Beets and garlic! Oh man, the garlic this year is beautiful! It’s been a few years since we’ve had a good crop of garlic and this is the year. The bulbs are big and the cloves are awesome! We’ll hand some out now and then let the rest cure for later distribution, minus 100 lbs or so of the best bulbs to plant out again this October. And beets! After a winter of so many beets I never thought I’d be so excited to see them again. I’m looking forward to some great beet pancakes, the burgers below and making a big batch of kvass in my beet future!
Beet, Oat and Feta Burgers
I included this recipe in the fall session, but I think it might be worth revisiting. It really is one of my favorite recipes for beets. I think that even if you think you don’t like beets, you will like this one and on top of that, it’s just an all around great veggie burger recipe.
3 cups grated beets
1 small onion
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 eggs
1 ½ cups rolled oats
6-7 ounces feta cheese
1 pinch sea salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons mild oil or olive oil, for frying
Peel and grate beets, onion, and garlic on a box grater or use a food processor with the grating blade attached.
Place the grated vegetables in a large mixing bowl.
Add olive oil, eggs, and rolled oats and mix everything well.
Add feta, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.
Set aside for about 30 minutes, so the oats can soak up the liquid and the mixture sets (this is important for the patties to hold together).
Try shaping a patty with your hands. If the mixture is loose, add a few more oats. .
Make 4 to 6 patties with your hands.
Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add patties and cook until golden brown, a few minutes on each side.
Serve on a bun and with toppings of your choice; lettuce, cabbage, mango, avocado, tomatoes, sprouts, or onions. The possibilities are endless!
Herbed Summer Squash Pasta Bake
So I saw this posted on Instagram the other day and it sounded so good I had to include it. I give you the recipe in it’s original form which is a little long and intense but I think it will be worth it. I have every intention of messing with this one to use quinoa instead of pasta and will probably add some kale in too because we all know we’ve got plenty of that around. I’ll keep you posted on that.
8 ounces pasta, any shape you like
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (you won’t need this yet, but better to zest before juicing, to avoid grumpiness)
Juice of half a lemon
3 tablespoons (45 grams) unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 large or 5 skinny scallions, sliced thin and white/pale green parts and dark green tops in separate piles
Pinches of red pepper flakes, to taste
3 tablespoons (25 grams) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk, ideally whole but low-fat will also work
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided
1 tablespoon finely chopped mixed herbs of your choice (I used a mix of thyme, oregano and mint, but if you only have, say, thyme or oregano, a full tablespoon will likely overwhelm, so use less)
Salt and more pepper to taste
3/4 cup finely grated parmesan or aged pecorino romano cheese, divided
4 ounces (115 grams) mozzarella, cut into small cubes
Cook the pasta: If you’ve got an oven-save 3-quart deep skillet or braising pan, use it here and you’ll only need one pot for the whole recipe. Otherwise, bring a medium/large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 1 to 2 minutes before perfect doneness. Drain and set aside.
Heat oven: To 400 degrees.
Prepare the squash: Heat a large skillet or the pot you just used to cook your pasta to high heat. Once hot, add olive oil, and let it heat until almost smoking. Add sliced squash, season it with salt and pepper flakes and let it sear underneath, unmoved, until golden brown. Continue to saute until browned and somewhat wilted, about 10 minutes, trying to get some color on each layer before moving squash around. Transfer to a bowl and squeeze lemon juice over bowl. Add more salt or pepper if needed.
Make the sauce: Reheat your the same pot over medium heat. Melt butter in bottom of pan. Add scallion white and pale green parts and garlic and let sizzle for 1 to 2 minutes. Add flour and stir until all has been dampened and absorbed. Add milk, a very small splash at a time, stirring the whole time with a spoon. Make sure each splash has been fully mixed into the butter/flour/onion/garlic mixture, scraping from the bottom of the pan and all around, before adding the next splash. Repeat until all milk has been added, then add lemon zest, salt and pepper to taste. Let mixture simmer together for 2 minutes, stirring frequently; the sauce will thicken. Remove pan from heat and stir in half of chopped parsley, all of mixed herbs and reserved scallion greens. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Assemble dish: Off the heat, add drained pasta, summer squash, 1/2 cup grated parmesan and all of the mozzarella to the pot, stirring to combine. If pan is ovenproof, you can bake your final dish in it. If not, transfer mixture to a 2 to 3 quart ovenproof casserole or baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup parmesan.
Bake: For 25 to 30 minutes, until edges of pasta are golden brown and irresistible. Sprinkle with reserved parsley and serve hot. Reheat as needed.
To freeze: Let dish fully cool to room temperature, then transfer, wrapped well, to the freezer. Let defrost in fridge for a day before rewarming in oven. If I have time, I like to rewarm at a lowish head (300 to 325 degrees) with the foil on, then finish it for the last 10 minutes or so at a higher heat without the foil to restore some crisp.
From SmittenKitchen.com
Pasta Carbonara
I know, 2 pasta recipes in one boxletter *gasp*! This is one that regularly pops up when we’re at a loss for what else to do for dinner. Its quick, easy and uses any and all veggies you have. This is often the Monday night dinner to use up all the remaining CSA veggies before my next pickup on Tuesday.
12 ounces, weight Pasta, Any Variety
8 pieces Thick Cut Bacon (diced Small)
1/2 whole Medium Onion, Diced Small
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
3 whole Eggs
3/4 cup Finely Grated Parmesan
1/2 cup Heavy Cream or whole milk
Salt & Plenty Of Black Pepper
1 C. cooked veggies or more if you’d like, I often do
Cook pasta according to package directions.
While the pasta is cooking, fry the bacon until just barely crisp. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. Pour off all of the bacon grease, but don’t clean the pan. Return the pan to the stove over medium-low heat and throw in the onions and garlic. Cook until golden brown. Set aside.
In a bowl, mix together eggs, Parmesan, cream, and salt and pepper until smooth.
When the pasta is done, reserve a cup or two of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and place it in a bowl. While the pasta is still really hot, slowly drizzle in the egg mixture, stirring the pasta the whole time. The sauce will become thick and should coat the pasta. Splash in a little hot pasta water if needed for consistency.
Halfway through, add the veggies, bacon, and sauteed onion/garlic. Finish adding the sauce, stirring until it’s all combined.
Serve immediately with extra Parmesan. So good.
Jubilee Farm 