Archive for the ‘Recipes’ Category

• Zucchini Omelet

  Date: 08.05.2010 | Category: Recipes | Response: 0

  from the FarmPlate Kitchen

  1 pound zucchini, cut into ½-inch cubes
  Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  A handful of fresh parsley leaves
  2 cloves garlic
  4 tablespoons olive oil
  1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
  A big pinch of chopped fresh thyme
  4 large Vermont eggs (try farm-fresh eggs from Berway Farm and Creamery)
  1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  Spread out the cubed zucchini, sprinkle with salt and set aside. Chop the parsley and garlic together until it almost forms a paste: set this “persillade” aside as well.

  Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook slowly until meltingly soft but not browned, about 20 minutes. Stir in the thyme and remove from the heat.

  Break the eggs into a mixing bowl, season with a generous grinding of pepper and a pinch of salt and whisk to blend.

  The zucchini cubes will have given off some moisture by this time, pat them dry. In a large, heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over high heat. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring often, until lightly golden, about 4 minutes. Add the persillade and cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the cooked onions. Transfer the vegetable mixture to the bowl with the eggs.

  Return the skillet to the heat and warm the butter and the remaining one tablespoon of olive oil over high heat. Quickly pour in the egg mixture and swirl the pan a little to distribute the eggs. Lower the heat to medium, cover the pan and cook for one minute. Nudge the omelet gently with a spatula to make sure it’s not sticking. Fold the omelet over and cook another minute or so to cook the eggs through.

  Slide the omelet onto a serving plate. Serve with sliced tomatoes tossed with basil leaves and a favorite Vermont cheese.

  Serves 2 to 3

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• Brie Crostini with Raspberry Horseradish Jam

  Date: 07.30.2010 | Category: Recipes | Response: 0

  from Sean Buchanan

  1 French baguette, sliced ¼-inch thick (try Red Hen Baking Co.)
  3 tablespoons olive oil
  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  One 7-ounce wheel Blythedale Farms Brie, cut into ½-inch by 1-inch strips
  1 cup raspberry jam (try Side Hill Farm or Sunshine Valley Berry Farm)
  ¼ cup freshly grated horseradish
  1 teaspoon Kosher salt

  Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

  Set the baguette slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil on top and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Toast until golden brown, about 6 minutes.

  Top each crostini with a slice of Brie then return to the oven. Bake until the cheese starts to melt, about 3 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let cool.

  In a small bowl, mix together the jam, horseradish and salt. Top each crostini with a dollop of the jam mixture and serve.

  Serves 8 to 12

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• Sugarsnap Zucchini “Linguini” With Basil Pesto

  Date: 07.23.2010 | Category: Recipes | Response: 0

  from Sugarsnap, Burlington, Vermont

  2 large zucchini
  One 8 ounce container of pesto (homemade or purchased)
  ½ cup pine nuts or nuts of your choice
  3+ tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano or other hard Italian cheese
  Juice and zest of 1 lemon
  Salt and pepper

  Wash and dry the zucchini and using a julienne peeler, make the “linguini“ using the white flesh and skin of the squash, stopping when you get to the seeds. In a bowl large enough to toss the mix, add pesto (to taste), nuts, half of the cheese and the lemon zest. Use lemon juice to thin the pesto as you would use hot pasta water in a hot pesto/pasta dish.

  Add salt and pepper and more or less of anything as you wish. Top each serving with some of the remaining cheese. Serve with a green salad and crusty bread.

  Serves 4

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• Blueberry Buckle

  Date: 07.21.2010 | Category: Recipes | Response: 0

  from the FarmPlate Kitchen
  

  Delicious warm or cold. Perfect for breakfast or dessert.

  For the Blueberry Cake Layer
  4 tablespoons unsalted Cabot butter, at room temperature
  ½ cup white sugar
  1 large egg (try the eggs at Applecheek Farm)
  1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  1½ cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
  1 teaspoon baking powder
  ¼ teaspoon salt
  ½ cup milk (from McNamara Dairy)
  3 cups fresh-picked blueberries plus more for serving (pick your own at Wildwood Farm)
  

  For the Buckle Layer
  ½ cup King Arthur all-purpose flour
  ½ cup Demerara sugar
  ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
  4 tablespoons cold unsalted Cabot butter, cut into pieces
  Whipped cream for serving

  Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Butter a 9×9-inch glass baking dish.

