JUDI’S RECIPES – WEEK 20 – OCTOBER 18, 2022

OCTOBER 18, 2022

Hello Everyone,

We’re almost at the end of our terrific CSA season. And a great season it has been! Have you ever seen more wonderful tomatoes?

Now that Fall is in full swing (the trees in the Hudson River valley are stunning right now – stay tuned, New York City!), we can enjoy all the colors. The best of the fall harvest is now coming in. And that includes Fall greens. This week we have Bok Choy, a delightful vegetable that doesn’t require fancy preparation to make it appealing. Good seasoning and a simple saute will do the trick.

SAUTEED GARLIC BOK CHOY

INGREDIENTS

3 TBS vegetable oil

3 cloves fresh garlic, minced or chopped

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 bok choy, washed, dried, and halved or quartered, depending on size

2 TBS soy sauce

1/2 tsp sesame oil

crushed red pepper (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the shallots and saute over medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic and saute just until you can smell the garlic, about 30 seconds.

2. Add the bok choy and continue to cook for two or three minutes. You want it to remain crisp.

3. Add the soy sauce and continue to saute for another two minutes.

4. Add the sesame oil and the crushed red pepper (if you are using it). Toss everything just until the sesame oil has coated the bok choy, about one minute.

Serve and enjoy.

HELPFUL HINT: This make a great dinner dish with scallion brown rice and a piece of chicken or fish.

ANOTHER HELPFUL HINT: If you’re feeling wicked, a splash of white wine before you add the bok choy will elevate this dish.

Enjoy the bok choy and have a delicious week!

Best,

Judi

JUDI’S RECIPES – WEEK 15 – SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

Hi Everyone,

Autumn is undoubtedly on the horizon. The root vegetables are coming in, and so is squash! Winter squash is hearty, flavorful, and easy to prepare. Today’s recipe is pretty simple and delicious. It’s a winter squash casserole.

SAVORY WINTER SQUASH CASSEROLE

Ingredients

2 medium winter squash (such as butternut, acorn, or a combination of any squashes you like) peeled, seeded, and cubed (about 6-8 cups of cubes)

¼ c. all-purpose flour

tsp cornstarch

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp salt, plus more to taste

½ tsp black pepper, plus more to taste

4 to 6 garlic cloves, minced

½ c. finely chopped fresh parsley

2 TBS finely chopped fresh rosemary

c. plus 2 TBS olive oil

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the squash cubes in a large mixing bowl.

  2. In another, smaller bowl, whisk together the flour and cornstarch, then whisk in the ginger, salt, and pepper. Add half the dry ingredients mixture to the squash and toss gently but thoroughly to combine. Add the remaining dry ingredients and toss again until the squash is evenly coated. Add the garlic, parsley, rosemary, and ⅓ cup of the oil. Toss this mixture thoroughly to coat the squash.

  3. Transfer the squash to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil.

  4. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 to 1½ hours, until tender. Uncover the dish and bake until very soft, another 45 to 60 minutes.

  5. To finish, brown the top, by turning the oven up to 350 degrees. (or use the broiler). Heat the dish for about ten minutes, until it is sizzling on the bottom and crusty on the top. Serve and enjoy.

HELPFUL HINT: The casserole can be baked, cooled, and refrigerated for up to two days. Bring it to room temperature and reheat for 20 to 30 minutes.

I hope you enjoy this dish on a crisp night. Have a delicious week!

Best,

Judi

 

 

JUDI’S RECIPES – WEEK 12 – AUGUST 23, 2022

AUGUST 23, 2022

Hello Everyone,

This is Week 12. It is the halfway mark in our season of splendor. Can you believe those amazing tomatoes? Superb! The cherry tomatoes aren’t even making it to our table. We’re eating them like candy right out of the basket.

This week’s recipe features fresh cilantro. Cilantro is a pretty controversial herb. Some people love it. Some people think it tastes like soap. Some people just hate it. The food writer, Gael  Greene once said that she hated cilantro right up to the moment she fell in love with it.

This recipe is a good way to get acquainted with cilantro. There are other flavors in this dish, so the cilantro is not overpowering.

