RECIPE: Plum Upside-Down Cake

Difficulty level: Easy!

•12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

•1 cup packed golden brown sugar

•1 tablespoon honey

•6 large plums, halved, pitted, each half cut into 6 wedges

•1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

•2 teaspoons baking powder

•1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

•1/4 teaspoon salt

•1 cup sugar

•2 large eggs

•1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

•1/4 teaspoon almond extract

•1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir 6 tablespoons butter, brown sugar and honey in heavy medium skillet over low heat until butter melts and sugar and honey blend in, forming thick, smooth sauce. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides. Arrange plums in overlapping concentric circles atop sauce.

Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat remaining 6 tablespoons butter in large bowl until light. Add sugar and beat until creamy. Add eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in extracts. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk, mixing just until blended.

Spoon batter evenly over plums. Bake cake until golden and tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool in pan 30 minutes.

Using knife, cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Place platter atop cake pan. Invert cake; place platter on work surface. Let stand 5 minutes. Gently lift off pan. Serve cake warm with whipped cream.

Submitted by Sarah Marder

RECIPE: Greens Gratin

Difficulty level: EASY

Ingredients:

2 cups chard, sauteed in olive oil, salted

1 bunch of spring onions, cut up and sauteed in olive oil

1 cup bechamel sauce (1 Tbsp butter, 1 Tbsp flour, 1 cup milk, 1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan)

Directions:

-cook the greens and onions separately

-melt butter and add flour heating mixture until mixed

-add the milk and stir over medium heat for 20-25 minutes

-add parmesan

-mix sauce with greens and onions and put in a small oven proof baking dish

-sprinkle some more parmesan on top

-bake at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or until it is bubbling

RECIPE: Quick Sauté of Zucchini with Toasted Almonds

Difficulty Level: EASY

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons thinly sliced almonds
1 to 2 small zucchini, cut into 1/8-inch matchsticks with a knife or julienne blade on a mandoline
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Few ounces pecorino Romano or parmesan, in thin slices — a peeler works great for this

Heat the oil on high in a large skillet. When it is hot but not smoking, add the almonds to the pan. Cook them, while stirring, until the almonds are golden-brown, approximately a minute or two.

Add the zucchini to the pan, tossing it with the oil and almonds until it just begins to glisten, about one minute. The idea is not to cook the zucchini so much as warm it.

Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately, with or without cheese on top.

RECIPE: Zucchini Pappardelle with Sausage

Difficulty Level: EASY

Note: One of my absolute favorite Italian dishes is pappardelle with ragu. Using zucchini instead of pasta means I can use my CSA veggies and have seconds, guilt-free!
 

Ingredients:

3 fresh red onions

4 yellow zucchinis

1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped

1 lb sausage of your choice

3 TB parmesan

a squeeze of lemon

salt and pepper

Using a mandoline or a vegetable peeler, carefully make long thin strips of zucchini. Leave in a bowl with a TB of salt, mixed in. Chop the onions roughly, and add to a hot skillet, tossing them to cook evenly.

 

When they are translucent, add in the sausage, crumbled into the pan. I used a spicy Italian turkey sausage from DiPaola farms. The sausage needs to be fully cooked through before the next step, so keep moving it around in the pan so it won't burn. Leaving behind any juices that have come out of the zucchini, add the zucchini ribbons into the top of the pan to gently steam from the heat of the onions and sausage, and cover.

 

When the zucchini is softened but not mushy, serve with a bunch of the sausage on top, then sprinkle with lemon juice, parsley and parmesan. 

 

 

Submitted by Adrienne Mishkin

RECIPE: Quick Millet Tabouleh

Makes 4 servings

Difficulty Level: EASY

1 large bunch (about 2 ½ cups) flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 small cucumber, peeled and diced

3 Roma tomatoes, diced

½ cup cooked millet, cooled

¼ cup olive oil

Juice and zest from ½ a medium sized lemon

Salt & pepper

Roughly chop the parsley and place in a medium sized bowl.  Add the diced cucumber and tomatoes and toss together.  Add the oil, lemon juice and zest, and the salt and pepper to taste.  Add the millet and mix everything together until completely coated. 

 

 

Submitted by Erin Hotchkiss

RECIPE: Shaved cucumber salad

Difficulty level: EASY

Ingredients:

3 English cucumbers shaved into wide ribbons with a vegetable peeler (stop when you get to the seeds. Reserve one center). You can also use 6 smaller cucumbers and reserve 2 centers.
2 stalks celery thinly sliced
1/2 white onion thinly sliced
1/4 C mayonnaise
1/4 C cilantro
2.5 teaspoons sherry vinegar

Combine cucumber ribbons, celery and onion in a bowl
In a blender, purée cucumber center, mayonnaise, cilantro and vinegar.
Toss salad and season with salt and pepper

Note: I like to include the celery leaves as well.

