Tacos With Cooked Greens & Smokey Sofrito Sauce

Ingredients 1 package of soft corn tortillas 1 lb chicken breasts, tenders or thighs 1 bunch lacinato or red kale, washed and sliced thinly. 3-4 banana peppers, sliced 1 tomato, diced 1 bunch cilantro, chopped 3-4 green onions, chopped Sliced avocado, or 1 recipe for Auntie's Guacamole (optional) 2 limes Sea salt & Pepper

Smokey Sofrito Sauce: 1 large sweet red pepper 1 small sweet onion 1 medium tomato 6 cloves of garlic 1 Tbs vinegar 1 tsp local honey 1 Tbs smoked serano chili powder, or another smoked chili powder Sea salt

Method: Prepare the Smokey Sofrito Sauce first.  You can do this a day or two in advance if necessary.  Cut the sweet pepper in half, and remove the stem and seeds.  Cut the onion in half and peel the dry outer layers.  Cut the tomato in half, remove the hard core from the stem end.  Place the pepper halves, onion halves and tomato halves on a hot barbecue grill or under a broiler.  Cook until the skins begin to blister and turn black. Turn and cook the other side the same way.  Remove from the grill and let cool.  Place the vegetables in a blender with the peeled cloves of garlic, vinegar, honey, and chili powder.  Puree until smooth, and adjust seasonings to taste. Refrigerate unused portions.

To prepare the chicken, rinse and pat dry with paper towel. Season with salt and pepper.  Heat some oil in the bottom of a heavy skillet and brown the chicken until it is golden and crispy on the outside.  Remove from the pan and let cool. Meanwhile, put the chopped kale in the same skillet where the chicken cooked and saute until it wilts, while also dislodging the chicken fond that is stuck to the pan.  Add a little salt and some good apple cider vinegar to the kale.  Cook for one minute more, then remove from the pan. Shred the chicken with a fork.  Place in a bowl and toss with the chopped cilantro, juice from two limes and a little olive oil if the chicken seems dry.  You can also add some of the sofrito sauce if you want more flavor.

Brush the corn tortillas with a little oil and heat in a clean skillet, one or two at a time, and on both sides.  Layer the ingredients on the tortillas and serve with warm or cold smokey sofrito sauce.

Hearty Homemade Pot Stickers

I should preface this post with saying that I'm not a professional pot sticker-maker.  Actually, this was my first time.  I was staring at a bag of frozen pot stickers from Costco, and looking at my bag of freshly milled flour from Sonrisa Farm, and thought to myself, "I could do this...and I bet it would be better because it's fresh, whole-wheat, and full of local goodies." So I gave it a whirl.  I was surprised at how easy it is to make homemade pot stickers, and in case I miss the convenience of pulling them out of the freezer for a quick meal: This recipe made enough for filling our bellies and the freezer.

Filling: 1 lb ground pork, chicken, or pressed tofu 1 head of napa cabbage 1 bunch green onions, chopped 1-2 tbs grated fresh ginger 6 garlic cloves, minced 1 Tbs toasted sesame oil 1 Tbs soy sauce 1 Tbs Mirin (or can use honey and rice vinegar) 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Dough: 1 lb (3 cups) Sonrisa Farm stone ground whole wheat flour 1 tsp salt (optional) 1 cup warm water

Sauce: 1 recipe for Teriyaki Marinade and Stir Fry Sauce (or make a simple dipping sauce with rice vinegar, honey, soy sauce and garlic)

Method: Wash and thinly slice the napa cabbage.  Place in a bowl and salt generously to draw out the moisture.  Let stand for about 15 minutes. When the cabbage has wilted, squeeze out the moisture (you can use your hands or wrap it in cheesecloth or strong paper towels).  Place the cabbage in a large bowl with the ground meat or tofu and the remaining ingredients.  Mix well with your hands so the ingredients are thoroughly combined.  If you want to test the mixture for flavor balance beforehand (which I recommend, because the strength of your ginger and garlic can vary), cook a spoonful of the mixture in oil or water for about 5 minutes.  Adjust seasonings to the filling as necessary. Cover and refrigerate until the dough is ready.

