Garden Bounty

This year we were so excited to have a yard, it meant we could grow our very own garden full of vegetables and even flowers.  We started planting back in late April, we built a raised bed for a variety of veggies including spinach, Italian lettuce, carrots, beets, green peppers, and cucumbers.  As you can see above, all of our patience and watering work has paid off in BEETS!  Soon, we will be creating a delicious recipe to include these little gems.

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Ratatouille Sub

It sounds weird, but this mixture really produces a sandwich that easily rivals a meatball sub and even exceeds it!  This recipe is oh so easy and very budget friendly; and look how pretty it is when ready to be baked.

Adapted from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

Ingredients

1 long, thin eggplant ( Japanese variety)

1 long thin zucchini

1 long thin yellow squash

1-2 red bell peppers, long and narrow if you can find them

1/2 small yellow onion

1 cup tomato sauce

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt

Red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

2- 8 inch sub rolls, we use whole wheat Turano brand

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and prepare the vegetables.  Trim the ends of the eggplant, zucchini, and squash, with a mandolin, slice each in to 1/16″ thick.  Carefully trim the ends off the red pepper and remove the core, leaving the flesh in tact to make a tube.  Thinly slice crosswise, thinly slice the onion as well.  In a 2-quart baking dish, spread the tomato sauce, stir in the minced garlic and sliced onion, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, a few pinches of salt and red pepper flakes to taste.  Arrange the slices of eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash and red peppers so that they overlap and show a bit of each ( see picture)  Drizzle the remaining olive oil and the thyme.  Cover with a lid or foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Uncover and bake about 15 minutes more with the oven increased to 425.  Split the sub rolls and warm up for 5 minutes in the oven, top with cheese if desired and then layer the vegetables on top of your rolls including the tomato sauce and enjoy!!

“Marinated” Kale and Green Bean Salad

Veggie side recipes are abundant, but often never tried out- we all have our favorite ways to eat veggies and usually seeing a recipe like this one seems too much work.  But we made this semi marinated, and served it hot because that’s what we wanted with our dinner.  It’s important to know that you can alter recipes to suit YOU.  So here we have not really marinated the Kale but rather sautéed it with the flavors from the recipe, tossed with steamed green beans and parmesan, wa- lah delicious, fresh with a spicy kick veggie side, that can easily be brought to your Thanksgiving table feast!

Adadapted from Bon Appetit: If you want to do this the cold way, BA says “the longer the raw kale sits in its lemony vinaigrette, the more tender it will become. If you prefer a crisper salad, let it sit for an hour or two; for a softer texture, chill it for up to 1 day.”

Ingredients

• 1 TBS olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 large bunch Tuscan kale, center ribs and stems removed, leaves cut lengthwise into 1/2″ strips (about 8 cups)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound green beans, trimmed
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

• Ingredient Info

  Tuscan kale, also called black kale, dinosaur kale, Lacinato kale, or cavolo nero, has long, narrow, dark-green bumpy leaves; it’s available at farmers’ markets and some supermarkets.

Preparation

• Heat a large dutch oven skillet over medium heat with Olive oil.  Add kale lemon juice, honey, and red pepper flakes and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Once the kale is bright green and slightly tender remove from heat and put in a large serving bowl.
• Cook beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain beans.
• Add beans to kale and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with grated cheese.

Sage Rubbed Pork Chops and Pickled Peach Relish

Our subscription to Food and Wine pays off- this recipe is a real gem.  It’s summer, it’s HOT out, and this combo of seared pork with cool peach relish is a full of interesting, unique and down right refreshing flavors!  On it’s own, the peaches are strange, but take a bite with the pork and it’s like they are meant to be together forever ( like us!) Please give this a try and let us know how you like it!

Sage-Rubbed Pork Chops with Pickled Peach Relish

Adapted from Food and Wine

• ACTIVE: 35 MIN
• TOTAL TIME: 2 HRS
• SERVINGS: 4

1. 2 cups white wine vinegar
2. 1 1/2 cups water
3. 1/4 cup sugar
4. 2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
5. 1 bay leaf
6. 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, plus 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
7. Kosher salt
8. 4 large ripe but firm peaches, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch dice
9. 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10. 20 small sage leaves, plus 1 tablespoon chopped sage
11. Four 1-inch-thick, bone-in pork rib chops (10 to 12 ounces each)

