Green Beans with Feta, Chili and Tarator Sauce From Plenty by Diana Henry

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-To make the Tarator, soak 1 oz crusty white bread in 4 TBS milk for 30 minutes.

-Zest 1 lemon, then squeeze the juice and set aside.

-Puree the bread/milk in a food processor along with the following:

2 ounces blanched almonds or hazelnuts

1 fat garlic clove

3 ounces olive oil

2-3 TBS of the lemon juice.

-Add water if you want it thinner.

-Season to taste sea salt and pepper.

-Top and tail 1 pound of green beans.

-Steam and until just tender, about 6-7 minutes.

-Chop up ¼ bunch cilantro, parsley or some basil.

-Place the beans in a shallow bowl and top with the following:

6 ounces feta

A few red pepper flakes

3 TBS olive oil

A few squeezes of lemon juice

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Half the chopped herbs

-Drizzle with the tarator sauce and scatter with the lemon zest, the rest of the chopped herbs and some more red pepper flakes.

Green Beans with Cream Cheese and Sea Salt

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-Wash 1 pound of green beans.

-Take a handful of beans, than tap one end of the handful gently on the counter to align them.

-Slice off the first ¼ inch of the beans and than turn and tap the other side until those ends line up.

-Cut those ends off too, than cut the beans into 1½ inch lengths.

-Place an inch or 2 of water under the basket of a steamer in a pot with a tightly fitting lid.

-Steam the beans for about 5-7 minutes until they are just tender.

-Drain the water off then stir in about ¼ cup of cream cheese (chevre works well too).

Stir until well mixed, sprinkle with sea salt and serve warm.

 

Green Beans with Buttered Bread Crumbs and Almonds

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For the breadcrumbs:  

-Cut the crusts off of 1 large slice of high-quality white bread and tear it into 1½ inch pieces.

-Process the bread in a food processor for 20-30 seconds until finely textured (you should have
about ¼ cup crumbs).

-Transfer the crumbs to a dry skillet and add 3 TBS thinly sliced almonds.  

-Toast until golden brown, 2-4 minutes.

-Take the pan off the heat and add 2 cloves of garlic put through a garlic press.  

-Season the crumbs with sea salt and pepper.  Set aside but do not wash pan yet.

For the beans:  

-Tip and tail 3/4 pound green or Roma beans and then cut into 1.5 inch segments.

-Bring a large saucepan of water to boil, add 1 tsp salt.

-Cook until the beans are just tender, about 5 minutes.  

-Drain well and then arrange the beans on a serving platter.

-Melt 4 TBS butter in the reserved skillet and then add the breadcrumbs to the butter.  

-Heat for 1-2 minutes and then spoon the breadcrumbs over the beans and serve.

Green Bean, Radish and Smoked Turkey Salad

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From Pearla Meyer’s Fresh From the Garden.

-Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. 

-Tip and tail 1 pound of green beans. Chop into 1-inch segments. 

-Cook until just tender, about 4-5 minutes. 

-Run the beans under cold water and then dry on a kitchen towel.

-In a large serving bowl combine the following:

2 TBS sherry vinegar

6 TBS olive oil

4 TBS sour cream or yogurt

A quarter of a finely chopped onion

-Season with sea salt and pepper to taste. 

-Thinly slice 1 bunch of radishes and add to the dressing along with the cooked beans.

-Toss well and let marinate at room temperature for 1 hour. 

-Then slice up about 6 ounces smoked turkey breast and some chives or parsley. 

-Fold into the salad and taste for salt.

-Serve the salad lightly chilled with slices of crusty French bread.

Green Bean, Carrot and Red Potato Curry

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You can make this with chicken or tofu and pretty much any vegetable in your CSA box.

For chicken, cut up 1-2 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 3-4 thighs in to 1-inch chunks and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

-Cook the chicken pieces in some olive oil over medium high heat until browned on the outside but not quite cooked all the way through.

-Don’t let the chicken pieces touch as they cook so they brown better; you can sauté it in 2 batches if you need to.

-Add a splash of sherry, white wine or chicken stock and deglaze the pan, then put the chicken and sauce aside.

-Cut up any or all of the following into bite size chunks…

3-4 potatoes

Some broccoli

3-4 carrots

2 handfuls of green beans

1-2 peppers

1 eggplant (optional)

-Chop up 1 onion and 2 cloves of garlic.

-Add all of the above into the same pan you cooked the chicken in.

-Sauté 8-10 minutes until partly tender, then add 1-2 tsp curry powder and another splash of sherry or broth and stir well to deglaze the pan.

-Husk then wash 1# tomatillos.

-Add to the vegetables along with the cooked chicken or 1 pound of cubed extra firm tofu.

-Add 1 can of coconut milk and 1 cup of broth or so, depending on how soupy you want the curry. 

