Quick Dill Pickles

Ingredients:

4-6 small to medium cucumbers, thinly sliced

1 cup distilled white vinegar

2 cups water

2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons sugar

4 teaspoons mustard seed

4 teaspoons black peppercorns

1/4 cup roughly chopped dill

8 cloves garlic, crushed

Method:

Divide the cucumbers between 8 pint jars. Top each jar with 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 crushed garlic clove, and 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped dill.

In a large bowl, combine the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar. Whisk briskly until the salt and sugar is dissolved. Pour enough brine over each jar to cover the cucumbers completely. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 48 hours before serving.

Roasted Kohlrabi Vinaigrette

Ingredients: 1 lb Kohlrabi bulbs

1 Tbs malt vinegar

1 clove garlic

About 10 fresh basil leaves

¼ cup olive oil, plus extra for roasting Kohlrabi

1 cup water

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Remove the kohlrabi leaves and reserve for the salad or for cooking later. Remove the peel and cut kohlrabi into 1-inch chunks. Place in a baking dish and drizzle with a little olive oil then season with salt and Pepper.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 1 hour, or until the tips begin to caramelize.

Remove from the oven and place the cooked kohlrabi in a blender with the water, garlic, and vinegar. Puree until smooth. Add the basil leaves and olive oil. Blend on low until combined, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with fresh salad greens, radishes, pickled beets and toasted pecans.

Zephyr Squash Soup

Ingredients:

2 lbs zephyr squash (or other summer squash such as pattypan, zucchini, etc.)

1 large yellow onion

3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 cube of Rapunzel vegetable bouillon with sea salt & herbs, plus 3-4 cups of boiling water

Olive or canola oil

Dry white wine

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

The soup has the best flavor if you caramelize some of the natural sugars in the squash and onion. There are several ways to do this: grilling, baking, or sauteing the squash, and caramelizing onions in a heavy skillet or pan. If you don't have time to caramelize, then you can simply simmer the ingredients in the vegetable stock until tender, but the overall flavors of the soup will be more mild.

Our favorite, however, is to grill the squash first.  Remove the stem and blossom ends of the squash. Cut in half lengthwise, brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Heat grill to a high heat (about 450-525 degrees) and place the cut sides of the squash onto the grill. Cook until black streaks appear and turn to color the other side (about 10 minutes on each side).

Slice the onion and caramelize in a heavy soup pot for about 30 minutes with a little oil and salt. (Click here for more information on caramelizing onions.) Once the onions are tender and browned a little, add the cooked squash, garlic, vegetable bouillon cube and about 3-4 cups of boiling water. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and let cool about 10 or 15 minutes. Puree in a blender, then return to the stock pot. Stir in some white wine (about 1/2 cup), then season to taste with salt and pepper. Warm through and serve.

Perfect Grilled Corn On The Cob

Trim any loose husks from corn, and snip the tips to remove any parts that will be prone to burning or smoking. Do not pull husks away or remove silks from inside. There are some grilling methods that suggest removing the silks before cooking, however there are several reasons for leaving the silks intact for the cooking process. They are a natural source of nutrient-rich moisture and insulation that help keep the kernels from drying out under high heat. They also add flavor, but most importantly they are much easier to remove after the corn is cooked because the heat and steaming process cause the silks to stick to the husk, not the corn kernels.

Heat grill to medium-high heat and place corn on the grill and cook with the lid closed.  Turn the ears a quarter turn every 5 minutes or so, or until the outer husks have started to turn black in spots. Keep turning the ears until they have cooked all the way around. Move less often if you like having a few charred kernels, or more often if you want the corn to steam until tender with no black spots.

Once cooked, remove from the grill and let cool a few minutes, or until they are cool enough to handle.  To remove husks and silks, start at the tips of the corn. Grab one side of the silks and the husks at the same time and peel all the way down to the bottom (like peeling a banana). The silks should peel away cleanly with the husks.

To remove the husks from the cob once you have peeled all of the husks and silks, grab the bunch with one hand, holding the corn cob with the other, and break them off at the bottom of the cob.

For perfect summer flavor, serve with Toasted Garlic Drizzling oil and kosher or sea salt.

Monster Sauce: AKA seriously tasty dairy and nut-free pesto sauce

This is actually a recipe for pesto, minus the nuts* and cheese that make up the traditional sauce. But sometimes the name is everything for kids with developing palates. This is also a simple recipe that children could make with parent supervision! The bright green color and smooth texture perfectly complement crunchy raw vegetables, salads, meats, and pasta…especially those eaten by growing dinosaurs, super-heroes, robots, and monsters that also have fantastic imaginations.

Ingredients:

2-3 Cups fresh basil leaves

½ Cup olive oil

¼ Cup water (add more to thin if necessary)

Juice from ½ lemon

1 Tsp honey (optional)

2-3 Cloves of fresh garlic

Kosher salt, to taste

*For added protein, add a handful of raw green pumpkin seeds or nuts

Method:

Put all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Adjust ingredients to taste.  Serve from a narrow tipped squeeze-bottle to let kids draw designs on their plates or decorate food with dots or stripes of sauce.