Category Archives: Main Dish

Eggplant and Zucchini Lasagna

Fresh vegetables make all the difference to the taste of this lasagna. See it being made and then try it yourself!

Ingredients (serves 4)
2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise
1 large eggplant, sliced lengthwise
Optional: 1 large portabella mushroom, cubed
1-1/2 cups pasta sauce or seasoned crushed tomatoes
1 cup mozzarella cheese, cubed or shredded
2 tbsp Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp roasted garlic powder (or fresh garlic clove minced)
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1/4 tsp lemon extract (optional, if you like lemon ricotta)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat Oven to 425 degrees. Slice zucchini and eggplant lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick pieces. Salt and pepper them to taste and bake on an oiled baking sheet until tender, about 8-10 minutes per side – but timing varies so watch for doneness. While that is cooking combine the ricotta cheese with the beaten egg, garlic, onion, basil and lemon extract, then salt and pepper to taste. Now create the masterpiece – layering sauce, eggplant, zucchini, mozzarella cheese (reserve 1/3 cup for topping). Repeat process until vegetables are stacked. Top with 1/3 cup of mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes covered and then 5 minutes uncovered to brown cheese. Let cool 10 minutes to help it set and distribute liquids.

Note: because this is vegetable based there is extra liquid – very tasty liquid. After refrigerating the liquid seemed to magically disappear and the leftovers were even tastier.

Veggie Chicken Foil Packets with Savory Broth

August 22, 2016Main DishBBQ, chicken, chives, foil packets, green beans, make ahead meals, mushrooms, okra, onion, peppers, recipe, tomatoKaren

Foil packets are delicious, easy, plan ahead, throw on BBQ or in oven!

Flavor combinations are limitless – you pick what’s fresh and how you want your broth flavored. This variation is OKRAlicious! This recipe serves 4 but is easy to size up or down.

Ingredients
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup okra, sliced into rounds
1 cup yellow and red peppers, chopped
1 cup green beans, chopped
2 carrots, cut length-wise in strips
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
4 tbsp Italian dressing
4 tbsp white wine
Minced chives
Fresh or dried herb – fresh is better if you have it
Salt and pepper to taste
Aluminum foil, 4 sheets – extra heavy is preferred

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375.
Chop vegetables and prepare foil by spraying or brushing with oil.

Step 2: Make the vegetable bed by adding 1/4 cup each of green beans, onions, and carrots to sprayed foil sheet. Sprinkle with chives.

Step 3: Salt and pepper chicken and layer on top of vegetable bed. Top chicken with 1/4 cup mushrooms, peppers and okra. Sprinkle any additional fresh herbs or seasoning you enjoy now, and some more salt and pepper to top layer of veggies.

Step 4: Drizzle each packet with 1 tablespoon Italian dressing (or whatever flavor combination you prefer, such as lemon or lime juice).

Step 5: Crimp edges together to make the foil packets.
Step 6: Place packets on cooking sheet and put on center rack of preheated 375F oven. Alternatively throw the packets on the BBQ.

Step 7: Unwrap hot packets carefully and serve in a bowl being careful to pour all the delicious broth from the packets into your bowl – yum. Eat and enjoy!

Winter Squash – 3 Ways

December 10, 2015Main Dish, Side Dish, SoupDawn

Love winter squash? One squash, three different ideas! It’s easy to be creative with an ingredient that’s so versatile. We turned one winter carnival squash into three different recipes – and the fun is each recipe builds on the other, so you can even turn one recipe into the next. Feel free to substitute any winter squash – it will be equally delicious. Pick what you’re in the mood for – or try all three!

Let’s get started!

Recipe 1 – Baked Stuffed Squash with Apples and Onions
Ingredients
1 carnival squash (wash the outside, cut in half, reserve seeds for Recipe 2)
1 apple (we used gala)
Zest of 1 lemon, juice of half a lemon
Quarter red onion, chopped fine
Half teaspoon vanilla extract
Quarter teaspoon salt
Quarter teaspoon cinnamon
Eighth teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon butter (separated in two pieces)

If baking squash seeds (see recipe 2, below) while prepping this recipe, raise oven temperature to 375°F after removing the seeds from the oven. Otherwise, preheat oven to 375°F.
Wash the carnival squash, apples, lemon, and mince red onion.
Cut squash in half, remove the seeds and use in recipe 2.
Place seeded squash face up on baking pan, lightly salt and then fill with minced onions and apple pieces.
Top each squash half with half a teaspoon of butter.
Drizzle one-quarter teaspoon vanilla extract over each half. Sprinkle halves with cinnamon and nutmeg. Drizzle with honey. Zest the peel of one lemon, sprinkle on each squash half. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over both squash halves. Lightly salt squash again.
By the time you have prepared these halves the Toasted Squash Seeds will be done. Take out and taste – yum! – either crack open and enjoy seed within (or some people even eat the entire crunchy seed).
Raise the oven temperature to 375°F and preheat.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, then remove and smell the goodness!
Now time for Recipe 3! (If you have any left after this comes out of the oven!)

