Cream of the Crop Recipe Week 7: Tomato Zucchini Tart

   

Recipe of the Week:  Tomato Zucchini Tart

Tomato Zucchini Tart  by Nandita Venkatesan This fresh, summery tart is a great addition to picnics or delicious in the evening with a strong cup of chai! I was able to use my Carrot Top Pesto from 2 weeks ago as well. Ingredients 1 puff pastry sheet roll (you can buy these frozen) hand full of cherry or grape tomatoes 1/2 of a zucchini or summer squash pesto of your choice ( I used the Carrot Top Pesto from a previous recipe) dried crushed thyme (optional) red chilli flakes salt/ black pepper handful of parmesan cheese basil sprigs Step 1.  Thaw the puff pastry on the counter top. I bought a frozen pack of 2 sheets - you will only need 1. Thaw with the parchment paper on for 4 hours. Step 2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the tomatoes in half. Cut the zucchini into thin circles. Step 3. Gently unroll the pastry and layer into a lightly greased cast iron pan. Let the edges drape over the side for now.Spread the pesto on the bottom generously. Step 4. You can add the zucchini and tomatoes in any design you like - I preferred putting the tomatoes cut side down around the outside with one in the middle and layering the zucchini circles around it. Sprinkle salt, chili flakes, black pepper and crushed thyme on top. Tip: You can tie herbs in bunches and hang them upside down to air dry. You can also lay them flat between two paper towels and microwave them for 30 seconds at a time with 1-2 minutes rest in between. The first method takes weeks - the second will take less than 10 minutes :) . Step 5. Fold the excess puff pastry over the sides lightly, If you find that your puff pastry is too melty, pop the cast iron tart into the fridge for 5 minutes.  Step 6. Bake for 45 minutes. If the pastry looks a bit pale and hasn't fully pulled away from the sides - bake for another 15. Gently transfer to a cutting board. Add basil and cut into wedges.   About Nandita       A recent transplant to the UWS, Nandita enjoys getting involved in her neighborhood and getting outdoors. While she mostly makes Indian food, she loves making simplified versions of dishes that are easy to prepare on weekdays and incorporate local ingredients. Her go-tos are fun and tasty vegetable and lentil stews. Favorite dishes include rhubarb rice, aloo saag, cabbage kootu (a rich and thick cabbage, peas, and carrot stew).

Cream of the Crop Recipe Week 6: Weeknight Ratatouille

Weeknight Ratatouille

By: Margaux Pisciotta

Prep Time: 10 minutes  Total Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ratatouille is familiar to all of us these days thanks to the popular Pixar movie, but has its origins in Southern France. It is considered to be comforting and cozy, using up the best of summer harvest. This version aims to cut down on active cook time by swapping stovetop sautéing with oven roasting. This recipe is flexible so feel free to use as much or as little of each ingredient as you wish or whatever you have on hand. I like to serve mine with warm crusty bread to soak up all the sauce. 

 Ingredients: 

• Zucchini
• Yellow Squash
• Tomatoes
• Bell Pepper
• Onion
• Tomato Paste
• Olive Oil
• Thyme
• Bay Leaves
• Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F.
2. Chop zucchini, eggplant, squash, and bell pepper into 1 inch cubes. It’s important to keep all your veggies to roughly the same size so they roast evenly in the oven. Place on your baking sheet and drizzle on a generous amount of olive oil. 
3. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until caramelized. If you’re avoiding turning your oven on in the heat wave, you certainly have the option to sauté vegetables individually on the stove top, but this will take longer. 
4. While your vegetables are roasting in the oven, dice your onion and tomato. 
5. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a dutch oven or large pan and heat on medium. Add onion and allow to cook until translucent. 
6. Add 1 tbsp tomato paste to the pan and cook until color has darkened and oil has turned orange. 
7. Then, add fresh tomatoes, whole thyme stalks, bay leaves, and ½ cup of water to the pan. Cook until tomatoes have softened and you can crush them with your spoon, approximately 10 minutes.
8. By this point, your roasted vegetables should be finished in the oven and caramelized. Add in roasted vegetables and season to taste. Allow to simmer all together on low heat with the lid on for 20 minutes. 
9. Taste for salt again. Then, pull the thyme and bay leaves from the stew and serve. Bon Appetit! 

Tip 1: This is also a great recipe to throw in some of those extra greens you have lying around, whether its carrot tops, kale, or even collard greens. Chop them up finely and throw them in the pan during the last 5-10 minutes of simmer time. It adds a great nutrition boost and you won’t even know they’re there! 

