Kabocha Squash Gnocchi

1 winter sweet kabocha, halved and seeded (this squash works great for gnocchi because it has a drier texture

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup white flour

7 cups water

1 tablespoon salt

1 cube chicken bouillon

1 cup beer

1/3 teaspoon rubbed sage

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese or crumbled blue cheese. 

Use a knife to perforate the kabocha squash with several slits. Roast in oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, or until soft. Scrape the flesh into a bowl. Stir in the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, egg, and whole wheat flour. Add the white flour in small amounts and mix until you get a sticky dough with a manageable texture. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll into thin ropes. Slice the dough into quarter-sized gnocchi.

Bring the water with 1 tablespoon salt to a boil in a large pot; add the gnocchi to the boiling water one at a time, until they are all floating at the top; remove with a slotted spoon to a large bowl; set aside.

Discard all but 1 1/2 cups of the water from the pot and return to heat; add the bouillon cube, beer, sage, and pepper and bring to a boil; continue to boil until the mixture reduces to about half its original volume, about 15 minutes; reduce heat to medium. Whisk the butter cubes into the mixture, one at a time, until they are all melted into the liquid; immediately return the gnocchi to the mixture, turn off the heat, and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Cover the pot and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Jester Squash and Carmen Pepper Soup

1 medium Jester squash, cut in half, and seeds removed

2 red Carmen peppers, cut in half lengthwise and deseeded 

2 cups vegetable broth 

1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/2 teaspoon cumin 

Salt and pepper, to taste

Dollop of yogurt to finish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment and place squash flesh side down and roast for 20 minutes.

Add peppers and roast for 30-35 more minutes. Turn off oven and let vegetables cool for about 5 minutes.

Remove flesh of the squash from the skin. Add squash flesh, peppers, vegetable broth, spices, and salt and pepper to a high powdered blender or use an immersion blender. Blend until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.

Add a dollop of yogurt when you serve to make the soup a little creamier. 

Italian Style Savoy Cabbage

1 pound savoy cabbage

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, halved and cut into very thin rings

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

½ cup chicken stock, or vegetable stock

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dried thyme

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon butter

Pecorino Romano or Parmesan for grating

Remove the core of the cabbage and cut the remaining cabbage into 1/4-inch strips. You should have about 4 firmly packed cups of cabbage strips.

Place the olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the onion rings, and sauté until they start to soften and brown. Add the cabbage and garlic, stirring to blend well. Add the cherry tomatoes to the pan. Add the stock, vinegar, and thyme. Season well with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and cook, covered, for 30 minutes, or until cabbage is softened and flavors are blended.

When ready to serve, stir butter into the cabbage and top with grated cheese.

Indian-Style Sweet Corn Curry

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds

2 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 clove garlic, minced

1# red norland potatoes, cut into small dice

2-3 medium tomato, cut into small dice

4 tablespoons chopped cilantro

3 tablespoons chopped mint leaves

1-2  peppers chopped 

2 cups fresh corn kernels

1 can coconut milk

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Cayenne pepper, to taste

In a large pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the mustard seeds and 1/2 teaspoon of the cumin seeds. Cook until the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the garlic and potatoes. Cook, stirring often, until the potatoes turn golden.

Add the tomato, cilantro, mint, and green chile. Cook for 1-2 minutes longer, then add the corn and stir to combine. Add coconut milk, salt, and lemon juice. Stir and bring to a simmer, then cover and cook until the potatoes are cooked through.

In the meantime, toast the remaining cumin seeds in a dry skillet over high heat until aromatic. Stir the toasted cumin seeds into the curry and season with black pepper and cayenne to taste. Serve immediately.

Indian Style Potato and Celeriac Latkes

2 celeriac roots, peeled with a knife

1 1/2 lb russet (baking) potatoes 

1/2 cup celery tops, minced

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2-3 red onions, peeled and quartered

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground celery seeds

1/2 teaspoon mustard seed

2 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp cumin powder

2 tsp chili powder

About 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 250°F.

Coarsely grate celery root into a bowl using a box grater.

Peel potatoes and coarsely grate into a large bowl. Add lemon juice and toss. Coarsely grate onions into same bowl.

Transfer to towel, then gather up corners to form a sack and twist tightly to wring out as much liquid as possible.

Return potatoes and onions to cleaned bowl and stir in celery root, flour, eggs, salt, pepper, celery tops and remaining spices until combined well.

