RECIPES

Sharing the Simple Gifts harvests with your family and friends? Try these tasty recipes, or share your favorites with others. Just Email them to us, in regular text format (no attachments, please).

NOTE: Recipes begin with CURRENT growing/harvest season. Scroll down for older recipes.

Featured Recipes for Spring 2010

Sweet Turnips

 Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups turnips - washed, peeled, and diced
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup sweet onions (optional)
• 1 teaspoon chicken broth powder (look in International Aisle at the grocer’s for this. Knorr has a jar that works nicely. Look for a green cap and the word “pollo”) You could use a bouillon cube, too
• 3 tablespoons salted butter
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar (you can use white or turbinado sugar, too)

 Directions

1. In large skillet, sauté turnips (and onion if desired) in 1/2 of the butter for 3-4 minutes. Take care not to burn butter.
2. Add chicken broth powder and water, cook covered, over over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
3. Remove cover, continue to cook until water evaporates and the turnips are tender. This takes about 8-10 minutes.
4. Stir in the remaining butter. Once it melts, sprinkle on the sugar. Gently cook and stir the turnips until the butter and sugar cook into a brown, sticky coating on the turnips. Serve hot.

RADISHES: Link to many radish recipes

LETTUCE: Pear, Feta, and Lettuce Salad Link

Kale Soup with White Beans

 Ingredients

• 1/4 inch slice of pancetta (you can use 3-4 slices of bacon instead)
• slice of 1 can white northern (cannellini) beans
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 large bunch kale, rinsed, stemmed and chopped coarsely
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound spicy sausage, sliced
• 1 cup chopped shallots, or favorite onion
• 4-5 cups chicken broth
• salt and pepper to taste
• Freshly grated cheese (Romano or parmesan work well)

 Directions

1. In a skillet - fry sausage. Add a bit of chicken broth if the sausage sticks to the pan. Put beans over cooked sausage and gently mix over low heat. Turn pan off (this will be mixed into soup later).
2. Cube the pancetta, and gently cook until golden, stirring often for an even heat in the bottom of a large, heavy bottomed soup pot
3. Remove cooked pancetta - set aside for later
4. Add garlic, onions, and 1 T olive oil - cook until onions are translucent (add additional oil, if needed)
5. Add chicken broth, and a pinch of fresh pepper. Bring to boil,
6. Reserve several pinches of kale from chopped amount. Save for garnishing. Add remainder of kale when soup boils, then turn heat down to simmer
7. Add contents of sausage skillet from step 1.
8. Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes. 
9. Serve soup hot.
10. Garnish with 1 torn raw kale, topped with pancetta (from step 2)and grated cheese

Zuppa Toscana (Great Use of Kale)

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package smoked sausage
• 2 potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 6 slices bacon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 cups kale - washed, dried, and shredded
• 2 tablespoons chicken soup base
• 1 quart water
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. Place sausage links onto a sheet pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until done. Cut links in half lengthwise, then cut at an angle into 1/2-inch slices.
3. Place onions and bacon slices in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until onions are almost clear. Remove bacon and crumble. Set aside.
4. Add garlic to the onions and cook an additional 1 minute. Add chicken soup base, water, and potatoes, simmer 15 minutes.
5. Add crumbled bacon, sausage, kale, and cream. Simmer 4 minutes and serve.

Featured Recipes for Fall 2009

Ribollita Link from Food Network

IT’S SWEET POTATO TIME - LOTS of LINKS to recipes for the underrated rooter!

Sweet Potato Biscuits (Southern Living 2001- Link )

Salad Smoothie
Looking for a way to “go green” (as in veggies) without making your kids grumpy? You’ve got to try this!

2 cups raw spinach (other greens do NOT work well)
1 cup frozen berries
1 cup cold water

Put all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. You will not taste the spinach. Great taste, very nutritious and very low calorie.

Sweet Potato Soup (Submitted by Fran)
1 1/2 cups peeled diced cooked sweet potatoes
1 Tbspn butter
1 Tbspn flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ginger ((I put more - to taste)
1/8 tsp cinnamon (I put more - to taste)
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbspn brown sugar
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk

Place all ingredients EXCEPT milk in a blender, cover, and blend until smooth. Pour in saucepan. Add milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until soup comes to a boil. Simmer over low for 5 mins. Serve. Recipe from House & Garden February 1957

This recipe is very easy and very yummy. I have also made this with butternut squash and also with carrot. A mixture of any or all 3 would also be very good. If you want, you can peel some apples and cook with the potatoes, squash or carrots; the apples just give a little more sweetness. I have also used fresh grated ginger when I made carrot-ginger soup. Obviously a versatile recipe.
 

