Spring Vegetable Pizza

Oooh, the artichoke, asparagus, tomatoes, and Gruyere makes a good combo!  I broke down and bought fresh tomatoes since I needed some for a pasta salad I'm making tomorrow for a potluck, but next time I think I'll try sun dried tomatoes in place of the fresh to stick with my in-season commitment.  The ingredients are a little pricey, but sometimes it's worth the splurge....

Source:  adapted from Everyday Food magazine, April 2011

1 jar (12 oz.) marinated artichoke hearts, drained well, quartered if whole (reserve marinade)

1 lb. asparagus, trimmed, cut into 2" pieces and halved lengthwise if thick

1 pt. cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

olive oil

1 lb. pizza dough, thawed if frozen and divided in half

Coarse salt and ground pepper

7 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated (3 c.)

Place baking stone in oven and preheat to 500 degrees.  

In medium bowl, combine artichoke hearts, asparagus, and tomatoes.  Drizzle with olive oil and toss.

Prepare two pizza crusts.  Brush with marinade.  Top with vegetables, leaving a 1" border.  Brush border with marinade and season pizza with salt and pepper.  Bake pizzas one at a time, approximately 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese.  Bake an additional 3-5 minutes, or until crust is deep golden and cheese is melted.

Asparagus Stock

I had been tossing the woody ends into my compost until I came across this recipe.  Why didn't I think of that?  It's the same revelation as corn cob stock - brilliant!  I'm going to use it in place of some of the chicken stock in the Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto I'm making for today's lunch.

Source:  marthastewart.com

Simply simmer the woody ends and peelings from 1 lb. asparagus in 6 c. water.  Simmer for 15 minutes, then strain.  Stock can be used in vegetable soup or as a substitute for water when poaching or steaming food.

Stewed Tomatoes

Here's another basic recipe that I hadn't mastered....

Source:  Melanie Dillman

1 pint canned tomatoes

2 T. sugar

1 T. flour

1 t. parsley flakes

sea salt & pepper to taste

Drain juice off tomatoes into a small bowl.  Whisk tomato juice and flour together.  Then mix all ingredients together in pan and cook until thickened.

Turnip Gratin

I haven't made this recipe yet, but I tasted it this evening at book group.  It was so yummy that I had to share it!  

Turnip Gratin and book group - what in the world?  Our group had read the book The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (probably my all-time favorite read ever).  It chronicles how the residents of the Isle of Guernsey survived the German occupation during World War II.  Food was sparse, and turnips provided at least some sustenance.  In the tradition of the book, their reading society, and what the people of Guernsey endured, one of the gals was inspired to make this Turnip Gratin for us to sample.  It was delicious!  Looking forward to trying it with turnips from my own garden this year.

I will post a picture when I actually make it for myself!  

Source:  Tasty Kitchen (The Pioneer Woman)

4 whole turnips, peeled and thinly sliced

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

2 c. Gruyere cheese, grated

4-6 T. butter

chicken broth

heavy cream

sea salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large oven-proof skillet, melt 2-3 T. of butter.  Place a single layer of turnips on top of the butter.  Sprinkle a little of the garlic on top.  Add a couple tablespoons of butter.  Drizzle a healthy splash of chicken broth over the turnips.  Next, do the same with the cream.  Now add a nice layer of Gruyere – about ½ cup. Sprinkle a bit of salt, but not much as the cheese is already salty.  Repeat these layers two more times.  Sprinkle with some freshly ground black pepper.

Pop the skillet into the oven and bake for about 20 min. or until hot, the top brown and bubbly.

Mushroom and Black Bean Tortilla Casserole

I also made this dish for our neighborhood potluck this evening.  I wasn't sure how it would go over, but I was determined to make a meatless main dish with some ingredients I already had on hand (black beans and home-canned salsa).  It got a thumbs up!

Source:  Everyday Food magazine, January/February 2011

2 t. extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 lb. cremini or button mushrooms, trimmed and quartered*

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 t. cayenne pepper

coarse sea salt and ground pepper

1 1/2 c. cooked black beans or 1 can (15.5 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained

8 corn tortillas, warmed and halved

2 c. salsa

1 1/4 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 oz.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high.  Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until browned, 7 minutes.  Add garlic and cayenne; season with salt and pepper.  Add black beans and stir to combine.  Cook until beans are warmed through, 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Arrange 5 tortilla halves in a 2-quart baking dish.  Top with half the bean mixture and 1/2 c. salsa, then sprinkle with one-third the cheese.  Repeat with another layer of tortilla halves, bean mixture, salsa, and cheese.  Top with remaining tortilla halves, salsa, and cheese.

Cover with foil and bake until center is hot and cheese melts, 10 minutes.  Uncover and bake until cheese is bubbling, 5 minutes.

* I recently read a tip in Martha Stewart Living that the easiest and most effective way to clean mushrooms is to swish them in a bowl of water, then drain them and allow them to dry before using them in your recipe.  I've always tried to clean mushrooms by wiping them individually with a damp paper towel.  I agree - this method is far more effective and definitely quicker!

Yield: 4 Servings

Sour Cherry Cobbler

I was going to attempt a sour cherry pie for our potluck dinner with the neighbors this evening, but this cobbler gave the same flavor with much less effort!  The frozen sour cherries came from my dear friend Elma's tree.

Source:  Taste of Home magazine, February/March 1995

5 c. pitted canned or frozen tart red cherries
2-1/2 T. lemon juice
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
2-1/2 T. cornstarch
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. ground nutmeg

Topping:
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 T. sugar
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
2 T. butter
1/3 to 1/2 c. milk

Drain cherries, reserving 1/4 c. juice; discard remaining juice.  Combine cherries and lemon juice; set aside.  In a saucepan, combine sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg; stir in cherry juice.  Bring to a  boil, stirring occasionally; boil 2 minutes.  Add cherries; pour into an ungreased 8" square baking dish.

For topping, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; cut in butter until crumbly.  Stir in enough milk to moisten.  Drop by tablespoonfuls over cherries.  Bake at 450 degrees for 10-13 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield:  6-8 servings.

Chicken Corn Soup

Most people in Lancaster County, PA do not need a recipe for Chicken Corn Soup, but I'm not one of them!  I don't recall my mother making this soup, and didn't know the secret to great flavor.  In fact, when I went to search for a basic recipe, only one of my cookbooks even included a recipe.  Of course, everyone has their own cherished way to make this comforting soup, and this now is mine.  

Source:  Adapted from Mennonite Country-Style Recipes

Cook together until tender, about 20 minutes:

1 qt. corn stock* or chicken stock

3 medium potatoes, diced**

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 stem celery, chopped (or a sprinkle of celery seed)

Add and heat to a good rolling boil:

1 to 1 1/2 c. chopped cooked chicken

2 c. corn

1/2 t. poultry seasoning

1 clove garlic, minced and sauteed in olive oil until fragrant

1 1/4 t. salt

1 T. chopped fresh parsley

additional sea salt and pepper to taste

Yield:  6-8 servings

* The corn stock is perfect for this and gives fabulous flavor!!

**You may substitute 2 c. noodles for the potatoes, but I liked using potatoes to keep the dish local/in-season, not to mention nutritious.

Sausage, Lentil, and Kale Soup

This is a perfect way to use all that frozen kale in the freezer.
And, sausage from Rooster St. Provisions will give it fabulous flavor!!

Source:  Everyday Food magazine, December 2009

2 t. extra-virgin olive oil
8 oz. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
2 celery stalks (with leafy tops), thinly sliced
1 medium yellow onion, diced medium
1/2 c. dried lentils
6 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. water
1 bunch (about 1/2 lb.) kale, preferably Tuscan, stems removed and torn into bite-size pieces
coarse sea salt and ground pepper
2 t. red-wine vinegar

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high.  Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Add celery and onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add lentils, broth, and 1/2 c. water and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a rapid simmer, partially covered, and cook until lentils and vegetables are tender, 25 minutes.

Add kale and season with sea salt.  Return soup to a rapid simmer, cover, and cook until kale wilts, about 5 minutes.  Remove soup from heat, stir in vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

Shredded Swiss Chard Salad

I made this yummy salad to share last night with the recently-christened "Flavors" Food Group that I'm a part of.  I like chard, but not so much when it's the star ingredient.  This salad, however, was surprisingly good!  It was fun sharing it with some other local, in-season food enthusiasts, and it was even more enjoyable knowing that all the produce came straight from my garden!

Source:   adapted from Better Homes & Gardens magazine, August 2012

1 large bunch of rainbow chard (12 oz.)

1 clove garlic

2 T. olive oil

1 T. apple cider vinegar

1 T. finely chopped shallot*

1 fresh hot chile pepper, very thinly sliced**

1/2 t. sea salt

1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper

5 oz. mozzarella cheese, coarsely shredded

Wash and dry the chard leaves.  Removed the stems.  Stack the leaves in a pile, roll up tightly like a cigar, and thinly slice crosswise into very fine strands.

For the vinaigrette, mash the garlic with a pinch of salt to a paste.  In a large bowl, whisk garlic past with the olive oil, vinegar, shallot, chile pepper, sea salt and pepper.  Toss the chard in the vinaigrette.  Sprinkle with the mozzarella and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

Yields:  6 (1-cup) servings

*Note - I never have shallots on hand and haven't had any success growing them in the past, so I usually substitute a combination of onion and garlic for the shallot.

** I used a red jalapeno in place of the chile pepper.

Enjoy!

Zucchini and Olive Flatbread

I'm so glad my friend Kristy shared this recipe with me!  My zucchini plant had kicked the bucket, but I still had plenty of yellow squash from the garden; it worked just fine in this recipe.  Instead of following the flatbread directions, I simply prepared and baked it like a traditional pizza.

Source:  food network

1 pound pizza dough

1 T. extra-virgin olive oil plus extra, for drizzling

1 large (8 oz.) zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1/8" slices

2 T. chopped fresh oregano leaves, divided

1 1/2 c. (4 oz.) shredded mozzarella

1 c. (2 1/2 oz.) grated Pecorino Romano

1/2 c. pitted sliced black olives

Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 12" circle.  With a pastry brush, brush 1 T. olive oil over the dough.  Using the tines of a fork, prick the dough all over.  Arrange the zucchini slices in a single layer on top of the dough.  Drizzle the zucchini with oil.  Bake the dough for 18-20 min. until the edges begin to brown.  Remove the bread from the oven, sprinkle with 1 T. oregano, the cheeses, and the olives.  Bake for 5-7 minutes until the cheeses are melted and bubbly.

Sprinkle with remaining oregano, cut into wedges and serve.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Endamame

Source:  Julia Hair

This particular variety is so easy to grow.  I'm so grateful Julia shared some of her heirloom soybean seeds with me last fall!

Simply cook the endamame (soybeans) in their pods in boiling, salted water for 5 min.

You can serve them in their pods and pop the beans out with your teeth, or you can shell them.

Tasty!!

Green Bean, Tomato and Chickpea Salad

As soon as the green beans and grape tomatoes are in, this is a staple summer recipe for me.  The chick peas make it a one-dish meal for more lunches and dinners than I can count!

Source:  Adapted from a recipe from Aunt Yvonne and Everyday Food magazine

1 can (15.5 oz.) chick peas, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 c. quartered grape tomatoes

1 1/2 c. green beans, steamed 'til crisp tender, then chilled

1/4 c. red onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 T. coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 T. lemon juice

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

sea salt & pepper

In medium bowl, gently stir together chick peas, tomatoes, green beans, onion, garlic, and parsley.  

In separate small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.  

Pour dressing over vegetables and toss until coated completely.  Chill and let marinate for at least 1/2 hour.

Yield: 4 Servings

Fresh Peach Pie

After several tries (and a few tasty, but unpresentable flops!), I think I have finally nailed Fresh Peach Pie!  The trick is to make sure the peaches aren't too ripe - if they are ripe enough for eating, they will be too juicy for pie baking.

I'm so glad Cindy brought this pie to our food group last week and was willing to share the recipe with me!

Source:  Cindy Umberger

1 unbaked pie crust

Filling:

4 or a bit more cups of fresh peaches

1/4 c. flour

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/8 t. cinnamon

Crumbs:

1 c. flour

1/4 t. salt

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. butter

Gently pat the crumbs around the edge to seal.  Bake around 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, then reduce to 350 degrees for the last 10-15 minutes until peaches are soft and crust is golden.*

*Note - I baked mine for 45 minutes total.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

I stumbled across this recipe just in time for dinner tonight with my food group.  This was my first attempt at growing Fingerling potatoes, just wasn't quite sure what to expect nor when to harvest them.  I'm not sure I'll grow them again next year, but it was fun to try them.

Source:  Masonic Village Farm Market newsletter

Toss potatoes with crushed and chopped garlic cloves, olive oil, sea salt and pepper.  Spread on cookie sheet.  Roast at 500 degrees until tender, about 20 min.

Watermelon and Tomato Salad with Basil Oil

I had been wanting to try this recipe, so was very grateful Julia and Alan volunteered (or should I say, were volunteered - no one else in the group wanted to attempt the basil-infused oil!) to make this salad for our food group this evening.  It was yummy, and their presentation was just as lovely.

Source:  Martha Stewart Living magazine, August 2011

BASIL OIL:

2 c. fresh basil, plus more for garnish

1 1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil

SALAD:

6 c. cold cubed watermelon (from about 4 1/2 lbs. watermelon), rind removed

3 heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1/2" wedges

1 Kirby cucumber, cut into 1/2"-thick slices on the bias

1 T. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 t. fresh lemon juice

1/2 c. crumbled soft goat cheese (4 oz.)

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

BASIL OIL DIRECTIONS:

Prepare an ice-water bath.  Bring a saucepan of water to a boil.  Blanch basil for 1 min.  Transfer to ice-water bath to stop the cooking process.  Drain.

Puree basil in a blender with olive oil until smooth.  Strain mixture through a cheesecloth-lined fine sieve set over a bowl.  Let stand until oil drips through, about 1 hour (do not squeeze cheesecloth).

SALAD DIRECTIONS:

Toss together watermelon, tomatoes, cucumber, olive oil, and lemon juice in a bowl.  Transfer to a serving platter, and sprinkle with goat cheese.  Drizzle with basil oil and more olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Garnish with basil.

Serves 4