Heat 1/3 inch oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Fill a 1/4-cup measure with latke mixture and carefully spoon it into skillet, then flatten to 3 inches in diameter with a slotted spatula. Form 3 more latkes in skillet, then fry until undersides are deep golden, 1 1/2 to 3 minutes. Turn over and fry until deep golden all over, 1 1/2 to 3 minutes more. If latkes brown too quickly, lower heat to moderate. Transfer to paper towels to drain briefly. Keep warm in 1 layer on a metal rack set in a shallow baking pan in oven. Make more latkes in same manner. Use a second rack and baking pan to keep last batches warm.

Indian Style Cabbage and Fennel

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 large fennel bulb (1 lb), halved and thinly sliced (4 cups)

1 large onion, halved and sliced into half-moons (2 cups)

½ savoy cabbage

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp garam masala or curry powder

Heat oil in cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add fennel seeds and cumin seeds, and sauté 30 seconds. Add fresh fennel and onion, and season with salt, if desired. Sauté 5 minutes.

Carefully pile cabbage into pan, cover, and cook 15 minutes, or until cabbage has cooked down, stirring often.

Add cayenne pepper, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook 20 to 30 minutes, or until vegetables are browned and caramelized.

Stir in chickpeas, lemon juice, and garam masala, and cook 5 minutes more, or until chickpeas are heated through.

Hooks 2-Yr Cheddar Mac and Cheese with Sautéed Asparagus

6oz Hooks 2-Yr cheddar, grated

1 pint heavy cream.

1# pasta, cooked (shells or elbows, whatever you like) 

2 Tbsp butter

½# asparagus, chopped

2 Tbsp green garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp minced chives

Salt and pepper to taste

Most recipes that you look up on the interwebs for homemade mac and cheese usually use flour in the recipe. This is essentially making a cheesy gravy. You are more than welcome to use one of those recipes as the gravy holds better for reheating. This recipe is designed to cook and eat right away because it will be so good, there won’t be leftovers. 

Chop up the asparagus and green garlic. 

Melt butter in a pan over med-high heat .

Add the chopped veggies and sauté until aromatic, stirring frequently. About 1-2 minutes

Remove and set aside for later.

Add heavy cream to the pan and reduce by have on med-low heat. If you have the heat turned up too high you will scorch the cream. We want to gently simmer to our desired reduction. The cream will try to boil over, so keep an eye on it and stir frequently. The consistency you are looking for will coat the back of a spoon. Once you’ve reached the right consistency, fold in the cheese. If the sauce seems runny, reduce further at a low temp.  

Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Fold in cooked pasta, sautéed veggies and garnish with minced chives.

Side note: If you did not get the cheese share and don’t have Hooks 2-Yr Cheddar. Other cheeses may be substituted. 

Grilled Zucchini with Feta and Lemon Mint Dressing

2-3 zucchini or summer squash sliced ¼ thickness

¼ cup feta

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon paprika

1 small garlic clove, grated

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon sea salt, more to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon honey or maple syrup, optional

1/4 cup olive oil plus 2 Tbsp 

1/2 teaspoon fresh mint, optional

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, and honey, if using.

Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking and continue to whisk until the dressing is emulsified. Alternatively, combine everything in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake to combine.

If your dressing is too tangy, add more olive oil, to taste.

Add mint and season to taste. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week. The olive oil will solidify a bit in the fridge. To soften, let the dressing sit at room temp for a few minutes and stir before using.

Lightly coat the zucchini slices with olive oil, salt pepper and paprika. Grill until softened with some caramelization. Once cooked, add to plate or serving dish and drizzle lemon mint dressing and crumple feta then serve warm. 

Grilled Zucchini and Asparagus Risotto

1 green garlic stalk sliced thin

2 cups rice (Arborio preferred, but any rice will do jasmine or basmati will break down faster, so shorter cook time)

Zest and juice of one lemon

1 cup white wine

1qt vegetable stock

½-1# asparagus 

1 zucchini sliced then grilled

1/4cup Parmesan grated

1-2 tablespoons butter cubed

salt & pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, saute the onion in a splash of oil until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and fry for another 30 seconds then add the rice.

Coat the rice in the oil then add the lemon zest and white wine.

Allow the wine to absorb into the rice then start adding the stock a little a time stirring to agitate the rice and allow it to release its starchy creaminess. The amount of stock needed varies as all rice absorbs liquid differently. You want the risotto to be creamy and ‘loose.’ It shouldn’t be able to keep its shape and the rice should be al dente (soft and pleasant to eat but not mushy).

While the risotto is cooking, coat the asparagus and zucchini in in a little oil and grill until charred.

Chop the asparagus stems into small rounds and keep aside. Small dice cooked zucchini.

When the rice is cooked to your liking, add the chopped asparagus rounds and diced zucchini, Parmesan, butter and lemon juice and stir in.

Season to taste, then serve.

