NOT - SO - SECRET ZUCCHINI BREAD

2 cups grated zucchini (larger zucchini work best as they are less watery), pat dry with towel
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 Tablespoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cups sugar
2 eggs, well-beaten
1/2cup plus 2 Tablespons oil
1/2 cup sunflower seeds or chopped nuts

Sift flour, cinnamon, and baking powder and mix well with grated zucchini, salt, and sugar.  Mix the beayen eggs with the oil and combine with the dry ingredients.  Mix in sunflower seeds and pour into a greased, 9 x 13 pyrex baking pan.  Bake in a preheated, 325 oven for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Yum.

RABA GHANOUJ

2 Lbs.  Summer squash, cut in 1" chunks  (Costata Romanesco [striped zucchini] and Cousa types work especially well.)
Light cooking oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 garlic cloves
1/3 Tablespoon smoked paprika
1Tablespoon cumin powder
1/3 bunch cilantro, chopped fine
salt, to taste

Coat the summer squash pieces in oil and roast in a shallow layer in pyrex baking dishes at 425 for thirty minutes, or until squash is quite soft (stir once or twice during cooking).  Mash the roasted summer squash with a potato masher (or puree if you like a smoother texture).  Combine mashed squash with all other ingredients, chill, and serve with pita breads, diced lemon cucumbers and tomatoes, and yogurt or tahini sauce.
A farm classic.

TOMATILLO AND POTATO FRITTATA

1 lb. Potatoes, quartered and sliced ¼ inch thick
½  lb. Onions, medium diced
12 cloves whole, peeled, red garlic
1 lb. Tomatillos, medium diced
salt
2 tsp. Minced jalapeno pepper
6 eggs, beaten well
¼ tsp. Salt
1 bundle cilantro, chopped

Tomatillos are a remarkably versatile vegetable once you are acquainted with them, adding a flavor which one would associate with a plant which grows in far-away, tropical climes.  In fact tomatillos are  vigorous and easy to grow in Western Oregon, much to our delight.  I prefer the more mature, yellower tomatillos.  Though some would say they are overripe, I love their sweetness added to the tangy note.
 
Line a 9 x 13’ baking pan (pyrex or corningware work better than metal) with a 3 Tablespoons of cooking oil.  Add sliced potatoes, chopped onions and tomatillos, and peeled garlic and toss with the oil.  Add a generous sprinkling of salt to the top and put in a preheated 425 oven.  After about 20 –25 minutes, add chopped jalapeno to the vegetables and stir so that everything browns evenly.  After ten minutes more, the tomatillos will have become quite liquidy; this is fine.  Remove the pan from the oven.  Mix the beaten eggs with salt and cilantro and pour this mixture over the top of the roasted vegetables.  Sprinkle the top with some smoked paprika if you are feeling especially festive.  Return the pan to the 425 oven for 25  minutes or until the eggs are set and the top is very lightly browned.  I promise that the garlic cloves sweeten and mellow tremendously with roasting and are not at all spicy (especially our Persephone red garlic), but if you’re not a big fan of garlic this recipe can certainly pass muster with less, or without garlic at all.
 

Broccoli Recipes

Potato Leek Soup with Roasted Broccoli

3 lbs. potatoes (a type that is good for mashing)
3/4 lbs. leeks
one bulb fennel
butter
light cooking oil
salt and pepper
tarragon
thyme
1 1/2 lbs. broccoli
6 cups stock and/or water

Cut potatoes into 3/4 inch chunks, boil until soft, and mash with a generous amount of butter, salt and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile, cut broccoli into 1/2 inch chunks and toss with oil and salt and roast at 425 until tender.
Slice leeks and sautee in oil over medium heat until softened.  Quarter, core, and slice fennel and add to the leeks with 1/4 tsp. tarragon and 1/4 tsp. thyme.  Sautee a few minutes more until fennel has softened.  Add stock or water and heat until nearly simmering.  Mix in potatoes and broccoli, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve.  (add a dollop of yogurt or sour cream if desired!


Broccoli Basil Quiche with Summer Squash and Carrot Crust

for a 9" crust:
 3/4 cup grated carrot
 3/4 grated summer squash
1/4 cup rice flour
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
grated black pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons melted butter, salted

Combine all ingredients except the butter and mix well.  Add melted butter and mix again, then press this mixture into a greased pie plate (ideally not a thin disposable pie plate).  Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes (until very light tan but not brown), and remove from the oven.  If you are a cheese fan, grate 1/3 lb. swiss or cheddar and sprinkle evenly on the crust (just the bottom of the pan; not the sides).

for the filling:
1 Tablespoon cooking oil
1/2 lb. chopped broccoli
1/2 lb. shallots, medium dice
salt
4 eggs, beaten well

Toss shallots and broccoli with oil and salt and roast at 425 until tender.  Meanwhile, line the quiche crust with a layer of basil leaves.

