Kale Gratin with Parmesan Bread Crumbs
This no-guilt gratin skips the cream, but still boasts big flavor thanks to a topping of toasty bread crumbs.
Ingredients:
2 pounds (about 2 bunches) kale, tough stems removed, leaves chopped
1½ cups fresh whole-wheat sourdough bread crumbs
½ cup grated Grana-style cheese
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Sea salt
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
2. In a bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, cheese and 1 tablespoon of the oil until well-blended.
3. In a large frying pan, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the kale and sprinkle with a healthy dash of salt. Stir until the kale is wilted and coated with oil. Add ¼ cup water, cover and steam until the kale is tender, 6-10 minutes. Transfer to a shallow baking dish and smooth the top. Sprinkle with the bread crumb mixture.
4. Bake until the bread crumbs are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve.
Local, Fresh, Convenient CSA Subscriber?
Have our fresh Farm & Larder goods hand-delivered to your home each week.
Sweet Italian Sausage & Orzo Ribollita
This spin on the classic Italian soup features puttanesca sauce, orzo pasta and toasted Pomodoro bread.
Ingredients:
¼ cup olive oil, plus additional for drizzling over the bread
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, 1 minced and 1 whole
1 quart Nonna Pat’s puttanesca sauce
3 cups chicken stock
1 3-inch Parmesan cheese rind
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons combined fresh thyme leaves and chopped parsley
1 bunch Lacinato kale, greens removed from ribs and torn into bite-sized pieces
½ cup orzo pasta
4-6 slices pomodoro loaf
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Parmesan cheese, for serving
Method:
1. Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, sausage and minced garlic. Cook, crumbling the sausage into small pieces, until the onion is golden brown and the sausage is cooked through, about 7 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.
2. Add the puttanesca sauce and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits. Add the chicken stock, bay leaf, herbs and Parmesan rind. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, then add the orzo and kale, and simmer an additional 10 minutes or until the orzo is cooked and kale is wilted.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°. Drizzle the sliced pomodoro bread with olive oil. Toast until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and rub the top of the toasts with the whole garlic clove. Place the toasts in the serving bowls and ladle the soup over the toasts. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.
Variation: In leiu of the pomodoro bread, free free to sub in the sourdough dinner rolls crafted from this week’s starter!
Local, Fresh, Convenient CSA Subscriber?
Have our fresh Farm & Larder goods hand-delivered to your home each week.
Grilled Lacinato Kale Spread
This creamy spread from the new cookbook, Any Night Grilling, is delicious slathered on slices of grilled bread.
Ingredients:
1 bunch Lacinato kale
1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grilling
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Pinch red pepper flakes
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
½ cup crumbled sheep’s milk feta
Rustic bread, such as this week’s Italian Rustica, sliced
1 clove garlic, peeled and halved lengthwise
Flaky sea salt
Method:
1. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium high, then carefully wipe the preheated grates with a lightly-oiled paper towel.
2. In a large bowl, combine the Greek yogurt with the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and red pepper flakes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then fold in the sheep’s milk cheese.
3. Working in batches, grill the kale leaves until lightly charred, 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and cool slightly. Use a knife to trim the thick ribs from each leaf, then finely chop the kale leaves. Fold into the yogurt mixture.
4. Grill the bread slices over direct heat until charred, about 1 minute per side. While still war, rub 1 side of each toast with the cut side of the garlic. Top each toast with a slather of creamy kale, drizzle with olive oil and top with flaky sea salt, then serve.
Local, Fresh, Convenient CSA Subscriber?
Have our fresh Farm & Larder goods hand-delivered to your home each week.
Challah Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce
Drizzled with a warm bourbon sauce, this dessert is oh-so-comforting!
Ingredients:
4 cups slightly stale Challah bread with crusts, cut into ½-inch pieces
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 cup whipping cream
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup pecans, toasted, chopped
For bourbon sauce:
¼ cup unsalted butter
½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons whipping cream
2 tablespoons bourbon
Pinch of salt
Method:
1. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish. Whisk the eggs, milk, whipping cream, sugar, vanilla extract and salt in a medium bowl. Place the bread chunks and pecans in the prepared dish. Pour the milk mixture over and let stand 5 minutes. Push down bread into custard. Refrigerate for 2 hours, pushing bread into custard occasionally.
