Pear Upside-Down Cake

Makes 1 ten-and-a-half-inch cake


For the topping:
4tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

3 ripe pears, such as Bartlett or Anjou, peeled and cored



For the batter:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

8tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. Stevia blend herbal sweetener or another 1/2 cup of sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

2 large eggs

1/2 cup milk



1. Make the topping: Melt butter in the bottom of a 10 1/2-inch cast-iron skillet over low heat. Add brown sugar, stirring until dissolved. Swirl to coat the bottom; remove from heat, and cool. Cut pears into 1/4-inch-thick wedges, and arrange them in a circular pattern over the brown-sugar mixture to cover completely; set aside.

2. Make the batter: Preheat the oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar/stevia on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add extracts; beat to combine. Add eggs , one at a time, beating to combine.

4. Alternating with the milk, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and mix, on low speed, just until the flour is incorporated.

5. Transfer batter to the skillet. Using an offset spatula, spread the batter evenly, being careful not to disturb the pears.

6. Bake until well browned on top and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Run a knife around inside of pan, and immediately invert the cake onto a serving dish. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Indian Spiced Vegetables

CSA Box-onion, carrot,garlic,zucchini, pepper, cauliflower, fresh peas

2 Tb. Vegetable oil
1 lg. yellow onion, chopped
2 small carrots, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 Tb. ginger, peeled and chopped
1 tsp. Light brown sugar, or other sweetener (1 small date works well)
1 tsp. Ground coriander
1/2 tsp. Ground cumin
1/2 tsp. Dry mustard
1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/2 tsp. Turmeric
1 Tb. White wine vinegar
1 small Green bell pepper, seeded and diced
4 cups small cauliflower florets
2 small zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans (or one 15.5 ounce canned beans, rinsed and drained)
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
Water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper (salt is optional)
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed


Heat oil in a very large non-stick pot or wok over medium-high heat. Add the onions and carrots and cover, and cook until softened, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the garlic, ginger, brown sugar, coriander, cumin, mustard, cayenne, turmeric, and vinegar in a small bowl.
When the onions and carrots are softened, add the spice mixture and cook until fragrant.
Add the bell pepper, cauliflower, zucchini, and kidney beans. Cover and turn heat to low.
Blend the tomato paste with 1 1/4 cup water Add the tomato paste mixture to the vegetables, season with pepper and salt (if using), cover, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes.

Add the peas and allow to heat through for about 5 minutes. Serve alone or over basmati rice or other grain.

Serves 4-6 large servings

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

I got this recipe from the Epicurious website
It was light and very good.
I substituted veggie broth for the chicken broth. Also, I used Stevia Blend for the sweetner (1/4 tsp.), instead of sugar.
While the color is nice, I thought the texture of the basil interrupted the smoothness of the soup. Making a basil infused oil and drizzling with that would be a better choice.

A Summer Salad

CSA box- garlic, patty pan squash, zucchini, tomatoes, arugula

1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2-3 very small zucchini, thinly sliced crosswise
3 small yellow patty pan squash, very thinly sliced, pole to pole or diced
1 to 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 bunch arugula
several large shavings of parmesano reggiano ( use a vegetable peeler)
Salt and pepper to taste


Mix the vinegar and the garlic in medium bowl and set aside to mascerate for 20 minutes. Whisk in the olive oil. Stir in the summer squashes and the tomatoes. Add salt an dpepper to taste. Hold in fridge until ready to serve. Just before servings mix in the arugula and the parmesan.

Matt cooks garlic confit

CSA box- garlic


Garlic confit (via whats-his-face and Craft)

a small sauce pan
the cloves from like 4 heads of garlic: peeled, whole
olive oil

place cloves in small sauce pan and pour just enough oil to cover the cloves, probably a littl over a cup. If the tops of some stick out don't sweat it, just be sure to stir them around so they will be under oil at some point. Place on low heat. If lots of bubbles start to rise too hot. Place on heat diffuser or lower heat. Cook until garlic is soft, when a paring knife has meets just a little resistance. Probably around 30-40 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temp.

