IG Fresh Haul Week 5
Lettuce Drop the Beet
Summers are hectic and crazy. You may find that the last thing you want to do is cook a vegetable for supper. So as a result, some items might be piling up in the fridge more than others. There is a solution.
As July moves along I start to add in more of our favourite summer vegetables. Veggies like kale, spinach and green onions are being replace by; carrots, beets, peas and cucumbers.
Speaking of garden favourites, I would like to mention, some unsung heroes at the garden. No its not me and Gemma.
*Cat enjoying the sun *Chicken looking for bugsSilent, Assassins
We are in the good days of summer. As we go along into July, more of our favourite vegetables start to come on. This week is no exception. Veggies like cucumbers, carrots, zucchini, peas and potatoes. I like being able to offer more and more of the vegetables people love and look forward to.
With all these vegetables coming on, you may find yourself wondering what to do with some of them. Or more so, some vegetables are just not getting used and seem to live in the fridge. There is no shame in this what so ever, I even have kale from a couple weeks ago sitting in the back of my fridge. This mid season slump is very common. If you are feeling like you just don’t know what to do with an ingredient, please reach out to me through email or instagram messenger. Think of me as your culinary Yoda, I will help guide you in your pursuit of eating all of these amazing fresh vegetables.
Protecting all of the vegetables are the unsung heroes of the garden. Which are in fact not people, but instead are the cats and chickens. They make the garden work just as much as I do. Each one fills their own role in the garden. The cats literally keep the rodents on the farm at bay. They are systematically responsible for the lack of gophers and mice eating the vegetables in the field. With this hot weather we have been having there has been plenty of grasshoppers and crickets. The chickens are a sweeping bug clean up crew. Disposing of any bug in the garden. The grasshopper and cricket numbers are severely decreased from last year. Last year we didn’t let the chickens in to the garden but this year we realized all they want is the buys and they’ve been extremely helpful.
What’s In The Haul
HALF
Lettuce Mix
Cucumber
Beets
Pototoes
FULL
Lettuce Mix
Zucchini
Cabbage
Carrots
Peas
Potatoes
Onion
Week 5 Recipes
Lettuce
Raspberry Vinaigrette
Green Goddess Dressing
Lettuce Storage Tips:
In a resealable container or bag, line the bottom with a paper towel. Place the lid back on or reseal the bag and store in your fridge for up to 7 days. A container works great because it prevents the lettuce from getting bruised.
Raspberry Vinaigrette
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup raspberries
1 tsp dijon mustard
Salt and Pepper
In a blender cup add all of the ingredients together and pulse to combine. If the vinaigrette seems thick add a bit of water to thin it out.
Green Goddess Dressing
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or oil of your choice
2 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar of your choice
1/4 cup yogurt
1/2 avocado
1 clove of garlic
Herbs of your choice (dill, cilantro, parsley, oregano, chives, sweet marjoram)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tbsp water
In a blender or food processor combine all the ingredients together. Add 1 tbsp of water to the dressing if it is looking too thick and b
Zucchini
Zucchini Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Grilled Zucchini Salad
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.
Zucchini Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
1 1/2 cups flour or gluten free flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup canola or coconut oil
2/3 cup white sugar or coconut sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup zucchini, grated
1 cup ripe banana, mashed
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Take the shredded zucchini and place it in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze the excess water out. In a large bowl combine all of the dry ingredients, mixing together. In another bowl mix together all the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient bowl and mix well. Dump in the chocolate chips and fold everything together.
In a greased 9 by 13 baking pan, pour the batter in. Tap the baking pan a couple times to release any air bubbles in the batter. Add more chocolate chips to the top before baking. Bake the cake for 50-55 minutes. Allow bread to cool before cutting into it
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.
Cucumber
Creamy Cucumber Salad
Herb Cucumber and Whipped Feta Salad
Cucumber Storage Tips:
Storing cucumbers is easy as wrapping them in dry paper towel and placing them in an open plastic bag. Make sure the bag is left open to allow air flow. Cucumbers will store in the fridge like this for a 10 days.
