Zucchini Involtini

It’s zucchini season! If you’re looking for another way to make zucchini, try this fun “involtini” (Italian rolled zucchini). Use large zucchini for making a main dish, or smaller zucchini to create mini-rolls as appetizers. Kids can get involved by helping to stir the ingredients and roll the filling into the zucchini strips.

Ingredients:

Involtini

• 1 pound zucchini (about 2 large or 3 medium)

• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling

• salt & pepper

• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or Italian mix cheese

• 2 tbsp basil or parsley, chopped for garnishing

Filling

• 1 small onion

• 8 oz spinach, kale, or chard, large stems removed and chopped into small ribbons

• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

• 1/2 tsp chili flakes, or to taste

• 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese

• 1/2 cup shredded Italian mix or mozzarella cheese

Marinara Sauce

• 1 jar marinara sauce (or spaghetti sauce, if that’s what you have on hand)

• optional additions: cooked ground sausage, minced garlic or garlic scapes, diced onions or green onions

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Zucchini

Trim the each end off each zucchini. Using a mandolin slicer set at about 1/8", cut the zucchini longways into as many slices as possible. (Or, stand each zucchini vertically and make 1/4-inch thick cuts down to create long slices.) You want to end up with enough slices to make 12-15 rollups, whether from individual large slices, or doubled up medium slices. Arrange the slices on the prepared baking sheets. Drizzle the zucchini lightly with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer pan to the oven and roast for 6-8 minutes, depending on thickness. Remove pans from the oven and use a fork or tongs to flip each zucchini slice over, return pans to the oven, and roast for 2-3 minutes more, or longer if needed, until zucchini strips are pliable enough to roll. Remove pan from oven to cool. Keep oven on.

Filling

Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan over medium high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of oil until shimmering. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until the onion is softened. Add the spinach and/or kale leaves, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and sauté, until softened, about 2 minutes or until wilted. Season with nutmeg. Remove pan from heat. Let it cool slightly before adding it to the ricotta. In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, shredded cheese, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and the chili flakes. When greens have cooled briefly, stir them into the ricotta mixture. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble the involtini

Spoon about 2 cups of the marinara sauce into a 9×13-inch baking dish—the bottom of the dish should be covered in a good layer. Place a heaping tbsp of filling at one end of each of the zucchini slices. If using smaller zucchini slices lay two side by side, slightly overlapping them. Roll the slice into a tight coil and nestle it seam-side down on top of the tomato sauce. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and bake until the sauce has reduced slightly and is bubbling, and the rolls are lightly golden on top, about 10 minutes. Take the pan from the oven and top evenly with shredded cheese, then return to the oven for another 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and garnish with chopped parsley or basil.

Recipe adapted from The Lemon Apron

Cream of Asparagus Soup

This recipe is absolutely perfect for springtime: warm soup for a rainy day, the springtime-only chance to eat local asparagus, and the fresh, springy flavors of lemon and herbs.

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth, divided

• 1/2 cup chopped onion, or green onion, and/or green garlic

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 pinch ground black pepper

• 1 cup milk or cream

• 1/2 cup sour cream

• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

Combine asparagus, 1/2 cup chicken broth (or more to cover asparagus), and onion/garlic in a large saucepan; cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until asparagus is tender, about 12 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth (or use immersion blender). Set aside.

In the same saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.

Increase heat to medium; add remaining chicken broth, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils. Stir in pureed asparagus and milk/cream.

Place sour cream in a small bowl and stir in a ladleful of hot soup until blended; pour into the soup and stir in lemon juice. Warm soup through to serving temperature, without boiling. Serve immediately. Garnish bowls with fresh dill, chives, or garlic chives.

Serves 4.

Recipe adapted from: AllRecipes

Winter Spinach Salad

Last week was the final harvest of spinach out of the high tunnel before tearing it out to prepare for spring planting (maybe next week if the weather cooperates)! I needed a good salad recipe that would utilize the spinach, plus the onions and garlic I still had stored over winter. This recipe fit the bill, and I took it to a potluck and didn’t return with much left!

