Recipes of the Week of June 25th

Fava Greens - Back in May, Holly our Hoboken Midtown coordinator, sent us a note "Thought you ought to know that the NYT predicts that Fava leaves are the latest trend in the culinary world. Serving the greens raw or briefly sauteed, sometimes wrapping seafood in them before cooking. Recommended: brief saute in olive oil, then add spring garlic and toss with pasta (Coi restaurant chef in San Francisto does this)." We have been delivering them for years - I guess we are ahead of our time!!

Beets Parmesan Recipe f/homecooking.about.com

1-2 large beets, peeled & cubed
Freshly ground pepper
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Put the beets into a saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cream. Cook over low heat, stirring carefully, until the beets and the cream are heated through. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and cook until the cheese is melted and the cream thickened. Serve very hot.

Baked Beets Recipe f/homecooking.about.com

1 pound beets, prepared for cooking
½ tsp salt
Pinch pepper
1 Tbsp butter or margarine
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place beets in a roasting pan, cover with foil, and bake 2 to 2-1/2 hours until tender. Cool until easy to handle (if you're in a hurry, plunge in ice water), then peel. If the beets are small, serve whole; otherwise slice, dice, or cut into julienne strips. Place in a saucepan with salt, pepper, and butter and warm, uncovered, over low heat, shaking pan gently, 2 to 3 minutes. Baked beets are mellower, sweeter, and nuttier than boiled.

Carrots Vichy Recipe f/homecooking.about.com
Although this tasty carrot side dish sounds posh and fancy, it is fast and easy to make. Kids will love it. The lemon-lime soda, chicken broth, and fresh dill weed really bring out the sweet flavor of the carrots.

4 Tablespoons salad oil or butter
4 Tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups 7-Up, Sprite or lemon-lime soda (not diet)
1-1/2 pounds carrots, peeled & sliced into coin shapes
2 teaspoons fresh dill weed (or 1 tsp dried)
In a heavy saucepan, make a roux by combining the flour and oil or butter over medium heat. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring continuously. While stirring, add chicken broth, 7-Up, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring often, until thickened. Add carrots and cook about 10 minutes until tender. Stir in the dill weed and remove from heat. Serve warm.

Champagne Dill Carrots Recipe f/homecooking.about.com
This simple carrot side dish is fast and easy to make. There is something magical about the combination of carrots and dill. It's a great use for leftover champagne. Sweet white wine may be substituted for the champagne.

2 Tablespoons butter
1 pound carrots, peeled and thinly sliced into coin shapes
1/4 cup beef or chicken stock
1/2 cup champagne
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh dill weed, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried

In a heavy saucepan, saute the carrots in the butter over medium heat until they begin to brown. Add the beef or chicken stock and champagne. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until al dente (tender to the bite but not mushy soft). Remove cover and cook until liquid has almost evaporated. Add lemon juice and dill weed and gently stir to combine. Serve hot.

Carrots au Gratin
Carrots are cooked with chopped onion and bell pepper, topped with Parmesan and cracker crumbs.

4 tablespoons melted butter, divided
1/4 cup saltine cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
dash pepper
2 1/2 to 3 cups sliced carrots
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
3 tablespoons chopped onion

Recipe directions for carrots au gratin
In a small bowl, toss 2 tablespoons of melted butter with cracker crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and the pepper; set aside. Cook carrots, green pepper, and onion in salted boiling water just until tender.
Drain. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Top carrots au gratin with buttered crumbs.

Recipes of the Week of June 18th

Garlic Curls - chop, sauté, mince & use just like garlic. A great way to get fresh garlic before the bulbs are harvested. These are harvested from the false flower stalk of hardneck varieties. A few go along way.

Make a Basil-Garlic Curl Pesto! Just chop & mix with olive oil!

Rhubarb go to www.rhubarbinfo.com for The Rhubarb Compendium and more recipes.

With Rhubarb you can make Pies - Muffins - Breads- Cobblers - Crisps -Jams, Sauces & more. They are known for their tartness, so most recipes will require a lot of sugar.

Rhubarb Cream-Cheese Pie

13 in pastry
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 lb rhubarb, cut into 1 in pieces
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 large eggs, at room temp
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 425 F. Roll out pastry disk to line 9 in pie plate. Crimp edge; chill 15 mins.

In saucepan, mix cornstarch, salt and 1 c sugar. Add rhubarb; toss well to coat. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 8 to 10 mins or until fully boiling and thickened. Pour into prepared pie shell; bake 10 mins.

In bowl, with mixer, beat cream cheese, eggs, and remaining sugar until blended; pour over rhubarb mixture. Reduce oven to 350 F. Bake pie 35 mins or until set. Cool; chill. Spread with sour cream. Garnish with almonds.

