Author: bloomingglenfarm

A twist on the traditional sweet potato casserole, this recipe is full of flavor and combines butternut squash and sweet potatoes with a nutty streusel topping. Stop there and and let the sweetness of the squash and sweet potato shine, or keep going and give a nod to tradition with the addition of some mini marshmallows. Either way this is a delicious fall recipe, perfect for a sweet treat or a holiday side.

Twice Baked Butternut Squash Streusel

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
4 Tbsp coconut oil or butter, melted
2 medium sweet potatoes
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp nutmeg
3 eggs

Streusel Ingredients:
1 cup pecans
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp sea salt
½ cup flour (can sub with gluten free option)
6 Tbsp salted butter, cold

Optional- add up to 2 cups mini marshmallows

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • Slice butternut squash in half and remove the seeds. Discard seeds or save to roast.
  • Place the squash halves in a baking dish cut side up. Poke holes in the squash with a fork.
  • Brush on 1 Tbsp oil or butter.
  • Clean sweet potatoes. Poke with a fork or knife and wrap in foil.
  • Place squash and sweet potatoes in oven. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  • When squash and sweet potatoes are done, they will be fork tender.

  • Remove and let cool a little bit.
  • Scoop out the flesh of the squash leaving ½ inch border on the skins. Be careful not to break the outer shell.  Place flesh in food processor.

  • Remove the skins from the sweet potatoes and discard. Place the flesh in the food processor with the squash.
  • Add oil/butter, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, sea salt, nutmeg, and eggs to food processor.
  • Process on high until all ingredients are well combined and mixture is smooth.
  • Spoon mixture back into squash shells.
  • Return to oven and cook for 10 minutes.
  • While squash is cooking, make streusel. Combine pecans, cinnamon, sea salt, and flour in food processor.  Pulse to chop the nuts.

  • Add cold butter and pulse to combine. Your mixture should be crumbly.  Do not over mix.
  • Remove squash from oven and top with streusel topping.
  • Bake for an additional 10 minutes. If adding marshmallows, remove after 5 minutes, top with marshmallows, and then cook remaining 5 minutes.
  • Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Recipe and photos by Stephanie Borzio.  Stephanie is a mom of three active boys and is an autoimmune warrior.  After battling her own health for several years, Stephanie found healing through food and lifestyle changes, including joining Blooming Glen Farm CSA of which she is a long time member, and CSA Cooking Coach.  She is a Board Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach who is passionate about sharing healthy living tips and real food recipes.  Instagram and Facebook: Tru You Essentials; Website: www.truyouessentials.com

Popcorn grown fresh on the farm is such a wonderful treat- it just tastes better than store bought, and pops up to a wonderful fluffy texture! It is an easy snack- great for after school or work, for movie nights, or family game nights.  It is simple to make on your stovetop or even your microwave, and can be topped with a variety of delicious flavors. I’ve included topping suggestions as well as five recipes for you to experiment with: Sweet & Spicy, Savory, Nut Butter, Herb Citrus and Popcorn Gooey Balls!

Popcorn
(Makes about 5 cups of popped kernels)

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp oil (coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil, etc.)
1/3 cup popcorn kernels

Stovetop Directions:

  • Place oil in a large heavy bottomed pan with lid.
  • Heat oil to medium and then turn down to low.
  • Place 3 kernels into the pan to test the oil. After they pop, remove them with a slotted spoon.
  • Pour the rest of the popcorn kernels into the pan and cover with lid.
  • Shake the pan to prevent burning or sticking.
  • Continue shaking every couple of seconds. Keep the pan on low heat.  Listen for the kernels to stop popping.  Popping only takes 1-2 minutes, so it is quick.
  • When popping stops, remove the pan from the heat. Slowly remove the lid.
  • Using a slotted spoon, transfer the popped kernels to a bowl.
  • Enjoy plain or season.

 

Microwave Directions: *no oil needed

  • Place kernels in a brown paper bag.
  • Fold top of bag down twice (about 1 inch each).
  • Lay in microwave on side. Folded side down.

  • Microwave 2 minutes, 15 seconds to 2 minutes, 45 seconds (time varies depending on microwaves).
  • Listen to pops. As they slow down, remove from microwave.
  • Open bag and pour popped kernels into bowl.
  • Enjoy plain or season.

