IG Fresh Haul Week 4
Beet the Heat
The heat continues on and so does the garden. It amazes me every year when the hot weather comes the plants just keep on growing.
When I say plants I also mean weeds as well, this has to be the worst year for weeds so far. I have a trick up my sleeve to help with that.
All the summer goodies are here once again!
*Black Plastic *Half HaulVoracious Appetite
With the heat of the summer continuing on and no signs of rain in sight. It has forced me to water. Which isn’t a bad thing, in fact it is something that I can control. I have access to well water with a great supply and good water pressure. You may notice the post like things in the middle of the garden plots, they are called wobblers. I have 8 of them set up in Plot A, each covering an area of 50 square feet and putting out 0.8 gallons of water a minute. They are extremely effective and make watering the garden a breeze.There’s so many different kinds sprinklers out there to choose from and it is overwhelming at times as to which one to choose. I went with the wobblers, because they mimic natural rain fall. Compared to heavy high pressured systems that sometimes leave the plants bruised and damaged.
Another method of watering that I use is drip irrigation. Long lines of plastic tubing with tiny holes that drip out water, run along the base of the plants. This works great for transplants like tomatoes and Peppers. With these two methods of watering the garden stays well hydrated.
The garden has a voracious appetite for water.
So with the combination of summer time heat and heavy watering the vegetables have exploded. So have the weeds, almost to the point that it seems that the weeds double in a matter of days. Staying on top of them is a huge challenge this year. All is not lost though. Some of the beds you may notice that plants have been planted into plastic. It does the obvious thing which is block out sunlight so weeds and grass can’t grow underneath. The plastic also keeps the moisture in and around the plant longer and it warms the soil. Which warm weather plants like tomatoes, cucumber, squash and peppers love.
Carrots, fennel, potatoes, peas and zucchini all make their way onto the scene for this haul. With all of these new veggies comes more great recipes.
What’s In The Haul
HALF
Fennel
Kohlrabi
Shallots
FULL
Peas
Carrots
Beets
Potatoes
Zucchini
Dill
Week 4 Recipes
Fennel
Fennel and Orange Salad
Roasted Fennel Tomato Sauce
Fennel Storage Tips:
Remove the fronds (tops) from the bulb base, store the fronds in a resealable bag for up to a week. The bulb end can be placed in a resalable container in the fridge for up to a week.
Fennel and Orange Salad
1 bulb of fennel, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fennel fronds
1 orange cut into segments
1/4 cup toasted pistachios
1/8 cup dill, chopped
1 tbsp Olive oil
Juice from a 1/2 of a lemon
Shaved Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper
Cut the tops off the bulb and reserve the fronds to one side. Thinly slice the fennel. Peel one orange and cut the segments out of the orange.
In a sauté pan toast the pistachios until golden. Roughly chop the dill and fennel fronds. Now to assemble the salad. In a bowl toss the fennel, orange, fennel fronds, dill, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Lay out on to a plate garnish with shaved parmesan and toasted pistachios, enjoy.
Roasted Fennel Tomato Sauce
1 bulb fennel, cored and sliced
2 shallots, sliced
1 tsp anchovy paste
1 can of whole tomatoes
1/2 cup kalemata olives, halved
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper
In a sauté pan over medium high heat add the olive oil and wait for the pan to heat up. Once the olive oil is hot add in the anchovies and slice shallots and cook for about 2 minutes. Add in the sliced fennel and let it cook for about 5 minutes or until the fennel becomes tender. Next add a can of whole tomatoes and reduce the heat to medium and cover the pan. Let the sauce simmer for about 10 minutes. Lastly add the olives and season with salt and pepper. Serve with pasta and enjoy.
Kohlrabi
Kohlrabi and Pear Salad
Pickled Kohlrabi
Kohlrabi Storage Tips:
Kohlrabi, can be stored in your fridge as is, and can stay fresh for 3 weeks.
Freezing kohlrabi, peel the thick skin from the vegetable. Cut into 1 inch cubes and blanch the kohlrabi in the boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove from the water and transfer to an ice water bath to stop the cooking. Put the cooled kohlrabi into a freezer bag and freeze. It will last in the freezer for 6 months.
Kohlrabi and Pear Salad
1 large kohlrabi, peeled and sliced
2 ripe pears, sliced
1/4 cup walnuts
1 bundle of green onions sliced
1 bundle of parsley
1 leaves of mint
3 tbsp olive oil
Juice from half of a lemon or 1 tbsp of vinegar
Salt and Pepper
Peal and slice the kohlrabi and place in bowl. Then add the thinly sliced pear, walnuts, green onion, roughly chopped parsley and mint, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss the salad together and let sit in the fridge for a couple hour for the salad to come together and develop flavour.
