Recipes

Cherry Tomato & Ground Cherry Jam

Combine 1 pint tomatoes, and 1 pint ground cherries coarsely chopped, 1 cup sugar, 2 Tbsp lime juice, 1 Tbsp minced ginger, 1 tsp cumin, ¼ tsp cinnamon, ⅛ tsp cloves
1 tsp salt, 1 jalapeño or other peppers, stemmed, seeded and minced in medium saucepan, Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often.

Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture has consistency of thick jam, about 20-25 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, then cool and refrigerate until ready to use; this will keep at least a week.

Leek and Celery Stuffing

Tear 1 large loaf of good, crusty bread, preferably sourdough or ciabatta (about 1¼ pounds) into 1 1/2- to 2-inch pieces. Place chunks on a rimmed baking sheet, toast the chunks in a 300-degree oven, tossing occasionally, until lightly crisped, but not browned, on the outside.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, combine ¼ cup olive oil and 4 tablespoons butter. Once butter has melted, add the 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced and 2 large leeks, white and light green parts, chopped. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are bright green and totally softened, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add 6 celery stalks, thinly sliced, leaves reserved for garnish if available, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until bright green and tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add ½ cup dry white wine, and cook until reduced by about three-quarters, 3 to 4 minutes. Add ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, if using, and remove from heat.

Whisk together 2 ½ cups chicken broth and 3 large eggs in a medium bowl. Place bread in a large bowl, and add the leek and celery mixture, ½ cup finely chopped parsley, ¼ cup finely chopped chives and 2 tablespoons finely chopped marjoram, oregano or thyme. Stir to coat so that everything is evenly distributed, trying not to totally crush the bread. Pour the egg mixture over everything and toss a few times. Let sit a minute or two and give another toss. Repeat twice until all the liquid has absorbed and evenly distributed to each and every piece of bread.

Transfer mixture to a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish (a 9-by-13 pan also works), making sure not to pack it too tightly. (You want to keep the bread in the stuffing as light as possible.) Dot the top with 4 tablespoons butter, making sure to pay extra attention to the corners, where the stuffing will get the crispiest.

Cover with foil and bake until the stuffing is sizzling at the edges and completely cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. If it’s not yet time to serve, remove stuffing from oven and set aside. (If you are nearly ready to serve, proceed directly to the next step and continue without pausing.)

When ready to serve, remove foil and increase temperature to 425 degrees. Bake stuffing until crispy, crunchy and impossibly golden brown on top, 20 to 25 minutes. Scatter with celery leaves, if using, and serve.

Sauteed Beet Greens

Roughly chop 1 bunch of beet greens and finely chop the beet green stems. 

Bring 2 Tbsp cooking oil (olive, canola, or other) to medium high heat. Add 1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped, and saute for 45 seconds until fragrant. Add the stems and saute another 2 minutes, then add greens and saute until tender, 3-5 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, and stir to coat greens. Serve warm. 

Spinach & Roasted Pepper Dip

Cut 5 peppers in half and remove seeds and stems.Place peppers skin side up in a rimmed baking dish. Roast at 450 for 15 to 20 minutes or until peppers become charred. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. in a large skillet, heat 3 Tbsp olive oil, add all of the spinach and 2 cloves of garlic. Cook until wilted. Dice peppers and combine with 12 oz softened cream cheese and the spinach, garlic, and oil. Salt and pepper mix well and serve with crackers or bread.

Salad with Ranch

To make ranch combine 1/4 cup sour cream, 2 Tbsp greek yogurt, 2 Tbsp white vinegar, 1 tsp dijon mustard, 1 tsp honey, 1 clove of garlic minced, salt and pepper. Serve on a bed of greens.