Hi everyone! This week we are getting a mixed bag, and still a bit in the air as to the mix at this point.  I know Jon and the farm team have been working hard and I'm sooo grateful for what they do. Especially because it's not my wheelhouse; I like to eat the food- growing the food is something I haven't taken to as of yet :-)  It's a great reminder of how our separate interests can benefit a community. 

This week's recipe is simple and wonderful. It includes garlic- which if you've read other things on my site you may have noticed is not part of a "yogic diet" and it's something I typically don't eat. I'm addressing this b/c I've received questions from a few people about it...garlic falls under the category of "rajasic" (an active quality) food. That means garlic can be disturbing and create over activity in your mind.  If you have a fiery nature already (your mind/body constitution) you may find yourself more fiery or agitated.  It's probably important to note that a "yogic diet" is to facilitate a calm mind that can rest in meditation. And I'm fully aware that the majority of people out there won't change their eating due to this knowledge, which is totally cool by me- I'm not saying you should, just providing information :-)  Garlic does have health benefits and can also be used for medicinal purposes.  So, lets get on with the recipe!


But first, something we are getting that is not in this recipe is Hakurei Turnips.  They are sought after and considered a delicacy by chefs. These are best to be eaten raw with your lettuce in a salad. 

What you'll use from your bag:

• Garlic Bulb (roasted, directions below) (1/3 bulb)
  
• Spring Onion (2-3 sprigs)
  
• Kale (1 bunch)
  

What else you'll need:

• Olive Oil (1 Tbs.)
• Veg. Stock (1/3 cup)
• Fresh Thyme (optional) (1 tsp.)
• Salt & Pepper to Taste
• Serving Options...
  
• Cooked white beans or chick peas 
• Spaghetti noddles
• Garnish with Vegan Parmesan cheese

First, prepare:

• cut or break the kale in salad or bit size pieces
• chop spring onion
• chop thyme (if using)

Next: 

• heat olive oil in a saute pan and saute the spring onions (1-2 minutes)
• add the kale and veg stock and continue sauteing until kale is tender (10-12 minutes)
• add about 1/3 the roasted garlic bulb (roasting directions below) by squeezing the meat out of the garlic head and stir to incorporate
• add thyme (if using)
• add beans or pasta (if using)
• season with salt and pepper
• Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (if using)
• Serve

Happy Eating!

Roasted Garlic Directions...

• Trim off the stem of the blub to expose the inside
  
• Preheat oven to 375°F
  
• Drizzle garlic heads with olive oil and a bit of salt
  
• Wrap in parchment paper and then in aluminum foil 
• Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until garlic is tender and starting to come out of it's skin.
  
• Cool before handling
• To use garlic, squeeze the garlic meat out of the skins and add to your recipe.
  

* you can keep roasted garlic in the fridge for a few days

Hi everyone.  It's week 4 of our CSA!  On this beautiful day I was at BaltimOrganic farm for a short while and saw all sorts of good stuff popping up out of the ground.  I even got my hands dirty planting squash (but I'm not taking any responsibility if it doesn't grow :)) 

I love beets and eat them simply roasted with a little salt and olive oil.  If you eat a lot of them your pee will be pink- don't worry nothing is wrong you; I've experienced this many times!  :-) With the variety of vegetables we have this week I'm using one of my favorite go-to recipes and my most frequently made meal.  I eat Vegetables & Quinoa on a regular basis; it's easy, really light & healthy, and tastes good & refreshing.  This week I am using every vegetable in our bag in one easy dish!  It looks like a long write up b/c of everything in the recipe but it's really simple.  

Serves about 4- if you want less or more, it's very easy to adjust the recipe. 

What you'll use from your bag: 

• Garlic Scapes (1)
• Kale (2-3 leaves)
• Potatoes (4)
• Beets (2-3)
• Radish (2)
• Sugar Snap Peas (handful)
• Lettuce (optional, it's great w/o the added lettuce bed)

What else you'll need: 

• Quinoa (1 cup)
• Avocado (1, optional)
• Lemon (1/2, optional)
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper to taste

First, Prepare:

• Heat your oven to 375 degrees
• Rinse potatoes, keep skin on, and cut in quarters
• Peel & cut beets in small cubs/triangles
• Toss beets & potatoes in a bowl with 1/2 Tbl. of olive oil 
• Arrange on a cookie sheet or pan & sprinkle with salt and pepper
• Roast beets & potatoes in the oven until tender- about 20 minutes (check half way through and flip if bottoms are burning)

Then (while the beets & potatoes are baking...)

