Roasted Pesto Mashed Potato Stuffed Peppers

 Stuffed peppers are just about the most perfect food.  Full of flavor, a little bit sweet, and a really savory kick when you roast it.  You can put almost anything in them, but I'll bet you never thought to stuff potato into them, so here we go!

The potato mix makes more than enough to stuff all of your peppers, large and small, and you can even boil a larger number of potatoes than you need and reserve some for plain mashed potatoes for tomorrow night's starch side dish.

The best part is the flavor absorption, which allows you to highlight the basil, making this a pesto-hybrid, combined with the roasted peppers, garlic, and onion and no doubt you'll lick the spoon, the plate, and the food processor clean (please restrain from licking the blade :) )

Serves 2 for dinner, or 6-8 as party finger food in the small peppers.

What you'll use from your bag:
3 large red peppers for stuffing
4 orange peppers for roasting
1 medium or 2 small onions
2 garlic cloves
all your basil
5 medium or 8-10 small potatoes

What else you'll need:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup cashew milk
1/4 tsp sage powder
1 tsp tarragon leaves



First, you'll preheat the oven to 400 degrees
While the oven is preheating, add some salt to a large pot of water, and boil your potatoes. This takes approx. 25-30 minutes until they are soft.  (I keep my skins on, but feel free to peel)

Then, prepare your veggies to roast

Find the flat side of your large peppers, and slice a thing layer of the OPPOSITE side, exposing the hollow so you can remove the seeds.  Chop the thin layer.

Take your 4 small peppers, chop the ends, remove the seeds, and rough chop.

Rough chop the onion, and cut the ends off of the garlic, keeping them in the paper.

Toss them in a light amount of oil, and place them on a cookie sheet, for 10 minutes, then flip, and another 10 minutes.


Now, add the remaining ingredients into the food processor
When the roasted veggies are done, set the large peppers (or stuffing peppers) aside, and toss the remainder into the food processor with the basil, spices, oil, and cashew milk, making sure to squeeze the garlic out of the paper case.

Take the tender potatoes out of the boiling water, drain, and quarter them, and toss it into the food processor, and pulse to combine until desired consistency.

Scoop the filling into the empty roasted peppers, and dress with any stray basil leaves or pepper pieces.

Enjoy!

Tofu Scramble

Breakfast isn't really a time when most people think of vegetables, but it could be.  Take the classic scramble, here with a plant-based twist.  A nice firm tofu, the right seasonings, and farm-fresh veggies combine to create a mouth and eye-pleasing alternative to the classic, that is quick to make, filling, and without all that pesky saturated fat and cholesterol.  Best of all, you can spice it up however you like, perhaps middle-eastern for the Shakshuka fans of the world, or Italian spices like basil and oregano for the diner style breakfast club.

This is a great technique that you can also apply to feta and ricotta toppings, and is overall a great stab at preparing tofu in new and delicious ways.

Serves 4, or 2 really hungry people, and reheats well.  Great on its own or on toast or in breakfast burrito wraps.

What you'll use from your bag:

1 Tomato (I had some left over from last week's bounty), diced

1/2 hot pepper, or a whole one if you like the heat, diced seeds removed

3 small sweet peppers, diced

1 red onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

What else you'll need:

2 Tbs avocado or safflower oil

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped and added at the end

1 block firm tofu

1 tsp cumin or curry powder (skip for a more Italian or French style)

1/4 tsp India Black salt, for the egg flavor

1/2 tsp parsley, dried

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp nutritional yeast

1/4 tsp fennel seed powder

1/2 tsp turmeric, for health and color

First, drain and press the tofu

This is the most important step when working with tofu, and if often the reason people think they don't like it.  Tofu gets packaged in liquid to keep it fresh, but the liquid has no flavor, and will often keep flavors from penetrating the tofu and DEFINITELY keep the texture soft, rather than hearty and meaty, so proper pressing to remove the liquid is going to change your tofu game.  I recently discovered the most amazing way to press tofu (and lots of other things) is using a salt slab cutting board.  Or in this case, 2 of them.  This is the perfect amount of weight, and salt cures it which not only speeds up the liquid draining time, but gives is a nice mineral rich, salt flavor, so you can actually skip the added salt.  If you don't have one, they are MAJORLY affordable right now at Trader Joe's, or you can wrap your tofu in a dishcloth, and put a cutting board on top of it with a few cans of something heavy, like beans. This takes about 5-10 minutes, and you can prep your veggies while this happens

Next, start your sauté

Heat oil in a frying pan, and add your diced onions, garlic, and hot pepper.  