Lemon and Cilantro Chicken Kebabs

Ingredients

  • 1-1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
  •  2 TBS. lemon juice
  • 1-1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 c. water
  • 1/4 c. plain yogurt (Greek yogurt is best)
  • 1 c. fresh cilantro leaves, washed and patted dry
  • 1/3 c. fresh mint leaves, washed and patted dry
  • 2 serrano peppers, sliced
  • 1 piece fresh gingerroot (1 inch), coarsely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 3 medium sweet onions, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
  • 4 TBS canola oil, divided
  • Lemon wedges

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, toss the chicken pieces with lemon juice and salt. Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, place the water, yogurt, herbs, peppers, ginger, and garlic in a blender. Cover and process this mixture until smooth. Stir it into the chicken mixture.
  3. Refrigerate, covered, for about 2 hours.
  4. Coat your grill pan or grill with a paper towel saturated with canola oil. Brush the onions with 2 tablespoons of oil. Grill, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 inches from the heat until tender (around 10 minutes), turning occasionally.
  5. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade.
  6. Thread the chicken onto six metal or soaked wooden skewers. Grill, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 inches from the heat until the chicken is cooked through, turning the skewers occasionally and brushing the chicken with the remaining oil during the last 4 minutes.
  7. Serve with grilled onions and lemon wedges.

This dish is great with steamed brown rice and any green vegetable you like. A green salad goes well with it too.

HELPFUL HINT: Don’t overcook the chcken or it wil get dry. As soon as it is opaque and no longer pink inside, it’s done.

I hope you enjoy this dish.

Have a delicious week!

Best,

Judi

JUDI’S RECIPES WEEK 10 – AUGUST 9, 2022

AUGUST 9, 2022

Hello Everyone,

I don’t know about you, but surviving the latest heat wave took a lot out of practically everyone. When it is oppressively hot, It’s tough to drag oneself into the kitchen and even tougher to turn on the oven.

We’re also getting the loveliest tomatoes this year, so a cold dish that features tomatoes seems ideal. This one involves grating tomatoes. They make a surprisingly edible sauce. Give it a try.

Bread with Grated Tomato Sauce

  • 2 of the best, ripest tomatoes you have.
  • 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 TBS. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the serving
  • 2 TBS. sherry vinegar
  • 4-6 thick slices of  crusty bread
  • Sea salt to taste

Directions

  1. Grate the tomatoes on a box grater. Using a microplane grater, grate the garlic onto the tomatoes. Season with the kosher salt. Add the olive oil and the vinegar, and stir gently to combine everything. Don’t overmix
  2. Toast or grill the bread until it is lightly charred.
  3. Place about a tablespoon of the grated tomato mixture onto the bread, then wipe most of it off. Drizzle some additional olive oil over the bread and add the sea salt.
  4. Serve immediately.

HELPFUL HINT: Don’t throw away all that garlicky tomatoey goodness! Just add it to your favorite salad.

Here’s hoping for some cooler weather ahead. Enjoy the cold meals!

And have a delicious week.

Best,

Judi

JUDI’S RECIPES – WEEK 9 – AUGUST 2, 2022

AUGUST 2, 2022

Hi, Everyone,

By now you are all Professional Veggie Lovers. I suspect you are also Profesional Leftover Veggie Accumulators. So, this week we have a recipe to use up all the aging produce in the fridge. It’s a traditional provencal dish called a tian. This dish is easy to make and quite delicious. Crusty bread is great for dunking into the juices.

VEGETABLE TIAN

Ingredients

5 to 9 TBS extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

10 sprigs fresh herbs, such as parsley, thyme, rosemary, tarragon, and/or basil

1/2 tsp fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 lbs tomatoes

1/2 lb zucchini, green or yellow, or other summer squash

1/4 lb eggplant

1/4 lb red onion(s)

Crusty bread

Directions

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 400° F. Pour 2 TBS of the oil into the baking dish, tilting it so the oil coats the bottom and the sides. Scatter over half the garlic and a little more than half of the herbs and season generously with salt and pepper.

2. Slice the vegetables: they should be cut about 1⁄4 inch thick. They should all be about the same size, so you might want to cut them in half the long way before slicing them. This is good for the looks of the dish, but it isn’t necessary, so don’t stress over it.

3. Arrange the vegetables in the dish in tightly overlapping circles. Try to squeeze the eggplant between slices of tomato and put the squash and onions next to one another. Keep the circles tight; the vegetables will soften and shrink in the oven. Season generously with salt and pepper, and then put the remaining slivers of garlic in among the vegetables. Top with the remaining fresh herbs and drizzle over as much of the remaining oil as you desire.

4. Place the tian on a baking sheet lined with foil, parchment, or a silicone baking mat. Bake the tian for 70 to 90 minutes, until the vegetables are meltingly tender and the juices are bubbling.

