Bre’s Basic Scones

Bre is one of the farm’s unofficial Makers of Snacks. She spoils us with tasty treats! In addition to occasionally baking for us, she also works on our Harvest Crew and at farmer’s markets.

Bre has picked up a few baking tips over the years. “Try to have all your ingredients the same temperature before you mix them. Get a good sifter to thoroughly mix your dry ingredients. Keep that journal, because if you make a slight change that works well, you want to remember it!”

2 cups flour (can be different kinds)
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup chilled and cubed butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg, separated

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Next, prepare your floured surface for shaping the dough.

(Option if you don’t have buttermilk: Prepare “buttermilk” by combining 1 cup milk and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a bowl. Let stand 5-10 minutes and measure 3/4 cup liquid from the bowl.)

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl or a food processor. Either cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or pulse in a food processor until a sandy texture is reached. (Larger butter chunks will lead to flakier scones)

Whisk egg yolk and buttermilk together. Then combine with dry ingredients with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. If it feels too wet or sticky add a small handful of flour and mix until just combined. Trust your instinct!

Pour dough onto a floured surface and shape into a 7 inch disc. (Optional: knead in dried fruit, chocolate chips, raisins, nuts, etc.) Then cut into 8 equal wedges.

Place on your baking sheet and brush on reserved egg white. For softer scones, place touching each other in a tight circle. Bake 25-29 minutes or until barely brown on the edges. Place the sheet on a rack to cool for 10 minutes.

Once cooled, feel free to add a powdered sugar drizzle (see below) or top with preserves.

Powdered Sugar Drizzle (Optional)
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. water or milk
1 Tbsp. vanilla.

Combine all drizzle ingredients in a small bowl, adjusting quantities to your desired consistency or top with preserves

Bre’s Baking Tips

Breanna (Bre) Krumpe came to work for Nash’s several years ago and has become one of our most valued employees. She works with the harvest and packing crews, and is also a solid marketeer, anchoring our Seattle markets several times a month. In addition to being a talented musician, she enjoys baking and has been experimenting with different types of flour from Nash’s Farm..

She started her baking “career” while working in a corporate office in Portland.She felt that the atmosphere was too sterile and cold, so she boosted morale and built friendlier relations with her co-workers by baking something for each person’s birthday. “I’m good with spices and flavors, and I like to experiment,” Bre says. “I’ve gotten to the point where flavors are usually good, so now I’m playing with textures.”

Once on the farm, Bre realized she had access to lots of different kinds of grains and flours. She began trying the different kinds, keeping a journal of her recipes and how things turned out when she changed one flour for another. “I bake lots of scones because they are pretty easy and the taste of the flour doesn’t have to compete with other flavors, so you can really compare flavors and textures.”

  • Her favorite of Nash’s flours, so far, is the triticale. “I love the nutty flavor for cookies an brownies.”
  • Nash’s soft white wheat flour is more delicate. “It puffs up more, so my scones are more like cake.”
  • The hard red is more grainy and rustic, good for bread. “It’s so ‘alive.’ I use it for sourdough bread, and each loaf is unique.”
  • She’s just started playing with barley flour. “It makes a fluffier scone than triticale, and has an earthier flavor, but it crumbles a little. I may have to add more oil or moisture.”
  • Combining flours makes for even more interesting flavors. “Buckwheat is almost sweet, so I combine buckwheat and triticale for great taste and texture.”

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Fava Bean Pasta Salad with Garlic Scape Pesto

fava beans

Fava pasta!

This is a delicious spring recipe perfect for a picnic lunch. Serve the pasta salad atop fresh spinach to increase the nutrient density of your meal!