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About Margaux

Margaux is a veterinary technician and long-time Westsider. She draws inspirations from her Belgian and Italian heritage with recipes that resemble those passed down by mother and grandmother.

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Cream of the Crop Recipe Week 5: Carrot Top Pesto

  

Recipe of the Week:  Carrot Top Pesto

Carrot Top Pesto  by Nandita Venkatesan This creamy pesto dressing is a great way to use carrot tops! It tastes delicious on top of pasta with cherry tomatoes or can be used a substitute for green goddess dressing on top of roasted root veggies of your choice. I prefer the dressing a little runny - so feel free to use a little less water if you'd like it thicker. Ingredients 6 large cups of carrot tops ( large carrots tops from 8-10 large carrots) 2 large cups basil leaves 1/3 cup olive oil 4 tblsp lemon juice 2 cloves garlic, minced 6 oz mascarpone cheese handful of cashews 3 tblsp water salt, black pepper, red chili flakes to taste Step 1.  Wash the carrot tops and basil thoroughly. You can definitely use the stems, however I used the stems of the carrot tops here and not the stems of the basil. Step 2. In a food processor, add a third of the carrot tops, a third of the basil, 1.5 cloves mince garlic, cashews, 2 table spoons lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons water. Blend until completely mixed.  Step 3. Keep adding the remainder of the carrot tops and basil in thirds alongside the lemon juice and water to ensure that the mixture is blended thoroughly. Step 4. Add the olive oil, salt, pepper, and red chili flakes to taste. I use about 1-2 tsp of chili flakes. Helpful tip: If you add olive oil at the beginning when you make pesto - your pesto can taste quite bitter. Add a little water at the beginning instead and add your olive oil towards the end - it avoids the bitter taste and makes your pesto a bit richer. Step 5. Add the mascarpone cheese and pulse until blended. Pour into a mason jar to store in the fridge for use in pastas or salads.   About Nandita       A recent transplant to the UWS, Nandita enjoys getting involved in her neighborhood and getting outdoors. While she mostly makes Indian food, she loves making simplified versions of dishes that are easy to prepare on weekdays and incorporate local ingredients. Her go-tos are fun and tasty vegetable and lentil stews. Favorite dishes include rhubarb rice, aloo saag, cabbage kootu (a rich and thick cabbage, peas, and carrot stew).

Cream of the Crop Recipe Week 4: Beets and Kohlrabi with Their Greens

 

Recipe of the Week:  Beets and Kohlrabi with Their Greens   Beets and Kohlrabi with Their Greens by Miriam Meir We received such beautiful bunches of kohlrabi and red beets this week, this recipe essentially made itself. I used the wonderfully fresh coriander seeds and black pepper from Sourcery.  Ingredients 1 bunch kohlrabi with greens 1 bunch red beets with greens 4-5 garlic cloves 1 tbsp coriander seeds  3 tablespoons olive oil  juice of 1 lemon kosher salt  fresh ground pepper Step 1.  Cut the kohlrabi and beet bulbs off their greens. Remove the hard bottom of the kohlrabi. Wash the bulbs.  Step 2. Cook the kohlrabi in water for 30 minutes. Cook the beets in a separate pot in water for 1 hour or until soft.   Step 3. Meanwhile, wash the greens and cut them into crosswise strips.  Step 4. Warm olive oil in large pan. Crush garlic cloves with the palm of your hand and peel. When the oil shimmers, add garlic cloves and coriander seeds. Saute for 1-2 minutes constantly mixing with wooden spoon; careful not to let the garlic or seeds get burned. Remove garlic and coriander from the pan and reserve.  Step 5. Add the greens to the oil, add 1 tsp salt and saute for 3-4 minutes, mixing constantly. Turn off heat and let cool.  Step 6. Peel off the skin of the kohlrabi and beet bulbs. Cut into 1/2" pieces. Combine with greens.  Step 7. Crush reserved garlic and coriander into a paste with mortar and pestle or in a spice grinder. Add lemon juice and a tablespoon of olive oil, mix well to combine and pour over the vegetables. Mix and grind fresh black pepper on top.  This was a joy with the sirloin steak from the meat share and fries made of the red potatoes!  Tip: On Monday I make space in the fridge for the new CSA share - all leftover veggies go into soup! Lightly saute onions and celery in olive oil, add cut veggies, salt, some ground cumin and turmeric, a cup of lentils, and fill with water. Cook for an hour and serve with labneh spooned on top!  About Miriam Miriam is a mom, lecturer, and part-time grad student. Her family's kitchen is broadly Mediterranean, and inspired by their heritage: Belgian, Israeli, Moroccan and Syrian.