio Salad

Fava beans in the pod¼ cup coarsely chopped raw pistachios
1½ cups shelled fava beans (from about 1 ½ lb pods)
Salt/pepper
1 small shallot, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
⅓ cup olive oil, plus 1 Tbsp.
1 bu garlic scapes, sliced in 1” pieces
2 cups trimmed arugula or spinach
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Chive blossoms for garnish

Preheat oven to 350°. Toast pistachios until fragrant but not brown, 5–8 minutes. Let cool. Remove fava beans from pods and cook in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a colander set in a bowl of ice water. Drain, remove skins, and transfer beans to a small bowl.

Combine shallot and vinegar in another small bowl; season with salt and pepper and set aside at least 10 minutes. Whisk 1/3 cup oil into shallot mixture; season vinaigrette with salt and pepper.

Toss garlic scapes in 1 Tbsp. oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 4 minutes in 400° oven. Turn and roast for 2 minutes more. Let cool.

Combine beans, scapes, arugula/spinach and tomatoes in a large bowl; add vinaigrette and pistachios and gently toss to combine. Transfer to a serving platter and top with chive blossoms, if using.

Bonus Recipe
I also love to take the shucked and peeled favas (lots of work! Sigh) and saute them with cut-up garlic scapes until tender, then puree them with olive oil, salt and pepper. Maybe add a dash of lemon juice or some diced basil, or other herb you like. Makes a great spread.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

Tokyo Turnip Salad

Hakurei, or Tokyo, turnips are a mild, juicy variety of turnip. You can eat the tender roots of this plant as well as the delicious greens. Tokyo turnips are tender, slightly spicy and taste like a cross between a radish and a turnip. Any root vegetable like turnips or carrots will store better if you remove the leaves from the roots. Store both greens and turnip roots in a moist towel, cloth bag or plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.

Try Tokyo turnips raw in salads, or thinly sliced on crudite plates or with crackers and cheese. You can also cook them in vegetable or miso soups, or steam or stir fry them – they’re quite versatile! Note that they do not need to be cooked for long. They are also delicious marinated or pickled in vinegar and salt. The greens are slightly spicy, tender and delicious, and can be prepared just as other greens.

1 bunch turnips, scrubbed, trimmed & sliced in 1/4″ rounds
1/2 cup rice or white vinegar
1/2 tsp salt + more to taste
water to cover
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted (optional)

Combine the vinegar and salt in a shallow bowl and stir until the salt is dissolved. Submerge the turnip slices and add more vinegar, if necessary, to cover. Allow to stand 15 minutes. Remove the turnips from the liquid, add toasted sesame seeds and toss. Serve over noodles or rice or alongside another dish.

We thank our good friends and fellow farmers Paul Muller and Dru Rivers of Full Belly Farm in the Capay Valley in northern California, for this info and recipe.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

Fava Beans with Red Onion and Mint

Fava beans in the pod2.5 lb fresh fava beans, pods and membranes removed (makes about 3 cups)
1 tsp. plus 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 medium red onions, chopped
Fine sea salt
Generous handful of mint, roughly chopped (about 1/2 cup)

Cook fava beans with 1 teaspoon oil in boiling unsalted water until tender, 6 to 8 minutes, then drain.

Cook onions in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring, until just crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add beans and cook until just heated through, then season with sea salt and pepper. Toss in mint. Serve immediately.

We thank epicurious.com for this recipe.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

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.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

Curry Roasted Cauliflower

Cauliflower in the field

This year’s sweet overwintered cauliflower is our best-looking cauli crop yet!

¼ cup olive oil
2 tsp. curry powder
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
4 cups cauliflower florets, washed
2 Tbsp. slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix the olive oil, curry powder, sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl. Drain the cauliflower florets and place in a 13 x 9” baking dish; pour the oil mixture over the florets and toss gently. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and stir in almonds mixing lightly. Return to oven and bake uncovered for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until cauliflower is browned and almonds are toasted.

We thank geniuskitchen.com for this recipe.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

Spicy Kale Raab and Onion Puree

One bunch of green kale raab, against a background of Nash boxes

Green kale raab — just one of many raabs that appear all-too-briefly in the springtime.

Try this spread on soft flour tortillas!

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
1 small red or yellow onion, peeled and chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
6 cups kale raab (or other seasonal green)
½ cup water, stock, or dry white wine
Juice of ½ lemon
2 Tbsp. cashew or peanut butter
2 Tbsp. white miso

Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Stir and cook until onions are soft and garlic is lightly browned. Mix in raab, stir and add ½ cup of water. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until greens are very soft. Check every once in a while to make sure there is enough water. Add only a very small amount if needed. Remove from heat and place in a blender, add lemon juice, cashew butter, and miso and puree until smooth and creamy.

Recipe from Local Vegetarian Cooking by Debra Daniels-Zeller.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

Purple Sprouting Broccoli with Garlic and Sesame

Purple Sprouting Broccoli in the field

Purple broccoli is only a few more days away!

1 bunch Nash’s purple sprouting broccoli
2 Tbsp. safflower or sunflower oil
2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
5 garlic cloves, peeled and very finely sliced
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Trim off any hard ends from the broccoli stalks, as well as any very coarse leaves. Bring a large quantity of salted water to a boil in a very large saucepan and plunge in the broccoli. With the lid on, quickly bring the water back to the boil, then remove the lid and briskly simmer the broccoli for about 2 minutes. Drain thoroughly.

Meanwhile, heat both oils in the pan over a medium heat. Fry the garlic for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the slices are light golden. Throw in the broccoli and fry it for 2-3 minutes, tossing frequently, until the stalks are piping hot and imbued with the garlicky oil. Serve immediately with the sesame seeds sprinkled over the top.

We thank bbcgoodfood.com for this recipe.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

Baked Parsnip Fries

Parsnips on a bed of kale2 1/2 pounds parsnips and/or carrots, peeled, cut into about 3” strips
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus 5 sprigs rosemary
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp. ground cumin, more to taste

Preheat oven to 450°F. Mix parsnips/carrots, chopped rosemary, garlic, and oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Spread out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Scatter rosemary sprigs over.

Roast for 10 minutes; turn and roast until parsnips/carrots are tender and browned in spots, 10-15 minutes longer. Crumble leaves from rosemary sprigs over; discard stems and toss to coat. Sprinkle with cumin. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more cumin, if desired.

We thank Epicurious.com for this recipe.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!