Grilled Tendersweet Cabbage with Parsley Dressing

1 head of cabbage, cut into 8 wedges with stem intact 

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

1/4 cup water

2 garlic cloves

2/3 cup non fat Greek yogurt

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice from 2 lemons

1 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Puree parsley, water and garlic in food processor or blender until smooth.  Add the remaining ingredients and puree a few more seconds until everything combined. 

Grill cabbage wedges on high heat for 5 minutes on each side. Serve warm with dressing or let cool and rough chop and toss with dressing.

Grilled Savoy Cabbage and Sweet Corn Salad

1 head savoy cabbage

1-2 ears sweet corn

1 onion, sliced thin

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil {see notes}

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 teaspoon lime zest

Sea salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

1/4 cup minced cilantro or basil

½ cup crumbled feta

Preheat grill for about 10 minutes.

Cut the cabbage into 8 wedges and remove corn from husks.

In a bowl, place cabbage and corn and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Grill vegetables for about 10 minutes turning frequently until a good char is present then remove and place back in the bowl and cover.

Once the vegetables are cool enough to handle, give the cabbage a rough chop. Remove the corn from the cob and remove stem and seeds from pepper and chop. 

Blend or whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, vinegar, garlic, lime juice, lime zest and a heavy pinch of salt and black pepper.

Once the desired taste and consistency is reached with your dressing, toss the grilled vegetables and onions in with the minced herbs. Crumble feta over the top and serve warm.

Grilled Napa and Raw Beet Slaw

2-3 beets, peeled and shredded

1 napa cabbage head

2-3 scallions, sliced thin 

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste

1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard 

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

3 tablespoons vinegar

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

2 oranges, peeled and roughly chopped (including juice)

Cut napa in half lengthwise and drizzle with 1tbsp olive oil. Grill until slightly charred and wilted. Set aside to cool then slice thin crosswise

Peel and shred the beets. Place beets, cabbage and scallions in bowl.

In a jar with tight-fitting lid, add salt, pepper, mustard, olive oil and vinegar. Shake well, and pour over vegetables. Toss. If desired, marinate an hour or so.

Add parsley and oranges. Toss to combine, and serve.

Grilled Napa and Potato Salad with Sesame Garlic Scape Dressing

1 head napa cabbage, washed and cut in half length wise

1 lb of Superior russet potatoes large, diced

¼ cup olive oil

Heat grill to medium-high

Toss potatoes in 2 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper

Seal in an aluminum foil pouch and place on the grill and cook until fork tender (roughly 20 minutes). Turn once (varies from grill to grill). Be careful when checking the potatoes. If your pouch has a good seal you are going to have steam try to escape when you open it. 

Lightly coat the napa cabbage in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill face down for 3-5 minutes then turn over and grill for another two minutes. 

Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature then roughly chop into bite size pieces. 

Combine napa cabbage with the cooked potatoes and toss with dressing. 

Can be served warm or chilled. 

The Dressing

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari (gluten free)

1 garlic scape minced

2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar

2 tablespoons peeled and minced ginger

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Combine ingredients and blend well or shake vigorously

Green Bean and Potato Salad

1.5 lb of potatoes cooked until fork tender then chilled

2 cups of green beans cut into bite sized pieces

1 small red onion - small diced

2 Tbsp basil - chopped

The Dressing

1⁄4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 cloves chopped garlic

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 dash Worcestershire sauce

1⁄2 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

Sauté or steam the beans until their color brightens, then chill.

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, dragon tongue beans, onion and basil.

Mix/whisk all the vinaigrette ingredients together.

Add in the Balsamic vinaigrette to the potato/bean mixture; toss well to coat.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve chilled or room temperature.

Grilled Green Bean, Corn and Pepper Salad

1 bag green beans, trim ends

1 sweet pepper, seeded and small diced

1-2 ears of corn, grilled

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1 Tbsp whole grain mustard

1/2 tsp pepper 

1/4 tsp salt 

2 Tbsp chopped basil (optional)

Preheat grill to medium heat.

Grill corn with husks on until tender then remove husks and separate kernels from cob.

Toss beans in a little bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.

Remove seeds from pepper and dice small. Add this to the green beans.

Place beans and pepper mixture on a grill pan (if you don’t have one, make one out of aluminum foil).

Cook for 10 to 15 minutes stirring occasionally until it is slightly charred. 

Once cooked to desired state remove from heat and place into a dish and into the fridge to cool quickly.

Once cooled, whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard, pepper, salt, and basil in a small bowl.

Place the beans, corn and peppers in a salad bowl and pour dressing over them.

Toss all ingredients gently until the beans, corn and peppers are fully coated with the dressing.

