Broccoli-Basil Mac and Cheese

Broccoli-Basil Mac and Cheese

from www.101cookbooks.com

Ingredients :

1 small winter squash, peeled, seeded and cut into tiny chunks
olive oil
1 bunch of basil, stems removed
2 slices good brown bread, stale or dried out in the oven
1/2 a small head of broccoli, roughly chopped
4 tablespoons creme fraiche or sour cream
1 3/4 cups grated white cheddar cheese
1 3/4 cups grated gruyere cheese
a large handful of cherry tomatoes
3 cups dried (whole wheat) macaroni elbows

Preparation :

Preheat your oven to 400F / 200C with a rack in the middle. Put a large pot of water on to boil. Place the squash on a large baking sheet, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden. In the meantime, pulse half the basil, all of the bread, the broccoli and a lug of olive oil in a food processor until you've got a fine crumb. It'll be a bit damp - that's o.k. Transfer to a small bowl and give the processor a rinse. In a separate bowl, combine the creme fraiche and grated cheeses. Place the cherry tomatoes in the food processor with the remaining basil. Pulse a couple times to break things up, then add to the creme fraiche mixture and stir well. Boil the pasta in well-salted water for a bit less time than the package suggests - you want it ever so slightly undercooked. Drain, reserving a big cup of the hot pasta water for later use. Return the hot pasta to the pan and add the cheese mixture to it. Add the squash and give it a good stir. Add pasta water to thin the sauce to the consistency of cream. It can be a bit runny as the pasta will soak it up in the oven. Transfer everything to a large baking dish or casserole. Sprinkle the green breadcrumbs evenly across the top and bake for 20 -25 minutes or until the topping is crunchy. Remove from the oven, and wait 10 minutes before serving.

Lasagna for a crowd

Lasagna for a crowd + (an extra for a friend) by Anne Tisbert 

This weekend I was craving Lasagna and thought to myself how can I make this using all the vegetables we have at the farm stand. A tastier combo. Everyone raved, so here it is. You can begin this several days ahead, in stages, or all at once. It seems I am always interrupted or should I say, I tend to under estimate the time it takes to do things. Although, It went together very well in several stages over a few days.

Ingredients:

• 1 package of Lasagna noodles (cooked. drained and cooled) 
• 1 lb of fresh ground pork or sausage (cooked til browned, scrambled and drained on paper towel) 
• 4 -QT jars favorite spaghetti sauce (I used Paul Newmans Organic w/spinach and cheese) 
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 
• 4 small onions chopped 
• 2 large peppers chopped (I used 8 mini purple peppers) 
• 3 cloves of garlic minced 
• 1 Tablespoon of oregano 
• 3 medium - Zucchini (Italian Romanesco ) sliced 1/4-1/2" thick 
• 1 bunch of red Swiss Chard(leaves only) or Spinach leaves 
• 3/4 cup of cherry or 1/4" sliced 2 - tomatoes 

Filling - (Mix the following all together and set aside or refrigerate until ready to assemble)

• 2 - 32oz containers of Ricotta Cheese (some people like to use cottage cheese for lower calories) 
• 4 eggs (scrambled) 
• 1 1/2 - 8oz packages of shredded cheese (any kind you like, I had a mixed blend. Save last 1/2 for toppings) 
• 1/4 cup of dried parsley 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon black pepper 

Topping

• 4oz shredded cheese (Mozzarella makes a nice topping too!) 

 Preparation: 

Cook pasta (slightly under cooked or al dente), drain and set aside (or put in a baggie in fridge) until ready to assemble. 

Brown ground pork, into scrambled pieces and add 1 clove of minced garlic, drain on paper towel. Also can be put aside (or refrigerate) until later. 

In a large deep skillet warm olive oil, add peppers and onion, cook until onion is clear and peppers are limp, then add 1 cloves of garlic stir in just until fragrant. Add sliced zucchini and sauté until slightly cooked. Remove zucchini and set aside (or refrigerate until ready to assemble).  Turn off pepper, onions, garlic mix or set aside (or refrigerate until ready). 

Heat homemade or jar Spaghetti sauce, add pepper, onion, garlic mixture. Add cooked pork, and continue to heat on medium until it bubbles, even when stirred. Turn off heat and add oregano. Stir again. Set Aside. 

In a separate Large bowl, make filling by Mixing all the cheeses, eggs. Then rub the herbs in your hands as you add them to the filling until all ingredients are well blended. You are now finally ready to begin to assemble the lasagna. Get all your layers in order.