While they soften, assemble your spices in a large mixing bowl, and toss in your tofu in large chunks.  A potato masher works best, but a fork will work just fine, as you are trying to mix the spices into your tofu as you "scramble" the tofu, into nice pillowy, bite sized, flavorful clumps.

When its done, it will look like cooked scramble, which is pretty cool, since that is what we are making :)

It will be yellow, from the turmeric, and smell of egg, from the India Black salt, and be delicious from all the spices, but will be EXTRA great warm and with all your veggies.

Now, add your tofu to the sauté mix

Let the oil, onion, garlic and hot pepper fully integrate with the tofu mixture, and you will notice the scramble get a brighter yellow, and even slightly brown in some area.  This is excellent because it means all those flavors are penetrating, and intensifying.

Add your diced tomato, and sweet peppers in, and sauté for 2-3 minutes until they soften. This adds some moisture back into the mix, so decide how "well-done" you like your textures, and if you want dryer scrambles, bump that up to 5 minutes.

Toss in your basil, stir until its soft, and take a good long sniff at the heaven in your pan.

If you are going for French style, add some vegannaise, or some coconut creme fraiche with some Herbs d' Provence, for Italian, add some thyme and oregano and serve over toasted Ciabatta, and for my curry style, add that full pepper, and garnish with a little sprinkle of ginger and light a fire under your day!

Enjoy!

Farmstyle Potato and Leek Soup

With the summer season abundance comes very full CSA bags, and if you are running short on fridge space, or have trouble using all of your produce every week this soup is ideal for you.  One recipe uses most of this week's bag, but lasts the rest of the week and can even feed your entire family.

Best of all, if you time it right, it shouldn't take you more than 45 min to make, and can be eaten immediately, or chilled, served hot or cold.

Eating your colors was never easier!

Serves A LOT, plan for 8-10 big bowls.





What you'll use from your bag:
All of your potatoes, diced
2 red onions, diced
2 summer squash, sliced & quartered
1 medium leek, 2 small leeks, half moon sliced
1 small cabbage, coarsely chopped
5 small red/orange peppers, half moon sliced




What else you'll need:
3 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
1/4 cup oil (safflower or avocado recommended)
8 cups vegetable broth

For the "buttermilk":
juice of 1 lemon
2 cups of coconut cream

For the end, spice mix:
1/4 cup cinnamon basil or other basil, chopped
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp coriander seed powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp sea salt, fine
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1/4 tsp thyme
1 Tbs fresh dill, and more to garnish/serve
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (dont be afraid, the cream levels this smooth)


First, heat your oil on low/med in a large soup pot
While the oil heats, dice your onion, and toss them in as you go, then dice the garlic and toss it in, and then the potatoes.  Think homefries, a quick dirty smallish dice, to encourage softening and even cooking.  A pinch of salt here is also a good idea.

While they cook, chop your peppers, squash, and cabbage. When the potatoes are tender, add the peppers and squash and cook for 3 minutes.  Then your cabbage, and cover. 3 minutes.

Now, add your broth
I can't stress the importance of a good full-flavored broth for making your own soups, and I encourage you to make your own broth with scraps from your CSA produce!  After to add the broth, stir and scrape the bottom of the pot to get all the ingredients circulating.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8-10 minutes.

While the soup simmers, add 2 cups coconut cream (the kind from a can!) into a bowl or measuring cup and squeeze the lemon juice in, stir or whisk thoroughly, and allow to sit at room temperature to curdle.

Once the simmer is close to a boil, add the milk
Mix the soup really well, until you can't see any white cream concentrated anywhere.  Turn the heat
back up and simmer 5 minutes, uncovered.

Add the spice mix, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes.  Remove from heat, and let stand 5-10 minutes before serving (hot) or chill overnight to serve cold.

Serve it with fresh ground black pepper, a cashew dill sauce, fresh dill, or smoked salt.