INGREDIENTS

Salad

• 5 oz fresh spinach (about 5 packed cups)

• 1 apple, thinly sliced (or substitute a pear)

• 1/3 c. crumbled feta cheese

• 1/4 onion, thinly sliced

• 1/4 c. sliced almonds (or substitute walnuts)

Dressing

• 1/3 c. olive oil

• 3 tbsp. red wine vinegar (or substitute apple cider vinegar)

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 2 tsp. mustard

• 1/2 tsp honey

• Pinch of salt

• Dash of black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Combine dressing ingredients in a jar, and shake well to combine.

Add all salad ingredients to a large bowl. Add dressing, toss to combine, and serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from Delish

Pumpkin Coconut Curry

This recipe is a huge hit every time I make it. I dare you to not have seconds.

It’s a delicious, warming dish for winter, and allows you to use local storage ingredients, like onions, pumpkins/squash, and garlic, plus honey, cilantro, and even a tomato and jalapeno if you froze those when they were in season.

Ingredients:
2 pie pumpkins or 1 large butternut squash, cut into equal size cubes
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
½-1 hot red chili pepper, sliced
¼ tsp hot chili powder
1½ tsp garam masala
1½ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cinnamon
1-2 tsp honey
a handful of cilantro, stems chopped + leaves for serving
1 can regular coconut milk
½ can chopped tomatoes (or 1 large tomato, peeled and chopped)
1 tsp salt
lime wedges, to serve
handful of cashews (to serve)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and chop the pumpkin or squash into 1” cubes. Drizzle with oil, and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Heat the oil on medium heat in a large pot. Once hot, add mustard seeds and stir until they start popping like popcorn. Add chopped onion and stir until it begins to soften.

Add garlic, ginger, hot pepper, and chopped cilantro stems. Cook 2 minutes while stirring to keep it from sticking.

Add all spices and salt. Reduce heat to low and stir for 1 more minute.

Add chopped tomato and 1/4 cup water. Cook 2 minutes until tomatoes soften.

Add coconut milk and pumpkin/squash cubes. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to simmer until pumpkin/squash is fully tender.

Taste and add more salt if desired, plus honey.

Serve topped with cilantro leaves and chopped cashews, plus lime wedges to squeeze. Serve with rice or naan.

Katie’s notes:

To add more protein to the recipe, add some cooked chicken or tofu when you add the pumpkin/squash.

If you don’t like spicy food (like me!), omit the pepper and chili powder.

Recipe adapted from Lazy Cat Kitchen

Colleen's Bok Choy Recipe

Bok choy is perhaps a new vegetable for you. It’s an Asian green traditionally used in stir fry. You can find it grown locally in the spring and fall. New veggies can be intimidating, so here’s a recipe straight from the famous Colleen Schoneweis of Colleen’s Catering and Vintage Venue when she purchased several of our bok choy for her Meals to Go program.

How to Make Bok Choy When Katie Jantzen at West End Farm Grows a Ginormous Bok Choy!

1. don't be intimidated by the size of the giant Bok Choy

2. plan on buying some green garlic to go with it or regular old garlic cloves will work too

3. chop the end off of that crazy big bok choy, wash the leaves to get the sand and dirt out of the crevices.

4. slice bok choy into 1 inch pieces or bigger (don't worry they shrink when you stir fry them)

5. Heat up your wok or largest frying pan you have, medium high works great, add a splash of canola, olive oil or coconut oil to your pan. Throw in as much as the bok choy you can and let it cook for about a 30 seconds or a minute. Using tongs stir a little, a lot of moisture will be released eventually, toss a little more. When the leaves are shrunken and the white part of the stems are crisp tender, add a splash of soy sauce. Toss a little more and dump it into a bowl, juices and all. You may have to do this several times.

6. When you have all of the bok choy sauteed. Heat your pan up and add a little more oil to saute your garlic and this only take 5-10 seconds, don't burn it. Stir like crazy and then dump that right into your bok choy.

7. Season your Bok Choy and Garlic with Sesame Oil, Sesame Seeds and Crushed Red Peppers if you like a little heat. (Hint: If you don't like all of the liquid just drain it off before you add the sesame oil and other toppings.) (2nd Hint: Keep the liquid to use in soups, cooking beans, rice or other dishes. So nutritious)

This is so good and simple and good for you!!