Strawberry Puree

daphne on July 8, 2008

Doesn’t get easier than this guys.

  1. Take strawberries
  2. Blend ‘em up

I froze a bunch of this puree in big ziplocs. If you want to get adventurous, freeze 1 cup sized dollops on waxed paper and then add them to bags. This way you can easily defrost in known amounts when you’re ready to make your muffins, orice cream, or delicious daiquiris!

Rhubarb, when do I pick it and what do I do with it?

daphne on July 7, 2008

Got Rhubarb? Lucky you. Rhubarb is used in Chinese medicine and is thought by some to have cancer-inhibiting qualities. Plus, it’s super tasty in desserts..

Rhubarb stalks are ready to harvest from early spring through mid summer as soon as the leaves are full. The stalks will be anywhere from light green to bright red in color, and should be thick enough so they don’t bend like rubber.

To harvest, grasp the stalk by the bottom and wiggle it, just a little bit.  Wiggle a lot if you want to count it for today’s workout.

Do not eat the leaves, they are toxic. So toxic, in fact, that if I touch them without gloves I get a weird skin  tightening sensation, though it doesn’t bother the kids at all. They are tough as nails.

I rinse, dry then dice the stalks right away and then lay them out on a tray in the freezer. Once frozen, I dump them all into a ziploc where they will be ready to add (frozen is fine!) to any tasty recipe (like this one for my locally famous Rhubarb Crisp).

Asian Noodle Salad with Kohlrabi

daphne on July 6, 2008

This is a yummy recipe passed along to me from my mom. I thought the peanut sauce would do a number on the kohlrabi, which has a distinct radish flavor. I also kept thinking that the kohlrabi would taste like water chestnut, but it didn’t.

All the ingredients in the salad portion are optional. You can add or subject depending on what the farm is offering up that day. Leave out the chicken or substitute with tofu to go vegetarian.

Marinade Ingredients:

  • ½ cup canola oil
  • ½ cup white rice vinegar
  • ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 ½ Tbls sugar
  • 2 teaspoons mustard
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 Tbls peanut butter
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger

Salad Ingredients:

  • 12 oz thin spaghetti
  • Snow peas, 20 or so
  • 1 red pepper, sliced thin
  • 4 carrots, slivered
  • 1 small Kohlrabi, diced
  • 3 oz green onions, cut thin
  • ½ cup sesame seeds
  • 2-3 chicken breasts, grilled

What to do:

  1. Blend all marinade ingredients together.
  2. Cook noodles, drain and add marinade to cover.
  3. Add vegetables, chicken and other ingredients to noodles and toss.
  4. Chill in fridge to bring out flavors and serve cold.

Rhubarb Crisp

daphne on July 1, 2008

This is a favorite around here. At book club last spring it went faster than the wine!

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups diced rhubarb
  • 3 tablespoons orange juice
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoons cold butter, cut in small pieces
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup sifted all-purpose flour
  • dash salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2/3 cup quick cooking rolled oats

What to do:

Heat oven to 375°. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish. Arrange diced rhubarb in the prepared baking dish. Toss rhubarb with the orange juice, sprinkle with the 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon; dot with the 1 tablespoon of cut up butter.

Combine melted butter with brown sugar.

Stir together flour, salt, and baking soda; mix with oats. Combine the flour oat mixture with the brown sugar and melted butter mixture until well blended. With hands, spread the crumb mixture over rhubarb. Bake for 40 minutes.

Serve warm, with ice cream.