Grilled Halloumi & Vegetable Kabobs
These kabobs are incredibly colorful, accented by halloumi cheese and fresh oregano.
Ingredients:
8 ounces halloumi cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 Corne di Tori sweet peppers, seeded and cut into large slices
½ purple eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 zucchini, sliced in half and then cut into 1-inch slices
1 onion, peeled and sliced in half, then cut into 1-inch slices
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons oregano leaves
1 lemon
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Wood or metal skewers
Method:
1. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high. (If using wooden skewers, place in a sheet pan and cover with water; allow to soak while prepping the other ingredients.)
2. Thread the chopped ingredients onto skewers, alternating between cheese and vegetables (peppers, eggplant, zucchini and onion pieces).
3. In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons olive oil with a dash of salt and pepper, then brush each skewer kabob on both sides with the mixture. Additionally, slice lemon in half.
4. Grill each kabob, flipping occasionally, until vegetables are tender and slightly charred, and the cheese is golden. While kabobs are cooking, also grill the lemon halves, flesh side down until slightly charred.
5. Remove kabobs and lemon from grill and transfer kabobs to a platter. Drizzle with additional 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with oregano. Squeeze juice from the grilled lemon over top.
Greek Eggplant with Lemon Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
1 eggplant
1½ cups olive oil
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup chicken stock or broth
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 425°. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, shallots, oregano, parsley and garlic in medium bowl to blend. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
2. Toss eggplant with ½ cup vinaigrette on heavy large rimmed baking sheet. Reserve remaining vinaigrette for serving. Pour chicken stock around eggplant. Sprinkle eggplant with salt and pepper. Roast eggplant until tender and golden brown, turning occasionally, about 45 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
3. Divide eggplant equally among plates. Drizzle some of the reserved lemon vinaigrette over eggplant before serving.
Pasta with Sautéed Chanterelle Mushrooms & Herb-Roasted Cauliflower
Rich with locally-foraged mushrooms and herbs, this pasta beautifully captures the flavors of fall.
Ingredients:
1 pound Lagana Foods pasta
2 cups Chanterelle mushrooms, washed and patted dry
2 cups Herb-Roasted Cauliflower (see recipe)
¼ cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided in half
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup combined fresh chopped parsley, sage and thyme
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
¼ cup grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese (optional)
Method:
1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Drop in pasta and cook until al dente, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and rinse, reserving ½ cup of the starchy cooking liquid.
2. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter with the olive oil over medium heat, stirring to combine. Add Chanterelle mushrooms and garlic and sauté 2-3 minutes until mushrooms are soft and tender and then add chicken stock and cook until reduced slightly, another 3-4 minutes. Add in fresh herbs and season generously with salt and pepper.
3. Add in drained pasta and cauliflower florets and toss. Add in reserved 1 tablespoon of butter and grated cheese, and mix to distribute. If pasta seems dry, add in reserved cooking liquid 1 tablespoon at a time until adequately moist.
Roasted Turnips & Cauliflower
These beautiful, hearty vegetables are freshened up by the addition of Italian olives and chopped herbs.
Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 bunch turnips, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
½ cup mixed Italian olives
6 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Chopped herbs, such as parsley and thyme
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Toss cauliflower and turnip pieces in a large bowl, and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Spread in a single, even layer on a sheet pan and roast for 20-25 minutes, until vegetables are softened and browned in spots.
3. Remove from oven and place in a serve platter. Top with mixed olives and a handful of freshly-chopped herbs.
Crispy Chickpeas
Wonderful for snacking, these crunchy-crispy, salty chickpeas are also fantastic served with sautéed sprouting broccoli.
Ingredients:
4 cups chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Vegetable oil cooking spray
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1-2 teaspoons smoked sea salt*
*If you have extra, feel free to substitute for F&L dry grilling rub!
Method:
1. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°. Spray a baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray.
2. Put the chickpeas on a clean kitchen towel or several paper towels and dry thoroughly. In a medium bowl, toss the chickpeas with olive oil to coat. Sprinkle with the smoked salt and toss again. Transfer in an even layer to the prepared baking sheet.
3. Bake, shaking the pan halfway through the baking time, until the chickpeas are crunchy, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool at least 1 hour; the chickpeas will become crunchier as they cool. These are best eaten within 1 day.
Marsala-Baked Pears
Drizzled with Marsala wine, this baked dish from the Chez Panisse Fruit cookbook by Alice Waters enhances the natural, mellow sweetness of the pears to produce a rich, yet light, dessert.
Ingredients:
6 medium pears (Bosc or D’Anjou)
2 ½ cups Marsala wine
½ cup sugar
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°.
2. Slice â…›-inch off the bottom of each pear so it will sit flat. Arrange the pears in a ceramic baking dish just large enough to hold them snugly.
3. Pour the Marsala over the pears and sprinkle with sugar.
4. Bake pears for about 1 hour, basting them every 15 minutes with their cooking juices. They are done when they can be easily pierced with a knife and look caramelized and golden.
5. Serve the pears on individual dessert plates, drizzled with the juices from the baking dish and with a dollop of crème fraîche or mascarpone alongside.
Chickpea Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Peppers & Feta
This simple salad comes together in minutes, and travels well for lunches or picnics!
Ingredients:
2 cups baby chickpeas
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup mini Bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
½ cup sweet Skagit onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Chopped baby red Romaine (optional)
Method:
1. Rinse and drain chickpeas. In a large bowl, combine chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, peppers, onion and fresh parsley. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
2. In small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice and crushed garlic, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle dressing over chickpea mixture, and top with crumbled feta cheese. Serve alone, or over a bed of Romaine lettuce drizzled lightly with additional olive oil and lemon juice.
Billy Mills’ Bread & Butter Pickles
This recipe from 1940s-era music conductor Billy Mills is a great introduction to pickling.
Ingredients:
7 cucumbers, sliced
5 white onions, sliced
1 green pepper, chopped
1 sweet red Bullhorn pepper, chopped
¼ cup salt
Crushed ice
Pickling solution:
2½ cups white vinegar
2½ cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon celery seed
¾ teaspoon tumeric
¼ teaspoon cloves
Method:
1. Prepare vegetables and place in a large bowl. Mix in salt and ice, then place in a cool place and let stand for at least 3 hours. Drain.
2. Mix pickling solution, add to drained vegetable in a large pot or kettle. Bring mixture to a boil, remove vegetables to canning jars immediately and cover in the hot liquid; seal.
Donut Peach Shortcakes with Vanilla-Honey Crème Fraîche
Topped with our housemade crème fraîche and ripe Donut peaches, these shortcakes are moist, crumbly and just a touch sweet.
Ingredients:
Farm & Larder shortcake mix
¾ cup heavy cream, plus 1 tablespoon
4 cups Donut peaches, pitted, peeled (if desired) and sliced
1 cup sugar
1 cup Farm & Larder vanilla-honey crème fraîche
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Add the shortcake mix to a large mixing bowl. Measure ¾ cup cream; set aside 1 tablespoon. Add the remaining cream to the dry mixture, and stir with a fork until the mixture just comes together.
2. Lightly knead the dough a few times in the bowl, turn it out onto a lightly floured board, and roll out about ¾-inch thick. Cut six 2½-inch circles or squares out of the dough. Reroll the scraps, you should be able to get 2 or 3 more shortcakes out of it.
3. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment, and brush the tops with the tablespoon of cream. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from oven and allow to slightly cool.
4. In a second bowl, mix sliced peaches with sugar. To assemble, split each shortcake in half and top both halves with a serving of sliced peaches. Finish with a generous dollop of crème fraîche.