If you love milk, add 1 cup milk to the 4 beaten eggs.  If not, add 1/2 cup water to the beaten eggs.  Combine the egg mixture with the cooked shallot and broccoli mixture and place in the crust. 

Bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes or until the egg is set and cooked.  Cool briefly before serving.

Yum.

Cabbage, Beet and Cilantro Slaw

This recipe is an invention of our good friend Seth, who manages Refuge Gardens in Portland (a MercyCorps project), and who is a wizard in the kitchen.  Great served with the above quiche and soup.

4 cups shredded red or green cabbage
2 cups grated beets (choose your favorite color!)
2 cups finely-chopped cilantro
dash light oil
salt
2 Tablespoons white wine and/or rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds

Toss vegetables together with a spoonful of oil to coat, then salt to taste.  Add vinegar and lemon juice and toss everything together.  Toast sunflower seeds lightly in a cast-iron skillet, with a pinch of cayenne (not too much!) if desired.

Green Gazpacho

This recipe comes from our friends Matt and Wendy, who love food!

  • ¼ cup white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1½ cups whole-milk plain Greek yogurt
  • ½ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 4 oz. ciabatta or country-style bread, crust removed, bread torn into 1” pieces (about 2½ cups)
  • 1 medium cucumber, halved lengthwise and cut into large pieces
  • 1 bell pepper, coarsely chopped
  • 4 large tomatillos (about 12 oz.), husked, quartered
  • 4 scallions, cut into 1” pieces
  • 2 jalapeños, seeds removed, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more
  • Piment d’Espelette or Hungarian hot paprika (for serving)
  • Whisk vinegar, lime juice, 1 cup yogurt, and ½ cup oil in a large bowl until smooth. Add bread, cucumber, bell pepper, tomatillos, scallions, jalapeños, garlic, and ¾ tsp. salt and toss to coat (make sure bread is well coated so it can soak up as much flavor as possible). Cover and chill at least 4 hours.

  • Working in batches, purée bread and vegetable mixture in a blender until very smooth; transfer to a large bowl and season gazpacho with salt.

  • Whisk remaining ½ cup yogurt in a small bowl, thinning with water a tablespoonful at a time, until the consistency of heavy cream; season with salt.

  • Serve soup in chilled bowls. Drizzle with thinned yogurt and more oil and sprinkle with piment d’Espelette.

  • DO AHEAD: Gazpacho can be made 1 day ahead; cover and chill. Mix well before serving.

INTERDEPENDENCE DAY POTATO SALAD

2 lbs. potatoes, cut in bite-sized pieces
4 hard-boiled eggs, cut in bite-sized pieces
1 stalk celtuce, peeled and sliced
1 bulb fennel, trimmed, cored, quartered, and sliced
1/2 bundle spring onions, including the greens, chopped fine
1/2 bundle dill leaf, chopped fine
1/2 bundle parsley, chopped fine
2 carrots, coarsely grated
1 cup mayonnaise  (if you are not a big fan of mayo, try oil and vinegar or yogurt, or some combination of these.)
dash of lemon juice or vinegar
salt and ground pepper, to taste

Here at Persephone, our new crop of potatoes is still a couple weeks away, so we are still using last year's crop (which has been kept in cold storage all this time!) of Mountain Rose potatoes.  You can probably find plenty of growers with local potatoes at market these days.  Choose a "waxy" type (not intended for mashing or baking).  Boil the potatoes in salted water until about half tender and drain, rinse in cold water and drain once more.  This should result in potatoes which are cooked through but not mushy.
Once the potatoes are drained, place them in a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients.  Combine until well-mixed and adjust seasonings to taste.  Chill until you are ready to serve.
This recipe is infinitely flexible and can be adjusted to accommodate whatever ingredients you have at hand.  I love beets in potato salad, and would often put 2 cooked beets, cut in bite-sized pieces, in along with these vegetables.  This year our beet crop is still a few weeks away.
Dill and parsley are the classic herbs to pair with potatoes, but feel free to get crazy with cilantro or basil or any other culinary herb you know and love.

KOHLRABI SLAW

3 kohlrabi, peeled and grated
1 apple, peeled and grated
1 grated carrot
1 small red onion, chopped fine
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 cup yogurt or mayonnaise
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbl. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbls. tamari soy sauce
freshly ground black pepper

Toss all ingredients together and chill for several hours.  Kohlrabi is one of our favorite vegetables, not just because it looks like a comet (though that's really cool), but for its sweet and tasty crunch.  A perfect summer food.

