Natick Farmer's Market: Demos, Recipes!

Diane and Heidi spent the morning at the Natick Farmer's Market on the Natick Common, giving some cooking demos, schmoozing with other vendors, chatting up the crowd, and generally have a great time. (CU people love to take our show on the road!).

Diane selected some recipes to demo that highlight early summer fruits and vegetables. Since we're trying to be "greener" around CU, we no longer hand out hardcopies of recipes; rather, we direct people to the website and this blog (Okay, we want people to go to the website - is that so wrong?). Anyway, here they are for you to peruse or try at your leisure.

The gals will be back at the Natick Farmer's Market again a couple of times this summer. We'll let you know when we'll be there again - stop by!

Swiss Chard and Sun-Dried Tomato Skillet Mac 
(6 servings) 

12 ounces small whole wheat pasta (elbow, shells, etc.)
1 bunch Swiss Chard, washed
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 Cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
1 Cup plain yogurt, fat-free or lowfat
1/2 Cup crumbled feta or goat cheese
1/2 Cup shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese

Cook pasta in well-salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving about 1 Cup past water. Set pasta aside.

Separate chard spines from the leaves. Chop spines and leaves separately. In a 12” skillet, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add chopped chard stems and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3-4 minutes, then add the garlic. Cook another 3-4 minutes until vegetables are tender.

Add chopped chard greens and stir, cooking, until mostly wilted (another 2-3 minutes). Add sun-dried tomatoes, yogurt, feta, reserved cooked pasta, and about a 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water. Stir and cook until everything is heated through and begins to thicken, about 3-4 minutes. Add more pasta water if you feel it's too thick, but thicker is better. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the pasta, and serve.

Rhubarb Chutney 

(3 Cups) 

4 Cups rhubarb, stems only, coarsely diced
2 Cups brown sugar
½ Cup lemon juice
½ Cup cider vinegar
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
1 Cups raisins
3 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger
10 whole black peppercorns
4 whole cloves

Combine rhubarb, sugar, and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over MEDIUM heat. Stir in remaining ingredients. Return to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until rhubarb is tender but still holds its shape. Remove immediately and cool. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Veggie Burgers

Posted by Maile.
At a local restaurant a man at the neighboring table kept looking from his hamburger to Lori’s veggie burger, and finally asked, “What are you eating? It looks better than my burger!”

Lori often orders veggie food when she dines out. She says their vegetarian fare is a good test of a restaurant.

Is it my imagination, or are veggie burgers becoming mainstream? Have they become one measure of a chef’s skill and creativity?

Not long ago, a reporter for a local publication called Lori to ask about making veggie burgers at home. As I listened to their conversation it occurred to me that veggie burgers would make a good family meal.

They’d make a great entree for sandwich and/or vegetarian night. (You know: every week you have a pasta night, a soup night, a pizza night, a veggie night, a breakfast-for-dinner night.)
 
Veggie burgers would also make a good platform for a sauce person like my daughter-in-law: salsa, guacamole, onion-mushroom gravy, pesto, aioli, and even more creative options. Veggie burger rolls would be a good challenge for a baker (daughter-in-law, again).

But I’d want to put them together rather than buy them, so I’d know what was in them. Hmmm, what kind would the family like?

There are tons of recipes for veggie burgers:
Nut burgers.
Falafel burgers.
Red lentil burgers.
Black bean burgers.
Hominy pinto burgers.
Lemon basil tofu burgers.
Lemon, olive, lentil burgers.
Lentil, olive, mushroom burgers.

Basically, you need something for heft – rice, beans, oatmeal, soy product; something to hold it together – an egg, breadcrumbs, cereal; something to give it contrast – carrots, squash, mushrooms, peppers, onions; and some good seasonings – the sky’s the limit.

What if I made a different kind of veggie burger every week or so to see which the family liked best? Then I could put the favorites into our family meal rotation.

I’d have the kids join in a mass veggie burger making session (because they’re too much trouble to make fresh each time) and freeze them. Suddenly, it’s a plan.

Here’s one of Culinary Underground’s recipes for:

Basic Veggie Burger
(4 servings)

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 Cup grated carrot
1/4 Cup grated onion
1 Tablespoon soy sauce or A-1 sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Cup black beans, drained, or edamame, thawed
1/4 Cup cooked millet or old-fashioned oats
1/4 Cup wholewheat breadcrumbs
1 large egg

Sauté onion and carrot in olive oil until tender. Add soy sauce, salt, and pepper.

In a large bowl, mash the beans well with a potato masher (or pulse in food processor) Add the carrot-onion mixture, the millet/oatmeal, and breadcrumbs and combine. Beat the egg and add, mixing just until incorporated. Form into four patties (you may add more breadcrumbs to make a workable mixture that holds together).

