Crock- Pot Lentil/Pea Soup

The easiest way to have a great hot meal when you have no time due to finals.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb red lentils (ie. 1/2 of those goya bags)
1/2 lb yellow split peas (ie. 1/2 of those goya bags)
(note- you can make this entirely with peas, or entirely with lentils, or some other proportions).
1/3 cup barley (for thickening. If you dont want to buy a whole bag of barley for the recipe, dice 2 small potatoes)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 normal sized carrot, chopped (or 3 small CSA carrots)
1 tbs garlic powder
1 tsp turmeric
fresh ground black pepper
1 bay leaf- optional

rinse the peas, lentils and barley thoroughly to remove the dust that sometimes settles. This can take 2-4 rinses.

Place all ingredients in a large crock pot, fill the pot to the top with water.

Let it cook overnight on low. (or turn it on before you head off to school and come home to a great dinner).

I have never overcooked this recipe, so dont worry about leaving it on for too long so long as it has enough liquid. (I once let it cook for 24 hours).

Crock- Pot Cabbage Soup

A great recipe for all your CSA cabbage and carrots

in one large crock pot, put:
1 small head of cabbage, chopped into small pieces (approx 1 inch squares)
1 small to medium sized onion, finely chopped
3 small carrots (or 1 normal sized carrot) chopped
1/3 cup barley, rinsed (optional)
1/3 cup red lentils, rinsed (optional)

Spices:
2 tsp paprika
1 tbs turmeric
4 tsp garlic pungent garlic powder (if your garlic powder is milder, add more or put in chopped fresh garlic. I use the powdered because its easier)
black pepper to taste

Fill to the top with tap water. Place lid on top. Turn the crock pot on low and let it cook!
(I cooked it on low from 3 PM until 1 PM the next day. and it was a great lunch).

salt to taste before eating. Also tastes great with a bit of grated cheddar mixed in to the individual servings.
enjoy!

Roasted Root Veggie Stew: a Blueprint

Here's a versatile, all-purpose stew recipe for your root veggies:
http://straightfromthefarm.net/2009/01/21/roasted-root-vegetable-stew/

The Soup Blueprint

1. Heat your fat (oil or butter or lard) in a large soup pot
2. Sauté any combination of garlic and onions (add more of whichever you like)
3. Add pinches of salt and pepper with each addition of ingredients in order to build your flavor
4. Add any combination of vegetables and continue sautéing
5. Add your dried herbs and spices and continue sautéing
6. Add your stock, at least enough to let the vegetables swim freely
7. Bring to a boil
8. If you want any pastas or grains, add them now (be very generous with your stock if using these)
9. Reduce to a simmer and cook until everything’s soft and happy – usually about 30 minutes
10. Add fresh herbs during the last ten minutes of cooking
11. Blend if you want a smooth soup and/or add cream if you want
12. Taste and season with more salt and pepper
13. Taste again!
14. If you wanted meat in there somewhere, depending on if it’s cooked or raw, add it in either step two (to brown beef), eight (to cook chicken), or ten (for cooked anything)

It'll taste great, be super healthy, and freeze well. Happy Stewing!

Thanks to Sharon Mack for sending in this link!

Green Tomatoes

I have to admit, I didn't take any green tomatoes the first week they arrived. I had no interest in pickling them or frying them, and didn't know what else to do with them.

but as it turns out, they're a fantastic addition to the savory roasted vegetables at the bottom of the post.

Celeriac: The Bible Says

Mark Bittman's book, "How to Cook Everything" (or "The Bible") includes the following recipe for Celeriac and Potato Purée:

Ingredients:

1 pound celeriac (2 small knobs or 1 large one), peeled

1 pound baking potatoes, such as Idaho or Russet, peeled

Salt

3 tbsp butter

1/2 cup milk or cream, warmed

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Minced fresh parsley leaves for garnish

1. Cut the celeriac and potatoes into roughly equal-sized pieces, 1 or 2 inches in diameter. Place in a pot with water to cover; add a handful of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until both potatoes and celeriac are tender, about 15 minutes.

2. Drain the vegetables well and rinse out the pot. (You may prepare the recipe in advance up to this point; refrigerate, well wrapped or in a covered container, for up to 2 days before proceeding.) Put the vegetables through a food mill placed over the pot, or mash them with a large fork or potato masher. Add the butter and, gradually, the milk, beating with a wooden spoon. When the mixture is smooth, season it with salt and pepper and serve, keep warm, or allow to cool for reheating later. Garnish before serving.

