Pork Pot Stickers with Chinese Kale

The last time we went to the Downtown Farmers Market two weeks ago, Tankinz Noodles had a new booth down the middle with the Food Vendors. They were serving Pork Pot Stickers with Chinese Kale that were delicious. My stepmother, Vivian, is chinese and I have helped her make Pot Stickers so I decided to post this recipe. They are really easy to make and it is fun to set up your own production line with someone you enjoy cooking with. My stepmother makes a big patch of them and then freezes them so that is exactly what I did. I even took some to lunch the next day in my Thermos! Now, I have almost 3/4 of a batch of pot stickers in the freezer, ready to be cooked and eaten. They are really delicious and you can get every ingredient you need at the Downtown Farmers Market except for the gyoza wrappers and sesame oil.  Try out the other sauces at Tankinz (on the East side of the market). They have this OMG sauce that is really OMG good! We didn't use any on these pot stickers but I am sure you could.

Ingredients:

1 bunch Chinese Kale
4 cups Napa cabbage, finely chopped
2/3 pound ground pork
2 small carrots, shredded
4 green onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoonful ground ginger (or 1 tablespoonful minced fresh ginger)
2 tablespoonfuls Tankinz Ferry sauce (or soy sauce)
1 tablespoonful toasted sesame oil
1 egg, beaten
60 gyoza wrappers
1/2 cup canola oil
Dried garlic.

1. In medium bowl, toss cabbage with 1 and 1/2 teaspoonfuls salt. Let rest for 30 minutes. Place cabbage in cheesecloth or clean dishcloth and squeeze out as much water as possible.
2. Return cabbage to bowl and add pork, carrots, scallions, ginger, and garlic. Stir to combine.
3. Whisk together Ferry sauce, sesame oil, and egg then stir into cabbage-pork mixture. Stir in pepper and additional salt if desired.
4. On dry surface, lay one gyoza wrapper while keeping the remaining wrappers covered with a damp cloth or towel. Spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoonful filling into center of the wrapper. Moisten halfway around the edge of the wrapper with water, then fold over into a half moon shape and seal. Using thumb and forefinger of one hand, make 6 tiny pleats along unmoistened edge of wrapper, pressing pleats against moistened border to enclose filling. Place dumpling, seam-side up, on baking sheet and gently press to flatten bottom. Cover loosely with dampened cloth and form remaining dumplings.
5. In a non-stick skillet, heat oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Remove from heat and arrange pot stickers, standing up, in tight circle. Cook, uncovered, until bottoms are pale golden or about 2-3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water, cover tightly with lid and cook until liquid has evaporated and bottom of dumplings are a deep, golden brown, about 7-10 minutes. Add more water if liquid has evaporated before the bottoms are browned. Remove lid and cook and until steam dissipates, about 1-2 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, heat a large pot of water to boiling. Add the cleaned and trimmed chinese kale and blanch for about 2 minutes. Drain.
7. Serve pot stickers over a bed of cooked chinese kale. Sprinkle with dried garlic and additional soy sauce or Tankinz Ferry Sauce.

Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese (or Feta Cheese)

This is Bianca's Mom again. A friend of mine at work, Kim Engelby, gave me this recipe she found for roasted beets. Since Bianca is not a beet lover, as I am, this recipe was left for me to test. Bianca did help with the final tasting and decided that she liked it better with goat cheese rather than feta but I think that is a personal choice.  The beets can also be roasted on your grill outside which may be a good idea this time a year when heating up your oven to 400 degrees F for an hour can really heat up your house! Roasting beets in your oven is relatively easy. Just trim off the greens as soon as you bring them home (remember, you can rinse the greens in use them in a salad, cook them up or even make beet green ravioli), clean off the bulbs, then place in foil, fold them up and place in the oven until tender when poked with a fork. I have also frozen cooked beets and they stay well for at least 4-5 months. We still do not know how to can at our house but I think about it every year since I just love pickled beets. Maybe, this will be the year we take the dive and start canning!

Ingredients:

4 beets, leaves trimmed leaving one inch stem
1/4 cup minced shallot
2 tablespoonfuls minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoonfuls olive oil
1 tablespoonful balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoonful red wine vinegar
1/4 cup crumbled mild goat cheese (Drake Family Farms)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wrap beets in aluminum foil and place on cooking sheet. Bake beets until easily pierced with a fork, anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Remove from oven and let cool. Using paper towels (so your hands don't turn a pretty shade of red), peel the beets by rubbing them with the paper towel. Cut into 1/4 inch slices.
2. Whisk together the shallots, parsley, olive oil and vinegars. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Place the warmed, sliced beets onto a serving dish, pour vinaigrette over the beets and sprinkle with goat cheese prior to serving.

