Roasted Carrot Hummus

by Clayton - February 13th, 2016

Pat and the kids from the Orono Gardening and Cooking Club sent us this recipe. We love carrots, and we love hummus, so what could be better than hummus with carrots already in it??
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Celeriac Pasta with Puttanesca Sauce

by Clayton - February 13th, 2016

Puttanesca is a hearty, robust, tangy pasta sauce of tomatoes with olives, capers and garlic. Olivia sent us this recipe, saying “celeriac pasta with spicy sauce… VERY cool gluten/grain-free alternative the spaghetti, but still warm and filling in the winter!” It comes from one of our favorite recipes sites: My New Roots.

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Simple Salsa

by Clayton - February 3rd, 2016

For us, fresh salsa is the flavor of summer!
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Garlic Scape Pesto

by Clayton - February 3rd, 2016

While we prefer our garlic scapes stir-fried or — even better — grilled with our grilled veggie marinade, who can argue with more pesto?
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Garlic Scape and Pork Cutlet Stir Fry

by Clayton - February 3rd, 2016

1 bunch garlic scapes, chopped in 1” pieces
1 package pork cutlets
2 tbsp ginger, minced
rice wine
soy sauce
peanut oil

1. Heat up wok or skillet until it starts to smoke.
2. Add some peanut oil then add garlic and ginger and stir-fry quickly for just a moment. Remove and set these aside.
3. Add the pork in one layer, stirring infrequently to let it brown. Remove and set it aside.
4. Add a splash of oil, then add garlic scapes and cook until dark green and somewhat charred.
5. Add everything back into wok and add a splash of rice wine and a smaller splash of soy sauce. Stir-fry for a moment then remove pan from heat.
6. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve with rice.

Cornmeal and Molasses Waffles

by Clayton - February 3rd, 2016

This is our family’s favorite waffle recipe. The earthiness of the cornmeal and molasses work so well together, they’re addictive. This is based off of a recipe in Mark Bittman’s excellent How To Cook Everything.
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Cheesy Grits with Sage

by Clayton - February 3rd, 2016

These grits are incredibly delicous and incredibly easy and incredibly versatile! Serve for breakfast with a fried egg, or serve for dinner with cooked greens or beans. They come from Mark Bittman’s How To Cook Everything Fast.
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Cornbread

by Clayton - February 3rd, 2016

This is Clayton’s favorite cornbread recipe. He got it from Mark Bittman’s great cookbook How To Cook Everything.
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Thai-Style Peanut Sauce with Honey

by Clayton - February 3rd, 2016

¼ cup honey
¼ cup smooth peanut butter
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp peanut oil (or olive oil)
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp fresh garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger root, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

1. Combine everything in a medium bowl.
2. Saute or stir-fry all of your veggies; remove from wok.
3. Heat the sauce in the wok, then combine with the cooked veggies.
Enjoy!

Grilled Cabbage Caesar

by Clayton - February 3rd, 2016

cabbage to your heart’s content
1 c Parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 garlic clove, finely minced
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ c olive oil
2 tbsp yogurt (optional)
1 tsp anchovy paste (optional)
  -or- 1-2 anchovies, smashed and minced (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Slice whole cabbage into 1” thick slabs and drizzle with olive oil. (Metal kabob skewers are optional but can help hold the cabbage slabs together while grilling.)
2. Grill cabbage on medium-high, 5 minutes per side.
3. While cabbage is grilling, blend or food process all of the dressing ingredients.
4. When cabbage is done, it should be slightly ‘al dente’, with some charred bits. Remove skewers, cut core out of cabbage and coarsely chop the rest into roughly 1” pieces.
5. In a generous bowl, toss cabbage with enough dressing to coat. Add more dressing, salt or pepper to taste.
Enjoy!

Simplest, Delicious-est Basil Pesto

by Clayton - February 3rd, 2016

1 big, bountiful, bunch of beautiful basil
2 cloves garlic, peeled
½ cup pine nuts or walnuts
¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ cup Parmesan, finely grated
Salt and pepper

1. Toast the nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking frequently, until fragrant, browned and not burned. (Toasting the nuts is optional, but makes the pesto more delicious; skip this step if you’re short on time.)
2. Pulse the nuts in a food processor until chopped. Add basil, garlic and oil. Process, adding salt, pepper and more oil as needed until the pesto is smooth and delicious. Stir or pulse in the cheese.
3. Adjust salt, pepper, oil and cheese to taste.
4. Enjoy!

Mom’s Pumpkin Pie

by Clayton - February 3rd, 2016

It’s not hard to make a pie from an actual pumpkin!
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“Asian” Cole Slaw

by Clayton - February 1st, 2016

1 lb napa cabbage, shredded
½ cup carrot, shredded
¼ cup scallion (or shallot, or onion), finely chopped
½ cup almonds, sliced or slivered
2 tbsp rice vinegar (or cider or wine vinegar)
4 tbsp maple syrup (or sugar)
½ cup sesame oil (or peanut or olive oil)
2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
2 tsp soy sauce (or tamari)
crushed red pepper to taste

1. Prepare vegetables as stated. Combine and mix vegetables and almonds and set aside.
2. Combine and mix remaining ingredients to make dressing and set aside.
3. When ready to serve, pour dressing over slaw and toss to mix.

Honeyed Cardoons with Pine Nuts and Thyme

by Clayton - October 4th, 2012

I love growing cardoons, but always had a hard time telling folks that the only way to eat them was to either bake them in cream, fry them in oil or dip in a mix of butter, olive oil and anchovies.  So it was refreshing when I stumbled upon cooking blog with a post lamenting the exact same thing.  A non-guilt-inducing cardoon recipe that tastes so good you can’t stop eating it?  Yes please!  (Recipe adapted from Hunter Angler Gardener Cook.) Continue reading »

Cardoon Potato Gratin

by Clayton - October 4th, 2012

A gratin is a (the?) classic way to prepare this cousin of the artichoke.  Any recipe for potato gratin would work – just add some prepared cardoons to the mix – but short of improvising, here is a recipe for a simple gratin of potatoes and cardoons.  This recipe was adapted from one of the cardoon recipes over at Mariquita Farm. Continue reading »