Topping Ideas:

  • Butter and sea salt
  • Coconut oil and sea salt
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Nutritional yeast
  • Cinnamon and powdered sugar
  • Chocolate
  • Caramel
  • or try one of the following recipes…

 

Sweet and Spicy Popcorn

Ingredients:  6 Tbsp maple syrup, ½ jalapeno (or other hot pepper), ¼ tsp sea salt, 5 cups popped popcorn

Directions:  Roughly chop the jalapeno- do not remove seeds or membranes.  Place the maple syrup and the jalapeno in a small saucepan.  Simmer on low for 10 minutes.  Strain.  Add sea salt to spicy syrup and mix.  Place popcorn in large bowl.  Drizzle syrup over the popcorn.  Toss to coat.

 

Savory Popcorn

Ingredients:  2 Tbsp butter, ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp sea salt, 5 cups popped popcorn

Directions:  In a small saucepan, melt butter.  Once melted, remove from heat and add onion powder, garlic powder, and sea salt.  Mix.  Place popcorn in large bowl.  Drizzle butter mixture over the popcorn.  Toss to coat.

 

Peanut Butter Popcorn

Ingredients:  3 Tbsp honey, 3 Tbsp peanut butter (or other nut butter), ¾ tsp vanilla, 5 cups popped popcorn

Directions:  In a small saucepan, add honey, peanut butter, and vanilla.  Heat and mix until well combined.  Place popcorn in large bowl.  Drizzle peanut butter mixture over the popcorn.  Toss to coat.  Lay out on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet to cool.

 

Herb Citrus Popcorn

Ingredients:  2 Tbsp coconut oil, 1 tsp citrus zest (orange, lime, etc.), 1 tsp finely chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, lemon thyme, lemon verbena, etc.), ¾ tsp sea salt, 5 cups popped popcorn

Directions:  In a small saucepan, melt coconut oil.  Once melted, remove from heat and add citrus zest, chopped herbs, and sea salt.  Mix.  Place popcorn in large bowl.  Drizzle coconut oil mixture over the popcorn.  Toss to coat.

 

Popcorn Gooey Balls

Ingredients:  1 ½ Tbsp butter, 2 cups mini marshmallows, 5 cups popped popcorn

Directions:  Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat.  Once melted, add marshmallows and stir until fully melted.  Add popcorn and mix well.  Using an ice cream scoop, shape the mixture into balls.  Place on wax paper to cool.

 

Recipe and photos by Stephanie Borzio.  Stephanie is a mom of three active boys and is an autoimmune warrior.  After battling her own health for several years, Stephanie found healing through food and lifestyle changes, including joining Blooming Glen Farm CSA of which she is a long time member and CSA Coach.  She is a Board Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach who is passionate about sharing healthy living tips and real food recipes. Instagram and Facebook: Tru You Essentials; Website: www.truyouessentials.com

The fresh baby Hawaiian ginger has been such a beautiful treat in our shares the past few weeks.  There are so many amazing ways to use this fresh ginger.  You can use it in stir fries or soups, in smoothies or teas, pickle or crystallize it, or simply in a marinade or dressing.  Ginger not only tastes fantastic, but its nutritional benefits include supporting digestion, improving circulation, decreasing inflammation, and boosting immune systems.  In the culinary world, it is known as one of the healthiest spices you can consume.  Naturally, I wanted to make this flavorful and nutritionally dense ginger the star of this week’s recipe- creating a versatile syrup that can be used in many different ways!

 

Ginger Syrup

Ingredients:
2 cups water
½ – 1 cup fresh ginger, finely chopped*
½ cup honey

  • Combine the water and ginger in a small saucepan.
  • Bring to a boil. Boil for 2-3 minutes.
  • Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes.
  • Remove from heat. Add honey and stir to dissolve.
  • Cover and allow to sit for one hour.
  • Strain through a cheesecloth or nut bag. Squeeze the ginger to remove as much juice as possible.
  • Store the syrup in an airtight container in the fridge. This syrup will last for a few weeks in the fridge.

*Using ½ cup of chopped ginger creates a mild syrup.  Increasing the amount of ginger up to 1 cup makes a spicier version.

What can you use this syrup for?

  • Use in dressings and marinades.
  • Use in cocktails, teas, lemonades, etc.
  • Add to smoothies.
  • Add to coffee.
  • Drink a spoonful when feeling under the weather.