1. In a large saucepan, combine the white wine vinegar with the water, sugar, mustard seeds, bay leaf, 1 tablespoon of whole peppercorns and 2 tablespoons of salt and bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Put the diced peaches in a large, heatproof bowl and pour the hot brine over them. Let the peaches stand for 1 hour, then refrigerate them for about 30 minutes, until the peaches are chilled.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of the oil with the chopped sage, coarsely ground pepper and 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of salt. Rub the mixture all over the chops and let stand for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil until shimmering. Add the chops to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat until browned, 3 minutes per side. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 5 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat nearest the bone registers 145°. Transfer the chops to a plate to rest for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the sage leaves and cook over moderate heat until crisp, about 1 minute per side.
5. Put a pork chop on each plate. Using a slotted spoon, top each chop with about 1/2 cup of the pickled peaches. Garnish with the fried sage leaves and serve.

MAKE AHEAD The pickled peaches can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Strawberry Pie

 

We got this amazing deal on a container of strawberries, fresh and smelling great, and 4 pounds for $5.  Could you say no?  This pie had to be made so the strawberries wouldn’t go bad- and since we are weeks away from the BIG wedding day, we are trying to be mindful and eating well, so we turned to our Eating Well cookbook for this healthier version of a classic, we omitted the rhubarb part because we didn’t have any, but you can follow the original link below if you want it back!  The crust was buttery and tender and all it should be, yet had more flavor because of the whole wheat.  The super sweet filling was perfect for our strawberries, we enjoyed the pie for breakfast one morning, dessert the next evening with homemade low fat ( real) vanilla ice cream and the evening after that… and you know how it goes.  Give healthier a try and you won’t be disappointed!

RECIPE:

Adapted from Eating Well

 

CRUST

• 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour , (see Note)
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar, plus 1 teaspoon for sprinkling (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup FAGE 0% Greek yogurt
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 tablespoons ice water
• 1 large egg white, beaten, for brushing

FILLING

• 2 1/2 tablespoons instant tapioca
• 6 cups sliced fresh or frozen (not thawed) strawberries , (about 2 pounds)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• Pinch of salt

PREPARATION

1. To prepare crust: Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and salt in a large bowl. Cut butter into small pieces and, with your fingers, quickly rub them into the dry ingredients until smaller but still visible. Add sour cream and oil; toss with a fork to combine with the dry ingredients. Sprinkle water over the mixture. Toss with a fork until evenly moist. Knead the dough with your hands in the bowl a few times”the mixture will still be a little crumbly. Turn out onto a clean surface and knead a few more times, until the dough just holds together. Divide the dough in half and shape into 5-inch-wide disks. Wrap each in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. To prepare filling: Just before you’re ready to roll out the dough, process tapioca in a spice grinder, mini food processor or blender until finely ground. Combine with strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, lemon juice, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl; toss well to combine.
3. Position a rack in the center of the oven and place a foil-lined baking sheet on the rack below; preheat to 425°F.
4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator; let stand for 5 minutes to warm slightly. Roll one portion between sheets of parchment or wax paper into a 12-inch circle. Peel off the top sheet and invert the dough into a 9-inch pie pan. Peel off the remaining paper. Moisten the outer edge of the dough with water. Scrape the filling and any accumulated juices into the crust.
5. To prepare lattice top: Roll the remaining dough between sheets of parchment or wax paper into a 12-inch circle. Peel off the top sheet. Cut the dough into 1-inch strips using a pastry wheel or a knife. Lift off every other strip and lay them on top of the pie, leaving about a 1-inch gap between strips. Use the shorter strips for the edges and the longer ones for the middle of the pie. (You may not need to use the outermost strips.) Fold back the first, third and fifth strips of dough to the edge of the pie. Place a shorter strip of dough across the second and fourth strips, about 1 inch from the edge. Unfold the folded strips over the crosswise strip. Fold back the second and fourth strips over the first crosswise strip. Place another strip crosswise, about 1 inch from the first. Unfold the strips over the second crosswise strip. Continue folding back alternating strips and placing crosswise strips until the top is covered with woven strips. Trim any overhanging crust. Crimp the outer edge with a fork. Brush the dough with egg white; sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar (if using) over just the lattice top, not the outer edge.
6. Bake the pie for 20 minutes. Then rotate the pie 180 degrees and lower the oven temperature to 325°. Continue baking until the crust is golden and the filling is beginning to bubble, 30 to 35 minutes more. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before serving.

