Katherine's Roasted Tomato Sauce

We’ve published a few variations on tomato sauce in the past, but this is hands down the best way to make this iconic sauce.  The secret is in roasting with the lid off, which allows the top layer to brown.

About 10# tomatoes, any type (heirloom, roma, beefsteak)
1-2 bunches basil, leaves only and left whole
1 head garlic
½ bunch thyme
½ bunch oregano
1-2 hot chilis or 1-2 tablespoon hot red chili flakes, depending on your heat tolerance
2 glugs extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
 

1. Roughly chop tomatoes, skins on (this is where a lot of their nutrition resides!), cores removed, and add to your largest sauce pot, at least 2 gallon capacity.

2. Toss in basil leaves.  Peel and chop garlic into slices or rough pieces.  We like large, visible garlic chunks, but if you want to mellow out the garlic flavor, chop it more finely.  Add to pot.  Strip thyme and oregano leaves from stems and add to pot whole.  Finely chop chili and add to pot, or sprinkle in chili flakes.

3. Pour olive oil over all ingredients, then sprinkle on salt and stir with a large wooden spoon.

4. Place in a cold oven turned to 400F.  Roast uncovered for up to 4 hours, stirring periodically.  Stir after the first hour when it starts boiling, then don’t stir again until the top layer has browned a little bit.  Stir this in, brown the new top layer, and repeat until you’ve reached your desired consistency and moisture.  The more juicy your tomatoes, the longer you will roast for a thicker sauce.

Squash (or Beans) and Greens

Olive oil
1 white spring onion, peeled and chopped into half rings ¼” thick
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
2-3 garlic scape, roughly chopped, or 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon hot red chile flakes
1 pint box green beans or 3 small summer squash
1 bunch chard
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
 

1. Heat some olive oil in a large skillet or wok.  When hot, add the garlic, onion, ginger and chile.  Saute until the onions release some of their moisture and turn translucent.
2. Trim the beans by cutting or snapping off their stem ends.  Chop or snap them in half.  Trim the chard by separating the stalks from the leaves, roughly chop the stems, then chop the leaves into ribbons 1” wide.
3. Add the beans and chard stalks to the pan, and stir-fry to mix around.  Add the chard leaves and the sesame seeds and stir.
4. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil, then turn off the heat immediately.  Stir to mix, then serve immediately.

Potato Salad with Dill

1 quart box potatoes
1 bunch dill
2-3 garlic scapes
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
Mayonnaise (homemade is best!)
 

1. Chop the potatoes into 1” cubes, skins on.  Boil them with water to cover until just tender.  Drain and set aside to cool to room temp.
2. Chop the dill fine.  Chop the garlic scapes very fine.  Add to the potatoes when cool, then add salt, pepper and mayonnaise to taste.  Start with a tablespoon of mayo and adjust from there. 
3. Serve at room temperature, or keep covered in the fridge for a couple of days.

Moose Meadow Farm Pesto

About 8oz fresh basil, leaves and stems

About ¼ cup fruity olive oil

A handful of almonds

Juice from one lemon

Salt to taste

Mix all the ingredients together in a food processor and whir until a light green paste forms.  Taste, adjust the seasoning, then use or store in a container with a tight fitting lid in the fridge for a week or so.

Mac & Cheese & Greens

This recipe is from Marcus Off Duty by Marcus Samuelsson.  It's a bit more complicated than our usual recipes, but we think a preparation you won't regret!
For the Greens:
½ cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
6 slices bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
4 cups chopped kale, spinach, or chard leaves
 
For the Mac and Cheese
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup thinly sliced shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
8 oz cheddar cheese, grated
4 oz Gruyere cheese, grated
4 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
½ cup crème fraiche
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 tesapoon mustard powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 pound orecchiette or other small, sturdy pasta, cooked until just tender
 
For the Topping
1/3 cup toasted bread crumbs
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon grated Gruyere cheese
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
 