 

Easy Ginger Ale

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp ginger syrup
1 tsp lime juice
6 oz club soda
4 oz ice
Lime slice and fresh mint, for garnish

Fill glass with ice.  In a measuring cup, combine the ginger syrup, lime juice, and club soda.  Pour over the ice.  Garnish with a slice of lime and mint.

 

Ginger Tea

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp ginger syrup
6-8 oz hot water
1 lemon slice

Combine all ingredients in a mug.  Serve hot.

 

Gingerbread Latte

Ingredients:
1-2 shots of espresso
2 Tbsp ginger syrup
4-6 oz milk of choice
Fresh nutmeg and cinnamon, for garnish

Make espresso.  Stir in ginger syrup.  Froth or heat milk.  Pour over espresso and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg and cinnamon.

 

Hot Toddy

Ingredients:
8 oz water
1 cinnamon stick
5 cloves
½ tsp lemon zest
½ tsp orange zest
1 ½ Tbsp ginger syrup
1 tsp honey
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp orange juice
1-2 oz whiskey/bourbon**
Lemon or orange slice, for garnish

In a small saucepan, heat water with cinnamon and clove.  Bring to a boil.  Add lemon zest and orange zest and simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Add ginger syrup, honey, lemon juice, orange juice, and whiskey.  Strain and pour into mug.  Serve hot with a lemon or orange slice.

**Make this a mocktail by subbing the whiskey with water.

 

Apple Cider Whiskey Sour

Ingredients:
Ice
¼ cup apple cider
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp ginger syrup
1 egg white
1-2 oz whiskey**
Cinnamon, for garnish

Fill rocks glass with ice.  In shaker, combine apple cider, lemon juice, ginger syrup, egg white, and whiskey.  Shake well.  Pour over ice and sprinkle with cinnamon.

**Make this a mocktail by subbing the whiskey with water.

 

Recipe and photos by Stephanie Borzio.  Stephanie is a mom of three active boys and is an autoimmune warrior.  After battling her own health for several years, Stephanie found healing through food and lifestyle changes, including joining Blooming Glen Farm CSA of which she is a long time member, and now the CSA Cooking Coach.  She is a Board Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach who is passionate about sharing healthy living tips and real food recipes.  Instagram and Facebook: Tru You Essentials; Website: www.truyouessentials.com

Lima beans are new to the farm this year.  We have been able to head to the fields and pick them ourselves.  This recipe showcases the flavor of these fall harvested beans along with the sweet peppers, sweet onions, tomatoes, garlic and hot peppers in our shares this week.

Fresh Lima Bean Salad with Spicy Garlic Lime Dressing

Ingredients:
1 quart fresh lima beans (in pods, equals about 1 ½ cups shelled beans)
2 sweet peppers
½ medium sweet onion
1 medium beefsteak tomato

Dressing Ingredients:
¼ cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lime (about 3 Tbsp)
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ tsp finely diced hot pepper
½ tsp sea salt
Pinch black pepper

  • Shuck lima beans.
  • In medium pot on stovetop, boil water.
  • Place shucked beans into pot. Bring water back to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Cook for about 15 minutes or until beans are tender.
  • Wash, remove seeds, and slice sweet peppers into thin strips.
  • Peel and slice onion into thin slices.
  • Prepare tomato. Slice and remove seeds.  Cut into cubes.  You should have about 1 cup of chopped tomatoes.

  • Place sweet peppers, onion, and tomatoes in medium bowl. Add beans.
  • Make dressing. Combine all ingredients and whisk well.
  • Pour dressing over vegetables and toss to coat.
  • Allow salad to marinate in refrigerator for an hour before serving.

Recipe and photos by Stephanie Borzio.  Stephanie is a mom of three active boys and is an autoimmune warrior.  After battling her own health for several years, Stephanie found healing through food and lifestyle changes, including joining Blooming Glen Farm CSA of which she is a long time member.  She is a Board Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach who is passionate about sharing healthy living tips and real food recipes.  Instagram and Facebook: Tru You Essentials; Website: www.truyouessentials.com

Some of us get sentimental or even sad when the summer season winds down and our favorite fruits are gone until the following year. I look for as many ways as I can to preserve the bright flavors to enhance snacks and meals through the quieter seasons ahead. Many farmers at the season’s end have an excess of produce and encourage us to preserve for the future. Some projects, like freezing, require only a sheet tray and space; others demand more time and labor. This variation on a childhood favorite is an epicurean delight and a surprise to all who taste it.

