Sungold Tomato & Cannellini Bean Dip

by Susan Walter Sink of tarheelfoodie.com

Looking for a healthy snack alternative for summer or fall? This is a breeze to whip up, and it will also freeze well after you make a batch for a couple of weeks.

Ingredients:
1 cup of cooked cannellini white beans, no liquid
1 cup of roasted Sungold cherry tomatoes, with liquid
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic (for a milder flavor use roasted garlic)
1/2 cup sauteed or roasted sweet onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/8-1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons plain chevre
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (removed from stem)
rosemary leaves removed from a 4-5" stem
olive oil – just a little to process if necessary

Directions:
Using a small food processor (may require 2 batches) blend equal amounts of the cannellini white beans and roasted Sungold tomatoes along with the garlic, onion, salt, pepper, chevre, thyme and rosemary. Taste and then adjust the heat with the red pepper flakes.

You can substitute feta (even marinated) for the chevre.

Coconut Curry Sweet Potato Soup (Vegan!)

by Erin Jobe, market manager

This is a quick meal that only requires a little bit of prep! It is great for a cold night, and I love to pair it with toasted bread and a kale salad. This recipe also works well with butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes if you have them handy!

Ingredients:
4 large sweet potatoes
1 can light coconut milk
1 can regular coconut milk
1 large sweet onion
4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon coconut oil
3-4 tablespoons curry powder
2-3 cups vegetable broth
Salt
Splash of soy sauce (optional)
Handful of diced green onions (optional)
Lime juice (optional)

Directions:
Finely dice onions and garlic. If you have a food processor, you can
do this in there to create a wet
pulp. Using a large pot, sauté onions and garlic on medium heat in a tablespoon of coconut oil. Add in a tablespoon of curry powder and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté until onions are clear but not browned. Set this aside to add later.

Peel and cube sweet potatoes into large chunks. Add sweet potatoes, vegetable broth, and coconut milk to the pot, and stir together. Stir in a pinch of salt and 2 more tablespoons of curry powder. Let this simmer while stirring occasionally until the sweet potatoes are soft. This only takes around 20 minutes!

Once the sweet potatoes are tender, use an immersion blender to puree all ingredients together.

Once blended you can tweak the consistency and flavor of the soup. Add a bit of water or vegetable broth to thin out the soup, add more curry powder if you want more flavor, or a little bit of cayenne pepper if you need more spice. Sometimes I even add a little bit of brown sugar or cinnamon. As the soup cools it will thicken a bit, and I think it also gains flavor! I like to mix in a few splashes of soy sauce and juice from ½ of a lime before serving. Top with green onions and serve with fresh bread!
 

Sweet Potato Pie

Recipe Provided By Cookbook - Author Sheri Castle
Website: shericastle.com

Ingredients:
1 1/21 1/2 pound small, slender sweet potatoes
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup canned evaporated milk
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon bourbon or dark rum
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
Lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and roast them on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet until very tender, about 1 hour. Remove the potatoes, but leave the baking sheet in the oven. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and force the warm flesh through a food mill or mash as smooth as possible with a potato masher. Transfer the purée into a large bowl.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. add the sugar, stir until smooth, and pour into the potatoes. Add the milk and stir until smooth. Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl, add to the potato mixture, and stir until smooth. Whisk in the remaining ingredients. The filling will be quite thin. Pour the filling into the pie shell.

Carefully transfer the pie to the heated baking sheet and bake until the filling is just set, about 40 minutes. Transfer the pie to a rack to cool to room temperature. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Sweet Potato Black Walnut Rum Cake with Rum Frosting

Recipe provided by Pine Knot Farms - Linda Leach

Cake Ingredients:
½ cup raisins (Golden)
¼ cup dark rum
½ cup Black Walnuts
2 cups mashed boiled or baked sweet potatoes
2 cups all purpose flour
1 ½ cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest (make sure to use the finely grated side)
2 teaspoons baking powder (freshly purchased)
1 teaspoon baking soda (freshly purchased)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg or may freshly ground by hand
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger or fresh ginger
½ teaspoon salt
4 eggs (room temperature)
¾ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 cup dried unsweetened coconut OR ½ cup sweetened coconut

