Welcome to the B & H Organic Produce Recipe Blog.

Here you will find specific information about the crops we grow and how to store and prepare them.  Simply click on the vegetable tab on the left and learn how to enjoy our produce.   All the recipes found here were either imagined by the farmers or donated from customers.

This blog is designed for our customers who want to experience our produce to the fullest.  Please feel free to leave comments or add recipes.   Please add original recipes only.

Bon Appetite!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Winter Squash

Winter Squash is coming in just as the summer squash is dwindling. It is high in fiber, Vitamin A and minerals.

* Delicata: small sweet striped

    * Red Kuri: smaller egg shaped, bright orange color

    * Buttercup: small, dark green color - dry

    * Butternut: medium size, sweet flesh

    * Hopi Orange: Pumpkin like, large

    * Spaghetti

Storage and Preparation:

Store in a warm dry area (50 to 60 degrees) for 4 – 6 months.

Winter Squash may be prepared in either a sweet or savory way. For a sweet version just bake and add honey and cinnamon before serving. For a savory version bake and serve with butter, salt, pepper and your favorite dried herbs.

Winter Squash is best when sliced in half and laid open side down in a pan with 1-2 inch of water. Bake this way on 375 degrees until soft in the middle (about 45 minutes). Simply remove it and let it cool a bit then, remove the inside from the shell. I personally don't like to peel it before it is cooked because it is too much work.  All varieties may be used interchangeably.

The Spaghetti Squash should be removed with a fork because it is stringy (hence the name "Spaghetti Squash"). You may use Spaghetti Squash in place of pasta with you favorite tomato sauce.

 

Spaghetti Squash with Swiss chard, Kale or any Garden Vegetables:

1-tablespoon olive oil

2 onions, thinly sliced

14 cups chopped fresh garden vegetables

3 garlic cloves, minced

8 plum tomatoes diced

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes

Salt to taste

1 large Spaghetti Squash

2 tablespoon freshly grated locatelli cheese

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Begin by baking the Spaghetti Squash until tender (described above).

On the stovetop heat the oil on medium heat. Add onions sauté until tender (4 min); add tomatoes (8 min). Add vegetables & garlic (1min). Add wine cover and simmer until tomatoes break down and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally (5 min). Season to taste. Add Spaghetti Squash to vegetables and toss to combine. Sprinkle with cheese add pine nuts and serve.

Other Recipe Ideas:

• I personally like to just add butter and salt and pepper when I am in a savory mood or if I am in a sweet mood I will add honey and cinnamon.
• Butternut Squash bisque- any of the other squashes can be used as a substitute.
• Winter Squash puree is an excellent addition to baked fish.  I borrowed this from chef Phillip Davis of Papillion.
• Winter Squash Raviolis.
• Winter Squash in Potatoes Au Gratin. I borrowed this from chef Phillip Davis of Papillion.

Tomato

We grow a large array of heirloom varieties, Red, Purple, Orange, Peachy, Green Stripes, Tie- Dyed, Cherry, & Paste.

Tomato Descriptions:

1.     JULIETTE- a large grape tomato

2.     SUNGOLD- Cherry: Very sweet. Yellow-Orange

3.     MATT’S WILD- small red cherries

4.     JUANE FLAMME- large orange cherries

5.     BLACK CHERRY- brown cherries

6.     SAN MARZANO- red paste

7.     AMISH PASTE- red paste

8.     BLACK TRIEFFLE- black tomato with green shoulders, acid flavor

9.     GARDEN PEACH- very low acid, mellow yellow with a bit of peach fuzz on the skin

10.  GREEN ZEBRA- a green heirloom. Voted best tasting tomato on the farm in 2008.

11.  CHEROKEE PURPLE- a purple-red tomato with excellent deep flavor (pictured above)

12.  STRIPED GERMAN/ PINEAPPLE- Large slicing heirloom, yellow and red tie-dyed

13.  PERSIMMON- Large slicing yellow tomato.

14.  DOUBLE RICH- Standard red variety.

15.  MARTIAN- Standard red variety.

16.  BEAVER LODGE (EARLY)- Standard red variety.

17.  TIGERELLA- the red version of the green zebra

18.  CASPIAN PINK- pink slicing tomato

19.  MORTGAGE LIFTER- pink slicing tomato

20.  ZAPOTEC PLEATED – deep red tomato with many pleats.

Storage and Preparation:

Tomatoes should not be stored in the refrigerator.  Store tomatoes at 60 degrees in you kitchen.  Tomatoes are the most popular summer fruit.  They can be eaten raw, stewed, baked, sautéed, dried or frozen.  We grow many different varieties and some are better paired with certain recipes than others.  Our idea is to have you taste all the tomatoes and see what you like best.

