Shrimp  Salad w/ Cucumber & Mint

Ingredients:

2 pounds medium shrimp, cleaned

1 cup fresh mint leaves

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cucumber, seeded and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 lemon, zested

Salt and pepper

Procedure:

Cook shrimp in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain and cool in refrigerator.

Put mint and lemon juice in food processor and pulse to coarsely chop the mint. Drizzle olive oil into processor while pureeing until mint is finely chopped.

In a serving bowl, toss shrimp, cucumber, mint mixture, zest, salt and pepper to combine.

This will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Farm Vegetable Stir Fry

Ingredients:

Cabbage   (Julienne)

Squash      (Sliced thin)

Red Choi     (Quartered)

Onions     (Julienned)

2 cloves crushed garlic     (minced)

Canola & Sesame Oil

Procedure:

In a wok or large skillet, heat canola oil over high heat until almost smoking. Add the Cabbage and onion while stirring constantly. While continuing to stir, add successively the squash, , and teriyaki sauce. Cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add the bok choi, and salt and cook, stirring, until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes more.

Stir in snap peas and sesame oil and remove from heat. Serve immediately.

Kale Chips w/ Lemon

Ingredients:

2 bunches fresh kale, stemmed, torn into bite-size pieces

Extra-virgin olive oil

Flaky sea salt

1 lemon

Crushed red pepper flakes

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the kale in a large bowl and dress very lightly with olive oil so the leaves are barely coated. Season with salt. Spread the leaves out across 2 roasting sheet trays so they aren’t stacked up on each other too much. Roast in the oven until crispy but still green, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and dress with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a touch of crushed red pepper flakes.

Strawberry Cobbler

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and chilled

2/3 cup heavy cream

2 pints whole strawberries, hulled

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder and salt. Add chilled butter and cut into dry ingredients with a pastry knife until crumbly. Add cream and stir with a spoon until dough comes together.

Roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness and cut to fit over the baking dish.

Mix strawberries in baking dish. Top fruit with cobbler dough and brush with meltedbutter and remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 minutes. Serve warm.

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.

This question arises often in my mind. Now, I know what I eat, and most of the time, I am satisfied that I am meeting my nutritional requirements. But when I’m super busy, or when I look around at the supermarket checkout, or notice what folks are leaving with from the “farmer’s market”, I have to ask the question.

How do we do it? The food guide pyramid suggests we consume more dark green veggies and more orange and red veggies. Whole grains are recommended over processed ones. Simple grilling and baking is suggested above other methods.

Try preparing simple meals using fresh ingredients and whole foods.

What are whole foods? Whole and unadulterated foods are those you find at the farmer’s market or around the perimeter of the grocery store. Have you ever noticed the foods that do not have long ingredient lists that you can’t pronounce, are those in the produce section, dairy section and butcher? You can improve your diet immensely by avoiding the middle aisles.

Why eat whole foods? Whole foods have intense flavor and satisfying taste. Vegetables, fruits and grains that are minimally processed boost our energy and maintain our blood sugar levels. Whole and unadulterated foods contain natural fiber that fills our tummies and satisfies our hunger for longer periods of time, discouraging snacking between meals. Foods prepared without a lot of processing and additives don’t encourage weight gain, rather encourage the body to burn calories evenly and consistently according to energy used. Minimally processed foods have their naturally occurring amino acids and enzymes intact, and vitalize our bodies natural processes of cell building and maintenance, keeping us healthy and immune.

A diet that includes simply prepared meals of fresh ingredients from your local farm market or supermarket perimeter can only be good for you and your family. Follow these simple guidelines and eat your way to a healthy lifestyle:

• I encourage recipes that contain five or fewer ingredients.
• I highly recommend leftovers. Cook a simple, healthy meal and plan to take leftovers the next day for lunch, or offer it to the kids after school.
• Prepare single ingredient dishes and save in the refrigerator to be added to snacks, salads and simple dishes later in the week, utilizing what is fresh, healthy and local.

Try this technique with goodies from the farmers market –

Pinwheels – Using healthy, whole grain tortilla shells or flat breads, spread fresh ingredients on the shell, roll up and slice about 1 inch thick. Can be dipped in lowfat sauce, such as lemon aioli, for added flavor!

Suggested ingredients include – one ounce of healthy cheese of your choice (goat cheese, lowfat cream cheese or thinly sliced cheddar), something green (arugula, spinach, basil, leaf lettuce, or sautéed kale or mustard), something red (sundried tomatoe slices, sliced fresh or pickled peppers, pickled beets or radish slices), something kinda spicy (thinly sliced red or white onion or some good, spicy mustard). Add a small amount of meat, if you like (skinless chicken breast meat or turkey) .

Roll up tightly, slice and dip for a healthy, light “whole food” meal.

-Maria

Learn more about our organic farm and farm to table at http://ourlocalfoods.com

-April 8, 2009
Today we finished potting up plant starts for the Plant Sale this Saturday, April 11.  We have a “hoop house” full of potted plants (and a few flats) that are ready for putting in the ground, now that the weather is warm enough for them to thrive outside.  We have tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and many other vegetables, as well as some nice flower starts.  Be sure to drop by and see us at 215 Coleman Blvd in Mt. Pleasant (near Shem Creek) – sale starts 9AM.