Stuffed Peppers with Sausage, Baked Tomatoes, Roasted Beet Salad 12/12/2009

These lovely seasonal recipes were posted on our farmshare’s website. Any of these delicious items can be converted into vegetarian options with a few simple variations. Enjoy!

 

Stuffed Peppers 

Recipe courtesy of Bon Appétit 

Yield: Serves 4 

3/4 pounds sweet Italian sausages, casings removed 

3/4 cups coarsely grated zucchini (about 1 large), can substitute summer squash 

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion 

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley 

1/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs 

1 large egg 

1 teaspoon ground black pepper 

3/4 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary 

2 medium-size bell peppers, halved lengthwise, seeded 

Fresh rosemary sprigs 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix first 9 ingredients in large bowl until well blended. Fill pepper halves with sausage mix- 

ture, dividing equally and mounding slightly. Arrange in 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; 

chill.) 

Bake peppers uncovered until tops are browned and thermometer inserted into filling registers 165°F, about 1 hour. 

Transfer peppers to platter. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and serve. 

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Baked Tomatoes with Hazelnut Bread Crumbs 

Recipe Courtesy of Ruth Cousineau  

Yield: Makes 4 servings 

Active Time: 20 min 

Total Time: 1 hr 

1 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs (from country bread, preferably whole-wheat) 

2 to 3 large tomatoes 

3/4 tablespoons chopped lemon thyme or regular thyme, divided 

1/4 stick unsalted butter 

1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted , any loose skins rubbed off, cooled, and coarsely chopped 

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter a 2-quart shallow ceramic or glass baking dish. 

Spread bread crumbs in a 4-sided sheet pan and toast in oven until dried and pale golden, about 15 minutes. Cool 

crumbs. Increase oven temperature to 450°F. 

Thickly slice tomatoes and arrange, overlapping, in baking dish. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pep- 

per and sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon thyme. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, then cook nuts and 

crumbs, stirring frequently, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon evenly over tomatoes. 

Bake until tomatoes are bubbling and crumbs are browned, 15 to 25 minutes. Cool to warm or room temperature and 

sprinkle with remaining 1/4 tablespoon thyme. 

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Beet Salad with Cornbread Croutons and Country Ham 

Recipe Courtesy of Linton Heal  

Beets:  

 3/4 cup water 

 6 tablespoons butter, melted 

 6 large fresh thyme sprigs 

 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt 

 1 1/2 teaspoons cracked black pepper 

 1 bay leaf 

 8 1 1/2-inch-diameter baby beets (preferably assorted colors), trimmed 

Croutons:  

 1 cup medium-grind cornmeal 

 1/3 cup all purpose flour or cake flour 

 11/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt 

 1 teaspoon baking powder 

 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 

 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, divided 

 1 cup buttermilk 

 1 large egg 

Citrus vinaigrette:  

 Peel from 1 orange (orange part only), cut into thin 2-inch-long strips 

 Peel from 1 lemon (yellow part only), cut into thin 2-inch-long strips 

 1/2 cup fresh orange juice 

 1/2 cup fresh grapefruit juice 

 2 tablespoons honey 

 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 

 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 

 6 tablespoons peanut oil 

Salad:  

 3 small sweet onions, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices 

 Olive oil 

 Coarse kosher salt 

 Nonstick vegetable oil spray 

 3 ounces very thinly sliced country ham or prosciutto 

 4 teaspoons minced plus 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley 

 Fleur de sel or Course Sea Salt 

 Cracked black peppercorns 

 1 5-ounce log soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled 

 Aged balsamic vinegar 

 For beets: 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix first 6 ingredients in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Add beets and toss to coat. Cover 

with foil and roast until beets are tender, about 45 minutes. Cool; peel. 

 For croutons: 

Place 9- or 10-inch-diameter cast-iron skillet in oven; preheat to 400°F. Whisk first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. 

Melt 4 tablespoons butter. Whisk melted butter, buttermilk, and egg in another medium bowl. Add wet ingredients to 

dry ingredients; whisk batter to blend. Place 2 tablespoons butter in hot skillet; swirl to coat. Add batter. Bake until 

top is golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool in skillet. DO AHEAD: Can be 

made 1 day ahead. Cover; store at room temperature. 

 For citrus vinaigrette: 

Add enough water to small saucepan to measure 11/2 inches; bring to boil. Add orange peel. Blanch 1 minute; drain. 

Repeat blanching procedure with lemon peel; reserve lemon peel for serving. Return orange peel to same pan and add 

orange juice, grapefruit juice, and sorghum syrup. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until re- 

duced to generous 1/3 cup, about 20 minutes. Whisk lemon juice and mustard in medium bowl; whisk in oil. Whisk 

in orange-grapefruit reduction. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let 

stand at room temperature. 