Freeze on a cookie sheet for about 15 minutes before brushing lightly with oil and grilling over direct heat for 15 minutes, turning once. Alternatively, broil until brown and crispy, turning once.

Another way to make sure the patties hold together is to bake the burgers in a 350 degrees F oven for about 20 minutes before grilling.

The Eagles Nest, Brewer, Maine

 

Posted by Maile
Recently, a friend and I were on our way to a workshop in Nova Scotia. Just before lunch, outside Bangor, we stopped for gas. We asked the attendant (yes, it was a full-service gas station of all things!) where we could get a cup of coffee and a bite to eat. He thought for a minute then said, “Oh, the Eagle’s Nest. It’s right down the road on the left.” He assured us that the locals went there.

We almost missed it. The place looked like a derelict house with a sign out front. Inside, it actually did look like somebody’s house with some tables and stools crammed in. It was early, so we lucked into a table in front of the picture window overlooking the Penobscot River.

The river view was soothing. Inside, it was good people-watching. You know how sometimes when you go to a local place you feel uncomfortable? People stare at you, or you want to stare at them and don’t dare? No problem. The Eagles Nest was friendly and laid back.

We weren’t sure we wanted a whole lunch, but the menu made the decision for us. Now, you have to realize that some of our friends have elevated the lobster roll to an icon. When they heard we were heading north they said, “You have to get a lobster roll!”

Personally, I think lobster rolls are overrated – all that mayo, and white bread. And expensive! I’ve heard people say they’ve paid more than $20. Still, lobster roll was on the Eagles Nest menu, and only  $13. So I ordered it.

Truly, it was embarrassing. A HUGE mound of lobster claw meat, lightly dressed with – I don’t even think it was mayo. It was a struggle to find the roll under all the lobster. Fries, of course, and absolutely delicious cole slaw – again without a mayo dressing. Because I’m a slaw fan, I was nearly as excited about that as about the lobster.

OK. I’m a convert now, as least as far as Eagle’s Nest lobster rolls are concerned. There are other ways to get to Nova Scotia, but taking route 9 out of Bangor takes you by the Eagle’s Nest.

The Secret of Clafoutis

Posted by Maile.
What do you call a dessert that’s quick, simple, not too sweet, and comforting? One answer might be clafoutis, a French dessert of cherries baked with a batter topping.

Clafoutis can actually be made with all sorts of other fruits, but then it’s called flaugnarde, which to a non-French speaking person sounds like a tongue twister.

I’d never had clafoutis until we made it in a Very Basics class. It just made so much sense as a dessert. I really like using fruit in a baked dessert, and sometimes making a pie or even a crisp is just not in the cards.

Now, you might think that the secret of clafoutis is the almonds, which are pulsed with the flour in the food processor. But actually, it’s the temperature. Clafoutis is served lukewarm. There is something both delicious and comforting about a warm dessert. Plus, it’s frangrant. Here’s Lori’s recipe:

Cherry Clafoutis
(4-6 servings)

3 Cups fresh cherries (pitted or not)
Sugar to taste
1/2 Cup all-purpose flour
1/3 Cup whole blanched almonds
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
Dash of salt
3 large eggs
3/4 Cup milk
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350O F. Butter an 8” square pan.

Pit the cherries, if desired, halve them, and sprinkle with sugar to taste. Let sit while preparing other ingredients.

In a food processor, pulse flour and almonds until fine. Add the sugar, cornstarch, and salt and mix again. Crack in the eggs one by one, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Pour in the melted butter and milk and pulse again until well blended. 
 
Arrange cherries in the prepared dish. Pour batter over cherries. Bake for 40 minutes, or until set. Transfer to a rack and cool. And serve with confectioner’s sugar.

* The pits give it a slightly different flavor.

Diabetic Support Group Recipes

Quinoa

On Wednesday, Lori gave a standing-room-only talk with benefits (samples of healthy dishes) for the Diabetic Support Group at Marlborough Hospital. She talked about adapting old recipes in healthy ways; new ingredients like quinoa and edamame; and old favorites that have always been healthy.

Here are a couple of recipes from that talk; culinary Underground students may recognize them:

Culinary Underground’s Grain & Nut Salad
(4-6 servings)

2 Cups cooked quinoa
2 Cups cooked millet
3 Tablespoons canola oil
2 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1/4 Cup chopped fresh mint
Salt and pepper
1 Cup fresh blueberries
1 Cup chopped cashews

Cook the grains separately; spread cooked grains on a baking sheets immediately and cool for 10 minutes. Whisk together dressing ingredients; toss grain with dressing while still warm. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add berries and nuts. Chill.