Tomato Leather

Ingredients:
Tomatoes- 3 pounds (or more)
Fresh herbs, chopped- 1 Tbs. (or 1 tsp. dried) per pound of tomatoes *see below for more seasoning suggestions

I begin by coring and quartering at least a few pounds of tomatoes. I add them to a large pot and heat them over medium heat until the liquids begin to boil. To save time, I pour off most of the liquids a few times throughout the cooking process, leaving just enough to keep the tomatoes simmering. After they have broken down and take on more of a crushed-tomato look, I puree them either directly in the pot using an immersion blender or I transfer the contents to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Once smooth, I return the tomatoes to the pot, and I continue to cook them over medium-low heat until the consistency looks somewhere in between thick tomato sauce and tomato paste. At that point, I turn off the heat, and consider flavors!

Per pound of fresh tomatoes used, I add 1 teaspoon of dried herbs or 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs to the pureed and reduced sauce. Basil, thyme, oregano, garlic, red pepper flakes, or even balsamic vinegar work well! Stir well and allow to cool in the refrigerator. (If you’re wanting to make more than one flavor, cool the puree, and once it is cold, divide it into smaller portions, mixing your preferred herb or flavor into each one)

Then for the passive part: if you are going to use your oven, set the temperature to between 135 and 175 (many ovens only go as low as 175). Line a baking sheet (or multiple, depending on the quantity you’ve prepared) with parchment paper or a silicone mat and spread the mixture about 1/4” thick over the whole surface. You’ll have the best results if you start with a relatively smooth surface. You can also prep the puree for a dehydrator if you have one with suitable trays.

Cook the puree until you can touch it without any adhering to your finger – it takes about 4-8 hours in the oven and between 8 and 12 hours in a dehydrator. You’ll know it is done when you can pull your homemade sheet of fruit leather clean off of the parchment paper. Let it cool and then cut it according to your desire! Bread-slice-sized squares make for excellent additions to breakfast sandwiches, smaller strips make for easy additions to winter pastas, stews or soups.

Recipe and photos by Evan Dubchansky. Evan, his partner, and I (the trusty dehydrator) all live in West Philadelphia. Evan spends his weekends exchanging produce and inspiration with his community at the local farmers market, while I dry all kinds of eclectic treats for their snacking and baking habits. You can follow our creations on Instagram at @e.dubchansky

The farm is a great place to learn about new produce.  Almost every year there are new varieties of vegetables that we get to taste and experiment with.  This year is no exception.  Koginut squash is a delicious new winter squash, a cross between kabocha squash and butternut squash, that our farmers planted.  When I was researching this new squash, the flavor was described as having notes of vanilla and citrus which immediately led me to dreaming of a breakfast recipe.  These pancakes incorporate koginut squash puree with local oats, maple syrup, and eggs, all of which can be found at the farm.

Koginut Squash Pancakes
(recipe makes about 12-14 pancakes)

Ingredients:
¾ cup koginut squash puree*
2 eggs
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp oil (options- melted coconut oil, avocado oil, light olive oil, etc.)
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup water
1 ½ cups oat flour **
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Butter or coconut oil, for cooking

*Koginut Squash Puree: Slice off the top (stem) and bottom of the squash.  Slice in half from top to bottom.  Remove the seeds (set aside to roast or discard).  Slice from top to bottom into wedges, using the outside ridges as guides.  Ideally the wedges should be equally thick.  Peel off skin using a knife or vegetable peeler.  Lay the slices on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Brush both sides with melted coconut oil (you will need about 1 Tbsp).

Bake at 425°F for 25-35 minutes or until squash is fork tender.  Remove from oven and place in food processor or blender.  Process on high until a smooth puree is formed.  Depending on the size of the squash, you should get about 3-4 cups of puree.

**You can purchase oat flour, but it is very easy to make.  Place dry oatmeal in a high-speed blender or food processor and process until a nice flour is formed.  Store in an airtight container.

  • In a medium bowl, combine squash puree, eggs, maple syrup, oil, vanilla, and water.
  • In a separate bowl, combine oat flour, cinnamon, baking soda, sea salt, and nutmeg.
  • Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well. The batter should be a little thicker, but if it seems too thick you can add additional water 1 Tbsp at a time to get desired consistency.
  • Melt butter or coconut oil on a skillet or griddle.