Sweet Potato Buttermilk Pie (from Southern Living- Link)

Grilled Kale Salad

Yield : ~(5) 1 cup servings

Ingredients
5  cups  torn kale (3/4 pound)
1 1/2  tablespoons  olive oil, divided
1/4  teaspoon  salt
1/8  teaspoon  pepper
Vegetable cooking spray
1 1/2  tablespoons  sherry vinegar

Preparation
Combine kale, 1 tablespoon oil, salt, and pepper in a large zip-top heavy-duty plastic bag; seal bag, and shake to coat. Remove kale from bag, and place in a wire grilling basket coated with cooking spray. Prepare grill. Place grill basket on grill rack, and grill 5 minutes on each side or until kale begins to char around edges.

Place kale in a large bowl. Combine remaining oil and vinegar; stir well with a wire whisk. Pour vinegar mixture over kale; toss well. Serve kale immediately

Kale and White Bean Stew (Food & Wine Link)

Island Kale and Sweet Potato Soup (Food & Wine)
Inspired by Caribbean callaloo, this tropical, coconut-milk-spiked soup can be mildly or wildly spicy, according to your taste. If you like it hot, add some or all of the jalapeño seeds or a splash of Tabasco sauce. Yield: 4          

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1  onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1  jalapeño pepper, seeds and ribs removed, sliced thin
• 3/4  pound  kale, tough stems removed, leaves washed well and shredded (about 1 quart)
• 1 1/2  pounds  sweet potatoes (about 3), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1 1/2  quarts canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  salt
• 1  cup  canned unsweetened coconut milk
• 1  cup  long-grain rice

• Preparation:
  1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and jalapeño and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  2. Stir in the kale, sweet potatoes, broth, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add the coconut milk and just heat through.
  3. Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Stir in the rice and boil until just done, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain. Put a mound of rice in the center of each bowl. Ladle the soup around the rice.

Notes: Crinkly kale leaves are wonderfully sturdy and flavorful, making them especially well-suited to soups. Remove and discard the thick stems and then wash the leaves really well before adding them to a dish. The twists and turns of kale leaves are great places for dirt to hide.

Featured Recipes for Summer 2009

Italian Squash Pie - Link

Pan-Grilled Tomatoes and Feta Cheese with Lemon Caper Dressing - Link
                   

Ice Box Pickles
Recipe by Nancy Tillerson

2 c. white vinegar
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp. dried dill weed
1 c. water
1/4 c. salt

Boil above together, stirring occasionally until clear. Slice 1/2 gallon cucumbers about 1/8" thick. Add 1 large onion, if desired. Pour above mixture over cucumbers and onions and refrigerate. Ready to eat in 1-2 days.
 

Mango Salsa
Featured Simple Gifts Garden Ingredients: Cilantro and sweet onions
 

Ingredients:
Fruit of 1 large ripe mango, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup of sweet onion, diced
1 clove garlic, finely diced
juice of 1/2 lime
1 T finely chopped cilantro
Fresh pepper to taste

Directions: Toss all in a bowl. Let it set 20 minutes before serving, or store in the refrigerator for up to a few days. Fabulous with grilled shrimp or chicken.

Cucumber Dill Yogurt Salad
Featured Simple Gifts Garden Ingredients: Dill, chives, cucumbers

Ingredients:
(8) ounces plain yogurt (Greek yogurt is preferable)
1-2 clove minced garlic
1T fresh dill (more if you strongly favor dill :)
4-6 lengths fresh garlic chives, finely chopped
good size pinch of fine sea salt
(2) peeled, finely sliced cucumbers

Directions: Mix all but cucumbers together well. Add cucumbers. Let set in refrigerator 30 minutes before serving. If preparing ahead, leave out salt until just before serving (it can cause your yogurt to get runny).

Basil Sauce for Beef
Featured Simple Gifts Garden Ingredients: Basil

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups olive oil
1/2 cup basil leaves
6 tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts
1/4 cup flat parlsey
1/4 cup mint leaves
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 large cloves garlic
2 T stone ground Dijon mustard
pinch of salt

Directions: Put it all in a blender and puree! You’ll find many uses for this wonderful sauce. Try it on a sliced roast beef sandwich. Add it to a a steak on the grill, after the steak has been seared and is almost ready to come off the grill. 

Or, add some peppercorns and slather the side of a round steak with the sauce. Wrap a slice of bacon around the sauce and us toothpicks to hold the bacon and sauce in place. Then grill. 

You can even slice some bread and bake at 400 degrees until crispy - then drizzle on the sauce. Top with a pinch of shredded parmesan for a great appetizer.