Fresh Tomato Marinara

Photo courtesy of CSA member Oriel Wiggins

If you have never made your own spaghetti sauce, you are in for a sweet surprise.  This is so easy and amazingly delicious.  Also, if you are looking for a recipe for canning a case of beefsteak tomatoes, this is perfect.  Marinara is a simple tomato sauce used in Italian cooking.  Roma tomatoes are traditionally used because they have a stronger flavor and less water, but any good tomato will do. The most time-consuming part is removing the skins from the tomatoes.  If you leave the skins on, however, the flavor is great and the skins add more nutrients, texture and color.  So if you have less time to process the tomatoes, don't worry about doing that step. Make sure you do have time to let the sauce simmer for a while, however.  The key to a good marinara is to cook it low and slow.  With low-temperature cooking for a long period of time, the water and acids in the tomatoes reduce, while the rich flavor and natural sweetness intensifies.

Ingredients:
10-12 large beefsteak tomatoes (or whatever you have on hand) -about 6-10 lbs of tomatoes.
Sweet or hot roasted red peppers (optional)
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup dry red wine
3 bay leaves
Sea salt
Pepper
2-4 Tbs olive oil
Fresh basil, chopped

Method:
If you want to remove the skins of the tomatoes, cut an X into the bottom of the tomatoes.  Place a few at a time in a pot of boiling water for about 30 seconds, or until the skins begin to crack.  Remove from the boiling water and immediately immerse in a bowl of ice water until cold.  The skins should slip away easily.  Remove the stems and quarter or chop the tomatoes.  If you are using red peppers and would like to remove the skins, click here for detailed instructions on how to remove them easily.

Place diced onion, minced garlic and the olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed stock pot.  Saute on medium heat until they begin to soften, but be careful not to scorch the garlic.  Add the chopped tomatoes, peppers (if desired), wine, bay leaves, 2 tbs chopped fresh basil, and 1 tsp of sea salt and pepper.  Reduce heat to low and simmer with a lid for several hours. Stir occasionally. After one hour, if there is a lot of liquid, you can tip the lid to vent some of the steam and allow the moisture to reduce.  If you have any roasted red peppers and tomatoes in the freezer, you can puree them in a blender and add them to the sauce to thicken the consistency a little.  This also adds richness to the flavor.  The time it takes to cook a homemade marinara really depends on how much time you have, and how fresh or sweet you like your sauce.  Taste periodically.  When it tastes perfectly done to you, add more chopped basil and remove from heat.  Cover and let stand for 15 to 20 minutes.  If you want a smooth, or more evenly textured sauce, you can use an immersion blender and pulse to the desired texture.

When the sauce is done, the possibilities are endless.  Use as a pizza sauce, over pasta, baked spaghetti squash, eggplant, or ground meats...and those are just the basics.  Marinara is a fantastic all-purpose sauce that is great for canning and freezing for quick meals.

Teriyaki Kabobs With Coconut Rice

Kabob Ingredients: 10-12 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes. One recipe for Teriyaki Marinade and Stir-Fry Sauce 1 Tbs corn starch 1 lb extra-firm tofu, beef, shrimp, scallops, or boneless chicken 1 medium squash or zucchini 1 or 2 sweet or hot peppers About two dozen cherry tomatoes 1 onion Fresh basil or cilantro (optional)

Coconut Rice Ingredients: (Adapted from Steamy Kitchen) 1 Tbs canola or peanut oil 1 Tbs local honey 1 tsp sea salt 2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed and drained 1 can unsweetened first-pressed coconut milk (about 1 1/2 cups) 1 1/2 cups water 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes

Method: Prepare the Teriyaki Marinade, refrigerate.  If using tofu, press well to remove liquid. Cut the tofu, beef or chicken into 1-inch pieces.  Place in a bowl with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the teriyaki marinade, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and up to one day.  With the remaining teriyaki sauce, warm in a saucepan on medium heat.  Place 1 Tbs corn starch in a jug with 3-4 tbs water and mix well.  Just before the marinade begins to boil, stir in the corn starch and water.  Continue stirring until it thickens.  Remove from heat and set aside.

To prepare the coconut rice, heat oil, honey and salt in a medium to large sized saucepan on medium heat.  Stir and cook until the mixture begins to bubble. Turn heat to high and add the rinsed and drained rice to the pan.  Stir until coated well with the oil and honey mixture.  Add the coconut milk and water.  Continue to stir until the coconut milk is blended and smooth. When it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until you can just see the rice under the surface of the liquid. Cover with a tight fitting lid and set a timer for 15 minutes. After the 15 minutes, remove from heat, but do not open the lid.  Let rest for 10 minutes.  Toast coconut flakes in a dry skillet on medium to medium-high heat.  Stir frequently to avoid burning. It should take a couple of minutes.  Remove from the pan when it is golden brown. Set aside.

Assembling the kabobs can take some time if you don't have help, so you may want to do this step ahead of time.  When they are assembled you can place them in a sealed plastic storage bag or a covered casserole dish and refrigerate until you are ready to grill. To prepare the ingredients, cut the squash, peppers and onion into 1-inch pieces, or 1/4 inch ribbons for creative layering. Assemble the vegetables and meat/tofu onto the soaked skewers.  Brush with a little oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  When your barbecue is hot, place the kabobs on the grill, turning 1/4 turn every 3-5 minutes, or when the vegetables have blistered. If using chicken, shrimp or scallops, check to ensure it is cooked through before removing from the grill.  Place in a flat-bottomed dish and cover with the thickened teriyaki sauce.

