Arugula Potato Soup

3 tsp butter
2 onions or leeks
1 1/2 lbs. of potatoes
2 1/2 cups of broth or water
1/3 cup milk,
1 bunch of arugula
1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Saute onions, leeks for about 20 minutes. Add chopped potatoes, broth, ginger and nutmeg. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer partially covered for 30 minutes. Puree half the solids and return to soup. Add milk and bring to a boil. Add steamed arugula and cook an additional few minutes! Serve nice and hot with yummy bread.

Not sure where this old standby came from, but it's a great variation on a familiar theme.

Squash Soup with Thai Spices

2 acorn squash, pumpkins, or other smallish winter squash
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
1 teaspoon (or more) red Thai curry paste
Water
2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt (or to taste)
 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and place the oven racks in the middle.

Carefully cut each squash/pumpkin into halves (or quarters). Slather each piece of squash with butter, sprinkle generously with salt, place on a baking sheet skin sides down, and place in the oven. Roast an hour or until the squash is tender throughout. When the pumpkin/squash are cool enough to handle scoop it into a large pot over medium high heat. Add the coconut milk and curry paste and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and puree with a hand blender, you should have a very thick base at this point. Now add water a cup at a time pureeing between additions until the soup is the consistency you prefer - a light vegetable stock would work here as well. Bring up to a simmer again and add the salt (and more curry paste if you like, continue adding to taste). Serves six.

Recipe from 101cookbooks.com

Cabbage Slaw with Peanuts

Ingredients:

6 cups thinly sliced cabbage (napa, green or red or mix of all is good)

6 scallions, thinly sliced (or one red onion)

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons peeled, minced fresh ginger

2 tsp soy sauce

1/2 cup roasted peanuts

salt and pepper to taste

Optional: grated carrots or daikon, sliced red pepper, garlic

Whisk oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and salt and pepper to taste. Mix with veggies. Cover and chill. 

Potato Leek Soup

6 cups water
5 potatoes
4 tsp butter
2 leeks
fresh thyme
basil (to taste)
1 cup cream
1/4 cup parsley.

Melt butter in a stock pot. Slice leeks and sauté 5 minutes, add potatoes and sauté for another 5 minutes. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of stock and cook further (25 min.) until potatoes are tender. Puree, then return to stockpot and add the rest of stock, cream and herbs. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes.

Tomato Leek Sauce

This recipe is adapted from the Washington Post. It is delicious and versatile. Serve it over any cooked grain (try the barley, wheat berries or triticale from the farm), over potatoes, pasta, fish or chicken for an easy meal. Add a hot pepper for some heat or some fennel or fennel seeds for a change of pace. 

Ingredients:     

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups thinly sliced cleaned leeks (white and light-green parts)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 sprigs thyme

4 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped, plus their juices

1/3 cup sauvignon blanc or other dry white wine

Coarse or flaky sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the leeks, garlic and thyme. Stir to coat, and reduce the heat to medium; cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender but not browned, stirring occasionally.

Add the tomatoes plus their juices and the wine, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook uncovered for about 30 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed. The mixture will thicken and begin to look like a chunky sauce. 

Discard the thyme sprigs. Taste, and adjust the seasoning before serving or cooling and storing.

Stuffed Peppers

a little oil
1 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1.5 c raw brown rice
3 c water or stock
1/4 tspn allspice
1/4 c almonds, chopped
1/2 c chopped tomatoes
1/3 lb cheddar, grated
salt and pepper
4 large peppers, tops cut off, seeds removed

Heat oil in lg skillet. Saute garlic & onions. Add rice and brown ~ 5min. Add desired liquid and allspice. Cover and cook until rice is done ~ 40min. Toast almonds in dry skillet or hot oven ~ 3 min, tossing often. Stir in tomatoes, cheese, almonds, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook peppers in boiling water for 2 min. Drain and stuff peppers with rice mixture. Bake at 350F for ~30 min.

This is from Lizzie Breuer, Zephyr Community Farm member - published in "From Asparagas to Zucchini" from Madison Area Community Supported Ag coalition. 

Blistered Shishito Peppers

shishito peppers
2 tsp olive or avo oil
lemon wedge
salt

Wash and pat the peppers dry before starting to avoid any splatters when you frying. Toss the peppers in oil before cooking, rather than heating oil in the skillet. Warm your skillet over medium heat until it’s so hot that a drop of water sizzles and quickly evaporates.  Then, add the oiled peppers. Let them rest for a minute at a time before stirring, so they get a chance to char. Stir every minute until the peppers are tender and blistered in spots. Popping sounds are good! This will take ~10 min. Transfer to a serving plate. Spritz with a lemon wedge, if desired. Sprinkle with salt, to taste (don’t skimp). Eat them all (except the stems!)

