Baba Ganoush is kind of like hummus, but made with eggplant instead of chickpeas.  This recipe includes broiling the eggplant and using chipotle powder to give it a nice smoky flavor.  Baba ganoush is great as a dip or as a healthy alternative to mayonnaise on sandwiches.  Give it a try!

Smoky Baba Ganoush

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds purple eggplant, stemmed and halved
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup tahini
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 3-4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Black pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Preparation

1. Lightly coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.  Place the eggplant halves cut-side-down on the sheet and broil on high until the skins are evenly charred.  This should take about 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Bake the eggplant, still cut-side-down, at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes.  The  eggplant flesh should be extremely soft at this point.
3. Scoop the flesh of the eggplant out from the skins.  Transfer to a large blender or food processor.  Add the tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, chipotle powder, garlic, salt and several twists of black pepper from a mill.  Process until completely smooth.
4. Transfer the puree to a large bowl and mix in the parsley.  Season with additional salt if necessary.  Let cool to room temperature or chill slightly in the refrigerator before serving.

Special thanks to our friend Rob for this recipe idea.

South American tamales are mostly masa served with delicious sauces, whereas Central American tamales rely on stewed meats and veggies to add flavor. This recipe is more in a South American style but uses Kabocha, a Japanese winter squash, to add substance and sweetness. Any winter squash, like butternut or acorn, will make a good substitute.

Steaming Kabocha Squash and Quinoa Tamales (Photo by Gabriel Hasser)

Ingredients

• 3 pounds Kabocha squash, steamed and pureed
• 2 cups quinoa, cooked
• 2 cups masa harina 
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

Preparation

1. Combine ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Prepare the tamales.
3. Steam the tamales until the masa is firm, about 20-30 minutes.
4. Serve with your favorite Aji.

Roasted Tomato Aji (Photo by Gabriel Hasser)

Ingredients

• 1 pound of ripe red tomatoes, wedged
• 1 white onion, halved
• 2 fresh jalapenos, seeded and halved
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Place tomato wedges, onion halves, and jalapenos on a greased baking sheet. Broil in the oven at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes or until tomatoes are slightly blackened.
2. Place broiled vegetables, olive oil, and salt to taste in a blender and liquefy.
3. Serve with favorite entrees or appetizers to add heat and flavor.

Spaghetti Squash with a sprig of fresh basil.

Ingredients

• Spaghetti squash, halved and de-seeded
• 3 to 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1-3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)
• salt to taste

Preparation

1. Place the squash halves face down in a large rectangular baking dish. Place a sprig of rosemary under each half and a few around the squash.
2. Pour water in the baking dish with one half inch of water.
3. Place the baking dish in the over and cook at 400 degrees Farenheight for an hour or until the squash is fork tender.
4. When the squash is finished cooking, carefully remove from the oven and allow to cool until it can be safely handled, about 15 minutes.
5. Scoop the flesh of the cooked squash into a large bowl and discard the skins. Toss with olive oil and salt to taste, or serve with marinara sauce.

James adds the finishing touches to our Garden Marinara.

Ingredients

• 4 pounds fresh ripe tomatoes
• 3-4 large ringo or sweet bell peppers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium jalapeno, minced
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
• Olive oil spray
• Salt and sugar to taste

Preparation

1. Remove the tomato cores, place the tomatoes in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Once the water comes to a boil drain the tomatoes in a large colander and spray with cold water.  remove the skins and set aside.
2. While the tomatoes are coming to a boil, place the peppers in a medium baking dish coated liberally with olive oil. Place in an oven and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until the skins are browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer hot peppers to an airtight container and allow to steam for about 15 minutes. Remove skins, stems, and seeds then dice and set aside.
3. In a large sauce pot, heat olive oil and saute onion and garlic at a low heat, stirring occasionally, until caramelization begins, about 10 minutes.
4. Add mushrooms to the saute and continue cooking until all of the liquid from the mushrooms is expressed, about five minutes.
5. Add skinned tomatoes, minced roasted peppers, jalapeno, and oregano to the saute. Combine with a wooden spoon and break up the tomatoes.
6. Lower heat to a simmer and season sauce with salt and sugar to taste. Continue to simmer over low heat until the sauce has reduced by about 2 cups, or about an hour.
7. Add chopped basil and remove from heat.

Working at the farmer’s market we are often asked for cooking and recipe advice. This recipe came from our market manager, Abbi Cheek, who was asked for advice on one particularly hot afternoon.

To make watermelon puree, place sliced sections of whole watermelon in a blender and process until smooth. Then, transfer the puree to a fine mesh strainer and allow to separate for at least 10 minutes. Use the separated liquid in this recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 ounce simple syrup
• 10-15 mint leaves
• 3 or 4 ice cubes
• 2 ounces white rum
• 3 ounces watermelon puree
• 2 key limes, juiced
• 2 ounces soda water

Preparation

1. Muddle mint and simple syrup in a 16 ounce glass
2. Add ice, rum, watermelon puree, and lime juice. Stir.
3. Top with soda water and garnish with mint or a lime wedge. Serve.