Pickled Kohlrabi
1lb kohlrabi
1 cup vinegar
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp peppercorns
1 clove of garlic, sliced
To a small sauce pan over medium heat add in the water, vinegar, salt, sugar. Let it come to a simmer until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
Peel and cut the kohlrabi into 1/4 inch half moons and put in a jar with the slice garlic, ginger and peppercorns. Pour the pickling liquid over the kohlrabi in the jar. Cover with a lid and let it sit for 10 minutes. Move to the fridge and let the pickling process continue, for at least 3 days.
Carrots
Carrot Mustard Slaw
Roasted Carrot and Herb Salad
Carrots Storage Tips:
When you get your carrots, cut the tops off. The carrot tops will literally suck the life out of the carrot. Place the carrots into a zip lock bag with a dry piece of paper towel. The paper towel will soak up any extra moisture the carrot gives off. The Carrots will stay crisp in the fridge up to 7 days.
Freezing carrots, cut into uniform pieces and blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes. This will slightly cook the carrot, but not completely through. With a slotted spoon remove the carrots, or strain with a colander. Dump out the carrots on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Put into the freezer for 2 hours. Remove the tray and put the frozen carrots into a zip lock bag, and store it in the freezer..
Carrot Mustard Slaw
1 Bundle of Carrots, shredded
1 onion, sliced
1 cup of micro greens
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp grainy dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
Salt and Pepper
Remove the tops from the carrots, with a box grater, shred the carrots. Thinly slice the onion. In a bowl mix together the carrot, onion, and micro greens of your choice.
In a separate bowl, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, dijon, honey, salt and pepper.
Add the dressing to the vegetables and mix together. Let it marinate together for 1 hour in the fridge.
Roasted Carrot and Herb Salad
1 lbs carrots, tips cut off
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup cilantro
1/8 cup parsley
1/8 cup dill
Couple mint leaves
Juice from 1 lemon
Roast carrots with the olive oil, salt and pepper for 45 minutes or until tender. Mix the dressing ingredients in a food processor. Pour dressing over the roasted carrots.
Potatos
Potato and Garden Vegetable Sauté
Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
Potato Storage Tips:
Store potatoes in a cool, dry, dark and well ventilated place. Typically in a cardboard box in the pantry or garage. Do not store them in the fridge. The humidity in the fridge will make them sprout over time and the cold air will make the potato convert its starch to sugar. Making the potato sweet.
Potato and Garden Vegetable Sauté
5-6 medium potatoes, shredded
1 onion, sliced
Bundle of carrots
Beans, cut in half
Zucchini, chopped
In a large pot over medium high heat, cook the potatoes, carrots, and beens. Once cooked drain and add vegetables along with onions and zucchini to a hot sauté pan and fry the veggies together in butter. After cooking for a couple minutes serve. Or continue cooking and add a lush Dill cream sauce to the veggies.
Cream Sauce
1 small onion
1 tbsp oil
2 cups of milk
1 cup of cream
1/4 cup dill chopped
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
Salt and Pepper
1 roux recipe
4 Tbsp fat or oil
4 Tbsp flour (gluten free flours measure like regular flour and are a great alternative)
Method A
Whisk together the oil and flour in a bowl until smoothly blended. Next slowly incorporate roux into a hot liquid that you want to thicken.
-In a medium sauce pan add oil over a medium high heat. Add a finely chopped onion and cook for a couple minutes.
-Add 3 tbsp butter and slowly incorporate the flour to the butter and onion. Cook the roux and onions for a minute continuously stir to prevent the mixture from burning. -Next add the milk a half cup at a time while whisking. Once thicken add another half cup of milk and repeat the process until all the milk is used. The add in the 1 cup of cream and allow the sauce to thicken.
Finish the sauce with the garlic and onion powder and salt and pepper to taste.
Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
1 lbs of baby potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup shredded Parmesan
Salt and Pepper
Preheat the oven to 400F. On a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Drizzle 2 tbsp olive oil. Evenly sprinkle the 1 cup of cheese in a circle on top of the oil. Season the top of the cheese with salt and pepper.
Cut potatoes in half length wise. Place potatoes on top of the cheese cut side down.
Cook in the oven for 30-40 minutes. Cheese will melt and start to form a crust.
Peas
Sautéed Peas with Brown Butter and Dill
Peas Storage Tips:
Peas can be stored in a bag in the fridge for a week. Any longer the peas should be frozen.
Freezing peas, put the shelled peas into a pot of boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes. Remove and place the peas into a bowl of ice water. Strain the peas, putting the peas on a clean dish towel on a baking tray and freeze for 1 hour. Next put the peas into a zip lock bag and put into the freezer. They will last up to 6 months.
Sautéed Peas with Brown Butter and Dill
1 bag of peas, shelled
1 onion, sliced
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup dill, roughly chopped
Bring a pot of water up to a boil and add in the shelled peas. Let the peas boil for a minute and strain the water out.
