Homemade Granola
Marge Granola owner Megan Gordon shares her tips and tricks for creating your own scrumptious batch of granola.
Ingredients:
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 to 2 ½ cups your choice of nuts and seeds*
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cardamom
½ cup oil, such as olive oil
½ cup + 1 tablespoon liquid sweetener, such as honey or maple syrup
¾ teaspoon vanilla
¾ cups dried fruits, chopped
* Note: Nuts that are already roasted should go in at the end after the granola is baked so as not to burn.
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix the oats and any untoasted nuts or seeds together in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
2. Add salt, cinnamon, and cardamom and stir thoroughly to combine, then stir in the oil, sweetener, and vanilla.
3. Turn the granola out onto a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the mixture is light brown and toasty. Stir every 15 minutes or so for an even color and to make sure the granola is cooking evenly. (If using coconut, add in the last 15 minutes of baking.)
4. Roughly chop any dried fruits and roasted nuts being added after baking. Remove from the oven and add the chopped dried fruits and any roasted nuts at this time. Stir to combine. Let cool before enjoying and store in an airtight container for fresh granola up to 7 to 10 days.
How-To: Dry Chili Peppers
Two simple ways to preserve these spicy peppers to use in recipes all winter long!
Ingredients:
Basque or any other thin-skinned chili peppers
Method:
Air-dry method: Wash your chili peppers thoroughly after picking to remove any dirt, then dry. Place on a plate or a wire rack in a dry, well ventilated room. You can also string the chilies up on string or thread and hang to dry. Within several weeks, you will have dried chili peppers and you can grind them up or use them as ornaments as desired.
Oven-dry method: Wash your chili peppers thoroughly after picking to remove any dirt. Cut them in half, lengthwise to expose the pepper innards. Arrange the chili peppers over a baking sheet. Bake at low heat, about 100°-135°. There is no set time to bake the chili peppers for drying. Keep an eye on them, turning every few minutes or so. You can leave the oven door cracked for some air flow. It will take several hours with this method. Keep in the oven until the moisture has been baked out of them. Use as desired!
Roasted Walla Walla Onions with Pine Nut Butter
This classic side dish from Tom Douglas’ Dahlia Lounge restaurant is often served over a bed of sautéed Swiss chard.
Ingredients:
4 medium Walla Walla sweet onions
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup pine nuts, toasted
3 ounces unsalted butter, softened
½ teaspoon lemon zest
½ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
â…“ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Additional pine nuts, lemon wedges and rosemary sprigs for garnish
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Peel onions and cut them in half, top to bottom. Brush onions with oil and place cut side down on a preheated grill or grill pan. Barbecue until grill marks form. Place on a cookie sheet and finish cooking in the oven until tender, about 25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the pine nut butter. Place the ½ cup pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times until finely ground. Add butter, lemon zest, rosemary, black pepper and salt. Process until mixture is well blended. Spread the tender onions liberally with pine nut butter. Return to the oven to cook just until butter is melted, about 2 minutes.
3. Serve onions warm, sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese and additional toasted pine nuts. Garnish plates with lemon wedges and rosemary sprigs if desired.
Sweet Corn & Roasted Potato Salad with Fresh Basil
This room temperature salad will be a hit at your next barbecue. (Plus, it’s a snap to prep ahead!)
Ingredients:
3 pounds fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and halved or quartered if large
¼ cup minced parsley
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups sweet corn kernels, cut from the cob
½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 bunch fresh basil leaves, chopped
¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
For dressing:
½ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Place the potatoes in a heavy roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, stir to coat. Salt and pepper generously and add chopped parsley. Roast the potatoes until tender and starting to brown, turning once or twice, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
2. When potatoes have cooled, combine together with the corn kernels and sun-dried tomatoes.
3. For the dressing, combine the ½ cup of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Toss the potato mixture enough dressing to coat lightly. Stir in the basil and feta cheese gently, season with salt and pepper and garnish with toasted pine nuts. Serve at room temperature.
Apple-Pear Galette with Hazelnut Crumb Topping
This rustic fruit tart is fragrant with cinnamon, sugar and toasted hazelnuts.
Ingredients:
Farm & Larder galette dough, chilled
2 Gala apples
1 red d’Anjou pear
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Hazelnut crumb topping (see below)
Topping:
1 cup toasted hazelnuts, thoroughly cooled
â…” cup sugar
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
â…› teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch pieces
Method:
1. To prepare the topping: Place the toasted hazelnuts and sugar in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are well chopped. Add the flour, salt, and cinnamon and pulse again to mix. Remove the lid and scatter the butter over the dry ingredients. Pulse until the mixture resembles medium-fine crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°. Peel, halve and core the apples and slice into ¼-inch thick pieces. In a bowl, toss the fruit slices with the sugar and cinnamon.
3. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the pastry into a 12-by-14-inch rectangle and transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet. Decoratively arrange the fruit slices over the pastry to within an inch of the edge. Top the fruit with the hazelnut crumb topping and spread out in an even layer (you may have leftover topping). Fold the pastry edge up and over the fruit to create a 1-inch border.
4. Bake the galette for about 1 hour, until the pastry is nicely browned and crisp and the fruit is tender. Transfer the pan to a rack and let the galette cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Pear-Apple Crisp
A quick and easy dessert using fresh apples and pears: Simply toss with cornstarch and sugar, then sprinkle with the topping from this week’s box.
Ingredients:
2 cups apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
2 cups pears, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1-2 tablespoons butter
Farm & Larder fruit crisp topping
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
2. Toss the apple and pear slices with sugar and cornstarch. Place in oven safe dish and add butter dabs to the top. Sprinkle the fruit crisp topping evenly over the fruit, covering it completely.
3. Bake until the topping is lightly browned and the fruit is bubbling, about 35-40 minutes.
F&L Summer Fruit Cake
Moist and incredibly flavorful, this summer fruit cake comes together in just minutes!
Ingredients:
F&L summer fruit cake mix
2 eggs
2 cups of summer fruit or berries, diced if needed
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, diced fruit or berries, stirring well to combine.
2. Pour batter into a greased cake pan and back for 25-30 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly and serve warm.
Variation: This is also lovely baked in a cast-iron pan as an upside down cake. For this method, melt â…“ cup butter and â…“ cup sugar in a cast iron pan over medium-low heat, then pour in the mixed cake batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven and invert the pan on a rimmed plate. Let sit 5 minutes then carefully remove the pan from the cake.
Fruit Crisp
To craft this signature dessert, simply toss apple slices with cornstarch and sugar, then sprinkle with the topping from this week’s box.
Ingredients:
4 cups peeled and sliced Pippin apples
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1-2 tablespoons of butter
Farm & Larder fruit crisp topping
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
2. Toss the apples with sugar and cornstarch.
3. Place in oven safe dish and add butter dabs to the top. Sprinkle the fruit crisp topping evenly over the fruit, covering completely.
4. Bake until the topping is lightly browned and the fruit is bubbly, about 35-40 minutes.
Roasted Cara Cara Oranges
These gorgeous oranges are a wonderful addition to a cheeseboard; or, remove the rinds and toss into a salad!
Ingredients:
3 Cara Cara oranges, sliced into thick wedges
½ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
½ cup pistachios or other toasted nut of your choice, chopped
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to broil. Line a baking sheet or roasting pan with foil or parchment paper and place the orange wedges on pan. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the top of the exposed fruit.
2. Place under a broiler for 3-5 minutes, until the brown sugar is bubbly and beginning to brown and the edges are caramelized. Remove from oven. Drizzle orange wedges evenly with honey and top with the nuts. Serve warm.