The alternative method is to just store the cucumbers on the counter. They will delicious and crisp like this for 7 days.
Creamy Cucumber Salad
1 cucumber
1 bundle of green onions
1 tbsp white vinegar
3 tbsp mayo
Salt and Pepper
Cut cucumbers into coins. Roughly chop the green onions. In a bowl combine cucumbers, green onions, vinegar, mayo, salt and pepper.
Herb Cucumber and Whipped Feta Salad
1 large or 2 medium cucumbers
1 bundle of green onions
1 cup of feta cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
Fresh chopped dill
Fresh chopped parsley
Pistachios, toasted
In a food processor add the feta and sour cream, and blend until nearly smooth. Pour out onto a serving tray.
Cut the cucumber into quarter length wise and then roughly chop into 1 inch sized cubes. Lay the cucumbers and chopped green onion on top of the whipped feta.
Garnish the salad with freshly chopped dill, parsley and toasted pistachios. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, the fresh squeezed lemon, salt and pepper.
Peas
Garden Veggie Sauté
Brown Butter Peas with Gnocchi
Pea 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.
Garden Veggie Sauté
1 zucchini, diced
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup peas
6 small carrots, cut into coins
5 small potatoes, cut into quarters
1 clove of garlic, crushed
2 tbsp fresh herbs
4 tbsp butter
In a large pot cook the potatoes for 4 minutes over medium heat. Then add the carrots that are cut into coins, cook for 3 more minutes. Last add the peas to the pot and cook for another minute. Strain the vegetables. In a large saute pan over medium high heat, heat 3 tbsp butter. Once the butter is hot and sizzling add the chopped onion, zucchini, and garlic. Let it cook for 2 minutes. Next add in the potatoes, carrots and peas, toss together in the hot pan for another 2 minutes. Add in the fresh herbs and season with salt and pepper. Dump into a dish and finish with the left over tbsp of butter.
See Potato section down below for another pea recipe.
Gnocchi
1 cup potatoes, boiled and mashed
2 cups flour
1 egg
Boil and mash the potatoes. In a large bowl add the mashed potatoes, flour and egg, mix together until the dough forms a ball. Divide the dough into 1/4’s and form into a little ball. Take each small ball of dough and roll out into long snakes. On a floured surface cut the snakes into half inch pieces.
In a large pot of lightly salted water cook the gnocchi for 3-5 minutes. Drain and serve with sauce of your choice.
Or try this sauce to go with your gnocchi, you can find most of the ingredients in your IGFresh hauls.
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6 leaves of sage
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup cooked peas
Salt and Pepper
In a saute pan over medium heat, warm up the olive oil. Once the olive oil is warm add the sage leaves and let them fry for 1 minute. Next add in the chopped garlic and cooked peas. Let everything gently fry for another minute. Add cooked gnocchi to the pan and toss everything together. Add salt and pepper together to taste.
Beets
Garlicky Beet Greens
Pickled Beets
Beet Brownies
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.
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.
Pickled Beets
1 lbs of cooked beets
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/8 cup sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Pinch of whole cloves
First start by cooking the beets in simmering water until fork tender. Strain, peel and cut into slices and place into a jar.
To a pot over medium heat add in the vinegar, sugar and salt. Let simmer until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Let the brine cool slightly and then pour into the jar with the beets add in a pinch of whole cloves. Cover with a lid and sit out for 10 minutes, transition over to the fridge and let it marinate for 3 days.
Beet Brownies
Beet puree:
1 large Beet, cooked
1/4 milk
In a blender combine the milk and beet into a smooth paste. You will only need a cup of this puree.
Brownie mix:
3/4 cup flour or gluten free flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of the beet puree
2 large eggs
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees farenhiet In a bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt. In a separate bowl mix together the eggs, butter, sugar, beet puree and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and then mix in the chocolate chips. Grease a 9 by 9 pan and pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Onion
Caramelized Onion and Bacon Jam
Charred Onion Dip
Onion 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.
