LEF (Com)Post

Ingredients:
6 medium shallots, peeled
6 medium potatoes
6 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup (packed) fresh tarragon
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
1 tablespoon grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss the shallots and potatoes in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the shallots to a medium baking dish and cover with foil. Roast them for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and add the potatoes. Bake for another 20 minutes longer, until both are tender.

2. Put the tarragon, parsley, and almonds in a food processor; process until they are minced. With the motor running, add the remaining 4 tablespoons of oil in a thin stream. Add the cheese and process until blended. Set aside.

3. Add the pesto to the shallots and potatoes and gently toss. Serve.

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound carrots, scrubbed well and coarsely chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
3½ cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/3 cups coconut milk
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons sweetener (optional)
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1½ tablespoons tamari
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion, celery, garlic, and ginger; cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent. Add the broth, coconut milk, lime juice, peanut butter, sweetener, vinegar, sesame oil, coriander, turmeric, and red pepper flakes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until the carrots are very tender. Remove from the heat.
2. Using a ladle, remove 1 cup of the broth and set aside. Process the remaining soup in batches in a food processor or blender. Taste and season with salt and pepper. If the soup is too thick, stir in a little of the reserved broth.
3. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with herbs of your choice.

Serves 8

We made little pizzettes at the Summer Solstice. Oh! They were so amazing – hot, sweet apricots melting with the warm strawberries – this is a must to try!

Makes 2-3 larger pizzas, or lots of small ones

Ingredients:
About 10 apricots, cut into quarters (amount depends on how many pizzas you are making and how many ‘cots you want on the pizza)
1 small box of strawberries or more, sliced
fresh chevre or ricotta cheese (optional)
honey (optional)
balsamic vinegar (optional)
fresh basil, chopped (optional)
sea salt (optional)
freshly cracked pepper (optional)

Directions:

1. Prepare the dough (recipe follows)
2. Roll out the dough and place the fruit (and optional toppings) on top as you desire. Bake in a hot oven, about 425 degrees for about 5- 10 minutes, I am guessing because we used the cob oven. Just keep checking to see when the crust browns and the fruit begins to soften and melt. (Optional – pre-cook the rolled out crusts for 1-2 minutes before adding the toppings.)
3. Remove the oven and cool ever so slightly, then FEAST!

PIZZA DOUGH

Ingredients:
¾ cup warm water
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 pinch of sugar (this stimulates the yeast to rise faster)
2 cups or more whole wheat and white flour, or your choice (I mix them equally for a nice texture)
1 teaspoon sugar or honey
¾ teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Pour ¾ cup warm water into small bowl; stir in yeast and sugar. Let stand until yeast dissolves and becomes a little active, about 5 minutes.

2. Mix 2 cups of flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add yeast mixture and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir until dough forms a sticky ball. You may need to add a little more water if it is too dry.

3. Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth, adding flour as needed so it doesn’t stick.

4. Transfer to a very well oiled big bowl and cover with a moist towel. Let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour, it will double in bulk. Punch down and roll out dough. The dough will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for a day.

We made this salad for the Solstice celebration. It is a free flowing salad, using whatever your heart desires from the CSA box. This is what we used…

Ingredients:

SALAD
1 bunch chard, ends removed, stems chopped, and leaves cut into bite-size pieces
1 bunch mizuna and tatsoi, stems removed
1 bunch radishes, sliced, stems removed from the leaves and the leaves chopped
steamed small potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
6-8 summer squash, cut into thin strips using a mandolin or vegetable peeler
1 bunch fresh basil, torn into bite-size pieces

DRESSING
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup balsamic vinegar or to taste
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients for the salad together in a large bowl.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil into the vinegar and garlic. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Pour part of the dressing over the salad and taste – add more if needed; season again with salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately.