Serve the tian a few minutes out of the oven or allow it to cool to room temperature. Either way, you’ll want bread…a lot of it.

Leftovers can be kept covered in the fridge for a day or two. You can either pull it out a few hours before serving or, if you’d like, warm it in a microwave or a 350-degree oven.

NOTE: The olive oil adds flavor. You should use the best quality oil you can. The more you add to the dish, the more flavorful “sauce” you’ll get for dunking.

ANOTHER NOTE: You don’t need to use the above specific vegetables. You can use any vegetables you like.

This is a very satisfying dish for a summer evening. Don’t forget the bread!

And have a delicious week!

Best,

Judi

 

JUDI’S RECIPES – WEEK 7 – JULY 19, 2022

JULY 19, 2022

Hi Everyone,

Here in the Baked Apple, the heat and humidity have been prodigious. We’re all hoping to get a break soon. In the meantime, we are getting lovely vegetables each week, so there is always something nice to enjoy.

This week we are getting beautiful fresh spinach. You should fill your sink with lukewarm tap water and float the trimmed spinach in it. Swish the water around with your hands. The sand will fall to the bottom of the sink. Then you must squeeze out all the water in the spinach with your hands.

On to today’s recipe! It’s a take on a Korean side dish called sigeumchi namul.

SAUTEED SPINACH WITH GARLIC AND SESAME.

Ingredients
1 garlic clove, grated
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp granulated sugar

Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

1 lb fresh spinach, trimmed and washed

1 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
  1. In a medium bowl, stir together the garlic, scallions, sesame seeds, sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and pepper flakes, if you are using them.
  2. Roughly chop the spinach into large pieces.
  3. Add a thin layer of olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach and cook until it is bright green and wilted. This will take 1 to 2 minutes. Use tongs to transfer the spinach to the bowl with the sauce, and toss to coat it.
  4. Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the seasonings to your taste.

This is a great hot weather side dish, as it doesn’t require you to turn on your oven.

HELPFUL HINT: The leftovers are great the next morning, stirred into scrambled eggs.

Please enjoy, and have a delicious week!

Best,

Judi

JUDI’S RECIPES – WEEK 3 – JUNE 21, 2022

JUNE 21, 2022

Hi Everyone,

Welcome to Week 3! As you might expect (or not), greens are still on the menu this week. Fortunately for us, they are wonderful, fresh, delicious greens.

This week’s recipe features Swiss chard. I get many questions about what to do with Swiss chard, so here’s an easy recipe, designed just for summer.

SWISS CHARD, GOAT CHEESE, AND QUINOA SALAD

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 bunch Swiss chard
  • 4 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium red onion, or Vidalia sweet onion, chopped
  • 3 large cloves garlic, sliced very thin
  • 1 c. quinoa
  • 1 tsp dry mustard powder
  • 2 c. vegetable broth
  • Salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 c. small cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed
  • 4 oz plain goat cheese, refrigerated

DIRECTIONS

  1. Remove the stems from the Swiss chard and chop them into 1/2-inch pieces. Chop the leaves as well and set the Swiss chard aside.
  2. Heat 2 TBS of oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and chard stems. Sauté this mixture until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the quinoa and mustard. Add the broth, stir, and season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, and cook on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat, uncover, and let the pan sit for 20 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and sauté, stirring, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the chard leaves and continue cooking until the greens have wilted and the liquid has evaporated.
  4. Fluff the quinoa with a fork., then fold the mushrooms and greens into it.
  5. Crumble the goat cheese and scatter it on top of the mixture before serving the dish.

HELPFUL HINT:

The cooked quinoa can sit at room temperature for several hours and then be served, or reheated to warm or hot.

ANOTHER HELPFUL HINT: You can add almost any leftovers to this dish: cooked chicken, canned tuna, or bacon are all good.

I hope you enjoy this dish and all the great greens coming this week.

Have a delicious week!

Best,

Judi

 

JUDI’S RECIPES – WEEK 2 – JUNE 14, 2022

JUNE 14, 2022

Hi Everyone,

It was such a pleasure to see all of you last week at our 2022 season opener. This week will be pretty exciting, too.  Museum Mile will be taking place right outside our door. It begins at 6 PM and is always a fun-filled evening. You should go!

This week, among our great vegetables, will be a live rosemary transplant. At the ruins in Pompeii, there is a hedge at the entrance. That hedge is rosemary. It is so fragrant, you can’t miss it. But, aside from its fabulous fragrance, rosemary adds vibrant flavor to many dishes.