Let the salad marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

Grilled Kale and Summer Vegetable Salad

1 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 bunch of kale, washed and dried

Summer squash and bell pepper sliced tossed in oil, salt and pepper - grilled 

2 oz crumbled feta

1-2 tomatoes sliced

1 Tbsp parsley chopped

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat grill.

Grill assorted veggies then chill.

In a large mixing bowl combine olive oil, garlic, vinegar, juice, zest and kale. Toss until well coated.

Lay kale side by side in a single layer on top of the grill until crispy, 1 - 2 minutes per side.

Remove kale from grill and cool until workable. Then rough chop.

For salad add grilled assorted veggies, feta, parsley and sliced tomatoes.

Vinaigrette Recipe 

3 parts good olive oil to 1-part wine vinegar, a splash of balsamic, 1 smashed garlic clove, a dollop of Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of oregano, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, ground pepper to taste. Whisk everything together.

Grilled Green Bean and Pepper Salad

1/2  lb green beans, trim ends

1 red bell pepper, seeded and small diced

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1 Tbsp whole grain mustard

1/2 tsp pepper (or more to taste)

1/4 tsp salt (or more to taste)

2 Tbsp chopped parsley

Preheat grill to Medium heat.

Toss green beans in a little bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.

Remove seeds from pepper and dice small. Add this to the green beans.

Place beans and pepper mixture on a grill pan (if you don’t have one, make one out of aluminum foil.

Cook for 10 to 15 minutes stirring occasionally until it is slightly charred. 

Once cooked to desired state remove from heat and place into a dish and into the fridge to cool quickly.

Once cooled, whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard, pepper, salt, and basil in a small bowl.

Place the green beans and peppers in a salad bowl and pour dressing over them.

Toss all ingredients gently until the beans and peppers are fully coated with the dressing.

Let the salad marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

Grilled Corn and Potato Salad

2-3 ears of corn, husked

½ lb potatoes, sliced into quarter inch rounds

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

½ cup (loosely packed) fresh basil leaves, large leaves torn

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

¼ teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Fresh cracked pepper to taste

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Heat your grill to high.

Pack potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper into a tightly wrapped piece of aluminum foil. You want to make sure the steam stays in to cook the potatoes quicker. Place on grill and rotate after about 7minutes. Should be ready in about 15 minutes, but varies depending on the grill temp.

Rub corn with 1 tablespoon oil. Grill, turning frequently, until corn is charred and heated through, 10-12 minutes. Remove from grill; when cool enough to handle, cut kernels from cobs and transfer to a large bowl. Place in fridge for 10 minutes to allow to cool. Remove potatoes from grill when tender and take out of foil. Let cool to room temp and place in bowl with corn.

Mix basil, EVOO, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper into a bowl and whisk for good consistency. Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. 

Toss corn, potatoes and dressing together and serve.

Greens and Garlic Stir Fry

1 bunch Koji greens (tatsoi), rough chopped

1 bunch radishes with tops, cut radishes into wedges and rough chop the greens

1 stalk green garlic, sliced into thin strips

½# asparagus, cut into 1’’ pieces

¼ cup tamari (soy sauce)

1 Tbsp canola oil

2 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp corn starch (optional)

1 Tbsp minced ginger

Serve with rice

Mix sesame oil, tamari (soy sauce), ginger, half of the green garlic, and corn starch together with and whisk until corn starch starts to dissolve (don’t worry if it clumps when you add it to the heat it will begin to separate).

Heat wok or sauté pan to medium high heat. Add the remaining green garlic and the asparagus. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until aromatic. Take care not to burn the garlic (it can get a little bitter).

Add the radish wedges and cook for one minute then add the greens. Sauté until greens begin to wilt.

Push the greens and other veggies to the side of the pan and add the tamari mixture. Wisk to make sure the corn starch is completely dissolved. Once the sauce is uniform and starts to thicken, turn the heat off and then toss the greens and veggies with the sauce that you’ve just made.

Serve with rice.

Green Garlic Risotto

2 tbsp olive oil

1 bunch green garlic, minced

1 ½ cups of arborio rice or medium grain rice

4 cups of veggie stock 

1 cup white wine

½ cup grated hard cheese like a parmigiana or an asiago

½ lemon

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil for the risotto in a heavy-bottomed sauté pan. Add the minced green garlic and sauté minute or two until the garlic is fragrant. Add rice stirring constantly until evenly coated. Add one cup of wine and stir continually until liquid is mostly absorbed. Then gradually add the veggie stock a cup at a time and reducing the liquid until mostly absorbed between each cup. This method allows for a slow release of the starches giving the finished product a creamy texture.

Cook until al dente, which is firm but cooked. You don’t want to overcook the rice into mush. Once the rice has reached the perfect state of al dente-ness add the cheese and the juice of half a lemon and stir until well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste.