B.L.T. from scratch

A photo collection of a summertime favorite made completely from local ingredients. Local bacon, lettuce, tomato, sunflower oil and eggs to make mayonaise, and bread.  This post is merely to make you drool and wish it was summer again so you could make this. Enjoy!

Citrus Salad with Goat Cheese

Spring can be a frustrating time of year.  The weather is unpredictable and most people just want the warmth of summer to get here asap.  I personally love spring, the air is crisp, the sun is warm, and the smell of hyacinths is all I need to make me close my eyes and smile.  It's also a great time of year to enjoy fresh spring greens and early spring vegetables.  For me, that first taste of green is such a relief, it means that the earth is waking up and getting ready to feed us again.

This salad is so flavorful and fresh tasting, it's just what I needed after some heavy winter meals.  I was lucky enough to start the base of my salad with some super crisp Yukina Savoy and slightly spicy Arugula that we are growing in the greenhouse at the farm.  From there, I just added a few ingredients that I had and came up with a delicious salad.

Ingredients:

Three large handfuls of fresh salad greens

2-3 small radishes thinly sliced

1/2 of a naval orange- cut into segments

1/2 of a grapefruit- cut into segments

1/2 of a ripe avocado, scooped out of the shell and cubed

About 2-4 Tablespoons of Goat cheese

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives

2 Tbsp. pine nuts

2 Tbsp. toasted pumpkin seeds

Salt and Pepper

Drizzle of Olive Oil

Divide the greens onto two plates.  Roll the goat cheese in the chives.  Top the greens with equal amounts of each of the ingredients. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle with Olive Oil.

Makes two servings.

 This recipe goes out to Katie who is spending a semester abroad in India and is missing some comforts of home, like goat cheese.   The goat cheese in this salad really completed the dish, it blended well with the tang of the citrus and the spiciness of the chives and arugula.  You really can't go wrong with some good Chevre! 

Wheat Berry Salad

This simple salad has chewy grains, herbaceous herbs, crunchy vegetables, tangy cheese, and sweet grapes.  Yum, yum, yum, ummmm.   Please try it, you may love it.

Ingredients:

1 cup of wheat berries (cook according to package directions)

1 cup of faro (cook according to package directions.

While the grains are cooking, prepare the remaining ingredients and combine in a large bowl:

2 cups of sliced sweet seedless red grapes

3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint

1 cucumber, peeled and chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

8 oz. feta, crumbled

1 lemon, juiced

1/4 cup olive oil

3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. pepper

Once the grains are cooked, mix with the remaining prepared ingredients.  Now, eat it up. 

Eat this for lunch, a side dish at dinner, or take it to a potluck!  

Enjoy!

Vegetable-y Bean Dip

There came unto me a thought that I might make some sort of dip. I really love the thought of making a dip for vegetables out of vegetables.  Throw some beans and tahini in there for a bit of protein and fiber and you got yourself a delicious treat!  It's a great nutritional pick-me-up if you need a boost in the late afternoon, but don't have time for a meal.  I just pull it out of the fridge and dip in a few carrots, radishes, or cucumbers.

The nice thing about this recipe is that you can completely customize it with any kind of bean and vegetables you have.

Ingredients:

1- 15oz. can of Great Northern Beans- drained

               OR

1/2 cup of dried beans soaked and cooked.

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 small onions, chopped

5 cloves of Garlic, chopped

1 Jalapeno

10 mushrooms, sliced

3-4 Tbsp. tahini (sesame seed paste)

1 tsp. ground cayanne (optional)

Drizzle 2-3 Tablespoons in a large skillet and toss in the onion, pepper, garlic, and jalapeno.  Saute about 8-10 minutes until the veggies are soft. Throw in the mushrooms and saute another 7 minutes.  Let the mixture cool about 10 minutes.  Drain all of the liquid off that you can.

Use your blender, cuisinart, or food processor to combine the vegetables, tahini, beans, and ground cayanne until smooth.  Taste, add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy this snack with crackers, cucumbers, radishes, turnips, carrots, peppers, or spread on bread.