-Cook on low until vegetables are tender and chicken is thoroughly cooked, about 30-40 minutes.

-Stir well to incorporate tomatillos.

-Serve over rice with some cilantro chutney.

Green Bean Salad with Cilantro and Soy-Glazed Almonds

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-Place ¼ cup whole almonds in small nonstick skillet.

-Stir over medium heat until almonds are lightly toasted, about 5 minutes.

-Increase heat to medium-high.

-Add 2 tsp soy sauce and stir until soy sauce evaporates and coats almonds, about 1 minute.

-Transfer to plate and cool. Chop almonds and set aside.

-Trim the tips from 1 pound green beans and them cut into 1-inch pieces.

-Cookin a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 4 minutes.

-Drain. Rinse beans under ice-cold water. Pat dry.

-In a large bowl, whisk together the following:

2 TBS rice vinegar

1 tsp extra virgin oil

2 large garlic cloves put through a press

1 TBS minced peeled fresh ginger

1 more tsp soy sauce

-Add beans and toss to coat.

-Sprinkle 1/3 cup fresh chopped cilantro leaves and almonds over salad and serve.

Green Bean and Hazelnut Salad

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-Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in middle.

-Toast ¼ cup hazelnuts in a small baking pan 15 to 20 minutes.

-Cool to warm, than rub off any loose skins in a kitchen towel. Coarsely chop nuts.

-Cook 1 pound beans in a 6-quart pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes.

-Run under very cold water and pat dry.

-In a large bowl, whisk together the following:

2 tsp grainy mustard

1½ tsp Balsamic vinegar

1/8 tsp sea salt

-Then whisk in:

4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp hazelnut oil

-Add the beans and the hazelnuts and toss well.

-Season with salt and pepper.

Greek Salad with Orzo and Black Eyed Peas

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-Cook ¾ cup orzo according to package instructions.

-Drain in a sieve and then rinse under cold water until cool. Drain well.

-Peel 2 cucumbers, than cut them in half the long way and seed.

-Chop each half into 4 pieces the long way, then chop into small chunks.

-Place in a strainer, add a large pinch of salt and toss, letting the cucumbers drain over the sink until you need them.

-Rinse and drain 1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas.

-In a large bowl, toss black-eyed peas with the following:

2 diced tomatoes or ½ basket of Sungold cherry tomatoes

2 TBS red-wine or Balsamic vinegar

1 TBS extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper

-Marinate, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes.

-Rinse the cucumbers well and then set aside and let drip dry a little.

-In a large bowl, toss together the cooked orzo and drained cucumbers.

-Add in the following and stir well:

2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup pitted and slivered Kalamata olives

3 cloves of chopped garlic

1 tsp lemon zest

2 TBS fresh lemon juice

A pinch of dried oregano

1/4 sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper

-Serve the 2 salads layered on top of each other with some crumbled feta cheese.

Greek Salad

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-In a large salad bowl combine the following:

2 cucumbers or lemon cucumbers (peeled and de-seeded)

2-3 tomatoes

Half a pint of Sungold cherry tomatoes.

1/3 cup pitted and chopped Kalmata olives

-Gently toss and add the following:

2 TSP freshly squeezed lemon juice (or 2 TBS Balsamic vinegar)

2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

½ tsp dried oregano

1 clove finely minced garlic

Sea salt

-Toss again and then top with 6 oz crumbled sheep's milk feta cheese.

Golden Crusted Brussels Sprouts

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From Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Cooking.

-Snap the Brussels sprouts off of the stem.

-Trim the ends of the sprouts a little if they need it.

-Cut each sprout in half.

-Heat 1 TBS of olive oil in a large skillet.

-Place the sprouts in the pan, flat side down.

-Sprinkle with a couple of pinches of salt, cover and cook for 5 minutes.

-Once they are just tender, uncover and turn up the heat and cook until deep brown and caramelized.

-Toss them once or twice to get them brown all over.

-Season with more salt, a few grind of pepper and a dusting of grated cheese-smoked gouda, Parmesan or Sharp white cheddar would be nice.

 

Golden Cabbage Wedges

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Serves 2 to 4 depending on size of cabbage and appetite of people.

-Preheat the oven to 400°F.

-Cut 1 head cabbage into halves, then quarters, then eighths. There is no need to remove the core.

-Place the cabbage wedges on the prepared baking sheet.

-Drizzle with 1-2 TBS extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with Celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

-Insert in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the bottom layers are golden brown in places.

Golden Beets and Carrots tossed with Garlic, Toasted Walnuts and Chevre

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-Cut the tops off of 1 bunch of golden beets.

-Steam the beets whole for 20-25 minutes.

-Peel 1 bunch of carrots then cut into 2-inch pieces.

