garlic scape pesto

Know what these are?

If you do, then you’re one up on me.  I had never seen, nor heard, of garlic scapes until this year.  The top part of the garlic bulb, scapes are suddenly  turning up in blog recipes all around the internet.  Chef’s that I follow on instagram are serving them crispy atop fish.  They are trendy and (dare I say it?) hip.

It seemed that pesto was a pretty popular way that folks use these curly guys, and it was a good choice.  By cutting the amount of basil found in more traditional pesto recipes, and using garlic scapes in place of both the basil and the garlic, this pesto has a milder (and I think more palatable) flavor.  Using almonds rather than pine nuts gave it a wonderful creamy consistency.

Use it to top pasta, grilled bread, vegetables, fish, or poultry.  Thin it with a bit of water to use it as a salad dressing.  It is truly versatile.

*Before I give you the recipe, I want to draw your attention to the stunning serving board used in these photos.  This board was custom handmade for me out of curly maple by Emily at Board and Bread.  Her work is beautiful and the craftsmanship is amazing.  Order any piece and you will not be disappointed!

garlic scape pesto

5 garlic scapes, sliced into 2-3 inch pieces

4-5 fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup almonds, toasted

1/4-1/2 cups olive oil

1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Add scapes, basil leaves, and almonds to a food processor.  Pulse until combined. Add parmesan cheese and pulse to mix.  While the food processor is running, add 1/4 cup olive oil in a steady stream.  Check to see if it is a smooth consistency.  Add more olive oil if necessary.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Store in refrigerator.

pearl barley salad with harissa spiced chicken

I hesitated sharing this recipe because the preparation is a bit fussy.  Many prep and cooking techniques are utilized here:  chopping, peeling, blanching, sautéing, marinating…you get the idea.  

game-changing brussel sprout salad

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know my disdain for brussel sprouts.  Yeah…If you ask my husband, he will tell you that I pretty well hate them.  There are many vegetables (and even some fruit varieties) I can say that I’m not fond of, but I tolerate for their nutritional value.  Brussel sprouts don’t even fall into that category.

When the weekly CSA box contains brussel sprouts, I typically drizzle them in olive oil and roast them.  My husband couldn’t be happier that he will likely consume the whole pound single-handedly, for I can’t bring myself to encourage the kids to eat what I cannot even force myself to eat.

potato and onion frittata

Serve this for supper with a salad (or some crusty bread if you’re feeling the need for more carbs…no judging here).  Delicious, also, for brunch as an alternative to the usual home fries.

Possible add-ins?  Spinach, shredded cooked chicken, asparagus, cooked ground chorizo or chopped bacon, mushrooms.  Be your creative self.

potato and onion frittata

1 1/2 pounds potatoes, yukon gold or red skin (skins on), sliced to 1/4 inch thickness

one large yellow onion, chopped

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp smoked paprika

pinch cayenne pepper

2 Tbsp fresh thyme

3 large eggs

8 egg whites or one cup 100% natural egg whites

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

in a large bowl, toss potatoes and onions with 2 Tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp salt.  Spread on two large rimmed baking sheets.  Roast in oven until tender and brown, tossing and flipping halfway through cooking, about 40-45 minutes.  Remove from oven.

whisk eggs and egg whites in a large bowl.  Add 1 tsp salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, thyme, and smoked paprika.  Fold in potato and onion mixture.

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in 10-inch cast iron skillet or oven safe skillet on stovetop.  Remove from heat and pour in potato mixture.  Spread evenly in skillet.

Place skillet in oven and bake until egg is firm and puffy, about 8-10 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Cut into wedges to serve.

roasted butternut squash with tahini

I don’t know about you, but I can (almost literally) see a light at the end of this tunnel called winter.  I’ve noticed that in the mornings, when our daughter leaves to catch the school bus and it used to be pitch dark out, there is a glimpse of dawn.  Often lately when I glance at the clock and see that it’s 5:30 and still daylight, I am pleasantly surprised.

The best part?

superfood salad with creamy meyer lemon vinaigrette

Did I really leave this….

for something…well, NOT this?

Sadly, I did (OK, there may have been force involved).  There’s nothing like watching the temperature drop 10 degrees with each state you drive north through.

I’m back from vacation where my appetite and diet were pretty much held hostage by two teenagers and an animated mouse.   When you’re starving and running to use your FastPass on the Aerosmith Rockin’ Rollercoaster, good choices don’t always prevail (or even exist).  And when you’re drinking your way through the countries at Epcot…well, the fish and scotch eggs at the U.K.’s Rose and Crown can’t be passed up.

