Cabbage Summer Salad

I made this salad recipe that I found in this month's Sunset Magazine. However, I used the purple cabbage we received from the farm this week, to substitute for the spinach the recipe called for. Add grilled chicken for added protein!
Delicious!

Ingredients:
8 oz orzo pasta
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)
4 oz feta cheese, broken into chunks
1/2 cup Greek olives, pitted and halved (optional)
2 cups purple cabbage (or spinach)
1 tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions:
1. Cook orzo according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine tomatoes, basil, garlic, pine nuts, olives, feta, and spinach. Add the cooked orzo.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste; toss with salad.

Banana Smores

We've had a crazy few weeks with vacation and family in town... but here is a little treat for the kiddies after a bbq, or out by a campfire.

You will need:
Graham crackers
Hersheys chocolate bar
bananas

Cut the bananas into thick (1") slices, and put them onto a stick- we used skewers. Roast them over a flame as you would a marshmallow, and put them onto graham cracker with chocolate piece. Squeeze together and serve. Yum, delicious and not a choking hazard! : )

Nonna's Ratatouille

One reason I love having my mom come visit is because she always knows what to do with all my fresh farm vegetables. She makes this vegetarian ratatouille that's so delicious. She's a farm girl even though she'd never admit it!
We have so many vegetables from the farm this week so I decided to make up some meals to freeze to bring on our vacation next week.

Here's how I made this delicious dinner:

Ingredients

* About 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (add more later on if you think it needs more)
* 1 onion, any variety (I used lots of green onion)
* 1-2 large cloves, minced garlic (depending how garlicy you like it)
* 3-4 yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
* 3-4 zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch dice, about 1 1/2 cups
* 2 tomatoes
* 1 cup homemade marinara sauce or 1 can tomato sauce
* 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
* salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* grated Parmesan cheese (to sprinkle on when served)

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add all the vegetables, sauce, basil and seasonings. Simmer vegetables for about an hour, until it's all melded together.

You can serve along with pasta, or eat alone with good Italian bread. Delicious!

Fava bean potato salad

My little girl had so much fun peeling the fava bean pods. I was glad because the pods had been sitting in the fridge for over a week... too much work for me! It kept her occupied for about an hour- great activity!

I boiled about 1/2 lb of fava beans until tender, and peeled the second shell off of them.
At the same time, I boiled about a dozen small potatos (mixed variety), until tender, and cut them into chunks once they cooled. I added one diced onion, and 1 stick of celery, also diced.

For the dressing:
1 garlic clove
1 small wedge of fresh fennel (optional- I did not use)
1 tablespoons dijon mustard
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt
a squirt of honey
1/2 cup of olive oil

I put the ingredients into a sealed jar and shake until blended.
Toss the salad with the dressing and refrigerate until ready to eat.

This potato salad was great. Even if I didn't have fava beans, the dressing is great on any potato salad. Great summer salad. Enjoy!
p.s. No, the kids didn't eat any of it... but try it anyway, my kids don't eat much of anything!

Beet and Blueberry Smoothie

I came home a little early from work today and decided to go through the fridge to see what we had lying around. With beets arriving every week from the farm, I have run out of friends to pass them off on, therefore we have many beets. My husband does not enjoy the taste of them so I've been trying out different recipes that he will give a try.
I found a beet smoothie recipe which I modified. Here it is:

Ingredients:

* Fresh squeezed juice from 1 orange
* 1/2 cup diced beets (I used cooked/ boiled beets, but you can also use canned)
* 1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
* 1 banana
* 1 cup plain yogurt
* 1 Tablespoon flax seed meal
* 1/2 cup cold water
* 1 cup ice

My husband did like it, but it could have been the fact that our kids have been so sick, and we'll try anything not to get what they have (lots of antioxidants in this one). The kids took about 1 sip of the smoothie, so I poured the remaining smoothie mix into the pop molds, since they will eat anything in pop form. We'll try that for a snack tomorrow!

Sweet Gingery Tofu

I found this recipe online and altered it a little. I recommended it to a friend, Danny, and he really liked it. I finally got a chance to try it, and it was delicious. Probably the best way I've ever made tofu. I served this on top of a bed of spaghetti, as well as fresh steamed green beans.
FYI: My little guy attempted to eat this, but spit it right out! Oh well!

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

1 Pound of Firm or Extra Firm Tofu, rinsed
1/4 Cup Mirin (I did not have this, so I used extra sesame oil)
1/4 Cup Rice Vinegar
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce or Braggs
2 Tbsp Honey
2 Tbsp Ginger, minced
2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
1 Tsp Garlic, minced
Sesame Seeds, for garnish (I did not use)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Wrap the tofu in a clean dish towel and weight down for 10 minutes to remove excess water.
3. Cut tofu into even 1/2 inch slices.
4. Mix the remaining ingredients in a 11 x 7 inch baking dish.
3. Mix tofu into marinade and bake for 40-45 minutes.
4. Serve.
* This sauce could also be used for baking fish or chicken. Adjust cooking time accordingly.

Roasted Beet, Onion, and Orange Salad

We received this recipe in our farm newsletter this past weekend and I thought I'd give it a try because I had a few weeks worth of beets in the fridge (not our favorite). It was a little time consuming but a good weekend project.

I thought the oranges would offset the strong beet flavor really well, and it really did. I kept the salad in the fridge for a few days and ate it along with lunch. Of course the kids didn't try it but they watched me eat it (a good thing, right?)!

Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello

Ingredients

* 1 pound beets, preferably very small ones
* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
* Salt and freshly ground pepper
* 20 large pearl onions, about 1/2 pound
* 2 oranges, peeled and cut into wedges
* 2 tablespoons hazelnut oil
* 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh coriander leaves (also known as cilantro) plus extra for garnish
* 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
* 2 tablespoons hazelnuts, toasted and peeled (I omitted)
* 1-ounce pecorino, optional, grated on medium-sized holes of box grater

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the stems and tails off the beets. Do not peel. Line the bottom of a baking pan with foil. Place the beets in the pan and toss them with half of the olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes.

Trim both ends off the pearl onions. Then toss them with remaining olive oil and salt and pepper. Add pearl onions to the beets and roast an additional 15 minutes, until beets and onions are tender.

Peel and remove the membranes from the oranges with a sharp paring knife. Cut the oranges in half lengthwise and then crosswise into thin slices. Seed the slices, if necessary.

Peel and quarter the beets. Lay the beets on a large platter. Top the beets with the orange pieces. Scatter the roasted onions around the beats.

In a medium bowl, combine the hazelnut oil, coriander, and orange juice. Whisk until well combined and season with salt and pepper.

Drizzle the dressing on top and sprinkle with coriander, toasted hazelnuts and grated cheese. Serve immediately.