2. Preheat oven to 375°. Place the bread pudding in a large metal baking pan. Add enough water to baking pan to come 1 inch up the sides of the dish with bread pudding. Bake until pudding is puffed and golden brown on top, approximately 50 minutes.
3. While pudding is cooking, prepare the sauce: Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in remaining ingredients. Simmer until thickened, whisking often, about 3 minutes. Cool slightly.
4. Remove dish with bread pudding from water and cool slightly. Cut into squares. Serve bread pudding warm with sauce.
Local, Fresh, Convenient CSA Subscriber?
Have our fresh Farm & Larder goods hand-delivered to your home each week.
Piracicaba Broccoli with Crispy Lemon Crumbs
This recipe courtesy of Gail Simmons adds crunchy, lemon-tinged bread crumbs for a show-stopping finish.
Ingredients:
1 large bunch Piracicaba broccoli, ends trimmed
2 slices of white bread, torn
1 small shallot, very finely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Sea salt
Lemon wedges (optional)
Prep Ahead:Â The lemon crumbs can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Method:
1. In a food processor, pulse the white bread until large crumbs form. In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the bread crumbs and cook them over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until golden. Remove from the heat. Stir in the crushed red pepper and lemon zest and season with salt. Transfer the crumbs to a plate to cool. Wipe out the skillet.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccolini and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain well, shaking off the excess water; pat dry.
3. In the large skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the shallot and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add the broccolini, season lightly with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccolini is lightly browned in spots, about 4 minutes.
4. Transfer the broccolini to a serving platter and sprinkle the lemony bread crumbs on top. Serve right away with lemon wedges.
Local, Fresh, Convenient CSA Subscriber?
Have our fresh Farm & Larder goods hand-delivered to your home each week.
Savory Mushroom Breakfast Strata
This healthy yet decadent-tasting strata is studded with winter squash, mushrooms and tender greens.
Ingredients:
1 bunch hearty greens, such as kale or Swiss chard
½ pound mushrooms, such as baby Shiitake, washed and sliced
½ winter squash, peeled, seeded and diced into 1-inch pieces
½ loaf French bread (preferably stale!), cut into 1-inch-thick slices
1-2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, coarsely chopped
½ cup Gruyère cheese, grated
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
4 eggs
2 cups milk
Olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Bring a medium or large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add the greens. Cook 2-3 minutes, until tender but still colorful. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, then drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop coarsely and set aside. Cut one of the garlic cloves in half and rub the slices of bread with the cut side. Then mince all of the garlic. Cut the bread into 1-inch squares.
2. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a heavy skillet and add the squash. Cook, stirring often, until it begins to soften, and add the thyme, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Then add the mushrooms and cook an additional 1-2 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender and fragrant. Stir in the greens, toss together and remove from the heat.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°. Oil or butter a 2-quart baking dish. In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, the mushrooms, squash and greens, and the two cheeses and toss together. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
4. Beat together the eggs and milk. Add salt to taste and a few twists of the pepper mill, and pour over the bread mixture. Let sit for 30 minutes before baking so that the bread can absorb some of the liquid.
5. Place in the oven and bake 40-50 minutes, until puffed and browned. Remove from the oven and serve hot or warm.
Local, Fresh, Convenient CSA Subscriber?
Have our fresh Farm & Larder goods hand-delivered to your home each week.
Fried Corona Beans with Kale-Lemon Pesto
Pan-fried and then tossed with a bright kale-lemon pesto, these crispy beans are incredibly satisfying.
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked Corona beans (see method)
1 bunch Tuscan black kale
¾ cup Grana-style cheese
¾ cup toasted pecans
Zest and juice of 1-2 lemons
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1-2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for frying
1 clove garlic, minced
Pinch salt
Method:
1. To prep the pesto: Roughly remove stems from kale. Add kale to a pot of boiling water. Stir and cook about 45 seconds, then remove and rinse with cold water. Pick up kale with your hands and mold into a ball, squeezing out all the excess water. Set aside. In a food processor, add the lemon zest, juice, salt, nutmeg, garlic and pecans. Pulse a few times to coarsely chop. Add in the kale, and pulse while adding olive oil. Taste for salt and add more oil if it is too dry.