Back home means back to clean eating.  That’s really how it should be, though.  I’ve said it before-eating is not about deprivation.  As cliché as it may sound, each day is a do-over.  A chance to start again and do things right.

This salad uses the fabulous citrus that is available to us this time of year.  I’ve been following the practice of several bloggers and making a big batch of quinoa to use throughout the week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Toasting cooked quinoa releases a wonderful nutty taste and aroma.  It crunches up so wonderfully that, really, the pumpkin seeds are optional.  The dressing is versatile.  Use it on any vegetable, as well as chicken and fish.

superfood salad with creamy meyer lemon vinaigrette

approximately 6 cups of loose salad greens of your chosing (I used baby kale, baby romaine, and spinach)

1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced and chopped to approximately 1-inch pieces (save fronds)

1/2 cup cooked quinoa

*To cook the quinoa, I always use a 1:2 ratio of grain: water/broth.  Bring the liquid to low simmer on the stovetop and stir in the quinoa.  Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed (about 20 minutes).

1/4 cup hulled unsalted pumpkin seeds, toasted

1/3 cup pomegranate seeds

fresh, sliced citrus (optional)

1 tsp coconut oil

dressing

1/2 cup fresh squeezed meyer lemon juice

1 clove garlic, mashed

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp honey

1 1/2 tsp herbs de provence

1/2 tsp salt (or more, to taste)

3 Tbsp plain non-fat Greek yogurt

1/4 tsp black pepper

4 Tbsp olive oil

Toast the quinoa:  heat the coconut oil in a medium skillet over low to medium heat.  Add the cooked quinoa and sauté, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon to keep from burning.  Toast until it turns a dark golden/light brown color.  It may spit at you a bit while it cook.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl or on a platter, toss the greens and fennel with the pumpkin and pomegranate seeds to combine.

To make the dressing, mix all the ingredients through the olive oil in a small bowl until well combined.  Whisk in the olive oil last.

Toss with salad and top with fennel fronds or dress salad servings individually.

butternut squash galette

The season is upon us.

While many of you thought this statement referred to the holiday season (and to some degree, it does), I am talking about the season of new cookbooks.  Fall, particularly October, is a big release time for new cookbooks.  Just when growing season at the farm is dwindling-along with my enthusiasm for creating recipes-a new Amazon box appears on my doorstep.  

smokey and spicy roasted potatoes

It’s not often I use an expression like “off the hook”.  It’s cliche and nobody really wants to hear it out of the mouth of a grandmother.

But I can’t help it, because these potatoes are just that.  Off the hook.

They are easy to make and so flavorful.  Placing the pan with oil in the oven as it preheats ensures that the potatoes come out crispy on the outside, tender on the inside.

Harissa is a North African condiment which-I promise you-will not go to waste once you use it to make these.  You will find yourself searching the internet for additional recipes calling for this chili sauce (which reminds me of a chicken recipe…)

smokey and spicy roasted potatoes

3 pounds russet potatoes, cut into 2 inch wedges (skin on)

1/4 cup safflower or canola oil

2 Tbsp prepared harissa

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 Tbsp sesame seeds

1 tsp sea salt (plus more to taste)

Drizzle oil into the bottom of a roasting pan or dish and place in the oven as you preheat it to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine harissa, smoked paprika, sesame seeds and 1 tsp salt.  Add potatoes and stir gently to coat well.

When oven reaches 425 degrees, remove pan and carefully add potatoes (it may sizzle and spit a little, so be careful).  Stir potatoes gently to coat with oil and arrange in a single layer in the pan.

Roast 25-30 minutes or until they are browned underneath.  Remove from oven and, using a metal spatula, flip the potatoes.  Return to oven and roast until the are browned and crisp on the outside, about 15 minutes more.

Meanwhile, make the cilantro yogurt dipping sauce:

1 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt

1/3 cup loose cilantro leaves, chopped

juice of 1/2 lemon

freshly ground salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

brussel sprouts with hazelnuts and browned butter

If I have a vegetable nemesis, it’s brussel sprouts.  I hated them when I was a kid and, unlike many of the other foods I have grown to love in adulthood, brussel sprouts just never “took”.

lentil meatballs with lemon kale pesto

There’s been a lot of excitement and praise around the blogosphere for Sara and Hugh Forte’s new cookbook, The Sprouted Kitchen.

I’ve been following their blog for over a year and can’t tell you how much I look forward to their posts which include healthy, delicious recipes made from fresh ingredients.  Hugh’s photography is stunning…so beautiful you can almost taste the food.  The photos are clean and simple and  it’s what I aspire to. He is the photographer I want to be when I grow up (as a photographer, obviously!)