Place garlic and oil in jar. Store in refridge. To use, smear on bread, use oil in cooking, dressings etc. Stir a few cloves in to sauces, soups, any dish where that great smooth garlic umami will drive your guest nuts and make you the envy of chefs everywhere. They'll never figure out how you do such great stuff.

Editor's Note**
Use on a grilled pizza marguerite

Dough, tomatoes, garlic confit, fresh basil and real buffalo Mozzarella.

Spicy Seared Green Beans with Chicken and Water chestnuts

CSA box- garlic, green beans



2 Tb. peanut oil
several cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
Large pinch red pepper flakes
big bunch of green beans, stem ends removed
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small dice
1 small can water chestnuts, chopped or sliced

In a large skillet, preferably cast iron, heat peanut oil to smoking point. Add green beans and get a good sear on the bottom. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until beans are tender - crisp, stirring occasionally. Pour in soy sauce. Whoosh! Cook until soy sauce is reduced and caramelizing.
Remove from heat and turn green beans into a bowl.
Return skillet to heat and add the chicken and water chestnuts. Stirring to coat with the caramelized juices from the green beans. When the chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes, return the green beans to the pan and heat through. Serve with brown rice. nums.

Salade Nicoise with Poached Tuna

CSA Box- Potatoes, Onion, tomatoes, green beans, shallots, garlic, basil




This recipe is adapted from one in Cook's Illustrated Magazine. They used grilled tuna so feel free to cook yours that way if you prefer. Any olive oil left from the poaching can be strained and then used in salads or to make mayo or aioli.


Have everything ready before you start cooking. Although there are alot of components, this will be a quick, easy, delicious dinner. Compose the salad on a large platter. If you need to borrow one you know who to call.

2 dinner servings plus a lunch

Tuna

2 small tuna steaks (4 ounces each), about 3/4 inch thick

3/4 cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic ( we used garlic from garlic confit)


Vinaigrette

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice ( 1- 1 1/2 lemons)

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1small shallot, minced (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)

2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper


Salad

1 poached egg, optional (or a boiled egg)

5 small new red potatoes (each about 2 inches in diameter) each potato scrubbed and quartered

Sea salt and ground black pepper

2 tablespoons white wine

1small head Boston lettuce or Bibb lettuce, leaves washed, dried, and torn into bite-sized pieces

2 small tomatoes, each cored and cut into eighths

1/2 small red onion (about 4 ounces), sliced very thin

4 ounces green beans, stem ends trimmed

1/4 cup niçoise olives

1 tablespoons capers , rinsed (optional)





1. For the tuna: Heat the olive oil and garlic cloves, in a pan that is just large enough to hold the tuna, to about 150 degrees. Add the tuna steaks to the oil and poach for about 10 minutes, or until tuna is cooked through. Remove from oil and season with Salt and pepper. set aside to cool.

2. For the vinaigrette: Whisk lemon juice, oil, shallot, basil, and mustard in medium bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

3. Bring potatoes and 2 quarts cold water to boil in large pan over high heat. Add 1/2 tablespoon salt and cook until potatoes are tender when poked with paring knife, 5 to 8 minutes. With slotted spoon, gently transfer potatoes to medium bowl (do not discard boiling water). Toss warm potatoes with the white wine and salt and pepper to taste; let stand 1 minute. Toss in 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette; set aside.

5. While potatoes cook, arrange bed of lettuce on very large, flat serving platter. Chunk the tuna and place in a mound on the lettuce. Toss tomatoes, onion, 1 tablespoon vinaigrette, and salt and pepper in a small bowl; arrange tomato-onion mixture in mound at edge of lettuce bed. Arrange reserved potatoes in separate mound at edge of lettuce bed.

6. Return water to boil; add 1 tsp. salt and green beans. Cook until tender but crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain beans, run under cold water to stop cooking, and let stand until just cool, about 30 seconds; dry beans well on paper towels. Toss beans, 1 tablespoon vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste in now-empty bowl; arrange in separate mound at edge of lettuce bed.