Enjoy!

Quick Homestyle Tomato Sauce

 Homemade tomato sauce, is there anything more delicious, more classic, and more symbolic of truly from-scratch home cooking?  There's a good reason: traditional recipes call for over 4 hours of long simmering....ain't nobody got time for that.

This recipe packs in all the flavor density of peak season, farm fresh tomatoes, with time saving tricks to peel the tomatoes with a parboil, followed by a chop and stew, which reduces the simmer time to just over 1 hour.  Use that time to roast your veggies for a lasagna, and cook your noodles, or in my case to roast and scoop up a spaghetti squash, to toss into the sauce as soon as its ready, and while they are both hot!

This recipe prepares about 4 cups, the size of a large jar from the market.




What you'll use from your bag:
7 medium tomatoes
1 Red onion, finely diced
1/2 jalapeño, diced, or the entire thing if you like it hot

What else you'll need:
4 cloves of garlic, diced
1 Tbs Tomato paste (they make this in a tube now, so you don't have to waste the entire can)
1 tsp sea salt, fine
1/2 tsp black pepper, the fresher ground the better
5 cups veggie broth
2 Tbs olive or avocado oil
1/2 lemon (for the juice)
1 Tbs red wine vinegar, or soured red wine (you know, the kind you've left open too long)

at the end:
3/4 cup fresh basil (packed, because you can never have too much basil in tomato sauce)
1/3 cup fresh oregano  (oregano form the farm is incredibly aromatic, highly recommended)
1/3 cup fresh cilantro


First, fill a large soup pot with about 6 cups of water
Take all of your tomatoes, and carve Xs into the butt of them, where they come to a little point.  This will serve to allow the water to loosen the skin from the flesh of the tomato, and make an easy starting point to peel.  The skin tends to slide off when little coaxing after a light boil.

Add the X'd tomatoes into the water, and bring to a boil, and allow to boil for about 2 minutes.  This is softening the tomatoes and loosening the skin at the same time and will reduce the overall cook time in the later step.


When removed from the water, the skin tends to look like this, and easily peels and slides off, reducing a lot of prep time.  You can keep these skins for broth, salads, or compost.




Next, heat your saucepan and prepare your vegetables
It's important not to use stainless steel with high-acidic dishes like tomato sauce, so for this I am using ceramic covered cast iron (Le Creuset).  It also makes for MUCH easier clean up.  Heat the oil in the pan, and add your finely diced onions and garlic, sauté, and after 2 minutes add the jalapeño.

Take your peeled tomatoes and chop them into at least 6 pieces, and toss them in with the sauté, allowing them to scorch, and stir them once or twice.  While they scorch, whisk the tomato paste and vinegar into the vegetable broth, and once the tomatoes are scorched on all sides, pour the broth mixture into the
rest.

Bring to a low boil, and immediately drop down to a simmer, and let simmer for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.

Then, you'll add the herbs
Towards the end, say in the last 15 minutes, start to chop your basil, oregano and cilantro.  Toss them
into the sauce and stir evenly and allow to cook with the remaining time.  The sauce should look more like sauce and less like chopped tomatoes as they have broken down, the liquid should also be substantially reduced.

Allow to cool, and keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or enjoy immediately!

Garlic Scape and Sweet Pepper Pesto

The last of the garlic scapes has arrived.  Whether you are sick of them or looking to make them last, this pesto is going to really be a game-changer for you, and you'll find yourself adding it to everything.  This year, my partner and I discovered the joys of basil and pepper pesto on pizza, and it spawned an endless game of putting pesto on everything imaginable.

Also, word on the Karma Farm Streets is that if you go to visit the farm they'll send you out with an armful of fresh herbs, like basil, which is bountiful right now.  So reach out, and schedule your visit this weekend and make this delicious pesto your new obsession :)

Roasting is the best treatment for these sweet peppers, as the low heat short roast will soften them, allowing some earthy flavors to mix and drawing out the sweetness, while retaining some of the snap from the moisture.