 

Submitted by Sarah Marder

Recipe: Greek Yogurt Coleslaw

Difficulty Level: Easy
 

1 small head cabbage

4-5 scallions

1-2 garlic cloves

2 apples
1 cup Greek yogurt (I use 2%)
1 TB white vinegar
2 TB lemon juice
generous salt and pepper

Wash and shred the cabbage, slice the scallions into small rounds (including both the white and green sections), and slice sticks of the apple (I happened to have golden delicious but I think a tarter variety would be even better), and combine all ingredients in a bowl, tossing vigorously for 2-3 minutes.

 

 

 Delicious and way healthier than regular coleslaw!

 

 

Submitted by Adrienne Mishkin

RECIPE: General Greens Tip

Easy Tip: 

Sautee your dark greens -- kale, collards, escarole -- at the beginning of the week and use it all week for quick and easy weeknight meals, like a whole wheat pizza, frittata, or panini.

 

 

 

Submitted by Erin Hotchkiss

RECIPE: Romaine Lettuce Tip and Caesar Salad Recipe

Tip: The best way I have found to wash lettuce is to separate each leaf, run it under cold water, tear it into pieces, dry it in a salad spinner, and store it in a towel until ready to use. 
 

Caesar salad recipe

Difficulty Level: Intermediate

Note: contains raw egg

3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup olive oil plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt
1/2 pound crusty country bread, sliced and broken into 1 to 2-inch cubes
6 to 10 anchovy fillets (or 1 tsp Worcestershire)
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 large egg
1 lemon
2 heads Romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and cut into 2-inch lengths
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

1. To make the croutons, slice two of the garlic cloves and put them in a large bowl with the 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss in the bread and coat with the oil. Place the bread on a baking sheet in a 350 F oven, and stir from time to time, until the bread is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Return the croutons to the bowl and throw away the garlic slices.

2.  To make the salad, finely mince the remaining garlic clove with the anchovy fillets. Put these in the bottom of a large salad bowl with the dry mustard and mash with a fork. Mix in the 1/4 cup olive oil. Break the egg into the center of the mixture. Squeeze the lemon juice directly onto the uncooked egg. Mix together the lemon juice and egg with a fork before incorporating the other ingredients. 

3. Put the lettuce on top of the dressing and toss with salad servers until the lettuce is coated with the dressing. Add the Parmesan and lots of freshly ground black pepper and toss again. Add the croutons and toss a third time. Add additional lemon juice if desired, salt, and pepper to taste. 

 

Submitted by Sarah Marder

RECIPE: Strawberry Galette

Difficulty Level: Intermediate

• 3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup spelt flour
• 1 Tbsp. natural cane sugar
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 4 oz. / 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut in cubes
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. yogurt (I used goat yogurt, use what you have)
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 3 Tbsp. ice water
• 3 cups halved strawberries, about 1 lb.
• pinch of salt
• 1 Tbsp. orange juice
• 2 tsp. unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
• 1/3 cup muscavado or natural cane sugar
• 1 egg
• splash of water
• turbinado sugar, optional

In a chilled bowl, combine the all purpose flour, spelt flour, salt and sugar and stir to combine. Working quickly, work the cold butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or tips of your fingers. Smush it until the butter is the size of small peas. In a small ramekin, mix the lemon juice, yogurt, extract and water and give it a stir to combine. Add it to the flour-butter bowl with your hands or a wooden spoon until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Pat it into a bowl, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least one hour or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400'. Prepare a parchment lined baking sheet. Put the strawberries in a mixing bowl with a pinch of salt, orange juice, flour, nutmeg and muscavado and stir to combine.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the galette dough to a roughly 12'' circle. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Pile the strawberry mixture in the center leaving a 2'' border around the circle. Fold the border towards the center, don't be afraid to pull in tight, it will settle. Pleating the dough to make it stick to each other. You don't want thick folds of dough, think more pinching. If it starts to feel room temperature, pop it back in the fridge or freezer for ten minutes.

Mix the egg and water together and brush it on the outer edges of the dough. Sprinkle it with turbinado sugar, if using. Bake the galette on the middle rack for 40-45 minutes until the edges are nice and brown. Time may vary depending on oven. Remove the galette (and parchment too if need be) to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

Submitted by Erin Hotchkiss

RECIPE: Snow Pea, Scallion, and Radish Salad

Difficulty Level: EASY

Ingredients:

 

2 cups snow peas, trimmed
2 scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced
4 radishes, trimmed and cut into thin strips (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tsp granulated sugar
1 TBSP walnut or canola oil

Put the snow peas in a microwave-safe bowl with 1 TBSP water. Cover tightly and microwave for 1 minute (or steam on the stove top). Drain and let cool. Cut the snow peas on the diagonal into 1/2-inch diamond shapes, discarding the end pieces.

In a medium serving bowl, combine the snow peas, scallions, and radishes. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, and oil until the sugar dissolves. Pour over the salad and serve.