Potato and Sweet Potato Torte

These Alaska Bloom potatoes would love to become potato torte!

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 large leeks, trimmed, washed (see tip) and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 pound sweet potatoes (about 2 small), peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1 pound all-purpose potatoes, preferably Yukon gold (2-4 medium), peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices.

Position oven rack at the lowest level; preheat to 450°F. Coat a 9 1/2-inch, deep-dish pie pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper or foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks and thyme; cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. (If necessary, add 1 to 2 tablespoons water to prevent scorching.) Season with 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper.

Arrange half the sweet potato slices, slightly overlapping, in the prepared pie pan and season with a little of the remaining salt and pepper. Spread one-third of the leeks over the top. Arrange half the potato slices over the leeks and season with salt and pepper. Top with another third of the leeks. Layer the remaining sweet potatoes, leeks and potatoes in the same manner. Cover the pan tightly with foil.

Bake the torte until the vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the torte to loosen it. Invert onto a serving plate. Remove paper or foil and serve.

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Posted on February 19, 2014

Cajun Spcie Rub

Rub for fish, chicken, pork or beef.

2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons white pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Combine spices and use as a rub for fish, chicken, pork or beef. Also use it to season veggies such as roasted potatoes or other roots, sautéed greens, etc.

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Posted on February 19, 2014

Mixed Greens with Oranges and Balsamic Vinaigrette

2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 small navel oranges
2 bunches arugula or watercress, stemmed, washed and dried (about 4 cups)
1 small head romaine lettuce, washed, dried and torn (about 4 cups)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced

Whisk together orange zest and juice, balsamic vinegar, shallot, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in the oil until well blended.

Remove the rind and white pith from the oranges with a very sharp knife and discard. Slice oranges thinly, or remove the individual segments by slicing between the membranes. Halve the orange slices if they are large.

Toss the arugula and romaine together in a shallow salad bowl. Separate the onion slices into rings. Scatter the onions and oranges over the greens. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and toss.

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Posted on February 19, 2014

Lemon Icebox Pie

Crust
14 whole graham crackers
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and still warm

Filling
2 14-ounce cans condensed milk
1 1/4 cups strained lemon juice (from the 2 zested lemons below plus an additional 4–6 lemons)
Zest of 2 lemons
8 large egg yolks

Chantilly cream
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

To make the crust
Heat the oven to 325°F. Break the graham crackers into small pieces and place in the bowl of a food processor along with the sugar and salt. Pulse 8 times, until the cracker crumbs are semi-fine (they shouldn’t be powdery but not in large shards either) and the crackers and sugar are combined. Pour in the butter and pulse until the butter is blended in and the mixture isn’t crumbly and holds its shape when you squeeze it, about twelve 1-second pulses. Transfer the crust to a 9-inch springform pan and push and press the crumb mixture into the bottom and two-thirds of the way up the sides of the pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the crust into place. Set aside.

To make the filling
Whisk the condensed milk with the lemon juice and set aside. Whisk the zest with the egg yolks in a medium bowl until pale, 30 to 60 seconds, and then whisk in the lemon juice-condensed milk mixture.

Place the springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet, pour the mixture into the crust, and carefully transfer the baking sheet to the oven. Bake until the center jiggles slightly, like a soft-setting custard, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 1 hour on a cooling rack. Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap (be careful not to let the plastic wrap touch the top of the pie) and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.

To make the chantilly cream
Pour the heavy cream into the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer). Add the vanilla and sift in the confectioners’ sugar. Whip on low speed to combine and then increase the speed to medium-high and whip until medium-stiff peaks form, about 1 1/2 minutes.
Before serving, wrap a wet, warm kitchen towel around the edges of the springform pan to release the pie from the pan’s sides. Unclasp the pan and remove the pie. Fill a pitcher with hot water, dunk your knife in, wipe off the blade, and slice. Top with a dollop of chantilly cream and serve immediately, or keep in the freezer for up to 1 week.

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Posted on February 19, 2014

Purple Potato Pie

Purple potatoes are purple all the way through. This will be one very purple pie!

Filling
12 little purple potatoes (boiled and peeled)
3 cups organic powdered sugar
5 tablespoons lemon juice
3 eggs
1 small container organic cream cheese
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Crust
5 tablespoons organic butter, melted
1 cup Nash’s freshly ground wheat flour
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon organic peanut butter

In a bowl, mash the potatoes. Add sugar and stir. Put all filling ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Mix crust ingredients in a separate bowl. Stir lightly—crust should be crumbly. Press into a greased pie pan and pour filling on top. Bake at 350 degrees F until firm, about 50 minutes.

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Posted on February 19, 2014

Raab & White Bean Soup

Eliza, produce manager of our farm store, shows off a bunch of tender cabbage raab, perfect for this soup.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
3/4 cup diced carrot
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cup veggie or chicken broth
2 cup water
1 cup white wine
3 potatoes, diced
1 turnip or parsnip, peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 16-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 cup finely chopped raab
1 small red chili pepper, seeded and chopped
Ground black pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat; cook and stir in the onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the carrot and garlic and cook 5 minutes more.

Pour in the broth, water & wine; stir in the potatoes and parsnip, rosemary, sage and thyme. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add the beans, raab, chili pepper and black pepper and simmer, covered for 30 minutes more.

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Posted on February 19, 2014

Stuffed Delicata Squash

Delicata squash are delicate squash, and quite tasty when stuffed with these nuts and herbs.

Serves 4

3 tablespoons butter
2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup chopped pistachios
1/3 cup chopped almonds
1/3 cup chopped pine nuts
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
About 1/2 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
2 delicata squash (about 2 pounds total), halved lengthwise and seeded

Preheat oven to 350°. Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in sage and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in nuts. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine yogurt, eggs, and 1/2 cup parmesan. Stir in nut mixture. Divide stuffing among squash halves, sprinkle with more parmesan, and bake until tender when pierced with a fork and tops are browning, about 45 minutes.

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Posted on February 18, 2014

Sweet Orange Slaw

This isn’t your typical kohl slaw — add some orange and sweeten it up!

1 cup green shredded cabbage
2 apples, chopped small
1 cup shredded red kale
1/3 cup walnut pieces
1/3 cup raisins
2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel
Juice of 1 orange
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)

Combine cabbage, apples and red kale in bowl. Add raisins, walnuts and fennel seeds. Squeeze orange juice on top and mix. Let sit for a few minutes while you combine honey, yogurt, orange peel and salt in separate bowl. Mix until blended, pour over vegetable mix, and stir well. Serve chilled.

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Posted on February 18, 2014

Kids’ Favorite Kale Chips

Lacinato is also called dinosaur kale because of its bumpy texture — so tell your kids they’re eating dinosaur skin!

12 large Lacinato kale (or other kale) leaves, rinsed, dried, cut lengthwise in half, center ribs and stems removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss kale with oil in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange leaves in single layer on 2 large baking sheets. Bake until crisp, about 15 minutes for flat leaves and up to 20 minutes for wrinkled leaves. Transfer leaves to bowl to cool. Enjoy!

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Posted on February 18, 2014

Winter Salad

Triticale berries add a nutty flavor and chewy texture to this salad.

1 cup cooked triticale berries
1 cup cranberries
1 cup kale, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 cup walnuts
Handful of Italian parsley
Balsamic vinegar
Butter or oil

Soak the triticale overnight, then cook it as you would rice. Sauté the onion and carrots in oil. Add kale and cook until dark. Toss sautéed veggies in remaining ingredients. Season with salt, pepper and vinegar.

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Posted on February 18, 2014