Recipes
Vegetable Tian
A tian is a casserole of sorts featuring various vegetables arranged in a specific arrangement. This tian would also be great with peppers thrown in!
Good olive oil
2 large yellow onions, cut in half and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound medium round potatoes, unpeeled
3/4 pound zucchini
1 1/4 pounds medium tomatoes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs, or 1 tsp dried thyme
2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated, or other cheese
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Brush a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with olive oil. In a medium saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the onions over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the baking dish.
Slice the potatoes, zucchini, and tomatoes in 1/4-inch thick slices. Layer them alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them tightly, making only 1 layer. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme leaves, and thyme sprigs and drizzle with 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Uncover the dish, remove the thyme sprigs, sprinkle the cheese on top, and bake for another 30 minutes until browned. Serve warm.
Lazy Cucumber and Onion Pickle
These need about 3 hours to cure and will stay fresh in the fridge for about a week. From the book "Vegetable Literacy" by Deborah Madison.
3 cucumbers, unpeeled
1 onion
Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 tbsp sugar or 1 tsp agave syrup
1 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
1/2 tsp celery seeds
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
Slice the cucumbers thinly crosswise. Slice the onion into thin rounds.
Put 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, and the sugar in a bowl large enough to hold the vegetables. Add the vinegar and 1 cup water and stir to dissolve the sugar and salt. Add the cucumbers, onion, mustard seeds, celery seeds, and turmeric. Press on the vegetables to immerse them in the liquid (a plate set over the veggies can help). Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Steamed Broccoli with Mustard butter, pine nuts, and roasted pepper
This makes an awesome summer salad. The mustard butter puts it right over the edge from being just a good salad to a fantastic one.
About 1 pound broccoli
4 tbsp mustard butter (recipe below)
3 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
1 large roasted sweet pepper, seeded and sliced a scant 1/2 inch wide
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Cut the stems off the brocoli crowns and peel them. Slice the stems into rounds. Cut the crowns into bite-sized florets.
Steam the broccoli florets and stem slices until bright green and tender. Check by piercing the stems with a knife. It should take about 5 minutes.
Lift the broccoli into a bowl and toss with the mustard butter, pine nuts, and roasted pepper. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Mustard Butter with Lemon Zest and Shallot
This butter is a wonderful accompaniment to any cruciferous veggie- broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, or brussel sprouts. Use it with cooked veggies or stir it into soups that are based on these veggies.
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
Sea salt
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tsp prepared mustard or more, to taste
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 large shallot, finely diced
Coarsely ground pepper
Beat the butter with a few pinches of salt until smooth. Add the lemon zest, mustard, parsley, and shallot and mix well. Taste and add more mustard if you'd like. Season with pepper. Pack the butter into a serving dish and serve, or roll it into a log in waxed paper or parchment paper and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.
Broccoli Pesto Pizza
This pizza is delicious with a little hot italian sausage, sliced garlic, or hot peppers. Add your favorite toppings!
1 pizza dough, thawed
10oz broccoli, chopped into small florets
Mozzarella cheese
1 bunch basil
1.5 cup walnuts, toasted
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
In a food processor, combine basil, walnuts, oil, and lemon zest. Process until mixture forms a smooth paste, scraping down bowl as needed. Season with salt and pepper.
Roll out dough onto a floured surface, sprinkle flour or cornmeal onto a baking sheet, and transfer dough to the sheet. Spread pesto over the surface of the dough, scatter broccoli over the pesto, and distribute cheese on top. Add any other toppings.
Cook until dough edges are brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, slice into wedges and serve immediately.
Tomato, Mozzarella, and Garlic Pizza
Here's a classic pizza that tastes great. From Cooking Light.
pizza dough
2 tablespoon cornmeal
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced
3 cups sliced tomato (about 4)
4 teaspoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Stretch or roll the dough on a lightly floured surface. Place dough on a pizza pan or baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal (I like to start mine on a piece of parchment and then transfer to the hot baking stone in my oven). Crimp edges of dough with fingers to form a rim (helps to keep everything on the pizza). Bake at 450°F for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle cheese over pizza crust. Arrange the tomato slices over cheese. Combine oil and garlic; sprinkle over tomato. Sprinkle with pepper. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Top with basil and cut into wedges and enjoy!
Basil Puree
This is a great way to use your basil. The puree is very similar to pesto without the cheese and nuts. It's thinner and lighter and a great addition to grilled zucchini, roasted pepper, or green beans.
1 small clove garlic
Sea salt
1 bunch basil
1/3 cup olive oil
Pound the garlic in a mortar with 1/4 tsp salt until smooth. Set aside.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the basil leaves, and leave them for just a few seconds until they're bright green, then drain immediately. In a food processor or blender, puree the drained leaves, garlic mixture, and olive oil until smooth. Season to tast. The sauce is best used immediately, but can be stored in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
Caprese Salad
Don't forget about this classic, easy summer favorite.
Summer tomatoes, sliced into thick rounds
Fresh mozzarella, sliced into rounds
a handful of basil leaves - chopped
Good olive oil
Good aged balsamic or a balsamic reduction
Optional - a clove of garlic, minced
Putting the salad together is simple. Once you have sliced the tomatoes and mozz and chopped the basil you can arrange them prettily on a plate and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic.
If you don't have the highest quality balsamic, you can improve it easily. Just pour a half cup or so into a small saucepan and let it boil, simmering it to half it's original volume. This concentrates the vinegar into something even more yummy. (Don't leave this pot unattended as it reduces pretty quickly and will burn.)
Butter Poached Radishes
Yes you can cook your radishes! Poaching the radishes lightly and following up with the raspberry vinegar makes a great tasting dish.
1 bunch French breakfast radishes (about 3/4 lb.), greens and bottoms discarded
3 tbsp unsalted butter
Salt and pepper to taste
3 dashes raspberry wine vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable stock
1 tsp fresh tarragon
Depending on size, halve or quarter radishes lengthwise. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet until melted.
Toss in the chopped radishes and season with salt and pepper. Sauté over low-medium heat until they become translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the raspberry wine vinegar and sauté approximately another minute until the radishes turn a vibrant pink. Add the vegetable stock and the remaining tablespoon of butter and cook for another minute to glaze the radishes. Remove from heat and tear fresh tarragon leaves directly onto the radishes.
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Sweet Peppers - these are a fun treat for you this week. These peppers are large, hollow, and can be stuffed or fried. Their flesh is crisp and juicy. Enjoy raw in salads, sandwiches, or in a stir fry. They also roast beautifully and are really tasty this way. To roast, simply core and seed, quarter them, brush them with olive oil (or not), and then roast them in the oven, skin side up at n oven temp of anywhere from 45o to broiling. The hotter the oven, the quicker they will roast. With a very hot oven, you may want to turn them a time or two for even roasting. Roast until the skins blister and brown or char a bit. Then remove from oven to cool. Most cooks like to remove the charred skins from the peppers before using in a dish. This is done easily if you cover the cooling peppers with a cloth for 10 minutes. The steam loosens the skin and peeling is easier. Iris, Melissa and Isaac's toddler who is growing up on the farm loves snacking on these peppers!
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