TIPS & NOTES

• Make Ahead Tip: Refrigerate dough for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 6 months. | Equipment: 9-inch pie pan

• Note: Whole-wheat pastry flour contains less gluten than regular whole-wheat flour and helps ensure a tender result in delicate baked goods. Find it in the baking section of the supermarket or online at bobsredmill.com and and kingarthurflour.com.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 294 calories; 10 g fat ( 4 g sat , 3 g mono ); 14 mg cholesterol; 47 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein;3 g fiber; 82 mg sodium; 169 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (70% daily value), Folate (16% dv).

Carbohydrate Servings: 3

Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1/2 fruit, 1 carbohydrate (other), 2 fat

 

Summer Corn Salad

At long last, warm long summer days have equated to summer vegetables popping up at the farmer’s market!  Knowing we wanted a fresh salad for a side to serve with dinner, we hurriedly picked out the best summer staples- corn on the cob, basil and zucchini.  We just barely made it through the tents when the wind kicked up and sky turned black, another summer favorite- summer storms that fly in as quickly as they go…  Not to worry, this salad  will certainly brighten any stormy summer day- it’s our very own concoction so please comment and try it out, we’d love to hear what you think!

Ingredients

4 ears of corn, husks removed

1 medium yellow zucchini, diced

1 medium green zucchini, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 serano, diced

1 jalapeno, diced

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed

3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 teaspoon salt ( or to taste)

 

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except for the corn.  Cook your corn by rapidly boiling for 8-10 minutes in a large pot, then remove the kernels when the corn is slightly cooled but still warm.  Make sure the bottom of the cob is flat. If it has a round tip, slice it off. Hold the cob upright on the board. Run a large sharp knife down the side of the cob cutting off the kernels. Cut as close to the cob as possible. Rotate the cob in your hand and continue to cut all four sides of kernels off.  Toss the corn kernels in to your bowl and adjust salt/ pepper seasoning to taste.

Orange-Pistachio Wild Rice Salad

As hinted before in our last quinoa post we made a favorite recipe of ours with our large amount of excess oranges we had on hand… for some reason?   Anyhow, this combination of nutty delicious wild rice and crunchy pistachios, with fresh basil and oranges, is truly unique and so so satisfying it is hard to call it a salad, yet here it is.  This is so easy to make for a busy work week, just cook the rice while you are watching a movie on the weekend, or while you enjoy dinner tonight in anticipation of a ‘salad’ tomorrow.  If you do cook it after work, it will take 1 hour for the rice to cook and 1 hour ( minimum) for it to cool.  If you want to, you can serve it warm ( heck we have!), I found that the oil in the dressing doesn’t work as well in that application however- so drizzle a bit on top before eating and then add some in the next day when it all as cooled off.  This keeps very well for 5-6 days, and is super portable for lunches ( no micro action needed!), and it is filling enough to be called dinner- you can’t lose with this salad!!  What is your go-to salad dish?  Do you make your own salad dressings?  Let us know!

Orange-Pistachio Wild Rice Salad

adapted from Ellie Kreiger So Easy
 
6 servings
 
Ingredients

2/3 cup brown rice
2/3 cup wild rice
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 oranges, peel and pith removed, segmented and sliced (about 2/3 cup)
10 large basil leaves, sliced into ribbons (about 1/3 cup)
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup chopped pistachios, lightly toasted
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

For the dressing:
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:
Combine brown rice, wild rice and chicken broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until all water is evaporated and rice is fully cooked, about 45 to 55 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely, or overnight.

When rice is cool, add orange slices, basil, red onion, pistachios and orange zest; mix to incorporate.

For the dressing:

Combine the red wine vinegar, olive oil, orange juice, mustard, honey and salt in a metal bowl and whisk to incorporate.

Pour over rice mixture and toss to incorporate.

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Warm Corn + Green Bean and Quinoa Salad

The idea that a recipe is not only sustaining our bodies, but also nourishes it and is so good for you makes us happy here at Urban Kitchen.  So when we find one with ingredients we know we love, have on hand and help us use local in season produce- well we just had to make it.  This recipe was altered a bit of course as usual to suit what we have in our pantry and to bulk it up as a warm salad dinner to fill up on.  Quinoa has been a long time favorite of ours + we always keep it stocked for quick and easy meals ( cooks in 15 minutes!)- you can use red or black varieties to punch up the color contrast of this dish.  We had the most GLORIOUS corn ever from Bob’s corn in Coloma Wisconsin from our trip- the call it ” honey dipped corn” it is naturally super sweet and amazing.  Green beans are plentiful right now, and even though it’s a pain to trim a pound of green beans- they really make this salad crunch, you can do it while the quinoa cooks!  So please make this and feel amazing while you eat it, after you eat it and when you eat it as lunch the next day!  