Options:
1. Use honey wine vinegar from Slide Ridge Honey instead of the red wine vinegar.
2. Use 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (Gold Creek or Farmstead Cheese) in place of the goat cheese.
adapted from allrecipes.com

Grilled Zucchini Roulades with Goat Cheese

The Eat Local Challenge starts on September 10! For all of you who don't know, this is the second annual food challenge and it will be totally fun! The challenge is to eat food within either a one hundred mile radius or a two hundred mile radius of your home. To do this, you can get a map and mark it out or just look it up on the internet. Buying food at the farmers market is the simplest way but you can also try the grocery store. You can do this challenge for two weeks or just one, it is your choice. I will be doing the challenge and posting recipes to help you along. Over the next few weeks, I will try to post some sample menus that you can follow.  Simple and delicious meals are probably what you will be seeing.  You can learn more about it from localfoodbee.com. You should all take this challenge, if only for one week! I hope you enjoy this challenge and have fun doing it!

Ingredients:

3 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices (Bell Organic, Jacob's Cove)
4 tablespoonfuls olive oil
3 plum tomatoes (our own Garden)
5 dried tomatoes, soaked in warm water (Cali's)
1 small onion (Bell Organic)
1 garlic clove (Sandhill)
2 tablespoonfuls finely chopped herb (we used basil but you can use mint, parsley or tarragon)
2 tablespoonfuls chopped nuts (we used pistachio)
1/4 cup crumbled soft mild goat cheese, about 2 ounces (Drake Family Farm or Shepards)
2 tablespoonfuls grated Parmesan cheese (Gold Creek Cheese)

1. Preheat grill or grill pan over medium heat. Discard the outermost slice of zucchini and brush with about 3 tablespoonfuls of olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until tender, about 4 minutes on each side. You can broil this in your oven if you don't have a grill.  You can make the grilled zucchini the day ahead and store in layers on wax paper in an airtight container overnight in your refrigerator.
2. Boil water in a small saucepan and prepare a bowl of ice water. Cut a X in the blossom end of each tomato and blanch tomatoes for about 10 seconds in the boiling water and then place directly in the ice water to stop cooking.  Peel and seed the tomatoes. Chop both the fresh and dried tomatoes and mince the onion and garlic.
3. Heat 1 tablespoonful of olive oil in 10-12 inch skillet until hot but not smoking. Saute onion, garlic and nuts, stirring constantly, until the onions are golden. Add all tomatoes and herbs. Continue to saute, stirring until all the liquid has evaporated off, about 3-5 minutes.  Add the goat and parmesan cheeses and cook until just melted. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
4. Put a generous teaspoonful at widest end of each zucchini strip and roll up slice toward narrow end. Arrange on a warm platter.
This is great as an appetizer or serve with pasta (always a favorite in our house). We ate these with Red Pepper and Basil Linguine (Z-pasta) with homemade alfredo sauce. It was wonderful!

Options:
1.  Use eggplant instead of zucchini. If you do this, cut eggplant and place in a colander with 1/2 teaspoonful salt. Let rest for 30 minutes then rinse with cold water and pat dry. Grill the same as the zucchini.

The Local Artists at the Farmers Market

I have talked about the farmers at the Downtown Farmers Market but there are also artisans, painters, and designers! My mom and I often talk to the farmers and buy our food before heading to the arts and crafts side of the market. In the spirit of being local, I have decided to post pictures about the products we have bought from the artisans.

First off there is Made in the Shade:

Multiple Bracelets

Made in the Shade first appeared last year with tons of cool bracelets and belts.  From there, they just got better. Soon, Made in the Shade started to make their own amazing belt buckles.  I was the first to grab one of the paint splattered buckles and I still enjoy it! Everything is genuine leather and it is all made by hand.  Each one is different so you can be sure no one else will have your bracelet, bag, or belt.  They are very comfortable and I have gotten many compliments over the two years that I have been wearing them! The belts and bracelets can be adjusted to your size so don't be afraid to ask the vendor to size something for you! Have fun choosing because there are millions of choices!