SIMPLY DELICIOUS FENNEL

Remove the stalks and leaves from 4 fennel bulbs and reserve for soup stock.  The fern-like leaf tips are also a great garnish for salads and soups.
Quarter the fennel  bulbs and cook in salted, boiling water until half-tender, about 5 minutes.  Drain.
Heat 3 Tbls. butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add fennel and cook, turning occasionally, until tender, about 5 - 10 minutes (Turn it often enough that it won't burn, but not so often that it doesn't have a chance to lightly brown.)
Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper, toss with parmesan cheese, and serve.
Variation:  If you are not a cheese eater, substitute 2 tsps. grated lemon zest.  Yum!

RIGHTEOUS RADICCHIO ROAST

I am a descendant of Italians, so I was embarrassed that I did not like to eat chicories.  I found them too strong-tasting.  After a while I discovered overwintered chicories, which are much milder than their summer counterparts, and I also learned that pairing chicories with a flavor equally strong in another direction ... sweet like apple, pear, or roasted beets, or tart and tangy like citrus, did wonders for my appreciation of their unique flavor.
This recipe uses balsamic vinegar, which is both sweet and tangy tart.  Madeline made this for us a couple seasons ago, and this was the first time I enjoyed eating summer radicchio. 

Cut one head of radicchio in quarters.  Place on baking sheet, cut side up, drizzled with a spoonful of your favorite oil and a sprinkle of salt on each quarter.
Place tray in preheated broiler for 1 minute. 
Remove from broiler and drizzle a spoonful of balsamic vinegar on each quarter (you can also drizzle a very modest amount of honey if you wish.)
Replace tray in broiler for 1 1/2 minutes. 
Once removed from broiler, trim the cores and serve.  You can enjoy them whole or chop them coarsely in a salad with other greens and vegetables/fruits.  A soft goat's milk cheese is also nice.

We all fuss for.....

.... CELTUCE!


What is it?  I'm not sure but we're just getting acquainted and we like it.  Crunchy, nutty, refreshing, fascinating eaten all by itself and just plain, but also plays well with others (and not bad fried in butter either).

Here is a recipe which features our welcome to fennel season in addition to celtuce.  Caramelized fennel, yum.  We've adapted this recipe from one in Deborah Madison's Local Flavors cookbook.  If you don't yet have a Deborah Madison cookbook, please purchase one now.  She honors vegetables and the seasons in a delicious way you will appreciate and savor.

Fennel Celtuce Pasta Wonder

3 large fennel bulbs with greens
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon sunflower oil
freshly-ground pepper and salt
juice and grated zest of one lemon
1 minced garlic clove
One stalk Celtuce, peeled, quartered, and sliced
1 lb. capellini (rice pasta works fine too)
Parmesan cheese

Set aside fennel greens, quarter the bulbs, and slice thinly.

Melt the butter and oil in a heavy, large skillet.  Ad the fennel and saute over high heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 7-10 minutes.  Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt.  Stir in the lemon juice and one cup water.  Reduce the heat and cook, covered, until the liquid has evaporated.  Add another 1/2 cup water and cook until the fennel is very soft and deep gold in color, about 25 minutes.  Grate pepper over fennel to taste.  Chop a generous bunch of fennel greens, about 3/4 cup, and combine with the garlic and lemon zest.
Cook pasta in salted, boiling water until cooked but not soft.  Strain the pasta and add it to the pan with the fennel.  Also add the chopped greens mixture and the chopped celtuce and combine all.  Season with more salt and pepper to taste if desired, and serve sprinkled with cheese (note tastes just fine without cheese too.)

Spinach Borani

9 oz. spinach

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

7 oz. Greek-style yogurt

1/4 C walnuts, chopped

1 t. dried mint

Cook spinach in 1/2 C boiling water for 5 minutes; drain and chop. Saute garlic and onion until softened. Mix with spinach and let cool. Mix in yogurt, walnuts, and mint, and serve chilled.

Green Couscous

1 C couscous

3/4 C boiling water or stock

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1/4 t salt

1/4 t cumin, ground

1/3 C parsley, chopped

1 C cilantro, chopped

2 T dill, chopped

2 T mint, chopped

6 T olive oil

3 green onions, thinly sliced

Small handful thinly sliced radicchio

Feta

 

Combine couscous and boiling water in a bowl for 10 minutes. Saute the onion in olive oil until golden, 20-30 min. Stir in salt and cumin and cool. In a food processor combine parsley, cilantro, dill, mint, and olive oil until smooth. Add to couscous and mix well. Add cooked onion, green onion, and radicchio, and top with feta.

