Recipes from the Vegetable Garden
Over the years, volunteers and coworkers alike have developed favorite ways to use seasonal vegetables at Innisfree. Sometimes we have to get creative when large crops of leafy greens come in, or find ways to use quirkier vegetables (kohlrabi, anyone??) that one may not have seen before!
In 2015 a group of volunteers and staff got together to compile some of our favorite recipes which we would like to share with you here! These recipes were paired with very beautiful illustrations created by a volunteer, a few of which are shown below. Feel free to write to us and let us know if you’ve tried any of these recipes!
Sweet Potato & Quinoa Chili
Ingredients: (serves 6)
I can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes or 1 1/2 cups diced fresh tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 large sweet potato, diced (with or without skin)
1 cup dry quinoa
1 onion, diced
5-6 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
few dashes garlic powder
few dashes onion powder
Himalayan salt to taste
4 cups water or vegetable broth + more as needed
Avocado, cilantro, and/or diced onion, for garnish (optional)
Directions:
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, cook until soft and they start to turn brown (about 7-10 minutes). Add garlic, and cook for another minute or so. Add the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder, and cook for 2 more minutes stirring constantly. Add tomatoes, liquids, beans, and sweet potato, and stir until combined. Add quinoa, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover slightly ajar, and cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Chili is ready when sweet potatoes are tender. Add additional water if the chili is too thick for your liking. Serve with optional garnishes. You may also like to top it with this easy Cilantro Lime Cashew ‘Sour Cream’.
Notes:
As with all recipes, adjust the seasoning to taste. Add a 1/2 teaspoon or so chipotle powder for some added heat. Also, use whatever beans you prefer. You may even like to use one kind of bean instead of two.
Connie’s Swiss Chard Pie
Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour (King Arthur white and whole wheat)
4 oz. butter (salted)
1/3 cup cold water
Filling:
1lb, 10oz. Chard (or 1 bunch chard + beet greens) stems removed, greens shredded
1/2 cup pistachios (or 1/2 cup walnuts) ground or chopped and crushed
3 tbsp chopped raisins (or whole)
1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
4 eggs
2/3 cup cream (or half and half)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1-2 tsp salt
Directions:
Mix flour and butter until crumbly. Add the water and mix till firm. (Can be done with the hands or a pastry cutter). Push 2/3 of the dough into a 9x12-inch pan. Set oven to 350 F and bake. Steam or microwave chard leaves till wilted and squeeze out moisture. Mix chard, cheese, raisins, and salt together in a bowl. Layer crushed nuts on the bottom of the pastry. Add chard mixture to the pie, and spread evenly. Pour egg mixture over the top evenly. Roll out the remaining 1/3 dough and cover the top of the pie. Bake for 45 minutes.
Connie’s extra tips:
I use a coffee grinder to grind nuts. Run pieces of dry bread through a grinder to “clean” it.
Parentheses in the recipe are improvisations that still tasted good!
Yotam Ottolenghi’s Tart Apple and Celeriac Salad
Resource: The Guardian, Friday November 26, 2010
Ingredients:
120g quinoa
2 Tbsp white-wine vinegar
2 Tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp salt
1 red onion (peeled and sliced very thinly)
60ml rapeseed oil
1/4 head celeriac (250g after peeling and slicing)
2 tsp poppy seeds
1 red chilli (sliced thinly on an angle
15g coriander leaves, roughly chopped
Directions:
Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil, add the quinoa and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain into a fine sieve, run under cold water and then shake well to remove all the water. Leave to cool down. While the quinoa is on the go, put the vinegar, sugar and salt in a medium mixing bowl and whisk to dissolve. Add the onion and, using your hands, sub the liquid into it. Add the rapeseed oil, stir, and set aside to marinate. Peel the celeriac, cut into 3mm thick slices and then cut the slices into long, 3mm-wide strips. Place these at once in a large mixing bowl along with lemon juice and stir well- this well help prevent discoloration. Quarter the apples, remove and discard the cores, and cut the fruit into matchstick-shaped pieces similar to the celeriac. Add the apple to the celeriac bowl and stir well, so it too, gets a protective coat of lemon juice (The apples and celeriac can also be cut using a mandolin or a food processor.) To finish, add the onion and any juices from its bowl to the apple and celeriac mix, then stir in the cooked quinoa, poppy seeds, chili, and coriander. Taste and add extra salt, sugar, or vinegar, if you need them- you’re aiming for a pungent, sweet and sour flavor.
Bok Choy Sautéed with Ginger and Garlic
4 servings
Bok choy are beautiful cooked whole, but be sure to soak the greens well so any grit that might be hiding in the hearts gets dislodged. This dish can be garnished with Crispy Fried Shallots or ginger. Just about any asian greens can be cooked this way, as can chard, kale, and other leafy greens.
Remove any blemished outer leaves from 1 bunch of bok choy.
If small, leave plants whole; larger ones can be halved, quartered, or sliced. Wash well and drain.
Heat a wok or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. When hot add:
2 teaspoons olive, coconut, or other vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, smashed (try some green garlic!)
2 slices ginger, peeled and smashed
Cook until the garlic starts to color and then add the greens. Cook until tender, stirring, and tossing. Season with:
Salt and a splash of soy or fish sauce
Oven Roasted Potatoes with Fennel Tarragon
Ingredients:
2 pounds new potatoes, scrubbed
1/4 cup extra – virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 fennel bulb, large, cut into julienne or sliced thin on a mandolin
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
2 teaspoons anise seed, toasted
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place potatoes on a greased baking sheet and drizzle with one-third of the olive oil. Toss with salt and pepper. Place in the oven to start roasting. In the meantime, in a skillet over medium heat, sauté fennel and onions/shallots in another third of the oil until slightly softened but still crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in tarragon and anise seed. Add the fennel mixture to the potatoes in the oven. Toss well and continue roasting until potatoes are tender but not soft about 25 minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve hot.