Procedure for mixing:
1. Soak the raisins in RUM for at least 30 minutes to plump to a larg
er size.
2. Prepare sweet potatoes once tender or baked completely. Mash
and cool.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, prepare a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with c
ooking spray and a little
flour.
4. Combine all of the cake ingredients (except raisins and nuts) in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine. With an electric mixer, mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Fold in the raisins rum mixture and nuts. Spread into the prepared baking pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake completely before frosting.

Frosting Ingredients:
½ cup unsalted butter
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons dark rum
1 teaspoon fresh finely grated orange zest
¼ cup sweetened coconut or ½ cup unsweetened coconut (note: it may be difficult to find unsweetened coconut, if so, then I always use a revision cut for the ingredients).

Directions:
Melt butter in a large saucepan, and allow it to brown just lightly. Remove from the heat and add the remaining frosting ingredients. Beat until smooth and creamy. Add a little more rum, orange juice, or water to thin the frosting if needed, or add a little confectioners sugar if needed to thicken the frosting. Spread over the cake and refrigerate overnight. Serve cold on a beautiful table tray for the holidays on the buffet. Enjoy.
 

Sweet Potato Biscuits

yields approximately 18 (2-inch) biscuits

Ingredients:
2 medium-sized local sweet potatoes
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter (cut it small cubes)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°

Scrub sweet potatoes and place them on a pan. Cook until centers are soft (30-45 minutes), set aside.

Mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add nutmeg and cinnamon. Work the butter into the mix so that it is in little balls. (You can wear gloves and use your fingers to do this, or use a pastry blender.)

In a separate bowl scrape out insides of sweet potatoes and add buttermilk. Mash together until mix is well combined. Fold mix into to the flour mixture to form the dough. The dough should form a nice ball that is just slightly sticky. You can add a bit more flour if it is too sticky to handle or more buttermilk if is too dry.

Chill the dough for 20 minutes and then flatten it out with your hands onto a clean floured surface until the dough is about one inch thick. Cut horizontal and diagonal lines in the dough to create 2 inch squares. Remove scrap dough from edges and re-flatten and repeat until all of the dough is in squares.

Place biscuits on a baking sheet or pan, and cook for 10-15 minutes. If desired, sprinkle brown sugar on tops before baking, or brush with melted butter before serving. Best served warm, and you can freeze these biscuits and just re-heat them at 375° until heated thoroughly.

Stuffed Pattypan Squash

Recipe from www.food.com
 

Ingredients:
6 pattypan squash, stem and blossom removed ( or 3 larger squash)
6 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 1/2 cups soft breadcrumbs
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

Bring one inch of water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add squash, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, or until a fork can pierce the stem with little resistance.

Drain, and slice off the top stem of the squash. Use a melon baller to carefully scoop out the centers of the squash. Reserve all of the bits of squash. (I used larger squash so discarded the seeds - warning the squash is very liquidy in the center so I drained it a bit after scooping.

Mince the reserved squash.

Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl with the minced squash, mixing well.

Stuff each squash to overflowing with the mixture, and place them in a baking dish. Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil.

Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until squash are heated through.
 

Strawberry Madeleines

Recipe provided by Tarheel Foodie
www.tarheelfoodie.com
 

Ingredients:
5 tablespoons cane or coconut sugar (or blend)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
3 tablespoons strawberry jam (doesn’t have to be thick)
Pinch Pink Himalayan Salt
1/2 cup organic all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons butter (melted and cooled)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375F.

Melt butter and set aside to cool.

Butter and flour madeleine pans well. I used extra melted butter and a tea caddyto add flour to each mold evenly. This left me with a light but very even coating.

With a hand whisk, beat eggs and sugar in a large until they are well-blended.

Beat in vanilla, jam, and salt.

Add flour and beat until just blended.

