potatoes Tag

07 Nov

Posted at 08:42h in Recipes by
8 Likes

Blooming Glen PotatoesBlooming Glen Farm grows a really wonderful selection of potatoes. We’ve been introduced to a variety of potatoes this season, including Sangre, Purple Sun, Kerrs Pink and Purple Viking, along with classic Yukons. While specific nutrition may differ a bit between varieties, generally speaking, all potatoes have almost half the recommended daily values of vitamins C and B6 and potassium. The recent low-carb craze have given potatoes a bad rap in recent years, but the truth is potatoes are actually a healthy complex carbohydrate. They’re a “good” carb, meaning that they digest slowly, preventing your blood sugar from spiking like simple carbs do. The caveat: We need to eat them with their skin and prepare them as healthily as possible. So, choose the baked potato or simple mashed potatoes over the French fries and potato chips 🙂

If you’re anything like me, you still have some potatoes from the last few weeks’ shares hanging out in your kitchen, and maybe even a couple different varieties. Feel free to mix and match whatever potatoes you happen to have on hand for the recipe below. This recipe is based on one of my mom’s classic soups. Growing up, we always looked forward to the first batch of her potato soup each fall — it took some of the sting out of the increasing colder weather and darker nights. In this version, I add beans, which provide a healthy boost of fiber and plant-based protein, and makes for a more filling and nutritionally complete meal. The seasonings are kept super simple, allowing the natural flavors of our fresh and local potatoes, leeks and celery to really come through.

Sam’s Potato Soup

Sam's Potato Soup
Serves 12
Ingredients
2 tbs Earth Balance
1 tsp peppercorns
1-1/2 cups leeks, cut into half moons and sliced
1 cup celery stalks and greens, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
5-6 cups potatoes, scrubbed clean with skin left intact, cut into a large dice
1/2 tsp salt
6-8 cups vegetable or No-Chicken broth
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper to taste

Method
Heat butter in a large heavy-bottom pot. Add leeks, celery, garlic, salt, pepper and peppercorns, sprinkle with a bit of salt and stir well. Cook until veggies begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Stir in potatoes and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and mix well. Add a splash of broth and let potatoes heat up, about 3-5 minutes. Add 6 cups of broth and bring to a boil. Let simmer and cook until potatoes begin to get get tender, about 20 minutes. Remove peppercorns. Add beans and, depending on consistency of soup desired, add more broth. Cook for 5-10 minutes more. Salt and pepper to taste. Option: You can blend part of the soup with an immersion blender or in a blender for a creamier soup.

Post and photos by Mikaela D. Martin: Blooming Glen CSA member since 2005, board-certified health counselor, and co-founder of Guidance for Growing, an integrative wellness practice in Souderton. Read more about healthy eating and living on her site, http://guidanceforgrowing.com!

12 Nov

Posted at 14:04h in Recipes by
4 Likes

Roasted Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes & Turnips with ShallotsRoot vegetables are known for their comforting taste and grounding qualities. Nothing quite satisfies like the smell and warmth of home-roasted carrots or mashed potatoes for dinner, right? In addition to being tasty comfort food, root vegetables also have a unique nutrition profile.

Of course, exact nutritional values depend on the variety (you can visit www.nutritiondata.com for specific information), but here is some general nutrition info:

  • One cup of cooked celeriac, radish or turnip has 25-42 calories, while beets, burdock, parsnip or rutabaga has 66-110 calories.
  • All of the common varieties (carrots, potatoes, beets, celeriac, daikon radish, parsnip, rutabaga, and turnip) are all very low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
  • All are a good or very good source of dietary fiber.
  • Beets, radish, rutabaga and turnip have higher sugar contents.

Because root vegetables function as the energy storage organ in a plant, they are nutrient dense. Common nutrients include folate, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and vitamins B6 and C.

The recipe below calls for roasting potatoes, sweet potatoes and turnips — simply because I wanted to warm up the house. Root vegetables are also great in soup and as a mash. Try adding diced celeriac to minestrone soup or turnips to potatoes for a mash. Also, most root vegetables are interchangeable, just keep in mind that sweet potatoes cook faster than the others.

Roasted Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes & Turnips with ShallotsRoasted Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes & Turnips with Shallots

Preheat oven to 400-degrees, and line a cookie sheet with foil. Cut into chunks 1 cup potatoes and 1 cup turnips and toss in a bowl with 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil and then spread onto the cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 15 minutes.

Add to the bowl 1 cup sweet potatoes, cut into chunks, and toss to coat with remaining oil. Mix the sweet potatoes with the other veggies and roast for an additional 15 minutes, until all vegetables are tender and begin to brown.

