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Rebecca's Recipes
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Greeting to all - I am exceedingly GIDDY with this gorgeous weather! The house is swirling with all kinds of tempting smells from all the inspired cooking I have been doing. I can' t get enough of the tomatoes and sweet peppers and am having so much fun cooking and eating them! What a treat to share with friends, too. I went to a lovely 60th birthday party yesterday and took some of the bounty from my box to share. It was such a delight to see my friends' faces when they tasted the simple sliced heirloom and farm-dry tomatoes and sweet peppers -- no dressing, nada! Just the beauty of the vegetables themselves. And oh, the padrons shined! I am so blessed to receive this delicious box every week. And how grateful I am to share it with friends, be able to teach about the amazing benefits, both taste-wise and health-wise. Hope enjoy this great weather we're having right now, and PLEASE go out this evening and howl in jubilation for the magical HARVEST full moon! In gratitude with blessings, Rebecca [email Rebecca]

[Rebecca Mastoris is a chef/teacher at Bauman College, and a partner in Vibrant Foods Catering along with Karen Haralson. Both Karen and Rebecca teach cooking classes at the farm and in town locally - see our 2012 Calendar, below.]
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TOMATO SOUP
Adapted from  Alice Waters The Art of Simple Food
This is a simple and wonderfully delicious soup celebrating the tomato in all its full flavor.
Makes about 1 1/2 quarts; 4 servings

Warm a heavy-bottomed pan. Add:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, sliced
1 small leek, white and light green parts, sliced
A pinch of sea salt

Cover and cook until soft, but not brown. Add water to keep from browning if necessary. Add;
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

Cook for about 2 minutes, then add:
2 pounds ripe tomatoes
(about 10 medium tomatoes), washed and cored, and sliced
1 scant tablespoon brown rice
A large pinch of sea salt
1/2 bay leaf
1 small sprig of savory, thyme, or basil

Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes fall apart. Add:
1 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
Continue to cook for another 10 minutes until the rice is tender. Remove the herb sprig. Carefully ladle the soup into a blender in batches not more then 1/3 full at a time. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Pass the pureed soup through a medium strainer to remove skins and seeds. Taste for salt. Add more water if soup is too thick.


SPICY SUMMER SQUASH SOUP with YOGURT and MINT
Adapted from Alice Waters The Art of Simple Food
Makes about 3 quarts: 4-6 servings

Heat in a heavy-bottomed soup pot:
1/4 cup olive oil

Add and cook, stirring often, over medium heat:
1 large onion, sliced fine
a pinch of saffron threads
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
Cook until very soft but not browned. If the onions or garlic start to stick, turn down the heat and add a splash of water to the pot.

While the onions are cooking, wash in cold water:
5 medium green or yellow squash
Cut into thick slices (3/4 inch). When the onions are done, add the squash to the pot with:
sea salt

Cook for 3 minutes then pour in:
3 cups stock of choice
3 cups of water
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cook until the squash is tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the yogurt and mint garnish. Cut into julienne:
4 mint sprigs
In a mortar and pestle, pound half the julienned mint into a paste. Stir in the remaining mint and add:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cup yogurt
sea salt

Let the soup cool a bit, them puree in a blender until very smooth (take care when blending the soup to leave a vent for the steam to escape). Reheat, thin with a little water if necessary, taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve hot with a spoonful of mint and yogurt. Pass around:
Lime wedges
at the table if you want.


VERMONT SQUASH MUFFINS
Yield: 18 muffins

3 cups flour of choice
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup sharp grated cheddar cheese
1 cup grated squash
2-3 chopped scallions
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (or 2 teaspoons dried)
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Add the squash, parsley, scallions and dill and toss lightly to mix.
2. In another bowl, beat the eggs and then whisk in the buttermilk and melted butter. Add the wet ingredients to the squash/flour mixture and stir just enough to blend.
3. Spoon the batter into buttered or lined muffin tins, filling them 3/4 full. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.


