Get ready for some recipe fun, sponsored by House in the Woods Farm in a collaboration with United Harvest recipes for CSA and Food Prep Support service! CSA members, you can even submit your creations, tips, and recipes to Julie and she may post them in her next newsletter. Include your name and House in the Woods Farm with your recipe. Of course, I hope you will email your recipe to me also and I’ll be sure to share it here as well. Enjoy Julie’s recipes, I’m excited to try them as well. My additional comments are added in brackets.
Simply Creative Ideas to Use Your GREENS!!
Use your Blender–Use your Greens!
Blended smoothies and Pesto will entice you to use all of your greens!!
The next time you have a bag of greens and you are not sure what to do with them…..make a smoothie!!
Create the most delicious smoothie using frozen berries, a banana, and large handful of washed greens, water and ice! Blend until smooth!
gluten free/dairy free
1-2 Bananas—they balance out the bitterness of some greens
1 cup of another fruit—your choice, I love frozen berries
1-1/2 cups of fresh greens
12 oz. water or until smooth
ice for a more frozen drink
Simply, blend! [This works even better with a Vitamix or other high powered blender. Try less greens for a timid first try.]
Jazz it up with a mint sprig, some melon or even an avocado!
Garlic Scape Pesto
gluten free/dairy free
1 cup of garlic scapes, chopped, flowery parts removed
1 cup or more of spring greens
½ cup walnuts
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
½ cup of vegetable broth
Puree all ingredients in food processor or blender until smooth. If too liquidy add more greens. Too thick? add a bit of veggie broth!
Have extra greens? Eat a raw salad with this versatile vinaigrette:
Garden Vinaigrette
gluten free/dairy free
Keep this chilled and ready to sprinkle on just-picked veggies! This vinaigrette is a must-have in the fridge throughout the growing season. Why purchase ready made salad dressings filled with preservatives when this simple vinaigrette spices up everything from a chopped salad to a pasta salad. Use as a marinade for grilled veggies or on a warm potato salad.
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar or lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
handful of chopped herbs
A shake of sea salt
Mix well!
Or omit mustard and instead add 1 cup pureed strawberries and blend!
Kale Crumble
gluten free
Paul Bucciaglia
Fort Hill Farm
New Milford, Connecticut
Great to crumble and sprinkle over rice, soup, salad or any dish that needs some salty crunch! Eat it as a snack too!
Olive oil
1 big bunch of kale, roughly cut into 2 x 2 pieces
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven 350 degrees. Spread thin layer of olive oil across baking stone or cookie sheet with your fingers. Spread kale across pan. Bake for 10 minutes, mixing once. Sprinkle Parmesan over kale and bake for an additional three minutes. Remove from oven when kale seems crispy. Cool of plate or tray.
Baked Risotto with Greens
gluten free
Elaine Granata
Granata Farms
Denver, Colorado
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 c. uncooked Arborio rice
8 cups greens: chard, spinach, kale, etc.
2 cup veggie broth
1/4 teaspoon sea sat
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup grated fresh pecorino or Parmesan
1–1/2 cup sliced asparagus
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a Dutch oven saute onions with rice. Once onions are translucent, add greens, broth, salt and nutmeg. Stir these ingredients together and simmer for 5–7 minutes. Stir in cheese. Cover and bake for 30–40 minutes.
Calabrese Swiss Chard
Bill Nunes
Contented Acres Produce
Gustine, California
This recipe comes from the Italian Region of Calabria. I prefer to use ruby red swiss chard for its sweeter more beet-like flavor and for the beautiful red color which the juice takes from the red stems. I also prefer the robust flavor of hardneck garlic, either Korean Red Hot or Roja.
6 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
1/2 medium onion, sliced or chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped or crushed [use your garlic scapes for now!]
1 large bunch Swiss chard (about 1–1/2 lbs.)
1/3 lb. sliced bacon, cut into pieces and browned [omit for vegetarian alternative, of course]
1/2 cup Parmesan or Peccorino Romano cheese
bread crumbs
Preheat oven 350 degrees. Blot grease from bacon, set bacon aside. Chop Swiss chard (stems about 1/2 inch thick, leaves larger). Saute garlic in 2 tablespoons of oil. Add onion and saute lightly. Add Swiss chard stems and cook three minutes, add leaves and cover. Cook 2 to 3 minutes. Mix cooked ingredients in a baking dish. Mixture should be about two inches deep in pan. Sprinkle bread crumbs over mixture, mixing lightly with a fork. Drizzle with remainder of olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes. Then sprinkle with grated cheese and continue to bake until cheese is melted. Serves 8 to 10.
Soup of Springtime Salad Greens
gluten free
Lisa Jessup
Common Ground Farm
Beacon, New York
1 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups water
2 cups snap peas
1 cup white wine
bundle of spring herbs (parsley, chives, tarragon, thyme, chervil)
2 heads of lettuce, chopped
large handful arugula, chopped
sea salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup cream plus 1/2 cup (to be whipped for garnish)
1/2 cup chopped sorrel (spring green with lemony flavor)
Sweat onions in butter over medium-low heat in a large soup pot for about 10 minutes. Blanch snap peas in boiling water for one minute and plunge into ice cold water. Reserve pea water. Add wine, pea water, and bundle of herbs to the pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat and add one cup of cream. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add lettuce and wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove herb bundle and blend soup in small batches in blender until smooth. Add sea salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with unsweetened whipped cream, chopped sorrel and the peas. Serve hot or cold. Serves 6.
Vegetable Stock
be prepared!
gluten free/dairy free
Some of these recipes call for veggie stock or broth, use this! Make batches ahead of time and freeze. Defrost to make quick soups and stews.
8 cups of cold water
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 leeks chopped
10 peppercorns
Sprigs of fresh herbs like thyme, oregano, parsley
Combine all ingredients in a large stockpot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 75 minutes. Strain through sieve and discard solids. Let cool and refrigerate. Containers can be frozen for about three months.
Spring Salad
gluten free/dairy free
Make this salad with veggies straight from your CSA and notice as you slowly take each bite just how miraculous vegetables are! It is incredible how little we really need to dress up farm-fresh veggies.
2 heads of butterhead, Boston or bibb lettuce, washed
4 radishes trimmed and sliced thinly
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into thin strips
4 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Tear lettuce into small pieces. Add lettuce, radishes and carrots to a bowl. Whisk vinegar, oil, and salt and pepper and pour over salad. Toss gently.