  • On medium low heat, pour ¼ cup of batter onto pan for each pancake. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes and flip.  Cook an additional 2-3 minutes and then remove from griddle.
  • Serve with butter, maple syrup, chopped nuts, and/or confectionary sugar.

Recipe and photos by Stephanie Borzio.  Stephanie is a mom of three active boys and is an autoimmune warrior.  After battling her own health for several years, Stephanie found healing through food and lifestyle changes, including joining Blooming Glen Farm CSA of which she is a long time member.  She is a Board Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach who is passionate about sharing healthy living tips and real food recipes.  Instagram and Facebook: Tru You Essentials; Website: www.truyouessentials.com

Continuing with our theme of preserving the harvest, this recipe is a great way to savor the amazing flavor we get with farm fresh onions and garlic.  Homemade seasonings are much more flavorful than their store bought counterparts.  This is by far one of my favorite ways to preserve onions and garlic.

DIY Onion and Garlic Powder

Ingredients:
onions (at least 2)*
garlic (at least 2-3 heads)*

*There’s no specific amount you need to have of the onions or the garlic.  However, I highly recommend using at least the quantity listed.  You can always use more!

  • Prep onions.
    • Peel.
    • Thinly slice. I used a mandolin set on the lowest setting (which was 1/16”).

  • Prep garlic.
    • Remove cloves from head of garlic and peel.
    • Slice as thin as possible.

  • Lay out onion and garlic slices on dehydrator racks in single layer. **

  • Place in dehydrator at 135° and allow the magic to happen.

  • Dry time will vary depending on thickness of slices and moisture content of produce.
    • Just to give you an idea of timing, my onions took about 18 hours total. The garlic took over 24 hours (its harder to cut them thin like the onions).
    • The nice part about the dehydrator is you can just set it up, turn it on, and forget about it while the dehydration happens.
  • When the onion and garlic are dry enough, you will be able to pick it up and break it in your hands. If it bends instead of breaks or crumbles, then it is not ready yet.  They should be crispy and brittle.
    • Some pieces may dry quicker than others. If they do, simply remove them and set aside until all of it is done.

  • Once the onion and garlic are dry enough, you need to process it into powder. The best way to do this is using a clean coffee grinder.  You can also use a blender, food processor, or a mortar and pestle.  Process the dried onions until a nice powder is formed.  Do the same for the garlic.

  • Store in airtight containers.

**If you do not have a dehydrator, you may use your oven.  Set it on the lowest temperature setting possible.  The lowest my oven would go was 170°F.  Lay the onion and garlic slices on parchment lined baking sheets in a single layer.  Just like in the dehydrator, the drying time will vary.  I recommend leaving them for 4 hours and then begin checking every 30 minutes to an hour to test the dryness.  Mine took about 6-8 hours total.

Tips:

  • If you process the garlic or onion and your powder sticks together, pop it back in the dehydrator or oven and continue to remove the excess moisture. It should be nice and powdery.
  • If you don’t want to create powder, you can keep as chopped dehydrated onion and garlic. Still great for seasoning dishes.

 

Recipe and photos by Stephanie Borzio.  Stephanie is a mom of three active boys and is an autoimmune warrior.  After battling her own health for several years, Stephanie found healing through food and lifestyle changes, including joining Blooming Glen Farm CSA of which she is a long time member.  She is a Board Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach who is passionate about sharing healthy living tips and real food recipes.  Instagram and Facebook: Tru You Essentials; Website: www.truyouessentials.com

It’s officially squash season!  We will see a variety of winter squash over the next few weeks and honeynut squash is one of my favorites.  Pair the squash with some apples and kale, roast it on a sheet pan with onions and garlic, toss with a simple vinaigrette and use it to top your favorite grains and you have the perfect autumn inspired dish.

Autumn Inspired Grain Bowls

Ingredients:
4 cups cooked grains (quinoa, rice, etc.)
2 honeynut squash*
2 sweet onions
3 cloves garlic
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
2 medium apples
1 bunch kale

*You can substitute the honeynut squash with other winter squash.  If the skin cannot be eaten, just peel before cubing and roasting.