Assembly: 

I use an enameled roasting pan 8 1/2" by 15", 2 3/4"deep, and also a standard bread loaf pan and fill both at the same time, so I can freeze one for later. Laddle the meat sauce thinly to just cover bottom of pans. Next add a layer of lasagna noodles to cover all the sauce. Use the longest pieces first and then cut pieces to completely cover the sauce layer. Next Dollop Filling (rubber spatula) over all the noodles and then lightly spread filling into a 1/2 " thick layer. Then add another layer of noodles. Next add a thin layer of meat sauce covered with a layer of spinach or chard leaves. Next another layer of noodles. Next Dollop a thinner layer of cheese filling and spread only 1/4" thick. Another layer of noodles. Next a layer of meat sauce. Then a layer of zucchini slices and a layer of cherry tomatoes in between zukes or add another layer of large tomato slices on top. Then add a thin layer of meat sauce if more is still remaining. (If meat sauce is hot when layering, then, top with shredded cheese. If assembling cold, cook 40 minutes before adding cheese topping.) 

Bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Insert butter knife in center to test for hotness in lower cheese layers before removing from oven. Should be bubbling around sides too. Cut into large squares with a serrated knife and serve hot. Take uncooked lasagna pan of choice and cover with plastic wrap (xtra long so you will remember to remove plastic before baking) and also cover it with foil, FREEZE or deliver it to a friend. 

 Add a salad and crusty bread to complete your meal. Enjoy!

Summer Vegetable Stew with Basil Purée

 Cooking Light JULY 2000

Ingredients

Basil Purée :

• 3/4-1 cup basil leaves 
• 1 garlic clove 
• 3 tablespoons water 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1/8 teaspoon salt 

 Stew :

•  1 tablespoon olive oil 
•  2 bay leaves 
•  2 onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges 
•  3 garlic cloves, halved 
•  2 thyme sprigs 
•  1 cup (2-inch-thick) sliced carrot 
•  1 Quart small red potatoes, if large halved
•  1/2 teaspoon salt 
•  1/2 teaspoon black pepper 
•  2 cubed summer squash (aprox 3/4 pound) 
•  1 bell pepper (cut into strips)
•  1 cup green beans (cut into 2 inch pieces) 
•  1 tomato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 
•  2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese 

Preparation

To prepare basil purée, combine basil and 1 garlic clove in a blender; process until smooth. Add water, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1/8 teaspoon salt; process until blended. Set aside.

To prepare vegetables, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven over low heat. Add bay leaves; cook 1 minute. Add onion, 3 garlic cloves, and thyme; cover and cook 10 minutes. Add carrot, potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper; cover and cook 20 minutes. Add squash and bell pepper; cover and cook 15 minutes. Add the green beans and tomatoes; cover and cook 10 minutes. Discard bay leaves and thyme. Spoon stew into individual bowls; drizzle with the basil purée, and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Nutritional Information /per serving Calories: 240 Calories from fat: 36%, Fat: 9.7g, Saturated fat: 1.7g, Monounsaturated fat: 6.3g, Polyunsaturated fat: 1.1g, Protein: 6.8g, Carbohydrate: 35.4g, Fiber: 7.5g, Cholesterol: 2mg, Iron: 3.3mg, Sodium: 373mg, Calcium: 123mg.

Easy Tomato Pie

 Wendy Hall

Layer in the following order:

• Readymade - Pie Crust - laid in bottom of pie pan 
• 8oz shredded mozzarella (save a pinch for the top of the pie) 
• fresh chopped basil 
• sliced and patted dry tomatoes (overlap in a circular pattern to cover that layer) 
• salt and pepper to taste 

Add the pinch of cheese and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake in 350° oven until brown and bubbly, let cool, and enjoy!

Fresh Tomato Salsa

• 4 Med Large diced tomatoes (strain 1/2 liquid and reserve) 
• 1/2 chopped red pepper, 1/2 chopped green pepper 
• hot peppers (1 jalapeno or more and different varieties for hotter salsa) 
• 1 diced green onion 
• 1-2 Garlic scapes or 1/2 diced green garlic 
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder 
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp black pepper 
• 1 diced jalapeno (more for hot salsa) 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 
• Franks Hot Sauce : 1 tsp for mild, 2 tsp for med, or 3 tsp for hot

Reserve tomato liquid. Stir all chopped vegetables together. Mix all herbs and seasonings in separate bowl. Add seasonings to veggies. Lastly stir in Frank's Hot sauce to taste. Add back desired amount of tomato liquid. Serve with slightly warmed organic corn chips.

Green Tomato Pie

(Tastes like apple pie)

• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
• 4 cups sliced or chopped green tomatoes
• ¼ cup vinegar or lemon juice
• 1 ¾ cup sugar
• ¼ teas salt
• ¼ cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoon butter

Directions

Put tomatoes and vinegar or lemon juice in med sauce pan. Set aside for ten minutes. Mix sugar, salt, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and butter together. Add to sauce pan and simmer on low until tomatoes soften and mix thickens. Let cool 10 minutes. Pour into pastry lined dish. Cover with second crust, fluting edges. Cut three or four slits in top to allow steam to escape. Bake at 375 degrees F for 35 minutes.