1. Make the greens.  Bring coconut milk and soy sauce to a boil in a small saucepan.  Remove from the heat and stir in the mustard and crumbled bacon.
2.  Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot over low heat.  Add the garlic and slowly toast to flavor the fats, about 5 mins, then discard.  Add the greens to the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until the greens start to wilt.  Stir in the coconut milk mixture and cook, partly covered, until the greens are tender and the sauce has thickened, 20 mins.
3.  Make the Mac and Cheese.  Preheat the broiler.  Oil a 9x13" baking dish.
4.  Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat.  Add the shallots and cook until they're tender and golden brown, 8-10 mins.  Add the minced garlic and flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Slowly whisk in the heavy cream and milk, making sure there are no lumps.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low, then add all the cheeses and creme fraiche.  Whisk until the cheeses are melted and fully incorporated into the sauce.  Mix in the nutmeg, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste.
5.  Add the cooked pasta and greens to the sauce and toss to combine.  Transfer to the baking dish.
6.  Make the topping.  Put all the ingredients in a food processor and process until the herbs are minced.  Sprinkle the topping over the pasta.  Broil until the topping is golden brown, 5-8 mins.  Serve immediately.

Chimichurri

This is a classic Argentine herb sauce that is especially good on grilled vegetables or meats (or try it with roasted beets!)  We’ve been making it weekly with the abundance of parsley and cilantro coming out of our high tunnels.  We don’t have fresh oregano at the moment, but it’s just as good without!

1 ½ cups fresh parsley, most of the stems removed

½ cup fresh cilantro, most of the stems removed

1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves

3 garlic cloves, smashed

1 teaspoon hot red chile flakes

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons neutral oil

Salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons olive oil

In a food processor, combine all the ingredients except the olive oil.  Process until combined, then stir in the olive oil by hand.  Taste, adjust the seasoning, and use as soon as you can.  It’ll keep in the fridge for only a couple of days, so use it quickly.

Faux Pho (Vegetarian)

This recipe is from the cookbook Bowl by Lukas Volger
 

6 cups shortcut pho broth (see below)
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 onion, diced or one bunch scallions, sliced on the diagonal
5 plump garlic cloves, sliced into thin slabs
1 tablespoon neutral-tasting oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
½ lb cooking greens: spinach, kale, chard, bok choi etc.
1 cup peas, shelled or with pods
½ lb medium-width rice noodles
1 small green chili (Serrano, jalapeno or Thai), sliced into very thin rings
1 bunch fresh parsley, cilantro, or a combination, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving

1. Place broth in a pot and heat to a simmer.  Stir in the salt and sugar.  Keep warm until serving.
2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-low heat.  Add onions/scallions and garlic.  Cook until beginning to brown, 10-15 minutes.  Pour in vinegar and scrape and stir the skillet to mix in the brown bits.  Remove from heat.
3. Bring a saucepan of salted water to boil.  Add greens and cook briefly, until bright green and wilted.  Remove to a plate with a spider skimmer.  Add peas and blanch briefly in hot water.  Transfer to a plate with a spider skimmer.
4. Add noodles to the boiling water in a steamer basket so they’re easy to remove. Cook until tender, 4-7 minutes.  Divide noodles into four bowls.
5. Top noodles in each bowl with greens, peas, browned onions and chili slices.  Ladle hot broth over each serving.  Serve immediately, passing herbs and lime wedges at the table.

Shortcut Pho Broth
1oz fresh ginger
2 quarts vegetable broth or water
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 whole star anise
2 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 stalk fresh lemongrass, smashed and coarsely chopped
Small handful of fresh cilantro stems

1. Turn a gas burner on high.  Using heat-safe tongs, hold ginger over flame and turn it as needed until charred all over.  This will take 5-7 minutes.  Alternatively, if you don’t have a gas range, blacken ginger in the over broiler.
2. In a saucepan, combine broth/water with blackened ginger, garlic, star anise, cloves, cinnamon, and lemongrass.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook for 25-35 minutes.  Add cilantro stems and simmer another 5 minutes.
3. Strain broth through a cheesecloth-lined sieve: gather up ends of cheesecloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.  Once completely cooked, pack broth in containers and store in the fridge for up to 1 day or in the freezer for up to 2 months for later use.

