Broccoli Slaw

Broccoli Slaw
(works great with cauliflower also!)
From: Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:
2 heads of broccoli
1/2 cup thinly sliced almonds, toasted
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
Buttermilk Dressing
1/2 cup buttermilk, well-shaken
1/3 cup mayonnaise (this is more than is in the original, to thicken the dressing further)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallot or red onion

Directions:
Trim broccoli and cut it into large chunks. From here, you can either feed it through your food processor’s slicing blade, use a mandoline to cut it into thin slices, or simply had chop it into smaller pieces. I used the stem and the flowerets, but if you have a broccoli stem aversion you can just use the tops. (P.S. My favorite way to prep the stems is to peel them — the tough skin is why most people think they don’t like broccoli stems; the broccoli underneath is juicy and crisp — then use the mandoline or a knife to cut them into thin slices.)
Toss the sliced broccoli with the almonds, cranberries and red onion in a large bowl. Meanwhile, whisk the dressing ingredients in a smaller one, with a good pinch of salt and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the broccoli (if you’ve skipped the stems, you might not want it all; I otherwise found this to be the perfect amount) and toss it well. Season well with salt and pepper to taste.
 

Apple Cider Sangria

Apple Cider Sangria
From: How Sweet It Is

Ingredients:
1 bottle (standard size) of pinot grigio
2 1/2 cups fresh apple cider
1 cup club soda
1/2 cup ginger brandy
3 honey crisp apples, chopped
3 pears, chopped

Directions:

Combine all ingredients together and stir, stir, stir. Refrigerate for an hour or so (or longer!) before serving.

Roasted Brussels with Cranberry and Bacon

Roasted Brussels with Cranberry and Bacon

Ingredients:

• pound Brussels sprouts, tips cut off, discolored leaves removed and sliced in half (smaller sprouts are better than large sprouts)
• 1 lb cooked bacon
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt
• ⅔ cup fresh cranberries (or ⅓ cup dried cranberries)
• ⅓ cup crumbled Gorgonzola or goat cheese
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup, or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, or more to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat your broiler.
2. Set a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat on the stove. Let it heat up for two to three minutes. It should be so hot that a few drops of water sizzle and quickly disappear after contact.
3. In a medium sized bowl, toss the prepared Brussels sprouts with olive oil and salt. Toss well, so that the sprouts are evenly coated in a thin layer of oil.
4. Once the pan is hot, dump the sprouts into the pan and quickly rearrange them so the flat sides are face down. Let them cook for two minutes.
5. Toss the fresh cranberries into the pan and transfer the pan to your broiler. The pan will be heavy and hot so use oven mitts and be careful! Let the Brussels broil for about three minutes. Check the sprouts for doneness—their tops should be a little browned and the bottoms caramelized. The cranberries should have started popping by now; set the hot pan on your stovetop for a couple of minutes.
6. Toss the bacon, sprouts, cranberries, and cheese in a bowl and drizzle with balsamic vinegar and maple syrup. Season with salt, divide into smaller bowls, and enjoy!
   
   
   

Getting Ready for Spring Planting

Our seedlings are patiently waiting in our greenhouses for spring planting to come. Hopefully we have seen the last of this snow and cold. Once the ground begins to thaw and the temperatures at night are above freezing we will begin to plant. Think warm thoughts with us!

 Lettuce Seedlings

 Scallion Seedlings

 

Pepper Seedlings

 

These are our newly painted planting wheels. You will notice the different sizing and spacing of the spikes. Depending on which type of produce we are planting at the time we will use a different wheel. Some vegetables require a small amount of space between plants and others require a wider amount of space. We can hardly wait to put these guys to work.

Leek, Bacon, and Pea Risotto

Leek, Bacon, and Pea Risotto
from: Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

2 leeks, white and light-green parts only
12 cups (96 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth
4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into strips
2 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup fresh or frozen peas
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions:

1. Halve leeks lengthwise; rinse thoroughly. Pat dry; thinly slice. In a saucepan, bring broth to a simmer over medium. Meanwhile, in a large, straight-sided skillet or Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium, stirring, until lightly browned but not crisp, 5 minutes. Add leeks; cook, stirring, until softened, 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Add rice and cook, stirring, until translucent around edges, 1 minute.
   
2. Add wine and stir until evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup broth. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, until broth is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Repeat process, gradually adding broth, until rice is al dente and risotto is creamy, about 35 minutes. Stir in peas after the final addition of broth.
   
3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in Parmesan. Cover and let stand 2 minutes. Season risotto with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Serve remaining risotto with Parmesan.

 

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Cauliflower Pizza Crust
from: ifoodreal.com

Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower

1 egg

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

herb seasoning (1 tsp Italian, or rosemary, basil, parsley)
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line round pizza baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Rinse cauliflower, remove the outer leaves and separate into florets with a paring knife. Place cauliflower florets in a food processor and process until "rice" texture. Some coarse chunks are fine. 
3. Place on a prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 mins.
4. Remove cooked cauliflower from the oven and transfer to a bowl lined with a double/triple layered cheesecloth.  
5. Then squeeze the liquid out of the ball, cauliflower inside the cheesecloth, as hard as you can. Be patient and do this a few times until barely any liquid comes out.
6. Increase oven temp to 450 degrees F. Transfer cauliflower to a mixing bowl along with egg, cheese, herb seasoning, salt, black pepper and mix to combine. Transfer cauliflower mixture onto the same baking sheet you used to roast the florets and flatten with your hands until thin pizza crust forms.
7. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes and remove from the oven. 
8. Top with your favourite toppings and bake again until cheese on top turns golden brown. Slice and enjoy.  (You can freeze the crust tightly wrapped in plastic, for 1 month.)

 

Roasted Cauliflower Tacos

Roasted Cauliflower Tacos
from: twopeasandtheirpod.com

Ingredients:

For the Tacos:
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon water
1 (15 oz.) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 small head cauliflower, washed and cut into bite-size florets
Corn tortillas
1 cup finely chopped red cabbage
1 jalapeño, sliced, seeds removed
1 large avocado, seed removed and diced
Chopped cilantro
For the Lime Crema:
1 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
1/8 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt, lime juice, olive oil, and water. Stir in chickpeas and cauliflower florets. Place seasoned chickpeas and cauliflower on a greased baking sheet. Roast for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally during cooking, until chickpeas are slightly crispy and cauliflower is tender. Remove from oven and set aside.
2. To make the lime crema, place the Greek yogurt or sour cream in a small bowl. Add fresh lime juice and cilantro. Stir well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Take a corn tortilla and place roasted cauliflower and chickpeas on top. Top with red cabbage, jalapeño slices, avocado, and cilantro. Drizzle lime crema over the tacos and serve!