Gradually add cooled melted butter to mixture, beating until just blended.

Spoon one teaspoon of batter into each cake shell. The batter may thicken as it
cools but don’t overfill or try to press the batter into the mold, they batter will spread and fill the mold.

Bake until puffed and edges are lightly golden, about 10-12 minutes. The time may vary depending on your baking sheet. Makes about 20-24 depending on how full you fill the molds.

Cool in pan for 3-5 minutes, then remove from the pan gently with a silicon spatula and finishing cooling on a wire rack.

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Dust with confectioners sugar just before serving.
 

Strawberry Balsamic Jam

from macdiyver.com
 

Ingredients:
6 cups6 cups mashed strawberries
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 cups sugar
1 package low-sugar/no-sugar pectin
1 T butter (optional)

Directions:
Gather your canning supplies and sterilize your jars, lids and seals.

Heat water in your extremely large water bath canner until it just begins to boil

In a small bowl, mix pectin with about 1/2 cup of the sugar

In a large pot, add strawberries, pectin/sugar mixture, and butter. Continue cooking until it begins to boil rapidly - it should continue boiling even when stirred.

Add remaining sugar. Bring back to a hard boil, and continue boiling for one minute.

Remove from heat and add balsamic vinegar.

Carefully ladle into jars, leaving at least a 1/4" space from the top.

Put on lids + rings.

Process jars in water bath for 5-15 minutes.

Remove from water bath and place on counter for 24 hours before storing. You can remove the rings at this point if desired.
 

Springtime Egg Salad

By Margaret Krome-Lukens, Assistant Market Manager

If you thought egg salad was boring, think again! This salad is what I make for lunch almost every day in the spring, when eggs and cilantro and garlic chives are fresh and plentiful.

This recipe makes egg salad for 2 sandwiches.

Ingredients:
2 hard-boiled eggs
4-8 "coins" (depending on size) of bread & butter pickles
8-10 stems of cilantro
6-8 leaves of garlic chives (or substitute green garlic or green onions)
1 heaping Tbsp. of mayonnaise
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. white wine vinegar (optional)

Directions:
Slice the eggs into small pieces (a wire egg slicer will save you lots of time).

Pick leaves off cilantro stems and chop cilantro leaves, garlic chives, and pickles into small pieces.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until everything is evenly combined.

**In the summer, use basil instead of cilantro for a different but equally delicious egg salad, and make sure to include a tomato on your sandwich!

 

Spring Greens Pesto

Recipe provided by Emily Geizer

Ingredients:
3 garlic cloves, chopped
½ cup raw nuts, soaked 4 hours or overnight (walnuts, pine nuts, or almonds)
3 cups spring greens (use any combination of wild or seasonal greens, such as chickweed, arugula, dandelion leaves, radish greens, etc)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 tsp sea salt
(optional) 1/4 cup parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast

Preparation:
Blend garlic and nuts in food processor until coarsely chopped.

Add remainder of ingredients to food processor and blend till desired smoothness.

Enjoy on fish, roasted vegetables, pasta, eggs, sandwiches, or pizza. Store pesto covered in a glass container. Will keep for one week.

Emily Geizer is passionate about changing the way you think
about food forever. Go to her website | www.EmilyGeizer.com | to
learn more about her unique blend of whole foods based nutrition integrated with the advanced coaching support that you need to transform your body and life! With her support and accountability, you will create healthier habits for you and your entire family.

Contact: (919) 680-4818 | emily@emilygeizer.com |

Spring Beet Dressing

This dressing is a brilliant, gorgeous, magenta color!
 

Ingredients:
2/3 cup water
1 very small clove garlic
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp high-quality sea salt
1 tsp tamari
1 drop stevia or 2 Tbs honey
3/4 cup chopped raw beets
1/3 cup almond butter

Directions:
Place all ingredients in the blender, except the almond butter. Blend until smooth. Add
the almond butter and blend again until thoroughly combined.