Big Wok Rapini Stir Fry

This is a Moose Meadow Farm original!

1 tablespoon neutral oil like coconut or canola
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tablespoon garlic or shallot, finely chopped
1 dry cayenne pepper, crushed, or 1/2 teaspoon powdered cayenne
2-3 carrots, sliced on the diagonal
1 5oz bag rapini, roughly chopped (stems and all)
2 cups cooked rice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar

1.  Heat oil in a large wok.  When hot, add carrots, ginger, garlic or shallot, cayenne, and a pinch of salt.
2.  Mix vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl with a whisk.  Set aside.  
2.  Stir fry until the aromatics are fragrant and the carrots begin to soften and brown.
3.  Add rapini and sitr fry to mix.  Add rice and stir to mix.
4.  Add vinegar sauce, turn off heat, and stir to mix everything together.  Serve immediately.

Carrot Ginger Soup with Cashew Cream and Spiced Chick Peas

This recipe comes from  the Dishing Up the Dirt cookbook

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil or other neutral oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 inch piece of fresh turmeric, peeled and grated (or sub 1/2 teaspoon ground)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 pounds carrots, chopped into 1-inch chunks
• 4 1/2 cups water + additional to thin if necessary
• Black pepper to taste
• Chopped parsley for serving

Cashew Cream

• 1 cup raw unsalted cashews (soaked in warm water for at least 30 minutes)
• 3/4 water + additional to thin as needed
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Spiced Chickpeas

• 1 cup cooked chickpeas (if from the can rinsed, drained and patted dry)
• 1 Tablespoon grapeseed oil (or olive oil)
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 

Preparation

1. Drain the soaked cashews and run them under cold water. Place into a high speed blender with the water, garlic, lemon juice and salt. Blend on the highest setting until completely smooth. Taste test and adjust seasonings if need be. Pour anywhere between 1/2- 3/4 of the cashew cream into a jar leaving the other the remainder in the blender.
2. Heat a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the coconut oil and once melted toss in the onion. Cook, stirring often until fragrant and beginning to soften. About 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne and salt stirring frequently until fragrant. About 30 seconds. Toss in the chopped carrots and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the carrots are soft. About 20 minutes. Carefully add the soup to the blender with the remaining cashew cream (you made need to do this in batches) and whirl away until smooth. Taste test and adjust seasonings if need be.
3. Return the soup to the stove and heat on low for an additional 10-15 minutes so the flavors have a chance to enhance.
4. Toss the chickpeas with the oil, salt and spices. Place on a prepared baking sheet and roast in a 425F oven until lightly browned and crisp. About 20-25 minutes. Shake the pan a couple of times during the cooking time.
5. Divide the soup between bowls and drizzle with a few tablespoons of cashew cream, a small handful of spiced chickpeas and a few sprigs of fresh parsley.

Ethiopian Lentil Soup

We have been making this soup weekly!  Don't fear the combination or amount of spices; they work very well together to give an authentic flavor.

2 cups raw brown or green lentils, soaked if desired
1 medium onion, diced
2 tablespoons neutral oil like grapeseed or canola
2 cloves garlic, minced
1" fresh ginger, minced
1 dried cayenne chile or 1 tablespoon hot red chile flakes
2-3 carrots, sliced
about 1# potatoes, diced in 1" cubes
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 quart bag whole frozen tomatoes or two 14 oz cans of whole tomatoes
about 2 quarts water or stock

1.  Heat oil in a deep stock pot.  Add onions and saute until clear.  Add ginger, garlic and cayenne, stir to mix.  Add all the spices, including salt to taste, and stir to coat.
2.  Add lentils, dry or soaked, carrots and potatoes to the pot and stir to coat in spice mixture.
3.  Add tomatoes and water to cover by at least 1".  Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the tomatoes are incorporated and potatoes are cooked, about 30 minutes.
4.  Adjust seasoning with salt and spice, then serve with parsley as a garnish.

