Zucchini Butter

By Jennie Cook

Makes about 2 cups

• 2 pounds zucchini, more or less

• 1/4 cup olive oil or butter, if you prefer

• 2 minced shallots, garlic, or combination of both

• Salt and pepper

Coarsely grate the zucchini. Let it drain in a colander for 3 to 4 minutes or until you are ready to begin cooking. To hasten cooking time, squeeze the water out of the zucchini by wringing it in a clean cloth towel.

In a deep skillet, heat the olive oil/butter. Sauté the shallots briefly. Add the zucchini and toss. Cook and stir over medium to medium-high heat until the zucchini reaches a spreadable consistency. If you scorch the bottom, turn the flame down! (And scrape those delicious bits into the marmalade for added flavor.) The zucchini will hold its bright green color and slowly caramelize into a nice vegetable jam.

Enjoy on toast, or as a side dish all summer long!

Roasted Fennel Gratin

INGREDIENTS

• 3 or 4 fennel bulbs, sliced 1/4 inch thick lengthwise.  If bulls are large, cut out tough core before slicing. 

• Butter for baking dish

• Salt and Pepper to taste

• 3/4 cup cream

• 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan

• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fennel fronds

 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut the fennel tops where they meet the bulb and discard them, saving just a few fronds to chop finely. Check if the outer parts are damaged and discolored and if so remove them.  Cut the bulb vertically into slices of roughly 1/4 inch thick and wash them in cold water.

Lightly butter the bottom of a 9 by 12 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange the fennel (single layer) in the dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then with the Parmesan. Drizzle with the cream. Bake until the fennel is fork-tender and the top is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Chop enough fennel fronds to equal 2 teaspoons, then sprinkle over the roasted fennel and serve.

Fennel Cucumber Relish

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb fennel, stalks discarded and bulb finely chopped

• 1 lb seedless cucumbers, halved lengthwise, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch dice

• 6 tablespoons cider vinegar, or to taste

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot

• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Stir together all relish ingredients in a bowl and let stand 15 minutes. Relish can be made 1 day ahead (though color will not be quite as bright) and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Spinach Salad

INGREDIENTS

• fresh spinach

• sliced apples

• ½ small red onion, thinly sliced

• toasted, chopped walnuts

• dried cranberries or other dried fruit

• your favorite cheese - fresh crumbled goat is a lovely pairing with spinach!

• your favorite vinaigrette dressing

INSTRUCTIONS

• Make or gather your vinaigrette. Toss the ingredients together, withholding 1/2 of the cheese. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and combine.

• Serve immediately, garnish with the remaining cheese.

• Modify this salad to fit your taste! Add grains, a protein, add roasted veggies, or sub in pears, mandarins or other fruit in place of the apple.

Adapted from @gimme some oven

Roasted Radishes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb fresh radishes

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil or oil of your choice

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder - fresh can burn in the oven!

• 1 lemon optional, garnish. Lemon zest and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash the radishes well, cut off the greens (if still left on), and cut each radish in half.

• Toss all ingredients together in on a large sheet pan.

• Roast at 400°F for a total of 25 - 35 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking ( about 12 minutes in)

• If you have an Air Fryer, you can make these at 380°F for 18 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through the cooking time.

• Garnish with Lemon zest and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice - enjoy!

Adapted from @basilandbubbly

Nettle Pesto

Nettles — weeds that grow throughout the United States — are like something out of a scary children’s story. Their leaves are serrated like teeth and they’re covered with spiky hairs that sting on contact. But the sting is fleeting, and the antidote is the juice of the nettles’ own leaves. Boiled briefly, nettles turn into a rich green vegetable much like spinach. You can drink the nutrient-rich cooking water like tea, just leave out the salt. Toss pesto with pasta, spread on seared fish or chicken, or use as a dip for raw vegetables.

Makes approximately 3 cups

INGREDIENTS

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 pound stinging nettles

• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup firmly packed grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

Fill a large pot halfway full with water. Add 1/4 cup salt and bring to a boil.

Fill the sink or a large bowl with cold water. Using gloves or tongs, submerge the nettles in the water and let them sit for 5 minutes. Remove the nettles and discard the water. Wearing rubber gloves, pull the leaves from the stems and discard the stems.

Put the nettles in the boiling water and boil for 1 minute. Drain and spread the nettles on a baking sheet. Let cool completely. Squeeze out as much of the water as possible and coarsely chop.

Place the nettles in the bowl of a food processor with the mint, garlic, pine nuts, and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice. Process until the mixture has formed a paste.

With the machine running, pour in the olive oil. Transfer to a bowl and fold in the cheese. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Reprinted from Lucid Food: Cooking for an Eco-Conscious Life by Louisa Shafia. Copyright © 2009 Published by Ten Speed Press.

Fort Springwater Pizza

Tried and true easy recipe from Eric Klein — Pizza is great with Nettle Pesto on it!

INGREDIENTS

Pizza Dough:

• 1 1/3 cup warm water

• 2 1/4 teaspoons 1 normal sized packet active-dry or fast-acting yeast (we use the fast acting yeast, but they both work, the other takes only a bit longer)

• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour approximate

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour approximate-We use  Organic Farm School Wheat!

Egg wash:

• 1 egg

• Tablespoon water

I usually double this recipe to make around 5 or 6 smaller pizzas, and flour balance is flexible. 

In a mixing bowl, combine water, sugar, oil and yeast. I often use quick rise.

Let sit for 15 mins or until it gets bubbly.

Either by hand or with a mixer and bread hook, begin to incorporate flour. 

Work dough until it is still moist, but forms a cohesive, mostly not sticky blob. Generally this is about 3 cups +/-

Transfer to a cutting board.

Sprinkle flour on your hands, and on the board.

Knead in another half cup of flour, until the dough is elastic, but still moist.

Very lightly oil a bowl large enough to hold twice the size of your dough.

Shape your dough into a ball and drop it into the bowl.

Cover the bowl with a clean towel, and place it in a warm spot to rise.

With quick rise yeast, you can just roll out and bake at this point, but it’s better if you wait.

Once your dough has risen, punch it down.

Move it back to the cutting board, cut it into equal parts, and roll them out. 

Put your toppings on. Check with your local farmers to see what’s available :) Our current favorite toppings are grilled onions and garlic with ham and pineapple.

Vigorously whip up your egg and water, and brush it on the crust around the outside.

Bake at 475 degrees (or a pizza oven!).  

Start checking the crust around 10 minutes in--Take out when it’s a med golden brown