This week’s recipe is a favorite summer lunch dish I’ve been making for years. It is eaten cold so you don’t have to turn on your oven on a hot day.

PASTA WITH MARINATED TOMATOES

INGREDIENTS

1 can of whole plum tomatoes

1/2 c. sliced scallions

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 lb pasta (I like fusilli for this dish, but penne, rigatoni, or orecchiette will work well too.

DIRECTIONS

1. Drain the tomatoes and discard the juice or use it for another purpose. Halve and seed the tomatoes

2. In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, scallions, garlic, rosemary, vinegar, oil, red pepper flakes, salt,  and black pepper.  Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

3. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for one minute less than the package directions specify. Drain and cool.

4. Toss the pasta with the marinade and enjoy!

Serves 4

HELPFUL HINT: The marinate may be refrigerated for up to a week. It’s a great salad dressing.

ANOTHER HELPFUL HINT: It’s easy to seed canned tomatoes. Just cut them in half and squeeze!

I hope you enjoy this dish. It’s a lifesaver on a long hot day.

Have a delicious week.

Best,

Judi

 

 

 

 

 

 

JUDI’S RECIPES – WEEK 24 – NOVEMBER 16, 2021

NOVEMBER 16, 2021

Hello Everyone,

Here we are at the end of the harvest season.  This season had its ups and downs. The weather was wild, and that affected all the crops. We hope for the end of the pandemic and the stabilization of the weather. Next year will be better.

Today’s recipe is a quick and easy one that utilizes a very popular herb – one for which Stoneledge Farm is justifiably famous: garlic. We love it!

SHRIMP WITH GARLIC BUTTER

Ingredients

  • 1 lb pasta (spaghetti, linguine, or capellini)
  • 2 TBS salted butter
  • 6 cloves garlic, finely diced
  • 1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp, tails off.
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 5 oz sun-dried tomato strips in oil, drained (reserve 1 tsp of the oil for cooking)
  • 1 3/4 cups Half and Half
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 3 cups baby spinach leaves, washed and dried
  • 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tsp dried Italian herbs (oregano, basil, thyme)
  • 1 TBS fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

    1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter and add the garlic. Cook until fragrant (about one minute). Add the shrimp and cook for two minutes on each side, until just cooked through and pink. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
    2. Cook the onion in the butter remaining in the skillet. Pour in the wine and cook until the mixture is reduced by half.  Scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and saute for 1-2 minutes.
    3. Reduce the heat to low-medium, add the Half and Half and bring to a gentle simmer, while stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
    4. Add the spinach leaves and allow them to wilt in the sauce, then add the parmesan cheese. Simmer the sauce for another minute, until the cheese melts.
    5. Return the shrimp to the pan; sprinkle with the herbs and parsley, and stir through.
    6. Stir in the pasta and 1/4 cup of the pasta water, stirring until the sauce thickens and is heated through.

Serve and enjoy!

Well, that’s it. Those of us in the core group will miss you during the winter months. We hope you stay warm and cozy and we’ll see you back at the church in June.

Have a delicious week, a happy Holiday Season, and a safe winter.

Best,

Judi

JUDI’S RECIPES – WEEK 22 – NOVEMBER 2, 2021

NOVEMBER 2, 2021

Hello Everyone,

This is Week 22. There are just two more weeks left until our long winter break.

Today we are getting carrots and garlic. What a great combination!

ROASTED CARROTS WITH GARLIC BUTTER

Ingredients

2 lbs carrots , cut diagonally into  2 inch pieces

5 TBS butter

4 garlic cloves , minced

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside. Cut up the carrots and set them aside as well.
2. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large nonstick pan. Add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Take care not to burn the garlic as it will turn bitter if you do.
3. Toss the carrots with the garlic butter in the pan or pour the garlic butter over them in a mixing bowl. Toss until well combined.
4. Transfer the carrots to the prepared baking sheet. Arrange them in a single layer and bake until the carrots are tender, approximately 25 minutes.
5. Remove the carrots from the oven to a serving platter. Taste the dish for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if you are using it.
Enjoy!
HELPFUL HINT: Garlic, as we all know, can stay with you for a while. Here are a couple of ways to lose the fragrance:
1. For your hands: Touch them to stainless steel.
2. For your breath: the next morning after eating the garlic, eat an apple for breakfast. The enzymes in the apple will clear the garlic odor.
I hope you enjoy this recipe and your day.
Have a delicious week!
Best,
Judi