Month: January 2020

Farmers’ markets have grown in popularity thanks in part to the movement towards healthy, local, and organic food. Farmers’ markets pop up during the summer and fall with fresh-from-the-farm favorites. Here are some flavorful recipe ideas that let fresh fruit and vegetables play a starring role.  What You Might Find at a Farmers Market: Seasonal fruits and vegetables Dried fruit and nuts Dips and sauces Meat, fish, and eggs Prepared foods Freshly squeezed juices, coffee, and tea Fresh bread Fresh flowers and potted plants Honeys, preserves, and jams Cream of Zucchini Soup Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes Servings: 4 Ingredients 1/2 small onion, quartered 2 cloves garlic 3 medium zucchini, skin on cut in large chunks 32 oz reduced sodium Swanson chicken broth, or vegetable 2 tbsp reduced fat sour cream kosher salt and black pepper to taste fresh grated Parmesan cheese if desired for topping, optional  Instructions Combine chicken broth, onion, garlic and zucchini in a large pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and purée with an immersion blender, add the sour cream and purée again until smooth. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust to taste. Serve hot. Heirloom Tomato & Herb Salad  Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Servings: 4 Ingredients Fried Chickpeas & Capers 6 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or another high heat oil) divided 3 tablespoons brine packed capers, drained and patted dry 1/2 cup chickpeas (if from the can drained and patted dry) pinch of smoked paprika pinch of fine sea salt Salad 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon honey 2 tablespoons minced dill + additional sprigs for garnish 2 tablespoons minced basil, + full leaves for garnish 1 tablespoon minced parsley + additional sprigs for garnish 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt freshly ground black pepper 2 1/2 pounds assorted heirloom tomatoes, sliced 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half crumbled feta cheese for serving (optional) Instructions Heat 3 tablespoons of the grapeseed oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the capers and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown and burst open, about 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove them to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Carefully add the additional oil to the pan along with the chickpeas. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas begin to brown and crisp up. About 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Sprinkle the chickpeas with a pinch of smoked paprika and sea salt. Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, honey, dill, basil, and parsley. Drizzle in the olive oil and continue to whisk together until smooth. Stir in the salt and pepper and set aside. Arrange the sliced tomatoes on a large platter. Drizzle with the dressing and top with the fried capers, chickpeas and sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese. Pasta with Grilled Eggplant, Smoky Tomato Sauce, and Basil Walnut Pistou Prep: 20 minutes  Cook: 45 minutes  Servings: 4 Ingredients 1 package gluten free lasagna noodles Smoky Tomato Sauce ½ eggplant, cut into rounds ¼” thick. 3 tablespoons olive oil kosher salt Basil Walnut Pistou 2 cloves garlic 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves ¼ cup walnuts ¼ cup fresh lemon juice 1/3 cup olive oil kosher salt Instructions For the Eggplant, preheat a grill to medium-low. Drizzle the eggplant slices with the olive oil and sprinkle them lightly with kosher salt. Place them on the grill with the largest pieces over the hottest part of the grill. Watch them carefully so they don’t burn, flipping them just as they start to soften and get good char marks on them, about 2 minutes depending on the size of the slices. Continue to cook them until they have the marks on the other side as well. When they are cooked to tender on both sides, remove them from the grill and set them aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the gluten free lasagna noodles to al dente according to manufacturer’s directions. While the pasta is cooking, make the basil walnut pistou. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well combined. Season to taste with kosher salt. After you drain the pasta, toss it with a generous amount of the smoky tomato sauce and the eggplant. Drizzle the top of the pasta with the basil walnut pistou and serve immediately. (Recipe via heatherchristo.com) Mushroom and Leek Quiche with Gruyere  Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes Servings: 8   Ingredients 1 deep dish 9 inch pie crust 3 Tablespoons butter, divided 3 leeks, white and light green parts only 12 ounces sliced mushrooms 8 eggs 1 cup whole milk 1 cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup flour (optional) 2 cups shredded gruyere cheese, divided 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese Instructions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, melt 2 Tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, undisturbed, for a few minutes, or until the bottom side is golden. Flip and continue to cook until mushrooms are golden on both sides. Season with salt. Remove to plate. In the same skillet, melt the remaining butter. Add the leeks and sauté until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the leeks to a plate. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, salt, and flour. Sprinkle some of the gruyere cheese on the bottom of the pie crust. Pour half the egg mixture in followed by half of the gruyere cheese and half of the mushrooms and leeks. Pour the remaining egg mixture on top along with the rest of the mushrooms, leeks, cheese, and gruyere. Top with Parmesan cheese. Bake the quiche in the preheated oven for 60-80 minutes or until very golden brown and set in the center. If the pie crust gets too brown, shield