farm wedding

ceremony site by the pond

table centerpieces

head table

enjoying the barn wood bar

This wedding was particularly special for me as the bride was my dear cousin, Ahnna.

our family in wedding finery

One Pot Wonder Tomato Basil Pasta

for basil and tomato season!

ONE POT WONDER TOMATO BASIL PASTA
Serves 4 to 6 as an entree
12 ounces linguine pasta
1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes with liquid ( I used zesty red pepper flavor)
1 large sweet onion, cut in julienne strips
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2 large sprigs basil, chopped
4 1/2 cups vegetable broth (regular broth and NOT low sodium)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Parmesan cheese for garnish
Place pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, in a large stock pot. Pour in vegetable broth. Sprinkle on top the pepper flakes and oregano. Drizzle top with oil.
Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and keep covered and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes or so. Cook until almost all liquid has evaporated – I left about an inch of liquid in the bottom of the pot – but you can reduce as desired .
Season to taste with salt and pepper , stirring pasta several times to distribute the liquid in the bottom of the pot. Serve garnished with parmesan cheese.

Tried and enjoyed by Rebecca H.
From http://www.apronstringsblog.com/one-pot-wonder-tomato-basil-pasta-recipe/?fb_source=pubv1

CSA Pick up - July 10

 

Keep scrolling for my new and revisited recipes!

Happy eating,

Kara

Green Chopped Salad

This is the salad that I am trying tonight with our butter lettuce (the lighter colored variety of the lettuce choices today).

This is Jamie Oliver's Everyday Chopped salad

4 scallions
½ a cucumber
A handful of fresh basil leaves
head Boston or small red leaf lettuce (I used butter)
½ cup sprouted cress or alfalfa
avocado
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon Dijon or English mustard (I added more)
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

• Get yourself a big chopping board and a large sharp knife. It’s best to start by chopping the harder, crunchier veggies first, so trim and chop your scallions and slice your cucumber. Slice your basil. Bring it all into the center of the board, and continue chopping and mixing together.
• Add the lettuce leaves, and cress or alfalfa to the board. Add the avocado. When everything is well chopped, you’ll have a big mound of salad on the board.
• Make a well in the middle and drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. Add the mustard and the salt and pepper. Mix up so everything gets well coated and serve on the board or in a bowl.

Here are Jamie's tips for altering the salad:

• What I want to show you here is that the sky’s the limit when it comes to the different ingredients you can add to a chopped salad – you can use whatever’s available.
• The only rule I would give you is to always include a couple of handfuls of crunchy lettuce to give your salad a really good texture. Try out different things, and don’t feel obliged to use the same old stuff all the time. Bell peppers, tomatoes, herb sprigs . . . you can get any or all of these into a chopped salad.
• Basil works well in this salad, but so do lots of other soft fresh herbs, such as chives, chervil, or mint.
• For a bit of extra crunch, simply toast some nuts in a warm pan, but watch them as once they start to go brown they can burn very quickly.

Beets (repost from 2012)

I never thought I liked beets and now they are one of my favorite vegetables. If you cut off the greens, they will keep in your crisper drawer for quite a while. Here are some hints about using beets as well as my two favorite beet recipes.

Beets have a tendency to stain everything they touch so be forewarned. In order to reduce staining do not cut the root ends or peel the beets, keep the stems about 4-6 inches long and don't scrub them, just wash gently. When the beets are done cooking you just slide their skins right off or eat with skins on.

Beets can be grated raw in a salad and beet greens are also edible although they should be eaten soon as their integrity will diminish quickly. You can steam or saute beet greens or use them in any dish that calls for fresh spinach.

Roasted Beets:
I think beets are best roasted. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Toss clean, diced beets with olive oil, salt and pepper and place on baking sheet or in a glass dish. Cover loosely with foil and bake 20-30 minutes or until beets are fork tender. I usually remove the foil for the last 10 minutes so that they caramelize. Eat them as is or for an added treat, toss roasted beets with feta cheese. You can also experiment with adding some of our fresh herbs to the pan.

Pickled Beets (from the Asparagus to Zucchini cookbook):
2 lbs beets
1 med white onion, sliced
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups white vinegar
1 tsp whole allspice
2 whole cloves
1 stick cinnamon
Boil or steam beets until tender. Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid, then drain beets and let them cool. Peel, slice, and pack beets and raw onions into pint jars (about 3). Combine reserved liquid, sugar, vinegar, allspice, cloves, and cinnamon in a pot; bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes. Strain and pour into your jars. Cool, cover, and refrigerate 24 hours.  

Secret Chocolate Cake

From Anja Mast of Trillium Haven CSA
" Delicious plain, frosted or served in bowls with applesauce.

They'll never know the secret ingredient unless you tell them."
Puree in blender/food processor until smooth and set aside:

2 cups beets (cooked, peeled and chopped)
1/2 cup applesauce.

Combine in a large mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer 2 minutes:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 eggs

Add along with pureed beets and beat another 90 seconds:
1/2 cup baking cocoa (sifted)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Gradually sift into the batter, mixing it in with a spoon but
stirring only until blended:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips and /or nuts (chopped).
Pour into greased 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Bake in
preheated oven at 350 degrees F until knife inserted in center comes
out clean, 40-50 minutes. To bake in a bundt pan, pour half of
batter into the greased pan, sprinkle chocolate chips evenly on top,
then add remaining batter.

Summer variations: Substitute 2-3 cups shredded raw zucchini or
summer squash for the cooked, pureed beets. Use the ground cinnamon
and add 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice.

CSA Pick up - July 3 (plus a Basil Pesto Recipe)

 

I know that Eli (my 8 year old) and I will be making pesto this weekend:

Basil Pesto
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino (I use Parm) cheese

Directions:

Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add 1/2 cup of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

If using immediately, add all the remaining oil and pulse until smooth. Transfer the pesto to a large serving bowl and mix in the cheese.

If freezing, transfer to an air-tight container and drizzle remaining oil over the top. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and stir in cheese.

Have a safe and enjoyable holiday!
Happy eating!
Kara

CSA pick up - June 19