7. Arrange poached egg and olives on salad Drizzle salad with any remaining dressing, sprinkle entire salad with capers (if using), and serve immediately.

Tofu and Veggies with Thai Peanut Sauce & Sweet and Sour Cucumber Salad

CSA Box- Pattypan squash, carrots, spinach, cucumber, onions, cilantro

For the Tofu and Veggies:

Press a 12 0z block of extra firm tofu to remove excess liquid. Cut in to 1-inch cubes and pat dry.
Cut several small patty pans into quarters. Thinly slice a carrot or two crosswise.
Wash spinach and spin dry.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add a couple Tb. peanut oil and heat until nearly smoking.
Carefully add the tofu chunks in a single layer. Brown well on one side, then turn and brown other side. Add carrots to pan. Cover and cook 2 minutes. Add patty pan. Cover and cook 1 minute. Add spinach, cover and cook a minute or so, until just beginning to wilt.
Serve with the peanut sauce.

Thai Peanut Sauce

I like this recipe better than most restaurant peanut sauces. This is good with grilled or steamed vegetables, cooked rice noodles and sautéed greens, rice, tofu, or tossed with noodles and vegetables for a cold salad.


1/2 c. Unsweetened coconut milk
2 t. (or to taste) Thai red curry paste
3/4 c. Vegetable stock
2 T. Palm sugar or brown sugar
1/4 c. Peanut butter
2T. Tamarind pulp, soaked and strained, or lime juice
1/2 t. Salt

Warm coconut milk over medium heat until it comes to a gentle boil. Simmer about 5 minutes or until it thickens a bit.
Add curry paste and cook 3 to 4 min., smashing and scraping to dissolve paste.
Add stock and sugar; simmer for 5 minutes more, stirring once or twice.
Add peanut butter, stirring as needed to dissolve into the sauce. Remove from the heat and add tamarind (or lime juice) and salt, stirring to mix well. Set aside to cool to room temp.
Keep refrigerated and gently warm before using. Thin with stock, as needed.

Sweet and Sour cucumber Salad


1/2 - cup white vinegar
1/2-cup water
1/2 - cup sugar
1-teaspoon salt
1 large hothouse cucumber, or 2 to 3 small farm fresh cukes
1/4 cup coarsely chopped red onion
3 Tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
1/3 cup finely chopped, salted dry-roasted peanuts
Additional cilantro leaves

Combine vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a small non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil, over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar and salt. When the syrup is clear and slightly thickened, after about two minutes, remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
Peel the cucumber and quarter it lengthwise to make 4 long strips. Slice the strips crosswise to make little triangles about 1/4’ thick. In a bowl combine the cucumber, the cooled vinegar mixture, the onion and the chopped cilantro and stir well.
To serve, using a slotted spoon, divide into small bowls. Top with a little dressing, a sprinkle of finely chopped peanuts and a few cilantro leaves.

Pan Seared Scallops and Broccoli Risotto

CSA box- Broccoli, Onions, Shallots

BROCCOLI RISOTTO
7 minutes high pressure – 2 to 4 minutes additional cooking
1 1/2 cups water
1 head broccoli, stems and floret cut into 2” pieces
2 Tb. Olive oil
3/4 cup minced yellow or white onion
1 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups broth of choice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

In pressure cooker, bring water to a rolling boil. Add broccoli, lock lid in place, and cook for two minutes. Start timing from when lid is locked in place. Once high pressure is reached, lower heat to just enough to maintain pressure.
Release pressure using quick release method.
Drain, reserving the cooking liquid; Set broccoli aside to cool and then finely chop, and reserve.
mix cooking liquid with the broth.
Set pressure cooker over medium heat and heat the olive oil, until it ripples. Add the onion, cooking until it is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice, tossing to coat with the oil, and cook, stirring until it has a nutty aroma, about 1 to 2 minutes. Continue stirring and add the wine.
When the wine is completely absorbed, add 3 cups of broccoli broth, lock the pressure cooker lid in place and bring to high pressure over high heat. Lower heat to maintain temperature and cook for 7 minutes. Quick release pressure and remove lid, tilting away from you. Return to low heat, stirring constantly until rice is tender, but chewy and the sauce becomes creamy and thick. Add more broth, if needed. Stir in the reserved broccoli and the S&P.