Caramelized Onion and Bacon Jam
4 Onions, sliced
6 strips of bacon
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1/2 cup strong coffee
1/2 cup sugar or honey
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp water
1 tsp cornstarch
Salt and Pepper
In a pan over medium heat cook the bacon until crispy and remove from the pan. Turn the heat down to low and add the sliced onions and garlic to the pan of bacon fat and cook for 8-10 minutes. Remember to stir every couple of minutes to prevent the onions from burning. Once the onions have changed to a caramelized colour increase the temperature to medium and add in the apple cider vinegar, coffee and sugar or honey reduce by half. When the the jam is reduced mix together the water and cornstarch and add to the onions to thicken. Add in the chopped bacon and stir. Place in a container and store in the fridge. This jam is great on burgers and sandwiches.
Charred Onion Dip
3 small onions, 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 onions into rings and toss in oil, salt and pepper. Grill on the BBQ until each side is charred. Place charred onions, 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.
Cabbage
Bacon and Onion Fried Cabbage
Classic Coleslaw
Cabbage Storage Tips:
Store cabbage in the fridge, whole and uncut. It will stay good in the fridge for up to 2 months. When ready to use just peel off a couple outer leaves.
When freezing cabbage you can cut into 1/4 wedges or shred the cabbage. Blanch the wedge cabbage for 4 minutes and the shredded cabbage for 1 and half minutes. Next strain the cabbage and shock it in ice cold water. Place the cabbage on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze for 3 hours and then place into freezer bags.
Bacon and Onion Fried Cabbage
4 strips of bacon
1 onion, diced
2 cups cabbage, diced
1 tbsp vinegar
Salt and Pepper
In a sauté pan over medium high heat, cook the bacon to desired doneness. Once cooked remove the bacon from the pan, but leave all the bacon fat still in the pan. Add in the diced onion and cabbage. Cook the veggies until the cabbage becomes soft. Add in the vinegar, salt and pepper and cook for another minute. Serve.
Classic Coleslaw
4 cups cabbage, shredded
1 Bunch of Green Onions
1/2 cup mayo
3 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar
Salt and Pepper
In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Let the coleslaw sit in the fridge for a couple hours before serving.
Potatoes
Potato and Leek Pizza
Potato Pancakes
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 Leek Pizza
3 medium potatoes
1 leek
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1 bundle of green onions, chopped
Thyme
Pruchetto
Flatbread
Slice the potatoes into 1/2 inch thick discs and boil and cook until fork tender. Mix together, the cream cheese, sour cream, green onion and thyme.
Assemble the flatbread. Spread 2 tbsp of the cheese mixture onto a flatbread, top with cooked potato, thinly slice leek, a couple slices of pruchutto. Bake in a 400 F over for 10 minutes. Enjoy.
Potato Pancakes
5-6 medium potatoes, shredded
1 onion, sliced
1 tsp salt
4 sprigs of thyme, stem removed
1 large egg
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/4 cup flour or gluten free flour
Shred the potatoes and add the salt and mix thoroughly, let sit for 10 minutes. Drain off the liquid in the bowl. Squeeze the potatoes removing any extra water from the potatoes. In a bowl combine all the ingredients to the potatoes and mix until everything is incorporated. In a frying pan over medium high heat add 4 tbsp of cooking oil or fat of your choice. Wait till the oil is hot. Form the potato pancakes into little patties and place into the pan to fry for 3 minutes each side. Serve with sour cream and chopped chives
Carrots
Roasted Garlic Carrots
Roasted Carrot and Herb Salad
Carrot 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.
Roasted Garlic Carrots
1 bulb of garlic
3 tbsp Olive oil
1 bundle of carrots
Salt and Pepper
Cut the top off the garlic exposing the cloves inside. Put the garlic in a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil over to and salt and pepper the top. Wrap the garlic bulb in the foil and roast in the oven for 1 hour at 350 degrees . While the garlic roasts, cut the tops and bottoms off the carrots and cut the carrots into desired sizes. Toss the carrots in oil, salt and pepper. Once the garlic is cooked and cooled enough to handle. Squeeze the cloves out of the bulb and mix into the carrots. Put the carrots in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
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.
