Rebecca's Recipes
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Greetings everyone, how are you doing with the recipes I have been sending out? Please let me know if you are enjoying them and if you have requests. I would love to hear your feedback and comments. Well, I woke up to watch this soft, magical light open the day, the sun starting to warm mother earth ever so slowly... the birds are singing and my cat's are in harmony. This early morning rising is my favorite time of the day - peaceful and calm, before business starts. I can see a haze of fog rolling in, so perhaps a big bowl of potato-leek soup is on the menu for breakfast! I was thrilled to see all the wonderful assortment of vegetables in this week's box - OH! The collards are especially beautiful; please try the recipe below for them this week - you really don't have to add the beans if you don't want to take the time to cook them. The collards are just vibrant and the flavors in the recipe enhance them. I love this recipe! May you be blessed with radiant health and joyous days, Rebecca

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SOUTHERN-STYLE GREENS with BEANS
Serves 12
This is a combination of nutritious greens and red beans with traditional flavors of the American south. The paprika adds the smokiness to the greens in place of the traditional ham hock. As I said above, you can skip the beans if you are short on time. [Or, alternatively, canned beans would do in a pinch; the recipe in this quantity would probably take two cans... Debbie]

1 C dried kidney beans, soaked overnight
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 large onion, medium dice
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic
2 large bunches collards, stems removed, chopped into bite-size pieces
2 C fresh tomatoes, finely chopped
3 C stock
1 tsp. smoky paprika
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
sea salt and pepper tot taste

1. Drain the kidney beans and place in a medium pot. Cover the beans by 2 inches with water and add the bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to simmer and allow the beans to cook until  tender, about 1 hour. In the meantime, prepare the rest of the ingredients. When the beans are cooked, drain and set aside.
2. In a wide, heavy pot, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the red pepper flakes and garlic and cook for another minute or so, until fragrant.
4. Add the collard greens, tomatoes and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes. Remove the lid, add the paprika, vinegar, and beans. Continue to cook until the collards are tender and the liquid is reduced by half (about 10 minutes).
5. Season with salt and pepper and serve.


REBECCA'S POTATO LEEK SOUP
Serves 4-ish
Getting the beautiful leeks and delicious potatoes this week made me so hungry for this soup; it's really easy, and better with not too many ingredients. It is just so satisfying on a cool evening (or morning!) when heated, or delightful served cold on a warm afternoon.

2-3 leeks, cleaned well  and sliced into rounds
2-3 potatoes, scrubbed, and cut into medium dice
1 large onion, medium dice
stock to cover the vegetables.
Olive oil and butter to coat the bottom of the pan for sauteing

1. Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat, then add the olive oil. Add the onions and saute until almost caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add the leeks and continue to saute, stirring occasionally. Cook until the leeks are fragrant and wilted, about 5 minutes or so.
2. Add the potato, and mix well to combine. Pour in the stock, just enough to cover the vegetables.
3. Cover pot and bring up to almost a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are very tender. Remove from the heat and puree half of the soup in a blender (i.e. in batches) or use an inversion blender. (I like to leave half of the soup  a little chunky; if you like it smooth, puree it all.) Put the pureed soup back in the pot and heat through.
4. You can serve this with a little cream drizzled in; I like to use coconut milk, just enough to make it slightly creamy (about 1 tbsp. per bowl).
5. The soup is delicious hot or chilled. Remember to cool the soup down before putting it in the fridge.
6. I also like to give the soup a little shot of Tobasco or Tapatio [or Sriracha] sauce for some spunk - this will keep you warm on a cold evening! The soup tastes even better the next day. (Even the day after, if it lasts that long!)


CARROT and TARRAGON TIMABLES
Makes 6 ramekins
This is good with a tomato salad as a starter, or as an accompaniment to roast chicken or roast beef.

Butter for the ramekins
1 1/2 C coarsely grated carrots
1 1/2 C shredded gruyere cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. heavy cream
2 tbsp. finely chopped tarragon
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
freshly ground pepper

Note: The unbaked timbales can be refrigerated for up to 8 hours before baking.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter the ramekins. Line the bottoms with wax paper or parchment paper and butter.
2. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the carrots and blanch for 30 seconds. Drain and rinse under cold water. A handful at a time, squeeze the carrots dry and place in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add gruyere, eggs, cream, tarragon, and dry mustard to the carrots and mix well. Divide mixture among the ramekins. Cover each with a circle of wax or parchment paper, buttered side down.
4. Place prepared ramekins in a roasting pan and add enough hot water to come half way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 25 minutes, or until they are just set and firm on top.
5. Remove the ramekins from the pan. Remove the top papers. One at a time, run a dull knife around the inside of a ramekin. Place a small plate over the ramekin and invert the ramekin and plate together to unmold the timbale. Remove the bottom paper and serve hot.