Health Benefits:
Beets are tremendously nourishing, especially for the liver, blood, colon, and eyes. They are rich in antioxidants, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, fiber, Vitamins A and C.

Almonds are a nutrient dense food benefitting brain health, regulation of cholesterol,
bone health, heart health, anti-aging efforts, protecting against cancer, diabetes, and weight gain.

The dressing is extremely nourishing and packed with anti-aging properties!

Find more healthy recipes at www.emilygeizer.com
Emily Geizer - Lighter Living Maven - helping you to create healthy habits for you and your entire family.
 

Savory Kale, Cannellini, and Potato Soup

from allrecipes.com
 

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
3/4 cup diced carrot
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1 cup white wine
3 potatoes, halved and sliced
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 (16 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups finely chopped kale leaves
1 small red chile pepper, seeded and chopped fine
ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; cook and stir the onion until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the carrot and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes more.

Pour in the chicken broth, water, and white wine; stir in the potatoes, rosemary, sage, and thyme. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Add the cannellini beans, kale, chile pepper, and black pepper, and simmer,
covered, for 30 more minutes.

 

Sauerkraut - How To

by Margaret Krome-Lukens

Sauerkraut is easy: chop cabbage, add salt, and let it sit! It’s also delicious and healthy; it is a lacto-fermented food, and so when you eat kraut you are also eating lots of lactobacillus bacteria (the same kind you find in yogurt, but in greater quantities!). These bacteria are great for your digestion and also help your immune system fight infection. Plus, you get to eat sauerkraut! It’s a triple win!

Ingredients & Supplies:  (This recipe fills approx. two quart jars)
2 small or one large fresh cabbage, green or red
kosher or sea salt
water
quart-sized mason jars or other glass or ceramic
fermenting vessel
kitchen scale

Optional:
1 green garlic
3 carrots
2 tsp. mustard seeds
2 tsp. cumin seeds
ginger

Sauerkraut is a very forgiving ferment, and there are many ways to make it! Here are two:

The Classic Way:

• Remove cabbage core and chop cabbage into thin slivers, and weigh. Put into a bowl.
• Add the salt at a ratio of 3 Tbsp. of salt per 5 lbs. of cabbage.
• Mix up the salt and the cabbage, and “massage” the cabbage a bit. The salt helps pull the water out of the cabbage.
• (optional) Chop up the other veggies (I prefer thin slices or slivers) and mix in with the cabbage.
• Pack the mixture densely into your mason jars or crock. Let sit for about an hour.
• After about an hour there should be more liquid in your cabbage. Pack it down with your fist or a wooden spoon.
• Weigh it down — I like to use a clean pint glass with some water in it.
• If the brine is not covering the cabbage after 24 hours, mix up some salt water (1-2 tsp. salt to 1 cup of water) and use it to cover the rest of the cabbage. The fermentation is an anaerobic process so the cabbage needs to stay under the liquid.
• Weigh it down and cover it with a cloth to keep out the dust and bugs.

The Easier Way:

• Remove cabbage core and chop cabbage into thin slivers.
• (optional) Chop up the other veggies (I prefer thin slices or slivers) and mix in with the cabbage.
• Mix up a few cups of salt water so that it tastes like ocean water
• Pack the cabbage and other veggies densely into your mason jars or crock
• Pour the salt water into the jars or crock so that it covers the cabbage. The fermentation is an anaerobic process, so the cabbage needs to stay under the liquid.
• Pack down the cabbage some more to remove as many air bubbles as possible.
• Weigh it down — I like to use a clean pint glass with some water in it. Cover the whole thing with a cloth to keep out dust and bugs. The cabbage will “settle” and let out more liquid which may make your jar overflow. Put it on a plate if you want to keep your counter dry.

Final Instructions for Both Methods:

• Check it every few days for taste and to make sure the cabbage is staying covered. If a white filmy mold begins to grow on the top, no problem — just scrape it off. It’s not dangerous, it just doesn’t taste good.
• When the kraut tastes the way you want it to (for me this takes about two weeks — some people leave it much longer), put it in the fridge. It will keep there for months!
• Kraut will ferment faster in when it’s warm, slower when it’s cold. Room temperature is fine.
• Use glass or ceramic containers, not metal, when you are making kraut; metal reacts with the brine.

