Greek Style Grilled Eggplant Halves

Katherine Creswell ·

1lb eggplant, each one cut in half
1/4 cup minced or pureed olives or tapenade
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/3 cup olive oil
feta and olives

1.  Make shallow cuts on the flesh side of each eggplant half.  Combine olives, onion, parsley and olive oil; brush all over eggplant, pushing into slits.
2.  Grill over indirect heat, covered and turning as needed, until the flesh is soft and the skin is crisp, 20-30 minutes.  Garnish with crumbled feta and more olives.

Baba Ghanouj

Katherine Creswell ·

1lb eggplant
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1/3 cup tahini or yogurt
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced

1.  Grill the eggplant whole over high heat, directly over the flame.  Grill until blackened and collapsed, 20-30 minutes.  
2.  Cool, peel or scoop, and mash the flesh.  Then combine with other ingredients in a food processor or with a fork, depending on how smooth you want it.
3.  Serve with pita or crudites.

Greens Gazpacho

Katherine Creswell ·

Can’t wait for tomatoes?  Try this recipe for the classic tomato-based cold soup called gazpacho that uses greens instead!  This recipe comes from Mark Bittman.

2 bunches kale, chopped

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cucumbers

¼ cup green olives, pitted

2 slices crusty bread

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 cups water

pinch red hot chile flakes

salt and pepper

Parmesan

 

1.     Saute kale in 1 tablespoon olive oil until soft.  Cool.  Combine with cucumbers, remaining olive oil, bread, vinegar, water, chile flakes, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor.

2.     Blend until it’s reached your desired consistency, then serve cold with parmesan for garnish.

Soju with Cucumber and Lime

Katherine Creswell ·

Soju is Korean rice liquor.  You could substitute sake if you can’t find soju.

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup water

3 cucumbers, peeled and seeded

1 ½ cups soju

1/3 cup lime juice

 

1.     Make a simple syrup by cooking sugar and water in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves, then cool completely.

2.     Puree simple syrup, cucumbers, soju and lime juice in a blender.  Chill then serve garnished with lime rind twists.

Grilled or Broiled Mini Broccoli with Chimichurri

Katherine Creswell ·

2 bundles mini broccoli

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

1 ½ cups fresh parsley leaves

½ cup fresh cilantro leaves

1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves

3 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon hot red chile flakes

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 tablespoon neutral oil, like canola or sunflower

3 tablespoons olive oil

 

1.     Heat the grill or broiler.  Brush each mini broccoli shoot with olive oil and place on grill or baking tray.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Grill or broil until tender and black in places.

2.     Make the chimichurri sauce (can be made ahead): in a food processor, combine herbs, garlic, chile flakes, vinegar, neutral oil, and a few pinches of salt.  Process until combined, then stir in olive oil by hand.  Taste, adjust the seasoning and use as soon as you can (within a day is best).

3.     Lay grilled/broiled broccoli on a serving platter and ladle cold chimichurri sauce on top.  Serve immediately.

Basil Gimlet

Katherine Creswell ·

This recipe comes from Katherine's brother Joel, a master mixologist.

1 cup sugar

1 large bunch basil, coarsely chopped, plus extra for garnish

Ice

12 tablespoons gin

8 tablespoons fresh lime juice

 

1.     Make a basil simple syrup:  simmer sugar with ¾ cup water and the basil.  Simmer until the sugar dissolves, then let steep for 20 minutes or more.  Strain to remove basil.

2.     Fill 4 cocktail glasses with ice.  In each glass, pour 3 tablespoons gin, 2 tablespoons lime juice, and 4 tablespoons basil simple syrup.

3.     Garnish each glass with a fresh basil sprig and serve immediately.

Tip: add lemon juice and chilled water to simple syrup for a basil lemonade that the kids will love!

The Best Kale Salad

Katherine Creswell ·

2 bunches kale, roughly chopped, stems included or not-your choice

3 teaspoon olive oil

1 bunch scallions, white and green parts

½ bunch cilantro or parsley

2 large carrots, grated

½ cup raisins

½ cup sunflower seeds

About ½ cup of your favorite dressing.  Here’s one that Spencer loves!

1 cup olive oil

1/3 cup rice vinegar

½ cup cooked, crumbled bacon

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot

pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper

1.  Mix kale and olive oil in a large bowl.  Using your hands, gently massage the kale until it starts to wilt a little, 3-4 minutes.  This will make it more tender to eat raw.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix together.  Pour on dressing and toss to combine.  Serve cool.  Serves approximately 8 as a side dish.

 

Kale, Potato and Kielbasa Stew

Katherine Creswell ·

10 cups water or broth of your choice

1.5# new potatoes, cubed

2-3 Tbsp Cooking Oil of your choice

1 medium-sized onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic

salt to taste

black pepper to taste

1-2 bunches kale, chopped

1/2 # kielbasa sausage, sliced into 1/2 –inch pieces

 

1.     Bring water to a boil, add salt, pepper, and potatoes. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

2.     While potatoes are simmering, heat oil in a skillet, then sauté onions, garlic, and sausage until browned and cooked through.

3.     Add skillet mixture to potatoes, season with more salt and/or pepper to taste.

4.     Stir in kale, simmer for another 2-3 minutes, remove from heat, and serve warm.

Pasta with Swiss Chard and New Potatoes

Katherine Creswell ·

This recipe comes from Mark Bittman’s The Kitchen Matrix
 

1 pound new potatoes, diced
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound pasta, cooked and drained
2 bunches chard, stems and leaves separated
1 onion, chopped
Grated parmesan cheese
 

  1. Heat oven to 425F.  Toss potatoes with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a roasting pan.  Roast, stirring occasionally, until browned and very tender, about 30 minutes. 
  2. Separate the chard stems from the leaves by slicing lengthwise on either side of the stem and removing the midrib almost all the way to the top of the leaf.  Chop the chard stems and slice the leaves into ribbons by laying them on top of one another in a pile, folding in half lengthwise, and chopping into ribbons about ½” wide.
  3. Cook the onion in remaining olive oil over medium heat, stirring for 5 minutes.  Add chard stems and cook until they soften, a minute or two, then add the leaves.  Cover and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. 
  4. Toss with the cooked pasta and potatoes, and garnish with freshly grated parmesan. 

