Fresh Hummus with Parsley

Italian parsley on a purple background 3 cups garbanzo beans
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon tahini (sesame seed butter)
2 cloves fresh or roasted garlic
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Save juice from beans and use to thin mixture if too thick. In a food processor, chop garlic first, then parsley. Add all other ingredients and blend until desired consistency. Cover tightly and store unused portion in the refrigerator. It will keep well for about a week.

Things to dip in hummus: fresh bread, bread sticks, bagels, hardy crackers, pita chips, and all sorts of veggies.

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Posted on July 29, 2015

Beet – Pear Soup

Pair your pears with beets for a soup you can’t beat!

4 medium beets
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 medium red onion, coarsely chopped
1 ripe pear, peeled and cored, cut into 1 inch strips
4 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

Steam beets (as described at the bottom of our About Beets post). Heat the butter on medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the pear and cook for about 3 minutes more stirring occasionally. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the beets, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Allow to cool. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup, or carefully puree in batches in the blender. Can serve hot or cold, topped with goat cheese. Serves 4-6.

Adapted from 50 Best Plants on the Planet, the Most Nutrient-Dense Fruits and Vegetables, in 150 Delicious Recipes by Cathy Thomas.

P.S. Save those greens! Beet greens are a lovely sauté green and offer you the same nutrient density as the beet root. It’s a two for one deal! Prepare them like you would Swiss chard.

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Posted on July 29, 2015

Red Velvet Cake

The secret ingredient in this sweet dessert is — you guessed it — beets!

3 medium beets
3/4 cup butter, plus more for greasing pan
3/4 cup buttermilk
Juice of 1 large lemon
2 teaspoon white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups Nash’s soft white flour*
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Wash beets and wrap in aluminum foil. Bake until the tip of a knife slides easily into the largest beet, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool until beets can be handled, then peel. (This may be done up to a day ahead.)

Butter two 9-inch cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment and then butter again.

In a food processor, chop beets to pieces about the size of finely diced onions. Measure 1 cup and set aside (remaining beets can be reserved for another purpose). Return cup of beets to the food processor. Purée with buttermilk, lemon juice, vinegar and vanilla until smooth.

Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter until soft. Slowly add sugar and beat until creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

Alternate adding flour mixture and beet mixture to butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and beating for 10 seconds after each addition. Scrape down the bowl after each addition of the wet ingredients.

Divide batter between prepared cake pans, smoothing the tops. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the cake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove pans from oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Frost with cream cheese frosting or other white icing.

*Nash’s soft white wheat flour has been milled fine, but if you want your Red Velvet Cake to be really silky, sift it before measuring it. We usually don’t, so we can get all the health benefits from the germ and bran.

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Posted on July 29, 2015

About Beets

Beets are getting a lot of attention for being a unique source of ‘betalains’, phytonutrients that are known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification supportive properties. To ensure that you get these benefits when enjoying your beets, keep your steaming times to 15 minutes or less and your roasting times to 1 hour or less, as the betalain concentration diminishes with heat exposure.

Beets are an excellent source of folate and a very good source of manganese, potassium, and copper. They are also a good source of dietary fiber, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin C, iron, and vitamin B6.

Folate is a water soluble B vitamin, critical for the normal development and function of our brain. This is why foods like cereals are fortified with folic acid, the synthetic form. A folate deficiency has been associated with an increased risk in cardiovascular disease. Beets provide a sweet and natural source of folate.

Steam beets for 15 minutes to maximize their nutrition and flavor. Fill the bottom of the steamer with 2 inches of water and bring to a rapid boil. Add beets, cover, and steam for 15 minutes. Beets are cooked when you can easily insert a fork or the tip or knife into the beet. Serve on top of a salad or sprinkle balsamic on top and serve as a vegetable side dish.

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Posted on July 29, 2015

Sweet Onion Pie

Sweet onion pie, perfect for a summer BBQ side dish!

Can be served hot or at room temperature.

1 pie crust (see below)
2 tablespoon butter
2 cups thinly sliced Walla Walla onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
3/4 cup whole milk
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 pinch paprika
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic slowly until tender, about 12 minutes. Arrange onions in the pie crust.

Beat eggs, whole milk, chives, and salt in a bowl until blended. Pour the mixture over the onions. Sprinkle with cheese and paprika.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. Garnish with the parsley.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

We thank Allrecipes.com for this recipe.

Basic Pie Crust

1 1/2 cups Nash’s soft white wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into small pieces
4-5 tablespoons ice water

Combine flour and salt in a large bowl and stir briefly. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour until it makes pea-size pieces, about 4-5 minutes.
Drizzle in 4 tablespoons ice water and mix until dough comes together. Shape into a flat disk, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll out, place in pie pan, press into base, and use for onion pie.

