Butternut Squash Buttermilk Waffles

This recipe is prepared for serving as a savory waffle.  However, it is still delicious with maple syrup.  Our favorite way to eat them is topped with a soft boiled egg, apple smoked cowboy bacon, and sliced tomato. If you like a sweeter batter, simply add some warm spices and a little sugar to the recipe.  This waffle recipe is for thinner Scandinavian style waffles.  It has not been tested on a deep-holed Belgian style waffle maker...so if you have one of those, let us know how they turn out!

Ingredients:

1 Small butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, and grated (about 2 cups)

1 Cup whole wheat flour

1 Cup all purpose flour

1 Tbs baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 Cup canola oil

2 Small eggs

2 Cups buttermilk

Method:

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl.  In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, oil, and buttermilk.  Pour the wet ingredients onto the flour mixture, along with the grated squash.  Stir until combined.  The batter should be pourable and not too thick.  Add more buttermilk to thin the batter if necessary.  Ladle appropriate quantities of batter into a hot waffle iron as directed by the manufacturer.  Serve immediately, or refrigerate and warm in a toaster oven as needed.

Makes about 12 waffles.

Hummus Dip

What's so great about hummus dip?  Besides being a delicious dip for fresh sweet pepper sticks, cucumbers, raw squash sticks, and cherry tomatoes?  It is protein rich, with 2.5 g protein per tablespoon of tahini (pureed sesame seed butter), and about 7 g protein per 1/4 cup serving of chickpeas.   The rich and creamy taste of pureed chickpeas can be flavored in many ways.  This is a traditional recipe, but it is also delicious with a variety of spices or roasted tomatoes, peppers and onions pureed in the mix. Hummus dip with raw vegetables makes a great after-school snack, or can be a nutritious addition to school lunches.

Ingredients:

1 Cup dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans), or two cans of cooked chickpeas.

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1/3 Cup of sesame tahini

1/4 Cup of extra virgin olive oil

3 Cloves of garlic, peeled

1 tsp kosher or sea salt (if cooking your own beans, less salt if using canned)

Paprika, to taste

Toasted Garlic Drizzling Oil for garnish (optional)

Method:

If you are using dried beans: Rinse and soak chickpeas overnight. Drain the soaking water, then cover with more water and heat to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until tender.  When they are soft enough, drain off the cooking liquid, reserving a little for thinning the Hummus as needed. If using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse them. Do not reserve any of the liquid from the cans.

Place the chickpeas and the remaining ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.  Add water or reserved cooking liquid to thin the dip if necessary. Adjust seasonings to taste.  Serve immediately with freshly sliced vegetables, or portion into snack cups and refrigerate for up to one week.

Caramelized Cabbage and Onions

There are many uses for caramelized vegetables.  This recipe is more of a simple preparation method for having a tasty base for sandwiches, soups, and side dishes.  Caramelizing cabbage, onions, and other vegetables, is a simple method of slowly cooking them with a pinch of salt and a little oil until the natural sugars are released and cooked to a golden-brown caramel.  The cabbage and onions are delicious as a side dish, but there's no need to stop there.  Try it on a pizza, a grilled cheese sandwich, or add broth, garlic and leaf celery to make a simple cabbage soup.

Ingredients:

1 Head of green or red cabbage

2-4 Yellow onions

1/4 Cup of olive or canola oil

1/4 - 1/2 Tsp kosher salt

Method:

Slice the cabbage and onions thinly and place them in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet with the oil.  Cook on medium-low heat until they begin to sweat, stirring occasionally.  Add the salt and continue to cook for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally so that the cabbage and onions don't stick to the pan. Taste periodically.  They will be done when they have turned a nice golden-brown color and have a soft texture and sweet flavor.

Lemon Basil Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

1  3/4 Cup whole wheat flour*

1 3/4 Cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbs baking powder

1/4 Tsp baking Soda

1/2 Tsp kosher or sea salt

1/2 Cup sugar

3 Cups grated zucchini or zephyr squash

3 Local farm-fresh eggs

1/2 Cup cold-pressed unsweetened coconut milk (can substitute apple sauce, melted butter, sour cream or yogurt)

1/2 Cup local raw honey

Zest of one lemon (using a micro plane or fine grater)

2-3 Tbs finely chopped fresh basil leaves (do not substitute dried basil)

(Alternative: Try using zest of one orange and 2-3 Tbs chopped fresh rosemary instead of the lemon and basil)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease two loaf pans, either with oil spray, butter or shortening.

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, coconut milk and honey, then pour onto the dry ingredients.  Add the grated zucchini, lemon zest, and chopped basil.  Mix until all ingredients are combined evenly.  Pour into the prepared pans and bake for 50 - 60 minutes, or until the tops have split and the loaves spring back to the touch.  You can also insert a bamboo skewer into the center.  It will come out clean when it is fully cooked.