  To make the cake layer, in a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt and sift onto a piece of wax paper. Add half of the flour mixture to the creamed butter and beat to combine. Add half of the milk and beat well. Add the remaining flour followed by the remaining milk and beat well again. Gently stir in the blueberries. Scrape the batter into the prepared baking dish.

  To make the buckle layer, combine the flour, sugar and nutmeg in a bowl. Using a fork or your fingers, work in the butter until you have a crumb-like texture. Sprinkle over the cake.

  Bake the buckle for 35 minutes. The top will be golden. Cool for about 15 minutes. Cut into large pieces and serve with additional fresh blueberries and some whipped cream.

  Serves 9 to 12

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• Lemon Buttermilk Pie

  Date: 07.14.2010 | Category: Recipes | Response: 0

  from the FarmPlate Kitchen
  

  This old-fashioned southern dessert is ever-so-good on its own and even better when served with fresh-picked raspberries or blueberries.
  
  1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell (try a frozen one from Vermont Mystic Pie Company)
  4 large eggs
  ¾ cup sugar
  2 tablespoons flour
  1½ cups Monument Farms buttermilk
  4 tablespoons butter, preferably Vermont Creamery cultured butter, melted
  Grated zest of 1 lemon
  3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  1 tablespoon lemon vodka such as Green Mountain Organic Lemon Vodka or Absolut Citron, or pure vanilla extract

  Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line the pie shell with a piece of parchment paper and add a handful of dried beans. Blind bake the pie shell for 10 minutes only. Remove from the oven and let cool while you mix the filling. Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF.

  In a large mixing bowl, whisk or beat the eggs and sugar until light and lemon-colored. Beat in the flour, followed by the buttermilk, melted butter, lemon zest and juice, and vodka or vanilla. Pour into the half-baked pie shell.

  Bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 30 minutes then chill before serving.

  Serves 6 to 8

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• Corn-off-the-Cob Salad with Buttermilk-Herb Dressing

  Date: 07.14.2010 | Category: Recipes | Response: 0

  from the FarmPlate Kitchen

  Mazza’s in Colchester (both Sam and Paul) have fresh Vermont sweet corn this week.

  4 ears fresh-picked sweet corn, shucked
  ½ cup Monument Farms buttermilk
  1 tablespoon olive oil
  Juice of 1 lemon
  2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
  2 tablespoons sliced fresh basil
  1 clove garlic, minced
  Salt and pepper
  1 red or green bell pepper, diced

  Cut the kernels from the corncobs with a serrated knife. Bring a pan of water to a full boil, add the kernels and immediately pour into a strainer set in the sink. Rinse with cold water.

  In a mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, lemon juice, herbs, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the blanched corn and diced pepper. Stir to blend. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

  Serves 4

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• Pretty in Pink Raspberry Cupcakes

  Date: 07.07.2010 | Category: Recipes | Response: 0

  from the FarmPlate Kitchen

  Back in 1986, Pretty in Pink star Molly Ringwald revealed to fans that her favorite pig-out food was raspberries. We hope that hasn’t changed—and these easy cupcakes are the perfect nosh to enjoy while watching the John Hughes’ film classic.

  We use Charlotte’s Nitty Gritty cornmeal here. It’s well worth making the effort to seek it out. The corn is grown and ground in the Champlain Valley, and the flavor is round and almost sweet. You can buy cornmeal and cornbread mix directly from the producer online or at the Waitsfield Farmers Market on Saturdays. You can also find it at select area food stores.