To prepare the dough, mix the salt into the flour and slowly add the warm water while stirring with a fork.  When the ingredients are combined the dough will feel quite firm (harder than a pizza dough, softer than pasta dough).  Let rest for 10 minutes.  Then begin to knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until the texture is uniform.  Pinch off one-inch cube pieces of dough (or less if you want smaller pot stickers), roll into a firm ball and set aside until you have portioned out all of the dough.  With a rolling pin, flatten and turn the dough until you have made a circle a bit larger than the palm of your hand.  It may stick to your rolling pin a bit, but should peel off easily.  You can use a little flour for dusting the board and pin, but be careful to not use too much or the pot stickers may not seal easily.  If you have someone to help with the filling and sealing, the process can go quite quickly.

Put a spoon or two of the filling in the center of the disc of dough and stretch the dough around the filling and pinch the sides together across the top.  Place the pot stickers in a heated, well-oiled, non-stick skillet with enough water to cover the bottoms of the pot stickers by about 1/3.  Cover with a lid and steam for 15 minutes. Serve with Teriyaki sauce or a simple dipping sauce.  If you want to freeze extras, place the uncooked pot stickers on a baking sheet covered with waxed or parchment paper and freeze.  Once frozen, place in a freezer-proof bag or container.  Cook as directed above.

Apple & Cinnamon Pound Cake With Caramel Icing

For the most part, this blog is dedicated to highlighting recipes that are nutritious and healthy, using locally produced ingredients when available, and making the most of a CSA share.  Admittedly, the term "healthy" is subjective, since we all have bodies that respond somewhat uniquely to things like fats, sugars, glutens, starches and seasonings. But there's no shame in having a slice of delicious, home-made cake once in a while, right?  When I saw the crisp green apples in my box this week, I knew a celebration was in order. This pound cake blends the best of late-summer and early-fall flavors.  Local apples are ready for harvest, bringing on the cravings for caramel apples and apple pie.  Swirled together in the form of a rich and creamy pound cake, this will steal the show at your next gathering. Ingredients: 3 cups whole-wheat pastry flour 1 Tbs baking powder A pinch of salt 2 tsp cinnamon

1 large crisp cooking apple, peeled & diced 1 tsp lemon juice dash of cinnamon

4 sticks of unsalted butter (1 lb), softened to room temperature 1 3/4 cups of sugar 5 large farm fresh eggs, separated 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp almond extract 1 cup whole-milk buttermilk

Caramel Icing: (can double the icing quantity, depending on how much you like) 1 stick of butter 1/2 cup dark or light brown sugar 3 Tbs milk

Method: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt cake pan.  In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder and soda, salt and cinnamon.  Set aside.  In a small bowl, mix together the diced apples, lemon juice, and dash of cinnamon. Set aside. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly add 3/4 cup of the sugar while continuing to beat the egg whites.  Set aside. In a large bowl with a hand-mixer or in a stand-mixer, beat the softened butter, then add the remaining one cup of sugar slowly and beat for 3-5 minutes, or until it is fairly fluffy in texture.  Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating one minute with each addition, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.  Mix in the vanilla, almond and buttermilk. Add the flour mixture and blend until fairly smooth.  Gently fold in the egg whites. Fill the bundt pan with 1/2 of the cake batter.  With the back of a spoon, make a shallow well in the batter. Spoon the apple layer into the pan, trying to keep the apples from touching the sides of the pan.  Cover the apples with the remaining cake batter, and spread it evenly into the pan.  Bake in the center of the oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

While the cake is baking, prepare the icing.  Melt the butter and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes over low heat while stirring gently.  Add the milk and continue to stir until it boils again. Continue stirring for about ten to fifteen more minutes.  The caramel will begin to thicken.  The total cooking/stirring time is about 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool. Stir until smooth before pouring on the cake.

