Category Archives: Side Dish

Carrot Potato Swiss Chard Curry

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

Pickled Beets

Type of dish: Condiment, Salad, Side Dish

My kids will ask if I’m pickling beets every time they see beets in the house, and will fight to be the first to get a taste. They absolutely love pickled beets!

1 pound fresh small beets, stems removed
1/4 teaspoon pickling salt
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar

Place beets in a saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes depending on the size of the beets. If beets are large, cut them into quarters. Drain, reserving 1/3 cup of the beet water, cool and peel. If you’d like, you can slice the beets at this point (which I often do).

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, beet water, vinegar, and pickling salt. Bring to a rapid boil. Pour the hot brine over the beets.

For canning: Sterilize jars and lids by immersing in boiling water for at least 10 minutes. Fill each jar with beets, pouring brine over beets in jars.
Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 10 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of Gazy Brothers Farm

Arugula Pesto

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

Green Bean Salad with Feta Cheese

Type of dish: Salad, Side Dish

1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed
1 small red onion, quartered and thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
2 ounces crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Cook green beans in boiling salted water to cover 8 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process; drain and pat dry. Place in a serving bowl; cover and chill at least 2 hours.

Add chopped onion and Lemon Vinaigrette to beans, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with feta and walnuts. Garnish, if desired.

Type of dish: Condiment

Lemon Vinaigrette
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Whisk together first 6 ingredients in a small bowl; gradually whisk in oil until blended.

Recipe courtesy of Gazy Brothers Farm

Basic Marinara Sauce

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

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

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

Type of dish: Condiment, Side Dish

Remember when we gave you that recipe for sun-dried tomatoes? Here’s a delicious way to use them!

4 ounces sun-dried tomatoes
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped pine nuts
3 Tablespoons chopped onion
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1/3 cup crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt to taste

Place sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl and cover with warm water for 5 minutes, or until tender.

In a food processor or blender combine sun-dried tomatoes, basil, parsley, garlic, pine nuts and onion; process until well blended. Add vinegar, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and red wine, and process. Stir in olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt to taste.

Recipe courtesy of Gazy Brothers Farm

Bell Peppers and Pasta

Type of dish: Main Dish, Side Dish

2 1/4 cups uncooked penne or medium tube pasta
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup sliced ripe olives
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, saute onion In a nonstick skillet in oil for 1-1/2 minutes. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds longer. Add the bell peppers; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in the olives, oregano, salt and cayenne. Add water; cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil. Drain pasta and stir into skillet. Remove from the heat. Stir in feta cheese. Serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of Gazy Brothers Farm

Mock Crab Cakes

Type of dish: Appetizer, Main Dish, Side Dish

2 cups zucchini, grated
1 onion, finely chopped or grated
1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
1 1/2 cups Italian bread crumbs, divided
1 Tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 egg, beaten
vegetable oil for frying

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. The texture can be adjusted — if it’s too dry, add another egg; if too wet, add more bread crumbs.

Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet. Form mixture into patties and fry over medium heat until golden brown on both sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Makes 4 big or 6 medium cakes. Serve with tartar sauce.

Type of dish: Condiment

Tartar Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup dill relish
1/4 cup onions, finely diced

Mix together all of the ingredients.

Recipe courtesy of Gazy Brothers Farm

Spinach and Potato Frittata

Type of dish: Breakfast, Main Dish, Side Dish

2 Tablespoons olive oil
6 small potatoes, sliced
1 cup torn fresh spinach (or other green)
2 Tablespoons sliced green onions
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
salt and pepper to taste
6 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup feta cheese

Season sliced potatoes liberally with salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Place potatoes in the skillet, cover, and cook about 10 minutes, until tender but firm. Mix in spinach (or other green), green onions, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking 1 to 2 minutes, until greens are wilted.

In a medium bowl, beat together eggs and milk. Pour into the skillet over the vegetables. Sprinkle with feta. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until eggs are firm.

Recipe courtesy of Gazy Brothers Farm