This is a large pot of stew-like soup filled with vegetables from the farm – you can add any amount of the vegetables to your liking. This is a recipe from my head, so you can improvise however you like! My amounts may vary…..
Ingredients:
5 onions, sliced
2 leeks, sliced
1 sweet pepper, diced
8 carrots, cut into rounds
2-3 big handfuls of broccoli, ends trimmed, stems chopped
1 big handful of green beans, ends removed, beans cut into thirds
2 sweet potatoes, small dice
about 10 small potatoes, small dice
3 green garlic bulbs or 5 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch chard, stems removed and cut into small pieces, leaves cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup cooked red quinoa
1 can of organic garbanzo beans, rinsed
2-3 cups of mixed lentils – red, orange, green, brown, and maybe some chana dal – whatever you like, rinse them well
6 or more cups vegetable stock
olive oil
a few red pepper flakes for a slight heat (optional)
mild curry powder to taste- I use about 1-2 tablespoons
sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, then add your onions and sauté until very caramelized – this gives the dal the base flavor that is so important – it will take about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and put in a large soup pot.
2. In the same skillet, add the leeks and saute until they are tender and become bright green. Add to the soup pot.
3. Saute the bell pepper and garlic together until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Add to the pot.
4. Add all the rest of the ingredients to the soup pot except the cooked quinoa and chard leaves – add the chard stems now, though, and stir well to combine.
5. Season with the curry powder and salt and pepper (you may need to add more stock as it cooks). Bring the soup to a boil, then immediately turn it down to a medium simmer and every so often give it a gentle stir.
6. Cook, uncovered, for about 45 minutes or more, until the lentils are fully cooked and the vegetables are tender. It may take longer. Add more stock if needed. I like mine thick, you may want yours thinner.
7. When the soup is done, add the cooked quinoa and stir in the chard to wilt. Taste and add more curry powder, salt and pepper if needed. Serve warm.

Not a fig person? Swap out the figs in this recipe for apples, or even apricots!

Ingredients:
5-6 ripe figs (you can use dried, but not as tasty)
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 3-ounce piece Parmesan cheese
1 loaf ciabatta or sourdough baguette
1 large bunch kale
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red onion, cut in half then into ¼-inch slices
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted
lime or lemon wedges

Directions:

1. Stem the figs and slice them lengthwise into about 5 wedges apiece. Place them in a medium dish and sprinkle with lemon juice. Toss gently to coat and set them aside.
2. Shave strips of Parmesan from the block of cheese using a sturdy vegetable peeler; lovely cheese ribbons will ensue. Set aside.
3. Slice the bread into approximately a dozen thin, almost see-through, pieces. Set aside.
4. De-stem the kale. Make a pile of leaves, roll them up tightly, and cut crosswise into thin strips. Transfer to a large bowl of cold water and swish around to clean. Spin very dry and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.
5. Place a large deep skillet over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Turn up the heat to medium high and add the onion and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cook stirring and shaking the pan for a little while, 2-3   minutes, until the onion becomes shiny and is still on the side of tender.
6. Transfer the hot onion to the kale in the bowl and stir everything around a bit, then return the kale-plus-onion back to the pan. Stir-fry quickly – just a minute or so – over medium high heat until the kale turns a deeper shade of green and slightly wilts.
7. Return kale to the bowl, tossing with the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt. You can add some Parmesan ribbons at this point, if you’d like them to melt slightly.
8. Remove from the heat, wait a minute or two, then add the vinegar to the pan (stand back – it will sizzle), swirl it around and pour on to the kale.
9. Without bothering to clean the pan, return it to the stove over medium heat. Wait another minute then add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the bread slices in a single layer and grill on each side until lightly golden and perfectly crisp.
10. Transfer the toasts to the kale, along with the figs and all of their juices. Toss quickly (no need to make it all uniform), adding the remaining cheese and walnuts as you go. Serve right away, passing a pepper mill and offering wedges of lemon or lime to be aimed straight at the figs.