Meanwhile, lightly oil a small skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup shallots, sliced very thin, and fry lightly, until they’re translucent and start to crisp. Set aside.

Top veggies with shallots and serve hot.

Post and photo by Mikaela D. Martin: Blooming Glen CSA member since 2005, board-certified health counselor, and co-founder and -owner of Guidance for Growing, an integrative wellness practice in Souderton. Read more about healthy eating and living on her site, http://guidanceforgrowing.com!

06 Oct

Posted at 13:27h in Recipes by
4 Likes

This recipe is a slight variation to the much beloved latke, or potato pancake. Usually lightly fried and served with sour cream or applesauce, potato pancakes make a great side dish to pork chops or can be topped with sauteed greens for a lighter, vegetarian option. Purple-top turnips give the cakes another layer of flavor and added creaminess. Here, turnips are made tasty…for even the pickiest of eaters!

Potato and Turnip Cakes

-Coarsely grate (with a box grater or a food processor fitted with the grater attachment) 2 pounds of potatoes and 1 large purple-top turnip, all scrubbed and trimmed. (Optional: add 1 fennel bulb, grated.)

-Dump grated veggies onto a clean dishtowel and squeeze to remove as much moisture as possible; transfer vegetables to a medium bowl.

-Beat 2 large eggs and toss in with coarse salt and ground pepper.

-Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Form potato mixture into four tightly packed patties; place in skillet, flattening gently with a spatula to a 3/4-inch thickness. Cook patties, turning once, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes per side (reduce heat if patties start to brown too quickly, and add more oil to skillet if necessary). Transfer to paper towels; sprinkle with salt.

-Serve with applesauce for a traditional treat, alongside eggs for breakfast, or as a base for sauteed kale or chard.

Recipe and photos by Jana Smart- Blooming Glen Farm employee and frequent creator of creative recipes using farm fresh seasonal ingredients. Check out more of her recipes on her food blog http://www.agrarianeats.blogspot.com/

21 Sep

Posted at 13:02h in Recipes by
2 Likes

I don’t think chicken pot pie needs much of an introduction, but I will say this savory pie is one of my favorite comfort foods….even if it is a bit of a project. (All that gravy and pie crust makes it totally worth it, right?). It is also a great medium to use up things from your fridge. So experiment with variations!

**Warning: This recipe is not for dieters. Though I’m sure you could play with the recipe to omit some butter and the heavy cream.

Chicken Pot Pie

First off, you need to decide how you are going to prepare your chicken. I chose to roast 1 whole chicken and used all the meat (light and dark) from that. An equivalent if you are using chicken breasts would be about 6 breasts. You can prepare these simply by roasting until cooked through. Cut cooked chicken into cubes or shred.

To make crust:

For the pastry, mix 3 cups flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add 2 sticks of butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add between 1/2 and 1 cup of ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

To make filling:

-In a medium saucepan, heat 5 cups of chicken stock (I used homemade stock from the bones I used to roast the chicken). Bring to boil and then leave at a low simmer.

-In a large pot, heat a few tablespoons of oil and saute until tender:

1 yellow onion, diced
1 celeriac bulb, peeled and diced into small cubes
2 carrots, diced

-Add in stock with veggies.

-Chop 1 pound of potatoes and about a medium head (2 small) of cauliflower, hard stems removed. Add to pot.

-Bring everything to a boil and then turn the heat down to medium-high heat and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

-In another small saucepan make a roux by melting 1 stick (8 tablespoons) of butter and adding 3/4 cup of flour. Salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat for just a minute or so. Add roux to pot and stir until the mixture begins to thicken.

-Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream (half-and-half or whole milk will also do), the chicken and a dash of thyme, sage or rosemary.

*The filling should be thick and have a nice gravy. If it seems to thin, just cook on medium heat uncovered for a little longer.

-Pour filling into a large cast iron dish. Roll out your dough to a 1/4 inch thickness and place on top of filling leaving some overhang. Brush dough with an eggwash and sprinkle with fresh cracked pepper and sea salt. Bake at 375 degrees for about 45-50 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Let cool for at least a half hour so it can set a bit.