Roasted Tomato Soup

from allrecipes.com
 

Ingredients:
2 pounds Roma or other plum tomatoes, quartered
3 Tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic
2 cups to 1 quart of stock (chicken or vegetable)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Place the tomato halves, cut side up, on a baking tray with the garlic cloves. Drizzle with the oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast at 375 degrees F (195 degrees C) for 1 hour.

Snip the ends off the garlic cloves, and squeeze the insides of the cloves into
the bowl of a food processor along with the entire contents of
the baking tray. You can peel the tomatoes first if you want a smoother soup.

Add stock, basil, and vinegar; blend until smooth. Season to taste. Serve either hot or cold.
 

Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Carrots and Caramelized Onions with Quinoa

Recipe by Erin Jobe, Market Manager

Ingredients:
2-3 Large Sweet Potatoes
1 Large Red Onion
4 large Carrots
1 pint Brussels Sprouts
Thyme, Parsley, Salt to taste
2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 cup Quinoa
2 cups water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and peel sweet potatoes and chop into 1/2 inch cubes. Chop onion, slice carrots, and cut Brussels sprouts in half. Mix vegetables in a bowl with olive oil, dried parsley, thyme and salt. Spread vegetables out evenly on a pan and put in oven to roast. After about 20 minutes it can help to stir vegetables so they don't stick to pan. Roast for about 35-40 minutes or until carrots are soft and onions are caramelized. While the veggies are roasting and the kitchen is getting warm and toasty, wash quinoa in a mesh strainer. Add a drizzle of olive to a pan and place on medium high. Transfer quinoa to pan and stir while it lightly toasts until water has evaporated (1-2 minutes). Transfer quinoa to pot and add water. Bring to a boil for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat, remove from burner and let sit for a few minutes then fluff. Serve vegetables over quinoa. To warm up even more, add some hot sauce!
 

Roasted Fall Vegetables with Bacon

Ingredients:
1 pint Brussels sprouts
1 head of broccoli or cauliflower
2 large turnips
2 tablespoons Olive oil
3-4 slices of bacon
2 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Cook bacon in a frying pan, and place 3 or 4 slices on a paper towel to dry. Save a bit of the bacon grease to later in the recipe. Rinse vegetables and peel turnips. Peel and dice garlic cloves. Chop all of the vegetables into bite-sized pieces. The Brussels sprouts can be halved, and the turnips will likely take the longest to cook, so chop these tiniest. Put vegetables in a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper until they are well coated. Lay vegetables out on a cookie sheet or roasting pan. Roast vegetables for about 20 minutes, or until the sprouts are tender and browned and the turnips have softened. Stir the vegetables once or twice while they cook to prevent sticking. Transfer cooked vegetables to a large bowl. Tear bacons trips into tiny pieces add them to the bowl.

Optional: Mix in a teaspoon of bacon grease and a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar to add more flavor if you like!
 

Roasted Beet and Cilantro Hummus

By Erin Jobe, Market Manager

Ingredients:
2 large beets or 3 medium beets
½ bunch of cilantro
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 heaping tablespoon of tahini
1 25 oz can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), or 2 15 oz cans
1 teaspoon salt
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
Juice from ½ lemon

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash and peel beets and quarter them. Roast for 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees. They should still stay a bit crunchy – don’t overcook. Set beets aside to cool. I like to roast a big batch of beets at one time, then refrigerate to use throughout the next few days in various recipes. 

Peel cloves of garlic, then add beets, garlic, tahini and lemon juice to a food processor and blend until everything is finely diced. Drain the chickpeas, saving the juice in a bowl. Add chickpeas, olive oil and salt to the food processor and blend until smooth. At this point you can check the taste and thickness to see what else you need. If it is too thick add a bit of the bean juice to the mixture, and add more salt and olive oil to add flavor. As you add ingredients mix on a low setting or just stir them in. 