 For salad: 

Preheat broiler. Line small baking sheet with foil. Place onion slices with rings intact on sheet. Brush with oil; sprinkle 

with coarse salt. Broil onions until browned, watching closely to prevent burning, about 10 minutes. Turn and broil 

until browned, about 5 minutes longer. 

 Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Cut cornbread into 1/2-inch cubes. Spray rimmed baking sheet with nonstick 

spray. Spread cornbread in even layer on prepared sheet. Toast until golden brown around edges, turning occasionally, 

about 35 minutes. 

 Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange ham in single layer on 

prepared baking sheet. Top with another sheet of parchment paper, then another rimmed baking sheet to press ham. 

Roast until ham is crisp, 10 to 20 minutes, depending on thickness of ham. Remove top baking sheet and parchment 

paper. Cool. Break ham into bite-size pieces. 

 Whisk 4 teaspoons minced parsley into vinaigrette. Mix in reserved lemon peel. Quarter beets. Toss with some of vin- 

aigrette (if using assorted colors, toss in separate bowls). Sprinkle with fleur de sel and cracked black pepper. Separate 

onion rings. Divide rings among plates in single layer. Arrange beets in and around onion rings. Sprinkle goat cheese 

over. Scatter ham and croutons over. Sprinkle fleur de sel and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley over. Drizzle with some 

of remaining vinaigrette and aged balsamic vinegar.

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Louma’s Healing Lentil Soup 10/26/2009

This is a wonderful recipe submission from Louma’s kitchen in Austrailia. Louma is of Iraqi descent this family dish goes back many generations.

If you need a little “healing” please try Louma’s lentil soup! (Thanks Louma and Tammy!)

 

 

Ingredients:

1 cup red lentils (dried and split)

1/2 cup fine “spaghetti”  (thread thin cooking pasta or egg noodles)

1 onion chopped

1 pinch of salt

1 teaspoon curry

 

Preparation:

Fill a medium saucepan with 6 cups water.

Put in the lentils straight away and boil on low fire

When there is white foam on the surface make sure to remove it (with a spoon)

Now it’s time to finely chop up the onion and fry in a pan with the curry

Then add the onion to the lentils together with the crushed cooking pasta

Add another 2 cups of water and leave to slowly boil for aprox 10-15 minutes

When the lentils are soft add the salt, stir and now the soup is ready

 

Serve hot with bread rolls and butter, or cheese

Enjoy!

Loumas’ Authentic Falafel 10/03/2009

This recipe was submitted by a dear friend who is currently  working in Palestine. In the time that I have known her, she has offered me the love and wisdom usually afforded only to family. We met many years ago, at a divey hotel in Notting Hill. Seeking solace from bedbugs and fawn eyed boys, we became fast friends and explored London together. For many years we have experienced the charms and losses that accompany growing up. We have reunited in many places around the world, often with great news of the future, or a broken heart, or a newfound cherished love. She is currently working with the Swedish, Israeli and Palestinian governments, in the hopes of restoring some peace and order to a ravaged land.

This recipe is from her Mother. A woman of Iraqi heritage with the most beautiful eyes. I have never met my friend’s mother, but I honor her because I know she has produced  beautiful, caring daughters who are trying to give back to the world….

 

Loumas

 

Loumas´ authentic falafel

 

Ingredients:

500g dry chickpeas

4-5 garlic wedges – cut/ pressed into small pieces

3-4 onions

1 cup of finely chopped parsley

1 tea spoon Bi-Carb soda (baking soda)

2 tea spoons black pepper

1 tea spoon salt

 

(1 tea spoon curry for those who like to add some spice)

 

Cooking oil for frying the falafel

 

 

Preparation:

Soak the chickpeas in water from the evening before start cooking (aprox 8hours).

Grind the chickpeas in a grinder/ mixer until very finely minced.

Place the mix and all above ingredients, minus the oil, in a large bowl.

Mix well using your (clean) hands and then cover the bowl with a towel and leave for aprox 30minutes.

When the time is up, wet your hands and make small croquettes with your hands.

When the whole mix has been made into small croquettes, then they’re ready to fry.

Put oil into a frying pan and heat up for 5 minutes.

Fry the falafel until brown, and then turn to fry the other side until brown.

Place a serviette on a large plate and put the fried falafel on the plate, the serviette will then absorb the excess oil from the falafel.

 

Serve falafel on Arabic bread and hummus, tabbouli, fresh cut up tomato and onion.

Enjoy!