Vinaigrette Ingredients:
1/3 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp spicy mustard
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp black pepper

  • Preheat oven to 425°F.
  • Slice squash in half and remove seeds. Cut into ½- ¾ inch cubes.  Place in a large bowl.
    • Reserve the seeds to roast them! See below for directions.
  • Cut onions into 1 inch pieces. Place in bowl with squash.
  • Peel garlic cloves and thinly slice. Add to bowl with squash and onions.
  • Place 2 Tbsp oil, salt, and pepper into bowl. Mix to coat squash, onion, and garlic.
  • Spread produce on large sheet pan.

  • Bake for 10 minutes.
  • While squash mixture is cooking:
    • Slice apples into ½- ¾ inch cubes. Place on another sheet pan.  Ideally you want the apples to take up half of the second sheet pan so that you have room to add the kale later.
    • Remove stalks on the kale and chop the leaves into 1 inch pieces. Make sure the kale is dry (you can use a salad spinner to remove excess moisture if you need to).
    • Place chopped kale leaves in a medium bowl. Add 1 Tbsp oil and massage into kale.
  • Remove squash mixture from oven and mix. Return to oven and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

  • Place second sheet pan with apples into oven and cook for 5 minutes.
  • Remove and mix. Add kale leaves to the pan and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
  • Remove both sheet pans from oven and transfer all roasted produce to a large bowl. Mix well.
  • Combine all vinaigrette ingredients. Whisk well.

  • To assemble bowls:
    • Place cooked grain in the bottom of the bowl.
    • Top with the roasted squash, onion, apple, and kale mixture.
    • Drizzle on some vinaigrette.
    • Top with roasted squash seeds (see below for directions on roasting seeds).

Roasted Squash Seeds– Once seeds are removed from squash, soak them in water.  Remove the pulp.  Rinse and drain in colander.  Dry on a paper towel.  Place in a bowl and add ½ tsp olive oil or avocado oil and ¼ tsp sea salt.  Mix well to combine.  Place on a small baking sheet or in a cast iron skillet.  Roast in oven at 400°F for 10-12 minutes.

Recipe and photos by Stephanie Borzio.  Stephanie is a mom of three active boys and is an autoimmune warrior.  After battling her own health for several years, Stephanie found healing through food and lifestyle changes, including joining Blooming Glen Farm CSA of which she is a long time member.  She is a Board Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach who is passionate about sharing healthy living tips and real food recipes.  Instagram and Facebook: Tru You Essentials; Website: www.truyouessentials.com

Shishito peppers are one of my favorite discoveries from the farm.  I didn’t even know they existed before receiving them in our CSA shares at Blooming Glen.  They are generally mild but have the occasional spicy kick- you never know which one you are going to get!  We have been receiving shishito peppers in our shares for a few weeks and I wanted to showcase them in this week’s recipe.  What began as one way to use them quickly turned into three- charred shishitos, quick pickled shishitos, and tempura shishitos!

Shishito Peppers- Three Ways!

#1: CHARRED SHISHITOS
Ingredients:
20-30 shishito peppers
2 Tbsp olive oil
Coarse sea salt

  • Wash and dry peppers.
  • Place peppers on skewers. It is best to use two skewers per row of peppers so that they don’t move around.
  • Brush both sides with oil.
  • Heat grill to high. Grill should be about 450°F.
  • Grill skewers for 4-5 minutes on one side. Flip and cook an additional 4-5 minutes.  Peppers should be cooked and charred where they hit the grill grates.

  • Remove from grill and pull the peppers off the skewers.
  • Sprinkle with salt and serve with roasted garlic sauce.

ROASTED GARLIC SAUCE
Ingredients:
1 small head garlic
½ cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp paprika

  • Wash garlic head and cut off the top. Wrap in foil.  Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes.
  • Remove garlic from oven and let cool for a few minutes.
  • Once you can handle the garlic, remove the roasted cloves from the papery skins.
  • Place the cloves in a bowl and smash them with a fork.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
  • Chill before serving.

 

#2- QUICK PICKLED SHISHITOS
Ingredients:
3 cups shishito peppers, sliced into rings
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tsp sea salt
1½ cups vinegar (apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, or a mixture of both)
¾ cup water

  • Tightly pack the peppers and garlic into one or two glass jars. Sprinkle salt over top.
  • In saucepan, heat vinegar and water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
  • Pour hot brine over the peppers and garlic. Liquid should cover all of the peppers and garlic.
  • Cover jars, let cool on the counter, and then refrigerate.
  • Allow to marinate for 24 hours.
  • Enjoy with tacos, on chili, on sandwiches, on salads, or right out of the jar!

#3- TEMPURA SHISHITOS
Ingredients:
40 shishito peppers
1 egg
¾ cup plain seltzer or sparkling water
1 tsp sea salt
¾ cup all purpose flour (best gluten free option- cassava flour)
4-5 cups frying oil (avocado oil, coconut oil, palm shortening, etc.)
Soy sauce or coconut aminos, for dipping

  • Wash and dry peppers.
  • In a medium bowl, mix egg, seltzer, and sea salt.
  • Add half of the flour and mix well. Add remaining flour and mix.
  • If batter is too thin, add a little more flour 1 Tbsp at a time. If batter is too thick, add a little more seltzer 1 Tbsp at a time.
  • Heat frying oil in large Dutch oven. The oil should be about 1 ½ – 2 inches deep.  The temperature of the oil should be about 360-380°F.
  • Holding the pepper by its stem, dip it into the batter and gently place in the hot oil. Continue to do this until you have about 6-10 peppers frying.  You don’t want to overcrowd the oil.
  • Fry the peppers for about 3-5 minutes or until golden.
  • Remove from oil and place on a paper towel lined plate.
  • Remove any loose batter pieces from the oil before frying the next batch.
  • Continue cooking until all peppers are fried.
  • Serve with soy sauce or coconut aminos.

 

Recipe and photos by Stephanie Borzio.  Stephanie is a mom of three active boys and is an autoimmune warrior.  After battling her own health for several years, Stephanie found healing through food and lifestyle changes, including joining Blooming Glen Farm CSA of which she is a long time member.  She is a Board Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach who is passionate about sharing healthy living tips and real food recipes.  Instagram and Facebook: Tru You Essentials; Website: www.truyouessentials.com

Grilling during the summertime keeps the heat of cooking out the kitchen.  I have been wanting to create a grilled pizza recipe for a while and this one does not disappoint.  While it takes a little time to prepare all of the ingredients, it is a versatile recipe that can serve as a base for you to try all different kinds of pizzas!  Keep it simple with a roasted tomato sauce and freshly grated cheese from our cheese shares or top it with a homemade pesto and a little ricotta.  You can even slice up the peppers, onions, garlic, or other vegetables from our shares and create a veggie lover pizza.  Grilled pizza is amazing- cooking the crust directly on the grill grates gives it a fantastic texture and topping the pizzas with farm fresh ingredients creates an explosion of summertime flavors.

Grilled Pizza

*This recipe makes 4 personal size pizzas.

Ingredients:
2 lbs pizza dough**
3 Tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tsp oregano

Pizza toppings of choice:

Prepare all pizza toppings first. Sauté or roast vegetables.  Make sauce or pesto.  Slice or grate cheese.  If using meat, make sure it is precooked.  Once you begin cooking, this goes very quickly, so you want to have everything prepared and ready to go.

  • Mix all spices together in a small bowl.
  • Preheat grill to medium heat- you want it about 400°F.
  • Split pizza dough into four equal balls. Roll each ball out onto a floured surface.  You can either create round pizzas (measuring about 8 inches in diameter) or oval pizzas (measuring about 10 inches long).

  • Lay your rolled dough on a flat surface- a cookie sheet or cutting board works great.
  • Brush each side with oil and sprinkle with the spice mix.
  • Place dough on the grill grates. Grill for 3-4 minutes or until you see nice grill marks on the underside of the dough.

  • Remove from grill.

  • With the grilled side up, add toppings of choice.

  • Place back on the grill and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes.
  • Remove from grill. Slice and serve.

**You can make your own homemade pizza dough or use your favorite store bought one.  For those that are gluten free, I was able to find a frozen gluten free dough that was wonderful at Kimberton Whole Foods!

Recipe and photos by Stephanie Borzio.  Stephanie is a mom of three active boys and is an autoimmune warrior.  After battling her own health for several years, Stephanie found healing through food and lifestyle changes, including joining Blooming Glen Farm CSA of which she is a long time member.  She is a Board Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach who is passionate about sharing healthy living tips and real food recipes.  Instagram and Facebook: Tru You Essentials; Website: www.truyouessentials.com