Radish Salsa

Katherine Creswell ·


Can't wait for tomatoes?  Try radish salsa!  We like it served on top of salmon fillets and a bed of salad greens.

 Ingredients

  • 2 bunches French Breakfast or Easter Egg radishes, diced or sliced
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 bunch scallions, finely chopped
  • pinch salt
  • juice from 1 lime

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, and toss to combine.  Serve right away, or allow to sit for a few hours or overnight for the flavors to blend. 

Grilled Chicken with Spring Vegetable Linguini

Katherine Creswell ·

 

Ingredients

·      One pound pasta of your choice, fully cooked and drained.

·      4 Cloves garlic, diced

·      2 bunches mini-broccoli (or any spring vegetable, like kale, asparagus, peas, green beans, etc)

·      1 large shallot diced

·      2 Tbsp olive oil, divided

·      2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless.

·      ½ cup pine nuts

·      1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

·      salt and black pepper to taste

1.     Grill chicken on medium high heat, about 5 minutes per side. Remove from grill and slice chicken into ½-inch wide strips. Set aside.

2.      Toast pine nuts in a dry skillet, on medium heat until lightly browned. Set aside.

3.     Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to hot skillet, and add shallot and garlic. Sautee until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to skillet to taste.

4.     Roughly chop mini broccoli and add to hot skillet. Cook until broccoli turns bright green. Remove skillet from heat.

5.     Add vegetables to pasta. Stir in pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and grilled chicken. Toss well with the reserved Olive Oil, serve warm, and enjoy!

Garlicky Swiss Chard

Katherine Creswell ·

Garlicky Swiss Chard       

2 bunches swiss chard, stems removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Large pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Salt

1.  Stack chard leaves one on top of another and slice into 1/4" wide slices.
2.  Heat oil in a very large skillet or soup pot.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for 30 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant.  Stir in the chard, coating it in oil.  Cover pan and let cook for about 2 minutes, until chard is wilted.  Uncover, stir and cook 2 minutes longer.  Season with salt.

Composed Salad with Shaved Fennel

Katherine Creswell ·

Composed Salad with Shaved Fennel   

We make this salad whenever we have lettuce heads and fennel around.  Use whatever dressing you like!  Below is our favorite.

For the salad:
1 head butter or summer crisp lettuce, washed and torn
1/2-2 bulbs (depending on size) fennel shaved with a vegetable peeler or mandoline
2 oz microgreens, pea shoots or sunflower shoots
Segments of 1/2 an orange or tangerine
For the dressing:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon orange juice
salt and pepper to taste

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl.  Whisk dressing ingredients in a small bowl or jar and pour over salad just before serving.

Simple Roasted Salad Turnips

Katherine Creswell ·

 

Roasted Whole Salad Turnips

Check out this super-simple (and delicious!) recipe using salad turnips:        

Ingredients:

·      1 bunch salad turnips, including greens

·      1-3 TBSP Olive Oil, or to taste

·      1-2 cloves garlic, chopped, or to taste

·      Salt and black pepper to taste

 

1.     Spread turnips and greens, uncut, evenly on a baking sheet.

2.     Spirnkle chopped garlic throughout the turnips and greens.

3.     Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and black pepper to taste.

4.     Place baking sheet in a 400-degree oven for about 10 minutes—until the turnip greens are crispy and the roots are tender.

5.     These salad turnip are excellent eaten raw, so we like to roast them just long enough to crisp the greens and warm the roots.

6.     Serve warm as a side dish or hors d’oeuvre.

Pea Shoot Pesto

Katherine Creswell ·

Pea Shoot Pesto
This recipe comes from the NY Times and yields about 1 cup.  Click the link below for a recipe for roasted pork chops with pea shoot pesto. 

3/4 cup pine nuts
5 oz pea shoots
1 oz cilantro
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup olive oil

1.  In a food processor or blender, combine all the ingredients except olive oil.  Pulse until roughly chopped.  With the motor running, gradually add olive oil and blend until well combined.  Scrape into a bowl.  

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013968-pan-roasted-pork-chops-with-pea-shoot-pesto

Red Cooked Kale

Katherine Creswell ·

Red Cooked Kale
I (Katherine) often listen to The Splendid Table podcast while working on the farm.  I recently discovered this very simple cooking technique that now makes a nightly appearance in our kitchen!  Click the link below for a Splendid Table recipe for Red Cooked Pork.
 

1 tablespoon oil (we use coconut)
2-3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon red chili flakes (may not be traditional!)
1 bunch kale (or bok choi, baby chard, baby kale etc.  Any hearty green will do)
2 tablespoons vinegar (we use apple cider)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar

 1.  Heat the oil in a deep skillet and add garlic and red chili flakes.
2.  Chop and add kale after a few minutes of browning.
3.  Mix the vinegar, soy sauce and sugar together with a whisk in a small bowl.  Pour over the kale.  Stir a little bit.
4.  Put a lid on the skillet and allow to steam-cook for 2-3 minutes.  Remove the lid, stir, turn off heat and serve over rice, mix with soba noodles, or as a side dish.


https://www.splendidtable.org/recipes/red-cooked-pork