Get Inspired!

Hopefully your CSA pick-up day is quickly becoming your favorite day of the week.  There is nothing better than the taste of fresh vegetables…especially when you have new ways to prepare them!  It’s very easy to make the same things over and over again…I often find myself on auto-repeat when it comes to meal planning, but it’s always way more fun to eat something new.  Even if it’s just a simple side dish, it can really change the flavor of  a meal and turn something familiar into something fresh and exciting!  This week we’ve come up with a number of side dishes that will allow you to use some (if not all of) your veggies so that you can really take advantage of what spring in the low country has to offer your palate.

Green Goddess Quinoa

www.tastespotting.com

The amounts in this recipe are not exact because a dish like this is meant to be made with handfuls of green, drizzles of this, and pinches of that, all of which will be different from person to person.  Adjust everything accordingly.

You can prepare all of the components ahead of time and toss together right before serving.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked quinoa

wild arugula, a generous handful

1 avocado, peeled and cubed

1 cucumber, diced

kale, sliced into slivers and dropped into boiling water for about 30 seconds

2 green onions, sliced thin

2 hardboiled eggs, cubed

english peas, about a handful, cooked

anchovy vinaigrette

salt and pepper to taste

For the vinaigrette:

1 or 2 large cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 small shallot, chopped

2 anchovy fillets

salt

pepper

handful of parsley leaves

juice from 1/2 lemon

2-4 tablespoons warm water

pinch of sugar

1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:  Place all ingredients in a food processor on medium speed until combined.

Alternatively, very finely mince the garlic, then mash with a fork with the anchovies, salt and pepper.  Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk to combine.

Toss all of the ingredients except the vinaigrette, salt and pepper in a bowl to combine.

Drizzle with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of vinaigrette and toss.

Taste, add more vinaigrette if needed.  Season with salt and pepper.

Zucchini Pasta with Heirloom Tomato Sauce

www.roostblog.com

For the Sauce:

4 cups chopped heirloom tomatoes (or any Sweetbay Tomatoes)

1 small shallot, coarsely chopped

1-2 cloves garlic

3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup coarsely chopped basil

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

5-6 medium zucchini

salt and pepper

Put the first five ingredients into a high speed blender and blend until smooth.  WIth the blender running, slowly pour in the olive oil and continue blending until fully emulsified.  Transfer to a bowl.

Trim the ends of the zucchini.  Using a spiral slicer or vegetable peeler, slice the zucchini into ribbons or curly noodles.  Toss with sauce, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Top with pine nuts and some extra basil.  Enjoy!

Serves 4-6

Shredded Napa Cabbage Salad with Radishes, Golden Raisins, and Dijon Dressing

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

2 tablespoons sugar

1 head napa cabbage

4-5 radishes, thinly sliced

1/2 cup golden raisins

1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh chives

coarse salt and pepper

Whisk together vinegar, mustard and sugar.  Toss together cabbage, radishes, golden raisin, and chives.  Drizzle dressing over salad.  Season with salt and pepper.

Radish Butter

This simple veggie spread will knock you out first with its speckled-magenta beauty.  Then you’ll be impressed by how it synthesizes the old-school delight of peppery, cool radishes from the garden, dabbed with a dot of good butter and a pinch of salt.  Spread it on a baguette, unsalted crackers or crunchy romaine hearts.

1/2 pound radishes trimmed

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, completely softened

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Thinly sliced baguette

Put the radishes in a food processor and pulse until the radish is chopped into a very fine dice, four or five 3 second pulses.  Transfer the contents to a length of cheesecloth or a double thickness of paper towels and wring out the excess liquid.  Transfer to a medium bowl and add 4 tablespoons of butter.  With a rubber spatula, cream the radish and butter together, adding more butter 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture comes together in a smooth, pliable mass.  Transfer the mixture to a bowl, sprinkle the salt and pepper over the top, and serve immediately.  Remove it from the fridge 15 minutes before serving it to let it soften.  Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the radish butter before serving.