Tomato and Rice Soup

A Moose Meadow Farm original

1/4 cup olive oil
1# onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of dried thyme and dried oregano or marjoram
2 cups chopped fresh or 1/2 cup chopped dried mushrooms (we use dried morels - thanks Laura!)
2 cups uncooked brown rice
1 quart canned or about 3# frozen whole tomatoes
About 1/2 gallon water or stock
4 cups roughly chopped greens, like radish or turnip greens, kale, chard or bok choi

1.  In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, garlic and herbs.  If using fresh mushrooms, add them here.  Saute until the onions start releasing their liquid, about 5 minutes.
2.  Add the rice and the dried mushrooms if using dried, and stir to coat in oil.  
3.  Add the tomatoes and broth or water, cover and bring to a gentle boil.  Turn heat down to medium and simmer until the rice is cooked.  
4.  Stir in greens just before the rice is done.  Serve hot with crusty bread or homemade croutons!

Garlic and Parmesan Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

This recipe comes from Kitchen Swagger.com.  Locavore it!  Replace parmesan with local goat cheese, omit pepper and salt, and either omit olive oil and use only local butter or replace with local sunflower oil

1 pint fingerling potatoes
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon minced herbs like rosemary, parsley, thyme or sage
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425F.  Cut potatoes in half lengthwise.  
2.  In a 12" cast iron skillet, combine all the ingredients, but only half the parmesan at this time. Stir and mix until potatoes are well coated.  
3.  Place skillet in the oven and bake until the potatoes are well browned and slightly crispy, 25-30 minutes.  Let cool for a few minutes, top with the remaining cheese, then serve.

Simple Roasted Sweet Potatoes

This is hands down our favorite way to eat sweet potatoes.  It's also a good time of year to turn the oven on and warm up the house without having a fire!
 

1# sweet potatoes (or a combination of beets, sweet potatoes, fingerlings, broccoli)
1 head garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper

1.  Preheat oven to 400F.  Chop sweet potatoes into 1/2" square cubes.  NO NEED TO PEEL!
2.  Toss vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Spread evenly on a rimmed baking tray and back for about 30 minutes.  Cool slightly and serve.
 

Moose Meadow Farm Chili

This recipe is a Moose Meadow Farm original.  Add ground beef if you like a richer chili.

2 cups dry red kidney beans, soaked overnight (or about 5 cups cooked)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped

2 medium onions, diced

4-5 colored sweet peppers, cored and chopped

2 lbs tomatoes of any variety, cored and roughly chopped

1 fresh jalapeno or cayenne pepper, or dried chiles to taste

Salt to taste

Cilantro and yogurt or sour cream for garnish

1.     Cook the beans if using dried.  Drain the soaking water, add fresh water to cover by several inches, and turn onto high heat with the lid on until the water starts to boil.  Turn heat to medium-low and continue to cook with the lid cocked until beans are almost tender, about 1 hour.

2.     Meanwhile, sauté the garlic, onions, peppers and chiles in olive oil over medium heat until the onion is translucent.  Salt to taste.

3.     If using cooked beans, at this stage drain them and add them to a large soup pot with a little fresh water, then add the sauté mixture.  Add the sauté mixture to your cooking beans if using dried.

4.     Add all the chopped tomatoes and stir.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Continue to cook until the beans are fully tender and the tomatoes have dissolved into the beans, 20-30 minutes more.  Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and yogurt or sour cream and serve.

Zucchini Butter

PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES    COOK TIME: 20 MINUTES    SERVES: 2 CUPS
This recipe comes  from the cookbok Dishing Up The Dirt by Andrea Bemis

• 2 pounds zucchini or assorted summer squash
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoons sumac (optional but adds a bright note)
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Coarsely grate the zucchini with a box grater or with the grating attachment on your food processor.
2. Ring out most of the liquid from the zucchini with a dish towel.
3. In a medium sized deep skillet over medium-high heat add the butter. Once the butter is starting to melt add the garlic, thyme, sumac (if using) and grated zucchini. Cook, stirring often, until the zucchini reaches a spreadable consistency, about 15-18 minutes.  The mixture will still have plenty of texture but will be more "jam like" after cooking. If you scorch the bottom of the mixture turn the flame down but don't stress! Just stir those crispy burnt bits into the butter for added flavor! If need be add a touch of water or white wine to deglaze the pan. The zucchini will hold its bright green color and slowly caramelize into a nice vegetable jam.
4. Use this "butter"on everything from spreading on toast to pizza or stirring into your morning oatmeal (for a savory version) or stirred into pasta for a lovely sauce.
5. Store the butter in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Easy Roasted Tomato Sauce with Garlic and Basil

This recipe is adapted from thekitchn.com

Makes about 2 cups (double or triple the recipe and freeze some!)

