On The Side Dishes

Grilled Peaches over Arugula with Goat Cheese and Prosciutto

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
3 peaches, pitted and each cut into 6 wedges
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of kosher salt
10 cup trimmed arugula (about 10 ounces)
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 1/4-inch strips
2 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese

Bring vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer until vinegar is reduced to 2 tablespoons (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in honey. Cool to room temperature. Prepare grill to high heat. Place peach wedges on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 30 seconds on each side or until grill marks appear but peaches are still firm. Remove from grill; set aside. Combine oil, pepper, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add arugula, tossing gently to coat. Arrange arugula mixture on a platter. Top with peach wedges and prosciutto. Drizzle with balsamic syrup; sprinkle with cheese.

Summer Peach and Tomato Salad

1/4 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
1/2 pound ripe peaches, pitted and cut into wedges
1/4 pound heirloom beefsteak tomatoes, cut into thick wedges
1/4 pound heirloom cherry or pear tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons small basil leaves or torn basil

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle vinegar mixture over peach mixture; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and basil.

Peach Salad with Tomatoes and Beets

2 medium-sized golden beets
2 medium-sized ripe tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
1 tablespoon honey
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
3 medium peeled peaches, sliced
3 tablespoons small fresh mint leaves
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

Preheat oven to 425°. Scrub beets and trim tops to 1 inch. Place beets in a glass or ceramic baking dish; fill dish one-third full with water. Cover with foil; bake at 425° for 1 hour or until beets are tender. Cool. Peel beets, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Core tomatoes; cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the beet and tomato slices on a platter; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, oil, 1 tablespoon juice, honey, and shallot in a medium bowl. Toss peach slices with remaining 1 tablespoon juice. Add peach mixture to honey mixture; toss. Mound peach mixture on top of beet and tomato slices; sprinkle salad with the mint, thyme, and goat cheese.

Tomato-Cucumber Salad

2 cups coarsly chopped cucumber
2 cups quartered cherry tomatoes
2 tblsp thinly sliced shallots
1 tblsp fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients, adding salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with mint leaves, if desired.

An excellet addition to whatever main course you choose!

Strawberry and Turnip Salad

6 cups salad greens
1 pound strawberries
15 salad turnips

For the dressing:

1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic

Hull and slice the strawberries.

Thinly slice the salad turnips.

Combine with the salad greens.

Crush garlic into vinegar.

Pour dressing over salad, serve and enjoy!

The measurements are approximate so feel free to mix it up and make the recipe your own.

Caprese Salad Bites

60 red and/or yellow cherry tomatoes
1 lb fresh Feta or Chevre cheese from Fern's Edge Goat Dairy
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Fresh chopped basil

With a serrated knife, cut off the top of each tomato. Remove seeds with a melon baller and cut a thin slice off the bottom of each. Place upside down on paper towels to drain. Stand upright. Place a small cube of cheese in each tomato. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar. Garnish with basil.

Green and Pink Bean Salad with Tuna

Coarse salt and ground pepper
3/4 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
16 ounces pink beans from Lonesome Whistle Farm
1/2 small red onion ; thinly sliced
5 ounces solid white tuna
1/4 cup thinly sliced pepperoncini

In a medium pot of boiling salted water, cook green beans until bright green and crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain, rinse under cool water to stop the cooking, and pat dry.

In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar and oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add green beans, pink beans, onion, tuna, and pepperoncini and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

How to Properly Prepare Fresh Beans

Used to getting beans from a can? No worries.

Using the fresh stuff just takes a little bit more preparation.

Soak the beans in water overnight. Rinse them off, then bring a pot of water with a pinch of salt to a boil. Cook the beans for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Rinse and let them cool for one hour in the refrigerator.

Sauteed Spinach and Tomatoes

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 small shallots
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
1 1/2 pound spinach
coarse salt and ground pepper
4 ounces Pecorino Romano

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add shallots, thinly sliced, and cook, stirring often, until soft and starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Add cherry or grape tomatoes and cook until tomato skins are split and shallots are golden brown, about 2 minutes.