KTC has opened a new market and cafe on Clements Ferry Road to help provide more local food to you! Our new location is facilitating the expansion of KTC by providing us with the opportunity to have more of the local food you love in stock! If you live in the area please stop by, do your shopping, and join us for lunch. If not, enjoy knowing that we will have more availability of all the products in our online market.
Also new to KTC is our Kitchen Table Consultation program. We would love to help you create healthy meals according to your preferences, and stock your pantry, fridge and freezer with KTC. Through Kitchen Table Consultation we will help you create 7 days of menus from breakfast to dinner, including using leftovers and prepared foods to make your life easier while eating healthier! Please give us a call at 843-849-0080 or email Jaqueline@ourlocalfoods.comfor more information!

Don’t forget to check out KTC Take Home Meals! KTC Take Home is our line of prepared meals that you can take home, heat in the oven, and eat! Check out the new product category, try one, and let us know what you think! This week we have delicious BBQ pulled beef and Sarah’s special slaw. Pair the two for an awesome, healthy meal on the go!

Our Local Foods is opening our second store this coming week!! Our newest store is located on Clements Ferry Road near Highway 41 in the Two Rivers Center- Look for the BIG GREEN CHICKEN. We have expanded our line of food products from local farms, and have increased our products as well, including McClellanville seafood.

We will be open daily from 9AM – 6PM serving breakfast, lunch and take-home dinners as well as our full complement of Kitchen Table Cuisine products. Let us know if you would like to see an earlier opening for those of you that need coffee and breakfast on your morning drive.

Phone: (843) 849-0080

Ingredients

- Nonstick vegetable oil spray
- 1/2 cup tarragon vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil plus additional for brushing
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
- 1 medium head of green cabbage, quartered through core
- 1 torpedo onion

Preparation

- Spray grill rack with nonstick spray.
- Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat).
- Whisk vinegar, sugar, 1/2 cup oil, mustard, and tarragon in medium bowl.
- Season dressing with salt and pepper.
- Brush cabbages and green onions with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Grill cabbages until dark grill marks form, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- Grill green onions until charred on 1 side, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Transfer vegetables to work surface.
- Chop green onions and cabbages; place in large bowl, discarding cores.
- Add dressing; toss to coat.
- Season slaw to taste with salt and pepper.

An easy way to make green beans. A delicious appealing side dish, Portuguese style. Jean Anderson – The Food of Portugal

Ingredients

- 2 pounds tender young green beans, washed and tipped
- 3 quarts boiling water plus 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 2/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (you may substitute basil if you prefer)
- 5 to 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 to 4 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

- Cook the beans in the boiling salted water in a large covered saucepan over moderate heat 10 to 12 minutes until tender.
- Meanwhile, place the garlic and coriander in a large heat-proof bowl.
- As soon as the beans are done, drain well, return to moderate heat, and shake the pan 30 to 40 seconds to drive off all excess moisture.
- Dump the hot beans on top of the garlic and coriander and let stand 10 minutes.
- Add 5 tablespoons of the olive oil and toss well to mix
- Cover and marinate in the refrigerator 3 to 4 hours or, better yet, overnight.

Serving

- About 45 minutes before serving, bring the beans from the refrigerator and let stand, still covered, on the counter.
- Just before serving, add the lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of the vinegar, and the pepper.
- Toss well, taste, and add more vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper, if needed.
- Note: it is important to add the lemon and the vinegar after the beans have marinated so as to avoid the beans turning an unappealing color brown
- Serve as an accompaniment to just about anything from grilled chicken to burgers to roasts.

Serves 4
I could not wait for eggplant this year so that I could post this delicious recipe. I recently made it for some friends who said it was the “best (chicken) dish they had ever eaten”, and their children lapped it up. My own son who is not very fond of chicken, absolutely loved it as well. Even though this version is Moroccan in name, similar dishes can be found in many Middle Eastern Cuisines. I found this version in Bon Appetit and its ingredients are all readily available on Kitchen Table Cuisine and in your local grocery store. I have substituted Alchemy Spice Company Neo Masala for five of the spices needed.

Ingredients

- 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 cups sliced onions
- 6 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon Hungarian sweet paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon Alchemy Spice Co. Neo Masala
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 cups drained canned diced tomatoes (from 28-ounce can)
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons (or more) fresh lemon juice
- 8 chicken thighs with bones, skinned
- 8 chicken drumsticks, skinned
- 1 large eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram
- 1/2 cup whole blanched almonds or slivered almonds, toasted
- Chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large wide pot over medium heat.
- Add onions and garlic. Cover and cook until onions are soft, about 10 minutes.
- Add paprika, salt, Alchemy Spice Co. Neo Masala, ground ginger; stir 1 minute.
- Add tomatoes, 1 cup water, and 3 tablespoons lemon juice; bring to boil.
- Arrange all chicken in single layer in pot; spoon some sauce over.
- Bring to boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
- Turn chicken over, cover, and simmer until chicken is tender, about 20 minutes longer.

- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F.
- Brush large rimmed baking sheet with olive oil.
- Place eggplant and remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil in large bowl; toss to coat.
- Spread eggplant out on prepared baking sheet and bake until soft and brown, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes.
- (Note: Chicken and eggplant can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate separately until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated.)

- Stir eggplant and marjoram into chicken.
- Simmer uncovered 10 minutes to heat through and blend flavors.

Serving

- Season stew to taste with more lemon juice, if desired, and salt and pepper.
- Transfer chicken to large shallow bowl.
- Sprinkle with almonds and cilantro.
- Serve with brown rice or cous cous.

Menu this week – June 6, 2011

Menu this week:

- Chicken and Eggplant with Tomatoes and Moroccan Spices
- Green Beans with Garlic Lemon and Cilantro
- Grilled Cabbage and Torpedo Onion Slaw

Kitchen Table Cuisine shopping list
- Seasonal vegetable box
- Chicken legs 2 packages
- Alchemy Spice Company Neo Masala

Grocery list or must have in the pantry

- Vegetable oil
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Canned Tomatoes
- Sea Salt
- Black Pepper
- Ground Ginger
- Fresh Cilantro
- Slivered Almonds
- Marjoram
- Lemon
- Hungarian paprika
- Tarragon
- Tarragon Vinegar
- Dijon Mustard

Ingredients

- 2 cups Italian-style breadcrumbs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 8 chicken pieces (4 breast halves, 4 thighs and drumsticks separated), skinless
- Olive Oil in an oil spray bottle (great to have in the kitchen for salads and finishings)

Preparation

- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a shallow bowl, combine breadcrumbs and Alchemy Spices Bella Garlique
- Pour buttermilk into a separate shallow bowl.
- Dip chicken in buttermilk, dredge in breadcrumb mixture.
- Place chicken, meaty side up, in a large baking pan.
- Generously coat chicken pieces with olive oil spray.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until done.
- Check internal cooking temperature of chicken with a meat thermometer until breasts reach 170°F and thighs reach 180°F.

To make homemade breadcrumbs:

- Use a good quality country style bread, a day or 2 old.
- Trim the crust and cut into cubes.
- Process the cubes in a food processor or blender in small batches.
- Crumbs, for breading and frying should be ground fine.
- They stick more easily and form an even coat.
- Crumbs for toasting can be coarsely ground.
- For the above recipe you would want to use the fine bread crumbs.

Ingredients

Dressing
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel

Salad
- 4 (2- to 3-inch-diameter) beets, unpeeled, scrubbed, all but 1 inch of tops removed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Mix of garden lettuces to equal 1 head
- 1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted
- 4 ounces chilled, soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled
- Thin strips of orange peel

Preparation

For dressing:
- Whisk all ingredients in small bowl.
- Season with salt and pepper.

For beets:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Toss beets with 1 tablespoon oil in 11×7-inch metal baking pan.
- Roast beets until tender, about 1 hour 10 minutes.
- Cool beets; peel and cut into 1/2-inch wedges.

- Mix lettuce, walnuts and dressing in large bowl; toss.
- Divide among plates.
- Arrange beets around greens; sprinkle with goat cheese and orange peel.

The tall, crisped “chips” look striking when bunched in a tumbler, and they’re terrific with cocktails or red wine. Intriguing for a cocktail party and fun for an afterschool healthy snack.

Ingredients

- Tuscan kale leaves, rinsed, dried, cut lengthwise in half, center ribs and stems removed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Sea Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- A few teaspoons freshly grated pecorino cheese (optional)

Preparation

- Preheat oven to 250°F.
- Toss kale with oil in large bowl.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Arrange leaves in single layer on large baking sheet(s).
- Bake until crisp, about 30 minutes for flat leaves and up to 33 minutes for wrinkled leaves.
- Transfer leaves to rack to cool.
- Sprinkle with pecorino while still piping hot.