-Add the carrots to the beets and steam for another 10 minutes until both the beets and carrots are soft.

-Drain off the water, and slip the beet skins under running water.

-Cut each beet into 6 large wedge shaped pieces.

-Chop 1/4 cup of walnuts or pecans.

-Place in a skillet lightly toast in a skillet for a few minutes, being careful not to burn them. Set aside.

-Melt about 1-2 TBS of butter in a large sauté pan.

-Squeeze 2 cloves of garlic through a press and add to the pan.

-Sauté for about 1-2 minutes and then add the beet and carrot pieces.

-Toss gently and cook for about 2 minutes more.

-Remove from heat and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt.

-Add a few TBS of crumbled chevre goat cheese and the toasted nuts.

-Serve warm.

 

Golden Beet and Carrot Soup

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-Peel and cube 1 bunch of golden beets.

-Wash and then dice up 4-5 carrots.  

-Chop up 1 onion or 1 leek. 

-Mince up 4 TBS of fresh ginger

-Finely grate 1 TBS of lemon peel.

-Melt 2 TBS butter with 2 TBS olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

-Add the beets, carrots and onions/leeks to the butter along with the ginger and the lemon peel. 

-Cover and cook 15 minutes.

-Add 4 cups of broth and bring to a boil.

-Cover, reduce heat and simmer until beets are very tender, about ½ hour.

-Remove from heat and let stand 20 minutes. 

-Puree soup in blender until smooth.

-Return to pot, add 1 TBS fresh lemon juice and thin with more broth if desired. 

-Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

 

 

Goat Cheese with Olives, Lemon and Thyme

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-In a small saucepan, heat ½ cup assorted olives, 3 fresh thyme sprigs, 3 TBS extra-virgin olive oil, ½ tsp grated lemon zest and ¼ tsp black pepper over low heat until fragrant (do not simmer).
-Cool to room temperature.
-Cut 1 log of chevre style goat cheese into ½ inch rounds.  
-Spoon the olive mixture over the cheese and serve.

Glazed Garlicky Green Beans

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This recipes works well for both Roma and green beans.

-Wash, trim and cut 3/4 pound of beans into 3-inch lengths.

-To make the stir-fry sauce add the following together in a small bowl:

¼ cup soy sauce

3 TBS sake

1½ TBS sugar

½ cup water

-Stir to dissolve sugar.

-Set aside.

-Heat 1½ TBS ghee or extra virgin olive oil in a wok until very hot.

-Add 4 cloves of finely chopped garlic and stir-fry over high for about 15 seconds.

-Add beans and stir-fry over high heat for about 1 minute.

-Add sauce mixture and heat until boiling.

-Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes.

-Uncover, increase heat to high and cook stirring occasionally until sauce is reduced to a glaze and beans are just tender.

-Serve hot or at room temperature or even cold the next day.

 

Ginger, Watermelon Radish and Carrot Salad

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-In a large bowl, whisk together theh following:

2 TBS minced fresh ginger

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

2 tsp olive oil

1 TBS rice wine vinegar

1 TBS soy sauce

-Grate 1 bunch of carrots and 1 watermelon radish.

-Toss the vegetables in the bowl with the vinaigrette and season to taste with sea salt and pepper.

-Serve cold or at room temperature.

 

Ginger Broccolini

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-Wash 1 bunch of broccolini.

-Cut off about ½ inch of the bottom and peel off any tough skin.

-Cut each stem in half.

-Boil a large pot of salted water. Add the broccolini and cook uncovered until crisp-tender, 3 minutes, then drain.

-Heat 3 TBS extra virgin olive oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate high heat until hot but not smoking.

-Add 2 TBS minced ginger and 2 cloves chopped garlic, stirring for 15 seconds.

-Add broccolini and ½ tsp sea salt and sauté until just tender, about 2 minutes.

Garlic Scape Pesto

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-Wash 4 or 5 scapes, then cut 2 inches off of the very end of the flower bud.

-Chop the scapes into pieces, then add to a blender container.

-Puree with ½ cup extra virgin olive oil in a blender until smooth.

-Then add 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese and 1 TBS fresh lemon juice.

-Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.

-Serve on bread, crackers, or toss with pasta.

 

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

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-Chop 1.5 pounds of unpeeled potatoes into 1-inch chunks.

-Crush 2-3 cloves of garlic with the back of a chef’s knife.

-Take the skins off.

-Add the potatoes and garlic to a medium sized saucepan and cover with water.

-Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until very tender, about 20 minutes.

-Drain, and then return the potatoes to the pan.

-Mash well.

Heat together the following in a small sauce pan over medium heat:

1 cup whole milk

4-6 TBS good butter

1/2 tsp sea salt

Some freshly ground black pepper

-Add the hot liquid then stir well to incorporate everything.

-Taste for salt and serve warm.