Rhubarb Succotash

What a week, what a week. I have barely had time to think, let alone cook food. 

I had the rhubarb that was in need of cooking, the corn is all over the place all super fresh, and I had me a few minutes in between running around to make some food.

 I made this (what I now realize is succotash, which is such a fantastic word for food) a few weeks back, fell in love with it so I wanted to make it again. I also wanted to see if the mr would like it this time (he didn't so much the last time) Says he is not a corn fan. But I don't know, I still think he loves corn and just wants to be a pain in my ass and tell me he doesn't. I figured that this time I made it, he would finally declare his love of corn, I mean, there is butt load of rhubarb in it too. And big creamy lima beans and nice sweet onion, and tomatoes. Yes it has a lot of corn, but it has so much more.

Well, he didn't declare his love of corn.  He did have a big scoop on his dinner plate, ate a bite or two then, picked out all the lima beans and chunks of rhubarb then told me that corn love wasn't going to happen. He also aid that I should stop messing with the rhubarb and just make another pie.

What a butt face.

Whatever, more for me! And if you are awesome and you like sweet corn, tart rhubarb (corn and rhubarb together is the best) ,and are in need of a great summer side for any and all of your summertime food time needs, this is a winner.  Super fast and easy to make, eaten warm or cold, and keeps well. It screams BBQ time. (Or 10 o'clock at night, standing in front of the fridge, eaten with a big spoon) It's good whenever.

The stuff. Rhubarb, fresh corn, and some cooked lima beans. Also need a tomato, a sweet onion, red wine vinegar, salt ans pepper, a little olive oil and water (not pictured) and a few sprigs of fresh parsley.

The onion and rhubarb gets chopped up and tossed into a big skillet with a tiny bit of olive oil and a few splashes of water and place on the stove to cook a bit.

Corn needs to come off the cob. Do it the way you like, but I find holding corn vertical in a big bowl and cutting it down works best.

Slightly soft rhubarb and onions, ready for the other stuff.

Dump the corn, the tomato (chop it up first) the lima beans(drained) and a few splashes of vinegar into the skillet. Stir it all up and keep on heat for a few more minutes until the corn is just barely cooked and all the flavors have had a few minutes to meld.

Toss in some fresh chopped up parsley and season with salt and pepper.....

Into a pretty bowl for eating now or eating later.

This big ass bowl is all for me!!!!

Have the greatest weekend!

-C

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Rhubarb Succotash

• 2 ears of corn
• 4 fat stalks rhubarb (mine where about 10 inches long)
• 2 cups cooked lima beans
• 1/2 a sweet onion
• 1 tomato
• fresh parsley
• salt and pepper
• few tablespoons red wine vinegar
• olive oil
• a few splashes of water

Chop the onion into small pieces then chop the rhubarb into smallish chunks. Toss the rhubarb and onion into a skillet with just a tiny bit of olive oil and a few splashes water. Place on the stove on medium heat and cook until the onion and rhubarb are slightly tender, but not to soft.  If you need to, add a bit more water to the skillet to keep the stuff from browning or burning.

While the rhubarb is cooking, remove the corn from the cob and chop up the tomato into small chunks.  Toss the corn, the tomato, the lima beans (drained) into the skillet with the rhubarb and onion. Pour in about 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Mix and cook for another few minutes just until the corn get slightly cooked and all the flavors have had a few minutes to meld.

Remove from heat and dump into a bowl. Chop up a handful of fresh parsley and sprinkle all over

Serve right away warm or stick in the fridge and serve cold later.

Straight Up Zucchini

Summertime is here, which means the days are long and hot, the drinks are cold and sweaty, and for the most part, people seem more relaxed and happy. And it also means we are growing and getting the bestest and freshest produce, including zucchini.

Yes! it's zucchini time!

You might remember from last summer that I am kind of a zucchini junky. As soon as it starts to grow, I am eating/ hoarding it. I grow it, get tons from my farm share, and will happily take any or all of your extra zucchini that you can't seem to eat. (I take all veggies for that matter) All of the surfaces in my house are covered with baskets full of zucchini. Open the fridge, a few zucchini will most likely fall out. Want to sit at the table to eat, you are going to have to move the mounds zucchinis to get to it. (No joke) It's just so dang good and can be made into just about anything.

But with all the recipes with zucchini, all the ways to add it to this or make it into that, I think people tend to forget that zucchini can be just that, zucchini. Yes it is good to noodle with sauce or puree up with lentils, but honestly I think my most favorite way to eat it is just as it is, straight up raw zucchini, maybe a sprinkle of salt and pepper and if I have it on hand, a squeeze of lemon of a splash of vinegar. Nothing fancy (although you can make it look fancy) The best of summer,  pure and simple.

So not really a recipe here, just reminder that sometimes simple can be the best and that zucchini can be eat plain and raw and that it's delicious.

Keep it cool. Keep it simple.

-C

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Straight up Zucchini

• fresh zucchini
• salt ,pepper
• lemon juice or vinegar (optional)

cut zucchini (if you feel like cutting it) anyway you want. Place on a plate and sprinkle with salt, pepper and a splash of vinegar or lemon juice.

