Savory Chard and Green Onion Tart

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-For the pastry: combine the following in a medium sized bowl:

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp sea salt

-Stir until thoroughly blended, then add the following:

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

-Knead the mixture briefly (the dough will be very moist) and then press it into an 11- inch tart pan with a removable rim.

-Refrigerate for 1 hour.

-In a large skillet add:

2 TBS olive oil

1 bunch diced green onions

-Cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat.

-Finely chop up 1 bunch of chard, stems and all and add to the onions.

-Sauté until chard wilts, about 3-5 minutes.

-Season with:

1/4 tsp salt

black pepper

a little freshly grated nutmeg

-Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

-In a medium sized bowl combine;

3 large eggs

1/3 cup half and half

1 cup grated cheese (Parmesan, Gruyere or sharp cheddar would be nice)

-Mix in the chard and then scrape the mixture into the tart shell.

-Bake until crust is golden and the filling is firm, about 40-45 minutes.

-Let cool before serving.

 

Sautéed Treviso Radicchio with Balsamic and Honey

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-Cut 1 head of treviso radicchio in half, then take out the core.

-Chop each half into 1-inch ribbons.

-Soak in an ice water bath for 2 hours.

-Rinse and drain the radicchio but leave some water still clinging to leaves.

-In a large skillet, heat 1 TBS butter over medium-high.

-Add radicchio and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

-Cook, tossing, until tender, about 4 minutes.

-Add the following:

2 TBS Balsamic vinegar

1 TBS honey

-Gently stir to combine.

 

Sautéed Summer Squash with Lemon and Fresh Basil

-Slice about 2 pounds of summer squash into ¼ inch pieces

-Place in a colander and sprinkle with 2 tsp. sea salt.

-Set the colander in the sink and let it drain for 30 minutes. Then rinse and thoroughly dry the summer squash.

-Slice up 4 cloves of garlic.

-Heat 2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil or butter in a large skillet, then add the garlic.

-Add the squash and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes until the squash is golden brown.

-Stir in ½ tsp. grated lemon zest, the juice of half a lemon, a large handful of minced basil and some freshly ground black pepper. Heat through and serve.

Sautéed Summer Squash and Fresh Sweet Onions with Lemon and Herbs

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-Slice 1-2 pounds of summer squash into ¼ inch pieces

-Place in a colander and sprinkle with 2 tsp kosher or sea salt.

-Set the colander in the sink and let it drain for 30 minutes.

-Then rinse and thoroughly dry the summer squash.

-Heat 2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil or butter in a large skillet.

-Cut 1 fresh sweet onion in half and the long way, slice into thin strips and then add to the pan.

-Add the squash and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes until the squash is golden brown.

-Stir in the following:

½ tsp grated lemon zest

The juice of half a lemon

A large handful of minced fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro and/or chives)

Some freshly ground black pepper

-Heat through and serve.

 

Sautéed Snow Peas with Arugula, Chevre and Raw Honey

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-Sauté ½# snow peas and 4 cloves minced garlic in some olive oil or butter until just tender.

-Remove the peas from the heat and drizzle with raw honey.

-Chop, wash and spin dry 2 bunches arugula.

-Toast ¼ cup walnuts in a cast iron pan until lightly brown, taking care not to burn them.

-Mound the arugula on a plate and top with the peas.

-Crumble some chevre goat cheese on top of the peas and add the toasted walnuts.

-Sprinkle with salt and some freshly ground pepper.

 

Sautéed Rainbow Chard with Garlic Flowers and Dill

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-Remove the stems from a bunch of rainbow chard and slice the stems into small pieces.

-Sauté them in a TBS of olive oil or butter, with a handful of finely chopped garlic flowers.

-After a few minutes, chop and add the chard leaves, cooking until the leaves are thoroughly wilted. -Finely chop and add a few TBS of fresh dill and some salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Sautéed Chicken Breast with Fennel and Rainbow Chard in a White Wine Sauce

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-Put 1 TBS butter and 1 TBS olive oil into a large sauté pan.

-Separate 2 chicken breasts so you have 4 medium sized pieces, sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

-Add to the pan and cook over medium high heat until both sides are brown, about 5 minutes per side.

-Chop 1 fennel bulb into thin strips.

-Remove the chicken from the pan, then add the fennel and 1/4 cup dry white wine.

-Cover the fennel and let it steam for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

-Chop up a bunch of rainbow chard, stems and all.

-Add to the pan and cover until just wilted, then stir in.

-Add the chicken back to the pan along with another 1/2 cup dry white wine.

-Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 8-10 minutes.

-Serve the vegetables and sauce over the chicken.

-Top with 1/2 cup of crumbled chevre goat cheese.