Makes 4 side servings

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded squash
2 cups sweetener
¼ cup brown rice or soy flour
½ cup grape seed oil or oil of choice
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
*1½ cups spelt flour
*1½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
*OR 3 cups total whole wheat pastry flour
1½ tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ cup raisins or dried cherries or cranberries (optional)
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Drain squash in a colander for 30 minutes. Squeeze out any excess liquid.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tins with paper muffin liners.
3. Stir together squash, sweetener, soy or brown rice flour, oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Add spelt flour (if using), whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; stir to combine. Fold in nuts and raisins, if using.
4. Fill prepared muffin tins 2/3 full with batter. Bake 18-24 minutes, or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool.

Makes 18 muffins

Though this isn’t nearly as sweet as commercial jam, the flavor of the apricots is rich and full. This is a simple little preserve to make in small quantities, not an all-day project. The lavender makes a fine match with the apricots – just make sure you use the sweet, fragrant kind, not the variety that smells like camphor.

Ingredients:
7 ripe apricots
12 apricot pits, cracked, the kernels removed
1 cup or less, depending on how sweet you want it, of sweetener of choice
7 lavender blossom sprigs
juice of ½ lemon, optional

Directions:

1. Halve the apricots, or quarter them if they are very large – larger pieces will give your jam a little texture. Place the apricots in a heavy pan with the kernels, sweetener, and lavender. Cook over high heat, watching closely and stirring at first until the juices are released and the sweetener is dissolved. Then reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the fruit is thickened, 10-15 minutes.
2. Taste, if you wish, add the lemon juice if it needs sharpening. With so little sweetener, the natural tartness of the fruit may be sufficient. Pour into sterilized containers, cap tightly, and store in the refrigerator.

Makes about 1½ pints

I love this recipe – yes, another carrot salad, yet this one really hits home for me. The carrots are so sweet right now, and they make this salad sing! This recipe is from Russell Moore, who worked at Chez Panisse for years, and now has his own restaurant, Camino, in Oakland.

Ingredients:
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped
olive oil as needed
sea salt, to taste
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice, about 2 limes
6 large carrots
1¼ teaspoons toasted caraway seeds
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
2 moderately hot, dried chilies, such as ancho

Directions:
1. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic with a pinch of salt. Set aside a quarter of the garlic paste in a small dish and cover with olive oil (if you don’t have a mortar and pestle you can smash the garlic with the flat part of the knife and add a pinch of salt to the garlic and keep pushing down with the flat side of the knife to create a paste). You can use this later for fine-tuning the flavor. Pour the lime juice into the garlic paste remaining on the mortar, and stir to combine.

2. Slice the carrots into fine julienne, using a mandolin, if possible; it’s important they are not thick because you want them to wilt a little. Put the carrots into a bowl and use your hands to toss them with the garlic-lime juice and some salt.

3. Give the caraway seeds a quick pulse in a coffee or spice grinder just to break them down a bit, then sprinkle them and the sesame seeds over the carrots.

4. Tear the chilies into manageable pieces, discarding the stems and seeds, and place them in a spice grinder, pulse several times to create a coarse powder. Sprinkle a couple of teaspoons of the chili powder over the carrots; save the remaining for another use.

5. Toss the carrots to combine all the seasonings, then taste. If the salad is too acidic, add a splash of olive oil. If it tastes flat, add a bit more garlic paste or chili powder.

6. Let sit for 30 minutes for flavors to combine before serving, if possible.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 pound green beans, trimmed
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon minced garlic
crushed red pepper
1-2 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:

1. Place a large skillet or wok over medium heat for about 2 minutes, then add 2 tablespoons of the sesame oil and swirl to coat the pan. Heat for anther 30 seconds or so, then toss in the green beans and ¼ teaspoon salt. Turn up the heat to medium high and stir-fry for 2 minutes, shaking the pan rearranging the beans with tongs or a wok spatula. Keep them moving so they can have contact with the hot oil (if desired, drizzle a little extra oil down the sides of the pan as you go).

2. Add the garlic, stirring to coat the beans then do the same with a big pinch of the crushed red pepper. Stir-fry for a minute longer, keeping the heat strong and the beans in motion. Taste to see if the beans are done to your liking. If not, keep them going a little longer, still over strong heat. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ teaspoon sea salt and some sesame seeds, if desired, and serve right away.

Makes 4 servings