Warm Corn + Green Bean and Quinoa Salad

adapted from Sprouted Kitchen

Dressing
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Tbsp. Light vinegar, like white balsamic or Champagne
2 tsp. Honey
1 Clove Garlic
1/4 cup Basil Leaves
Pinch of Salt + Pepper

1 Cup Quinoa 

4 ears of corn, hulled, boiled and chopped from cob
1 lb. Green Beans, ends trimmed
3 Scallions/Green Onions
1/2 Cup Macadamias, toasted and skins removed, roughly chopped
1. In a blender or food processor, whirl all of the dressing ingredients together. Taste for salt and pepper and set aside in the fridge.
2. Bring 2 Cups water to a boil and add the quinoa, turn the heat down to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
3. Meanwhile boil your corn and in another pot steam the green beans until just barely softened. Drain well. Add the drained green beans and chopped corn to the quinoa. Thinly slice the scallions and add them, and half of the chopped macadamias to the bowl and toss with the dressing. Finish the salad with a few grinds of fresh black pepper and the rest of the macadamias. Serve warm or chill in the fridge. The leftovers hold up great.

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Summer Vegetable Risotto

Risotto often raises a red alert flag in many fellow cooks because we all think it’s too difficult to make. This really isn’t true, and I think where the confusion lies is the fact that you have to slowly add liquid in and stir frequently- aka, be present while cooking. Stirring loosens the starchy molecules from the rice and into your liquid, creating a smooth rich creamy sauce. So adding in hot liquid and letting it absorb into the rice slowly and create the sauce. If you’d like to make this recipe more healthy you can use turkey or chicken sausage, or no sausage at all, and add in half the Parmesan and butter, or replace the butter with 1 T olive oil. This was a great way to use all the summer vegetables coming out of the garden right now. If you have the time and want to use fresh tomato go for it- but we had a lot of fresh corn, basil, zucchini! And let me tell you, this was SO fresh, so creamy and rich and delicious- I can’t wait to eat leftovers for lunch and make this again as the seasons change with different veggies.

Summer Vegetable Risotto
Adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food
Serves 6
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 large zucchini, about 3/4 pound, coarsely chopped in bite size pieces
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup cooking Sherry + 1/4 cup water
1 clove garlic, minced 
14 ounces baby spinach, chopped (about 7 cups)
2 ears of corn, boiled to cook and carved from cob
1/4 cup basil, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)
2 tablespoons butter

In a small saucepan, combine tomatoes (with their juice) and 3 cups water. Bring just to a simmer; keep warm over low heat.

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add sausage, zucchini and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up sausage with a spoon, until sausage is opaque and onion has softened, 5 minutes. Add garlic to combine.

Add rice; cook, stirring until well coated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add sherry+ water; cook, stirring until absorbed, about 1 minute.

Add about 2 cups hot tomato mixture to rice; simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until absorbed, 4 to 5 minutes. Set your timer for 25 minutes, and continue adding tomato mixture, 1 cup at a time, waiting for one cup to be absorbed before adding the next (every 5-6 minutes), stirring occasionally, until rice is creamy and just tender (you may not have to use all the liquid).

Remove pan from heat. Stir in spinach, corn, basil, Parmesan, and butter; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately (risotto will thicken as it cools), and sprinkle with additional Parmesan, if desired.

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Roasted Tomato Salsa

6 Plum Tomatoes
2 Garlic Cloves
1 bunch of Cilantro
2 Limes
1 Small Red Onion (or whatever onion you have)
2 Serrano Peppers
1 tbs EVOO
2tsp Kosher salt
a few cracks of fresh ground pepper

Place the tomatoes in an oven safe dish and place in the broiler.  Broil until blackened and soft.  Quarter when done.
Roughly chop the onion and the peppers, crush and peel the garlic.  Then add all three to a hot pan with the EVOO.  Saute just until soft and fragrant.
Add all of the ingredients together in a good blender or food processor and pulse until combined.  Add extra salt and lime to taste.

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