Goes well with meats cooked in liquid, according to Bittman (whatever that means.)

Fennel with Lentils, Thyme & Chard

recipe inspired by a french dish in Moosewood Simple Suppers (a fantastic cookbook)

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked lentils
• 1-2 bulbs fennel, finely sliced
  
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• white wine vinegar
• 1 cup chopped chard- optional. Any other green, including bok choy, could work too (can use more or less, but the raw leaves should not be more than 3/4 the volume of the fennel)
  

Directions

• boil the lentils
• in a separate frying pan, saute the garlic in the olive oil
• when the garlic is slightly golden, add in the fennel and stir
• when the fennel is slightly golden (it gets a slight shade of off white darker) add in the thyme and stir.
• mix in the chopped chard
  
• leave on stove top while stirring for 3-4 more minutes or until chard is fully wilted
  
• mix the lentils
• serve with a generous drizzle of white wine vinegar

AMAZING

Polenta Pizza with Spinach or Chard

By Mark Bittman, in the New York Times:

Something different to do with your chard...





Time: About 45 minutes, plus one hour’s chilling

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, more for pan
• 1/2 cup milk, preferably whole
• Salt
• 1 cup coarse cornmeal
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup (about 4 ounces) chopped pancetta
• 1 pound spinach, washed, trimmed and dried
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled.

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees; brush a layer of olive oil on a pizza pan or cookie sheet. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine milk with 2 1/2 cups water and a large pinch of salt. Bring just about to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and add cornmeal in a steady stream, whisking all the while to prevent lumps from forming. Turn heat to low and simmer, whisking frequently, until thick, 10 or 15 minutes. If mixture becomes too thick, whisk in a bit more water; you want a consistency approaching thick oatmeal.

2. Stir 1 tablespoon oil into cooked cornmeal (polenta). Spoon it onto prepared pan, working quickly so polenta does not stiffen; spread it evenly to a thickness of about 1/2 inch all over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover baking sheet with plastic wrap and put it in refrigerator until it is firm, an hour or more (you can refrigerate polenta overnight if you prefer).

3. Put polenta in oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it begins to brown and crisp on edges. Meanwhile, put two tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and pancetta is nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to take onion and pancetta out of pan; set aside. Add spinach to skillet and sauté until it releases its water and pan becomes dry; sprinkle with salt and lots of pepper.

4. Take polenta out of oven, sprinkle with Gorgonzola, then spread onion-pancetta mixture and spinach evenly on top of cheese; drizzle with another tablespoon olive oil. Put pizza back in oven for two minutes, or until cheese begins to melt and pancetta and vegetables are warmed through. Cut into slices and serve hot or at room temperature.

Yield: 4 servings.

Variation: Before you put polenta in oven, top it with thin slices of fresh mozzarella, two or three thinly sliced Roma tomatoes or a bit of tomato sauce, and a handful of fresh basil leaves.

Beets!

My favorite way to eat beats is to roast them.



(dont forget- the green tops are delicious. treat them like any other green).



There are two ways to roast beets:

	Roast first- then chop	Chop first- then roast
What you do:	· Wash the beets well, trim off the ends. (peel, if you want) · Cut the beet into quarters · Wrap in aluminum foil and place in the over at 375˚ F until soft (about an hour) (Note- the oven time is flexible. I try and roast beets while I am cooking something else in the oven)	· Wash the beets well, trim off the ends. (peel, if you want) · Chop the beets into small cubes · Place on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil · Roast in oven at 375˚ F- first 15-20 minutes covered, then 10-20 minutes uncovered. (oven temperature can be up to 400˚ F)
Advantages:	· Its much cleaner- few things are messier than chopping uncooked beets- the juices get everywhere and can stain · Its easier to chop- uncooked beets are very hard, and this method saves you chopping time	· Less cooking time · More slightly crispy/ caramelized edges · You can add flavors while roasting- like citrus, garlic, or herbs · You can roast with other veggies (see below)
Disadvantages:	· Takes longer to cook	· Its much messier- few things are messier than chopping uncooked beets- the juices get everywhere and can stain · Its harder to chop- uncooked beets are very hard, and this method saves you chopping time

what to do with roasted beets:

• serve with goat cheese!
• serve with citrus vinaigrette or honey mustard vinaigrette
• serve in a salad (or in a salad with goat cheese)

Sweet Beet & Veggie Roast

• chop the beets (see above)
• chop parsnip & carrots & red onions
• optional- garlic cloves still in the peel (see below)
  
  
• place in lasanga pan
• drizzle with olive oil
• roast covered, and then uncovered in a 375˚F oven
  
  
• veggies are done when they are super tender (time will depend on how many veggies you have, but its usually at leats 40 min)

Savory Beet & Veggie Roast

• chop the beets (see above). but beets are optional.
  
