5 Spice Ginger Pickles

I love love LOVE pickles. And I love love LOVE ginger. And cucumbers go bad fast, so I decided to make some "quickles" aka quick pickles. Basically these are refrigerator pickles. You slice the cucumber (and onion in this case) and then soak them in a brine in the fridge. I don't bother going through the canning process, mostly because I'm lazy and afraid of botulism.

1 cucumber sliced

1 half sweet onion sliced

1/2 cup mirin (sweet rice seasoning)

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp grated ginger

1 tsp five spice powder

1/2 tsp salt

combine the liquid in a jar, then layer the pickles and onions and toss in the fridge. The longer they soak the more flavorful they get.

I have a bunch of Kale at my house from our CSA, and I figured I'd make some stew with potatoes and beans. I like the way the stew has both sweet and salty flavors. Zeke had a great idea of adding peanuts for some crunchy, which I would definitely do next time.

Moroccan Veggie Stew

Ingredients
1 onion chopped
4 cloved garlic minced
1 sweet potato peeled and cubed
4 potatoes peeled and cubed
1 bunch kale, stems removed cut into 1 inch strips
1 can diced tomato and juice
3 cups veggie broth
1 cup dried lentils
1 can garbonzo beans
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tsp aleppo pepper (or 1/2-1 tsp cayenne pepper)
2 tbsp honey
1/2 cup raisins or chopped dried apricots
2 tbsp butter

in pot melt butter and sautee onion and garlic
sautee kale for 3 min
add the rest of the ingredients and simmer until lentils soften

Dandelion Green Pasta

Dandelion Green Pasta, a photo by kel h on Flickr.

Got some Dandelion Greens in last week's farmshare. They are mighty bitter, which is why I added the butter to the recipe.

From Vegetable Love by Barbara Kafka

Ingredients:
3 cups penne
1/4 c olive oil
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 small white onion chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
bunch dandelion greens with thick stems removed, cut into 1 1/2 inch strips
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper
parmesan cheese for serving

cook penne in salted water per instructions. reserve liquid

heat olive oil in pan, cook garlic and onion until just beginning to brown

stir in red pepper flakes until starts to sizzle.

cook dandelion greens 3 min until bright green

add butter and 1/3 cup pasta water and bring to boil in skillet. cook til reduced by half. salt and pepper to taste.

Toss to coat with sauce and serve with grated parmesan

Fiddlehead Pasta with Beurre Blanc

Fiddlehead Pasta with Beurre Blanc, a photo by kel h on Flickr.

this is the second time I've gotten fiddleheads in the CSA farmshare. They're interesting, with a mild, fresh, green taste and interesting texture. The important thing seems to be choosing something that doesn't overwhelm the flavor, which is why I chose Beurre Blanc sauce and angel hair pasta. If I had frozen peas I would have added some of those too. Could also work with a mild protien like shrimp.

Ingredients:
1 bag fiddleheads
1 box angelhair pasta
2 sticks butter
1/2 cup white wine
1 lemon
1 small shallot grated
2-3 garlic cloves grated
handful parsley chopped
salt and pepper

Directions

Boil a pot of water

soak and gently rub fiddleheads with paper towel and cut off ends as needed

drop fiddleheads in for 3-5 min until "tender crisp", then put in cold water bath to keep from over cooking

add salt to water and boil pasta per instructions

zest lemon and set aside

in saucepan heat up wine, juice from lemon, shallot and garlic. simmer until sauce reduces by half.

add two sticks of butter and zest a tablespoon at a time.

once sauce thickens, add parsley, salt and pepper to taste and toss with pasta and fiddleheads

Fiddlehead Mushroom Pea Risotto

Fiddlehead Mushroom Pea Risotto, a photo by kel h on Flickr.

we got Fiddleheads in the farmshare today, which are a springtime treat in new england and the maritimes. They are the unopen fronds of a fern, and taste a bit like asparagus. Apparently they are quite popular in quiche (says my boyfriend from Maine). I consulted my go-to cookbook for all things farmshare, Vegetable Love, and found this risotto recipe.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
1 shallot minced
1 onion minced
1 pt mushrooms roughly chopped (recipe called for chanterelle, but i used oyster)
3/4 c chopped fresh tarragon
1/4 c olive oil
2 cups arborio rice
1 cup white wine
5-6 cups veggie stock
1 1/2 cup frozen peas
2 cups trimmed fiddleheads (could sub chopped asparagus)
1 cup grated swiss cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

sautee the shallots and onion in melted butter. Add mushrooms and cook for about 5 min. Add tarragon for 8 min. add oil and rice and cook at medium until rice absorbs the oil

add the wine and stir until evaporated

add broth a cup at a time, stirring until absorbed before adding the next cup. After four cups add the peas and fiddleheads. Add more stock as needed until rice is at desired consistency. Stir in grated cheese gradually. Salt and pepper to taste

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, a photo by kel h on Flickr.

These cookies are fantastic. They are crispy and chewy at the same time. I added the cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest. You may want to up the salt a smidge if you use the zest. Also, I love the texture that oatmeal adds

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
(from The Frog Commissary Cookbook)
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
zest from 1 small orange
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups oats (rolled or "quick," but not "instant")
2 cups chocolate chips (about 12-oz.)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the sugars until mixture is light in color. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the milk and the vanilla extract.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest. Either by hand or with the mixer on low speed, gradually beat the flour in to the sugar mixture until just incorporated.
Stir in the oats and chocolate chips by hand.
Drop 1-inch balls of dough onto the cookie sheet, placing about 1 1/2 inches apart so they have room to spread.
Bake at 350F for 10-13 minutes, until golden brown at the edges and light golden at the center.
Cool on baking sheet for at least 1-2 minutes before transfering to a wire rack to cool completely

Stuffed zucchini

Stuffed zucchini, a photo by kel h on Flickr.

Cut zucchini in half lengthwise
score the zucchini down the center and sides and scoop out the flesh
cut up a potato into small cubes and sautee with one chopped onion until fork tender
add one chopped up and seeded tomato, zucchini flesh, a tsp italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste
add either a cup of peas or garbanzo beans
scoop filling into hollowed out zucchini
sprinkle cheese and breadcrumbs on top
bake at 375 for 20-30 min until top is brown and crispy and zucchini shell is soft