  1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
  ¾ cup sugar
  Grated zest of ½ lemon
  ¾ cup cornmeal, preferably from Nitty Gritty Grain Company
  2 large eggs, beaten
  1 cup King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour
  1 teaspoon baking powder
  1/8 teaspoon salt
  ¼ cup milk or cream
  1 cup red raspberries (blueberries or blackberries work well too)

  Icing
  Several imperfect raspberries
  1 tablespoon lemon juice
  1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  1 teaspoon unsalted butter

  Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 12-muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.

  In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and lemon zest. Beat in the cornmeal, followed by the eggs.

  Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Beat this into butter mixture, followed by the milk or cream. Very gently fold in the raspberries.

  Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until golden, 15 to 17 minutes. Remove the cupcakes to a wire rack and let cool.

  To ice the cooled cupcakes, place a few raspberries in a bowl and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Mash the berries with a fork to tint the juice pinkish. In a separate small mixing bowl, work together the confectioners’ sugar and butter with a fork. Strain enough of the raspberry-lemon liquid into the bowl to make a thick but fluid icing.

  Peel the paper liners from the cupcakes. Dunk the top of each cupcake into the icing then quickly invert and place on a serving platter. Set aside for a few minutes before serving.

  Makes 12 cupcakes

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• Summer Fountain Line-Up

  Date: 06.30.2010 | Category: Real Food, Recipes | Response: 0

  Summer’s here and everybody’s thirsty. We’ve pulled together our favorite thirst-quenching quaffs to have on hand for the 4th’s young parade-goers and seasoned revelers. Pick and choose a couple favorites so you can stock up on the ingredients before the long weekend is here.

  Strawberryade
  Pack 1 quart hulled strawberries, 1 cup orange juice, the grated zest and juice of 2 lemons and 2 tablespoons honey or sugar in a blender. Puree until smooth. Pour into a pitcher filled with ice.

  The Patty Sheehan
  Mix 2 parts unsweetened green tea (Citrus Blossom from Vermont Artisan Coffee & Teas is ideal) with 1 part lemonade (try Santa Cruz Organic Lemonade). Pour over cracked ice and raise your glass to Vermont’s most celebrated golfer!

  Root Beer Floats
  You can buy fresh-brewed root beer by the gallon at the A&W on Route 7 in Middlebury, or order up a pony keg of craft beer from Rookie’s Root Beer in Burlington. There are two distinct schools of float assembly. Some scoop the ice cream into the glass first and slowly pour in the root beer. Others swear by filling the glass three-quarters full first and then adding a big scoop of ice cream. Either way, Mountain Creamery’s vanilla ice cream is a must.

  Hibiscus Sangría
  Make a large pitcher of VT Artisan Organic Hibiscus Blossom Tea; add lemon, orange and watermelon slices. Stir in 3 to 4 tablespoons of superfine sugar. Chill to blend the flavors. Pour into a pitcher filled with ice.

  Cherry Fizz
  In a large pitcher, stir together 2 quarts chilled seltzer with one 12-ounce can frozen cherry juice concentrate. Serve over ice. Garnish with pitted organic cherries. A cherry pitter makes quick work of this task. Pick up an OXO cherry pitter at Board & Basket in West Lebanon, New Hampshire, and other fine retailers nationwide.

  Jamaica Ginger Juice
  Cut the flesh of 1 ripe pineapple into chunks. In a blender, puree the pineapple, ¼ cup crystallized ginger pieces, the juice of 3 or 4 limes and about 1 cup cold water. Transfer to a large pitcher and stir in 1 quart of chilled ginger ale and lots of ice.

  Nojitos
  In the bottom of a wide-mouth pitcher, bruise with a large wooden spoon or long cocktail muddler: 2 handfuls fresh mint leaves, 2 tablespoons superfine sugar and 1 teaspoon grated lime zest. Add the juice of 4 limes and 1 quart chilled soda or seltzer. Pour into tall glasses full of crushed ice. Garnish with a small sprig of mint. (This alcohol-free version of a mojito cocktail saves 70 calories per serving.)

  Cran-blue-berry Sparkle
  Pour Vermont Cranberry Company Cranberry Sparkling Water over frozen blueberries in a glass and serve.

  Peachy White Wine Sangría
  Thinly slice 3 or 4 peaches and put in a large pitcher. Add Shelburne Vineyard’s Côte de Champlain (it’s on sale this week at the Middlebury Co-op), 2 shots (¼ cup) Grand Marnier and ¼ cup superfine sugar. Chill at least 2 hours to blend flavors. Top off with lemon seltzer and serve.

  Shandy
  This is by far the best whistle-wetter after mowing the lawn on a hot afternoon. Pour an ice-cold bottle of Long Trail ale into a pint glass and top it off with Fentimans Ginger Beer and some cracked ice. You can find the Fentimans and, of course, the Long Trail at the Old Brick Store in Charlotte, Vermont.

  Woody Goes to the Circus
  Combine one part ice-cold Woodchuck Pear Draft Cider and one part ice-cold Magic Hat Circus Boy American-style Hefeweizen.

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• Swiss Chard Stuffed with Spicy-Sweet Rice

  Date: 06.23.2010 | Category: Recipes | Response: 0

  from the FarmPlate Kitchen
  

  Larger chard leaves are good for stuffing like the grape leaves in Greek dolmades. Plan ahead for this recipe—the peas need to soak overnight.

  5 tablespoons olive oil
  1 medium onion, minced
  ¾ cup white rice (Texmati or basmati)
  1½ cups water
  1 teaspoon salt
  ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  A big pinch ground cardamom (optional)
  ¼ cup yellow split peas or chana dal (split chickpeas), soaked overnight in water
  About 20 stalks of white Swiss chard with large leaves
  1/3 cup dried currants
  ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
  ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
  Freshly ground black pepper
  Juice of 1 lemon
  Greek yogurt for serving
  

  Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a saucepan. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook a minute or two until the rice grains are slightly translucent. Add the water, salt, cinnamon and cardamom. Bring to a boil. Drain the split peas or chana dal and add to the pan as well. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and cook for 20 minutes.

  Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Cut 15 to 18 leaves from the chard stems. Stack the leaves in a colander. Pour the water from the kettle over the leaves followed by running cold water. Spread the leaves on paper towels.

  Chop the stems and the remaining leaves. Set aside a couple handfuls of chopped chard. Sauté the remainder in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil until it wilts. Add the currants and cook for a minute or two. Add the chard mixture to the cooked rice/split pea mixture. Stir in the mint, parsley and a generous grinding of pepper.

  Drop about 2 tablespoons of stuffing onto the center of one leaf. Fold the wider end up over the stuffing. Fold in the sides, and then roll into a tight cylinder. Repeat with the remaining filling and leaves.

  Spread the reserved chopped chard in the bottom of a deep (not cast iron) skillet. Set the chard packages on the chopped chard, seam-side down. Combine the lemon juice, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons of water in a small cup. Drizzle over the chard packages. Cover the pan tightly and cook over very low heat for 30 minutes. Transfer the packages to a serving dish and chill.

  Serve chilled or a room temperature with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

  Serves 6 to 8 as a first course or 4 as a main course

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• Strawberries ‘n’ Cream Mousse

  Date: 06.16.2010 | Category: Recipes | Response: 0

  from the FarmPlate Kitchen
  

  2 pints (about 1 pound) just-picked strawberries, rinsed and hulled
  About 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
  1 to 2 teaspoons lemon-flavored vodka
  1 pint (2 cups) Butterworks Farm heavy cream
  ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  Slice 1 pint of strawberries and place in the bottom of a clear glass dessert bowl or divide among 6 individual parfait glasses. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of the confectioners’ sugar and a teaspoon or two of vodka.

  From the remaining pint of berries, set aside a few small ones to garnish the dessert. Process the rest of the strawberries with 1¼ cups of the heavy cream. Add 2 to 4 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, depending on the sweetness of the berries, and puree until smooth. Pour over the cut strawberries in the bowl. Chill for about 1 hour.

  Whip the remaining 3/4 cup of cream. Add vanilla and sweeten to taste with confectioners’ sugar. Whip to blend. Pipe or spread over the chilled strawberry mouse. Garnish with the strawberries.

  Serves 6

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