*If you like the bread to be more dense and spongy, reduce the whole wheat flour by 1/4 cup, or add an egg and a little more grated zucchini to add moisture to the batter.

Remove the zucchini bread from the loaf pans after 5 minutes, then let rest for at least 1 hour on a cooling rack before slicing.

Kimchi and the Micro-Universe of Probiotics

One of the many reasons why we choose to farm organically is because we want to protect the natural ecosystems of life.  Much of what we see in terms of "pests" that nibble holes in the broad leafy greens, are only a tiny portion of living organisms that depend on vegetables for life and health.  When pesticides are used, It's not just the beetles and caterpillars that are eradicated; even the organisms that are healthy and necessary for digestion are disrupted. Bacteria are part of the life cycle, and for humans and other animals they are necessary in the process of digestion and absorption of necessary nutrients. Lactobacilli is the main naturally-occurring pro-biotic that lives on fresh fruits and vegetables.  When the vegetables are allowed to ferment in an anaerobic environment, the lactobacilli multiply.  This is good news for everyone, but especially for anyone who might have difficulty digesting certain foods.  Other fermented foods such as sour dough bread, yogurt, and cheese are already common in western diets for their taste as well as their nutritional properties. Although pro-biotics are available in pill form at pharmacies, making your own is not only cheaper, it's delicious as well!  This season's CSA shares are full of fantastic fermenters. Cabbages, radishes, spring onions, and kohlrabi are excellent as sour kraut or kimchi.  Give it a try.  And if you are looking for more information about fermenting, contact our local Slow Food Chapter, or read one of the many books about fermenting available online or at your local library.

Basic Kimchi

(Adapted from Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz)

Ingredients:

(To make 1 quart of Kimchi)

Sea salt (not iodized)

1 lb Napa cabbage, pak choi, or arrowhead cabbage (or a mixture of the three)

1 Daikon radish or a few easter egg radishes

1-2 Fennel bulbs

3-4 Spring onions

4-6 Cloves of garlic

3 Tbs fresh ginger root

3-4 Hot chilies (fresh or dried)

Method:

To make the brine, fill a quart jar with filtered water or spring water, then add 4 Tbs sea salt.  Cover and shake until dissolved.

Coarsely chop the cabbage or pac choi, spring onions, and fennel.  Grate or julienne the radishes.  Place in a mixing bowl and cover with the quart of brine.  Cover with a plate or other weight to keep the vegetables submerged in the brine.  Let the vegetables soak for about 2 hours.

Place the garlic, chilies and ginger in a food processor or blender and puree into a paste.  You may need to add a little water or brine to make the paste.

When the cabbage mixture is decidedly salty to taste, drain off the brine into a bowl or jug (you may need some later).  Place the cabbage into a bowl and massage the garlic-ginger paste into the cabbage.  Always make sure to use clean utensils and hands.  (Sterilizing with anti-bacterial or chemical sanitizers are not necessary, but you want to make sure there are more good bacteria present than bad ones that will encourage mold growth. Soap and water for hands and utensils is perfect).  Stuff the cabbage mixture into a clean quart jar, packing in as tightly as possible and forcing the brine to rise.  Bruising the vegetables until they release brine encourages fermentation and removes air pockets.  The lactobacilli bacteria will populate in an anaerobic environment (no air), whereas molds will grow in the presence of oxygen.  However, you need to make sure to Leave about 1 inch of space in the top of the jar because the fermentation process will release gasses and cause the kimchi to swell in the jar.

There are several methods for keeping the kimchi submerged in the brine and discouraging mold growth.  For the sake of simplicity, however, I'm going to suggest keeping the lid on the jar (not too tight!).  Without a weight to hold the vegetables under the brine, you will need to open the jar and press the vegetables down into the brine once a day for a week.  Katz says, "If you think you can remember to check the kimchi every day, you can jus use your (clean!) fingers to push the vegetables back under the brine. I myself like the tactile involvement of this method, and I especially enjoy tasting the kimchi by licking my fingers after I do this.  Either way, cover the jar to keep out dust and flies."  It takes about a week for the kimchi to ferment to a point of ripeness, but you can taste each day and decide how you like it best.  I won't hurt to let it go longer if you prefer.  Leave it in your kitchen or on a shelf (not in direct sunlight) at room temperature, then refrigerate for long storage once it tastes perfect.  It will continue to ferment very slowly in the refrigerator, but can be tasty for months of stored properly.

Kimchi is a very versitile salad or condiment, but my favorite way to enjoy this tasty pro-biotic-filled food is with scrambled eggs and sauteed greens. It's a fantastically nutritious way to start the day.