Category : basics

Summer Squash Casserole

Posted July 26th 2010 under: basics, kid-approved, recipes, side dishes
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This is a simple side dish submitted by Mary Doezema Cooper.   Kid friendly, comfort food.

2 cups cooked squash (3-5 squash, preferably yellow)
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 lb. cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup bread crumbs (top with)

Boil squash in water with chopped onion.  Drain. Mash. Drain again if necessary.
Heat milk.  Melt butter in hot milk.  Add squash and all other ingredients except the bread crumbs.  Pour into greased baking dish.  Top with bread crumbs.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Notes:  Instead of bread crumbs, I use Dutch Rusk, crushed and mixed with 1-2 tablespoons melted butter.

Sautéed-Steamed Beets

Posted June 28th 2010 under: basics, recipes
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Serves 2-3

This recipe, modified from a recipe in “The Way to Cook” by Julia Child, is good for beets, turnips, and carrots. Grate the beets, older turnips and carrots, but slice small roots into 1/4-inch thick pieces. Turnips and carrots should cook for 5 minutes, while beets should cook for 10 minutes. When using baby beets, you can add the greens towards the end of cooking.

1-2 cups sliced or grated roots
1 TBS butter
Salt and freshly-ground pepper, to taste
1 tsp vinegar (best with red-wine or raspberry vinegar)

Melt the butter over moderate heat in a frying pan, add the roots, and toss about to coat with the butter. Toss with 1/8 tsp salt, some pepper, and 1 tsp of vinegar, then add 1/4 inch water. Cover and cook about 5-10 minutes, until tender and liquid has evaporated (add more water during cooking if needed).

Broccoli with Butter and Parmesan Cheese

Posted June 24th 2010 under: basics, recipes, side dishes, vegetarian
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The recipe is also from “Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking” by Marcella Hazan (1992, Knopf).  Cook the broccoli following the directions of the similar recipe “Sautéed Broccoli with Olive Oil and Garlic”.

1 bunch fresh broccoli, trimmed, cooked and drained
3 TBS unsalted butter
Salt (add less salt if you use salted butter)
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Choose a skillet or sauté pan that will contain all the broccoli pieces without crowding them tightly, put in the butter, turn the heat on to medium, and when the butter foam begins to subside, add the cooked, drained broccoli and salt. Turn the broccoli over completely 2 or 3 times, and cook for about 2 minutes, then add the grated Parmesan cheese. Turn the broccoli over again, then transfer the contents of the pan to a warm platter and serve at once.

Sautéed Broccoli with Olive Oil and Garlic

Posted June 24th 2010 under: basics, recipes, side dishes, vegetarian
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This is an easy way to prepare broccoli, and can be used to cook other greens too, such as chard, kale, and any of the mustards including broccoli raab. The recipe is adapted from “Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking” by Marcella Hazan (1992, Knopf).

1 bunch fresh broccoli, (1 to 1½ lbs)
Salt
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp chopped garlic or garlic scapes
2 TBS chopped parsley

1. Cut off about ½ to ¾ inch of the butt end of the stalk.  Use a sharp paring knife to slice away the tough darkgreen skin that surrounds the tender core of the main stalk and the branching-off stems. Dig deeper where the stalk is broadest because the skin is thicker there. Split the larger stalks in two, or if quite large, in four, without detaching the florets.

2. Bring 4 quarts of water to a fast boil. Add 1 TBS salt and as the water returns to a boil, drop in the broccoli. Adjust heat to maintain a moderately paced boil, and cook until the broccoli stalk can be pierced with a fork, about 5 minutes, depending on the vegetable’s youth. Drain at once when done.

3. Choose a sauté pan or skillet that can accommodate all the broccoli without crowding it too tightly. Put in the olive oil and garlic until it becomes colored a pale gold, then add the broccoli, slat, and the chopped parsley. Turn the vegetable pieces over 2 or 3 times to coat thoroughly. Cook for about 2 minutes, then transfer the contents of the pan to a warm plate and serve at once.

Becky’s Snap Pea Stir-Fry

Posted June 24th 2010 under: basics, recipes, side dishes, vegetarian
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This is a quick and tasty preparation and an alternative to just eating the snap peas raw.