GREEK SQUASH STEW
Serves 6

2 medium onions, sliced
1/3 cup olive oil
1 pound tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon sweetener
1/2 cup water
sea salt and pepper
2 pounds squash, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
1 teaspoon minced mint leaves
1 teaspoon minced dill (1/2 teaspoon dried)

1. In a saucepan over medium low-heat, gently stew the onions in the olive oil until soft, but not brown -- about 10 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes and sweetener and cook for another 10 minutes. Then pour in the water, add salt and pepper, and stir well.
3. When the tomato sauce has come to a boil, add the squash with the mint and dill. Cook gently about 15 minutes or until the squash is tender. Let stand for 20 minutes before serving.


BLANCHED KALE WITH GREEN ONIONS and LEMON-TAHINI SAUCE
Serves 6

Lemon-Tahini Sauce:
1 1/2 cloves garlic
1 lemon juiced
1/2 cup tahini
sea salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup leftover blanching liquid water from kale and green onions (you may need more if the sauce is too thick)

Kale:
2 bunches kale
1 bunch green onion, sliced
1 avocado

1. Blend tahini sauce ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy. Add salt to taste and more lemon if needed. You may need to add a little more blanching liquid if sauce is too thick.
2. Chop kale into 1 inch-pieces. Add to a medium-sized sauce pan with 1 inch rapidly boiling water. Simmer kale for 6-10 minutes until the stems are tender and the color is bright green. [I rarely do my kale for more than 2 minutes... it depends on how soft you want it to get. 10 minutes would be pretty soft! But then I also strip the leaves off the stems; Rebecca is including the stems, so that's probably why the additional cooking time. - Debbie]
3. While kale is cooking, peel and cut avocado into chunks.
4. When kale is done, remove from pan, reserving the blanching liquid. Drain well.
5. Place kale in a large bowl and toss with the lemon-tahini dressing while the kale is still warm. Gently mix in the cut-up avocado. Garnish with the sliced green onions.


GREEN BEANS with SESAME SAUCE
Serves 4

Green Beans:
1/2 pound green beans, root end removed
1 ounce deep-fried tofu pouch (abura-age) optional
1/2 cup (or more) shelled edamame, cooked
toasted sesame seeds
sea salt
White Sesame Sauce:
1/2 cup toasted tahini or 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon sweetener
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons sake (rice vinegar can be substituted)

1. For the sesame sauce: If making from seeds, in a small frying pan over low heat, toast the sesame seeds until fragrant, taking care not to burn them. Pulse in a food processor to your desired consistency. Transfer the paste or tahini to a bowl and add the sweetener, soy sauce, and sake or vinegar. Mix, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula. Adjust the consistency with water.
2. Green Beans: Cut into 2 inch pieces. Have ice water ready in a medium bowl. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the beans until crisp-tender, about 7 minutes. Transfer the beans to the ice bath with a slotted to shock them, then drain.
3. Cut the deep-fried tofu into strips (if you are using it). Have boiling water ready in a small pot. To remove excess oil from the tofu, put strips in a sieve and pour boiling water over them, then drain and press in paper towel to dry.
4. Lightly press out any excess liquid from beans and tofu strips, put them in a large bowl along with the edamame beans and mix with the sesame sauce. Arrange on a platter and sprinkle with sesame seeds.


BRAISED CELERY
Serves 4

Remove the tough outer stalks of:
1 head of celery

Trim the root end close the bottom of the stalks and cut off the leafy tops. (I actually leave the tops on -- lots of great vitamins there!) Pull off the stalks and cut in half lengthwise. Line them up and cut in half crosswise. Then cut those on the diagonal into wedges.

Into a heavy pan over medium heat, pour:
2 tablespoons olive oil

Add:
1 small onion, sliced thin
2-3 thyme sprigs
Cook for 5 minutes. Add the celery. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until the onions and celery have browned a little.

Season with:
sea salt

Add:
1 cup chicken or beef broth. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer. Cover the pan and cook until the celery is tender. The sauce should be thick and coat the celery; if not, uncover the pan, raise the heat, and reduce the liquid as much as needed. Taste for seasonings and adjust. Serve.

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