• cook 1 cup of quinoa per package directions
• Chop the garlic scape
• Chop kale in salad/bite size pieces
• Thinly slice the radish
• Prepare a small lettuce bed in bowls or on separate plates
• Slice avacado

And then:

• Heat a pan with enough olive to cover the bottom
• Saute the kale in the pan w/ salt to taste (about 5 minutes stirring frequently)
• Add the garlic scapes to the pain & continue sauteing for another few minutes
• Add the sugar snap peas & radish- saute for about 2 more minutes
• Remove the saute pan from the heat & set aside

All Together: 

• Remove the beets and potatoes from the oven
• Equally distribute the quinoa on the salad plates/bowls you prepared
• Then place the beet/potato and saute mixture atop the quinoa
• Next, add the sliced avocado & squeeze the lemon equally among your portions

That's it! I hope you like it as much as I do! Happy Weekend!

Happy week 3 of BaltimOrganic CSA!  
What in the world is Kohlrabi? I'll be honest, I have very little idea of what I'm doing with the honor of creating and sharing these CSA recipes!  I would say that we must have been drinking when Jon (our farmer), Gay, and I decided there should be a recipe to go with the weekly vegetable bag, but we don't actually drink (well, maybe just a tiny bit on occasion!) so I have no excuse expect that it seemed like a great idea! Maybe, like you, I'm learning as I go.  I like to think we are all in this together and if you have recipes you'd like to share, send them along through my contact page and I'll post them with your name (or without your name if you don't want to be held accountable:))

This week's recipe is, for me, a little leap of faith (a term i use sometimes when I'm teaching); it's my experience that leaps in the direction of self growth usually result in greatness.  

Serves about 4.

What you'll use from your bag:

• Kohlrabi (2)
• Kale (6-10 stems)
• Amethyst Radish (5)
• Snap Peas (~10)

What else you'll need:

• Plain (non dairy) yogurt or Veganaise (1/2 Cup) (not vegan?, well, feel free to use non vegan versions) 
•  Apple (1)
• Lemon (2 Tbs.) + more for squeezing
• Honey, Agave nectar, or pure maple syrup (1 Tbs. or less )
• Dried Cranberries (2 Tbs.,optional)
• Salt & Pepper

First, Prepare:

• Peel outer skin & julienne cut (or shred with peeler) kohlrabi- set aside in medium bowl
• Peel, core, & julienne cut the apple; squeeze a bit of lemon on it & put in the bowl w/Kohlrabi
• Julienne cut the radishes- add to the bowl
• Slice the snap peas in half length wise -add to the bowl (including the peas that came out when you sliced them)
• Toss the veggies around gentle in the bowl until well combined
• Break up the kale as you would for a salad. Then equally distribute the kale on plates, drizzle a little squeezed lemon & salt on top

Next: 

• In a separate bowl, whisk together the yogurt/veganaise, honey, lemon & a little salt and pepper
• Stir the dressing into the veggie mixture and let sit for a bit- 10 minutes or so or put in the fridge for later.
• Incorporate the dried cranberries (if using)
• Serve on top the kale you prepared

And that's it! Prepare your food with love; it tastes better! :-)

I hope you guys like last weeks recipe; I did!  I thought using sesame oil for sauteing of the choi, garlic, and onion created a great flavor with the salad. If you didn't try it you may have enough ingredients of the same to do make it this week. 

This week, we are getting a variety of veggies.  With the intention of doing something different I decided to take a risk with this curried recipe. It's not a wet Thai curry, although I pondered that, you could totally use these same veggies I selected from the bag and go there.  The picture is not of the actual recipe but gives somewhat of an idea. 

This quantity should be enough for 4 as a hearty side dish or in 2-3 as a main vegan meal.

What you'll use from your Bag:

• Sugar Snap Peas 
• New Red Potatoes
• Kale
• Garlic Scapes
• Spring Onions (optional- our farmer Jon says he doesn't know if we will get these this week)

What else you'll need:

• Vegan Butter (or butter)
• Sweet curry powder
• Hot curry powder

First, Prepare:

• Boil about 10-12 red potatoes with the skin on until tender but still maintain some firmness
• Chop 6 sprigs each of garlic scapes & spring onion (if we get them)
• Quarter cut a big handful of sugar snap peas (or leave them uncut- it's your preference)
• Chop a big handful (or more) of kale (in no particular way) 

Next:

• Drain the potatoes and cut in half (or quarter if you want a smaller size)- set aside in a serving bowl
• In a saute pan heat 4- 5 tbls. of butter until just melted
• Add the garlic and onion and saute for a couple minutes
• Stir in 1 tsp. of each sweet & hot curry powders (you can use just one type if you want)
• Add the sugar snap peas & cook until bright green- a couple minutes
• Stir in the kale, cook until wilted

Finally:

• Gently stir the vegetable curry mixture in with the potatoes in the serving bowl until well incorporated
• Garnish with shaved coconut (if you happen to have a coconut lying around-totally optional)
• Enjoy

Namaste. Until next week...