Pan Seared Sea Scallops
8 large scallops, patted dry and seasoned with salt and pepper
1 1/2 Tb. grapeseed oil
1 medium shallot minced
1/4 cup white wine
2 Tb. butter

Heat a heavy pan over high heat. Add oil. When it just gets to smoking point, carefully add the scallops ( splattering will occur!) in a single layer. If pan seems too hot reduce heat to medium high.
Cook until nicely browned on the first side, about two minutes. Do not disturb the scallops while they are searing- just let them sit! Turn and brown other side, about 1 minute. remove to warmed platter and tent to keep warm.
Add shallots to skillet and cook for a minute until beginning to soften. Add wine and reduce to about 2 Tb.
Remove from heat and stir in butter and any juice that has been released from the scallops.
Pour over scallops and serve immediately.

Raw Broccoli Salad

CSA box- Broccoli, Onions



1 bunch broccoli, cut up into small pieces
1/2 cup finely chopped red onions
8 oz. baked smoked tofu, purchased or homemade, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup diced celery ( optional for the Miller kids, I guess)
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
1/2 cup sunflower seeds

Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 tsp stevia or 2 tsp sugar
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Combine dressing ingredients and mix well with everything else.

Cheater Baklava

So, my client requested baklava and since it is a two day event before you can eat it and has tons of sugar and honey, I decided to make a scaled back version and it turned out great.


you need:

phyllo dough, thawed, about 14 sheets- keep covered with a damp towel ( not wet!) with to keep from drying out
1 stick butter, melted
1 Tb. ground cinnamon
2 cups walnuts
3/4 cup honey, divided
1/4 cup water

Heat oven to 400.
Have phyllo and butter ready.
In food processor, grind walnuts until very small, but not turned into nut butter. Add cinnamon and pulse to mix.
Drizzle 4 Tb. honey over that and pulse again to mix.
Lay out one sheet of phyllo on a large board or counter top.
Brush with melted butter. Fold in half, maintain the long edge. fold again, same direction. Brush down the length with the butter again. sprinkle about 2 Tb. of the nut mixture down the length of the dough and then fold up flag style. You'll end up with a small triangle. Brush top lightly with butter and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
Continue until you run out of the nuts or butter or both, makes about 14.
Bake at 400 for twenty minutes.
While they are baking, mix together the remaining honey and the water.
As soon as they are out of the oven, put into a smaller dish where they will be a little crowded and pour the honey water over the top. Sprinkle top with any remaining nut mixture.
Good with vanilla ice cream.

Kitchen Sink Stir-fry

Sometimes you just gotta go fusion. Bow tie pasta in a stir-fry??? Well, it's what we had leftover in the fridge, so it's what we used.

You can use any veggies you have for this. We were trying to catch-up on our farm share so used a variety. 'bout this time of year, we can start to fall behind on the vegetable eating because the boxes are getting fuller and fuller. Add a weekend away from the crisper and suddenly you have more than you know what to do with.
So I used:

snow peas
carrots
onions
green beans
zucchini
garlic

The important thing in a stir fry is to cook things according to the length of time they take rather than just dumping it all in the pan at once. So I started with the carrot and onion, added the greens beans a bit later and then finally the peas and zucchini. I added the garlic with the sauce. I always add my garlic and/or ginger at THE END of the process, not the beginning as most recipes usually instruct. When you add at the beginning it, at the very least, loses some flavor and, at the worst, it will burn!

So when the veggies were done I added some sauce- some oyster sauce, soy sauce, about 3/4 cup of stock, a few drops of hot chili oil, and a TB. of cornstarch, all mixed together and then poured into the pan. Cook until the sauce thickens, stir in the pasta, heat through and serve.

