Category Archives: Side Dish

Broccoli Packets with Garlic Lemon and Cheese

July 19, 2017Side Dishbroccoli, garlic, Gazy Brothers Farm, lemon, packet cooking, parmesanKaren

Easiest summer cooking method IMO is packet cooking, so why not fresh broccoli with garlic and lemon cooked on your grill or in your oven.

Recipe inspired by Pillsbury which would work also nicely for several vegetables such as cauliflower, asparagus, zucchini and squash.

Recipe
1 head broccoli (fresh, cut into large florets, and slice stem and include)
1/2-1 lemon, juiced over broccoli (roll the lemon to release the juices before cutting/squeezing)
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese (shreaded or grated)
1-2 tsp garlic powder (or fresh minced garlic)
Oil spray (or 1 tsp olive oil, drizzled)
Salt and pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:
This is easy-peazy to do. Wash broccoli, cut into large florets and be sure to slice the stems and include. Place broccoli on a large piece of oil-sprayed aluminum foil. Squeeze lemon over broccoli, sprinkle with garlic, pepper, Parmesan cheese and for extra heat sprinkle some red pepper flakes.

Close foil packet by folding top and slides together, leaving some space for expansion as it cooks. Place in indirect heat on the grill for 15 to 25 minutes depending on heat of grill and how crispy or soft you like the broccoli.

Serve immediately but any leftovers are delicious cold, so cook a double batch if you can.

Slow-Cooked Caramelized Onions

July 5, 2017Condiment, Side Dishcaramelized onions, Gazy Brothers Farm, slow cookerKaren

Caramelized Onions are sweet and delicious and easy to make in a slow cooker overnight or all day long.

Once you peel and slice the onions they slowly sweat in the slow cooker releasing fluid (since they are about 75% water), then they caramelize and brown. The final step is important when the cooking continues with the slow cooker uncovered. Outcome is simply heavenly.

Ingredients:
1 lb Yellow Onions (sliced 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch)
1 lb Spanish Onions (sliced 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch)
2 tbsp Coconut Oil
1 tbsp Salt (or to taste)

You have a lot of onions at home – what do you do?

Step 1: Peel and slice onions, toss with oil and salt.

Step 2: Cook on low in covered slow cooker for 8-10 hours (or at 190F in the oven), then cook for an additional 1-3 hours uncovered to reduce the liquid released by the onions. If you want it more like Onion Jam cook longer.

TIP: You can create a quick caramelized onions by sauteing sliced onions with a little baking soda. This does work but creates a softer, mushier texture which is good to mix into dips.

Powerhouse Rainbow Chard Sauté

June 21, 2017Salad, Side Dishgarlic, Gazy Brothers Farm, mushroom, onion, rainbow chard greens, recipe, veganKaren

Powerhouse your diet – add green leafy, yellow/orange, citrus and cruciferous items to our diet.

Why? Reduced risk of chronic disease, plus they are packed with nutrition to fuel our bodies and minds. But the most important reason is they are easy to use, quick to cook, and oh so tasty.

Also, this is a great prep ahead and cook last minute dish.

You can switch these ingredients for so many variations, whatever is fresh and strikes your fancy at the farmers market or CSA basket. Try substituting chard for beet greens, spinach, chicory, leaf lettuce, watercress, Chinese cabbage, collard greens, kale, or arugula and you’ll still get that same great powerhouse punch.

Check out these other powerhouse foods studied for their nutrient density by the CDC.

Yield: 3 servings

Ingredients:
Rainbow chard, 1 bunch, chopped (~5 cups)
Onion, ½ large, chopped
Green garlic, 2 stalks, sliced in rounds
Baby Bella mushrooms, 2 cups
Salt and Pepper to taste (or ¼ teaspoon each)
Coconut oil, 1 teaspoon
Optional: Orange peel (can be added during sautéing for brightness)

Step 1: Prepare the chard by washing, spinning damp dry, and roughly chopping. Discard the toughest part of the stem; the rest softens a bit in cooking, but some prefer to remove the stem entirely.

Step 2: Chop onion half, slice mushrooms, and slice green garlic stalks into rounds. (We include the green tops of the stalks – yummy.) If you are preparing more items, you could hold ingredients at this step until a few minutes before eating for best flavor.

Step 3: Sauté onion, garlic, and mushroom in oil for 5 minutes to soften.

Step 4: Pile on the chopped chard and sauté, watching and turning the chard periodically and cooking until just wilted down and tender – you want to give this a quick cook so that you retain as much nutrition and flavor as possible.

Step 5: Salt and pepper to taste, toss thoroughly. Eat and enjoy.

Serving suggestion – this makes a great breakfast or brunch dish with a poached or fried egg on top.

Nutrition Analysis
Recipe yields 3 servings. Per serving, using ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper: 51 calories, 8 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams dietary fiber, 2 grams total fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 3 grams protein, 503 milligrams potassium, 329 milligrams sodium, 189 micrograms vitamin A.

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.

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!

Homemade Applesauce

November 18, 2010Breakfast, Condiment, Dessert, Side Dish, UncategorizedDawn

Type of dish: Breakfast, Condiment, Dessert, Side Dish

4 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a saucepan, combine apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are soft. Allow to cool, then mash with a fork or potato masher.

Recipe courtesy of Gazy Brothers Farm

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

Bitter Green Salad with Roasted Pears

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

Type of dish: Condiment, Salad, Side Dish

For salad
8 firm-ripe Bosc pears (4 lb), peeled, cored, and each cut lengthwise into 8 wedges
1 1/2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small head chicory
1 small head escarole
1 small head radicchio
1 bunch watercress, coarse stems discarded
1 bunch mizuna, coarse stems discarded
1 small head romaine

For dressing
1 Tablespoon finely chopped shallot
2 1/2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Roast pears and make salad:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
Toss pears with oil and spread in 1 layer in a 17- by 12-inch shallow baking pan, then season with salt and pepper. Roast pears, stirring and turning over twice, until pears are tender and beginning to brown, 20 to 30 minutes, then cool about 15 minutes.
While pears are roasting and cooling, tear enough tender chicory and escarole leaves (discard ribs) into bite-size pieces to measure 6 cups total. Tear enough radicchio, watercress, mizuna, and romaine into bite-size pieces to measure 10 cups total. Toss torn greens in a large bowl and reserve remaining greens for another use.

Make dressing and toss salad:
Whisk together shallot, vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified.
Just before serving, add roasted pears and dressing to greens and toss to combine well.

Salad greens can be washed and dried 1 day ahead, then chilled, wrapped in paper towels, in a sealed plastic bag.
Pears can be roasted 4 hours ahead and kept at room temperature.

Recipe courtesy of Gazy Brothers Farm