  
• chop parsnip & carrots & onions & turnips
• add garlic cloves- peeled or unpeeled. see below.
  
  
• optional- chop a fennel bulb
  
  
• place in lasanga pan
• drizzle with olive oil
• optional- mix in crushed dried rosemary, dried oregano, dried basil, (any of the above, all of the above, or other herbs of your choice)
• optional- mix in chopped greens (like beet greens, collard, kale, chard, etc). volume of veggies should be around 1/3 volume of whole dish when raw. Maximum 1/2 of dish)
  
  
• roast covered, and then uncovered in a 375˚F oven
  
  
• veggies are done when they are super tender (time will depend on how many veggies you have, but its usually at least 40 min)

Note about the garlic:

• you can roast the garlic peeled or unpeeled
• if you peel it, the garlic will better flavor all the other veggies
• if you roast the individual cloves while still in the peel, the cloves will get soft and caramelized, and will pop right out of the peel when fully cooked
• I like both- so I always put in some cloves peeled and some unpeeled.
  
  

Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti Squash is incredibly easy to make. When cooked it has a spaghetti-like texture (which leads many dieters to substitute it for the pasta version).







Baking Directions

1. cut the squash in half and remove seeds (if some remain, this is fine- you'll remove them after baking)
   
2. fill a baking pan, pie pan or small lasanga pan with 1 to 2 inches of water
3. place the squash down in the pan with the cut open side face down
4. bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until outside skin can be easily pierced with a knife
5. remove from oven, and scoop out insides with a spoon or fork

Serving Suggestions

1. plain
2. with tomato sauce
   
3. with tomato sauce and meatballs
4. with Parmigiana cheese
5. with melted cheese
   
6. with butter and salt
7. with sauteed fresh veggies on top
8. any other way you like your spaghetti (though I don't know how well an Alfredo sauce would stick to the squash- but if you try this keep us posted)
   

sesame purple cabbage

cross posted to two heads of lettuce
a great quick and easy dish that serves many people

1/3 cup raw sesame seeds
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 head purple cabbage chopped
3 tbsp teriyaki or soy sauce
2 pinches brown or white sugar- only if using soy sauce
1 tbsp fresh or ground ginger- optional
1 pkg defrosted frozen spinach- optional

the key is toasting the sesame seeds properly. Have your cabbage washed and chopped and on hand.

In a chicken fryer or in a large pot place the oil and the sesame seeds. Turn the flame on medium to low. stir the sesame seedsconstantly till they SLIGHTLY turn beige. the difference between burnt sesame and toasted sesame is very slight- so better err on the side of underdone. Basically, as soon as you hear about 2 seeds pop IMMEDIATELY add the cabbage and stir. add the rest of the ingredients. stir till cabbage is soft but not mushy/limp.

enjoy hot, room temperature or cold.

tastes great on top of quinoa

whole wheat carrot bread/muffins

cross posted at two heads of lettuce

Carrots are great for eating plain, or chopping up into salads. But if you want a tasty, healthy breakfast try this recipe.

You can grate the carrots by hand or in a food processor, or buy grated carrots, but I like it best when you make a "carrot smoothie" in the blender as described below.

INGREDIENTS
1.5 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup apple sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar ( i used white, it was great)
3 cups shredded carrots (about 3-4 carrots)
raisins- optional

DIRECTIONS.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
put carrots, oil, eggs and applesauce into a blender. blend into a "carrot smoothie."
in a separate mixing bowl, mix all the dry ingredients.
add the "carrot smoothie" to the dry ingredients
pour into a greased baking pan or greased muffin tins.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 35 minutes.
OR pour into a greased baking pan and let cook for 30-40 minutes.
Let cool