Potato Green Bean Salad

CSA Box- Potatoes, onions or green onions, green beans, garlic


I believe I originally got this recipe from a Bon Appetit' magazine. I love it and look forward to it each year when the beans are growing faster than I can keep up with them.



Potato Salad with Bacon (or not!), Parmesan, Green Beans

2/3 Cup olive oil
6 Tb. apple cider vinegar
2 Tb. brown mustard (Gulden's)
2 garlic cloves
4 tsp anchovy paste, optional for vegetarians
3/4 lb green beans
2 lb medium sized potatoes
1 Cup thinly sliced green onions
8 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled into small pieces or fake bacon bits for the veg's
1/2 Cup parmesan, grated

Instructions: Blend first 5 ingredients in food processor, until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. (Can make ahead-cover and chill).
Cook green beans in a pot of boiling water until tender crisp, about 4 minutes. using slotted spoon, transfer beans to ice water bath to cool. cut into 2-3 inch lengths.
Return water in pot to a boil.
Add potatoes to pot and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.
Drain. Cool. Cut lengthwise in half and then crosswise into 1/3" slices.
Place potatoes in a large bowl. Add green beans, green onions, half of the bacon, and half the cheese. Toss gently. Pour 1/2 cup dressing over and toss gently. Refrigerate. Before serving toss with remaining bacon, cheese, (and dressing, if any).

Onion Tart

CSA box- onions


It appears that an unforeseen benefit of this blog is that the husband has been inspired to cook more frequently.
We share with you today his favorite recipe for onion tart. He has made this several times and it is always delicious.
Oh, I just noticed that he got this recipe from our friend, Ruth.



Dough for the tart:

1/2 cup water
1 tsp. quick rising yeast
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Combine the water and yeast. Let stand for five minutes. Add 1 1/4 cups of the flour, the oil and the salt. Knead on a floured board for about 5 minutes, using the remaining 1/4 cup flour if needed to keep from sticking.
Place in a medium bowl and let rise, covered, in a warm place for 30 minutes.


For the tart topping:

1 tsp. olive oil
1 pound sweet or yellow onions, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan

While the dough is rising, saute the onions over medium to medium high heat, in the oil, until very soft and deep brown. Add the sugar to aid in the browning, if necessary. Remove from heat when browned, very soft and volume is grealty reduced. Season with salt and pepper.

After 30 minutes, roll the dough on a floured board, to a 8x12 rectangle. transfer to heavy baking sheet. Pinch up edge all around. Spread the onions across top and sprinkle cheese evenly over onions.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees while letting tart have a second rise of 10-15 minutes.

Bake at 375 until lightly browned on edges, about 20-22 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature. Also good reheated if there are any leftovers. I think.

Stuffed stuff, part deux

CSA share- onions, patty pan squash, fennel, garlic, basil



Stuffed patty pan squash


This recipe is based on three medium sized patty pan squash. Adjust amounts for more squash.

3 patty pan squash
olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 small fennel bulb finely chopped
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
Several basil leaves, finely julienned
balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400.

Slice a small sliver off the bottom of each squash so it will stand up on the grill or baking sheet. Slice the top off the patty pan and set aside, especially if it still has a bit of the stem attached. Using a melon baller, carefully scoop out the flesh of the squash, leaving a shell about 1/8" thick. finely chop squash scrapings.
Parboil squash shells for 5 minutes or pressure cook in steamer basket for two minutes at high pressure and quick release.
Saute' onions until beginning to wilt. Add fennel, garlic, and chopped squash and cook until everything is soft.
Take off heat and stir in panko, parmesan and dijon mustard. Stir in basil.
Place squash shells on a baking sheet. Drizzle in a bit of balsamic. Stuff with cooked mixture, mounding up the tops and replace squash tops. Bake in oven for about 20-25 minutes until heated through.

This time I made mine on the grill, placing over indirect heat for about twenty minutes, while I cooked BBQ'd chicken along side. the tops weren't that good looking, so instead of using them I just sprinkled with a bit of extra panko to form a crunchy top.