To prevent pie crust edges from burning make a 24inch by 3inch strip of foil to cover pie crust EDGES ONLY. Lightly crimp the foil around crust edges, and then remove foil for the last ten minutes.}

allrecipes.com

Fusilli Pasta With Corn and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 TB red-wine vinegar
• 3 TB olive oil, or to taste
• 1/2 C cooked corn kernels (cut from 1 ear of corn)
• 1 pound tomatoes, seeded and chopped (the secret is to use the ripest, most flavorful ones)
• 1/4 C thinly sliced scallions
• 1/2 pound fusilli or other shaped pasta

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste and stir in the corn, the tomatoes, and the scallion. In a kettle of boiling salted water cook the pasta for 8 to 10 minutes, or until it is al dente, and drain it well. Transfer the fusilli to the bowl and toss the mixture well.

Zucchini Tomato Supreme

from Farmer Annie

Ingredients:

• 1/4 Cup olive oil
• 2 TB butter
• 1 large onion, chop into 1" (large) pieces
• 3 small or 2 med or 1 large zucchini (slice 1/2" thick)
• 2-3 med tomatoes
• 1 clove chopped garlic
• 2 TB fresh oregano or 1 TB dried
• Salt and pepper
• 2 TB grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

1. In largest lidded skillet saute onion in olive oil and butter, 2 minutes, or until they are clear.
2. Add chopped zucchini, diced tomatoes, and garlic to onion and stir on high for 2 minutes.
3. Add 1/2 of the oregano, stir.
4. Cover and simmer on lowest setting for 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.
5. Ready when zucchini is soft and slightly clear in the middle.
6. Pour into a large serving dish, sprinkle w/ salt and pepper, last 1/2 of oregano and parmesan.
7. Serve immediately.

Fresh Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella Appetiser Salad

• Large ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• Fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• Fresh basil, chopped
• Olive Oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

On a small plate, alternate overlapping slices of tomato and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with fresh basil and drizzle with olive oil. Serve at room temperature. Serves 2+.

Roasted Corn Cala with Tomato Salad

Serve these corn fritters hot, topped with tomato salad. Photo shows the fritters topped with smoked trout, but any savory combination will work well.

For the salad:

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved, or 2-3 large ripe tomatoes, cut into generous dice
1 small handful basil leaves, cut in a chiffonade (thin strips)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Combine above ingredients and toss. Adjust seasoning to taste, including the vinegar. Let sit for 15-20 minutes.

For the cala cakes:

2 ears roasted, grilled or boiled corn, cut off the cob (you can even use raw corn and sauté it with the onion)
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon garlic
1 cup cooked white rice
1 bunch green onions, sliced
½ cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg lightly beaten
¾ cup buttermilk
Salt and Pepper
Butter, lard, olive oil, vegetable oil or canola oil for sautéing

Sauté onions and garlic (with raw corn, if using it) in a little butter/oil until the onion is translucent and lightly golden. Cool slightly and combine with all remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well.

In a heavy-bottomed frying or sauté pan (preferably a well-seasoned cast iron skillet), heat an ounce or so of butter/oil. Spoon in about 2 oz of batter per cake. They should look like plump pancakes. Cook until edges look dry then flip and finish.

from Chef Stephen Stryjewski, Cochon Restaurant in New Orleans

Glenn's Catsup

Overrun with tomatoes? This homemade condiment is the catsup's meow! One of our members got it from a friend with a huge garden years ago.

4 quarts peeled, cored, chopped tomatoes (dunk in boiling water for 30 seconds to remove skins easily)
1 cup chopped onions
½ cup chopped sweet red peppers
1½ teaspoons celery seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1 stick cinnamon
1 cup sugar
¼-½ teaspoon ascorbic acid
1 tablespoon salt
1½ cups vinegar
1 tablespoon paprika

Cook tomatoes, onions and peppers in a heavy pot until soft. Press through a food mill or sieve. Cook strained liquid rapidly until volume is reduced by half, about 1 hour.

Tie whole spices in a cheese cloth bag, add with sugar and salt to tomato mixture. Cook gently about 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Add vinegar and paprika, continue cooking until catsup-thick. As mixture thickens, stir frequently to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Pour boiling hot into hot canning jars, leaving an 1/8 inch head space. Adjust caps. Process 10 minutes. Yield: about 3 pints.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 4 large, firm green tomatoes, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup finely ground cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon paprika or pimento
• 2 eggs
• Vegetable oil (use bacon fat if making BLTs)

Preparation:

1. Sprinkle the tomato slices with the salt and pepper; set aside.
2. Combine the cornmeal and paprika in a shallow bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs.
3. Cover the bottom of a heavy skillet with 1/2 inch of oil, then place it over medium-high heat.
4. Coat the tomato slices in the egg, then dredge them in the cornmeal mixture.
5. Fry as many tomatoes as fit comfortably in the pan until nicely browned, about 2 minutes a sice.
6. Transfer them to a paper towel-lined platter. Repeat until all the tomatoes are cooked.

These make a great BLT with fresh basil and mozzarella.

Cookie, June 2008, by Victoria Granoff