My two belts

Sorry Clementine:

My Octopus

Sorry Clementine just joined the Downtown Arts and Crafts market and they should receive a warm welcome! All the clothes are individually designed and sewed by Suzanne Holifield, who is the owner of Sorry Clementine, so none of them are the same.  The clothes are cute and fun. Check her out on the west side of the park!

Elizabeth Plumb Jewelry:

Three Pairs of my Moms Earrings

I personally do not wear any of Elizabeth Plumb's jewelry, but my mom loves her stuff. All her jewelry is originally designed and has been handcrafted using semi-precious stones and metals such as sterling silver, gold, brass, turquoise, and garnet. Her pieces are simply elegant and stylish! Very beautiful!

Milne Pottery:

A Milne Bowl

 My mom has meant to buy more of the pottery from Milne Pottery but that has not yet happened.  All the pottery can be used as dinnerware and can be washed in your dishwasher on the top shelf. They are very colorful and I use them for pictures  on this blog.  Go check out her colorful collection!









Revoluccia:

 Revoluccia was new to the market this year but they, much like Sorry Clementine are amazing! Natalie Wall and Kellie Murphy are the great women who make all of the handmade leather items. Both me and my mom love their designs! I bought my schoolbag from them and my Mom bought multiple purses from them, one was for my aunt.  Their bracelets are also beautiful. We have bought four of their bracelets, one of which is supposed to go to my cousin (she is supposed to check out this blog and pick which one she wants!).  This is a great booth to visit so make sure to check it

One of the Purses

Victoria E. Acoba Teapots:

Our Teapot

These teapots are incredible silly and amazing as well as useful! All of the teapots from Victoria Acoba are definitely usable for making tea.  My mom loves them and so does all of her friends. I think they are incredibly cute and each one is different.  You will find no two teapots alike! They are great conversation starters and just fun to look at! Go check  out all of the different things that she makes!













Kings Maille

A Chain Maille Bracelet

The first time we walked past this booth last year we were instantly drawn to it! The artisans of Kings Maille were very friendly and introduced us to this new kind of jewelry.  There are earrings, bracelets, and necklaces that are simply elegant.  Although the jewelry is made of metal, it is not chunky, but light and comfortable. Hopefully you will go check out this booth and see how great their stuff really is!!








Spirit and Soul of the Tree:

Beautiful with a little turquoise in it!

All of the stuff made by the Spirit and Soul of the Tree is made of local wood with a couple little decorations! All the bowls are soft and smooth to the touch and undyingly beautiful.  Some bowls have designs in them, like the horse in the bowl below.  Some bowls are carved, like the bowl above, but all are great! Go check out their work and buy yourself a beautiful bowl!

Bowl with inlaid horse

Ambre Industries

All of the items we bought.

The market is full of surprises! Just this past Saturday we found Ambre Industries! Obviously, we have walked past them a couple times but just this past day we finally stopped and bought a fair amount of items! Their jewelry is made of recycled materials, wood, fabric, and leaves.  It is all designed and made individually. All their  stuff is light and stylish! Check them out on the west side of the market!

Simple Blue Ring

The Double White Ring

Black Dog Art:

Romy Brett is the owner of Black Dog Art and she makes not only bottle cap jewelry and magnets but also cute stuffed animals. Some of her bottle cap art is just cute, while others can be just plain funny.  All of her stuff is handmade and high quality! I have bought many of her things for gifts and all my friends love them! You will always find something for yourself so visit her booth!

Kevin Frazier- Clay Artist

Kevin Frazier's work is amazing and beautiful.  From functional work to wall hangings and pottery, all of his stuff is impeccably made. He makes wheel thrown and hand built pieces, which are often non-functional. He not only uses clay but also uses wood, metal, leather, and glass.  We own many of his works and have given many away as gifts for friends and family.  Check out his booth and find some of his pieces that fit you and your friends!!

Fresh Corn, Cucumber and Tomato Salad

I have been away for a couple weeks over the past month and now I am back.  This recipe with its corn is super delicious as well as nutritious! Corn has a fair amount of vitamin B1 (thiamine), folate, dietary fiber, vitamin C and phosphorus.  Just like many other vegetables and fruits, corn has a ton of antioxidant benefits. The fiber in the corn helps with the digestive benefits as well as helping regulate blood sugar. Hopefully you just like this recipe and don't need to worry about a lot of this stuff! Enjoy!