LEMON-RHUBARB CHICKEN f/http://www.epicurious.com/recipes

2 ½ tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoons plus 1/8 cup chopped shallots
2 ¼ cups diced rhubarb, divided
½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel, divided

¼ stick of butter
¼ cup sliced unpeeled fresh ginger
½ cup sugar

3 tablespoons brandy
2 cups low-salt chicken broth
½ whole star anise
1 bay leaf

4 boneless chicken breast halves with skin

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons chopped shallots and 2 cups rhubarb; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lemon peel. Season with salt and pepper. Cool rhubarb stuffing.

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over low heat. Add 21/2 cups rhubarb, 1/4 cup shallots, and ginger; sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to high. Add sugar and brandy; boil 1 minute. Add broth, star anise, and bay leaf. Simmer over low heat until mixture is reduced to 2 cups, about 1 hour. Strain sauce, discarding solids in strainer. Stir 1/3 cup rhubarb stuffing into sauce. DO AHEAD Stuffing and sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Cover each separately and chill. Rewarm sauce before using.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Using fingertips, separate skin from flesh of chicken breasts, forming pocket. Place about 2 tablespoons rhubarb stuffing in pocket. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, add chicken breasts, skin side down, to skillet; cook until brown, about 7 minutes. Transfer chicken, skin side down, to roasting pan.

Roast chicken 10 minutes; baste with pan juices. Roast until cooked through, about 10 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to platter, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon lemon peel, and serve, passing sauce alongside.

RHUBARB CRISPhttp://www.cooks.com

1 cup flour
3/4 cup oatmeal
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 cups diced rhubarb
1/2 pkg. dry strawberry Jell-O

Sauce:
3/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°F.

To make crust, mix flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter until crumbly. Press 1/2 of the mixture into the bottom of a 9x9 inch pan.

Cover with chopped rhubarb, then sprinkle with dry Jell-O. In a medium saucepan, combine white sugar, cornstarch and water. Cook until thickened and clear. Add vanilla. Pour over rhubarb, pat remaining crumbs on top.

Bake at 350°F for 1 hour.

COFFEE RHUBARB CAKEhttp://www.cooks.com

1/3 c. corn oil butter
1 1/4 c. sugar (divided)
1 c. buttermilk
8 tbsp. hot coffee (divided)
2 egg whites
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
2 c. unbleached flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 rhubarb stalks (8 oz.), diced, 2 cups
1 tsp. cinnamon

Oven 350 degrees. Cream butter and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar. Add egg whites, buttermilk and vanilla. Mix well. Dissolve baking soda in 2 tablespoons hot water. Add to creamed mixture.

Combine flour and salt, stir into mixture. Fold in diced rhubarb and pour batter into 9 x 13 inch pan sprayed with nonstick vegetable coating. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle over batter.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Remove and brush top of cake with remaining 6 tablespoons hot coffee. 15 servings

ESCALLOPED RHUBARB

4 c. of 1 inch pieces of rhubarb
1/2 to 3/4 c. sugar
2 c. bread cubes
butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut up rhubarb. Put in baking dish. Combine bread cubes with sugar. Dot rhubarb with butter. Top with sugar-bread mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or so until bread is crisp and brown.

Recipes of the Week of June 11th

Radish Greens - These have a peppery flavor, and they're great raw in salads and sandwiches, or you can cook them as you would other leafy greens. The leaves are fairly pungent, though, so a little goes a long way.

Steamed Chard with Candied Ginger The sweetness of the ginger combines well with the flavor of the greens. The seasoning amounts depend on your personal taste. 3/4 lb chard leaves salt and pepper 1 tablespoon full-flavored olive oil grated lemon zest or orange zest lemon juice chopped candied ginger Prepare chard by washing well and chopping up coarsely. Steam leaves for 5 to 10 minutes. Toss chard with remaining ingredients. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Sautéed Swiss Chard 1 1/2 tablespoons butter 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 pinch dry crushed red pepper 2 bunches swiss chard, stems trimmed, leaves cut into 1/2-inch-wide pieces 1/2 lemon, juice of salt

Melt butter and oil in heavy large pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper. /\Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add swiss chard; stir to coat. Cover and cook until tender (stirring occasionally) about 8 minutes. Squeeze juice from 1/2 lemon onto chard. Season to taste with salt.

Potato Salad w/ wild radish greens (from: http://veggieway.blogspot.com/2006/04/potato-salad-w-wild-radish-greens-whb.html)

A bunch of wild radish greens 4-5 potatoes a few spring onions

Dressing: 3 tbs olive oil 1 tsp dijon mustard 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 lemon juice Boil the potatoes, when cool enough peel and chop them. Transfer them to a salad bowl. Throw the wild radish greens in a pan full of boiling water; leave them for about ten minutes. Strain them and pour cold water over them to avoid discoloration. Then chop the greens, transfer them to the salad bowl. Whisk all the ingredients of the dressing, pour it into the salad bowl, mix well and serve.