What you'll use from you bag:
1 sweet carmen pepper
5 garlic scapes
2 bulbs of garlic (technically from last week's bag)

What else you'll need:
1 cup tightly packed basil, (you can get this from the farm!)
1/2 cup pine nuts, 1/4 cup raw and 1/4 cup roasted
1/2 cup avocado oil

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 lemon peel, sitting in the oil

1/4 cup spring onions

1 sprig fresh thyme 

First, you'll preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Cut the pepper into large pieces, just enough to get the seeds out, and to coat the inside and outside with some oil.  I just dunk them right into the bowl with oil, and brush off the excess.  Do the same with the garlic scapes, but keep them whole.

Onto a baking sheet lined with tin foil, add the oil covered peppers and scapes, 1/4 cup of pine nuts, and 2 entire bulbs of garlic with their end chopped off, skin still on.

Roast for 12 minutes, turning once.

Now, slice the lemon peel and add it to the oil

This will allow the oil to take on a slightly citrus quality, and soften up the lemon peel making it easier to incorporate in the food processor.

Add all your remaining ingredients to the food processor, and wait to add the lemon+oil until just before the roasted veggies come out.

Let the roasted veggies cool

Once you can comfortably hold them in your hand, transfer them to the food processor, but make sure to squeeze out the garlic from its skin, it should slide right out if you hold the pointed end.

The longer you process, the smoother and creamier the texture, so if you prefer a more oily looking, chunky pesto, don't process very long, but pulse until desired texture is achieved.  I like the creamy texture, and it fools even the most epicurean of omnivore foodies :)

Put this on just about anything. This is a soft, layered flavor, that has a bit of sweet, and a lemon (not sour) but a distinctly lemon flavor.  We put it on our breakfast scramble tacos this morning :)

Enjoy!

Provencal Tian: Broccoli-Cheeze Casserole

Oh Tian, you fancy french name for a cheezie milkee casserole.  Sometimes, the most comforting thing is a deep, warm, melty pot of everything baked together, amiright? For this casserole, I combine the inaugural crop of broccoli from Karma Farms with sliced cremini mushrooms, but other vegetables such as zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, and even potatoes are traditional and very tasty here, so if you have a giant casserole dish go ahead and add them.

Did you save your Cheeze Sauce from the last post?  I hope so.  If you haven't made it yet and think these flavors won't combine well, I assure you, Herbs de Provence bake up 10x the aromatic power of anything in that cheese, but if you want to skip the liquid aminos or the smoked paprika, for a more subtle classically french cream flavor, I won't judge you ;) Additionally, you can substitute 2 cups of tofutti cream cheese or 2 cups of shredded Daiya in a pinch, but I think the squash cheese is the perfect blend for this dish and cooks perfectly.

Serves 8, serve hot, or cover with foil and reheat in the oven later.

What you'll use from your bag:
2 small heads of broccoli, chopped, with the leaves separated but also chopped
2 garlic scapes, chopped
1 Sweet Onion, chopped

What else you'll need:
2 cups of Cheeze Sauce or other vegan cheese
1 package mushrooms, 8oz, sliced
2 cups Non-dairy milk (I used part soy and part almond, but anything is fine here)
4 Tbs of flax meal, whisked with 1/2 cup warm water
2 cups cooked Quinoa, or a mix of wild rice and quinoa
2 cups of Panko (gluten free, vegan breadcrumbs)
1 Tbs oil to sauté
1 Tbs Herbs de Provence
1 Tbs Blackstrap molasses
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: sprinkle with Harissa and fresh basil after cooking


First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and cook your Quinoa/rice
Boil your water with the grains inside, and the lid off. Should take about 20 minutes.  While that is happening, start another pot of water to boil, to blanche your broccoli.

Chop your broccoli, keeping the leaves to the side. The leaves will be added to your sauté near the end.  Slice your mushrooms, chop your onions, and garlic scapes.  

Add the broccoli to the boiling water for 2 minutes, to blanche. Then transfer to an icebath.

Then, set up your sautee
Heat up the oil in a large sauté pan, and add your mushrooms, onion, and garlic scapes.  Cook for 3-4 minutes, covering if you want really soft veggies (remember these will also bake for 30 minutes).

Next add your flax mixture, and stir to coat. It will look sticky, which is exactly what you want.  Then add the "milk," salt and pepper, and herbs de provence, and cook for 5-6 minutes until the sauce thickens, and the flax meal gets even more sticky looking.