1 cup coarsely chopped garlic scapes
⅔ cup shredded Parmesan
½ cup shelled pistachios
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
½ cup olive oil
2 lb. fava beans
1 lb. Gemelli (corkscrew) pasta, cooked
6 oz. crumbled feta

In the bowl of a food processor, combine garlic scapes, Parmesan, pistachios, salt, and pepper, and pulse to coarsely chop. While machine is running, gradually add oil until pesto is pureed but still a bit chunky. Set aside.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add fava beans and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse beans with cold water. Remove the tough outer skin of each by pinching the outer skin to pop out the darker-green bean inside. Discard skins and place beans in a large bowl. Add pasta and feta, and then toss with pesto to coat. Serve at room temperature or after chilling.

We thank CountryLiving.com for this recipe.

Gemelli Pasta

Gemelli pasta is the type of pasta that is tightly twisted around itself like a corkscrew. (But I’m sure any type of pasta would work here!)

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Sweet and Sour Strawberry Semifreddo with Black Sesame

strawberries

Semifreddo is a kind of frozen mousse and looks like ice cream — except you don’t need an ice cream maker to create this cool summer treat!

1 lb. strawberries, hulled, quartered
⅓ cup sugar
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. black sesame seeds
2 cups heavy cream
Pinch of kosher salt
⅔ cup sweetened condensed milk
½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

Cook strawberries and sugar in a medium pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until strawberries have broken down into a thick, chunky jam (they should not be syrupy), 10–15 minutes. Stir in vinegar; let cool.

Meanwhile, toast black sesame seeds in a dry small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool.

Whip cream and salt until cream holds a medium-stiff peak. Gently whisk in sweetened condensed milk and yogurt until completely blended. Gently fold in half of strawberry jam, just enough to create streaks, then gently fold in remaining jam. Mixture should look marbled with pockets of jam.

Transfer to a medium bowl or loaf pan and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours and up to 3 days. Serve topped with toasted sesame seeds. Serves 8.

  We thank bonapetit.com for this tasty summer recipe.

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Why Organic Strawberries?

strawberries in pints

It’s that time again!

If you had to choose only one item to eat organic, the strawberry should be it. It is 91% water, which means it is absorbing moisture from every source it can as it grows. If that moisture also contains pesticides or herbicides, those toxins are being absorbed into the flesh of the berry right along with the water. This is true for other berries, and for things like celery and peppers with high water content.

But because strawberries are very susceptible to pest attacks, they are among the most sprayed items in the grocery store. Avoid conventional ones, and eat the organic ones to keep these toxins out of your body.

They go great with spinach. Check out our favorite salads and other strawberry recipes.

Strawberries are high in vitamins A, C, and some of the B-complex. They are a sweet source of fiber and are considered to be a spring tonic, nourishing and detoxifying to the spleen and pancreas.

They seem to have a tranquilizing effect! Maybe that’s just psychological, but this is why their scent is used for surgical gloves for dentists and masks for children’s anesthesia.

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Sauteed Asparagus with Spinach

Bunches of spinach in a Nash box

Green things are on their way back! It’s spinach time!

1 tbsp olive oil or Nash’s camelina oil
1 bunch asparagus, ends removed and cut into 2 inch pieces
2 Tbsp. water
3 cups packed spinach
1/8 tsp. marjoram
1/8 tsp. thyme
1/4 of a lemon, juiced
Salt
Pepper

In a medium skilled over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add asparagus and top with a little salt. Mix well to evenly coat asparagus with oil. Add water, spinach, and remaining ingredients, mix well. Cover and steam for 2-3 minutes.

Remove lid, mix and re-cover. Cook the sautéed asparagus with spinach another 3-5 minutes, or until asparagus is to your liking (firm or soft). Once done, remove from heat, plate and serve hot.

We thank lemonandolives.com for this recipe.

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About Camelina Oil

It’s easier than ever to eat local! Nash’s camelina oil is grown, pressed, and bottled right here on the farm.

Nash’s is producing a local and sustainable cooking oil. It is 100% organic camelina, unrefined, and grown and cold-pressed right in Dungeness!