In a saute pan over medium heat, add the butter to the pan and wait for it to melt. Keep an eye on the butter wait for it to start to turn light golden brown, then add the sliced onions and cook for about 2 minutes. Then add the peas and cook for another minute. Finish with chopped dill and enjoy
Zucchini
Grilled Zucchini Salad
Zucchini Pancakes
Zucchini Storage Tips
Store zucchini, in a resealable bag in the fridge, with a piece of paper towel inside the bag to wick away any moisture. Zucchini will stay good this way for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
These little yellow sun looking things.
Grilled Zucchini Salad
2 zucchini, cut into strips
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp oregano
1 onion, sliced
1/4 cup toasted walnuts
2 oranges cut into segments
Dressing:
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice from a half of a lemon
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp fresh dill
Salt and Pepper
Cut zucchini into 1/2 inch thick strip and cut onion into slices. Toss in the olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper. Grill on the BBQ on both sides. Take off the grill and let cool in a bowl. Add in walnuts and oranges into the bowl.
Combine the dressing in a bowl and mix well and pour over salad.
Zucchini Pancakes
2 1/4 cups flour or gluten free flour
1 cup shredded zucchini
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp sugar
2 cups milk or dairy free milk
4 tbsp butter or coconut oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and sugar; mix well. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry and mix thoroughly. Next add in the shredded zucchini and mix in well.
In a sauté pan over medium heat add butter or oil to the pan and allow to get hot. Cook the pancakes and serve with butter and syrup. I like to add peanut butter to my pancakes.
Shallots
Charred Shallot Dip
Shallots Storage Tips
Whole onions can be stored in a cool, dry, dark and well ventilated place. This would be a basement, cellar, or garage. Already peeled and cut onions can be stored in the fridge in a air tight container to prevent the onion odour corrupting other foods. They will store in the fridge for 7-10 days.
Green onions can be stored in the fridge in a zip lock bag with a paper towel for up to a week.
Charred Shallot Dip
2 small shallots, cut into rings
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Salt and Pepper
Preheat the BBQ on high. Slice the shallots into rings and toss in oil, salt and pepper. Grill on the BBQ until each side is charred. Place charred shallots, garlic, cream cheese and sour cream into a food processor and blend. Add in the spices and blend again. Serve with crusty bread, crackers or veggie sticks.
Beets
Roasted Beet Salad
Beet and Rye Bread Salad with Feta
Garlicky Beet Greens
Beets Storage Tips:
Take the tops off the beets, putting them into a resealable bag and put in the fridge. Beets will last like this for up to 3 weeks. To prolong the life of the beets poke holes in the bag to allow moisture to escape.
Freezing beets, fill a pot with water. Add the beets and bring the pot to a boil. Cook small beets for 25-30 minutes and larger beets 45-50 minutes. The beets are done when they can be poked with a knife or fork. Put the cooked beets in a bowl of ice water, to cool them down quicker. When the beets are cooled down enough to be handled, peel off the skins. This should come off easily. Next slice or dice the beets and spread out on a baking sheet to flash freeze. Once the beets are fully frozen, package them in a resealable bag and place back into the freezer for later use.
Roasted Beet Salad
Beets, cooked with skin removed
1/4 cup toasted walnuts or nuts and seeds of your choice
1 cup micro-greens of your choice
Goat cheese
Dressing
/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp dijon mustard
Thyme
Roast the beets in the oven for an hour at 350 degrees. Once cooked, let the beets cool for a minute and then peel. In a sauté pan over high heat toast the nuts until they are brown and toasted. In a bowl whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing. Next add in the diced cooked beets, toasted nuts, cheese and micro greens. Add salt and pepper and toss everything together.
Beet and Rye Bread Salad with Feta
1 Bundle of beets
3 thick slices of rye or pumpernickel bread
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp vinegar
1/2 cup feta cheese
Salt and Pepper
With some tin foil wrap and roast the beets in the oven for 45 minutes. Grill the bread on the BBQ and set off to the side.
Once the beets are cooked let them cool slightly and carefully peel. Chop into rough chunks and put into a bowl. Roughly chop the grilled bread into bight size pieces and add to the bowl with the beets. Add in the chopped onion, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss everything together and garnish with feta cheese.
Garlicky Beet Greens
1 bundle beet greens, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper
In a sauté pan over medium high heat, heat the olive oil. Once the oil is hot add in sliced garlic and chopped beet greens. Cook greens for a couple minutes until wilted. Add salt and pepper, enjoy.
Dill
Ranch Dressing
Ranch Dressing
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp green onion or chives
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dill
Salt and Pepper
-Mix together all the ingredients in a bowl and pour over your salad.