Ingredients:

4 ears of corn, shucked and cooked, microwave or grilled (Bell Organics)

2 fresh tomatoes, chopped (Jacobs Cove)

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped (Bell Organic)

1 green onion, chopped (our garden)

1 red or green sweet pepper, seeded and chopped (Bell Organic)

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (our garden)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro (our garden)

2 Tbsp. Slide Ridge Honey Vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

1 1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1. To grill corn, brush corn with olive oil and grill over medium-high heat, turning often, until lightly browned. If using microwave, wrap corn in wet, clean dishtowel and microwave on high, 2 cobs at a time, for 2 and 1/2 minutes. When cool, cut corn from the cobs.
2. Toss the corn with the cucumber, tomatoes, green onions, peppers and cilantro. Add vinegar and olive oil and toss well. Season with salt and pepper and place in refrigerator to marinate for at least 2 hours. 
3. Serve at room temperature

Options: add a little habanero olive oil (from Cali’s) to spice it up. We did and the man of the house loved it!

Zucchini Bread (the light way)

Zucchini season is upon us and as Garrison Keiller says, in Lake Wobegon, you need to lock your cars or face the prospect of finding zucchini on your seats! Last week, between the two CSAs and my own zucchini plants (what WAS I thinking), I made about 6 loaves of zucchini bread. You know it is zucchini season when you bring a loaf of bread to work and people know what it is before you even unwrap it.

Before Bianca left for Canada, we made a number of zucchini breads using a traditional recipe which uses a lot of oil.  It made a delicious bread but, being the calorie conscious person that I am, I wanted to find a recipe that would be lighter and still use local ingredients and, as Bianca has stated in the past, use things that I have on hand. That is when I found this recipe in Cooking Light, Way to Cook Vegetarian. You all know from reading this blog that we make our own yogurt from Winder Farms milk so we always have some on hand. I also keep a container of Flax-Pro flaxseed on hand to add to some of my breads to kick up the nutrition with omega-3 fatty acids and fiber. The original recipe calls for ground flaxseed but FlaxPro does not need to be ground like raw flax seeds to aid in digestion. With raw flax seed, you need to grind it to aid in digestion but that is not required with FlaxPro seeds. 


As always, I grind my own wheat berries the day prior to making the bread. This time, I added some sunflower seeds I had on hand but you can use pecans (local if you can find them), pumpkin seeds, almonds or walnuts.


Now, I don't feel as guilty having a piece of this bread for breakfast. It is great toasted with a little bit of cream cheese.

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

4 cups shredded zucchini

2 cups plain yogurt

4 eggs

6 tbls. olive oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped nuts

5 cups white whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup honey

1/2 cup flaxseed (Flax-Pro)

2 tbls. baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and butter two, 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.
2. Beat eggs, yogurt, oil and vanilla in a medium size bowl with a whisk. Stir in zucchini.
3. Combine flour, sugars, ground flaxseed, and rest of dry ingredients in large bowl, mixing well.
4. Add zucchini mixture to dry ingredients and mix well. Add nuts and stir until well combined.
5. Pour batter in prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
6. Cool in pans about 10 minutes on wire rack. 

adapted from Cooking Light, the Way to Cook Vegetarian 

Fun at the Market

Bianca is off again, this time in Vancouver, Canada visiting her step-mother's family so, once again, I am left in charge of the "shop". With Bianca gone, it is almost impossible to keep up with the veggie shares from our 2 CSAs! I am inundated with zucchini, summer squash, swiss chard, cabbage, kale and various string and green beans. A few nights ago, I just decided to throw everything into a pot, add a little seasoning and go with it. My husband, who is not a zucchini fan, actually loved it...so there you go!

Bianca and Friend getting ready to go to the Market

One thing that Bianca has not mentioned on this blog is how much we enjoy the artisans at the Downtown Market. She has been too busy with the recipe side of the "shop" but over the next few weeks, she will be posting some of the really wonderful items made by our local artisans. One example is the bike bag you see her wearing in the picture. Watch for more items over the next few weeks.