To store my tomatoes for winter I simply cut the cores and freeze them whole on a cookie sheet.  When fully frozen I place them into a plastic bag.  It doesn’t get any easier than this.

Tomato Curry Salad

I adopted this recipe from my father in-law.  It is a summer favorite.

3 medium tomatoes, (any type will work the salad types are less juicy than the slicing but the slicing tends to be more sweet)

1 small onion chopped

2 tablespoons mayo (I always use Vegenaise you can’t beat the taste)

Curry powder to taste.

 Add Salt & Pepper to taste.

Chop tomato into cubes.  Mix all ingredients and serve chilled.

Tomato sauce

This recipe comes from my lovely friend Mary. She cooked many meals and kept a hungry farming team growing.

-8 ripe tomatoes of different varieties

-2 onions

-1 bell pepper

-1 hot to medium hot pepper (optional)

-Fresh oregano

-Salt, pepper

Chop all ingredients and simmer on low heat until very cooked down. Use as is or blend for a thinner sauce.

Tomato Onion Basil Salad

This is a great recipe from my momma. She is the best cook in the world.

4 Tomatoes Sliced

1 Large Red Onion

1 Cup Basil, chopped

Vinaigrette Sauce

1 clove garlic chopped

1/4-teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar 

1/4-teaspoon Dijon mustard

9 Tablespoons Olive Oil

 Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

Mash garlic and salt together, stir in vinegar and mustard

Gradually beat in olive oil. Ground Pepper

Drizzle tomato, onion with vinaigrette sauce and top with Basil

Other Recipe Ideas:

·      Salsa

·       Hot Sauce

·       Catsup

Tomatillos

Then there are Tomatillos. No substitute for tomatoes but another wonderful summer treat none the less. I love Mexican food and Mexican inspired dishes. Tomatillos are an essential ingredient in Mexican sauces and salsas.

Storage and Preparation:

Tomatillos should be stored like a tomato, on your kitchen counter at optimally 60 degrees. Commonly known as "Husk Cherry," they are best-eaten sautéed, roasted or fried. They are a bit tart eaten raw. If you know any raw recipes please let me know. Below is my favorite salsa recipe of all time Tomatillo Mint salsa. For more recipes consult Diane Kennedy's books on her culinary experience from Mexico. She has the best tricks for making amazing salsa.

Recipe

Tomatillo Mint Salsa

1 pound Tomatillos, cubed

1 medium onion diced

1/4-cup mint washed (any of the basil flavors would work well for this)

2-tablespoon fresh squeezed limejuice

Salt to taste

Sauté the onion and tomatillo in a pan until onions become clear. Add all ingredients to blender and puree. Serve chilled with a spoonful of sour cream.

Add a bit of hot pepper to the pan for heat. Roasting the hot peppers beforehand will give you a more intense flavor.

If you would like to can this mixture, simply add all the ingredients to food processor without cooking. The salsa will cook in the canner. This a wonderful winter treat, summer trapped in a jar.

Other Recipe Ideas:

• Great sautéed and added to eggs.
• Awesome to add to a tamale casserole.

Swiss Chard

Swiss Chard is a wonderful summer green.  It is probably the most abundant crop of the summer season.  We delightfully call it “Summer Lettuce” because it thrives in the heat when all other greens melt to the ground.  Swiss Chard is basically a glorified beet green.  It actually has the same Latin name as beets, beta vulgaris.  Both beets and chard are very closely related to spinach.  Swiss chard & beet greens can be substituted for spinach in almost any recipe.  The preparation for spanikopita or creamed spinach would be the same if you simply substituted Swiss chard. 