This is the first delivery of the year from my CSA,  BaltimOrganic Farm in Monkton, MD.  Because of my travelling lifestyle during the last several years this is actually my first time ever participating in a CSA; and, I optimistically agreed to create and share a recipe every week using the vegetables provided.  I'm excited for the challenge and as many of you are also members of this CSA or maybe another one, I hope you will find these recipes helpful. 

Because it's the first week and from what I understand growing season has been slightly delayed due to the weather,  Jon (BaltimOrangic Farm owner) told me we are getting a lighter load than what will come in future weeks.  Still, we can do something great with this stuff! 

And, one tip...this is a salad; it's not a science, don't worry about exact amounts.  This recipe should make enough for 4 people.



What you'll use from your bag:

• Mei Qing Choi – this is a small Choi
  
• Garlic Scapes (these look like green onions)
  
• Radishes 
  
• Nebechan spring onions
  
• Baby Hakurei Salad turnips
  
• Lollo Rosa & Tropicana Green Leaf Lettuces
  

First, Prepare:

• chop  about 6 sprigs for garlic scapes and spring onions
• cut the ends off the choi (leaving some of the white part) and slice each leaf in half length wise, then quarter it. use 2 or 3 of these baby choi.
• thinly slice a couple or few radishes and salad turnips
• prepare the lettuces as you would like in a salad

Then, Salad Dressing: 
You can use whatever dressing you want but I suggest something light and lemon based.
In a small bowl, whisk together: 

• 1 T. fresh lemon juice 
• 1 tsp. honey 
• ½ tsp. balsamic vinegar 
• ½ tsp. Dijon mustard 
• Slowly whisk in 2 or 3 T. extra virgin olive oil until dressing thickens. 
• Season with salt and pepper to taste
  

Next, Create the Salad Base: 

• In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, radishes, and salad turnips
• Toss in the dressing

Nearly Finished...:
We are going to saute our Choi with the garlic scapes and spring onions in sesame oil (if you don't have sesame oil, you can use olive oil). 

• over medium heat, heat just enough sesame oil to lightly cover your pan 
• add the chopped garlic scapes and spring onion & saute for a couple minutes
• add the cut choi & continue sauteing until tender and wilted
• season with salt and pepper to taste

All together...:

• arrange the prepared raw salad nicely in individual bowls 
• top with the saute choi
• Enjoy

Come back for whatever is in store next week!  

I don’t suppose it would be vegan Thanksgiving without gravy.  And I needed gravy for the Bean Cutlets and Shepherd-less Pie.  
 
What you’ll need:
1/2 cup canola oil
5 green onion sprigs (chopped small)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbls. nutritional yeast
2 tsp. light soy sauce
2-2 ½  cups vegetable broth
1/2 tsp. dried sage
Salt & pepper to taste

What’s Next:
-Heat oil in a medium sized pan/pot over medium heat
-Toss in the chopped green onion & let sauté for a few minutes
-A bit at a time stir in the flour & continue stirring as you add the nutritional yeast and soy sauce (the mixture will become like a clump)
-Start whisking in the broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and add sage, salt, and pepper
-If the gravy is too thick just add water or more broth until you have your desired consistency
-The gravy will thicken up a bunch when you let it sit but you can easily reheat it by stirring in water

Makes 2 ½ to 3 cups of gravy

Of course no vegan Thanksgiving would be complete without
stuffing!  This is a recipe I have modified over the years with our evolving diet. We first made the original version of this recipe (I believe Marty watched them make it on Food Network) many years ago and it included sausage! Many changes later it is a great vegan stuffing.  Sorry about the totally lame picture. Can you believe I made a whole vegan Thanksgiving and forgot to take pictures of the food before I served it!  I guess i was really in the moment!  Also pictures is "Bean Cutlet" and "Shepard-less Pie."
 