Red Currant and Gooseberry Yogurt Cake

This past week, my friend Catherine came to the Market with me. When we got to Weeks of Paradise Berries, we saw these strange berries that I had never tasted before so, since I am supposed to be looking to help people try new, local food, we decided to buy them. The currants were good but the gooseberries were really sour. My Mom's friends said that they knew a lot of people who just loved gooseberry pie. Anyway, we went home and tried to find a recipe that would work with some of the ingredients we had in our larder.  I think this cake would be good with any berry you wanted to use although you may be able to use less sugar if you are not using gooseberries. It was GREAT with the Sweet Corn and Honey Gelato.




Red Currant and Gooseberry Yogurt Cake

2 large eggs

1/2 cup plain yogurt, about

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 honey (we used raspberry honey)

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

3 tbl. melted unsalted butter, cooled

1/2 cup fresh gooseberries

1/2 cup fresh red currants

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease an 8 inch square pan.
2. Beat eggs into an 1-cup measuring cup with a fork then add enough yogurt to equal one cup.
3. Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. 
4. Stir the egg mixture, honey and melted butter into the dry ingredients until smooth.
5. Gently fold in the currants and gooseberries.
6. Pour into prepared pan and bake 40-45 minutes or until it is a rich brown color and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

options:

1. Use raspberries or blackberries in place of the red currants.

2. Add nuts to the batter before baking

Sweet Corn and Honey Gelato

My mother came across this recipe in a magazine and of course, if it is gelato, we need to try it! We changed the recipe a bit to give it more of a local flare by substituting some honey in place of sugar.  It was just enough honey not to overpower the taste of the corn but still gave it a great taste.  I think you could probably freeze some of our summer corn and then make this gelato later in the year. It was really good served with the Raspberry and Gooseberry Yogurt Cake.


Sweet-Corn Gelato

3 ears of sweet corn, husked

3 1/2 cup (or more) whole milk

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream 

8 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Cut kernels from corn cobs; reserve cobs. Break each cob into 2-3 pieces. Bring milk to a simmer in a large saucepan. Add corn kernels and cobs. Remove mixture from heat, cover,  and let steep for 45 minutes. 
2. Remove cobs from milk; discard. Puree mixture in batches in a blender. Set a course strainer over a large bowl. Strain mixture, pressing on solids; discard solids. Add more milk if needed to measure 3 1/2 cups. 
3. Bring corn mixture, honey, and cream to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve honey. 
4. Set a strainer over medium bowl; set aside. Whisk 1/4 cup sugar, egg yolks, and salt in a medium heat proof bowl. Gradually whisk in hot milk mixture; return to saucepan. Stir constantly over mediums heat until custard registers 175˚ on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes. Immediately pour custard through strainer. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
5. Process custard in an ice cream maker per manufacturers instructions. Freeze for at least one hour then enjoy!

Penne Pasta with Zucchini Pistou

Penne with Zucchini Pistou

• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided  
• 6 quarts water
• 2 ½ cup zucchini, sliced 1/4-inch-thick
• 1 cup packed basil leaves 
• ½ cup shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts (or other nuts), toasted
• 1 ¾ teaspoons kosher salt
• ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
• 8 ounces uncooked penne pasta
• 2 cups chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion 
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender and golden.  Remove from pan; cool.
2. Place ½ cup cooked zucchini, basil, ¼ cup cheese, pine nuts, and garlic in a food processor; process until finely chopped. (Keep mixture in processor.)
3. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 10 minutes or until golden. Return remaining cooked zucchini to pan.  Remove from heat.
4. Combine 6 quarts water and 1 teaspoon salt in large Dutch oven, and bring to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water according to package directions. Drain in a sieve over a bowl, reserving 1/3 cup cooking liquid. Add pasta to vegetables.
5.  With processor on, add reserved liquid to basil mixture; process until smooth. Add basil mixture to pasta.  Add cream, remaining salt, and pepper; stir.  Top with remaining cheese and enjoy!  

Indian Summer Salad

This recipe wasn't originally a salad, but samosas. I like Indian food and so does my mom, so we looked up a recipe for Indian samosas.  We got the local garlic, onions, potatoes, etc., and began to cook.  The filling for the most part was pretty easy but when it came to the wrapping it was just to hard.  Our family tasted the filling and loved it, so we made it a salad.  This salad is a spicy and delicious mix of peas and potatoes with a little Indian zing. It's perfect for the summer, so enjoy eat!

