Rhubarb Crunch
Rhubarb!!! My son’s uncle in Ireland tells a funny story about how when he was a child, they had so much rhubarb for dessert when he was growing up that he ended up asking “What’s for rhubarb?” instead of “What’s for dessert?” Lol!
Servings: 12 small! / Prep time: 15 mins / Cook time: 40 mins
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 cups diced rhubarb
- 1 cup white sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup oats (quick-cooking work best)
- 1 cup butter
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Place rhubarb in a large mixing bowl. Add white sugar and 3 tablespoons flour. Stir well to coat and spread evenly in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Set aside.
- Combine 1 ½ cups flour, brown sugar, and oats in a separate mixing bowl; cut in butter until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle crumble mixture over rhubarb layer.
- Bake in the preheated oven until rhubarb filling is bubbling and crumble on top is golden brown, about 40 minutes.
Simple Ramp Pasta
First of all, what are ramps? (!) Well, they’re an early spring delicacy, foraged in the wild, and are only available for a very short time! According to Eater.com, “they’re sometimes called wild leeks, wild garlic, or spring onions… They look like scallions, but they’re smaller and slightly more delicate, with one or two flat, broad leaves. Both the greens and the lower white stalks are edible. Ramps taste stronger than a leek, which generally has a mild onion flavor, and they’re more pungently garlicky than a scallion.” You can find more info here!: https://www.eater.com/2015/4/10/8384255/what-are-ramps-season-how-to-cook
Servings: 6 (adjust as needed!) / Prep time: 10 mins / Cook time: 15 mins
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pound ramps (cleaned and trimmed)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (plus more for serving)
- Kosher salt (to taste)
- Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 1 pound linguine or other long pasta
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)
- ½ cup heavy or whipping cream
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan (plus more to serve)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Slice the ramps in half crosswise, separating the whites and greens into separate parts. Very roughly chop the bulbs, leaving some large pieces. Very roughly chop the leaves, leaving most of the greens in large pieces.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the white ramp bulbs, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for about 8 minutes, then add the leaves and sauté everything for another 5 or 6 minutes until the ramps are quite tender.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. When it comes to a boil, add a generous amount of salt. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions, just until al dente. Just before draining, remove 1 cup of the cooking water. After draining, return the pasta to the pot.
- When the ramps are tender, turn the heat to high, add the white wine, stir to reduce the wine by half, and deglaze the pan. Scrape the ramps and remaining wine into the pot with the drained pasta, and place the pot over high heat. Add the chicken broth, red pepper flakes, and about 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Stir and toss until the liquid reduces a bit into a sauce and absorbs into the pasta, and the pasta becomes tender; add more of the cooking water as needed/desired. Add the heavy cream, toss for another minute, then add the cheese. Stir until it melts into the sauce and everything is hot and well combined.
- Serve hot, with extra grated Parm, if desired, and be sure to savor this very special early spring treat!
Roasted Sunchokes
Did you know that sunchokes, a.k.a. Jerusalem artichokes, aren’t from Jerusalem and aren’t artichokes? Who knew? (!) They’re actually the tuberous roots of the sunflower plant! They look like ginger and taste like nutty potatoes, and they’re highly nutritious. Enjoy!
4 servings / Prep time: 5 mins / Cook time: 20 mins
Ingredients
- 1 lb sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes), rinsed and scrubbed well, and cut into ½-inch thick slices
- 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
- ½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1-2 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°, with a rack in the center position.
- In a medium bowl, toss the sunchokes slices with the olive oil, salt, and pepper until well coated.
- Distribute the sunchokes, cut-side down in an even, thin layer on a half sheet pan. Be sure to leave space between them, as this will help them caramelize evenly.
- Roast for 18 to 22 minutes, flipping the pieces halfway through, or until the sunchokes are lightly caramelized and fork tender.
- Gently toss the roasted sunchokes with freshly chopped thyme or rosemary leaves and a light sprinkle of kosher or sea salt. You can drizzle them lightly with extra virgin olive oil before serving, but this is optional.
- Serve immediately.
Turnip Stir Fry with Spinach and White Beans
Did you know that Gilfeather turnips were first cultivated in Vermont, and their flavor only fully develops after they’ve been underground for a full cold winter? They’re like a cross between regular turnips and rutabagas, but milder. Perfect for March!
Servings: 2 / Prep Time: 10 mins / Cook Time: 20 mins
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 Gilfeather turnips – scrubbed, trimmed, and diced
3 cups spinach
15.5 oz white beans – drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon fresh ginger – finely chopped
2 cloves garlic – pressed or minced
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons regular or low-sodium soy sauce, or use tamari for gluten free
1 cup brown rice – cooked, for serving
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. If you need to prepare rice or another grain for the meal, start that before making the stir fry.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the turnips and cook, stirring/flipping occasionally, for 8-12 minutes or until lightly browned and tender.
3. While the turnips are cooking, whisk together the ginger, garlic, honey, rice vinegar, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Add the spinach, white beans, and sauce to the skillet. Cook for 4-6 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted and the stir fry is heated through.
4. Serve warm over rice. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds if you like. Enjoy!
Easy Red Cabbage Salad
Servings: 6 / Prep time: 15 minutes / Resting time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
Dressing:
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon apple juice OR more vinegar
2 teaspoons whole grain Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
Salt & pepper to taste
Salad:
6 cups thinly shredded red cabbage
1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely grated
1 large apple, cored and diced
1/3 cup chopped pecans
Fresh parsley for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Combine all dressing ingredients and whisk until well mixed.
2. Place cabbage in a large bowl and add dressing. Massage dressing into cabbage, then set aside for 10-15 minutes.
3. Once cabbage is ready, add carrot, apple, and pecans.
4. Check for seasoning and adjust olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.
RECIPE TIPS:
Make sure you don’t skip massaging the cabbage — it helps soften it and makes for a more delicious salad! Add the apples right before serving so they don’t brown beforehand.
Squash Green Curry
INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup or so), divided
- 8 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 jalapeno peppers or 1 serrano pepper, coarsely chopped (optional)
- 1 small bunch cilantro or half of a large bunch, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 can (14-ounce) unsweetened coconut milk (optional)
- 1 medium butternut or other squash peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 teaspoon or more salt, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- To make the green curry, combine half of the onion, the garlic, ginger, peppers (if using), and cilantro in a mini food processor or blender. Process, scraping down the sides until the mixture is fairly smooth and uniform. Set aside.
- Heat oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or large saute pan. Add the remaining onion and cook for 5-7 minutes or until softened and almost golden. Add butternut squash and salt, cover, reduce heat, and cook for 10 minutes until just tender but still firm, stirring occasionally. You may need to add a little bit of water if it starts sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Add green curry and mix well. Cover and cook for another few minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the lid on to finish cooking with the steam.
- Stir in the chopped fresh basil, if using. Serve hot over cooked rice.
Kale and Bean Casserole
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 bunches of kale (around 12 large leaves), chopped
- salt to taste
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- 1 can pinto (or similar) beans, drained
- ¼ cup tamari roasted almonds, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large sauté pan, cook onion in olive oil until onion begins to brown.
- Add garlic and sauté one minute more.
- Add kale and salt, and mix with onions.
- Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
- Uncover and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Remove from heat.
- Crumble goat cheese into kale mixture and toss until melted and well distributed.
- Add beans and mix.
- Turn into a greased 9×12 baking dish.
- Top with almonds.
- Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.
- Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Cut into squares and serve.
Notes: You can skip the baking step and instead serve the kale mixture over quinoa or rice.
For a little sweetness, add some dried cranberries when you add the goat cheese.