More Veggie Recipes

I promise I'll write about something other than vegetables, but its summertime and I'm surrounded by farmer's markets and fresh produce. Can't help myself! I did find some lovely baby golden beets at our hospital's Thoroughly Fresh Thursday market. My fellow dietitian gave me a wonderful recipe, but I had to make a few changes. If you can't find beets with the greens attached, then you can substitute kale or chard.

Warm Orange Beet Saute

1 bunch baby golden beets with greens

1 fresh orange, peeled and chopped

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 garlic scallion (or 2 garlic cloves), minced

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp toasted almonds

Salt and pepper to taste

1.) Remove greens from beets and set aside. Boil beets in salted water until fork tender. Shock in ice bath and skins should slide off. Cut into bite size pieces.

2.) Heat oil in large skillet and saute garlic briefly. Add greens and and vinegar and wilt for 2-4 minutes. Add beets and oranges and heat through. Remove greens, beets, and oranges and let vinegar reduce. Before serving sprinkle of almonds. Serves 2 people.

CSA Basket Two

So this week I recieved...

One bag Arugula

Bunch of Carrots

Purple Cauliflower

Georgian Fire Garlic

Kale

Lettuce

Napa Cabbage

And more Sugar Snap Peas!

Sorry that I'm behind on the recipes, I'm trying to finish my final essay for my Masters! See you when the semester is over!

Kale Soup

Yes, it seems like it should be too warm for soup, but I couldn't help myself! Kale is delicious in this warm concoction and adds a nice hearty flavor, perfect for a dinner for one or two. I keep a stash of dried mushrooms in my pantry so that I can quickly toss them in soups and such, but fresh mushrooms are just as good. Leftover shredded chicken can also be added if you're looking for more protein. Enjoy!

Kale, Mushroom, and Wild Rice Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 diced onion

1 garlic scallion (or 1/2 shallot)

1/2 cup white wine

6 cups chicken broth

bay leaf

1 bunch thyme

1 cup wild rice

1 bunch kale, chopped

1 cup mushrooms, chopped and sauteed

Salt and pepper to taste

Squeeze of Sriracha (for a kick!)

1.) Heat oil and saute onion and scallion. Deglaze pan with wine. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil with the thyme and bay leaf. Add wild rice and simmer 30 minutes.

2.) Add chopped kale and mushrooms and simmer for another 15-20 minutes. Add seasonings to taste. Serves 2-3 people.

Feta and Dill Stuffed Swiss Chard

I'm not one for making fussy stuffed foods at home. (Usually leave that to the professionals) I prefer my swiss chard sauteed with a little garlic, super simple! However, my CSA provider (Rosehip Farm and Garden) sent us a few recipes with this week's box, and I'd hate to burn out on sauteed chard so I thought I'd give the recipe a shot. That and I was procrastinating on writing a paper for a class and cooking is a great distraction!

Swiss Chard is a leafy green vegetable with a crunchy edible stalk. It can have a bitter flavor, so most prefer to cook or blanch before eating. Chard is very high in Vitamins K, A, and C along with magnesium, potassium, and Iron. One cup of cooked chard only contains 35 calories and almost 4grams of fiber. What a delicious way to get more greens! As always, I made a few changes to make the recipe my own. I can never follow a recipe, must be the Underwood in me. Anyways here is my version:

Feta and Dill stuffed Swiss Chard
6 chard leaves
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
1//2 cup feta cheese
8 oz mascarpone cheese
1/2 egg, slightly beaten
1 garlic scallion or green onion
1/2 tsp dill (or parsley)
Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
2 tsp grainy mustard
Sprinkling of garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

1.) Blanch chard leaves in boiling water for 30 seconds. Immediately place in an ice bath.

2.) Lay chard out to dry. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Place 2 Tbsp of the filling on each leaf. Fold over the sides of the leaf and roll up like a burrito. Place the seam side on on a greased baking sheet and brush lightly with oil.

3.) Bake 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Serves 2-3 people.


These were so delicious that I couldn't wait to eat them! Sorry no picture this time!

Christmas in June

So this year I've decided to join a CSA program. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and these programs are great for those who want to buy seasonal local produce. A CSA is a great way to connect with an area farmer and really learn about the food you're eating. Typically a farmer offers a number of shares per year and each week you go pick up your share of produce. Rosehip Farm and Garden in Coupeville offered this program and I decided to sign up! Since Seth is in and out of town, I choose to buy a half share so I'll be getting produce every other week. As I drove down to Coupeville this morning, it literally felt like Christmas morning. I had no idea what produce I would find! As I pulled up to the cute yellow farm house, I was greeted by Farmer Linda. She pointed out that alfalfa was being harvested in the field across the street and the bald eagles were swarming all over for their breakfast. It was so nice to have a conversation with the person who grew my food. I ducked inside and was amazed by the beautiful display of vegetables picked that very morning. Farmer Linda instructed me on what and how much produce to take and I felt like a kid in a candy shop. This week I was able to take home:

~A Bag of speckled salad greens with tiny edible flowers

~Bunch of Kale

~Kohlrabi (more to come on this veggie later)

~Bunch of rainbow chard

~Heads of red and green lettuce

~Garlic scallions

~Bunch of herbs (sage, thyme, rosemary, and chives)

I was a tad disappointed because they promised green peas, but they just weren't ready. That's the risk you take when you buy seasonal. Looks like I'll be getting my greens this week! Gotta run and figure out what to do with that kohlrabi...