Eat.

Arugula Peach Salad with Almond Dressing

I think I am a salad wizard. Give me some greens and a few simple, maybe not conventional ingredients, and wa la.. A freaking amazing, yet simple salad to please and appease all us salad eating people.

Some might say that fruit in salad is not right (the mr says that... pa-lease dude) but those folks are wrong. Fruit for sure belongs and brings a whole new world of flavor combinations. For this bowl of salad magic, we are going with spicy arugula paired with sweet peach, a nice crisp bit and tangy onion, topped with creamy, nutty almond butter dressing It hits all the flavor note: sweet, spicy, creamy, and a little acidic with the help of a lemon. What more can you ask for? (I would like to ask for a million dollars and a pair of metallic gold high tops.. if we get to ask for more) This is another winner in the my salad game.

Sure,  you are going to eat this for dinner, but as I am sitting here I am thinking this would make me happy to eat for breakfast. Think about that. (salad for breakfast is a thing)

The stuff. A big bowl of fresh and clean arugula, a ripe, but firm peach, half a sweet onion, almond butter, a lemon, a little tamari, a bit of honey, pepper, a splash of water, and some almonds.

The peach and onion get sliced super thin

And tossed into the bowl with the arugula. Take half of that lemon and squeeze the juice all over and toss around with a good bit of cracked pepper.

And for the dressing, just mix together the almond butter ,the juice of the other half of lemon, the tamari, and the honey. Add in enough water to thin it out enough that you can drizzle it on to the salad

The drizzle it all over. And go ahead and chop up some almonds and toss those in as well.

Share it or don't (I say don't)

A fresh,sweet and spicy salad to get this summer started.

-C

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Arugula Peach Salad with Almond Dressing

serves 1 hungry person or 2 side salads

• A few big handfuls of fresh arugula (about 5 oz)
• 1 ripe, but firm peach
• 1/2 a vidalia (or any sweet) onion
• 3 tablespoons almond butter
• 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon tamari. (soy, or liquid amino's work too)
• 2 teaspoon honey or maple
• 1-2 tablespoons water
• cracked pepper
• a few toasted almonds (optional)

Place clean greens in a big bowl. Thinly slice up onion and segment and thinly slice up peach. Toss into bowl with the arugula. Squeeze in the juice of the other half of lemon, crack in some pepper, and give it all a good toss.

Now for the dressing,. Grab a small bowl and mix together the almond butter, honey , tamari, and the juice of half the lemon. Once that's all mix together, mix in a little water until the sauce is thin enough to drizzle. (start with a tablespoon and add more if needed)

And now dress the salad. Drizzle and toss the dressing all over the salad and toss in a handful of chopped almonds. More pepper if you like. 

All you need to do now is eat it.

How to Clean and Store your Leafy Greens

Farm share started this week (Hooray!!!) and always the first few pick ups of the season are loaded with a good amount of the freshest, most fantastic greens that there ever was. And I couldn't be happier! (well maybe if I could just take home creates of the stuff)

While I was down at the farm filling and weighing my bags, I overhead a couple talking about how last year they never ate their greens fast enough and how they always went bad by the next week. What! Fresh greens bad in one week.. no way. A bag of greens can last weeks, just as long as you take the time to store them properly. It made me sad to think about the wasted greens and so now I am determined d to make sure that everyone knows the proper way to clean and store greens so no greens go to waste.

What you need

• Your dirty greens
• resealable gallon sized bags or large plastic containers (Bags are great for space saving if you have a tiny fridge like me and can be used over ans over again)
• a big bowl or wash bin
• A piece of clean muslin or other cotton fabric about the size of a paper towel per bag. (can use paper towels, but why not invest in reusable)
• salad spinner
• clean cold water

I know that some people might not have a salad spinner, but here is the thing. You need one!I am sure that there are people out there that have hacked a way to dry greens without one (like my aunt who is a farmer. She uses an old and very clean washing machine. so smart) but really, you should have one.

To clean. First off, the sooner you get them home and cleaned the better. Having damp greens in a bag is not ideal and will lead to yuk. If I bring greens home and don't have time to clean and spin them right away, I at least stick a piece of muslin into the bag until I can get to them.

My method for cleaning. Fill a big ass bowl up with cold water and, in small batches,  gently dunk and agitate the greens.  There are two reason I do it like this. One is that I find running greens under running water doesn't really get them as clean and sometime can even bruise fragile greens and two, I hate water waste and running water over greens wastes a lot(once I am done with the dirty water, I water my plants with it) If you find the water has gotten really dirty fast (which it will do sometimes) dump water and refresh with clean.

Once the greens have had a good bath, to the spinner they go.  When adding greens, make sure to not over stuff the spinner and also spin once, dump water out from the bottom, then spin again. Maybe even three times to get the greens dry.

Line a bag (or container) with muslin cloth and fill it with your clean dried greens. The cloth is important for storing, it keeps the moister away from the greens so they don't get slimmy and gross. And don't over pack your greens either. If you have a lot, just grab another bag.

so fresh and so clean clean

And that's it. Close up those bags and now you can store you greens in the fridge and they will last for a week or more, although honestly, with greens looking this good, how could you resist not eating them all right away (the nearly 2 lbs I brought home lasted about 2 days)

Enjoy your greens!

