http://www.bluemoonfarm.biz/2010/08/27/time-to-freeze-tomatoes/

http://www.bluemoonfarm.biz/2010/03/15/cilantro-pesto/

http://www.bluemoonfarm.biz/2009/06/26/coleslaw-you-want-to-eat-on-a-hot-day/

Lentils with broiled eggplant

• 2 medium eggplants
• 2 tbs red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup small dark lentils (or the small green french ones from the co-op work great)
• 3 carrots
• 2 celery stalks (I substituted chard)
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 sprigs thyme
• small white or half onion
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 12 cherry tomatoes
• 1/3 tsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbs each of chopped parsley and cilantro and dill
• 2 Tbs crème fraiche or yogurt (or Prairie Friuit Farm cheve!)

Cook eggplant on gas grill or stove top on foil directly on burners. Turn frequently to roast 15 min, until flesh is very soft and skin is entirely burnt. If you don’t have gas burners you can bake in an electric stove under a broiler after poking them with a knife. Scoop out the flesh and set in a colander to drain for 15 minutes. Then add salt, pepper and a half tsp of vinegar.

Make the lentils while the eggplant cooks by cooking in saucepan with water. Add 1 coarse cut carrot and celery/kale stalks, bay leaf, onion and bring to boil. Simmer on low heat until soft – skim if needed. Drain, discard carrot and bayleaf before adding the rest of the vinegar, 2 Tbs oil, and salt and pepper. Then dice the rest of the carrot and celery or chard leaves, halve tomatoes, and combine with oil, sugar, and salt before cooking in an ovenproof dish at 275 degrees for 20 min.

Finally, combine the veggies with lentils, herbs and then place this on a plate, top with eggplant and the crème fraiche or cheese. The next step is obvious.. eat!

Make Pickeled Scapes

First trim flower bud off scapes, cut into 3-4 inch pieces. Pack scapes lengthwise into clean jars, leaving 1/4” headspace.  Add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 clove garlic, and 1 head dill to each jar.

Next prepare the juice. I used the Dilly Beans recipe (found that suggestion on the internet).  One can take liberties.
2 pounds scapes (hand fulls)
1/4 cup canning salt
2-1/2 cups vinegar
2-1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided
4 cloves garlic, divided
4 heads dill, divided
Combine salt, vinegar and water in a large saucepot. Bring juice to a boil or heat in the microwave.  Use microwave safe glass- heat about 4 minutes.

Then pour hot liquid over beans, leaving ¼” headspace Remove air bubbles.  You could can these the usual way- 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner or, be lazy like me, and use a microwave. If using the microwave, use a piece of plastic wrap to loosely cover the jar then microwave for 3 minutes. Place the cap on the jar, leave the plastic wrap on. Cool to room temperature and place in refrigerator.  Eat them when they are cool.

1. ¾ cup sugar1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2. 2 pieces of cinnamon stick
3. 2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
4. 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
5. ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
6. 4 1/3 cups chopped rhubarb (some folks use food processor)
7. ½ cup dried cherries (currants or raisins)
8. 1 cup chopped chives

Combine the first six ingredients in a heavy pot, bring to boil while stirring, add cherries, and return to boil.  Remove from heat and stir in chives before allowing to cool.  You can keep nicely in the fridge for several days.

kale you are going to want to try this recipe  from bonappetit magazine:

(This was a really nice lunch that involved my brother, her son, and a terrible  mishap with a tray of olives but ask me about that later).

Clean and prepare 2-3 cups of cilantro.  Two bunches from Blue Moon would cover this. Remove nice-quality leaves from the main stems.

Grate 1-2 cups of sharp Italian cheese.  I usually mix 2:1 cilantro to cheese to start and adjust to taste and use  a mix of romano or reggiano parmesan.  Take care not to use a cheese that is too salty because this can overwhelm the taste.  When in a rush, I do this all in the food processor so first grate the cheese and then dump it out before replacing the blade with the chopper.

In the food processor with the dicing or chopping blade:

• Dice 3-4 cloves of garlic and 1 to-2 red chili peppers.  Vary this to suit your taste- don’t be afraid to add lots of garlic.  I would use 2-3 hard neck-cloves and 1.5 dried peppers if they are hot.
• Add the cilantro and pulse to coarsely chop the leaves.  Do not over do this.
• Add the cheese and olive oil (1/4 to 1/2 cup)  pulse to blend to make as smooth as you like.  I leave it so different pieces of the ingredients can be distinguished.

We usually toss this with warm pasta but our first introduction to it was as a layer inside lasagna.  The point is, feel free to invent.   I have seen folks do variants by add lots of oil and spinach before blending to make a runny bright green dressing.  The cilantro pesto goes really well with a sharp or sweet side, sun dried tomatoes and or balsamic vinegar.

This is a really fun way to visit with friends.   Look on line for real Chinese  hot pots or use your fondue pot to heat broth used for cooking.  Prepare broth, dipping sauces and chop veggies and meats you will eat in advance.

• Prepare a vegetable or chicken broth with a generous or possibly even excessive amount garlic and ginger.  I add in some MEMMI noodle soup base, shoaking cooking wine, and light soy sauce.  Top with chopped green onions, cilantro.
• Cube tofu, set rice vermicelli noodles in a bowl,  clean and slice shiitake mushrooms, separate white oyster mushrooms
• Clean and separate leaves that are hand sized (4-6 inches) napa cabbage leaves, bok  choy, any type of greens including spinach and arugula, quarter and slice carrot, leeks, potatoes
• Very thinly slice eye of round steak, pork or chicken
• Chopped cilantro and green onions

Red chili sauce

In a food processor blend until smooth:

• 2 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup garlic bean paste
• ¼ cup red chili sauce
• 3 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup Shaoxing (rice) wine or sake
• 3 tablespoons imported, roasted sesame oil
• 1-2 tablespoons water

Garlic dipping sauce

• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated garlic
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

1. 1 cup white flour
2. 3/8 tsp salt
3. 4 Tbs cold unsalted butter cut in cubes
4. 1.5 Tbs solid vegetable shortening (I am going to try substituting cream cheese)
5. 2.5  to 3 Tbs ice water

Make this first so that it can prebake while you prepare the  filling.  Combine 1 & 2 then add 2 and 4, mix well with hands or in the food processor.  Add ice water by feel if mixing by hand, until the dough just starts to become mealy.  Flatten into a disc and cover with wax paper.  She suggests you let it rest for 30 minutes in fridge and then roll out after warming but I just go for it, rolling between sheets of wax paper after dusting the surface with flour.  Place in buttered baking dish, and prebake at 425.  If you want a perfect crust, line the bottom with buttered foil and pie weights.  Poke the crust if it swells as a result of steam.

Filling:

1. 3-4 carrots
2. 3 medium potatoes
3. 6-8 turnips
4. 1 large onion
5. 1 large pepper
6. 1/4-1/2 cabbage
7. oregano
8. 1/4-1/2 cup veggie broth or water and a veggie bouillon plus a dash of noodle soup base.
9. * if you want this to be moister double the amount of broth and add to this 1 tsp of corn starch

*You can add broccoli too- chop and add with the cabbage

Clean and coarsely chop 1, 2 & 3.  I microwave the carrots and potatoes for 6 minutes to hurry things along.  Dice 4 & 5 and saute in a large pan, add herbs and spices to taste.  Add in 1/4 cup veggie broth and chopped cabbage, cover to steam the cabbage.  Combine all ingredients in a large bowl before placing into the baked pie shell.   Cover with foil to retain moisture and prevent the shell from getting too dark.  Bake at 350 for 20 (if you precooked 1 & 2) or 60 min.