Well, it was a sad weekend in Auburn as we bid a happy retirement to the PlacerGrown CEO Carol Arnold. After so many years of serving Placer County agriculture, Carol is going to be enjoying traveling and her grandkids. The Auburn market will continue on Saturdays year-round, but Carol […]
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Well, it was a sad weekend in Auburn as we bid a happy retirement to the PlacerGrown CEO Carol Arnold. After so many years of serving Placer County agriculture, Carol is going to be enjoying traveling and her grandkids.
The Auburn market will continue on Saturdays year-round, but Carol will get to sleep in. We have been so lucky to have her leadership in Placer County and all the support she gave to the farmers and event producers. Cheers to Carol!!
We also are less than a week away from the Family Fourth of July at the Gold Country Fairgrounds. The food festival begins at 4 p.m. with entertainment, activities for kids, food, cocktails and fireworks. Please come out and support the Chamber and 4th in Auburn.
If you don’t want to stay for the fireworks, come at 4 p.m. for food and entertainment and make it home before all the people come out.
So, this week, in honor of Carol’s retirement from PlacerGrown, we have three fabulous recipes from the Farmers Market. We start with a beet salad with feta cheese. I know many of you don’t care for beets, but when they are at the market, you need to try this recipe.
Next, for my vegan friends, try these quesadillas and be creative – mix up your veggies you find at market and all year long they can change. If you don’t want to make vegan cheese, you can buy the cheese already made at the supermarket.
The last recipe is for heirloom tomato salad, and with the heat we will be getting this week, the tomato season is right around the corner.
Happy Cooking and see you on the 4th …
Beet Salad with Feta
Ingredients
· 1 1/2 pounds beets (red, golden, or a mix) cooked, peeled and diced
· 1/3 cup red onion, very finely chopped
· 1 garlic clove, finely minced, use a garlic press
· 4 tablespoons olive oil
· 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or apple cider or champagne vinegar)
· 1 orange (2 tablespoons zest and 4 tablespoons juice)
· ½-1 cup craisins
· 1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste
· 1/2 teaspoon pepper
· 1 cup cilantro, chopped, tender stems OK ( or sub some mint, Italian parsley, basil)
· 1/2–1 cup pistachios
· 1 cup feta, cut into cubes
· Optional garnish: For a festive twist you could top with pomegranate seed!
Instructions
1. Boil, roast or steam beets until fork tender. Trim and rub under cool running water to remove skin. Dice into small, 1/2-inch cubes. Place in a large bowl.
2. Add diced onion, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, orange zest and orange juice, craisins, salt and pepper and mix to combine well. Add cilantro, pistachios and feta. Gently toss.
3. Taste, add more pistachios, craisins or feta to taste. Adjust salt and pepper. Sometimes I’ll add another squeeze of orange juice.
4. Serve in a bowl and garnish with cilantro.
Vegan Quesadillas
Ingredients
· 10-12 small tortillas (5 inches) use corn or flour or make your own.
· Cashew cheese (or sub goat cheese, or smoked mozzarella, Oaxacan string cheese, melty cheese or vegan cheese!)
Filling:
· 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
· 1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
· 2 cup veggies, diced small or thinly sliced- zucchini, summer squash- or add peppers, corn, mushrooms, etc.
· 2 cloves garlic, rough ch0pped
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 1/2 teaspoon cumin
· 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, or thyme
· 6-10 squash blossoms-optional
Poblano salsa:
· 1 large fresh poblano pepper
· 1 cup cilantro (small stems OK)
· 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
· 1/4 cup olive oil
· 1/4 cup water
· 2 garlic cloves
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 1 teaspoon coriander
Cashew cheese:
· 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water, 3-24 hours
· 3/4 teaspoon salt
· 3-6 tablespoons water
· 2-3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
· Optional additions: nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, granulated garlic, fresh herbs ( basil, cilantro parsley, cilantro, dill, etc.) or dried herbs (oregano, thyme, rosemary)
Instructions
Make the Cashew cheese if using. (Requires 3 hours soaking time) This can be done ahead.
· Soak cashew in water for 3-24 hours. Drain the cashews, saving the water.
· Place in a food processor with the salt and apple cider vinegar and pulse repeatedly. Scrape down the sides and continue blending, repeating if necessary.
· Add the water, with the motor running, a tablespoon at a time to get the desired consistency. Add any additional seasonings. Store in the fridge in a sealed jar until using. This will keep 4 days.
Poblano pumpkin seed sauce: this can be made ahead (or at the same time as the filling).
· Roast the poblano chili directly over a gas flame on the stovetop, until blackened and blistered on all sides – or broil (or roast) in the oven until skins blister. Place in a paper bag or wrap in a towel to steam for 10 minutes (this will soften the chili).
· Remove the stem and seeds and most of the charred bits- leaving a little char is good here.
· Place in the food processor with the rest of the ingredients- cilantro, pumpkin seeds, oil, water, garlic, salt, coriander.
· Pulse and blend until uniformly combined but not too smooth. A little texture is good here.
· Taste. Add a tiny squeeze of lime if you like and adjust salt. If your pepper happens to be too spicy (they do vary in spicy level) you can mitigate the heat by adding more pumpkin seeds, water, oil, and then remember to re-season with more salt and lime.
· Place in a bowl and serve at room temp, or, if making ahead, place in a sealed container and refrigerate for 2-3 days. The top (exposed to air) may discolor over time, so if making ahead, pour a thin layer of olive oil over top to keep the sauce submerged to help preserve the color. Then just stir before using.
Make the filling: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions, 10 minutes until tender and turning golden. Add the diced veggies, garlic, salt, cumin and oregano. Sauté until veggies are tender, lowering heat, if need be, about 7-8 minutes. Add the squash blossom at the end, wilting. Turn the heat off. (You could do this ahead and refrigerate.)
Assemble quesadillas: Spread the tortillas with a couple of tablespoons of cashew cheese and a 3-4 tablespoons filling. Fold over.
Pan sear: In a large, greased skillet, pan-sear each side until lightly toasty and insides are warm, about 4 mins each side. Keep in a warm 350F oven until all the batches are done.
Serve: Cut in half or leave whole and serve with the Poblano Salsa on a serving platter or cutting board. Garnish with cilantro or squash blossoms.
Heirloom Tomato Salad
Ingredients
· 2 lbs. ripe summer tomatoes (colorful heirlooms are nice)
· Salt and pepper to taste
· 1/2 cup toasted walnuts
· 1/4 cup blue cheese, thinly sliced (purchase smoked blue cheese if available!)
· 1 tablespoon fresh dill
· 1-2 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley
Dressing:
· 3 tablespoons olive oil
· 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (or red wine or balsamic)
· 1 garlic clove (finely minced) or sub 1 tablespoon finely minced shallot
· Pinch salt and pepper
Instructions
1. Wash and slice the tomatoes and place them on a platter, slightly overlapping.
2. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Scatter the toasted walnuts and add the thinly sliced blue cheese over top.
4. Sprinkle with the fresh herbs.
5. Make the dressing and spoon it over the top, trying to get a little on each tomato slice.
6. Enjoy!
