Turnip Green Souffle With Black Pepper & Grana Padano

For the last recipe of the 2013 CSA season, we wanted to offer something special. With a chill in the air, many people are thinking about warm comfort foods or recipes worth gracing a holiday table.  Souffle's have a light and airy texture, but rich and comforting flavor.  And let's be honest, there's no better way to impress your mother-in-law than to serve her a souffle for a holiday brunch. In search of a compliment to the sharp tasting greens, I wandered down to Main Street Meats where they were more than happy to help me find the perfect cut of meat. (Shopping at a real butcher shop, by the way, is absolutely nothing like shopping for meat at a grocery store). After some deliberation, I settled on a delicious portion of cold-smoked Tasso.  When sliced thinly and seared in a pan, it reminds me of a really nice Canadian bacon or English bacon, but with a bonus kick of spices and seasonings around the edge. Sweet peppers and shallots rounded off the flavor for this delightfully rich breakfast or lunch combination.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of Turnip Greens

3 medium Shallots

Olive or Canola Oil

1 clove of fresh Garlic, minced or pressed

8 oz Cream or Milk

1 Tbs White Wine Vinegar

Sea Salt

freshly ground Black Pepper

1/2 cup finely grated Grana Padano Cheese (can substitute parmesan or another hard, aged cheese)

1/3 cup dry white or sourdough Breadcrumbs

3 farm-fresh Eggs, separated

On The Side:

thinly sliced Tasso from Main Street Meats

yellow and red Sweet Peppers, sliced

1 medium Shallot, sliced

Method:

Grease four 4-inch ramekins.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Remove the stems from the turnip greens.  Wash the greens and chop.  Slice the shallots into 1/4 inch slices.  Heat a skillet and saute the greens and shallots with a little oil until they wilt.  Add some salt and pepper and continue to cook until they just begin to caramelize and the aroma blooms.

Remove from heat and place the sauteed greens and shallots in a blender with the garlic, cream, vinegar, salt to taste, and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper.  Puree the mixture on medium-low speed.  Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

Place the pureed mixture in a medium mixing bowl.  Add the egg yolks, grated cheese and breadcrumbs and stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, using an electric hand mixer, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form.  Gently fold the egg whites into the pureed mixture.

Fill the prepared ramekins and bake for about 30 minutes.

While the souffle's are baking, sear the thinly sliced tasso until it is cooked through and begins to brown a little.

Remove from the pan and saute the sliced peppers and shallots, adding a little oil to the pan if necessary.

Serve the warm souffle with the tasso and sauteed vegetables on top, or on the side.

Potato and Roasted Chicken Chowder

The quality of your cooked chicken, as well as the stock or broth, can make all of the difference to the flavor of this soup. Starting with a good quality bird (like Hoe Hop Valley Farm's fresh whole hens) will produce the best flavorful meat, and the best tasting stock. You can substitute store bought broth and cooked boneless portions if you are short on time, but taking the time to make your own stock will produce the richest flavors. Also, most chowders and potato soups are prepared with cream and cheese. In this version, the good quality chicken stock and assorted vegetables create a chowder that is rich and flavorful enough to go without the extra fat and calories in the cream and cheese. However, if desired, a little garnish at the end is decadently rich, but not overpowering.

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs of cooked Chicken, leftover from a whole roasted hen if possible

2-4 quarts of good Chicken Stock

2-3 lbs of Potatoes (russet, red, etc.)

1 lb Carrots, chopped

1 bulb of Fennel, diced

4 stalks of Celery, chopped

3 Purple Sweet Peppers, diced

2 medium Yellow Onions, diced

1 Tbs Herbs de Provence

Olive or Canola Oil

8 cloves of Garlic, minced

Kosher Salt

freshly ground Black Pepper

1 cup White Wine

Garnish:

Sauteed Kale, (prepared with oil, white balsamic vinegar, and salt)

Heavy Cream (optional)

Shredded White Cheddar Cheese (optional)

Method:

Dice the potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces. If they release a lot of starch when chopped, rinse under cold water before using in the soup.

In a large stock pot, saute carrots, onions, fennel, peppers and celery with a little oil. When the vegetables begin to sweat, add a teaspoon or so of kosher salt, herbs de Provence, potatoes and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until the potatoes and vegetables are soft.

Remove the soup from the heat and puree (not until completely smooth) with an immersion blender until the soup has thickened a little, but still has some texture and chunks of vegetables.

Return the soup to the heat and warm on low. Add the wine, garlic and chicken. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper, then simmer for 15 minutes or so.

To serve, stir a small amount of cream and cheese into each portion (if desired), then top with the sauteed kale.

Eggplant Lasagna

This is an exceptionally versatile dish, which can be made many ways to suit your taste or dietary needs. Essentially: Eggplant and spaghetti sauce go really well together. Traditional lasagna is a delicious comfort food, but often comes with a lot of fat, carbohydrates, and not enough protein or fiber to offer balanced nutrition. The version in the photograph has thin strips of eggplant instead of traditional lasagna noodles.  It also has no cheese, but is topped with a scrumptious mixture of grated squash, panko breadcrumbs, olive oil and herbs.  The result is a really delicious high-protein, high-fiber, lower-fat version of lasagna with a flavorful, crispy topping.