**You can also make these into 4 individual pot pies if you have oven safe bowls.

Recipe and photos by Jana Smart- Blooming Glen Farm employee and frequent creator of creative recipes using farm fresh seasonal ingredients. Check out more of her recipes on her food blog http://www.agrarianeats.blogspot.com/

27 Jul

Posted at 14:38h in Recipes by
1 Like

Now that the worst of that torrential heat wave from last week is waning, I find myself finally able to make my way back into the kitchen and near a stove for the first time in weeks. I’ve been eating mostly cold salads and ice cream lately, so the idea of a baked-cheesy-crispy-veggie-something sounded perfect. This is a variation of a classic French dish that simply involves layering vegetables and topping them with cheesy, herby breadcrumbs. Before you get started, I recommend making your own breadcrumbs. You can buy them at the store pre-made, but I find a very noticeable difference in them from the ones you make from scratch. One of my favorite bloggers, Smitten Kitchen, gives these valuable tips on the ease of making your own:

May I implore you, nay, beg you to forgo store-bought breadcrumbs and make your own? It is too simple not to. Take any bread at all — I mean your favorite kind, rolls the pizza place sent you with your salad, the crusts off your kid’s sandwich — leave it out overnight and pulse it in the food processor the next morning: instant breadcrumbs that will put that sawdust in a can to shame! In a rush? Fresh bread grinds up well, too, whether or not you toast it first. Planning ahead? Make a lot and keep it in the freezer. Breadcrumbs, at the ready!

Once you have the breadcrumbs ready, this impressive summer gratin layered with new potatoes, tomatoes and summer squash will be ready for quick assembly.

Provencal Summer Gratin

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees and oil a large cast iron or baking dish with equivalent volume.

-Thinly slice about 1 pound of new potatoes and assemble them at the bottom of the pan, slightly overlapping the layers. Salt and pepper generously.

-Slice about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of red tomatoes (slice up an heirloom to throw in for variation if you have it). Arrange layer of tomatoes on top of potatoes. Salt and pepper.

-Thinly slice 2 gloves of garlic and arrange atop the tomatoes. Sprinkle some dried oregano and thyme.

-Cut 2 summer squash into 1/4 inch slices and layer on top of tomatoes and garlic. Salt and pepper.

-Pour 1/4 cup of chicken broth and 2 tablespoons of olive oil over layers (for cooking moisture)

-Take 1 cup of homemade breadcrumbs and mix in a small bowl with 1/2 cup of parmigiano reggiano or pecorino cheese and a dash of dried oregano and thyme. Sprinkle over veggie layers.

-Bake gratin for 40-45 minutes. Cool slightly. ENJOY!!

Recipe and photos by Jana Smart- Blooming Glen Farm employee and frequent creator of creative recipes using farm fresh seasonal ingredients. Check out more of her recipes on her food blog http://www.agrarianeats.blogspot.com/

06 Jul

Posted at 02:35h in Recipes by
5 Likes

I’m sure you are as excited as we are to have the first batch of this season’s potatoes make its way into your CSA share. Fresh out of the dirt, these pink little nuggets have a flavorful, earthy goodness that is hard to beat. One important thing to note about this week’s variety–Dark Red Norland–is that they are a “new” potato and have not been cured, so the skin is really delicate. This is great because you don’t have to peel them, but it also means they will look a little tattered from tumbling in our root washer.

I still think they are mighty pretty : )

Dark Red Norland

The first thing I usually want to do when potatoes come into season (besides mashing them with a pound of butter) is make a simple cold potato salad. Since I’m looking for a new way to incorporate more fresh herbs into my dishes, I concocted this “fancy” version of potato salad with four kinds of herbs and those delicious yellow wax beans you have the choice of picking this week. I encourage you to eat this one warm or at room temperature. The flavors seem to develop much better. ENJOY!

Herb Potato Salad with Yellow Wax Beans
*This recipe actually uses 7 items from this weeks share!

-Cut 2 pounds of new potatoes into bit size cubes and bring them to a boil in a large pot of salted water. Boil for 10 minutes or until “fork tender”.

-In the meantime, chop:

1 sweet onion
1 bunch of celery (about 5 stalks)
a handful each of chives, parsley, dill, and french tarragon

-Cut the stems off of a half-quart (or 1/2 pound) of  fresh yellow wax beans (green beans can also be used). Blanch them in boiling water for 2-3 minutes and then transfer immediately into a bowl of ice water. Chop into bit-size bits. [***I actually just threw them in with the potatoes that were already boiling on the stove and it turned out just great!]

-Drain the cooked potatoes and toss in the beans, veggies and herbs.

-Pour in a simple vinaigrette made with 3 tablespoons of red or white wine vinegar, 6 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of dijon mustard, and salt to taste.

Recipe and photos by Jana Smart- Blooming Glen Farm employee and frequent creator of creative recipes using farm fresh seasonal ingredients. Check out more of her recipes on her food blog http://www.agrarianeats.blogspot.com/