Roasted Vegetable Gazpacho

This chilled summer soup is a perfect way to enjoy seasonal fresh vegetables.

Ingredients

• 4 large ripe tomatoes (about 2 pounds), quartered
• 1 large green bell pepper, quartered and seeded
• 1 green tomato, quartered (optional)
• 1 jalapeno, halved and seeded (optional)
• 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and halved
• Olive oil
• 1 medium purple onion, chopped
• 1 large cucumber, chopped
• 1 teaspoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Additional finely chopped fresh vegetables (onion, cucumber, corn, etc.) and herbs for garnish

Preparation

1. Place the tomatoes, bell pepper, green tomato, jalapeno and garlic in a large baking dish and drizzle lightly with olive oil.  Broil on high until the vegetables have some light charring – about 8-10 minutes.
2. Put the broiled vegetables, onion, cucumber, lime juice, and vinegar in a large blender and process until smooth.  If the consistency is too thick, you can add additional tomato juice or vegetable broth.
3. Season with salt to taste.  Let the gazpacho cool or chill slightly in the refrigerator before serving.  Serve with  finely chopped fresh vegetables and herbs to garnish each bowl.

Gumbo is an excellent old-school example of American fusion cuisine.  Various traditional recipes include okra brought from Africa, American ingredients like tomatoes and bell peppers, the Native American influence of sassafras, and traditional French cooking methods.  While some purists might scoff at a version without meat or seafood, we think even the staunchest Cajun would enjoy a bowl of this tasty and hearty vegan gluten-free gumbo.

Okra Gumbo

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup preferred vegan butter substitute
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 large cloves garlic, diced
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 pound okra, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
• 3 medium red tomatoes, diced
• 1 15-ounce can kidney beans
• 4 cups prepared vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 5 allspice berries
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon gumbo filé powder (ground sassafras – recommended optional since it causes liver cancer)
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Prepare a roux by melting the butter substitute in a medium pan over medium heat. Once melted, reduce temperature to low and whisk in rice flour.  Cook and continue whisking until the roux has a thick texture and smells slightly nutty, about three minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.
2. In a large soup pot saute onions, garlic, bell pepper in olive oil over medium-high heat until the volume reduces and onions are nearly translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes.
3. Add okra, tomatoes, and allspice berries to the saute and stir. Reduce heat to low and allow okra to soften, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes.
4. While the okra is cooking, return the roux to low heat and whisk in 2 cups of stock. It should have a thick, creamy texture without chunks.
5. Add the remaining stock and the roux to the gumbo. Add oregano, thyme, bay leaves, paprika, cayenne, and black pepper. Cook the gumbo for 20 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently.
6.  After the gumbo has simmered, stir in filé powder and remove from heat.
7. Serve over prepared rice with your favorite Louisiana hot sauce.

Every Sunday we try to make something in the slow cooker that we can eat a few days for lunch. Most weeks this is some type of bean dish since beans are cheap, versatile, and delicious. This week, with the beginning of tomatillo season, we decided to start this tomatillo chili over night and in the morning we were greeted with delicious smells and the promise of a few good lunches to look forward to.

Slow Cooker Tomatillo Chili

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed
• 1 cup textured vegetable protein (TVP)
• 1 pound tomatillos, husked, washed, and diced
• 2 medium yellow onions, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium jalapenos, diced (seeded if you prefer less heat)
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 whole dried chipotle peppers
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1/2 cup diced cilantro
• 6 cups water
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Combine all of the above ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and set the slow cooker to high heat.
2. Cook until beans are soft, 6-8 hours.

Note: This recipe does not require soaked beans. However, if you use soaked beans reduce cooking time to 2 or 3 hours.

These enchiladas pair a tangy tomatillo filling with a sweet ripe tomato ranchero style sauce.

Tomatillo Enchiladas with fresh Ranchero Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 Pound tomatillos, diced
• 29 ounces cooked pinto beans
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced and divided
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped and divided
• 1 large green bell pepper, diced
• 2 small serrano peppers or one medium jalapeno, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin, divided
• 2 pounds ripe tomatoes, diced
• 1 dried chipotle, halved
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• 12 fresh corn tortillas
•  1/2 cup cilantro, minced and divided
• 1 medium ripe avocado, sliced

Preparation

1. To start the sauce saute 3/4 of the onion and 1/2 the minced garlic in 1 tablespoon oil. Add bell pepper, minced serrano, and 1/2 a teaspoon ground cumin and cook until the peppers have softened. Add tomatoes and half of the chopped cilantro and allow the sauce to come to a simmer over medium heat. Season with salt to taste. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally while you prepare the filling.
2. In a medium pot heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat and saute the remaining onion and garlic. Add tomatillos, pinto beans, oregano, dried chipotle, and 1/2 a teaspoon cumin. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Cook until the tomatillos have softened, about 10 minutes. Remove the chipotle from the filling and season with salt to taste.
3.  Fill tortillas with about 1/4 of the tomatillo mixture and roll tightly and arrange in a large baking dish. When the dish is full of tortillas top with the ranchero sauce covering evenly. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Top with remaining cilantro and avocado slices. Serve warm.