When the rice is finished, sprinkle toasted coconut over each serving of rice, place kabobs on top, and garnish with basil or cilantro.

Squash Fritter Pizzas

First of all, I have to thank CSA member Katie Pridemore for sharing her version of this recipe on the Signal Mountain Farm Facebook page.  Hers was the inspiration for this post and a link to her recipe is posted at the bottom half of this page. I played around with the idea of using a non-dairy version of a squash fritter for the crust, and after testing several cooking methods, was decidedly in favor of a pan-fried, individual sized "pizza."  The squash crust is delicious made with cheese, but if you are looking for a dairy free, or lower saturated fat base for your toppings, this one is perfect.  With the addition of lentils, the fritters become a filling meal all by themselves. Topping the crispy goodness with pesto, fresh mozzarella, marinated tomatoes and fresh basil make the whole combination positively sublime. This recipe makes about eight 7-inch pizza bases.

Squash fritter ingredients: 4 cups squash or zucchini, grated 1 cup dry red lentils 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1/2 cup canola, olive or peanut oil 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 3 medium farm-fresh eggs Sea salt & black pepper to taste More oil for frying

Method: Grate the squash or zucchini or shred in a food processor.  Put the grated squash in a colander and salt well.  Let stand for at least one hour.  Meanwhile, place the dry lentils in a medium sized bowl with two to three cups of boiling water.  Cover and let stand for one hour, or until they have absorbed most of the water.  Once the lentils have soaked up most of the moisture, drain, then place in a blender or food processor and pulse until they are mostly ground up.

To wring the moisture out of the squash, you can use cheesecloth or several layers of strong paper towels.   If you use cheesecloth, there is a good illustrative photograph on the Smitten Kitchen post for zucchini fritters. I used two layers of Viva paper towels (about 2 1/2 feet long).  Spread the squash evenly over the length of the paper towels, then begin rolling from one end.  While holding the rolled bundle of squash and paper towels (or cheesecloth) over the sink, gently squeeze until most of the moisture is extracted.  When you unroll the bundle, most of the squash should clump together and separate easily from the paper towel.  Place the squash in a large bowl with the chopped onion, ground lentils, oil, flour, baking powder, eggs, salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients together.

Coat the bottom of a skillet with oil and heat the pan on medium to medium-high heat. The batter can be fried by the spoonful for an appetizer or snack-sized fritter. To make a small pizza base, use 1/2 cup of batter.  After pouring into the heated skillet, press gently with a fork to spread it evenly to about 1/4 -1/2 inch thick.  Let cook until it gets crispy and browned, then flip quickly with a wide spatula. Let brown on the other side, then remove from the pan and place on paper towel to blot the oil.

Top the pizzas with your favorite toppings and place on a baking sheet or stone.  For a toaster oven, put it on the "toast" setting (425 degrees) or broil in a conventional oven.  Cook until the cheese is melted and the toppings are hot.

If you want to try the cheesy version of the crust without lentils, try Katie's Squash Pizza Crust, borrowed from Allrecipes.com (She topped the squash crust with sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil leaves and dried herbs.)

Optional toppings to prepare in advance: Marinated Tomatoes Pumpkin Seed Pesto Oven roasted peppers and tomatoes

Other topping ideas: Fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced Artichoke hearts Kalamata olives Fresh spinach

Ploughman's Lunch

It's a fitting lunchtime meal for today, maybe because eight million people are tuned to the games in London, with a few pondering about how nice it would be to nip out for a quick pint and a ploughman's lunch at the corner pub.  Or perhaps it's because it's August and the relentless heat of southern summer has us all wanting raw veggies and simple food.  Whatever the reason, it is delightfully appetizing to stare at a plate of crisp, farm-fresh organic yellow zucchini, purple peppers, banana peppers and cherry tomatoes.  Add some good cheese, homemade pickle (or Branston if you are British) and a good crusty bread like the Niedlov's brochen, and you are in for a fantastic lunch!

Fresh Salsa Omelet

Summer vegetables are often so delicious raw or simply prepared, it does not take much to create something delicious. Omelets, made with really good pasture-raised hen eggs, are fantastic for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  This one highlights the best of summer vegetables with the flavors of one of the world's favorite foods. You can combine the same ingredients to make a nice pico de gallo or salsa for other meals.

Ingredients: 1-2 farm fresh eggs per omelet, whisked Canola or red pepper oil Sweet bell pepper Banana pepper or Jalapeno Tomato Onion Garlic Pinch of whole cumin seed Dash of paprika or cayenne pepper Salt Freshly squeezed lime juice Chopped cilantro Avocado slices (optional)

Method: Dice peppers, onion, garlic and tomato evenly into tiny pieces.  Stir in the cumin seed and paprika or cayenne pepper.  Coat the bottom of your omelet pan with some oil and heat on medium heat.  When the pan is hot, add 1/2 cup of the vegetables to the pan and let sear for about 30 seconds. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the vegetables and stir. Continue to cook until they soften a bit.  Squeeze a little lime juice over the vegetables and try to spread them into an even layer across the bottom of the pan.  Slowly pour the whisked egg over the vegetables, trying to cover them entirely if possible. You can give the pan a little jostle or two to help the egg spread between the vegetables.  Sprinkle some chopped cilantro over the top and let cook until the egg is set.  Season to taste. Slide out of the pan and serve over a bed of fresh spinach or greens and top with avocado slices.