***

Recipe 2 – Toasted Squash Seeds
Ingredients
Carnival squash seeds (from recipe 1 prep)
Salt or other desired seasoning

Preheat oven to 275°F.
Place seeds on a baking sheet, salt or season them, and cook in the 275°F oven for 20 minutes. Don’t worry about removing all of the pulp, it toasts nicely and tastes great!

***

Recipe 3 – Cream of Squash Soup
Ingredients
Finished Baked Stuffed Squash (from Recipe 2, above)
Coconut creamer (or any liquid to thin puree into soup)
Additional salt and pepper, to taste

Remove skin from the Baked Carnival Squash with Apples and Onion.
Place cooked ingredients in blender, or food processor.
Puree and add coconut creamer (or other liquid, such as milk or stock) until it reaches your desired thickness. This can be a thick, creamy soup or thinner consistency, depending on your preference.
Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Welcome to September!

September 14, 2015Main Dish, Side DishDawn

Did you know that September is Hunger Action Month?

Nearly 50 million people in the United States today are hungry or food insecure. Yet in this country, we will throw away over 133 billion pounds of good food this year. It is time for us to take action — to say that this situation is unacceptable and to do something about it. If we work together, we can solve hunger.

Hunger Action Month is a nationwide campaign to take action on the issue of hunger. It brings greater attention to hunger in the U.S. and promotes ways for us to get involved in the movement to fight hunger in our community.

The gift of a CSA to your local food bank is a great way to help feed the hungry with fresh produce from our farm for a season.

*****

If you’re looking for a great recipe to make with your veggies this month, look no further!

Zucchini, Black Bean and Rice Skillet
If you have been to a farmers market recently, you probably have seen the beautiful zucchini and corn that is just waiting to be eaten. This is a perfect summer recipe to use summer crops but don’t let the winter snow stop you from making this. Frozen vegetables work just as well.

Ingredients:
Olive oil to coat pan
1/2 cup diced green or red bell pepper
1 can (15 oz each) Whole Black Beans, drained, rinsed
1 can (14.5 oz each) Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Garlic, undrained
1 ½ cups of quartered, lengthwise-sliced zucchini
3/4 cup water (only if using instant rice)
1 cup instant white rice, uncooked or 1 package of microwavable 90 second rice – cooked for 90 seconds (we used Trader Joe’s brown rice)
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese blend
2 cobs of corn
1/2 cup of red onion
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce, if desired
Avocado to garnish

Directions:
Remove kernels from cobs of corn. (This is easily accomplished by using a knife and a bundt pan.)
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini, bell pepper, onion and garlic; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans, corn, undrained tomatoes and water (if using instant rice). Increase heat and bring to a boil.
Add rice; stir well. Cover; remove from heat and let stand 7 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. If using 90 second microwavable rice, add rice and cook until the corn and beans are cooked through.
Add salt and pepper to taste. If desired add hot sauce to taste. Sprinkle with cheese. Garnish with avocado slices and enjoy!

Dilled Potato and Corn Chowder

November 18, 2010Main Dish, Side Dish, Soup, UncategorizedDawn

Type of dish: Main Dish, Side Dish, Soup

Creamy potato soup with dill! This recipe makes 24 servings – enough to feed a crowd or save some for later.

1/2 cup butter
2 cups onion, finely chopped
4 ribs celery, finely chopped
3 1/2 quarts vegetable stock
4 cups frozen corn kernels
6 large all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup dill, chopped
2 Tablespoons salt, to taste
1 teaspoon white pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons dry mustard
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 quarts milk
1 1/2 cups flour, sifted
In a large pan, saute carrot, celery, and onion in butter about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add stock, corn, potatoes, dill, salt, pepper, and dry mustard. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered 15 minutes.

Gradually stir milk into flour until smooth. Slowly stir milk mixture into soup.

Boil several minutes until thickened.

Recipe courtesy of Gazy Brothers Farm

Buttercup Mac & Cheese

November 18, 2010Main Dish, Side Dish, UncategorizedDawn

Type of dish: Main Dish, Side Dish

This recipe is courtesy of our CSA customer Terri. You should check our her CSA-based cooking blog.

1 pound whole wheat or multi-grain pasta (elbows or mini-shells)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1 Tablespoon white flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup mashed buttercup, butternut, or acorn squash
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (or mixed cheddar blend)
1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
sprinkle of nutmeg
salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package instructions.