1 TBS fresh ginger, chopped fine
1 TBS fresh garlic or garlic scapes, chopped fine
1 lb snap peas, strings pulled and ends snapped off
2 TBS olive oil
Soy sauce to taste

Heat oil in skillet. Add ginger and garlic and cook for just 45 seconds. Add peas. Stir together and cover. Stir frequently till done to your tenderness preference, about 5 minutes. Add a couple shakes of soy sauce as an option.

Greens Braised with Ginger, Cilantro, and Rice

Posted June 24th 2010 under: basics, recipes, side dishes, vegetarian
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serves 4-6

This recipe is adapted from the cookbook “Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America’s Farmer’s Markets” by Deborah Madison (2002, Broadway).  You can use any variety of greens – mustard greens, chard, beet greens, turnip greens, etc. – depending on what you have on hand and what kind of flavor you want.

2 big bunches of greens
3 TBS vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
¼ cup cooked white rice
2 TBS finely chopped ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 cup chopped cilantro stems and leaves
sea salt
plain yogurt or lemon wedges

Wash the greens well, then chop, but don’t dry them.  Heat oil in a wide heavy pot over medium heat.  Add the onion, rice, ginger, cumin, and paprika.  Stir to coat with the oil.  Cook for 2 minutes, then add the cilantro and the greens.  Sprinkle with 1 tsp salt, cover the pan, and cook until the volume has reduced, about 10 10 15 minutes.  Give everything a stir, then reduce the heat to low, re-cover, and cook slowly for 20 minutes.  There should be ample moisture in the pot, but check once or twice to make sure that nothing is sticking to the bottom.  If the pan seems dry, ad a few TBS of water.  Cook until the greens are really tender, about 10-15 minutes more.  Serve warm or at room temperature, with yogurt spooned over the top or with a squeeze of fresh lemon.

Potato, Greens and Bread Soup

Posted June 24th 2010 under: basics, recipes, soups, vegetarian
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serves 4

This recipe is recommended by MPLS member Barbara Conti – her family likes it a lot and it’s fairly simple to make. She uses a mix of greens that she has on hand and does not peel the potatoes. The recipe is adapted from The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook, by Jack Bishop (Houghton Mifflin, 1997).

4 cups packed spinach leaves or other greens
1½ pounds new potatoes, cut into ½-inch dice
4½ cups vegetable stock
salt and pepper
2 cups cubed (½-inch) stale country bread
2 TBS good quality olive oil, or to taste

Place potatoes and stock in medium pot. Bring to a boil and cook briskly for 15 minutes. While the potatoes cook, prepare the greens. Remove stems, wash leaves and shake off excess water. Cut into ¾-inch wide strips. After the potatoes have cooked for 15 minutes, add the greens to the pot and salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pot. Continue coking until potatoes are falling apart and the greens are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the pot from heat. Stir in the bread and cover the pot. Let sit for 5 minutes or until bread is very soft. Adjust seasonings and add hot water to thin the texture if desired. Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle each with olive oil.

Mashed Turnips with Butter

Posted June 24th 2010 under: basics, kid-approved, recipes, side dishes, vegetarian
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This recipe is wonderful when used with the white spring turnips. The taste is sweet and full – it has made turnip lovers out of us! From “The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook” (copyright 1918) by Fannie Farmer – we inherited the cookbook from Laurie’s grandmother, who lived at the farm for many years.  After making this recipe, save the greens and use them too.

Version 1:
Wash turnips and cut in slices or quarters, cook in boiling salted water until soft. Drain, mash, and season with butter, salt, and pepper.

Version 2:  (from Big Woods Farm members, the Buhman’s)
Something fun to do with the turnips – our kids love these!

Mashed Buttered Turnips
4 medium turnips, peeled and quartered
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil.  Add the turnips and cook for 20 to 25 min., or until tender.  Drain into a colander.

Return the turnips to the pot and mash with a potato masher until smooth.  Whisk in the melted butter, parsley, salt and pepper.  Turn into a warmed dish and serve hot.

(Recipe from – In the Kennedy Kitchen, Neil Connolly)

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