Ingredients 

• ¼ cup vegetable oil  
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds cup 
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, mince 
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced  
• 2 1/2 cup yellow onions, chopped  
• 2 hot green chile peppers, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tbl fresh cilantro, chopped
• ½ teaspoon turmeric  
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne  
• ½ cup green peas, blanched
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice  
• 2 large potatoes, peeled, cut into ½ inch dice, and boiled until just tender

1.  In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat.  Add the coriander seeds and cook, stirring, for 10 seconds. Add the onions and ginger, and cook, stirring, until starting to caramelize. 
2. Add the garlic, chile peppers, salt, turmeric, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring until potatoes color and become dry. Add the peas and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. 
3. Remove from heat and add cilantro and lemon juice.  Stir to combine, than adjust seasonings, to taste.  Serve and enjoy!

Fruit Pizza

Summer is halfway over and the food at the Farmer's Market just keeps getting more delicious! The corn and fresh fruit has come in, which is very exciting in my house.  Usually the fresh fruit and corn just get eaten plain, but is always fun to mix it up! This recipe is a fruit pizza.  A fruit pizza is a desert and is not the kind with tomato sauce and cheese.  This recipe is deliciously sweet and the fruit make it even more delectable! For this recipe choose any fruits you want and just put them on this pizza.  I hope you enjoy this recipe and are having a great summer!

Ingredients 

Sugar Cookie Crust:

Fruit Pizza with Cherries, Blueberries, and Raspberries

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 and 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1. Cream together butter, sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix well.
2. Press into 12” x 9”cookie sheet and bake at 375° F for about 15 minutes. Cool. 

Filling: 

• 2- 8 oz pkg. cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

1.  Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth; mix in vanilla. Spread over crust.

Glaze:

• 1/4 cup sugar,
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 1 1/2 cup cornstarch 
• A pinch of salt

1. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly about 2 minutes or until thickened. Cool.
2. Now, place the fresh seasonal fruit over filling in decorative pattern. Brush glaze over fruit. Chill and serve!

Baked Beans with Ham and Swiss Chard

Baked Beans with Swiss Chard

We seldom eat baked beans at our house but we saw this recipe in the Food Network magazine and thought it would be a good way to use some of the Swiss Chard we received in our CSA this week. As always, my Mom and I try to adjust the recipe to the ingredients we have on hand instead of making another trip to the store. My Mom also likes to make dishes that will make a full meal so adding more ham and using our dried pinto beans (we buy in 25  lb. bags from Soranco Bean Products in Twin Falls, Idaho) helps to make it a complete meal. My Mom found some of Utah's Owns Jeri's Gourmet Bar-B-Que Sauce in our refrigerator so we thought, why not, and added a bit of that, too. To finally complete the meal, we mixed this in with about 1/2 pound of cooked penne pasta and being who we are, topped it off with a little grated Habanero cheese from Beehive Cheese. Of course, as always, you can adjust this recipe to your liking by adding or subtracting ingredients to your liking.
Ingredients:

1 tablespoon virgin olive oil                        1/2 small onion, chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped                              2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Kosher salt                                                  Freshly ground pepper

1 cup diced ham (Christiansen Farms)  1-15-ounce can whole tomatoes, crushed

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley                  1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano          3/4 cup barbecue sauce (Jeri's)

1 15-ounce cans navy beans, undrained

2 15-ounce cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 bunch Swiss Chard or mustard greens, stems removed, leaves chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and golden, about 7 minutes.
2. Add the chard, ham and 1/4 cup water to the skillet; cook, stirring, until the chard wilts slightly, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, increase the heat to medium high and simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add the pinto beans, then add the navy beans and their liquid.  Add the parsley, thyme and oregano and return to a simmer. 
3. Coarsely mash about one-quarter of the beans in the skillet with a potato masher or fork to thicken the mixture; season with salt. Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish.  Cover and bake 45 minutes, then uncover and bake 10 more minutes. 
4. This is great served with pasta for a complete meal!

options:
To keep this local:


1. Try using dried pinto beans you can buy at the Downtown market. Take 2 cups pinto beans and soak overnight. Change out the water in the morning and then boil for 10 minutes and let rest for additional hour. The beans are then ready to use.
2. Use fresh tomatoes instead of canned. Tomatoes were not really ready at the Market yet so we using some store bought canned tomatoes but...you could also can your own tomatoes to use in this dish! 


Otherwise, everything but the olive oil can be purchased locally.