-C

Creamy Dill Pickle Potato Salad

I know what you are thinking, you are thinking "It's Memorial Day weekend. Unofficial start of summer. Lots of BBQ's now I have to make a potato salad!" (it's a law right?) and "I want a pickle, dill to be specific". Ok, maybe you weren't thinking that, but I was. (I often think about pickles...)

Pickles. And potato salad. It only made sense to make a pickled potato salad. So make it I did. And oh boy oh boy, there is nothing better then a rich and creamy salad consisting of potatoes other then a rich and creamy and pickle tart salad of potatoes. I hit the nail right on the head with this one. The mr and I ate the entire salad all to ourselves and way to fast. Now it is gone and I didn't get a chance to share with anyone. But it's ok, cause this is definitely going into the summertime potato salad rotation.

Now you are thinking "creamy dill pickle potato salad.. this girl is a genius!" and to that, I say yes. I would have to agree with you on that. (hehe)

And to all who may not be a pickle fan, or need to make 2 potato salads, (it is always good to have a variety of potato dishes at any BBQ ) try this guacamole potato salad, another favorite.

The stuff. Potatoes of course and half a sweet onion, a cup or so of navy beans in the aquafaba ( bean water), left over pickle juice, fresh dill, dried dill, garlic, olive oil ,salt and a pepper. 

Yes there is a lemon pictured, but I was actually using that to squeeze into my water so yeah, not needed in the potato salad but you should grab a lemon and a big tall glass of water and drink it. Keep yourself hydrated.

Get the potatoes going. Chop them up into small piece and place into a big pot. Cover with cold water and add in a good bit of salt. Stick the pot on the stove and boil those taters.

While potatoes are boiling, strain the aquafaba (bean water) from the beans.

And chop the onion into little pieces and stick into a big bowl along with the strained (and now rinsed) beans.  Pour in half the pickle juice and give it a good toss then set aside and let the pickle juice do it's thing.

Now it's the sauce time. Blend up aquafaba, garlic,  dried dill, a little pickle juice and pinch of salt. As your blending, pour in olive oil until the sauce becomes rich and creamy dill sauce (vegan mayo my friends)

The potatoes are boiled until fork tender and drained..

Toss the strained potatoes back into the pot and add in the bean/ onion mix and the rest of the pickle juice. Give it all a good toss and stick the pot into the fridge for about an hour until the potatoes are cool.

And now we assemble. The cooled off pickle juice infused potatoes, beans, and onions are stuck into a bowl (or just leave in the pot if you want) and slathered with the creamy dill sauce and mixed with as much fresh dill as you want and lots of freshly cracked pepper

And a pickle. If you have one, I highly, HIGHLY, recommend chopping one up and adding it... I mean it is a pickled potato salad after all.

So now you have a great,  fantastic, knock your socks off, salad to make for any of your weekend BBQ needs.

Your welcome.

Now have a great, extra long weekend!

-C

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Creamy Dill Pickle Potato Salad

Serve 4-6

• 5-6 red potatoes
• 1 cup pickle juice (use a good pickle juice that you like the taste of)
• A small sweet yellow onion (or half a big one)
• 1 cup navy beans
• 3-4 tablespoons aquafaba (bean water)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon dried dill
• a handful of fresh dill
• salt and pepper
• pickles (optional)

Chop up the potatoes into mouth little chunks ans place into a pot . Rinse them and them cover about with about an extra inch of cold water, Ad d in a a good sprnkle of salt (like a tablespoon) and stick on the stove. Bring the pot to a rapid boil then turn heat down a bit to a low boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender.

While potatoes are boils, strain you beans away from the aquafaba, and keeping about 3-4 tablespoons of the liquid. Rinse the beans and place into a big bowl. Chop the onion into little pieces and add that in with the beans and about 1/2 of the pickle juice. Set aside

Now grab the strained bean juice, about a tablespoon of pickle juice, the garlic, and the dried dill,  Either with a hand blender or regular blender, start blending all that together while slowly pouring in olive oil (about 1/2 a cup ) until the sauce is thick and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste and place in fridge to hang until you need it.

And once the potatoes are cooked, strain them then add them back to the pot along with the bean/onion mixture and the rest of the pickle juice. Toss around to coat evenly and place into the fridge to cool. After about a half hour its a good idea to give it a toss to make sure the juice is getting to all the potatoes.

Once potatoes are cooled, dump into a serving bowl. (or just keep in pot) It's ok if there is a little remaining liquid.. it will get sucked up by the potatoes. Get the sauce from the fridge and pour it and toss it around to evenly coat all those yummy potatoes. Chop up fresh dill and toss that in too (as much fresh dill as you like.. more is better!) And lately, if you have a spare pickle or two, chop it up and add it on in (or place in a bowl on the side for people add in themselves)

I added the pickle. You should add the pickle. It is so good with the pickle

Like any potato salad, serve with your favorite foods and keep in the fridge when not being eaten.