Recipes

Broccoli & Sugar Snap Pea Pasta Sauce

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 head broccoli, broken into small florets, stems finely sliced
1 1-inch piece fresh gingerroot, grated
6 ounces sugar snap peas, cut in half
5 ounces cream
4 ounces ricotta cheese
salt and pepper

Sauté broccoli and gingerroot in olive oil for 5 minutes, stirring. Add sugar snap peas and cook 5 minutes more. Stir in cream and cook gently for another 5 minutes. Add the ricotta cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over freshly cooked farfalle (bowtie) pasta.

Serves 4.

Adapted from www.riverford.co.uk.

Radish Dip

Radishes aren't just for salads. Their peppery bite makes them an ideal partner for creamy dips, like this one. Serve this radish dip recipe with crackers, chips or fresh raw vegetables. Kids will like it too!

5 to 6 radishes, washed and trimmed
3 ounces cream cheese
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons apple juice
kosher salt to taste
freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Place radishes in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add remaining ingredients. Puree until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.

From kidscookingabout.com.

Warm Salad Dressing

At this time of year, we have lots and lots of wonderful fresh greens for all kinds of raw salads. This salad dressing is perfect to use with the heartier, spicier greens like Asian greens (braising mix), kale or Swiss chard, spinach and/or Chinese cabbage.

1 clove fresh garlic
1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
6 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine
salt and pepper to taste

Crush the garlic in the jar and add the mustard and honey, stir a little then add the rest of the ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. Put the lid on the jar and shake well until all the ingredients are well mixed.

When ready to use, put in a shallow pan and gently heat, do not boil. Drizzle over the salad immediately before serving.

This salad dressing will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks.

From www.riverford.co.uk.

Spiced Spinach (or Mixed Greens) with Almonds

This dish can also be made with kale, chard, turnip greens or radish greens.* Combine what you have in this week’s harvest to equal 2 pounds. This dish is good over pasta or as a stuffing for poultry, but it is also an excellent side dish with fish or chicken. The cheeses or nuts can be omitted, if desired.

2 pounds fresh spinach, stems trimmed to base of leaves, or other greens
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
5 tablespoons blanched almonds, toasted and chopped
2 tablespoons currants
1/2 cup ricotta
Salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese

Wash the spinach but do not dry it. Set the spinach in a pot with the water that clings to its leaves and cook, covered, over medium heat until the leaves are wilted but still a bright green. Drain the spinach and shock it in ice water to stop the cooking. Drain again. Squeeze out the excess moisture and coarsely chop. Sauté the onion in the olive oil over medium heat until golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the spinach, cinnamon, nutmeg, almonds, and currants. Sauté another two minutes, or until heated through. Stir in the ricotta and warm it through. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and serve.

Serves 4 to 6.

*If using greens with thick stems, remove the stems. The stems of chard can be cut into squares and cooked with the leaves.

From “The Splended Table,” Lynne Rossetto Kasper, www.culinate.com.

From the "Kids' Corner" - Use Your Noodle Salad

Thanks to Benedictine University Dietetic Intern Lisa Wright for sharing this recipe. Lisa says: “You can easily make this salad a main dish by adding shrimp or chicken! Kids will love the sweet citrus flavors paired with noodles and fresh, crunchy cabbage.”

1/2 pound vermicelli or thin spaghetti, broken in half
1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas, cut in half
1 small yellow summer squash, cut into thin bite-size stripes
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup shredded Chinese cabbage
orange sections to garnish
3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Citrus-Sesame Dressing
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons honey
4 teaspoons white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 cup olive oil

Cook pasta according to the package directions; drain. Immediately rinse under cold running water; drain. In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, snow peas, summer squash, carrots, and cabbage.

To make the dressing, combine orange juice, honey, vinegar, sesame oil, and salt in a small bowl and whisk vigorously. Slowly pour in the olive oil, while continuing to whisk. Pour just enough dressing over the pasta and vegetables to coat them lightly; toss. Just before serving, top with orange sections and a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds.

Serves 6 to 8.

From FamilyFun.com.

Sautéed Hakurei Turnips & Braised Greens

1 bunch Hakurei turnips with greens
1 pound greens, such as Swiss chard, kale, spinach, or braising mix
2 teaspoons oil, divided
1/2 cup water, apple juice or white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cut the greens from the turnips. Wash and tear all the greens into large pieces and remove the stems. Cut the turnips into bite sized pieces.

Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the turnips stirring or tossing occasionally until they are crispy outside and tender inside. Season with salt and pepper and remove to a warm plate. In the same pan, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Add the washed and wet greens, and add to pan in batches. Stir and mix as they wilt. Add the wine or other liquid and cook until it is mostly evaporated. Plate greens and arrange the warm turnips on top.

Serves 6 to 8.

From www.culinaryschoolrockies.com.

Asian Broccoli

1 bunch broccoli
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

Peel the stems on the broccoli. Slice into "coins." Cut the tops into florets. Heat a wok or heavy skillet until very hot. Add the oil and immediately add the garlic. Let sizzle for 15 to 20 seconds. Add the remaining ingredients and give everything a quick stir.

Without turning the heat down, cover the wok and let steam for 4 to 6 minutes, until the broccoli is crisp-tender.

Serves 2 to 4.

From www.mariquita.com.

Scallion Drop Biscuits

This recipe can be made with a food processor to combine dry ingredients and shortening. Pulse a few times until the mixture is the size of peas. If you don't have buttermilk, you can substitute plain yogurt.

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl; cut in shortening with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in green onions. Add buttermilk, stirring just until flour mixture is moist. Drop batter by heaping tablespoons onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Makes 16 biscuits.

From www.mariquita.com, reprinted from “Cooking Light,” November 1996.