Onion Tart

Friday Menu – Onion Tart, Mustardy Arugula Salad
Local Produce – Onions, Arugula

Onion Tart
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/onion-tart-50400000111147/

I made a couple simple alterations…We hate Swiss cheese, so I used Provolone. I used 1 T of dried thyme instead of fresh. I did not do an egg wash.

Mustardy Arugula Salad
From Cooking Light April 2011

2 T olive oil
1 T red wine vinegar
1 t Dijon mustard
6 T toasted walnuts
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
4 oz. Arugula

In a large bowl whisk together oil, vinegar, and mustard. Stir in walnuts and cheese. Toss with Arugula.

Roast Chicken with Spring Vegetables

This was a hit! Everyone in the whole family gobbled it down. This will be on the menu again real soon, and it can be made with many different vegetables I might find at the market.

Tuesday Menu – Roast Chicken with Spring Vegetables
Local Produce – Fingerling Potatoes, Radishes
I could have gotten carrots and scallions at the market too, but I needed to use up what was in the fridge already.

Roast Chicken with Spring Vegetables
Based on http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/roast-chicken-with-spring-vegetables-recipe/index.html

5 bone-in chicken legs
4 bone-in chicken thighs
Salt and Pepper
3 T olive oil, divided
½ t poultry seasoning
1 pound fingerling potatoes, halved
1 lemon, halved
1 bunch radishes
1 bunch scallions
4-5 carrots, cut into stick or 1 bunch baby carrots

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Place skin side up in a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with 1 T olive oil. Sprinkle chicken with poultry seasoning. Place potatoes around the chicken in the pan. Squeeze ½ lemon over the chicken and potatoes. Roast 15 minutes.

Meanwhile cut the radishes in half, cut the scallions in thirds, and cut the carrots into sticks. Toss together with remaining 2 T olive oil, season with salt and pepper.

After 15 minutes remove the chicken and potatoes from the oven and scatter the remaining vegetables around the chicken. Continue to roast another 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender and chicken is golden.
After removing the chicken from the oven squeeze remaining ½ lemon.

Purple Plan Week of April 17

Regular Preparation (in about an hour) Onion Tart, Arugula Salad with Mustard Dressing Local Food: Onions, Arugula Onion Tart http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/onion-tart-50400000111147/ Salmon Sandwiches, Sweet Potato Fries, Yogurt Coleslaw Local Food: sweet potatoes, cabbage Salmon Sandwiches http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/salmon-sandwiches-50400000111097/ Sweet Potato Fries http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/oven_baked_sweet_potato_fries/ Yogurt Coleslaw http://purplecook.blogspot.com/2011/01/yogurt-coleslaw.html Roast Chicken with Spring Vegetables Local Food: fingerling potatoes, radishes Recipe http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/roast-chicken-with-spring-vegetables-recipe/index.html NOTE: You likely also find scallions, carrots, and chicken locally for this dish.

Braised Greens

When I was pregnant with my second child almost every night I would dream I was drinking a cup of coffee. I missed coffee!

Lately I’ve been dreaming of greens! Today I got some radishes at the Farmer’s Market and it occurred to me on the way home I could eat the greens for lunch. I couldn’t wait.

Braised Greens

Inspired by http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1650,130181-252196,00.html This will work with any greens – radish tops, beet tops, chard, kale (cook it longer), braising mix, and so on.

1 bunch of greens

2-3 T olive oil

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

3 T tomato paste

¼ cup of broth

Salt and pepper

Wash greens, discard any tough stems (like chard, spinach, or kale).

In a skillet heat the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and cook the garlic until golden. Add the greens and allow to wilt. Add the tomato paste and broth. Cook for 10 minutes over low heat.

Serve over pasta.

NOTE: instead of tomato paste and broth about ½ cup of any tomato based sauce would work fine.

Glad to be Back

I was having some technical difficulties, but they've been solved and I'm glad to be back. I'll have a Purple Plan this weekend!

Spring

Spring? Are You Around the Corner? This is a great countdown for 10 reasons to get excited for spring! http://blog.cookingchanneltv.com/2011/03/28/the-top-10-reasons-to-get-excited-for-spring/ I tell you I’m looking forward to greens and a variety of vegetables! I still have cabbage and beets from my last 40 pound vegetable box. Beets anyone? Glad to be back! I’ve been experiencing technical difficulties with the blog. Hoping for some inspiration to finish up the beets and cabbage and will be looking for asparagus and peas at the farmer’s market soon!

Braised Rutabaga with Beets and Spinach

My friend walked me through how she prepared Rutabaga a couple of weeks ago when her house smelled so good. I took her basic method and created this recipe.

Meatless Monday Menu - Braised Rutabaga, Rice Pilaf
Farm Share Produce – Beets, Rutabaga

Braised Rutabaga with Beets and Spinach

2 T olive oil
1 t cumin seeds
6 cardamom pods
½ t cayenne
1 t dried thyme
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
1 T garlic minced
1 T ginger minced
1 6oz. can tomato paste
1 cup broth (vegetable, chicken)
2-3 small beets, peeled and shredded
2 cups rutabaga, 1 inch cubes
1 cup spinach (any green, the bitter the better with rutabaga)
½ cup cream
Water, as needed

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Crack open the cardamom pods with a mortar and pestle or under a knife.
When the oil is hot add the cumin, cardamom, cayenne, thyme, cinnamon, and bay leaves. Cook 1-2 minutes until cumin seeds begin to pop. Add garlic and ginger, cook 1 more minute. Add tomato paste and cook until the seasoned paste begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, 5-7 minutes.
Add the broth, and deglaze the pan. Add the beets and rutabaga, stir to combine and bring to a boil. When boiling turn down to simmer and cover. Check every 20 minutes. Add water if the mixture is becoming too thick. You want it to coat the rutabaga like thick gravy. Cook a total of 50-60 minutes.
Add spinach and cream. Cook a few minutes more until spinach wilts and cream heats through.
Serve with rice or flat bread.