Butternut Squash Pound Cake with Rosemary & Orange

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups organic sugar

8 oz European style cultured butter or unsalted butter

5 fresh eggs

2 cups cooked butternut squash, mashed (About one 2lb whole squash). See Winter Squash: How to prepare for recipes

1 1/2 cups Sonrisa Farm stone ground whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla, or vanilla bean infused brandy

1 cup sour cream

Minced fresh rosemary leaves

Zest from one large orange

Glaze:

The best icing for this cake is drizzled Maple Cream. If you don't have a jar of pure maple creamy goodness on hand, you can make a maple glaze by combining 2 Tbs butter with 1/4 cup pure maple syrup in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup of powdered sugar. Drizzle immediately onto the cooled cake.

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare a 10-cup bundt pan with baking spray, or the old fashioned way with butter or shortening and a dusting of flour or sugar.

Combine stone ground whole wheat and all purpose flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.

With the paddle attachment set on a stand mixer whip the butter and sugar together on medium speed until it is fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing for about a minute with the addition of each egg. Add the mashed butternut squash and mix on low speed until smooth. Then add the flours mix until combined.  Fold in the sour cream, orange zest, rosemary, and vanilla.

Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan, leaving about 3/4 of an inch head space. Place into the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

Turn the cake out of the pan and let cool.  Drizzle with maple cream or maple glaze.

Summer Slaw with Smoky Peach Dressing

The Smoky Peach Dressing is really the highlight of this dish.  Yes, eat your veggies and all that. But the dressing...wow. It's versatile enough to keep around as a dipping sauce, sandwich dressing, marinade, etc. The Chattanooga Market is celebrating the season with it's annual peach festival this week, so we thought we'd join in the fun with this dish. Also, who could pass up using a dash of smoky Alchemy Spice Proud To Be American blend in honor of independence day?

Smoky Peach Dressing:

2-3 Medium peaches, quartered and pits discarded

5 Garlic cloves

1/4 Cup olive oil

Juice from 1/2 lime

1-2 tsp Proud To Be American spice blend by Alchemy Spice

1 tsp Lime Fresco Salt by Alchemy Spice

Slaw:

Cabbage

Kohlrabi

Daikon radish

Fennel bulb

Summer squash (any variety)

Green onions

Kale

Juice from one lime

Kosher salt to taste

Method:

For the dressing, add all of the ingredients to a blender, blend until smooth and they emulsify into a creamy dressing.  Refrigerate until ready to use. If you have extra, place in a squeeze bottle and use as a dressing for sandwiches, grilled vegetables, hot dogs, and basically anything that tastes good with the addition of some spicy-sweetness.

Slaw is basically a quick salad of vegetables that are shredded or julienned, mixed together, and dressed.  It's not complicated. It's the stuff that picnics are made of...less time in the kitchen, and more time outside having fun.  The list of vegetables above are the ones in this week's CSA box, but you could substitute anything you like eating raw.  Grate, chop, slice and julienne the vegetables and mix together in a large bowl.  Toss the grated vegetables with lime juice and some kosher salt. Let rest a few minutes, then pour off any excess liquid. The vegetables will absorb a lot of the flavor of the peach dressing, so you may want to dress each portion of the slaw individually as it's served.

Almond Zucchini Breakfast Muffins

Ingredients:

2 Cups Sonrisa Farm stone ground whole wheat flour

1 Cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbs baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp kosher salt

1  cup organic raw sugar

2 Cups ground almonds or almond flour

1 Cup sliced almonds (optional)

3-4 cups grated summer squash like zucchini, zephyr, or pattypan squash

4 eggs

1/2 cup pure maple syrup or local raw honey

1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1/2 cup unsweetened, unflavored almond milk

1 Tbs pure almond extract

 

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the eggs, maple syrup, apple sauce, and almond milk.

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients.  Add the grated zucchini and stir until fairly even-textured.  Add the almond extract and stir to combine.

Line muffin tin with parchment muffin liners, or coat with oil or cooking spray.  Fill muffin tin with batter.  Bake for 25 minutes for mini muffins, or 30-40 minutes for large muffins. They are fully cooked when a toothpick or bamboo skewer comes out clean.  Let cool on a cooling rack before serving.  Cool completely before freezing.

Makes about 5 dozen mini muffins, or 30 large muffins.

Osaka Mustard Greens With Sweet Sesame Dressing

Mustard greens have a soft texture that is suitable for a wilted or fresh salad. The flavor is strong with a spicy hint of horseradish, so they pair well with beef or fish, add zing as a stuffing for sushi, complement a rice bowl, or taste delicious on their own.

Ingredients:

1-3 bunches of Osaka Purple Mustard Greens

1 tbs Toasted Sesame Oil

1 tbs Olive or Canola Oil

1 tbs Rice Vinegar

2 - 3 tsp Mirin Sweetened Sake

2 Tbs Sesame Seeds, white or black

Kosher Salt, to taste

Method:

Wash greens and dry with a salad spinner or absorbent towel. If desired, remove leaves from stems, discard stems and chop the leaves. If you like the added texture, keep the stems intact and chop all together.  For a milder flavor, place the greens in a large mixing bowl. Add the sesame and olive oils and a pinch of kosher salt. Rub the oils into the leaves until they soften and turn dark green.  Then add the vinegar and mirin and toss until evenly coated. For a crunchier salad with a bolder flavor, do not massage the leaves with oil; add the oils, vinegar and mirin at the same time, then stir until coated.

Place the sesame seeds in a dry skillet and warm over medium heat, keeping them in motion so they do not burn. Remove from heat when the sesame aroma blooms (about 2 minutes or so). Add the toasted seeds to the salad and toss.  Season with Kosher salt to taste.

Broccoli Rabe & Roasted Radish Salad

Ingredients:

1 bunch broccoli rabe

1 bunch Easter egg radishes, sliced into wedges

1/2 head red leaf lettuce, leaves torn

3-5 spring onions, chopped

1/2 lime

Olive oil

Kosher Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Toasted Garlic Drizzling Oil

Vinaigrette

 

Method:

Remove leaves from the broccoli rabe, then wash and spin them dry in a salad spinner. Place in a large bowl and set aside. Snip the tender flowering tops along with a couple of inches of tender stem from the stalks. Rinse and pat dry.  The stems and stalks of the broccoli rabe plant are also edible, but sometimes somewhat woody and fibrous.  If so, use in stock or chop and add to soups.

Place the rabe tops and chopped radishes on a baking sheet and toss with a little olive oil. Season with kosher salt, black pepper, and a drizzle of freshly squeezed lime juice.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to brown.  Check halfway through and remove the broccoli rabe tops first if they cook more quickly. When the vegetables are cooked, remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.

While the radishes and rabe flowers are cooking, pour a little Toasted Garlic Drizzling Oil on the rabe leaves and massage or rub the oil vigorously into the leaves until they soften and turn dark green. Season with a little kosher salt. Toss with red leaf lettuce, chopped spring onions, and the cooled roasted radishes. Serve with your favorite vinaigrette and garnish with roasted broccoli rabe flowers.