 

 

Sautéed Cauliflower with Brown Butter

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-Trim 1 head of cauliflower into florets.

-Rinse the cauliflower and then add it to a hot pan while still wet.

-Drizzle with 2 tsps of olive oil, cover and cook on medium heat until lightly tender, about 7-8 minutes, adding a little water if necessary.

-Heat 3-5 TBS butter in a pan. Cook the butter until it becomes a nutty brown color

-When the cauliflower is done toss it with the butter, adding sea salt and pepper to taste.

-Serve with fresh lemon wedges.

 

 

Sautéed Broccoli with Brown Butter

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-Trim 1-2 heads of broccoli into florets.

-Peel the stems and cut into bite size pieces.

-Rinse the broccoli and add it to a hot pan while still wet.

-Drizzle with a little olive oil, cover and cook on medium heat until lightly tender (no longer then 7 minutes), adding a little water if necessary.

-Heat 3-5 TBS butter in a pan over low heat.

-Cook the butter until it becomes a nutty brown color

-When the broccoli is done toss it with the butter, adding salt and pepper to taste.

-Serve with fresh lemon wedges.

 

Sausage, White Bean and Cabbage Soup

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-Cut 4 fully cooked chicken-apple sausages in half the long way and then cut into ½ inch slices.

-Heat 2 TBS butter or ghee in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat then add the sausages and sauté until brown around the edges, about 5 minutes.

-Cut 1 cabbage in half through the core. Cut each half in half again, then thinly slice it, discarding the core.

-Add it to the sausage and sauté 3 minutes.

-Transfer the cabbage to a bowl.

-Peel and then chop ½ bunch of carrots into thin rounds. 

-Add 3 TBS butter to the pot, add the carrots and cook for about 5 minutes stirring often.

-Add the following:

1 skinned and chopped tomato

3-5 cloves chopped garlic

½ bunch chopped parsley, cilantro or chives

-Let cook for 1 minute more.

-Add the cabbage to the pot, along with the following:

8 cups chicken broth

1-15 ounce can of drained cannellini beans.

-Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes.

-Season to taste with sea salt and pepper.

-Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.

Sausage and Kale Soup

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-Chop up 1 leek and 2 cloves of garlic.

-Scrub up 1.5 pounds of potatoes and peel of any bad spots.

-Cut 1 bunch of kale into thin strips.

-Chop 4 stalks of celery into small dice.

-Slice 4 chicken sausages into ½ inch half moons.

-In a large pot (6 to 8 quarts), heat 1 TBS butter and 1 TBS olive oil over medium high heat.

-Add the chopped celery and leek and cook until soft, stirring, 5 minutes.

-Add the garlic and 1/8 tsp red-pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

-Add potatoes and a quart of chicken broth (4 cups); bring to a boil.

-Reduce heat; simmer until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

-In a blender, puree half the soup.

-Return to pot; add kale and sausage.

-Simmer until kale is wilted, 10 to 15 minutes.

 

 

Sausage and Arugula Pizzettes

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-Heat 1 TBS olive oil and 2 cloves minced garlic in a deep skillet.

-Remove the casings from 2 hot Italian sausages.

-Add the meat and brown it on medium-high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks.

-Set aside.

-Cut one defrosted/frozen whole wheat pizza dough into 4 equal portions.

-Roll each flat and place on a pizza stone or cookie sheet.

-Top each of the four pizzettes with some pizza sauce, sausage, rapini and 1/3 cup diced roasted red peppers.

-Cover with 1½ cups of grated mozzarella cheese.

-Bake at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes.

-While the pizzettes cook, cut 1 bunch of arugula into thin ribbons, discarding the stem ends.

-Wash and spin arugula dry.

-As soon as pizzettes come out of the oven, sprinkle with a mound of the chopped arugula.

 

Santa Rosa Plum/Peach-Brandy Cobbler

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-Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

-Butter an 8-inch baking dish.

-Slice up about 5-8 peaches and 1 pound Santa Rosa plums.

-Toss the fruit with ½ cup sugar and ¼ cup brandy.

-Spread the peaches in the buttered baking dish.

-In the bowl of a food processor, combine ½ cup flour, ½ cup sugar, ½ tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt and pulse once or twice.

-Add 4 TBS cold butter cut into bits and ¼ cup sour cream or yogurt and process for 10 seconds.

-By hand, mix in 1 egg and ½ tsp vanilla.

-Drop this mixture on to the fruit by TBS, do not spread it out.

-Bake until golden yellow and just starting to brown, 35 and 45 minutes.

-Serve immediately with a dollop of whip cream or ice cream.