There are tons of recipes for Blistered Shishito Peppers - here's one from "https://cookieandkate.com/blistered-shishito-peppers-recipe" 

Cantaloupe Cucumber Salad

1 cantaloupe, halved and deseeded
1 large cucumber, halved
2 ounces crumbly feta cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of one lemon
pinch of salt
10 basil leaves, coarsely chopped

Using a melon baller, create as many balls from the cantaloupe as possible. Add them to a large bowl.  If cucumber has large seeds, use the melon baller or a spoon to scrape them out. Cut the cucumber into thin half moons and add to the melons.  Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl and whisk.  Add the vinaigrette to the fruit and toss to combine. Then top with the crumbled feta and basil leaves. immediately.

From "This Healthy Table"  - https://thishealthytable.com/blog/cantaloupe-cucumber-salad/ - makes 2 large salad servings and keeps well in the fridge so you can make it a few hours in advance of eating.

Hot Weather Baba Ghanoush

I have long made baba ghanoush, but only this year was I so inspired to cook the eggplant outside to keep the kitchen as cool as possible. This is a flexible recipe and you may cook the eggplant in your oven, but I tried it outside and loved staying cool and loved the taste. The recipe may be cut in half. Experiment with how much of each ingredient you like. 

2 pounds eggplant (about 4 medium)

2 T tahini

4 T lemon juice

1 clove garlic (roasted garlic is also delicious in this recipe)

parsley

salt to taste

olive oil to taste

Place eggplant on medium hot grill and bake approximately 25-35 minutes, or until outside is charred and center is super soft. If the juice drips out, that's great. Let cool slightly and scoop eggplant out into colander or salad spinner. Let drip in colander for 1/2 hour or spin to get some of the water out (it will be creamier and thicker if you do this step). Add additional ingredients, except parsley and olive oil, and puree in food processor or blender until smooth and creamy. Add olive oil, if desired, to make in creamier. Add a little cayenne or zatar to spice it up. Serve with pita, flatbread, veggies or crackers. Great in a pita sandwich stuffed with fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. 

Tequilla Braised Corn Salsa

kernels cut from 2 ears of corn
3 tbsp tequilla
1-2 tbsp finely minced hot peppers
2 tbsp finely minced fresh onions
1 finely diced tomato
1 tbsp minced cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a dry skillet over high heat, add corn kernels, and pan-roast them until they brown in spots - ~3-5min. Stir in tequilla, scrape up browned bits in bottom of pan, and boil until liquid evaporates. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients. Serve as a snack with chips or a s a topping for grilled meats or fish. Makes 2-4 servings.

Polenta Baked Breakfast

4 eggs (you can find these in the farm shop)
3/4 cup polenta
3 cups of water
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 diced carrot
1/2 diced onion
2 diced garlic cloves
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup grated parmesan or pecorino
Olive oil, salt and pepper

 Preheat the oven to 375. In a saucepan, saute onion, garlic, and carrot, seasoned with salt and pepper. Once soft, add the sugar and cook for a minute before adding the tomatoes. Let cook while you get the polenta ready. In an oven-proof skillet, boil the water. Slow pour in the polenta while stirring so it doesn’t clump. Cook for 3-4 minutes, and once thick add half the cheese and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce on top, and make 4 holes to crack in the 4 eggs. Top with the rest of the cheese. Bake for 7 minutes.

Recipe from Spork Me (sporkme.tumblr.com)

Chilled Cucumber Soup

4 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 - 2 c water
2 c plain yogurt (or half sour cream)
1 clove garlic, peeled
several mint leaves
2 tbsp fresh dill
1-2 tsp salt
1 tbsp honey
2 scallions, finely chopped

Combine the chopped cucumber, 1 c water, yogurt, garlic, mint, dill, honey, and 1 tsp salt in a blender or food processor. Puree the ingredients, adding more of the water until the soup is a consistency you like. Season with more salt to taste. Transfer the soup to a large bowl and chill for several hours. Garnish each serving with chopped scallions.

This one comes is from the Farmer John Cookbook (available at our Farm Shop), and Karen made it on Tuesday - she says its the same as every other cucumber soup - really delicious and great on hot days. I won't say that the kids LOVED it, but they definitely ate it without too many grimaces.

Radicchio, Goat Cheese, and Nut Salad

Ingredients:

1 head radicchio, torn

1/8 cup olive oil

1 1/2 T cider or red wine vinegar

3/4 tsp sugar or honey

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup (2 ounces) goat cheese (plain or flavored both work great - pepper goat cheese is one of my favorites to add to salads)

1/4 cup walnuts, pecans or almonds (toasted and coarsely chopped)

Mix olive oil, vinegar, and sweetener. Place radicchio in a bowl and mix with dressing. Crumble goat cheese and sprinkle on top with the nuts. Toss lightly. May serve immediately or refrigerate for serving later in the day, I reserve the goat cheese and nuts and add them just before serving.