VARIATIONS:

• Try other grains like barley, farro, or brown rice.
• Substitute dried cranberries, fresh pineapples, raisins, peanuts, etc., or any combination of fruit and nuts that you like.

Peanut Butter “Truffles”
(36 treats)

2 Cups natural unsweetened peanut butter
1/3 Cup wheat germ
1/2 Cup dried skim milk
1/3 Cup honey
1/4 Cup currants
¼ Cup sunflower seeds
¾ Cups unsweetened coconut or sesame seeds

Mix wheat germ, milk, sugar, currants, sunflower seeds, and salt. Add enough peanut butter to make the mix firm but not crumbly. Roll into balls, then roll in coconut or sesame seeds.  Will keep for several weeks stored airtight and refrigerated.

Soup Without Fear

Posted by Maile
At last night’s Very Basic class, Soups and Stocks, Lori told the participants: “Put your class materials away.” (They had handouts like “How to Build a Soup,” “Types of Soups,” and “Soup Garnishes” along with recipes for preparing stocks and for some soups.)

“I was going to blindfold you and let you pick stuff from the pantry to make a soup,” she said. Instead she gave them assignments.

“Here’s what you need to make a soup,
One onion, diced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
4 Cups liquid (stock, water)
3 to 4 Cups vegetables, beans, grains, pasta
½ pound protein (optional)
Seasoning

 “Sauté the onions in the olive oil. Add the remainder of the ingredients and simmer,” she said.

Lori separated the participants into teams, each with a different assignment to prepare:
Corn Chowder with Ranch Crackers or
Thai Curry Soup with Sesame Croutons or
Red Lentil Soup with Gilroy Garlic Bread or
Southwest Chicken Soup with Cream Biscuits

There was a bit of uncertainty – what if it tastes bad; I’ve never done this before; and so on – but Lori reminded them that soup consists of a fat, stock, veggies/protein, and maybe some extras. You can’t fail.

And what about that taste part? Lori taught them how to figure that out, too, but that’s the subject of a future blog.

Blog readers already have the recipe for Gilroy Garlic Bread in a previous post, but here’s the scoop on the Red Lentil Soup. It’s the favorite in Lori’s household.

Assignment #3:     Red Lentil Soup

Fat: Canola or peanut oil

Veggies: 1 carrot, peeled and diced
              1 stalk celery, diced
              2 garlic cloves, minced
       
Stock: Chicken or fish stock

Extras: ½ Cup red lentils
`          ¼ Cup red wine
            2 Tablespoons tomato paste
            1 Tablespoon Italian seasonings
       
Directions:

Saute the carrot, celery, and garlic with the onion.

Add the stock, lentils, red wine, tomato paste, and Italian seasonings. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.

Use the immersion blender to make a smooth soup.

Did you taste it for seasonings?!

Garnishes: Top with equal parts chopped fresh garlic, parsley, and lemon zest; serve with Gilroy Garlic Bread.

Moroccan Orange Salad

Posted by Maile
“What beautiful oranges!” That’s Lori when she’s grocery shopping – she admires things.

“The broccoli rabe is gorgeous this week,” or “Look at those big, fresh bunches of watercress!” She thinks: “What can I do with that watercress?”

Of course Lori goes to market with menus for classes in mind, but she’s not oblivious to other attractions. In the case of those oranges, she was shopping for a custom class in Moroccan cooking. In addition to Muhamarra, Harira, B’stilla, and Moroccan Chicken with Lemons and Olives, the class prepared Orange Salad with Orange-Flower Water. Fortunately, the oranges in the market were beautiful that day.

That was yesterday. Lori brought out the leftovers today for lunch. I sampled the orange salad. I was transported. I’d never had cinnamon with oranges. I don’t remember tasting orange water either, though I was familiar with rose water. The combination was like an elixir.

Along with tasting, we got started thinking what else you could do with this salad? Sure, you could serve it over microgreens, or in endive or, I know it’s a salad, but why couldn’t it be the most delicious dessert? Serve it in a small bowl with a squiggle of melted dark chocolate or on a base of thin chocolate cake or over ice cream or ricotta. Maybe it would taste good with cardamom instead of cinnamon…

The thing is, maybe we should just go to the market from time to time to observe and appreciate.

Orange Salad with Orange-Flower Water

(6 servings)

3 navel oranges
2 Tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon orange flower water
Ground cinnamon

With a very sharp knife, peel oranges, removing skin and pith. Slice crosswise into thin rounds. Arrange on a flat plates, overlapping slices.  Sprinkle with sugar and orange flower water; dust with cinnamon. Cover and chill.