Salsa Verde

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We make green sauce at least once a week and eat it on everything, though it really shines on stir-fry, fish or eggs. Our friend Kevin calls it farm crack. It’s very simple to make, especially if you have a good micro-planning grater and a decent blender. You can also make this sauce in a food processor, but it doesn’t seem to do as good a job of finely grinding the herbs, though a handheld blender works too. You can make salsa verde out of most any herb and it always seems to taste great. Recent batches have contained capers, lemon juice/zest, fresh marjoram and/or parsley.

-Chop up 2 cloves of fresh garlic then add it to the bowl of a blender and process.

-Zest 1 lime then juice it. 

-Add the zest to the blender along with 2 TBS walnut or olive oil, ¼ tsp salt and ¼ cup cold water.

-Wash and shake dry 1 bunch of cilantro. (If you have any chives or mint add that too.)

-Leaving the rubber band on the herbs, chop them up stems and all until you get to the very end of the bunch.

-Add all the herbs to the blender in handfuls, processing in between until all are incorporated.

-Let process until a smooth sauce develops. Best served fresh as the fabulous green color fades quickly.     

Salad Nicoise

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-Cut 1 pound potatoes into thin slices and steam until just tender (don’t overcook). Set aside to cool.

-Hard boil 6 eggs and set aside to cool.

-Tip and tail ½ pound beans and blanch for 3 minutes until just tender, refresh and let cool.

-Pit and halve 20 Nicoise olives.

-Slice 1 cucumber (or 3 pickling cucumbers) in half the long way and then chop into half moon shaped pieces.

-For the dressing: soak 3-6 anchovies in water for 5 minutes. Drain and finely chop.

-Mince 1 clove garlic.

-Place garlic, anchovies, the juice from 1 lemon, ¼ cup red wine vinegar and ¾ cup olive oil in a small bowl and whisk together.

-Season with salt and pepper.

-Divide the potatoes, beans, onions, cucumbers and eggs amongst the 6 plates.

-Top with 2 cans of albacore tuna.

-Divide most of dressing amongst the plates.

-Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Salad Ideas

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Blanch rainbow chard, then drain and shock in ice water. Squeeze it dry, chop it and toss it with toasted pine nuts, raisins, olive oil and a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar. Capers are good, too.

Roast beets whole, then slice or cube and toss with a little chopped garlic (or a lot of roasted garlic), toasted walnuts, orange juice and olive oil.

Make a crisp grilled cheese sandwich, with good bread and not too much good cheese. Let it cool, then cut into croutons. Put them on anything, but especially tomato and basil salad. This you will do forever.

Peel beets and grate them in a food processor. Mix equal parts plain yogurt and tahini and toss with the beets along with lemon juice and za’atar (a mixture of toasted sesame seeds, dried green herbs and ground sumac; you can make it yourself using dried thyme).

Cold not-sesame noodles: Combine about a half-cup peanut butter with a tablespoon soy sauce and enough coconut milk to make the mixture creamy (about a half cup), along with garlic and chili flakes in a blender or food processor. Toss sauce with cooked and cooled noodles, a load of basil, and/or cilantro, and lime juice. Shredded carrots, raw peas and chives optional.

Sort of classic pasta salad: Pasta, artichoke hearts, sliced prosciutto or salami, chopped tomato. Dress with olive oil and a bit of balsamic vinegar, perhaps with some mustard.

Cook short-grain white rice in watered-down coconut milk (be careful that it doesn’t burn) and a few cardamom pods. While warm, toss with peas (they can be raw if they’re fresh and tender), chopped cashews or pistachios, a pinch of chili flakes and chopped raw rainbow chard.

Toss cooked, cooled farro, wheat berries, barley or other chewy grain with chopped-up tomatoes. Add olive oil, lemon juice and thinly sliced romaine lettuce; toss again, with ricotta salata or feta.

Trim crusts if necessary from day-or-two-old bread (or even three-day-old bread), cube and marinate in black olive tapenade thinned with more olive oil. Add chopped capers and toss with tomatoes, basil and mozzarella. (Anchovies optional.)

Salad greens with Balsamic Vinegar and Baked Chevre Goat Cheese

-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  

-Coat a small baking pan with 1 TBS extra-virgin olive oil.

-Place¾ cup bread crumbs in a flat bowl.

-Place 2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil into another small bowl.

-Cut 6 ounces very cold chevre goat cheese into 4 rounds.

-Dip each round into the oil and coat with the breadcrumbs.  

-Transfer to the baking pan and proceed with the others.

-Bake until the rounds turn golden brown, about 8 minutes.

-Wash and dry a head of 1 head of lettuce.

For the dressing, whisk together the following:

1 TBS Balsamic vinegar

4 TBS walnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

-Drizzle the dressing over the greens, add 2 TBS chopped chives or green onions and toss to coat.  

-Put the salad on individual plates and top with a goat cheese round.