Gradually add spinach, trimmed and washed, seasoned with salt and pepper, and cook until tender, 3 minutes. To serve, sprinkle with 1/4 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano.

Good with steamed or broiled tofu, steak, or pasta

Spring Harvest Potato Salad

Recipe by Deion Jones and Katie Adams

Cooking time: 25 minutes + 10 minute prep

Yields ~ 5 servings

2 pounds potatoes
2 carrots, medium, shredded
1 cup rainbow chard stalks, chopped into ½ inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon creole or other whole grain mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
generous grating of black pepper
1/3 cup sliced green onions or chopped red onions
1/2 cup sliced radishes
½ cup chopped cilantro and/or basil to taste

Wash the potatoes well and if they are large, cut them into halves or quarters; try to keep your pieces about the same size so they cook at the same speed.

Bring a pot of water to boil, add the potatoes, and cook until they are tender when pierced with a fork. The time will depend on the size of the potatoes.

Drain the water from the potatoes in a colander and rinse them with cold water to cool them down enough to handle. Chop them into bite-sized cubes and place in a large bowl. Feel free to peel them if you want!

Whisk together the remaining ingredients except the onions in a small bowl. Pour over the potatoes and mix well. Stir in the onions. Check flavor and add more vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, basil and/or cilantro to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Carrot Top Pesto

(Inspired by Chef Emily Lasik)

By Rachel Mallinga

Makes 2/3 cup

1 cup of carrot top leaves
3 oz. of virgin olive oil
5 garlic cloves roasted
4 table spoons of Toasted hazelnuts, skins removed
2 ounces or ¼ cup of soft goats cheese (may be substituted for nutritional yeast)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a blender combine oil, garlic and carrot leaves and blend until fine minced. Pulse in hazelnuts. Add goat’s cheese and pulse until combined. Adjust seasoning. Store in airtight container.

Roasted Beet Dip

Cooking: 1hour Prep: ~10 min

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 Cup red beets (about 1 medium beet) (Wintergreen Farm)

3 Cloves garlic (Ruby and Amber’s)

½ Cup olive oil

Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Wash and peel beets, and dice into ½ inch cubes. Pat dry.
Place beets on baking sheet and cover in foil; bake for 50 minutes until soft and juices are runny.
Once cooked, allow beets to cool completely. Peel garlic cloves.
Add beets, garlic, salt and black pepper into food processor and pulse.
Turn food processor on continuously and add olive oil to the beets until you reach a desired consistency.

Summer Salsa

Prep time: ~ 15 min

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4 Medium tomatoes (Wintergreen)

4 Cloves garlic (Ruby and Amber’s)

½ Cup corn (about 1 medium ear), cooked (Lost Creek)

1 Bell pepper (Mountain View)

1 Medium Onion (Hayhurst Valley Organic)

½ Cup Cucumber (Ruby and Amber's)

½ Lime for juicing

Salt, Pepper, Cilantro to taste

Directions:

Peel and finely chop garlic cloves and onion, and place into a bowl.
Dice tomatoes, peppers, and cucumber into ¼ inch cubes, and add to onions and garlic.
Slice corn off of the cob, and add to your mixture.
Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly, squeezing juice from lime into the mixture.
Add salt, pepper, and cilantro to taste.

End of Summer Green Bean Salad

By Autumn Rauchwerk

Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients

Dressing

3 cloves garlic – Excelsior Farm
1 tomatillo – Organic Redneck
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon honey – Humble Bee
2 tablespoons water
salt and pepper

Salad

2 pounds green beans – Turnip the Beet and Veun’s Garden
1 sweet onion - Turnip the Beet
1 pint cherry tomatoes – Yep Yep Organics
1 tablespoons olive oil
water

DRESSING

1) Finely chop the garlic cloves and the tomatillo.

2) Whisk together the vinegars, olive oil, sweetener, garlic, tomatillo, and water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

SALAD

1) Cut ends off green beans and cut beans into bite-sized pieces. Blanch or steam them in salted water until just tender but still crisp (no more than 4 minutes usually). Set aside.