Wash and pat dry cilantro. De-stem the cilantro and finely chop with a knife. If you want, you can just add the cilantro into the food processor, but I prefer to mix the cilantro into the hummus with a spoon so it does not get pulverized by the food processor. This hummus is delicious eaten right away, but it gets even better after being in the fridge for a few hours. Serve with cucumber slices, tortilla chips, pita or crackers. It also goes great with goat cheese!
 

Red Devil Squash Creole

By Vermont Valley Community Farm
From Asparagus to Zucchini

Ingredients:
6 medium crookneck squash
3 tablespoons butter
2 medium onions, sliced into rounds
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 larger green bell pepper, cut into strips
3 Tablespoons of brown sugar (optional)
3 tablespoons flour
1 quart tomatoes, quartered
Salt and pepper
¼ pound sharp cheese, grated

Directions:
Steam or blanch squash until barely tender; drain. Melt butter in a large skillet, add onions and pepper strips, and saute until wilted. Sprinkle brown sugar over mixture; add flour, stirring gently. Stir in tomatoes; simmer a few minutes. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a baking dish. Layer half the squash in baking dish, top with half tomato mixture. Repeat layers. Season with salt and pepper; top with cheese. Bake 30 minutes, until cheese in browned.

Ratatouille - C’est si bon!

From the c’est si bon! kitchen
www.cestsibon.net
Phone: 919-942-6550

Well, this story begins in provence. and then paris. how could it not? There are so many ways to make ratatouille. in France, everyone has an opinion. and a recipe. The vegetables should be cooked together. They should be cooked separately. Thomas keller made a stylized Turkish version for the movie, ratatouille. Blanching tomatoes is super squeezey easy. Cut a small x in the bottom and place in a pot of boiling water. Remove with a bamboo skimmer after 1 minute. Plunge in ice water. Wait till they cool, slip off the peels, cut in half (horizontally) squeeze slightly and the seeds should slip out and away. You can always poke your fingers in the seed pockets, and the gel and seeds will oust pretty quickly. Chop and you’re on your way to ratatouille heaven.

Vegetables:
1 cup beautifully fragrant olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
entire bulb of garlic, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 yellow squash, chopped
3 peppers (green or other), chopped
1 eggplant, chopped
2 beautiful fresh tomatoes; peeled, seeded, and chopped
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, snipped

Elixir:
½ cup red wine
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
fresh basil, marjoram, lavender, thyme, and oregano pinch smoked salt or smoked paprika
sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat a wide heavy pot on medium high. pour in half the olive oil and
when hot begin with onions and sauté a few minutes, till translucent.
Then add remaining vegetables, one by one, into the pot. Sauté after each addition about five minutes. Mix the elixir and deglaze with it. Stir well to combine. Add smoked salt, taste, and season correctly. Let simmer for 30 minutes. Great served hot or cold. alone as is, or with some crusty garlic bread, slabs of polenta or over sautéed crisp-tender greens.

Quick Refrigerator Pickles

Recipe provided by Sheri Castle
www.sheri-inc.com

Makes about 4 cups

Ingredients: 
2 pounds small, firm, very fresh vegetables, such as beets, carrots, summer squash, cucumbers, radishes, and/or red spring onions
1 cup distilled white or cider vinegar (5% acidity)
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
4 garlic cloves, quartered
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons pickling spice
2 teaspoons kosher or pickling salt

Directions:
Peel the vegetables if necessary. Using a vegetable slicer or very sharp knife, cut the vegetables into very thin rounds, slices, or ribbons.

Pack the vegetables into a 1-quart jar with a tight-fitting lid. If using more than one type of vegetable, keep them separate and use multiple smaller jars.

Bring the vinegar, water, sugar, garlic, pepper flakes, pickling spice, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Pour the hot liquid over the vegetables. Let stand until it cools to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, preferably overnight. Store covered and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.