Beet and Cucumber Salad

Serves 6
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, cut into bite-size pieces
2 hard-boiled eggs, cut into bite-size pieces
3 cups diced cooked beets
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 hard-boiled egg, sliced
1 tablespoon finely chopped dill
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Mix water, vinegar, and sugar together in a bowl; add onion and cucumber. Set aside to marinate, at least 20 minutes. Combine 2 hard-boiled eggs cut into bite-size pieces and beets together in a bowl. Drain liquid from onion and cucumbers. Toss onion and cucumbers with beet mixture. Stir mayonnaise into beet mixture. Arrange sliced hard-boiled egg atop salad; sprinkle with dill, salt, and pepper.

Source

Mushroom & Wilted Greens Toast with a Poached Egg

Serves 2

2 slices whole wheat or multi-grain bread
2 tbsp. olive oil1 large clove garlic, minced
2 cups sliced mushrooms – you can use any variety you prefer
4 cups chopped greens, tough stems removed – you can use mustard greens, kale or chard here
1/2 teaspoon grainy Dijon mustard
2 large eggs
1 tsp. white vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste-
Toast (using your favorite method) the bread and go ahead and arrange each one on its own plate.- In a medium sized skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until faintly shimmering. Add in the minced garlic and saute until soft but not brown – 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the mushrooms, stir to combine and cook until they begin to release water. Throw in the chopped greens and stir again to get everyone mixed up. Stir in the bit of mustard and allow the greens to cook until tender but not mushy – 2 to 3 more minutes. Meanwhile, fill a medium sized soup/stock pot with water and bring to a boil. Add in the vinegar. With the end of a spatula or spoon, stir the water vigorously in a clockwise motion to create a swirl. Drop the cracked egg into the water and form slightly with your utensil. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the white is solid around the yolk but not to soft-boiled egg stage. Using a slotted spoon or small screened scoop, remove the eggs from the water. To serve, divide the greens mixture into two and top the toasted bread with it. Place a poached egg on top of the mixture. Season with a bit of fresh ground pepper and serve immediately – the joy of this is the runny egg so be speedy in serving & eating it.

Source

julia child's soufflé au fromage: local dairy & spring asparagus salad

Spring Asparagus Salad

with Creamy Raw Milk & Goat Cheese Dressing

serves 2

For the Salad:

2 cups green, leafy lettuce (washed, dried, and chopped)

8-10 stalks asparagus, lightly steamed (about 5 minutes)

3 radishes, sliced thin

2 spring onions, sliced thin

For the Goat Cheese Chive Dressing:

1 egg yolk

1/8 cup goat cheese

splash of raw milk (or regular)

1 tsp chopped chives

salt and pepper to taste

Mix egg yolk and goat cheese with a fork in a small bowl until creamy but pieces of cheese remain visible. Add a splash of raw milk and stir to reach desired consistency. Mix in chives and salt & pepper to taste.

http://localmilk.blogspot.com/2012/04/julia-childs-souffle-au-fromage-local.html

Spaghetti Squash recipes

Since I'm still having trouble deciding which amongst these recipes I'm going to make to use up the spaghetti squash, I decided to share them all. I have to admit, spaghetti squash ranks up there with boiled spinach and the likes as a least favorite food memory, probably because my mother always tried to serve it like spaghetti: drowned in tomato-y pasta sauce and Parmesan cheese. So it's not something I go out and voluntarily buy, but since we don't throw food out around here, and I've come great lengths in abandoning food aversions and "outgrowing" a distaste for certain foods particularly since participating in the CSA, I have resigned myself to finding more unique ways to prepare this interesting vegetable. So here are some of the ideas that I have stumbled across recently:

• Spaghetti Squash Gratin
• Morroccan-Spiced Spaghetti Squash
• Spaghetti Squash and Red Quinoa Casserole
• Spaghetti Squash with Bacon and Turnip Greens (a two-fer-one recipe!)
• Spaghetti Squash New Mexican similar to this one that is baked as a casserole (both with green chiles!)
• Tomato-Scallion Quiche with Spaghetti Squash crust

Bon Appetit!

P.S. If anyone happens to try one of these ideas, please leave your thoughts/advice in the comments!