Camelina seed (aka wild flax, German sesame, or Siberian oilseed) is a plant from the Cruciferae family, domesticated and used in Europe for several thousand years. The seeds are high in Omega-3 fatty acids, anti-inflammatory fats considered beneficial for cardiovascular health. They are up to 45% Omega-3s, similar to the amount found in flax seed, and have additional plant chemicals that are anti-oxidants, including vitamin E.

You can use the oil for cooking (smoke point is 475F) so you can add a delicious nutty flavor to your vegetable sautés!

Explore camelina oil recipes on our recipes blog, and let us know what you think!

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Creamy Camelina Dill Dressing

NEW at Nash’s! Eating local has never been so easy when you can get local cooking oil!

1/3 cup Greek yogurt (optional)
2 small garlic cloves
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/3 cup Nash’s camelina oil
1 cup fresh chopped dill
Salt and pepper, to taste

In food processor, combine yogurt (if using), garlic, mustard, vinegar, and lime juice. Process until smooth and slowly add camelina oil to ensure emulsification.

Once all the camelina oil has been added, process for an additional minute, transfer to bowl, and fold in dill. Season with salt and pepper. If you wish to cut out yogurt for more of a vinaigrette texture, just whisk all ingredients together in bowl.

This dressing will keep for several days in fridge—just shake or whisk before use.

Makes 1 cup.

Serve drizzled over fresh greens and summer veggies, or get creative—this dressing can also be used for fish, pasta salad, slaws, potatoes, and dips.

We thank Alive.com for this recipe.

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Roasted Spring Radishes and Asparagus Salad

DID YOU KNOW? Asparagus is one of nature’s best cancer-prevention veggies — and they’re so tasty, too!

Serves two

1 cup halved radishes
2 cups asparagus, chopped into thirds
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Green Onion Vinaigrette
2 Tbsp. olive oil (or Nash’s camelina oil)
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 green onion
1 Tbsp. chives
1 Tbsp. sugar or honey
Zest and juice from 1/2 lemon

Preheat oven to 400˚. Toss radish and asparagus in olive oil. Spread out in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes until radish and asparagus is tender.

Meanwhile, combine vinaigrette ingredients into a food processor or blender. Mix until well combined and green onion is in small pieces. Once asparagus and radishes are done, toss in vinaigrette.

Serve as a side dish or atop a bed of arugula or other salad greens.

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About Asparagus

Asparagus is super rich in nutrients. It’s an excellent source of vitamin K, folate, copper, selenium, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin C, and vitamin E. It is also a very good source of dietary fiber, manganese, phosphorus, vitamin B3, potassium, choline, vitamin A, zinc, iron, protein, vitamin B6, and pantothenic acid.

This herbaceous plant—along with avocado, kale and Brussels sprouts—is a particularly rich source of glutathione, a detoxifying compound that helps break down carcinogens and other harmful compounds like free radicals. This is why eating asparagus may help protect against and fight certain forms of cancer, such as bone, breast, colon, larynx and lung cancers.

It’s one of the top ranked fruits and vegetables for its ability to neutralize cell-damaging free radicals. This, according to preliminary research, may help slow the aging process.

Our asparagus in the Store comes from Alvarez Farms in Mabton, WA, one of the state’s premier organic farms, and good friends of Nash’s Farm.

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Braised Spring Carrots and Leeks with Tarragon

Bunch carrots

They’re BACK! Bunched carrots are coming out of the greenhouse and into your tummy!

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, cleaned and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. carrots, peeled, halved or quartered lengthwise if thick, then cut in 2-inch lengths
½ cup water
Salt to taste
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan or lidded skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and a generous pinch of salt. Cook gently until just about tender, about three minutes. Do not allow leeks to color. Add garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add carrots, water and salt to taste, and lower heat. Cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes until carrots are tender when pierced with a knife. Stir in lemon juice and tarragon. Taste and adjust salt. Serve hot, or at room temperature. Sprinkle with additional fresh tarragon just before serving.

We thank cooking.nytimes.com for this recipe.

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