What you’ll need:
-6 tbls. vegan butter (like Earth Balance) 
-2 medium onions, finely diced 
-3 cups chopped celery, (about 6 large stalks) 
-6 cups coarsely chopped leeks, (about 12) 
-4 apples, peeled, cored and chopped 
-6 tsp. poultry seasoning 
-2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary leaves, (about 4 sprigs) 
-2 tsp. chopped fresh sage leaves, (about 6 leaves) 
-2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley leaves, (about 4 to 6 sprigs) 
-2 cups dried cranberries 
-6 cups croutons/bread crumbs (you can make your own or buy them) 
-2-3 cups vegetable stock 
-Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

What's Next:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees 
-Boil some water, remove from heat and soak the cranberries for about 15 minutes to rehydrate them
-Melt the butter in a large skillet and saute the onions, celery, leeks, & apples.  
-After about 10 minutes, add the poultry seasoning, fresh herbs and cranberries.
-Add the stuffing mix/bread crumbs and moisten with the vegetable stock gradually. Be mindful not to over wet the mixture (unless you like it that way!)
-Season stuffing with salt and pepper, to taste. 
-Place the mixture in a buttered pan or casserole dish and bake for about 45 minutes (or you can leave the unbaked version in the refrigerator for up to a day if you want to make it ahead of time)

*Feeds 10 Martys as a side dish*

 

Before cruising I used to drink beets in fresh juice and it was sooo good; beets just taste like earth. But no more, we don’t have a juicer onboard and we can’t walk down thestreet to a juice café.  Beets were in the market and so they came home with us. 
I had no idea what I would do with these beets.  This creation just kept forming as Marty was attempting to fix our outboard motor.



What you’ll need:
-3 beets (peeled & cut into 4s)
-1/2 cup lentils, cooked
-1/2 cup quinoa, cooked
-1/2 cup black beans, cooked
-4 bok choy leafs, chopped (or some alternative lettuce type leaf)
-1/4 cup fresh parsley leafs
-1/2 cup juice from lemon
-salt & pepper to taste

What’s Next:
-In a food processor grind the beets. Set aside in a medium bowl
-Now grind the bok choy and parsley together in the food processor, add to the bowl with the
beets
-Add the beans, quinoa, and lentils to the bowl w/the beets and stir everything together until it’s well incorporated.
-Stir in the lemon juice, salt & pepper

That’s it! Serve as a side dish or light meal over sautéed spinach

There is nothing super special about this (is it noticeable that I don’t think any of my recipes are special?)  It’s quite easy to make and has a light, refreshing taste- maybe that’s where its specialness lies.  It might come in useful as a summer salad for a potluck or a light meal. I used corn and black beans for those essential amino acids and lightly steamed broccoli for the perfect crunch. In any case bring your own flare to it and enjoy!  You can serve and eat this straight from the stove or cooled as a salad.

What you’ll need/Ingredients for Orzo:
  1 cup Orzo
  ½ cup cooked corn kernels (preferably from a cob)
  ½ cup cooked black beans
  1 cup broccoli
  Salt, pepper, cayenne (if you like those things)

What you’ll need/Ingredients for Dressing:
  1 tbls. Juice from lemon
  1 tbls. Honey
  ½ tbls. Balsamic vinegar
  ½ tbls. Olive oil
  ½ tsp.  Braggs or soy sauce

What’s Next:
  -Cook Orzo until al dente and drain, then place in a large bowl.
  -While Orzo is cooking, mix all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl and whisk until well incorporated.
  -Lightly steam broccoli until it turns bright green and add broccoli to the drained orzo.
  -Add cooked black beans and corn to the orzo.  Mix to incorporate adding salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste.
  -Add dressing to Orzo and lightly stir until evenly distributed.

Serve warm (or cool in the fridge) and enjoy!

**Feeds 4 Martys**

Sweet & Tangy Salad Dressing
I’m not gonna give a salad recipe here because you can make any salad you like.  Here in Grenada we can only get the vegetables that grow on the island so I get what I can and put it together.  Most frequently I use their local lettuce, avocado, sprouts, carrots, tomatoes, and cucumber.  

The stores here don’t sell those fancy vegan dressings like in the states so I really have no choice than to make my own which I’m very happy with.  I usually don’t measure these things so you’ll have to taste it along the way to see if you need more of something.

Ingredients:
• ½  tbls. Olive Oil
• 1 tbls. Honey
• 1 tbls. Juice from lemon
• ½ tbls. Balsamic vinegar
• ½ tbls. Spicy mustard (optional)
• Dash of Braggs or Soy Sauce (optional)
• Add salt and pepper if you’re into those things

Mix all the stuff together with a folk until well blended.  Just before you drizzle the dressing on your salad mix again to blend in the settled ingredients.

**Enough dressing for a big two person salad**