Cilantro Slaw from Sunset Low Fat Mexican Cookbook 5-6 cups shredded cabbage 1 cup firmly packed cilantro leaves, minced 1/4 cup lime juice 1 Tablespoon each water and honey 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds Salt and Pepper to taste In a large nonmetal bowl, mix all ingredients together.

Bob's Fabulous Yummy Cilantro Marinade from More Recipes from a Kitchen Garden by Shepherd & Raboff

This marinade can be used to marinate tofu and meats, as a sauce for noodles or rice, and as a dressing for a green salad. 5 T vegetable oil 1/3 cup packed fresh cilantro with stems 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 1/4 cup tamari soy sauce 1 ounce fresh ginger (about an inch of it?), cut into six 1/4 inch slices 6 large cloves garlic 1 1/2 T ground cumin

Lettuce Soufflé Lettuce, chopped 5 Tbsp butter or margarine ¼ cup plain flour salt and freshly ground black pepper ¾ cup semi-skimmed milk 1 tsp Worcester sauce ¾ cup grated Cheddar cheese 4 eggs, separated ¾ tsp cream of tartar ¼ cup fresh grated parmesan

Heavily butter a soufflé mold and coat the butter with Parmesan. Cook the chopped lettuce in very little water until just tender and drain well. Add 1 Tbsp of butter or margarine, cook and stir until any remaining water has disappeared. In a separate pan, melt the rest of the butter, blend in the flour, salt and pepper. Cook over a low heat for 3-5 minutes. Blend in the milk and Worcester sauce. Cook and stir until thickened. Remove from the heat and add the Cheddar cheese, stir until melted. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time. Add cooked lettuce. Beat the egg whites until foamy, add cream of tartar and a pinch of salt, then whip until stiff. Stir a quarter into the lettuce mixture, then fold in the remainder. Pour into the soufflé mold and smooth the top; sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake in the middle of a preheated oven, 374°f/ Gas mark 5 for 30-40 minutes, until well risen and golden brown. Serve immediately.

Recipes - Week of June 4th

Green Garlic Hints -Use just like garlic. They look like scallions but taste like garlic. Great for stir-fry, dips, pesto. Stir fry the stalky ends and the leaves may be blended in a food processor for dips & pesto.

Penne with Ricotta and Green Garlic Sauce f/Knoll Organic Farms http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/greengarlic.htm
1 1/2 cups fresh whole-milk ricotta 1/2 cup finely minced green garlic 2 tablespoons minced parsley Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1 pound dried penne or fusilli pasta 2 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus grated Parmesan for the table

Combine the ricotta, green garlic and 1 tablespoon of the parsley in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Just before pasta is done, remove 1/2 cup of the boiling water. Whisk enough of the hot water into the ricotta to make a smooth, creamy sauce. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce along with the butter. Toss well. Add 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and toss again, adding a little more of the hot water if needed to thin the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve on warm plates, topping each portion with some of the remaining parsley. Pass additional Parmesan at the table.

Mint-Garlic Green Pesto

1 cup parsley, chopped 1 cup mint leaves 2 stalks of Green garlic, chopped 1/4 cup virgin olive oil 1/4 cup vegetable oil

In food processor, process parsley, mint and garlic. Slowly add oils until emulsified. Serve at room temperature.

Collard Greens from allrecipes.com

1/2 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 cup chopped onion 1-2 stalks of green garlic (chopped) ½ - 1 pound collard greens - rinsed, trimmed and chopped 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon molasses 1 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring salt and ground black pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large pot. Sauté onion and garlic until onions are translucent. Place chopped collard greens in pot, and add water to cover. Stir in brown sugar, molasses and liquid smoke. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 30 to 40 minutes, or until greens are tender.

Note Liquid smoke is produced by burning hickory chips, then condensing the smoke into a liquid form. The liquid is then filtered to remove all impurities. You can find it in most grocery stores in the section with the barbeque sauce and steak sauce. Some brands are more concentrated than others, so use sparingly, and season to taste.

Grilled BBQ Lettuce from allrecipes.com

Brush the halved heads of lettuce with this marinade for a great start to a BBQ.

1/4 cup soy sauce ¾ tablespoons sesame oil 1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar (packed) 1/2 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 1-2 small heads lettuce, halved lengthwise

In a blender or food processor mix soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, brown sugar, and ginger until thoroughly combined.

Brush lettuce with marinade. Place romaine lettuce cut-sides down, in center of cooking grate. Grill 5 to 7 minutes, turning and brushing with marinade halfway through grilling time.

Tip

Add crumbled blue cheese for extra flavor. Recipe created for Tanimura & Antle by Chef Tony M