When the cake is done, the exposed part will be cracked and golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool for about 15 minutes.  To remove from the bundt pan, place a plate or cake platter over the top. While holding them together, turn the pan upside-down, (so the curved part of the cake is pointing up) and the plate is resting on a flat surface.  Slowly remove the pan from the cake by lifting it straight up.  When the cake is completely cooled, drizzle the caramel icing over the top.  Slice and serve.

The Perfect Roasted Potato

I have this idea in my head that everyone knows how to roast potatoes in the oven.  Who really needs a recipe for roasted potatoes?  But when I took a bite of those crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, delicious little red potatoes...I had one of those, "I need to take a photo of my food because it's that good," moments. I'm pretty sure the success has to do with the quality of the potatoes.  I have been roasting potatoes in the oven for decades.  Same method every time.  But sometimes they just taste amazing.  The little red potatoes in this week's CSA share were prime examples of when all is good in the world. So if you are standing in your kitchen with your little red potatoes, wondering if you want to steam, mash, saute or roast them for dinner tonight, the answer is roast!  And here is how you do it: 10 small red potatoes 1/4 cup oil, melted butter, or dripping from a roast Sea salt Black pepper Fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, etc.), optional Method: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash potatoes and pat them dry.  Cut the larger ones in half or quarters, and leave the smaller ones whole so that they are all relatively the same size.  Place the potatoes in a glass or ceramic baking dish that is large enough for the potatoes to have a little space between each one. Coat with the oil, butter or dripping.  (I used canola oil for mine and they are delicious, but butter and dripping are fantastic if you want to indulge.)  Generously sprinkle sea salt and freshly ground black pepper over the potatoes. Place in the center or top shelf of the oven and bake for a little over one hour, or until they are golden and crispy on the edges.  Serve hot.

Roasted Vegetable Stew With Beans & Spiced Chicken

This is a great soup to get you in the mood for late-summer and early-fall.  It is rich, hearty, and full of flavor.  The key is finding your favorite spice blend to create a signature flavor.  I tend to habitually reach for the sweet and spicy Jamaican Jerk blend.  But Alchemy Spice, a local spice and herb blender in Chattanooga, has an inspiring selection of blends.  What's best, is the fantastic flavor of freshly milled spices, as opposed to the bland old ones found in a grocery store. You can find Alchemy Spice online, at the Chattanooga Market, and in local specialty food shops. Ingredients: 3 Sweet peppers (any color), seeded and coarsely chopped 3 Medium tomatoes, cut into wedges 1 Yellow onion, coarsely chopped 6-8 cloves of garlic, minced 1 qt chicken or vegetable stock 3 cups beans (black, white or red beans, cooked and drained, or fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces) 1 lb boneless chicken, or leftovers from a roasted hen 1 Tbs your favorite Alchemy Spice blend (like The Jerk, Neo Masala, or Bayou Ya-Ya Cajun blends) Juice from one lime or lemon 1 Bunch cilantro, chopped (optional) Canola or olive oil Sea salt Black pepper

Method: Place the chopped peppers, tomatoes, and onions in a baking dish.  Coat with some oil, then season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Bake at 375 degrees for at least one hour, or until the vegetables are black on the tips and have begun to caramelize.  While the vegetables are cooking, season the chicken with the spices and brown in a heavy-bottomed stock pot with a little oil.  If you are using meat from a whole hen, rub the hen with the spices before roasting.  Chop the cooked chicken, and set aside.  Place the roasted peppers, onions and tomatoes in the stock pot with the chicken or vegetable stock.  Pulse with an immersion blender until coarsely pureed, or pulse in a conventional blender and return to the stock pot.  Add the beans, chicken, lime or lemon juice, and cilantro.  Simmer for a few minutes (or until the beans are cooked if using fresh green beans).  Serve with freshly baked corn bread.