Chard Galette

rainbow chard

A galette is an open-faced savory pastry, perfect for a dinner party or for the holidays.

1 cup Nash’s soft white flour
1 cup Nash’s hard red or triticale flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks butter, frozen, then grated
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup ricotta cheese
Salt
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic or 1 garlic scape, finely chopped
1 large bunch rainbow chard, ribs and stems removed, leaves cut into bite-size pieces
Flour for parchment
1 large egg, beaten to blend
1 cup mixed fresh cilantro and basil
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Salt

Pulse flours and salt in a food processor to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining.

Transfer mixture to a large bowl; drizzle with vinegar and 1/4 cup ice water. Mix with a fork, adding more ice water by the tablespoonful if needed, just until a shaggy dough comes together; lightly knead until no dry spots remain (do not overwork). Pat into a disk and wrap in plastic. Chill at least 2 hours. Dough can be made 2 days ahead, but keep it chilled.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Season ricotta with salt and pepper; set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add half of chard, season with salt and pepper, and cook, tossing, until slightly wilted. Add remaining chard and cook, tossing occasionally, until completely wilted, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured sheet of parchment to a 14″ round about 1/8″ thick. Transfer on parchment to a baking sheet. Spread three-fourths of ricotta over dough, leaving a 1 1/2″ border. Top with reserved chard, then mushrooms. Dollop remaining ricotta over vegetables. Bring edges of dough up and over filling, overlapping as needed, to create a 1 1/2″ border; brush with egg. Bake galette, rotating once, until crust is golden brown and cooked through, 35–40 minutes. Let cool slightly on baking sheet.

Toss herbs with lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a small bowl; season with pepper. Top galette with herbs, zest, and salt.

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

Posted on

Cucumber Almond Soup

Lemon cucumbers

Lemon cucumbers are named for their lemony-yellow coloring. They taste like normal cucumbers, and their insides are filled with sweet seeds.

6 larger lemon cucumbers
1 smaller lemon cucumbers
4 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup toasted almond slivers
2 slices stale bread, cut into rough pieces
2 tablespoons grape seed oil (or other mild oil)
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1/4 cup cold water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Pinch white pepper
1 large leaf basil for garnish
1 teaspoon lemon zest for garnish

Thoroughly wash and dry cucumbers. Slice 1/4 inch off the top (stem side) of the 6 larger cucumbers. Using a spoon and knife as needed, scour and scoop out the insides of cucumbers and put the insides in a blender. Set the “bowls” aside. Dice the smaller cucumber and set aside.

Mince the garlic and sprinkle with salt. Using the back of a wide knife blade, work the salt and garlic together until it forms a smooth paste. Scrape up the garlic and add to blender.

Add toasted almonds to blender, reserving a couple for garnish. Pulse blender to start processing the ingredients. Add the bread and continue to process.

When the mixture is fairly smooth, slowly add the grape seed oil and combine well. Next add the plain yogurt and process again until well combined. Finally add the cold water and lemon juice. Taste and season as needed with white pepper.

Stir (not blend!) the diced cucumber into the soup. Carefully spoon the soup into the cucumber “bowls.” Chill for at least an hour. Before serving, garnish soup with ribbons of basil, a pinch of lemon zest and an almond sliver. Serve immediately.

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

Posted on

Spicy Kale – Purple Bean Parmesan

purple beans

Purple beans have a vibrant color when raw, and turn green when cooked.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1/4 pound mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
1 pound purple beans, trimmed, cut into 1” pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 bunch kale, rinsed, stemmed, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Warm olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add mushrooms, beans, salt, and pepper and cook for 2 minutes, or until the purple beans have turned bright green. Add the wine and continue cooking until beans are almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and kale and continue cooking until kale has wilted, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and Parmesan cheese. Toss to coat and serve immediately. Serves 2-3.

We thank foodnetwork.com for this recipe.

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

Posted on

Fried Green Tomatoes

3-4 green tomatoes
1 cup plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
1-2 eggs, slightly beaten
Vegetable oil
Salt

Wash and cut green tomatoes into very thin slices.

Dredge with flour, dip in egg and dredge with flour again.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.

Drop dredged tomatoes into hot oil and fry again until lightly browned.

Remove from oil; salt immediately.

Tip: Use ranch dressing garnished with chopped parsley as a dipping sauce.

We thank FarmFlavor.com for this recipe.