Olive oil

2 pounds fresh tomatoes

8 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 sprigs fresh basil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.     Heat oven to 350 and lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with olive oil.

2.     Chop the tomatoes roughly but evenly.  Spread them in the baking dish.  Stir in the garlic, drizzle on olive oil to taste, and about 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.  Cut the butter into small cubes and scatter evenly over the tomatoes.

3.     Bake the tomatoes for up to 3 hours.  You can bake them until the tomatoes begin to break down and release juices, or you can continue to bake them until their edges blacken and the juices are reduced significantly.  ALTERNATIVELY: grill or broil the tomatoes until they are black in places and have released some juices. 

4.     Use immediately, or cool and store for up to a week in the fridge.

Creamy Summer Squash Soup

1 Large Onion,  minced

4 tablespoons olive oil

3 Cloves Garlic, minced

3-6 summer squash, cubed  (or zucchini or a combination of both)

1/4 cup rolled oats or a potato

3 tablespoons sweet white miso or salt to taste

1.  Saute garlic and onion in olive oil until translucent, add squash and continue to saute for approximately 3 minutes.  

2.  Add enough water or light vegetable stock to just cover vegetables.  Sprinkle oats into soup or a chopped potato and let it simmer until the squash is soft, about a 1/2 hour.

3.  Add Miso and process soup in food processor or use immersion blender until it is smooth and creamy.  Serve plain or with a dollop of pesto on top.

This same recipe (minus the pesto condiment) works very well with carrots (add some fresh ginger at the end for gingered carrot soup), broccoli or cauliflower.

Baba Ghanouj

1lb eggplant
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1/3 cup tahini or yogurt
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced

1.  Grill the eggplant whole over high heat, directly over the flame.  Grill until blackened and collapsed, 20-30 minutes.  
2.  Cool, peel or scoop, and mash the flesh.  Then combine with other ingredients in a food processor or with a fork, depending on how smooth you want it.
3.  Serve with pita or crudites.

Grilled or Broiled Mini Broccoli with Chimichurri

2 bundles mini broccoli

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

1 ½ cups fresh parsley leaves

½ cup fresh cilantro leaves

1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves

3 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon hot red chile flakes

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 tablespoon neutral oil, like canola or sunflower

3 tablespoons olive oil

1.     Heat the grill or broiler.  Brush each mini broccoli shoot with olive oil and place on grill or baking tray.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Grill or broil until tender and black in places.

2.     Make the chimichurri sauce (can be made ahead): in a food processor, combine herbs, garlic, chile flakes, vinegar, neutral oil, and a few pinches of salt.  Process until combined, then stir in olive oil by hand.  Taste, adjust the seasoning and use as soon as you can (within a day is best).

3.     Lay grilled/broiled broccoli on a serving platter and ladle cold chimichurri sauce on top.  Serve immediately.

Kale, Potato and Kielbasa Stew

10 cups water or broth of your choice

1.5# new potatoes, cubed

2-3 Tbsp Cooking Oil of your choice

1 medium-sized onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic

salt to taste

black pepper to taste

1-2 bunches kale, chopped

1/2 # kielbasa sausage, sliced into 1/2 –inch pieces

1.     Bring water to a boil, add salt, pepper, and potatoes. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

2.     While potatoes are simmering, heat oil in a skillet, then sauté onions, garlic, and sausage until browned and cooked through.

3.     Add skillet mixture to potatoes, season with more salt and/or pepper to taste.

4.     Stir in kale, simmer for another 2-3 minutes, remove from heat, and serve warm.