PEAR and ROQUEFORT SALAD
Serves 6

4 ounces Roquefort cheese
1/4 C butter, softened
3 large pears
lemon juice for sprinkling
1/2 C plain yogurt
paprika
salad greens

1. In a  small bowl, beat together cheese and butter until smooth.
2. Halve and core the pears, then lightly sprinkle with lemon juice. Divide the cheese mixture evenly over the pear halves and press mixture down with a spoon.
3. Divide the yogurt among the pear halves and spread lightly to coat.
4. Garnish with paprika. Chill well before serving on a platter or individual plates lined with salad greens.


SPICY BROCCOLI SOBA SAUTE
Serves 4-6
Soba noodle are a high protein noodle made from buckwheat or blends of buckwheat and wheat. They have a unique, nutty flavor.

1/4 C soy sauce
2 tsp. sweetener
2 tsp. dark sesame oil
1 tbsp. arrowroot or kudzu
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice or rice vinegar
1/2 lb. soba noodles
1 tbsp. oil
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/8-1/4 tsp. cayenne
4-5 bite sized broccoli florets
1/4 C sake
1 carrot, grated

1. In a large covered pot, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Meanwhile, whisk together the soy sauce, sweetener, sesame oil, arrowroot, and the lemon juice or vinegar until smooth and set aside.
2. When the water boils, add the soba noodles and cook for 8-10 minutes, until al dente.
3 . While the noodles cook, warm the oil in a wok or heavy skillet on medium heat. Add the garlic and cayenne and cook, stirring constantly, just until the garlic turns golden, about 1 minute or less. Stir in the broccoli, water, and sake. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the florets are tender but still bright green.
4. Thoroughly stir in the carrots and the reserved soy sauce mixture. Cook a minute or two until the liquid thickens, then reduce the heat to low.
5. When the noodles are done, drain, rinse them with warm water, and drain again. Add the cooked soba noodles to the vegetables and stir until they are well coated with the sauce. Place on a platter and serve immediately.


LAYED POTATO and APPLE BAKE
Serves 6

2 large potatoes, cut into thin slices
3 medium apples, sliced into thin slices
1 medium onion, sliced into thin rings
1/2 C finely grated cheddar cheese, or your choice
1 C heavy cream
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
sea salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a shallow ovenproof dish with melted butter or oil.
2. Layer the potatoes, apple, and onions in the prepared dish, ending with a layer of potatoes. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over all. Pour the cream over the top, covering as evenly as possible.
3. Sprinkle with the nutmeg, black pepper to taste.
4. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Note: to prevent the potato slices from browning before assembling the dish, place in a bowl of cold water with a squeeze of lemon juice. Drain and pat dry with a towel before using.


MEXICAN CHILLED AVOCADO AND TOMATILLO SOUP
12 small bowls or six large ones

1 tbsp. oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 lb. tomatillos, husked and rinsed, chopped
1 large Serrano chile, seeded and chopped
6 C vegetable stock
1/4 C lime juice
4 large ripe avocadoes, peeled and pitted
1/2 C chopped fresh cilantro
sea salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute the onions over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and Serrano and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatillos and stock, bring to a simmer for 5 minutes, until the tomatillos start to soften. Remove from the heat.
2.  Puree in batches, pour into a bowl and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
3. Add the lime juice, avocadoes, and cilantro to a blender and blend until smooth. After the soup has cooled, whisk the avocado mixture into the soup then put back into the fridge to completely chill before serving.

This soup is really good served topped with fresh corn salsa; sadly, we are not getting any more corn (I don't think), but I'll give you the recipe anyway, in case you want to (ahem) get some corn from the farmers market...

FRESH CORN SALSA
2 ears corn, shucked
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 ripe tomato (two if small), seeded and cut into quarter-inch dice
1/4 C minced red onion
1 Serrano chile, seeded and minced
2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
sea salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut the kernels off the cob and place in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and taste for seasoning. Adjust if necessary, and set aside

To serve the soup/salsa combo, take soup out of the fridge, taste and adjust seasonings as necessary, then ladle into bowls and garnish with spoonfuls of the corn salsa.


BEET HUMMUS
Serves 8

1 C dried chickpeas
1 large onion, chopped
1 lb. beets (about 3 large)
1/2 C tahini (sesame seed paste)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 C lemon juice
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1/4 C olive oil, plus extra to serve

1. Put the chickpeas in a large bowl, cover with cold water and soak overnight.
2. Drain chickpeas and put them in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan with the onion. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 hour or until the chickpeas are very soft. Drain, reserving 1 C of the cooking liquid. Allow the  chickpeas to cool.
3. Cook the unpeeled beets in a large saucepan of boiling water for 1 hour or until tender. Drain and allow to cool before removing the skins.
4. Coarsely chop the cooked beets and place in a food processor (in batches if necessary) along with the chickpeas and onion mixture, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and cumin and process until smooth. Slowly add the reserved cooking liquid and olive oil while the machine is still running. Blend until mixture is thoroughly combined. Transfer to a bowl, and drizzle with a little more olive oil when serving.

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