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

Posted on

Fried Tomatoes with Polenta Crust

4 large firm underripe tomatoes
1 cup polenta or coarse cornmeal
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
flour for dredging
1 egg, beaten with seasoning
Oil for deep-frying

Cut the tomatoes into thick slices. Mix the polenta or cornmeal with the oregano and garlic powder.

Put the flour, egg and polenta in different bowls. Dip the tomato slices into the flour, then into the egg and finally into the polenta.

Fill a shallow frying pan about one-third full of oil and heat steadily until it is quite hot.

Slip the tomato slices into the oil carefully, a few at a time, and fry on each side until crisp. Remove and drain. Repeat with the remaining tomatoes, reheating the oil in between. Serve with salad.

We thank The Complete Encyclopedia of Vegetables and Vegetarian Cooking by Roz Denny and Christine Ingram for this recipe.

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

Posted on

Leek Terrine

leeks

A terrine is kind of like a pate with big chunks of tasty veggies, like our yummy leeks.

10 medium leeks
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Dash cayenne (optional)
2 ounces creme fraiche
2 ounces goat cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Trim root end and dark green tops of leeks (keep the tops for soups or stock). Wash thoroughly, keeping leeks as whole as possible. Cook until very tender, about 12-14 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer leeks to paper towels to drain and season with salt, pepper and cayenne. Let cool. Mix together creme fraiche, goat cheese, zest, salt and pepper in a bowl.

Line a 9″x5″ loaf pan with plastic wrap, letting at least 4″ hang over the edges. Layer leeks and creme fraiche mixture, beginning and ending with leeks. Fold excess plastic over top of terrine and cover with a piece of cardboard cut to fit inside the rim of the pan. Place three 15-ounce cans on top to weigh down terrine and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Unwrap and invert terrine onto a serving platter. Cut into 1″-thick slices to serve.

We thank Saveur.com for this tasty and visually delightful recipe.

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

Posted on

Kia’s Buttermilk Pancakes

1 cup Nash’s whole grain soft white flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk or milk
3 tablespoons melted butter

Mix the flour with the salt and soda. Lightly beat the egg with the buttermilk and melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir, but don’t over-mix. Pour the batter onto a buttered cast iron skillet over medium heat. Serve with sliced fresh fruit, cooked fruit compote, jam, homemade yogurt, or berries dropped right in the batter. Serves 2-3.

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

Posted on

Bok Choy Sauté

Bok choy

Brings some baby bok into your life.

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/4 pounds bok choy, cleaned, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon organic soy sauce, tamari sauce, or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
Salt (optional)

In a large frying pan with a tight-fitting lid, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not brown, about 30 seconds.

Add the bok choy and, using tongs, fold it into the garlic-ginger mixture until coated, about 1 minute. Add the soy/tamari/Bragg’s sauce and water, cover, and cook until steam accumulates, about 1 minute. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens are just wilted, the stalks are just fork tender but still crisp, and most of the water has evaporated, about 2 minutes.

Turn off the heat, stir in the sesame oil, and season with salt if desired. Serve on a bed of brown rice.

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

Posted on

Pickled Carrots with Garlic and Cumin

Rainbow carrots and zucchini

What to do with all these glorious carrot riches? Pickle them!

4 medium to large carrots
1 small head garlic
Salt
1 jalapeño chile, sliced into rounds, or 1 whole chile de árbol
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon sugar or honey
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

Peel the carrots and slice them diagonally or crosswise about 3/8″ thick. Separate the garlic cloves and peel them. Don’t use any that are bruised or sprouting.

Boil the carrots in salted water to cover for 3 minutes, then drain. Combine the remaining ingredients plus 3/4 cup cold water and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Stir to dissolve the salt and sugar, then add the carrots. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

We thank Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison for this recipe.

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

Posted on

Artichoke Dipping Sauces

Artichoke

Behold the artichoke! Try having a dinner party with a variety of dipping sauces.

Lemon-Thyme Butter

In a small bowl, stir together 1 stick melted butter, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice. Season with salt and freshly-ground pepper.

Garlic Mayonnaise

In a small bowl, stir together 3/4 cup mayonnaise and 1 or 2 minced or crushed garlic cloves. Season with salt and freshly-ground pepper.

Sesame Dipping Sauce

Combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, and 3/4 teaspoon seasoned salt.

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

Posted on