Homemade Sun-dried Tomatoes

Condiment, Uncategorized

Type of dish: Condiment

Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise.

Cut out the tough part around the stem and any bruised or soft parts.

You can then quarter the tomatoes, if you’d like, depending on how big or small you want the final dried pieces to be. Usually they shrink to 1/4 their original size.

Preheat the oven to 150ºF. If your oven won’t set that low, just use the lowest setting you’ve got.

Arrange the tomatoes on cake racks, spread out, not touching each other. Cookie sheets will work if you don’t have cake racks or screens – but you will need to flip or stir the tomatoes once in a while to expose the other side of them. Some people prefer to sprinkle the tomatoes with sea salt, kosher salt and/or some spices (typically basil). Close the oven. It takes about 10 to 20 hours, but you’ll need to check periodically, including rotating the shelves and moving them up or down to get even heating. If you want to speed it up, you can bump the heat up to as high as 200ºF, but you’ll need to watch them much more closely.

The amount of time it takes depends on the water content of the tomatoes, the thickness of the slices, and how well the air is able to circulate around them. When done, the tomatoes should be flexible, like a raisin from a fresh bag; not brittle. Most describe them as leathery with a deep red color, without free water or a tacky feeling.

Let the tomatoes cool to room temperature (about 20 to 30 minutes), then put them into zipper or vacuum bags. Don’t overfill the bags, leave a little room for expansion. Be sure to squeeze out the extra air.

Store your sun-dried tomatoes in the freezer, where they will retain their color and flavor for 9 to 12 months.

Recipe courtesy of Gazy Brothers Farm

Mock Crab Cakes

Appetizer, Condiment, Main Dish, Side Dish, Uncategorized

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

Plum and Almond Cobbler

Dessert

Type of dish: Dessert

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 1/2 pounds shiro plums or other plums, pitted and quartered
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1 large egg, beaten lightly

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

In a large bowl whisk together brown sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon and add plums, lemon juice, and butter. Toss mixture well and spoon into a shallow 3-quart baking dish.

In a food processor pulse together granulated sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 cup almonds until almonds are ground fine. Add egg and pulse until blended. Spoon flour mixture over plum mixture, pulling some plum wedges up for presentation. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup almonds over cobbler.

Bake cobbler in middle of oven 45 minutes or less, or until golden and bubbling, and cool on a rack.

Serve cobbler warm or at room temperature.

Recipe courtesy of Gazy Brothers Farm

Fall is here!

Uncategorized

Fall is officially here. The weather is getting colder and we are looking towards winter.

This summer was a tough one with plenty of sunshine, but not much rain, making for difficult growing conditions for most of our crops. We’re hoping for a much less stressful fall season. We’re looking forward to those delicious and soothing cool-weather foods – hearty greens and winter squash and apples, tasty soups and warm pies.

We do still have some availability in our fall/winter CSA. Please email us at csa@gazybrothersfarm.net for more details. Our registration form can be downloaded by clicking the following link: 2010 CSA Registration Information.

Spinach and Potato Frittata

Appetizer, Main Dish, Side Dish, Uncategorized

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

Swiss Chard Tacos

Main Dish, Uncategorized

Type of dish: Main Dish

1 bunch Swiss chard (or other greens) about 12 ounces, touch stems removed
1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion or 2 small onions, sliced 1/4-inch thick
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 Tablespoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
12 corn tortillas
1 cup Mexican queso fresco or fresh cheese (feta is a nice substitute)
3/4 cup chipotle salsa

Cut the chard crosswise into 1- to 2-inch slices. In a large skillet heat the oil over medium-heat. Add the onion and stir occasionally for about 10 minutes, until they become golden and caramelized. Add the garlic and red pepper and stir for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the broth, greens and a pinch of salt. Cover reduce heat to low and cook until the greens are almost tender, (spinach will just take about 2 minutes, chard about 5, and heartier greens like collards, about 7-8) stirring occasionally. Remove lid and turn heat back to medium, stirring, until the mixture is nearly dry and adjust salt to taste.

Meanwhile, heat a flat skillet over medium-high heat and warm the tortillas for a minute or so per side. Fill the warm tortillas with veggies and top with crumbled queso and salsa.

*You can use your favorite salsa, or make a quick, smoky chipotle salsa. Place 1-2 tomatoes, cut in half, half side down under the broiler with a few peeled cloves of garlic until slightly charred – a few minutes. Blend, tomatoes, garlic and 2-3 chipotles in adobo sauce (you’ll find these in a can) with a splash of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe courtesy of Gazy Brothers Farm

Beet Chips with Curried Sour Cream

Appetizer, Side Dish, Uncategorized

Type of dish: Appetizer, Side Dish

4 medium beets with sets trimmed to 1 inch
2 cups water
2 cups sugar

For sour cream:
2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon Madras curry powder
3/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Make chips:
Peel beets with a vegetable peeler, then slice paper-thin with slicer, using stems as handles.

Bring water and sugar to a boil in a heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add beets, then remove pan from heat and let stand 15 minutes. Drain beets in a colander, discarding liquid, then let stand in colander 15 minutes more.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 225°F.

Line a shallow baking pan with nonstick liner, then arrange beet slices snugly in 1 layer (it’s not necessary to use any partial or broken slices) and season with salt and pepper. Bake beets until dry, about 1 hour. Immediately transfer chips to a rack to cool (chips will crisp as they cool).

Make curried cream while beets bake:
Cook onion in oil in a small skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in curry powder and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir onion into sour cream in a bowl along with chives, salt, and pepper. Serve curried cream with beet chips.

Recipe courtesy of Gazy Brothers Farm

Peach Salsa with Lime Juice and Honey

Appetizer, Condiment, Uncategorized

Type of dish: Appetizer, Condiment

4 small peaches, peeled and diced
Juice of 2 limes, about 1/4 cup juice
2 teaspoons honey
2 to 3 Tablespoons diced bell pepper
1 Tablespoon finely minced jalapeno pepper, or to taste
1 heaping Tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 small clove garlic, finely minced
2 Tablespoons finely chopped red onion or sweet onion

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until serving time. The flavors are best if the salsa is refrigerated for 4 hours or overnight. Serve with grilled or broiled fish, pork, or chicken, or just with some tortilla chips.

Makes 1 1/2 to 2 cups.

Recipe courtesy of Gazy Brothers Farm

Crash Hot Potatoes

Side Dish, Uncategorized

Type of dish: Side Dish

12 whole new potatoes (or other small round potatoes)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Rosemary (or other herbs of choice) to taste

Preheat oven to 450ºF.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook until they are fork-tender.

On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.

With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil. Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.) Remember that potatoes need fat and salt to taste really good, so don’t skimp!

Bake in a 450ºF oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Recipe courtesy of Gazy Brothers Farm

Baingan Bharta (Eggplant Curry)

Main Dish, Side Dish, Uncategorized

Type of dish: Main Dish, Side Dish

1 large or 3-4 small eggplant
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 Tablespoon curry powder
1 tomato, diced
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 450ºF.

Place eggplant on a medium baking sheet. Bake 20 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender. Remove from heat, cool, peel, and chop.

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Mix in cumin seeds and onion. Cook and stir until onion is tender.

Mix ginger, garlic paste, curry powder, and tomato into the saucepan, and cook about 1 minute. Stir in yogurt. Mix in eggplant and jalapeno pepper, and season with salt. Cover, and cook 10 minutes over high heat. Remove cover, reduce heat to low, and continue cooking about 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro to serve.

Recipe courtesy of Gazy Brothers Farm