We thank Chow.com for this recipe.

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Posted on July 24, 2015

Margie’s Bran Muffins

1 cup Nash’s soft white wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups Nash’s wheat bran
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses or honey
2 large eggs
1 cup nonfat buttermilk (or half-&-half with 1 teaspoon lemon juice)
1 grated carrot, apple, or zucchini

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir in bran with a whisk or long-tined fork.

Beat together brown sugar, molasses, egg and buttermilk. Add the dry ingredients to liquid ones and stir to moisten, about 30 seconds. Fill each cup in a 6-cup greased muffin tin to 3/4 full and place in oven. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let cool on rack.

We thank Nash’s own Margie for this recipe.

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Posted on July 24, 2015

Kia’s Roasted Cauliflower & Walla Walla Onions

Cauli and wallas: a sweet seasonal treat!

Fresh, uncured Walla Walla onions are seasonally available in July and August at our farm, and are one of the veggie highlights of the summer for me. Roasted with cauli until golden brown in this dish, they just melt in your mouth.

Might I suggest making a big batch of these roasties so you have leftovers? They are a wonderful edition to scrambled eggs, sandwiches and cold salads, or as a snack on their own.

1 medium-large Walla Walla onion, rough cut into 1- or 2-inch pieces
1 medium-large head cauliflower, stems, leaves and florets roughly chopped into 2- or 3-inch pieces
3 or 4 tablespoons melted coconut oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss veggies in coconut oil until thoroughly coated. Sprinkle with salt and lots of freshly ground pepper.

Spread single layer in one or two large baking sheets or baking dishes as needed. Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes, or longer if you have two trays in the oven. Check and flip veggies if desired. Bake until veg is well browned and starting to crisp in places.

Variations

SPICE IT UP! Add curry, chili powder or Italian seasonings when you toss veggies with salt and pepper.

OIL IT UP! Use alternative oils to coat the veggies. Coconut oil is one of my favs for flavor and health, but you can use any high-heat oil you have on hand.

MIX IT UP! Toss in other non-root veggies you have on hand to use up. Zucchini, peppers, fresh beans, broccoli etc all work well in combo with cauli and wallas.

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Posted on July 21, 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

Cucumber, Radish, and Baby Walla Walla Onion Salad with Chili-Lime Dressing

Your average green onions not sweet enough for you? Try baby Walla Walla onion bunches!

6 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 English hothouse cucumbers, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
2 1/2 cups thinly sliced radishes (about 2 bunches)
1 1/2 cups matchstick-size strips baby Walla Walla onions (about 8)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

Mix first 3 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Add cucumbers and toss to coat. Let stand 1 hour, tossing occasionally.

Drain cucumber mixture. Return cucumbers to large bowl. Add radishes and green onions. Toss salad with Chili-Lime Dressing. Sprinkle with mint.

Chili-Lime Dressing

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon chili oil (available at Asian markets and in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets.)
1 tablespoon packed golden brown sugar (maple syrup or honey are other options)
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Whisk lime juice, soy sauce, chili oil, sugar and garlic in medium bowl to blend. Season dressing to taste with pepper. Cover and refrigerate. Can be made 6 hours ahead.

We thank Epicurious.com for this recipe.

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Posted on July 16, 2015

About Nash’s Baby Walla Walla Onions

These aren’t just your average green onions — these are baby Walla Wallas!

Onions have a whopping load of polyphenols, the largest phytonutrient family. Phytonutrients are plant chemicals that offer a whole host of benefits for human health.

Onions also have a rich history, as they have been cultivated for over 5,000 years. They were highly regarded by Egyptians, who used them as currency to pay the laborers building the pyramids, and were placed in the tombs of kings as gifts to be carried to the afterlife.

Walla Walla onions are known for being “sweet,” but it is actually a lack of pungency, due to the low-sulfur soils in that region of Washington state. According to the Walla Walla Sweet Onion Commission in Walla Walla, Washington:

“The story of the Walla Walla sweet onions began over a century ago on the Island of Corsica, off the west coast of Italy. It was there that a French soldier, Peter Pieri, found a sweet onion seed and brought it to the Walla Walla Valley.

“This sweet onion developed over generations through the process of carefully hand selecting onions from each year’s crop, ensuring exceptional sweetness, jumbo size, and round shape. Today’s growers realize they’re not just raising sweet onions, but cultivating a tradition.”

Even onions have their story!

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Posted on July 16, 2015