Grilled Broccoli Bread Salad

1 lb. broccoli

3 T lemon juice

1/2 C olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 t chili flakes

8 oz. ciabatta bread, sliced 1/2"

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

Balsamic vinegar

Combine lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and chili flakes, and salt to taste. Toss with broccoli, and grill over moderate heat, turning, until charred and tender, about 8 minutes. Cover with foil and let rest. Brush ciabatta slices with dressing and grill until crisp, about 1 min. Cut bread into 1" cubes. Cut broccoli if necessary. Toss with cherry tomatoes and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Chard Frittata

1 bunch chard, washed and sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

Small handful Italian parsley, chopped

3-4 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese

Salt

Olive oil

Combine chard, parsley, and garlic in a large bowl. Mix in first 3 eggs, adding a 4th if necessary to make the mixture just hold together. Stir in Parmesan and sprinkle with salt.

Heat olive oil over medium in a 10" frying pan. Add chard mixture and flatten with a spatula. Cover, lower heat, and cook about 15 minutes, to lightly brown bottom. Slide frittata out of pan onto a dinner plate, cover with a second plate, flip over, and slide back into pan to cook the other side, about 5-10 minutes. Slice into triangles to serve.

Spinach with Chickpeas and Dill

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 1/2 C cooked chickpeas

1 lb. spinach, washed and trimmed

1/2 C fresh dill, minced

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, saute onion in olive oil until soft and translucent. Add chickpeas and toss to coat. Add spinach and dill and cook until tender. Stir in lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Top with crumbled feta.

Garlic-Braised Fennel

3 large fennel bulbs

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1/2 C vegetable or chicken broth, plus extra

Olive oil

Salt

Trim and slice fennel bulbs, discarding cores. Heat a few tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet and lightly saute garlic slices until golden. Remove garlic and discard. Add fennel and saute until beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add 1/2 C broth and salt to taste, and simmer, partially covered, until fennel is golden and tender, about 20 minutes. Top with crumbled goat cheese if desired.

Spring Garlic Pancakes

Spring Garlic Pancakes

Yield: Makes 4 pancakes

Tools
Whisk

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup warm water
Vegetable oil or peanut oil
1 cup chopped spring garlic
Salt

Ingredients for the Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1 garlic clove, minced

Instructions

  1. Make the dipping sauce by whisking together all the ingredients in a bowl.  Set aside.
  2. To make the pancakes, add the flour to a large mixing bowl and slowly stir in the warm water to form the dough.  Transfer to a floured board and knead three or four times.
  3. Using a knife, cut the dough ball into four even pieces.
  4. Take one ball of dough and, using a rolling pin, begin to roll into a circle.  Sprinkle the spring garlic over the dough and fold it into itself three or four times, until there is spring garlic evenly placed throughout the dough ball.  Roll out again into a circle about 8 inches in diameter.  Repeat with remaining dough.
  5. Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat.  While it’s heating, brush the pancakes on each side with oil.  Sprinkle each side with a pinch of salt.
  6. Fry in the pan for 2-3 minutes, or until it turns golden brown.  Flip the pancake and cook for another 2-3 minutes, being careful not to burn it.
  7. Repeat with remaining pancakes.  Transfer to cutting board and cut into wedges.
  8. Serve with dipping sauce.

Credits to www.athoughtforfood.net

Green Garlic Stuffed Mushrooms

Makes 24 stuffed mushrooms

Green Garlic Confit (Molly Wizenburg's method)

  • 1 1/2cups quarter inch sliced green garlic stalks (I had about 14 medium)
  • 2tablespoons butter
  • 1/4cup water
  • 1/2teaspoon salt
  1. In a small sauce pan with a lid, melt the butter and add the sliced green garlic, water and salt. Cover and gently cook the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring often until the liquid is almost all evaporated. This should take about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool a bit while you prep the mushrooms.

For the mushrooms and stuffing

  • 24white or brown button mushrooms, caps about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter
  • 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4ounces softened cream cheese
  • 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 2tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
  • The green garlic confit
  • Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
  1. Remove the stems from the mushrooms (save for another use) and then clean the mushrooms with either a mushroom brush or wipe them with paper toweling.
  2. Place the mushrooms in a bowl and toss them with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and then place them, cap side up on a baking sheet. In a pre heated 425F oven, roast the mushrooms for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn them over. Lower the oven temp to 350F.
  3. In a small mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, panko, parmesan and green garlic confit. Distribute the filling into the mushroom caps and then drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over each mushroom.
  4. Roast the filled mushroom caps at the 350F temp for about twenty minutes or until the filling just begins to brown. Let cool for a minute or two before enjoying warm.

Credits: www.food52.com