Sarah's Persian Cucumber Salad

cross posted from two heads of lettuce

Here is an alternative recipe for cucumber salad:

drain 2 cups yogurt overnight (if you have time, I often skipped this step - it just makes the salad less watery)

peel, seed, and dice 1 cucumber (you can keep the seeds- but again its waterier)
salt lightly and let drain of excess juice in a colander (this step too can be skipped or shortened, but again will make the salad more watery)

Combine along with
juice of 1/2 a lemon
handful of golden raisins (dried cherries are awesome too, if you have them on hand)
dash of rose water (you might want to measure out a teaspoon til you get a feel for it - too much is strange!)
small handful of chopped walnuts
small bunch (a tablespoon or so) of chopped mint
salt and pepper (preferably white) to taste

another cucumber salad:
chop cucumbers (optional- drain them like above recipe)
yogurt (again- drained is optional)
1 small red onion, chopped
1/4 cup dried dill (1/3 cup fresh)
1/2 squeezed fresh lemon (using fresh is important)
cashews or walnut- optional
salt and pepper to taste

mix together for a great and refreshing quick salad!

Bok Choy

... also known as chinese cabbage.

You might see it in its adult variety:

or as baby bok choy:

adult bok choy should be cooked, but baby bok choy is tender and can be eaten raw or cooked.

for adult bok choy:
* wash well, though it is rarely as sandy as other greens
* It can be lightly sauteed, or sauteed until well done like other greens
* saute with soy sauce (extra good additions include onions, garlic, and/or mushrooms)
* sauteed bok choy is excellent with sesame peanut noodles or with tofu.

for baby bok choy:
*great in salads. tasty dressings include:
** peanut sauce dressing
** a touch of teriyaki sauce
** vinaigrettes, especially fruity vinaigrettes
* here is an excellent tahini bok choy salad recipe
*can be roasted (and then served with any of the above toppings)

other suggestions?

Greens!

Some people don’t like greens- but that’s usually because they’ve had greens that are either (1) cooked into a mush or (2) undercooked, and therefore tough and bitter. Here is how to easily cook your big leafy greens so that they are well cooked, not mushy, and delicious

Ingredients:

· 1 bunch of Greens (can be collard, mustard, kale, turnip, beet, chard, etc. all are delicious)

· 1 large onion or 2 medium onions

· garlic cloves, chopped (2-8, depending on your taste)

· olive oil

· 2 tsp salt (kosher or coarse sea salt, preferably not table salt).

Directions

· utensils:

o use a pot or pan with as much surface area on the bottom as possible. Pan should be stainless steel or cast iron (NOT non-stick/Teflon- unless that’s all you have). Pan MUST have a lid. my favorite is the glass lid chicken fryer (image on the right):

· chop the onions

o chop into slivers or dice it into cubes (around ½ inch cubes work- doesn’t have to be super fine, but bigger pieces take a lot longer to cook)

· sautee the onions till translucent

o heat about 3 tbsp of olive oil in the pan. When the oil sizzles when you splash a drop of water into it, add the onions

· wash and chop greens while onions cook

o greens can be be very sandy- so they need to be washed well. Some methods include:

§ running each leaf under a stream of water

§ filling your sink with water and letting them soak so that the sand falls to the bottom

§ if you're using a textured green like Kale, then make sure all the sand is gone from the harder to wash textured parts of the leaves

o chop leaves in a checkerboard pattern- cut them vertically and then horizontally so you have manageable sized pieces. Chop stems into small pieces.

· add greens to the onions, add 1/3 c water, 2 tsp kosher salt. stir and place lid on

o greens are very tough, so allowing them to steam for a while softens them and reduces your cooking time.

o The salt sucks some of the moisture out of the greens and allows them to soften further

· when greens have shrunk significantly, open the lid and stir. Add another splash of olive oil (approx 2-3 tbsp) and stir more.

· At this point your goal is to cook the greens to that they are almost brown without burning them.

o if you kept steaming them, they would turn into unpleasant green mush. So now you want to sauté them to make them a bit crispy and full of texture.

o this requires frequent stirring so that all pieces get time on the bottom of the pan, and adding another splash of olive oil while cooking, and possibly some more salt to your taste

· When the greens start to brown, add the garlic and another splash of olive oil and stir.

· When finished, your greens should be:

o A very very dark shade of green

o Smell very fragrant (garlic, and onions and olive oil- yum!)

o Be very very well cooked. Its hard to overcook greens once you stop steaming them, so keep them on the stove top for as long as possible until they are to your liking!