Now, add your broccoli and grains
Mix these elements in and you are almost ready.  Once they are fully integrated, add your molasses, cheeze sauce and your broccoli leaves, and cook for 1-2 minutes while stirring.  Then take off the heat.

Then, transfer to a baking dish
This tested the limits of my 2.5 quart casserole dish, if you have a 3 quart, that might be ideal, or you can split this between two dishes (especially if you are adding other ingredients!!)

Line the bottom of the dish with 1 cup bread crumbs, and fill with mixture, and cover with the other half of the bread crumbs.  Put your dish on a baking sheet-- seriously, you'll thank me when you don't have to clean your oven tomorrow.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, turning once (NOT STIRRING!)
Let stand for at least 10-15 minutes after taking it out of the oven, which is hard, because it smells incredible...otherwise your casserole won't set, and will be very runny (BUT still tasty, so priorities)

The harissa and purple basil on the top add some heat, but also bring in a feel for the south of Provence, without muting the lavendar, rosemary and oregano we expect from a french bake.
It stores well, and is mighty filling!

Enjoy!

Summer Borscht & the works

Did you know that borscht is Russian for salad bar?  It's not, really, but in my family it may as well have meant that, because its a glorious opportunity to load up on all your favorites, or stick to a flavorful soup if you prefer it less chunky.  Some will take all the fixins and puree it, sort of like a beet-based Gazpacho, but I prefer to see all the elements, and chew them, kind of like a hybrid summer-winter borscht.

Unlike a traditional borscht, I've replaced the cucumbers and radishes with Celtuce, an interesting sharp and nutty flavored green.  By soaking the chopped stem in a little wine and salt, the natural bitterness transforms into a cooling almost peanut flavor that compliments the savory soup incredibly and adds a complex dimension.

This particular method is heavily inspired by the recipe left behind by the poet Allen Ginsberg, maybe it will inspire you to Howl :)



Serves 4-6, served with Vegan Sour cream



What you'll use from your bag:

Beets, ~10 small/medium, peeled and slivered, with the greens from half of them chopped
Red Potatoes, diced and roasted, ~ 1/2 of the yield, the smallest ones are best
1 garlic scape
Celtuce, leaves for the bowls, and ~ half the stem either chopped or sliced

Optional: diced Radish



What else you'll use:
Chives or Spring Onions, 1 or 2 chopped
1 Tbs Sugar
2 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 cup white wine (wine vinegar works in a pinch) and 2 Tbs for the celtuce
4 cups of veggie broth to boil, and 2 more to cool
Fresh dill
1 tsp Salt, and 1/2 tsp for the celtuce
1 tsp Black pepper
1 tsp Caraway powder
1 Cup Vegan sour cream, like tofutti, or make your own, with more to serve

Optional: halved Cherry tomatoes


First, you'll roast your potatoes
Heat your oven to 400 degrees, and go about prepping your veggies. Dice the potatoes, and toss them in a tablespoon of oil with a few pinches of salt and spread them evenly on a baking sheet, and roast for 25 minutes, stirring once at the 15 minute mark.

While they roast, peel and sliver your beets, and chop the greens.

Now is also a good time to chop up your celtuce, and put it in a small bowl with 2 Tbs wine and 1/2 tsp of salt to marinate.  If you are very worried about the bitterness, try a sweeter wine, or sprinkle some sugar in and toss the mixture.


Now, boil your beets
In a large soup pot, place your beets, greens, 4 cups of broth, a pinch of salt, black pepper, and
caraway powder in, and bring to a slow boil, and let simmer for 10 minutes.  A total of 30  minutes should cover it. If the beets aren't tender give them another 5-10 minutes.  The broth should be bright red, and the aroma very savory.



Once tender, strain the solids from the liquid, and set both aside to cool.
Once the liquids cool a bit, add some fresh dill, 1 Tbs sugar,  2 Tbs lemon juice, 1 cup of vegan sour cream, 1/4 cup wine, and 2 cups of cool broth, and whisk to combine.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Take the mixture and refrigerate for 4+ hours
Serve with more vegan sour cream, dill, celtuce leaves, chopped garlic scapes, potatoes, beets and greens, and green onions.  Load it up with the works!