Recipes
Kicked Up Cajun Corn Maque Choux ~Taken from thefoodnetwork.com Pronounced "mock shoe", this is a traditional dish from southern Louisiana. It is thought to be a mix of Cajun and American Indian cultural influence, and the name is likely derived from the French interpretation of the Native American name. It is usually served as an accompaniment but it can also act as a base for a main meal by adding rice, chicken, shrimp etc.
2 Tbs unsalted butter or bacon drippings 2 c corn 1/2 c yellow onions, chopped 1/2 c red or green bell peppers, chopped 1 Tbs jalapeno pepper, minced 1/2 c heavy cream dash of the following spices: salt pepper garlic powder onion powder dried oregano dried thyme paprika Melt the butter in a large skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the corn, onions, bell peppers, jalapeno, spices, and cook, stirring, until soft, for 10 minutes. Add the cream and cook for 2 minutes.
Mushroom Barley Risotto
This one is delicious. Adapted from a Splendid Table recipe.
4 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
1 medium shallot, chopped (you can sub a bit more onion and a clove or 2 of garlic here)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 cup pearl barley
4-5 cups canned low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup grated Manchego or Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a large, heavy stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and shallot and sauté 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, wine, thyme, and barley, stirring until the wine is nearly evaporated. Add 4 cups of broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is almost completely absorbed and the barley is almost tender, about 25 minutes. Add the remaining 1cup broth and cook, stirring, until the barley is tender and creamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley and cheese, season with salt and pepper, and serve.
Mushroom, Barley Stuffed Squash Not only does this dish look amazing in its perfect squash bowl, it is savory and hearty and sure to warm you up from the inside out.
1 c pearled barley (uncooked) 3 c vegetable, chicken broth or water 2 clove garlic, minced 1/2 onion, diced 2 c fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced 3 c loosely packed fresh spinach 2 Tbs tamari or soy sauce 2 tsp sesame oil dash cayenne pepper, to taste 2 sugar dumpling squashes, roasted cooking oil, butter or bacon drippings
Preheat oven to 400.Cut squash in half, scoop out seeds. Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake, cut side down for 40 minutes. While squash is roasting, add barley and broth (or water) to medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until tender, about 1 hour (Tip: You can soak barley one hour ahead of time to reduce cooking time). Strain excess water if needed after cooking and set barley aside. In large nonstick saucepan, heat a few tablespoons of cooking oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft. Next add garlic, shiitake mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until soft. Add barley, stirring often, until barley is heated through. Add spinach in batches, covering pan with a lid to steam. Remove from heat. Season with tamari, sesame oil and cayenne pepper. Stuff in to a halved squash.
Sweet Potato Waffles ~Taken from foodnetwork.com I thought this was such a cool twist on vegetables for breakfast. A great way to get your kid to eat something orange!
1 1/2 c sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed 2 c all purpose flour 1 Tbs baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 6 egg whites, at room temperature 1 c milk 1/4 c light brown sugar, firmly packed 1/4 c butter, melted 1 Tbs grated orange rind Vegetable spray, for waffle iron
Special equipment: waffle iron
Boil sweet potatoes until soft. Mash cooked potatoes and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In another bowl combine the sweet potatoes, milk, brown sugar, butter, and grated orange rind. Stir the sweet potato mixture into the flour mixture and thoroughly combine. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold egg whites into batter 1/3 at a time. The batter will be thick. Place an appropriate scoop of batter onto oiled waffle iron, and cook until lightly browned, about 5 to 6 minutes.
Moroccan Carrot Soup ~Taken from Vegetarian Times Its soup season and I have been eating this soup for the past week straight! I love its sweet, rich Eastern flavors. A general recipe that can be transformed with any accent flavors you wish.
1 Tbs + 1 tsp olive oil 1 tsp fennel seeds 1 1/4 lbs. carrot, sliced 1/4 inch thick 1/2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (1 large or 2 medium) 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced (or 1/4 c cider) 6 c vegetable broth (or chicken broth) 2 Tbs long grain white rice 1/4 tsp curry powder 1/4 tsp coriander 1 bay leaf Fresh lemon juice Flat-leaf parsley sprigs, for garnish
In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add fennel seeds and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Next, add sweet potatoes, carrots, and apple and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes. Add broth, rice, curry powder, coriander, and bay leaf. After all of the ingredients have been added, bring mixture to a very low boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are just tender, about 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf and puree soup in batches in a food processor or with an immersion blender. Add lemon juice, salt, and freshly ground pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley.
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Bunched Carrots - From Annie today: Working at a place where speed and accuracy are of the utmost importance, one starts to take pride in certain numbers. Deb and I couldn't help but do a little calculating yesterday, after harvesting the orange carrots for the CSA this week. The two of us picked, bunched, loaded onto the truck (crate by crate), and unloaded off the truck (crate by crate) 350 bunches of carrots in 2.5 hours, which comes out to less than half a minute per bunch, steady. ...Just another few hours in a given day at Pete's. 
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