Swiss Chard Lasagna

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Modified from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp olive oil; 1 med. onion; 5-6 leaves Swiss chard; 1 med. zucchini; salt; 4 cloves garlic; ½ t red-pepper flakes; 4-5 fresh tomatoes with juices; 8 lasagna noodles; 4 c mozzarella, shredded.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375. Cook onion in 1 Tbsp olive oil, until soft, (4 min.) Stir in chopped chard, sliced zucchini cook until tender, (2 min.) Transfer to a plate. Cook 1 Tbsp oil, garlic, pepper flakes 30 seconds. Add tomatoes with juices and simmer, until thickened, (3 min.) Season with salt. Spread ½ cup tomato sauce in the bottom of 8-inch square baking dish. Cover with 1 layer lasagna noodles, ¾ cup sauce, 1/3 of chard mixture, 1 cup cheese. Repeat layering twice. Top with remaining noodles, sauce, and cheese. Loosely cover with foil. Bake 30 min. Uncover, bake 15 min.

Ribboned Zucchini Salad

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IMG_1384Modified from epicurious.com

Ingredients:

2 pounds zucchini; 1 t salt; 2 T olive oil; 2 t lemon zest; 2 t fresh lemon juice; 2 t Dijon mustard; 1 t anchovy paste; ¼ t black pepper; 4 c lettuce mix; ½ c fresh basil leaves; ½ c mint leaves; 12 black olives, pitted & thinly sliced; ½ c candy sweet onion, thinly sliced.

Preparation:

Cut zucchini lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Sprinkle zucchini with salt and toss to coat. Let stand 5 minutes, then rinse under cold running water. Transfer zucchini to a clean kitchen towel and let stand 5 minutes more. Whisk together oil, zest, juice, mustard, anchovy paste, and pepper in a large bowl. Add zucchini, lettuce, herbs, olives, and onion and toss to coat. Serve immediately. Does not keep once dressed.

Basil Mojito

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IMG_3852.JPGFrom epicurious.com

Ingredients:
3-4 fresh mint leaves, chopped; 3-4 fresh basil leaves, chopped, 1 T sugar, 3 T fresh lime juice, 1.5 ounces (3 T) light rum, Chilled club soda or seltzer water, Ice

In a tall glass with back of a spoon or muddler crush mint and basil with sugar and lime juice until sugar is dissolved and stir in rum. Add ice cubes and top off drink with club soda or seltzer water.

Stir drink well and garnish with mint, basil, and lime.

Roasted Beet Salad

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IMG_2476From epicurious.com

Ingredients:

  • 4 beets, leaf and root ends removed
  • 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 T balsamic vinegar
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 2 ounces feta, goat or other soft cheese

Instructions: Heat oven to 400°F. Wash beets and remove root end and leaves. Keep leaves! You can stem them and eat them later! Wrap each beet in foil as you would baking potatoes. Roast until soft, about 1 hour. Cool slightly; remove foil. Rub off skins with fingers. Cut beets into wedges. Put beets and nuts in mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add oil and vinegar; toss. Divide among plates; crumble cheese on top.

Kale Chips with Sea Salt

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Ingredients:

¼ lb kale leaves, 1 tsp olive oil, ¼ tsp Nella Mae’s spruce tip salt or sea salt

 

Heat oven to 450F. If using a bunch of kale, cut the leaf off either side of the stem and cut into large bite-sized pieces, then wash and dry very well. Bags of Nella Mae’s kale are already pre-washed and pre-dried. Put washed, dried kale in a mixing bowl with oil and salt and mix with your hands. Place a sheet of parchment/wax paper on a cookie sheet and lay kale out on it. Turn oven off. Put cookie sheet of kale in oven for 15 minutes to bake. Chips should be crispy and similar to potato chips. If they are not crispy, put them back in the oven for 5 minutes.

Small-Batch Pesto

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67599201_2351954151536259_1289012628621885440_oIngredients:

  • 2 cups leaf  Italian basil
  • 2 cloves garlic or 2 garlic scapes
  • 2/3 c olive oil
  • 1 t sea salt or kosher salt
  • ½ c Parmesan (optional)
  • ¼ c Pine nuts or walnuts (optional)

Blend basil (leaf & stem), garlic, and nuts with enough olive oil to make it blend well. Add remaining oil, cheese, and salt and pepper once basil is well blended. Blend into smooth paste. Keeps in the fridge for up to a week in airtight jar. You can also freeze pesto in bags or an ice tray and store cubes in a freezer bag. Cubes are quick and versatile. Use pesto to dress pasta, quinoa, pizza or any hot entre or cold salad. Use as a spread for bread or toast bread with pesto, tomato and Parmesan for bruschetta.

What to do with Basil

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Breakfast ideas: 1) Bagel, cream cheese, garlic powder & basil; 2) Fried/scrambled eggs with salt, pepper, sun-dried tomato & basil on top; 3) Fried eggs, chorizo sausage, basil scramble with avocado

 

Lunch ideas: 1) Grilled cheese with tomato & basil; 2) Turkey, provolone & basil; 3) Add to a BLT; 4) Ham/prosciutto, mozzarella & basil sandwich; 4) Blend basil with mayo to for any sandwich!

 

Dinner ideas: 1) Add to ANY pizza (frozen, homemade, takeout!); 2) Grill chicken with basil, tomato, olive oil; 3) Broil French bread with slice of parmesan, basil, tomato, olive oil for bruschetta; 4) Caprese salad with tomatoes, basil, grated mozzarella, olive oil; 5) Lemon, basil & shrimp pasta; 6) Broil salmon with basil, lemon, oil; 7) Add to pasta, chicken, or fruit salad; 8) Add to cocktails!

Fruit-Kale Smoothie

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Ingredients:

2-3 stalks green kale including stem or 1-2 handfuls baby red kale

3-4 T honey or ½ banana, 1 cup strawberries

1 ½ cups liquid such as yogurt, almond milk, milk, fruit juice

Optional: Ice, cinnamon, nutmeg, pineapple, or other fruit

 

Put liquid ingredients in blender, add kale, blend. Add other ingredients, blend 1 min. If it isn’t blending, add more liquid and pulse blender. Many blenders will handle a whole stalk of kale, but If yours doesn’t, chop it coarsely first. Yogurt gives the smoothie protein. Kale is high in antioxidants, vitamins A, C, and K. To hide the kale taste, add more fruit and liquid. If this recipe is too sweet for you, skip the banana/honey. Makes 2 small smoothies.

Spring Spinach/Kale, Basil & Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Dressing

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Nella Mae’s Farm Seasonal Recipe

Adapted from Rachel Ray recipe

Ingredients:

2-3 cups spinach or chopped kale

1 ½ c fresh strawberries, ½ c fresh basil leaf

½ stalk green garlic or 1 shallot

Juice of ½ lemon, 1 t fine sugar

2 T of balsamic vinegar , Salt and freshly ground pepper

If using kale instead of spinach, chop, add 2 t of white or apple cider vinegar and “massage” with your hands for 1 min. Chop garlic/shallot and put in small bowl with vinegar, sugar, lemon juice, salt & pepper, set aside. Hull strawberries and cut in half. Toss spinach/kale, basil leaf and dressing and serve immediately. Does not keep well.