Napa Cabbage Salad

This recipe was found in the Tassajara Cookbook by BFCT president, Peter Littell, who passed it on to shareholder Rhonda Newman, who gave the list of ingredients to Karen, who doesn't measure ingredients, who makes it for the crew. It is an early summer crew favorite! 

1 medium Napa Cabbage
1 1/2 c. gruyere cheese, (finely grated)
1/2 - 3/4c. kalamata olives, pitted & chopped
Dressing:
1/4 c. olive oil (optional)
4 Tbsp. red wine vinegar (or to taste)
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed or 1-2 garlic scapes, ground fine in a food processor
salt to taste

Chop the cabbage, mix the dressing, combine and enjoy!! 

Summer Squash Frittata with Goat Cheese and Dill

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound summer squash or zucchini, grated (about 4 cups)
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
8 eggs
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup) (try Westfield Chevre from the farm shop)
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

 Heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium heat in a heavy skillet. Add the zucchini and garlic. Cook, stirring, until zucchini begins to wilt, about three minutes, it should still be bright green. Season with salt and pepper, and remove from heat. Beat the eggs in a large bowl with the goat cheese. Stir in zucchini and dill. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet. Pour in the egg mixture. Tilt the pan to distribute the eggs and filling evenly over the surface. Shake the pan gently, tilting it slightly with one hand while lifting up the edges of the frittata with the spatula in your other hand, to let the eggs run underneath during the first few minutes of cooking. Turn the heat to low, cover and cook 10 minutes, shaking the pan gently every once in a while. The bottom should have a golden color. The eggs should be just about set; cook a few minutes longer if theyre not. Meanwhile, heat the broiler. Uncover the pan and place under the broiler until the top browns very slightly and puffs under the broiler). Cut into wedges or into smaller bite-size diamonds. Serve hot, warm, at room temperature or cold.

Recipe from The New York Times

Cheesy Eggy

1 lb chard
4 tbsp canola oil    
1/3 c.  chopped garlic scapes    
1/2 tspn salt    
pinch of sugar    
3/4 c milk    
3 eggs, lightly beaten    
1/2 tspn thyme    
1 c. grated cheddar    
1 c. cooked rice    
1/2 tspn worcestershire

Preheat the oven to 350. Steam greens. Mix with all other ingredients. Bake in a buttered, shallow baking dish until mixture is set (about 20 min). Serve hot and cut into squares.

This dish was a staple in our home when our kids were little. And they grew up great!! It is a fool-proof way to get kids to eat greens. Even the most hardened "I only eat macaroni & cheese" kid yells for more of this, to the utter amazement and delight of their parents. We put this one in every year - a great foundation.

Summer Salad with Herbed Dressing

Summer Salad with Herbed Dressing

1 big head of lettuce - any variety
Toppings: Your choice of thinly sliced vegetables - for example: radish, turnip, cucumber or snap peas.
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic scape
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Whisk vinegar and salt til salt dissolves. Add dill, mustard and garlic scape and whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking slowly, 'til emulsified. Shred lettuce and add other vegetables. Pour dressing over salad and toss til coated.

This dressing comes from Kitchn.com - it's delicious and also inspiring as an example because there are lots of dressing recipes out there, and a new dressing flavor can change the salad game completely.

Grilled Halibut with Tatsoi and Spicy Thai Chiles

5 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Thai bird chiles with seeds or 1/2 large jalapeño chile with seeds, minced
1 small carrot, peeled, cut into matchstick-size strips
4 6- to 7-ounce halibut fillets
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 onion, thinly sliced
3/4 pound tatsoi(about 12 cups packed) 

Mix first 7 ingredients in medium glass bowl.

Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. (Sauce can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat).

Place carrot in medium bowl. Cover with ice water. Let stand 15 minutes, then drain well. Brush fish on all sides with 2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until just opaque in center, about 4 minutes per side. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion; stir 1 minute. Add tatsoi; sprinkle with salt. Toss until tatsoi is wilted but still bright green, about 2 minutes; divide among 4 plates.

Place fish atop tatsoi. Sprinkle each fillet with carrot; drizzle each with 2 tablespoons sauce. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons sliced black olives 

Preheat oven to 350F

Place spaghetti squash with cut sides down on a greased baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven and set aside to cool. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion until tender. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant,. Stir in tomatoes and cook until warmed through. Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash and place in a medium bowl. Toss with the vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm.