Thursday, May 30, 2013

Potato and Arugula Pizza with Spelt Oatmeal Crust


Makes (1) 16" pizza or (2) 8" pizzas

for the crust:
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tsp raw honey
pinch salt
rosemary olive oil
2 1/2 - 3 1/2 spelt flour
1/2 cup multi grain rolled oats
cornmeal for dusting

for the pizza:
(1) small bunch arugula
3 small new potatoes thinly sliced (paper thin)
pinch of red pepper flakes
rosemary olive oil
kosher salt
honey
 
In a medium bowl combine yeast and warm water (120 degrees). Preheat over to 450. Set pizza stone in the oven to allow the stone to preheat. Allow yeast to sit for about 5 minutes, until frothy/bubbly. Add salt, olive oil & honey. With a wooden spoon gently stir in 2 cups of flour 1 cup at a time & oats. Turn dough out on a lightly floured clean surface. Knead remaining flour in a 1/4 cup at a time to prevent hands from sticking to the dough and dough from the work surface, knead for 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Return to a clean bowl, oiled with olive oil. Cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes or until double in size. Divide dough into 2 equal portions if making the 8" pizzas - store the unused dough (if saving) in a ziploc gallon bag and store in fridge for up to a week. On a piece of parchment paper sprinkled with cornmeal. Hand stretch or roll the dough out with a rolling pin to an 8" diameter- perfection is not what you are looking for- it is suppose to look homemade. Roll up the sides of the dough to create a crust. Drizzle the dough with rosemary olive oil, layer the potatoes, overlapping each slightly. Sprinkle with a generous amount of salt & sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes. Drizzle with honey and a bit more olive oil with olive oil spray, spray the crust /edges of pizza. Transfer pizza and parchment paper directly onto the pizza stone that is pre-heated in your oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are lightly browned and the potatoes are cooked through
remove from oven, allow to cool for 2 minutes,top with arugula, slice and enjoy!

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Shaved Summer Squash Salad with Blossoms


2 pounds small yellow zucchini or other summer squash
1/2 pound ricotta salata cheese or mild feta
12 squash blossoms (petals only)
Salt 
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Juice from half a lemon
 Using a mandoline or sharp thin-bladed knife, cut zucchini into very thin slices lengthwise; put in a large, shallow bowl. Season zucchini lightly with salt and pepper; toss gently. Drizzle with olive oil, then add juice from lemon. Taste and adjust the seasoning. On top, scatter cheese, then blossoms. Serve immediately.

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Armenian Cucumber Salad


Chop up the cucumber into small pieces and put in a large bowl.
From here you can pretty much add anything that sounds good to you.
Measurements here aren't important. Add ingredients until your salad looks and taste wonderful.
We added the following:
chopped tomatoes
dulse seaweed
ground flax
hemp seeds
togarashi (a Japanese chili powder mix)
crushed sesame
shiso leaves 
Other options of things to add might be:
bell peppers
olives
umeboshi plums
basil
dill
shredded carrots
edible flowers 
The options are only limited by your creativity. Use your imagination, choose produce with vibrant colors and create your very own salad masterpiece.

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Thursday, May 23, 2013

Potato, Squash, and Goat Cheese Gratin



Serves 6
2 medium yellow squash, about 1/2 pound
4 small to medium red potatoes, about 1 pound
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces goat cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon thinly sliced basil or thyme leaves
Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 1 1/2 to 2-quart casserole dish with a drizzle of olive oil.
Use a mandoline or chef's knife to slice the squash and potatoes into very, very thin slices, 1/8-inch or less. Toss the sliced vegetables with the 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large bowl.
Place 1/3 of the squash and potato slices in the bottom of the dish — no need to layer them squash-potato-squash; just spread evenly — then season with salt and pepper. Top with half of the goat cheese, scattered evenly in large chunks. Repeat with another 1/3 of the vegetables, seasoning again with salt and pepper and topping with the other 1/2 of the goat cheese. Finish by layering on the final 1/3 of the vegetables and seasoning with salt and pepper.
Pour the milk over the entire dish. Top with the parmesan cheese. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake 15 more minutes, until the top browns. Scatter on the fresh basil, if using.
Source

Michele's Amazing Apple, Beet, and Arugula Salad



Serves 6

3 large beets (or 6 small beets)
3 medium granny smith apples, peeled cored and chopped small
3/4 cup chopped raw pecans
3 1/2 packed cups of baby arugula, lightly chopped
1/2 medium orange, juiced and zested
2 Tbsp. olive oil  plus more for baking beets
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1-2 Tbsp. raw honey, melted
Sea salt (to taste)
Ground black pepper (to taste)
Preheat oven to 400F. Wash and dry beets, and trim off the leaves and root tip (leaving the skin on). Drizzle a little olive oil over each beet and sprinkle each with a dash of sea salt. Wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. If using smaller beets bake for about 50 minutes, if using larger beets bake for about 90 minutes or until a fork can pierce the beet easily. Remove the beets from the oven and allow them to rest for about 10 minutes. Unwrap each beet and drain the excess beet juice into a small bowl and set aside. Chop the beets into small bite sized pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Fill the bottom of a medium sized saucepan with water and place a steamer basket in it. Place over medium-high heat and bring the water to a bowl. Add the chopped apples, cover and steam for about 4-5 minutes or until apples are soft and tender. Drain and add the steamed apples to the bowl with the beets. Place your chopped pecans in a medium sized skillet over medium-high heat and cook until lightly toasted, stirring frequently. Set the pecans aside. 
To make the dressing, take the reserved beet juice and add the 2 Tbsp. of olive oil, apple cider vinegar, raw honey, orange juice and orange zest. Stir and add sea salt and black pepper to taste. Add additional orange juice or vinegar if you like. Pour the dressing over the beet mixture and toss to coat. Add the arugula and toasted pecans and toss again. Serve immediately or place in fridge until ready to serve.
NOTE: For those that eat dairy, a bit of blue cheese crumbles on the top of the salad is delicious. Frozen beets would work for this recipe as well. To freeze simply chop your roasted beets, let them cool to room temperature and freeze them in a resealable plastic bag or a freezer safe container. When you want to use them pull them out and set them on the counter to defrost; once defrosted they are ready to use.
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Avocado Cucumber Grapefruit Salad



Salad
2 cucumbers, diced, seeds removed (about 2 cups)
3-4 grapefruit or oranges, peeled and chopped (about 2 cups)
2-3 avocados, diced (about 1½ cups)
⅓ cup almonds, chopped (I used smoked almonds)
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
3-4 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
Dressing
1 tablespoon vinegar (can also use lime or lemon juice)
1½ tablespoon honey
1½ tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste
Grapefruit or orange zest to taste
Wash, cut, and gently toss the cucumbers, grapefruit, almonds, mint, and chives. Whisk the dressing ingredients together. Taste and adjust to your preferences. Drizzle over the salad ingredients. Chill until ready to serve. Just before serving, gently mix the avocado pieces into the salad. Top with additional herbs or almonds.
NOTES
The avocado starts to melt pretty quickly into the salad, so be sure to add the avocado right before serving for the best presentation. It’s best to eat this on the same day that you prepared it.
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Thursday, May 16, 2013

How to Blog!


Before you are able to post, you must email flagcsarecipes@gmail.com and you will be invited to be an author for our blog.

How to post a blog entry:
           
1)    Go to www.blogger.com. Sign in using your username and password from Gmail. You can also sign in from http://flagcsarecipes.blogspot.com/ On the top right corner of the page it says “Sign In”
2)    This will take you to the dashboard. Click on NEW POST to post a new blog entry. You can preview it before you post it to the web and you can spell check it as well. You may also go back and edit it once it is posted. Click EDIT POST on the dashboard.
3)    Remember to label the post so others can find what they are looking for with ease. For instance, is your recipe for a butternut squash soup? Your labels would be: soup, butternut squash. There is a place to type labels in at the bottom of your new post. Keep them consistent with labels that have already been created.
4)    If you would like to add a photo or a video clip to your post, you can do that by clicking on the “photo” or “video” button on the window where you type your blog entry. They are directly to the right of the spell check button.

Some helpful hints:
1)    Recipes are intended to use ingredients from our CSA share. Try to keep the posts focused on seasonal produce, local foods and sustainability.
2)    If you use a recipe or photo from a source other than you, give credit to the source.
3)    Have fun!

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Provencal Summer Squash and Potato Gratin



This dish is based on a traditional Provencal dish called a tian, the perfect baked dish for showcasing summer vegetables. Try swapping rosemary for thyme or oregano, or adding thinly sliced summer eggplant to the mix.
Cooking spray
1 medium yellow summer squash (about 8 ounces)
1 medium zucchini (about 8 ounces)
1 small Yukon gold potato, about 4 ounces, scrubbed and thinly sliced
1/4 small sweet onion, such as Vidalia, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup (1 1/2 ounces) freshly grated Manchego cheese
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly mist a shallow 2-quart baking or gratin dish with cooking spray.
Thinly slice the squash, zucchini, potato, and onion 1/4-inch thick with a mandolin or by hand. Shingle the vegetables in the prepared baking dish in one layer. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the rosemary leaves and drizzle with olive oil. Cover with foil and bake until the potatoes are tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the foil; sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until the cheese is browned and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 45 minutes more. Let stand at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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French Breakfast Radishes Sauteed in Butter



Butter
Olive oil
1 bunch of French breakfast radishes, trimmed and halved lengthwise
Salt
Chives
In a skillet large enough to accommodate all the radishes, melt a big knob of butter with a little bit of olive oil. When the butter begins to foam, add the radishes. Season them with salt and sauté them until the radishes lose their opacity and they all begin to turn translucent. Transfer the radishes to a serving dish and snip fresh chives over them before serving.
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Roasted Beets and Red Chard Greens



4 servings
1 pound/450 g red Swiss chard, chopped into 2 inch pieces
1 bunch of beets, with greens
2 tablespoons/15 ml olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon/15 ml butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Wash the beets and greens, leaving the skins on. Remove the greens close to the roots, take off the stems and tear the beet greens into 2-inch pieces. Put aside. Drop the beets in salted boiling water and let simmer until tender, for 25 minutes. Drain the water and let them cool in cold water. Peel by rubbing them with a rag. Put aside. You can also use a peeler. When the beets are done, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallot, garlic and beets and cook for 5 minutes. Add the red chard and the beet greens and cook for 1 minute, until the greens wilt. Add the butter and a little water and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm and serve with fried skate. 
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Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Swiss Chard Pancakes



This makes a lot of pancakes, but they freeze perfectly, so I always make the full recipe. If you think this is going to be too much for you, cut the recipe in half and use 1 egg and 1 yolk.
2 cups whole milk
2½ cups all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 shallot, coarsely chopped, rinsed, and patted dry
2 garlic cloves, split, germ removed, and coarsely chopped
Leaves from 10 parsley sprigs
10 fresh chives, snipped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
5 large or 10 small Swiss chard leaves, center ribs removed, washed, and dried
About ½ cup grapeseed, peanut, or vegetable oil
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil, and line a plate with paper towels. Put everything except the Swiss chard and oil in a blender or food processor, making sure you season the mix generously with salt and pepper, and whir until the batter is smooth. (If your machine won't handle this quantity, work in batches.) Little by little, add the chard to the mix and whir to incorporate it. There's no need to pulverize the chard — having some strands is nice. Pour ¼ to ½ inch of oil into a large skillet and place the skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot (a drop of batter should seize immediately), spoon in a scant ¼ cup batter for each pancake — don't crowd the pan: depending on the size of the pan, 4 pancakes is probably max per batch. Cook the pancakes for about 3 minutes, until the underside is nicely browned and the edges are browned and curled. Flip the pancakes over and cook for another 2 minutes or so. Transfer the pancakes to the paper-towel-lined plate, cover with more towels, and pat off the excess oil. Place them on the foil-lined baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you continue to make pancakes, adding more oil to the pan as needed.
Serving:Traditionally, farçous are served with a salad as a main course, but you could serve fewer per portion as a starter or omit the salad and serve them as a side dish. If you want to serve thefarçous as an hors d'oeuvre, you might want to include a dipping sauce or topping of crème fraîche,cervelle de canut, or plain yogurt. You might also think about drizzling them with a little basil or parsley coulis— they don't really need the coulis, but it's a good combination.
Storing:You can make the farçous a few hours ahead, keep them covered at room temperature, and reheat them in a conventional oven or microwave before serving. Or you can pack them airtight (make sure to separate them with small squares of wax or parchment paper) and freeze them, then reheat as needed.
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Pickled Cabbage with Beets and Carrots, aka Russian-style Kimchee


 

2 medium heads of cabbage, sliced
3 tablespoons salt
2 medium beets, peeled and thinly cut into sticks, or shredded
3 large carrots, peeled and shredded
4-6 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
Mix together cabbage and salt in a large stainless steel pot or a food grade plastic container.  I admit, my pot wasn't big enough, so I made this in two batches and then combined together.  When you mix the cabbage with salt, the cabbage gives off juice and significantly decreases in volume. Stir in beets, carrots, garlic and pepper flakes. Weigh down the pickled vegetables.  I placed a plate on top of the vegetables and added a pot with water on top.  You could use canned goods or anything else that is heavy.  Leave the vegetables at room temperature for 6-7 days until vegetables pickle.  If you notice that the vegetables are dry, remove the weight and stir them together - there will be plenty of juice accumulated on the bottom of the pot.  Taste the vegetables on day 5 or so.  If there isn't enough salt, you can add another tablespoon then, as well as more red pepper flakes. Refrigerate the cabbage and beets until ready to use.  Eat as is or dressed with oil, chopped herbs and minced onion. I just might add more garlic and red pepper flakes next time.  Also, this time around I sliced the beets but would shred them next time.  What do you think?
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Sauteed Radishes with Thyme-Garlic Bread



Serves 4
For radishes:
8 French breakfast radishes, scrubbed clean, greens removed (but save those greens for another recipe!)
2 Tablespoons (or more) unsalted butter
Salt
For bread:
1/2 French baguette (about 8 oz of bread), sliced into 1″ thick slices
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced + 1/2 teaspoon salt OR 3/4 teaspoon garlic-salt
1 heaping Tablespoon of fresh thyme, chopped OR 1 heaping teaspoon dried thyme
Preheat oven to 350° F. Mix olive oil, garlic, salt, and thyme in a small bowl until blended. Lightly brush both sides of each bread slice with the oil mixture. Loosely arrange slices together as if reconstructing the loaf of bread, then wrap in aluminum foil. Bake in oven for about 10 minutes or until nicely toasted. Heat butter over low-medium heat in a large frying or sauté pan. Trim off any remaining stems from the tops of the radishes, as well as the white stringy root at the bottom. Slice each radish lengthwise. When butter has melted, add the sliced radishes to the pan.  Sauté until the radishes begin to soften slightly and color becomes less opaque, about 4 minutes. Flip the radishes and sauté for another few minutes, adding more butter if needed.  When the radishes are warm and soft (yet still firm), sprinkle lightly with salt and remove from heat. Serve radishes with thyme-garlic bread.  If you like, drizzle any extra butter left in the pan over the radishes.  Enjoy warm.
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