Storage and Preparation:

Swiss Chard should be stored in a plastic bag in your refrigerator. Swiss Chard is great eaten raw in salads.  We use chard in many of our salad mixes.  It is great steamed like many of the other greens.  One of my favorite preparations is to use Chard to make dolmas or stuffed chard

Dolmas

Makes 12 leaves.

12 large Swiss chard leaves, cleaned & stems removed

1 cup cooked brown rice

1 tsp lemon juice

½ tsp tamari

½ tsp your choice fresh finely chopped herbs (oregano, thyme, mint, basil)

2 finely chopped scallions

Mix brown rice, lemon juice, tamari, herbs and scallions in a bowl and chill in the refrigerator.  Steam Swiss chard leaves keeping them flat (a bamboo steamer works well for this).  Only steam them until slightly wilted (2-3 seconds on a rolling boil).  Gently remove the leaves and pat dry with a towel.  Place leaves in refrigerator for 5 minutes to chill.  When all ingredients have chilled, remove from the refrigerator and begin to roll.  Gently place Chard leaves flat on cutting board.  Scoop 2-3 tablespoons of the rice mixture into the middle fold in the sides and roll starting with the stem side and working toward the tip.  Place on a dry plate with the loose end down.  Continue until all of the leaves are rolled.  Place rolls in refrigerator until ready to serve.  They are wonderful snacks packed with lots of energy.  This is a great appetizer for potlucks and picnics.  Enjoy.

Other Recipe Ideas:

• Swiss chard is great added to soups.  I add it to carrot lentil soup.
• Is great sautéed and topped with a peanut sauce.

Summer Squash

Heirloom Italian Zucchini (Costata Romanesco), Patty Pan (pictured above), Yellow Zucchini, &

Traditional Zucchini.

Storage and Preparation:

All types of summer squash are interchangeable.  They may all be stored the same way and prepared the same way.  The difference is shape and texture adds pizzazz to your meals.  Summer squash is best when it is small and tender.  However, the Costata Romanesco variety is nice even when it grows a bit bigger.

Store the squash at 50 degrees; this may be in your refrigerator or in a cool place in your kitchen.

Summer Squash can be eaten raw, steamed, grilled, or baked.

Veggie Lasagna

This great recipe is from my friend Mary.  From Ohio but now she fills happy bellies in Denmark.

-2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced

-2 small eggplant, thinly sliced

-2 carrots, grated

-1 block firm/extra firm tofu

-Fresh oregano, chopped

-Finely chopped nuts

-Salt, pepper

-About 2 cups favorite tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 325. In a mixing bowl, combine tofu, oregano, salt, and pepper. In a large lasagna pan, spread a thin layer of the tomato sauce on the bottom. Place a layer of zucchini on top. Add a layer of the tofu mixture. Add a layer of grated carrot. Add a layer of tomato sauce. Alternate in this pattern until all ingredients are used of pan is full, ending with sauce. Sprinkle nuts over the top and bake for about 30 min. Enjoy with friends and/or family.

Other Recipe Ideas:

• A member told me about how she dehydrates her zucchinis and patty pan squash. This is a great way to store them. Much better than freezing. She also mentioned dipping them in BBQ sauce before drying to create zucchini chips. I can't wait to try this.
• Shredded and frozen.
• Vegetable Fritters.
• Grilled with olive oil, salt and pepper.

String Beans

We grow several different varieties of sting beans:

·      Provider- traditional green bean.

·      French Filet- skinny super tender green beans.

·      Dragon Beans- (pictured above) very flavorful.  Yet loose their color when cooked.

·      Yellow Wax

·      Burgundy- a purple bean which looses its’ color when cooked.

Storage and Preparation:

Beans should be stored in a plastic bag at about 35 degrees.  If the bag comes with a twist tie open it up to let some air in and moisture out. 

Beans are extremely labor intensive and back breaking to pick.  That is why I usually eat them raw.  It seems like cooking ruins all the hard work.  However, beans can be steamed, baked or sautéed.

Recipe Ideas:

• A customer at the Farmer's Market suggested roasting the string beans. I tried this last night. Simply bake them with olive oil, salt and pepper at 400 degrees until tender (about 20 minutes). If you bake longer they get crispy.
• Sautéed with garlic, balsamic vinegar and almond slices.