2) Slice the onion. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat, add the onion, stirring regularly and adding salt to taste until onion is caramelized. Remove from heat.

3) Halve your tomatoes and mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl, pour dressing over and allow to marinate. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve slightly warm or chilled!

Mushroom Ceviche

By Autumn Rauchwerk

November 29, 2015

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

1 cup finely chopped mushrooms (oyster, button, shitake, etc.) - Rainforest Mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped radishes - Organic Redneck

1/2 cup white or red onion, finely chopped - Groundwork Organics

2 cloves garlic, minced - Grateful Harvest

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice

1 teaspoon vinegar of choice (white, apple cider, rice)

1/3 cup parsley - Organic Redneck

1/2 teaspoon sugar/any sweetener

salt & pepper to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup chopped celery - Organic Redneck

1 small avocado

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes (when in season)

Sautee the mushrooms in olive oil on high heat until lightly browned, adding in vinegar at the end. Let cool.

Combine radishes, onion, garlic, lemon or lime juice, half of the parsley and salt and pepper with the mushrooms and let marinate for at least one hour. Just before serving, add the rest of the parsley, the sweetener, the optional ingredients if using and more salt and pepper.

Braised Leeks

By Autumn Rauchwerk

November 29, 2015

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups leeks, cut in half long ways - Groundwork Organics
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup white wine
2 teaspoons capers & a splash of their juice
salt & pepper to taste

On medium heat in a wide saucepan, brown leeks on both sides in the olive oil. Add in vegetable stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until almost tender. Add wine and cook until leeks are tender. Add in capers just before turning off the heat, and season with salt and pepper. Remove leeks from skillet and cut them into one inch pieces (use tonges to avoid injury). Use wine/stock juice as broth or to flavor another dish!

AUTUMN KALE SALAD

By Autumn Rauchwerk

December 6th, 2015

1 bunch of kale - Groundwork Organics
1/2 cup of hazelnuts (or nuts of choice) - Kronke Ranch
1-1 ½ cups brussels sprouts, cut into quarters - Groundwork Organics
1 apple, chopped - Grateful Harvest
lemon or lime juice from one lemon or lime
1/4 cup + 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/8 cup white vinegar
2 cloves finely chopped garlic - Grateful Harvest
salt, pepper, paprika & sweetener to taste

Massage kale with 1 teaspoon olive oil and set aside. Toast hazelnuts in a non-stick pan, toaster oven or oven, chop and set aside. Toss brussels sprouts with 2 teaspoons olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika to taste, roast in an oven preheated to 400F or saute in a nonstick pan on the stove until lightly browned, set aside. Chop apple and sprinkle with lemon or lime juice to keep from browning. Make dressing by combining 1/4 cup olive oil, vinegar, chopped garlic, salt, pepper and dash of sugar/sweetener. Combine ingredients in a large bowl, and pour desired amount of dressing over top.

Pickled Beets

by Autumn Rauchwerk

December 6th, 2015

3 large beets, cut into 1-2 inch chunks - Groundwork Oragnics
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/8-1/4 cup sugar
salt

A Quick Colorful Pickle

By Deion Jones

December 6th, 2015

1/2 cup white vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, diced Grateful Harvest
1 cup red cabbage, chopped Organic Redneck
1 cup carrots, shaved into ribbons Organic Redneck

In a pot, bring vinegar just to boil. Turn off heat, and add sugar, salt, and garlic, stirring until sugar and salt are dissolved.

Use a peeler/mandolin slicer to shave carrots into thin ribbons. Combine cabbage and carrots in a bowl, and pour in the vinegar from the pot. Toss cabbage and carrots in the vinegar to make sure they are evenly coated. Serve at room temperature or allow to cool – store in fridge. Eat frequently!

Place beets in a large pot, with enough water to just cover. Add vinegar, sugar and salt and boil beets until tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool, transfer beets and cooking liquid into a container for storage. Allowing beets to sit in the liquid will increase flavor!