Saute the chopped onion in olive oil until softened (about 4 minutes), then sprinkle in 1 Tablespoon of flour. Mix to combine, the flour will stick on the onion, do not let brown. Slowly add 1 cup of milk to the onion, about 1Tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly so a thick sauce forms. At first it will look like paste, but as you slowly add the milk, a thick white sauce will form. Go slowly, adding the milk and stirring until the sauce bubbles and absorbs the liquid.

Once a thick sauce has formed (about 10-15 minutes) fold in the mashed squash, mustard powder, cheese, nutmeg and fresh grated pepper. If the sauce gets too thick, add a touch of boiling pasta water to thin it down.

Drain the cooked pasta and gently fold it into the sauce. Mound the pasta into a grease pie plate, or indivdually sized casserole dishes (4) and top with a light sprinkle of bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. (Can be made ahead and frozen up to this point).

Bake in the oven at 350°F for 35 minutes (double the time if previously frozen), until the pasta edges are crusty and brown and the middle is piping hot.

Serves 4

Recipe courtesy of Gazy Brothers Farm

Carrot Potato Swiss Chard Curry

September 26, 2010Main Dish, Side Dish, UncategorizedDawn

Type of dish: Main Dish, Side Dish

3 medium potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large carrots, cut into 1/4″ rounds
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste
3 cups Swiss chard, coarsely chopped
3 medium tomatoes, diced

Place potatoes and carrots in a large saucepan, and cover completely with water. Bring to a boil, and boil for 4-6 minutes, until crisp-tender. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add potatoes, carrots, sugar, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and Swiss chard. Cover and simmer for 4-6 minutes or until Swiss chard is tender-crisp. Serves 4.

Recipe courtesy of Gazy Brothers Farm

Arugula Pesto

September 26, 2010Condiment, Main Dish, Side Dish, UncategorizedDawn

Type of dish: Condiment, Main Dish, Side Dish

2 cups packed arugula leaves, stems removed
1/2 cup walnuts or pine nuts
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/2 garlic clove peeled and minced

Brown 6 garlic cloves with their peels on in a skillet over medium high heat until the garlic is lightly browned in places, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan, cool, and remove the skins.

Toast the nuts in a pan over medium heat until lightly brown, or heat in a microwave on high heat for a minute or two until you get that roasted flavor. In our microwave it takes 2 minutes.

Food processor method (the fast way): Combine the arugula, walnuts or pine nuts, roasted and raw garlic into a food processor. Pulse while drizzling the olive oil into the processor. Remove the mixture from the processor and put it into a bowl. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
Mortar and pestle method: Combine the nuts and garlic in a mortar. With the pestle, grind until smooth. Add the cheese and olive oil, grind again until smooth. Finely chop the arugula and add it to the mortar. Grind up with the other ingredients until smooth.

Because the pesto is so dependent on the individual ingredients, and the strength of the ingredients depends on the season or variety, test it and add more of the ingredients to taste.

Mix with freshly prepared pasta of your choice. You may need to add a little bit of water or more olive oil to mix the pesto more evenly with the pasta.

Makes enough pesto sauce for an ample serving of pasta for four people.

Recipe courtesy of Gazy Brothers Farm

Basic Marinara Sauce

September 26, 2010Condiment, Main Dish, Side Dish, UncategorizedDawn

Type of dish: Condiment, Main Dish, Side Dish

This recipe takes some time to cook, but is SO worth it!

2 large yellow onions, peeled and diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
5-6 cloves of garlic, minced (about 2 Tbsp)
2 Tbsp dried herbs (basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme – whatever you prefer)
1/2 cup red wine
12 cups peeled and seeded fresh ripe tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, heat up the olive oil. Add the onions and cook slowly, on medium heat until they start to caramelize. They should be evenly brown and soft. Cooking them this way brings out the natural sweetness in the onions. Add the garlic and dried herbs and cook for 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the 1/2 cup of red wine and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and their juice and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook on low, stirring occasionally for about 2 hours. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Note:Dried herbs hold their flavor much longer than fresh herbs so when slow cooking. If you would like to use fresh herbs, add them at then end of the cooking process, just before serving.

Recipe courtesy of Gazy Brothers Farm

Squash and Zucchini Cakes

September 26, 2010Main Dish, Side Dish, UncategorizedDawn

Type of dish: Main Dish, Side Dish

3 medium zucchini
3 medium yellow squash
1 cup toasted bread crumbs
1 cup shredded Parmesan
1/3 cup minced Vidalia onion
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 stick butter
1 recipe marinara sauce (below)

Grate zucchini and squash with a fine grater. Press between paper towels to remove excess moisture. In a medium bowl, combine grated zucchini and squash and next 7 ingredients. Shape mixture into 2-inch patties, pressing together firmly.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Cook squash and zucchini cakes 3 to 4 minutes per side or until lightly browned. Place onto serving platter and serve with marinara sauce.

Recipe courtesy of Gazy Brothers Farm