Ingredients:

Sauce:

If you have a lot of fresh tomatoes, or tomatoes canned from earlier in the year and want to use them, try this recipe for Fresh Tomato Marinara.  However, if you are using store-bought cans of tomatoes, this is a delicious, authentic Italian tomato sauce recipe:

28 oz can of good quality Crushed Tomatoes

6 oz can of good quality Tomato Paste

1 medium Yellow Onion, diced

6 cloves of Garlic, minced

3 Bay Leaves

1 cup Dry Red Wine

Kosher Salt

Freshly ground Black Pepper

1 Tbs Herbs De Provence or Kitchen Karma Mediterranean herb blend

1 lb grass-fed Ground Beef (optional)

Layers:

1 1/2 -2 lbs Eggplant, sliced into 1/8 th inch slices, lengthwise

Olive oil

Herbs De Provence or Kitchen Karma Mediterranean herb blend

Kosher Salt

1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs

1 medium zephyr squash or zucchini, grated or julienned (optional)

Method:

If using ground beef, place in a medium stock pot and break into small bits with a spatula or cooking spoon.  Season well with kosher salt, black pepper and herb blend.  Cook on medium-high heat, stirring often, until browned.

Add diced onion and minced garlic and cook one minute more. (If preparing a meatless recipe, saute onion and garlic with a little olive oil on medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes.  Stir often and do not let the garlic scorch.)

Add the red wine, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and bay leaves.  Stir until combined, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for at least one hour, but longer if you have time.  Stir occasionally.  The longer the sauce cooks, the more complex the flavors will be.  Natural sugars in the wine, tomatoes and onions will sweeten the sauce with longer cooking times.  Shorter cooking time will produce a tangier sauce.

Tips:

After cooking the sauce, remove from heat and let rest for one hour before assembling the lasagna. Letting the sauce rest will improve the flavors.  Cooking one day ahead, refrigerating the sauce, then layering the lasagna on the second day will also produce a very flavorful sauce.

Layering:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place slices of eggplant on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush with a little oil on both sides.  Season with a little kosher salt.

Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the slices have dehydrated a little and begin to brown.  remove from the oven and let cool.

In a high-sided baking dish, put a layer of meat sauce or marinara in the bottom of the dish.  Top with a layer of eggplant, then meat, etc.  When you run out of eggplant, cover with a layer of sauce.

Mix together the grated squash, breadcrumbs, a little olive oil, and seasonings.  Spread the mixture on the top of the lasagna.  Bake in the center of the oven for about 40 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes before serving.

Pattypan Squash Stuffed with Meatloaf

Ingredients:

8-10 Pattypan squash

1 lb Grass-fed ground beef

1 Large yellow onion

3-4 Celery stalks

4-6 Garlic cloves

1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1 Cup of tomato sauce, or 1 cup of smoky tomato and sweet red pepper ketchup

1-2 Cups of Panko breadcrumbs

2 Eggs

Method:

In a food processor or blender, finely chop the onions, celery and garlic.  Combine the finely chopped vegetables with the ground beef, salt, tomato sauce, panko, and eggs.

Remove the stem end of the squash to make a flat surface for the squash to sit in the baking dish.  Cut away the blossom end and scoop out the seeds and soft pulp from the middle of the squash.

Stuff the pattypan squash with the meatloaf and place on a baking pan or dish.  Place in the oven on the top rack and broil (550 degrees) for about 5-10 minutes, or until the tops brown.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for about an hour.  Baking time is variable depending on the amount of meatloaf in each squash, size of the squash, etc. A meat thermometer inserted into the center of the meatloaf should read 170 degrees when done.

Serve with Smoky Tomato and Sweet Red Pepper Ketchup.

Pottery Courtesy of  www.formanpottery.com

Quinoa-Lentil Garden Burgers

This recipe has what seems like a long list of ingredients.  Most home-made garden burgers are a combination of many things, but this one pays tribute to any leftover grilled vegetables from the weekend cookout.  If leftovers generally are not your thing, don't worry.  Transformed into a garden burger, yesterday's meal becomes a protein, fiber, and flavor-packed lunch, dinner or snack.  They freeze well, and can turn those late-summer/early-fall vegetables into weeks of delicious, quick meals.

Ingredients:

½ Cup dry green lentils, cooked with vegetable broth until soft. Discard extra cooking liquid

½ Cup dry quinoa, cooked with vegetable broth according to packet directions until light & fluffy

½ Cup fresh brown breadcrumbs (toast until dry, and then grind in a blender)

½ lb Zephyr squash or zucchini, sliced, brushed with oil, seasoned with salt, and grilled

½ lb Eggplant, sliced, brushed with oil, seasoned with salt, and grilled

½ lb Golden beets or carrots, finely chopped in a food processor

1 Bunch beet greens or spinach, chopped

1 Medium-large yellow onion, finely chopped in a food processor

5-6 Cloves of garlic, minced

3-4 Fire roasted Italian sweet peppers, (red, yellow or orange) peeled, seeded, and chopped

1 Large tomato, diced

Juice from one lemon

1 tsp Alchemy Spice Kitchen Karma herb blend

1 tsp Kosher salt

¼ Cup olive oil

2 Eggs

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Chop the grilled squash and eggplant. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  The mixture will be quite soft, but should not be too watery.  Add more breadcrumbs if necessary to absorb some of the excess liquid.  Form into balls (about 1/3 cup), place on the lined baking sheet, then press gently to flatten into a patty shape.  Bake for 20-30 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.  Cool completely before freezing. Recipe makes about 20 burgers.

Serve on a toasted bun with pesto or whole grain French mustard, lettuce, tomato, and your favorite cheese (optional).  Freeze extras in freezer bags.  Reheat in a toaster oven or microwave.