2. Add 1-2 tablespoons additional olive oil to coat a large frying pan. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering, then add beans in a single layer. Stir to coat the beans, then let them sit long enough to brown on one side, about 3-4 minutes, before turning to brown the other side, also about 3-4 minutes. The beans should be golden and a bit crunchy on the outside.
3. Add kale-lemon pesto to the beans and toss to combine. Remove from heat and serve lightly sprinkled with additional Grana cheese.
Local, Fresh, Convenient CSA Subscriber?
Have our fresh Farm & Larder goods hand-delivered to your home each week.
Vanilla Bean French Toast
Prep this fragrant French toast the night before, and then bake it in the oven right before brunch—easy, peasy!
Ingredients:
1 loaf cinnamon bread, cut into 1-inch slices
6 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups half-and-half
¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
½ cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fresh berries and confectioner’s sugar, for topping
Method:
1. Preheat an oven to 425°. Butter or grease the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Set aside, Arrange the bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast until the bread is lightly golden brown and dry, about 7 minutes, flipping the slices about halfway through the cooking time. Transfer the bread slices to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, brown sugar, lemon zest and a pinch of salt. With the tip of a paring knife, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean halves into the egg mixture and whisk to combine; reserve the vanilla bean halves. In batches, dip the bread slices into the egg mixture, turning the slices to coat them evenly and letting the bread sit in the bowl for about 2 minutes to absorb the liquid. Arrange the bread slices in the prepared baking dish, overlapping them slightly. Pour any remaining egg mixture in the bowl evenly over the bread in the dish. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
3. To bake, preheat the oven to 350°. Transfer the dish, still covered with the foil, to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the dish, increase the oven temperature to 375° and continue baking until the French toast is puffed up and browned, about 15 minutes more. While the French toast is cooking, in a small saucepan over low heat, combine the maple syrup and the 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted, about 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. To serve, pour the maple syrup mixture evenly over the French toast. Garnish with the reserved vanilla bean halves, if desired, and serve with berries and a dusting of confectioner’s sugar.
Local, Fresh, Convenient CSA Subscriber?
Have our fresh Farm & Larder goods hand-delivered to your home each week.
Parmesan-Crusted Winter Squash
This versatile recipe works with any number of squash—Butternut, Tetsukabuto, Acorn, Delicata or any other variety you like.
Ingredients:
1 large squash, or 2-3 smaller squash, peeled and cut into ¼-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup panko-style bread crumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Toss the squash with olive oil and kosher salt to taste. Place the squash in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
3. Combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, nutmeg, pepper, salt, garlic and thyme in a bowl. Stir to mix well. Sprinkle this all over the squash and roast until tender, about 40 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve warm or at room temperature.
Local, Fresh, Convenient CSA Subscriber?
Have our fresh Farm & Larder goods hand-delivered to your home each week.
Pappardelle Pasta with Italian Sausage & Kale
Everyone will be asking for seconds of this extremely satisfying dish.
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh pasta of your choice, such as this week’s pappardelle
1 sweet onion, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 bunch Lacinato kale, greens removed from tough rib ends and then roughly chopped
4 tablespoons freshly-chopped herbs, such as a combination of oregano, parsley and thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus an additional tablespoon for finishing
Grana-style cheese, grated
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Cook the pasta for 5-7 minutes in a pot of heavily salted water until al dente, or just cooked through with a bit of bite left. Reserve about ½ cup of the pasta water, then drain, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, slice the Italian sausage links into bite-sized rounds and cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through and no longer pink on the inside. Remove the sausage to a plate and set aside.
3. Wipe any excess grease from the skillet with a paper towel, then drizzle in 2 tablespoons olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add in the onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add in the chopped kale and continue to sauté, stirring until the kale is just wilted.
3. Add the pasta and sausage into the skillet and toss to combine with the kale mixture; season with salt and pepper as necessary. Add in the herbs and toss once more; if the pasta seems a little dry, moisten with the reserved pasta water. Finish by sprinkling each serving with grated Grana-style cheese and an additional swirl of olive oil.
Local, Fresh, Convenient CSA Subscriber?
Have our fresh Farm & Larder goods hand-delivered to your home each week.
Local, Fresh, Convenient CSA Subscriber?
Have our fresh Farm & Larder goods hand-delivered to your home each week.